#southern spirits

[briabooknerd]

[revpapaj]

Cologne And Perfumes In Your Practice.

Now in my previous post I spoke on spiritual colones, waters like Florida Water and their uses and while this is one way to use it, there are other ways to tap into the power of these products. When looking at colognes and perfumes, try not to see them as just fragrances. They were made from herbs, resins, and oils.

Beside Florida Water, Rose Water Cologne or Kananga Water there are other colognes and perfumes that are made to be used for spirits deities and workings. It's not enough to buy a spiritual perfume and begin using it.

To get the most out of them, they need to be blessed either by the Orisha it's for or the Lwa it's for. If for hoodoo a blessing to the ansestors will do.

If you choose, you can ask your guides, angels, saints, or deities for help to make it more effective at whatever you want it to do for you. Basically you're making an holy item or spiritual item.

Colognes Perfumes As Offerings: While many deities have their own type of offering that is giving to them, these colognes could be good to used as a wash to honor your deity or spirit. Other deities like receiving perfumes that contain their favorite ingredients like Ezurlie or any love deity, that created specifically for them.

Scents Used In Your Space: Perfumes and colognes are placed on the body to give their properties to the wearer, they can be added to washes or sprinkled around your property for protection of a place like Saint Michael.

Saint Michael for instance a perfume dedicated to him can be used to help fortify your home and protect those within it and also be used as a offering to him on his fest day. Use it as a floor wash, or sprinkling around the perimeter.

Can I Use It In A Ritual Bath: No these are not a bath their are perfume/, colognes only sprinkle or out in your body. (If can burn privates if you add to bath)

Working For St Lazarus: Using natural water not faucet water, you don't really know what's in it. ( Rain Water is good). Add a little St Lazarus cologne or use a St Lazarus wash or both is fine too. You can add his oil if you choose. Add that to the bowl of water, place his colored candle in the middle of the bowl and light it. This we'll get St. Lazarus attention, then pray his prayer and tell him what you need. Let it burn.

Perfumes as Spiritual Food Just as perfumes can be given as offerings to spirits, they can also be offered to mojo's, washes, dolls, crystal etc. If a liquid is called for in a ritual, often a cologne or perfume can be used or added to it to power the liquid with its properties.

List Of Some Of These Perfume/Cologne.

[revpapaj]

The Souls Within Spanish Moss.

Here in the Southern U.S states, our old trees have this spiderweb-like plant called Spanish moss aka (old man's beard) some say. It's really not a moss at all. But It grows from Louisiana, all the way to Virginia even through some of South Carolina I read, basically anywhere there a lot of moister. Even Native Americans used it for medicine. This is the kind of plant that gives the south a Gothic look, that is shown is seen in a bunch of movies and Tv shows.

This Moss absorbed the humidity and helps keep the heat bearable. Some Slave families would sit under those trees to get out from the sun. Some Congolese people in Louisiana gathered by a big tree with moss to celebrate. You can probably imagine the amount of spirits of slaves that still have their hearts, souls and struggles all that engery in the moss.

Spanish Moss In Magical Practices. In Voodoo & Hoodoo. Some use spanish moss for positive and negativity workings. It absorbs the energy that the practicer gives to it. This moss can be used to create dolls like our voodoo dolls here in New Orleans. Its added to bottles of War Water & Snake Oil. (See my posts on both) It can be used to create a protection oil or wash. It's is used for money working Therefore, Spanish moss have magic properties that is used in southern hoodoo & voodoo traditions alike.

How to Work with Spanish Moss in Your Magick First, If you buy or collect your Spanish moss yourself wash it, Sometimes It can have small pests/ bugs, ants etc that lives with in it. And I would know I got bit by fire ants years ago collecting some.😁 Now after it's clean let it dry.

Ways That It's Used. Stuffed into dolls for workings, used to make War water, Stuffed into herbal pillows. Put in spell bottles. Attached to ceremonial clothing. Use on the altar as a representation of the South and traditional hoodoo. There's many ways to use it.

The Legend of Spanish Moss and the Princess’ Hair In Florida. I read a old Native legend about how Spanish moss began and I wanted to share it. There was a Native Princess who fell in love with a Spanish soldier. Her father, the chief, forbade her to see her true love. The story is tragic – the Princess hangs herself by a tree when she realizes her father had her true love killed. Her hair stayed in the tree and continued to grow, becoming what we call Spanish moss. Another variation of this legend tells the tale of an old man who’s long beard is caught in the trees and becomes Spanish moss.

[revpapaj]

Spiritual & Ritual Bathing. The Secret On Why We Do It & Need It.

Not my photo.

If you read my post on baths then you know about bathing and useing a wash. But why do we do it? What is the real purpose of it? In this post I'm going to tell you why.

(See my post on bathing & washes)

Let's start with Spiritual Baths And Ritual Bathing: This practice of bathing has been used by cultures and faiths throughout history, Learning to prepare and perform ritual baths for yourself and others to remove something, gaining something, celebrate a season, welcome someone into a community is apart of our culture and others.

Now in this post I'm speaking to you not just as a priest in voodoo or a root worker but as a minister also.

Spiritual Bathing - Have you ever been asked or wanted to perform a ritual bath for someone? We may go into the ocean, or the waters of a mountain lake, a river, or let's say a waterfall. Why? To help us feel closer to nature or feeling closer to ourselves. Sometimes as spiritual people it helps feel closer to our beliefs our practices or our faith. That’s why water, has been a part of all sorts of rituals for as long as cultures existed.

Water As Part Of Ritual: When i talk about ritual or spiritual bathing, I'm talking about soaking in a special type of water… right...

Water that holds a special meaning, if you're doing a spells, or rituals or a baptisms.

But Why Do We Do A Wash Or Bath? In hoodoo or any culture for that matter, when a spell, ritual or ceremony is completed we do a wash or bath and the purpose of this is "To Seal It All In" 'That's the secret.' A secret that many may not know or may not understand. Because the so called Hoodoo/ African Spiritual books or spiritual books pierod don't tell you.

Why is that? Because a bath especially in the African cosmology a bath is a symbol of rebirth,it helps rids yourself of the old and start a new, a fresh start.

After a spell; what ever spell you are doing, you should finish with a bath. Then with prayer. (Depends on the spell)

If you are doing a baptism you will do a bath or wash you want to finish it off by sealing it all in to stay (with prayer). Once that is done you'll leaving it up to God to take it from there to help you in what ever your trying to achieve.

Bathing Alone: Ritual of bathing along didn't always have to be done for spell work some times it's a time reflection, meditation, pray etc something that we all might need.

These baths gives you a time to let go of old things and welcoming in new things. Like a New Years bath. Just take the time to light a few candles, put on some good music on, and soak in a tub filled with bath salts or oils, whatever makes you feel good.

Ritual Use: There really is no universal recipe for spiritual baths! When you’ve been asked to perform this type of ritual for someone, start by asking them what they need and hope to achieve?

Are they seeking forgiveness? Emotional healing? Creative or inspiration? A blessing for fertility or childbirth, baptism. etc? Each ceremony will be personal but once you know what the ritual is for, you’ll be better prepared for what needs to be done and what to do afterwards like the wright prayer herbs, roots, music etc. You can even get a premade wash and add in your dry ingredients to it.

Asking Your Spiritual Guides: They can help ‘clear’ the space while using Incense like Palo, Sage or another type of incense. During your ritual your guides will assist you if you ask ☺️.

Performing A Bath: Start by pouring the water over the top of the bather’s head down to their feet. ( in case you’re wondering, bathers and the one preforming the bath usually wear ceremonial clothing other times they may wear swim wear… but not always!)

[revpapaj]

Eggun-Our Ancestors Tree.

Before I begin there is no ancestral tree in hoodoo the tree it's self is not important but it is a place were people gathered to sing, dance,band place offerings.

One of the most important spirits you can work with besides your guardian spirits is working with your ancestors. Ancestors are the ones who have walked the path before you. They are the link between us and heaven; they should be the first you talk to before other spirits or deities.

What Are Eggun?

Eggun are spirits a direct blood line to us, they are your family members. They are NOT other spirits that you may or may not have with you or use like Native American Spirits, La Madama, Gypsy or any other spirits.

We all have ansestors/Eggun and we all can work with them. There is no “wrong way” to speak with them or work with them; but it is always good to have the guidance from an experience professional.

Where Can I Find A Eggun Tree? I think all states or counties may have one, it's a place that have the oldest tree, a tree that have seen a lot and holds significance to the people in the city.

Eggun tree a place for remembering your ancestors, where they sung songs, where they gathered, where they did there rituals and ceremony's, where they called on there spirits and left offering to them. Like the one we have in New Orleans it's a place where Africans and Haitians gathered so it's a place to leave offering to spirits/ deities.👇

An Eggun Tree in Congo Square where I'm from.

These trees are important not just to African spiritual practices but to witches, wiccans, pagans, folk practitioners all of us can use a ancestral tree.

What Offerings Should I Leave By the Tree? Really anything. Go to the store and just feel what pulls you in, what you pick is what they want.

For your altar. Place things that they might like.

Example Below you'll see offerings like gum, fruit, beans, money

You can create one in your home also, to build or set-up an area you can dedicate to them only. You can take a piece of the tree with you (don't cut a big chunk out)

(More on ancestral altar see that post)

[revpapaj]

Haints: Ghosts and Evil Spirits from the Old South

What exactly is a "haint"?

Haint is an old southern word for a specific type of ghost or evil spirit. Belief in haints probably originated with the Gulla Geechee people, descendants of African slaves in the southern country like Louisiana, Haints are malicious ghosts, often seeking to steal or harm naughty children (maybe used as a story to make unruly children behave?

Let’s look at the first question, Why The Color Blue? A color specifically for protection against ghosts. The color blue represented water, the spirits could not cross over water, and painting the ceilings, door frames, and window trims tricked the ghosts and spirits into thinking it was water and they would not cross it to enter the house.

There are many traditions, customs, and beliefs that are still being practiced today. For instance, people believe in dark magic. and paint their doors "haint blue" in order to ward off evil spirits and witches. (Old witch's durning the time when everything was thought to be evil) In the south, historic homes often feature a special hue of blue paint on the ceilings of their big, covered porches, or window shutters, sills, and doors blue.

Haints are restless spirits of the dead who, for whatever reason, have not moved on from their physical world.

How to protect yourself from Haints: According to lore, these are some tried-and-true methods for distracting or getting rid of Haints: (Read my bottle tree post)

Bottle Tree - The bottle tree originated in Africa and migrated to the US. The bottles are said to catch wandering spirits at night, and hold them until you dispose of it.

News Paper: Haints can't resist certain repetitive tasks, such as reading newspapers pasted onto walls, or counting the straws in a broom, or grains of rice. The idea is to distract and frustrate the haunts, who keep losing count and starting over again repeatedly. The haunts will be forced to leave as morning approaches, I personally can't say it's true but I do know the newspapers are still put on the windows and stuff and then so in the walls.

Cleans the house - cleaned your space. You can use sage or incense. Use a floors wash. This can help.

How Do I Know I Caught A Haint In The Bottle? It makes a sound like a whistle.

Check out my other posts in the subject

Post by @revpapaj · 2 images

💬 0  🔁 7  ❤️ 24 · Bottle Trees & How To Make One & How To Know If You Cought One? · Have you ever been driving through Louisiana, or any oth

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💬 0  🔁 3  ❤️ 15 · How To Stop A Boo Hag From Riding You Or Your Family. Hoodoo Working. · In this post I'll be talking on Boo Hags and givin

[charlesray45]

Review of 'Southern Spirits'

Review of ‘Southern Spirits’

Verity Long, a freelance graphics designer, is out of work and, because of a vengeful ex-fiancé whom she left at the altar, and his mother, she’s in danger of losing her home. One day, she accidentally traps the ghost of a dead mobster on her property, setting off a chain of events that forever change her life.

The ghost, Frankie the German, enables her to see other spirits, and when Ellis…

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[bisexualdinahlance]

You think gangsters buried their money like pirate gold? We laundered it like sensible crooks and put it in banks… or we spent it.

Frankie the German, Southern Spirits by Angie Fox