The Exorcism: When All Other Purification Rites Fail

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No, you won’t find any Bible verses for contrition and
renunciation here – but rather something more pointed, perhaps something even
more violent, but when all else fails: it is what must be done. 

Let it be noted
that this ritual is not one of uncrossing – as tricks and malefica can be
removed in a much simpler manner – but a solution when a great weight has been
brought about by the witch him/herself. It is for those who jumped preemptively
into breeches a size too big and are now haunted and have become a feast of
energy for parasitic beings. It must also be mentioned that this ritual is for
those beings that are unrelenting – when all other avenues have been attempted.
The reason being: the spirits herein I recommend can be very violent when
mounting/possessing he/she in need of cleansing. It is for this reason that
they are so well suited for the job, but in a weakened state (as many Sources
are) it can further compromise their system.

The Spirits of which I speak are Pomba Gira Lixeira, known
for her ability to engulf all that is malignant and unsavory without soiling
herself, and Lwa Marinette Bwa Chech, she who started the Haitian Revolution
and brought forth her people from their shackles. If you have never worked with
either, I don’t recommend you start now. If you are unfamiliar with the nuances
of Quimbanda or Voduo, this is not the
time to start. This should be done only
by (or in the company of) a seasoned practitioner. It is possible that you
may become mounted first – if you are unfamiliar with the reality of such,
there is no way you will be able to complete the ritual and may well end up
worse off than the person you are attempting to help.

As such, I will post their symbols, but will not detail the
offerings and means by which they might be manifested.

The ritual is as follows:

Ingredients

  • Rum – dark or spiced, flavored with chile peppers if you see
    fit
  • An egg – one from a black hen is best, though if one cannot
    be found, store bought is fine (I feel like the Barefoot Contessa)
  • Water – collected from a creek, river, lake or ocean and
    poured into a glass
  • Pine Tar – if you can find it
  • Dusting Powder – a blend of black salt, sulfur, and cascarilla
    (other ingredients may be added, such as powdered rose or charcoal/ash depending
    on whom you work with)
  • Offerings/Traditional Items Associated with the Spirits
  • (Optional: Palm Fronds, Willow Whisk, or other lashing
    implements)

Instructions

This ritual is best
completed with at least two people (not including the one being “exorcised”).
That isn’t to say it isn’t possible with one, but can be a bit tricky.

Allow the Source to sit while you prepare the offerings and
mark the lines. Explain to them that this time should be used as a time to
relax, and to prepare for the coming storm. If they will have it, offer them a
tea of chamomile and ginger to sooth them. When all things are in accordance,
begin, asking the Spirits to present. Music can act as gateway.

With the Source sitting before you, kneel and place their
palms upward, taking them by the wrists. It is important to allow the Spirit to
move thusly from you to them and even more important that they remain
receptive. Reassurance is key. While their presentation can be violent, it is a
cleansing violence. Direct the Spirit into them – rolling like fire through you
and into them. When you feel the Spirit take to the new host, it may be
necessary to bind their wrists to the chair. Marinette can be particularly
violent in the hands – of course, binding presents with its own set of risks.
It’s very much up to you whether you think it right or not – and dependent on
how closely you work with the spirits in question.

Mark the Source’s forehead with pine tar (if you have it)
and gently sprinkle a pinch of Dusting Powder upon them, reciting something to
the extent of:

(Spirit Name), deliver
this child from the hands of his/her/their transgressor,
Cleanse the Spirit
with your fire and devour that which feasts upon this soul,
Purge from them the
interloper – for you sit upon their head
And now, within the
confines of this body –
Oh, (Spirit Name) –
who reigns

Take the rum into your mouth and spray it through your teeth
in a fine mist over the Source and sprinkle them again with powder, proceeding
with your reading:

(Spirit Name) –
Deliver (Name of Source)
Deliver them thusly
from this evil

Repeat the misting and dusting.

Feast upon that which
feasts upon them –
For I present it as
offering –
Let it feed the bowels
of your own existence
And let your great
fire cleanse this man/woman/person
For you are the spirit
emetic –

You may use the fronds or whisk to lash the Source – but caution need be taken, as while during the possession they will not respond to pain in the same way – it is best if reserved for the most dire of circumstances ESPECIALLY if working with Marinette, as it will infuriate her IMMENSELY

Repeat the above until you feel the destructive presence
give way to the force of Marinette or Maria, at which point, thank them for
their service. Place the egg within the glass of water and hold it above the
Source’s head, commanding (respectfully) that the Pomba Gira or Lwa depart.
Ordinarily for possession this should not be needed, but given the compromised
state of the Source at such a time, it is most surely necessary. Fulfill your
arrangement with the Spirit at a following time – as is customary. If you bound
them, release them, allowing them to relax as they will undoubtedly be
exhausted. Care for them as best you can – the rest, after, is up to them. Sleep
and hearty food is recommended – as well as healing and purifying herbs in both tea and bath.

After the ritual, the egg should be cracked into the water and the mixture returned to creek, lake, river, ocean from whence the water came. 

image source – and on a completely different note, this practitioner was also featured on an episode of Taboo if I remember correctly

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Left: Veve of Marinette Bwa Cheche

Right: Ponto Riscado of Maria Mulambo da Lixeira

posting as reference for upcoming ritual

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As the Dead Season approaches, it is time to both honor and
remember the Dead – ancestral, historical and formative – but also, it is the
time to honor Death and its many incarnations. Honoring the God/Goddess/Spirit
of Death within your own pantheon can be very personal, especially to those of
us who are Death’s Attendants – and while I do love to honor them as the
incarnations of Death, I also like to remember death in its faceless reality. And
while Death’s many mysteries command an innate, unprecedented respect it’s
important that we not forget the liberation, humor and fascination it breeds.
Those are the facets this ritual are meant to encompass – the joys that death
may bring.

“Ingredients”

This is simply a list
of possible options and by no means is it comprehensive, I urge you to
repurpose this however you see fit with any ingredients you’re personally drawn
to. This is merely foundation upon which to build and personalize.

  • Artifacts of Death/Curios – assorted skulls, bones, and fetishes
    from the cemetery, snake sheds, assorted dead bugs (flies do the trick well, as
    do spiders)
  • A Table – dressed in a plain black or white cloth
  • Black Beans, dried
  • Pemba/Cascarilla/Chalk Dust/Salt
  • Chile Ristras
  • Peppered Rum
  • Unfermented Juices
  • Bowls of Graveyard Dirt
  • Earthenware Vessels of your choosing

Instructions

Foremost, the idea behind this is to basically host a party
in Death’s honor – in much an Alice in Wonderland fashion. It is meant to be
light, not this great foreboding thing. Do not allow yourself to be overwhelmed
with it, when it is but an inevitable actuality. As such, it’s best to keep on
Death’s good side. Why not throw him/her/it a party?

Dress your table in your chosen cloth – black or white is
preferred, but something painfully festive would also be acceptable – and
decorate it to your liking. Toss the beans and chiles around, draw with chalk or pemba any skulls, bones, etc. to really enhance the mood (hence why black is recommended), pour some libations, put on
some “sweet jams.” The beautiful thing about this “ritual” is that you can
invite as many people (or spirits) as you’d like and ask them to bring their own symbols of
death. 

Set the table accordingly, with places set for those in attendance (living or otherwise) and make sure to set a place for your own pantheon’s Death Diet(y/ies) or all the ones with which you work. Depending on your tradition, serve them customarily – for instance, many Death Gods/Spirits receive Cthonic offerings, feel free to serve them things other than food and then leave the in a traditional pit // if your tradition allows food to be shared with the Dead, by all means do so!

When the time is right – and even if you’re alone, no one will judge you
– it is then you begin the danse. Take your
favorite curios and dance about the room (I feel as though I should recommend
some Screamin’ Jay or perhaps some Harry Belafonte for those Beetlejuice fans out there) shamelessly. Ask your guests to do the same.

You dance in time with death now – and as such, Death is
honored. And quite the dancer. Continue until you run out of steam (or drinks).

A particularly good celebration for the Winter Solstice.

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I really wish there was a way I could delete the Symbol of Oyà I created awhile back – as it was never meant to be used in the craft as I’m sure it will be.

It was only meant to serve as a symbolic representation in one specific ritual I was working on. Nothing else.

And now I’m worried that I’ve contributed my work is being misused I’m an appropriative manner – when that symbol was created to avoid sharing symbols actually linked to the Orixa.

I take responsibility, and sincerely wish I could remove it, but even if I delete it here, it has been circulated.

When I originally posted it, I may with practitioners who questioned the symbol and after explaining its purpose, understood. I then attempted to prevent its use via disclaimer – and that’s the most I could do.

Does anyone know if there is a way to have it removed?

I don’t worry for Oyà, but I worry for the Yoruban culture who has suffered enough appropriation and those who would seek to appease to Oyà without true understanding of her nature and the cultural and spiritual spheres wherein she reigns.

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Lady of the Boneyard

Lady of the Bones beneath,
Perfumed roses mask the smell,
You reside – attended by maiden
Angels etched in stone and watching obelisk servants –
In the boneyard – deep,
And – lo! – you hold the dagger proud
You are my Mother all the same:
Death –
Witch –
Warrioress –
I emulate your visage:
And so I dance on hallowed ground
Through stony channels – passed
The holy, relic tomb upon roads of dust
Lit by the morn-colored lantern light
Barefooted and brazen;

I hold the skull and trident,
In the left hand and the right,
Moving thusly with the night:
We are born in death –
In the garden of the rose –
Through spell or dagger yield –
Justice will –
And must –
Be done.

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Prayer/Hymn Challenge

shipping-the-gods:

This challenge is designed to help give you inspiration to write hymns or prayers for your deity :)Feel free to switch them around or pull from it randomly. Tag me in your posts if you wish to share them! 🙂

1 Write a hymn to your deity describing one or more of their spheres of influence.

2 Write a hymn to your deity praising them for something they’ve done for you, or for a way they have shown themselves to you in your life.

3 Write a hymn to your deity describing their family tree or relations with other deities/monsters/etc.

4 Write a hymn to your deity using one of their epithets, and base your entire hymn off of that epithet.

5 Write a hymn to your deity and talk about where they live/the domain they rule.

6 Write a hymn to your deity and describe what you feel your deity looks like. Bonus: compare what they look like to things they hold dominion over.

7 Write a hymn to your deity asking for support in a matter you have been struggling with.If they don’t hold any influence over that area of your life, ask them to lend you the strength you need to get through it.

8 Write a hymn to your deity as if you are extending an already existing Orphic or Homeric hymn. Find one of the Homeric or Orphic hymns for inspiration, and try to continue on with it using the same style.

9 Write a hymn to your deity based off of some modern connotations you think they have.

10 Write a hymn to your deity and base it off of your favourite myth of theirs.

11 Write a hymn to your deity and include some of their plant or animal associations

12 Write a hymn to your deity thanking them for any help they have given you recently.

13 Write a hymn about your deity, and gather inspiration from old artifacts and artwork online or in museums. Bonus: find specific artwork that they are featured in. 

14 Write a hymn to your deity, and create a few epithets of your own to use somewhere in it.

15 Write a hymn to your deity and mention their significant other(s) as well as how you believe they live together.

While I don’t work with deities, I absolutely love this challenge! Pretty sure this is how I’ll be spending my return train ride.

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Do you think it’s wrong to call someone out for wearing a cross necklace when they are pretty much the opposite of Christ following?

apptowonder:

hecallsmelovely:

“ call someone out” is extremely negative. We are called to love.

I think there are ways to approach these types of situations. It depends on many factors. How well you know the person, where they are in their faith, their personalities and more. There is a time and a place to have these conversations. And sometimes, they aren’t wroth it. 

It is just as important to communicate the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and to strive for a Christlike balance of truth and grace. Also, it’s important to approach every situation with a spirit of humility and forgiveness. “Love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). We don’t need to point out every sin or pick apart every deed. Is a cross necklace extremely important in the grand scheme of things? I don’t think so. I think it is better to be an example of love and grace. Be a reflection of Christ and i think that will be a greater impact than commenting on a necklace. 

Not to mention, there’s no way you can know their life or the inner state of their relationship with God.

Also – the cross as a symbol existed long before it was adopted by Christianity and extends to nearly all cultures. Just as the fish symbol associated with Jesus is an alteration on a well known fertility symbol.

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