Passion and all that entails – lust, infatuation, rage,
aggression, obsession, power, drive and motivation, domination, feminine power,
etc.
She is ruled by fire – the fearsome aspect of the planetary
energy of Venus, volcanic and volatile. In a sense, she is the domineering
match to the masculine Mars, the traitorous seductress. Despite our own moral
connotations with such – she is not marred by our own virtue, for she exists
unabashed and guiltless. She cannot be controlled, she cannot be mastered, and
she cannot be owned. Her rage is explosive, her hunger insatiable, she is decadence
and gluttony, she is wrath and vanity – and she will not be judged for it. What
she wants, she takes; what she desires, she deserves. Conversely, she is the master of passion – with the power to
incite and dispel it. She is the dichotomy – the renunciate, the hedonist – and
everything in between. Under the guise of the Red Sister, she is the picture of
virtue – she who abhors the material and casts away all worldly possessions,
she is the ascetic and the chaste. “You may know my nature – but do not presume
to know my intention.”
Offerings, including but not limited to:
All things beautiful, lush and expensive – fine wines,
champagne, perfumes, sweet cigars/cigarettes, beauty supplies, jewelry, roses,
red candles bathed in oils, sugars and syrups, decadent foods (such as
chocolate or anything deemed an aphrodisiac); but on the darker side: knives, sulphur,
blood, red chiles, illicit substances (though not recommended – for your own
good)
(For the Red Sister: white or red roses, anointing oils,
flavorful “peasant” foods)
Ideal locations for workings:
Taverns/bars, brothels, street-corners,
places of luxury or excess – she is also particularly suited to bath rituals
and mirrors.
To Call Her
Gather a collection of offerings, a square of red cloth or a
mirror on which you have drawn her Seal (above). Drawing it in red lipstick may
garner you some bonus points. Upon this, the offerings will be presented.
Prepare yourself by dabbing on some perfume or inspecting your own image in a
mirror. Music is always a welcome addition to workings with her, as dancing is
a great way to align yourself to her energy. When you are ready, light 3 or 7
red candles and begin your working. Hymns may be sung and prayers may be said,
though I offer none. As with the Black Mother, I recommend speaking freely –
give yourself over to the power and allow the words to flow ecstatically.
Passion is rarely planned, but captured in a moment. Allow it to run through
you.
Once the connection has been made, you might make a plea to
her. What that will be is entirely dependent on what you need, but do so
honestly. She can easily see through lies and she will draw from you truth –
often truths you do not want to face yourself. But without facing them, you
cannot be free, and you cannot grow. Allow your guilt and shame to be expunged
by her fire and let it ignite within you its passion. Be warned, though,
obsession follows her – be sure to set up clear lines when working with her. I
don’t lay a circle often, but for this it is recommended.
When you are through, leave the offerings for her. Thank her
graciously and give her a respectful bow. You may now leave the circle.
It is recommended that upon the completion of your request
that you leave another offering to her as a gift of thanks.
For those familiar with Quimbanda, many manifestations of Pomba Gira are a perfect example of the Red Queen – and much of this working mimics her observance, though less specialized based on aspect.
She of zealous passion – infatuous and impetuous – she is the Warrioress, the Lover, lustful and raging. She is the guiltless, the unapologetic, the one who rides in brazen nudity and cuts down all who stand in her way. She is the Whore and the Soldier – mad with passion and blossoming in ecstasy as she slips the knife between the ribs. Both feral and refined, she is adorned in silk and lace with blood at her teeth and a smile on her twisted lips. She of double-edged laugh, the loving and the hateful – the Red Queen comes.
I’m frequently asked what a red witch is, and in hopes of saving myself some time in the future, I figured I’d do a write-up! To preface, this is my interpretation of red witchcraft, others may vary, but I can only expand on my own views, so here goes:
Simply, a red witch is someone who uses passion and desire as a energetic source for his/her craft. Things like love, lust, anger and sadness are the driving forces, and as such, there can be some overlap with what has been come to be called “black magic.” The difference is the heavy leaning toward love and lust work, and the craft often surrounds a “red goddess” – a love goddess who often also has a warrior or volatile temperament. Crowley’s Babalon is a good example, though my craft does not center around a goddess, but instead a spirit.
In this regard, I would call red witchcraft a sort of methodology more than I would say that it was its own faith, which can be said for many types of witchcraft. Because that’s what it is, a type of witchcraft and as we all know: witchcraft is not synonymous with faith or religion, but it is a practice. Red witchcraft, then, is a type of practice – utilizing raw (or what some might consider carnal, though anger is a secondary) emotion to power the work. Which isn’t as easy as it sounds.
It requires the ability to control your emotions, and use them productively. When you use your emotions to illicit change, you can’t just go flying off the handle anytime there’s a small problem. It can be disastrous, not to mention a waste of energy that could have been more pointedly used. It also provides the opportunity to master them, to know how to produce and transform emotion into something specific and something productive. Which also gives the witch an opportunity to explore themselves, and an outlet to blow off anything you’ve kept bottled up.
The biggest obstacle, I think, is selfishness. Given that desire is the foundation, it’s important to dig deep and find out what one truly desires. That isn’t to say the objective is to be completely selfless, as that’s damn near impossible, but to be conservatively selfish.
Finally, I want to add that when using red witchcraft for other people, a connection is very important. You have to care. You have to care about who you’re working with, you have to care about the result as though it were going to affect you. You must empathize, and that’s hard for some. I’m a bit of a bleeding heart, so I’ve never found an issue… when it’s something that they truly need. Conversely, my emotions greatly differ when they ask me to chase a whim for them. Moral of the story: don’t ask a red witch for help if you don’t know exactly what and why you want something.
The Qedavian Apocrypha 