Forty Days and Nights of Purity: Lent, Haitian Vodou Style

"Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time, he ate no bread and drank no water…When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord."Exodus, Chapter 34, Verses 28-30 "And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, turned back from the Jordan (River), and was brought in Spirit to the wilderness, for forty days being tempted by the Adversary, and he did not eat anything in those days…"Luke, Chapter 4, Verses 1-2 At the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, plants and trees awaken ...

Using Stones, Minerals, and Metals for a Charmed Life

AsheAfrican shamans, warriors, hunters, and healers all employ the power of ashe to accomplish the task at hand. There is a venerable history that is not very prominent in general literature about the deft skill with which these specialized members of the community combine sticks, stones, roots, bones, and minerals to capture and direct power. The names of these skilled professionals vary from culture to culture. The goal is to capitalize off the synergy generated from bringing together disparate parts together to create a single more powerful unit. The parts are usually organic, but minerals, stones, and metals are also combined with herbs, roots, and flowers to heal, protect, assure ...

Conjure Craft: Hoodoo, Rootwork, and Conjuring for the 21st Century

Hoodoo HistoryOnce upon a time, we were Africans, involved in a unique lexicon of beliefs, lore, stories, and customs designed to help integrate us into an environment filled with plants, animals, elements, and a complex array of spirits. With the advent of slavery, those who had stayed the longest severed the physical bond with the Motherland, but like seeds lifted from a flower by wind, we found fertile ground in distant lands. The freshly sown seeds took strongest hold in sunny climes reminiscent of our Motherland. Separated physically, we remained united as brothers and sisters in spirit. The various hybrids of traditional African-based religions continue to thrive in coastal Brazil, ...