Psalms 4: Good Luck & Peaceful Sleep
Meaning and Uses of Psalms 4
🌿 Boosting luck for a specific endeavor
🌿 Uncrossing to change bad luck to good luck
🌿 Ensuring peaceful and restful sleep at night
Godfrey Selig‘s hoodoo classic Secrets of the Psalms recommends that you pray with the psalm three times before sunrise, which could be incorporated into almost any rootworking ritual or spell for the indicated purposes.
All the psalms were originally written in Hebrew, so there are many different translations of it available! When using psalms in your practice, I encourage you to consider which translation you are using whether it’s one you particularly resonate with or from a translation of the Bible perhaps you know one of your ancestors really liked. For reference, here’s a translation I’ve compiled from both Jewish and Christian sources that I think conveys the meaning well.
For the Leader; with string-music. A Psalm of David.
When I call, answer me, O God of my righteousness; you have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
How long will you people turn my glory into shame? [How long] will you love futility? [How long] will you constantly seek lies?
You shall know that God has set apart the righteous for Himself; God shall hear when I call out to Him.
Quake and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be forever silent.
Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in God.
Many say, “Who will show us goodness?" Let the light of your face shine on us.
Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.
In peace together, I would lie down and sleep, for You, O Lord, would make me dwell alone in safety.
I’ve included the psalm in its original language, Hebrew, as a reminder of its original Jewish roots in addition to later Christian ones and as a reference for anyone who wishes to write specific lines from the psalm in Hebrew on a petition paper, a slip of paper to go inside a mojo bag, etc.
It’s important to be careful not to cross the line with Judaism as it is a closed religion, but using the Hebrew language in hoodoo has long been a part of the magical tradition!
א לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינ֗וֹת מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד:
ב בְּקָרְאִ֡י עֲנֵ֚נִי | אֱלֹ֘הֵ֚י צִדְקִ֗י בַּ֖צָּר הִרְחַ֣בְתָּ לִּ֑י
חָ֜נֵּ֗נִי וּשְׁמַ֥ע תְּפִלָּתִֽי:
ג בְּנֵי־אִ֡ישׁ עַד־מֶ֤ה כְבוֹדִ֗י לִ֖כְלִמָּה תֶּֽאֱהָב֣וּן
רִ֑יק תְּבַקְשׁ֖וּ כָזָ֣ב סֶֽלָה:
ד וּדְע֗וּ כִּֽי־הִפְלָ֣ה יְ֖הֹוָה חָסִ֣יד ל֑וֹ יְהֹ֘וָ֥ה יִ֜שְׁמַ֗ע
ה רִגְז֗וּ וְֽאַל־תֶּֽ֫חֱטָ֥אוּ אִמְר֣וּ בִ֖לְבַבְכֶם
עַל־מִשְׁכַּבְכֶ֗ם וְדֹ֣מּוּ סֶֽלָה:
וזִבְח֥וּ זִבְחֵי־צֶ֑דֶק וּ֜בִטְח֗וּ אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה:
ז רַבִּ֥ים אֹֽמְרִים֘ מִֽי־יַרְאֵ֪נוּ֫ ט֥וֹב נְסָה־עָלֵ֑ינוּ א֖וֹר
ח נָתַ֣תָּה שִׂמְחָ֣ה בְלִבִּ֑י מֵעֵ֨ת דְּגָנָ֖ם וְתִֽירוֹשָׁ֣ם
ט בְּשָׁל֣וֹם יַחְדָּו֘ אֶשְׁכְּבָ֪ה וְאִ֫ישָׁ֥ן כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהֹוָ֣ה
לְבָדָ֪ד לָ֜בֶ֗טַח תּֽוֹשִׁיבֵֽנִי:
Disclaimer: You do not have to be Christian to use this psalm! Hoodoo/rootwork/conjure is an African-American folk magic tradition not a religion, and anyone of any beliefs may use it as a part of their practice.
