The Mojo Bag - Powerful Spiritual Ally!

Mojo bags are a potent form of folk magic that can be carried on your person in a pocket, bra, purse, briefcase, or anywhere else... bringing the magic with you everywhere you go! They are discreet and extremely effective, which is why they have become such a fabled staple of North American folk practices, and do have parallels in other traditions around the world (think of the medicine bag of the Native peoples, and the charm bag of European traditions).

Mojo bags are usually made of cotton flannel, and then fixed with herbs, roots, and curios which compliment the type of effect that one is trying to manifest. Using time honored methods and prayers, the conjure practitioner then joins the energies of each of the mojo bag ingredients into a powerful whole working towards the goal of the intended wearer. This is akin to taking lone soldiers, and combining their forces to make one formidable army fighting for a unified cause. The mojo is then passed through the smoke of incense, and provided with some whiskey or condition oils to lend it additional strength. In some cases candles may be burned on the mojo to help "heat it up" - putting some gas on its magical fire. In this way the spirit of the mojo bag is born!

Because the mojo bag is considered to literally be alive, it must be fed just like any other living thing in order to keep it working strongly. Mojo bags are fed by dressing them once a week with a few drops of whiskey, or a condition oil that is related to the job the mojo bag is doing. From time to time a mojo owner may intuitive feel that the spirit of the bag requests additional attention - such as passing it through incense again, or providing a different liquid to feed it with. Many mojo owners develop real lasting relationships with their mojo, and it becomes an important partner in their life's work!

Because many people will keep a working mojo with them for years and years on end, maintaining the mojo becomes part of the process of working it over time. Most conjure practitioners suggest having your mojo "refreshed" once a year. When one is carrying a mojo bag in their pocket or in their purse day in and day out, the cotton flannel can easily wear out and soft ingredients like dried herbs can be pulverized into dust. People whose mojo's are becoming a bit raggedy can take them to their maker and have them "refreshed", with the hard ingredients being placed into a new flannel bag, and the herbs being replaced with new ones. The bag is then dressed and smoked and may continue it's work!

Mojo bags are a secret kind of personal empowerment tool, meaning that no one is EVER supposed to see, and certainly must NEVER touch a mojo bag. Many believe that once a mojo bag has been seen (in the case of the Nation Sack mojo which is used to tie a man to you for life), or touched (as is generally the case) that the mojo is effectively killed! Some practitioners may be able to revive a mojo by basically taking the hard ingredients, such as roots or minerals, replacing the herbs, and basically re-building it around the original ingredients. Others simply bury a mojo once it has been found or touched, and will start a new one.

There's much more to know about this simple, but powerful piece of magic then I can get into here. Please feel free to surf on over to Lucky Mojo Curio Company's fantastic page - Mojo Hand and Root Bag - on the history and usage of the mojo bags in North American folk magic.

How do you choose what herbs/roots/curios/etc are best to add to a mojo?

Firstly, having a good working knowledge of the various herbs and such that are used in folk magic is the best place to start. You will have the knowledge of what items are generally used for a specific purpose at the forefront of your mind. But let’s say that you have a short-list of items that all correspond to your goal, but you’re unsure which ones might be better suited to your case than the others. That’s where intuition and divination come in.

Hopefully you were able to use your intuition to create the short-list of items, being able to pick out a handful of items that not only corresponded correctly, but strongly “felt” right to include in the bunch. You can then confirm if they are best by using divination. Depending on what divination method you are most comfortable with and skilled at, how you divine will change. I personally use tarot most often, and will concentrate on an item, visualize its properties in relation to my case, and then draw one card – interpreting the card as the answer. Many practitioners may use a pendulum to get yes/no answers about items. The possibilities are endless. Once you’ve eliminated all the “nos” from your list, then divine once again to determine that the ingredients you’ve got are the entire lot that you will need. If no, then go through the process again until you reach a final conclusion.

Once you have all your ingredients sussed out, you can then start the magic of bringing that mojo to life and working for you (or whoever you may be making it for).

What does it mean that a mojo bag is “alive”?

In conjure everything is believed and experienced as having a spirit. The herbs have a spirit. The curios have a spirit. Conjure is tapping into those spirits and getting them to work for you.

When you create something like a mojo it's like you are creating a new spirit from the combination of the herb/curio spirits. Like a spirit collective with a single purpose - your intent. It's like when you refer to a group of players on the same team by their team name, The Bears, instead of naming them all individually. When they are playing towards the same goal, winning the game, they become The Bears. Get it? So your mojo spirit is your spirit-team for that intent.

If you don't do a good job of getting all the spirits to work towards the same goal, which is what you are doing when you are making and fixing a mojo, then you end up with a flannel bag full of random items. They are not a team. You have to coax them into being a team. The ability to communicate with and work with these spirits is one of the skills that is vital to the conjure doctor.

Of course in modern magic there are plenty of schools of thoughts that reject the animist perspective for something more scientifically or psychologically based. If you are one of these people, you can still work effective conjure (though you will be stepping outside the traditional paradigm by doing so). If you don't like thinking of them as spirits, you can think of them as holding certain energetic potentials. You need to be able to get all the potentials resonating with one another so that they are vibrating on the same frequency, and becoming a like-attracts-like generator for your intent. Your Will and power of energetic manipulation/direction, as well as ability to strongly visualize (or otherwise crystallize your intent), help create an astral pattern that will be reinforced by the constant feeding/working of the mojo, until that mojo-blueprint manifests.

Anyway you look at it, you end up with a powerful spiritual presence that will need to be maintained in order to keep working strongly. This is done by feeding the mojo. This provides the spirit with energy from which to replenish itself, and draw from to aid it in manifesting your goal. Whiskey is sometimes called the “water of life” and so it is a common fluid used to feed a mojo. Some colognes, such as Hoyt's Cologne, also have a history as a dressing and feeding for mojo bags. Condition oils, which are made from the oils of a combination of herbs and roots which correspond to a particular cause, and which have been prayed over to enliven its spirit, are another very popular method of feeding a mojo bag. This provides the mojo bag spirit with energy that is specifically in resonance with its work, and also adds its own extra layer of influence to the matter, helping to amplify the effect.

How the bag is fed changes depending on the work the bag is created to do, or circumstances which may require additional energy from the mojo. For example, some gambling mojos require the user to urinate on it to quicken its effects while gaming. Learning to listen to what the spirit of your mojo bag might be asking for is a natural process of working one’s mojo bag. If a mojo has been working extra hard, you may find you feel it needs to be fed more often than the prescribed once a week. So keep your mind open to any impressions you may receive from your mojo. I generally feed mine with condition oil, but which oil it wants can change from week to week…and sometimes it wants whiskey. When I intuitive “feel” that a different feeding is appropriate I do that. It all has to do with developing a symbiotic relationship with the spirit of the mojo!

So how do you get the various herb, root, curio, etc spirits to work for your goal?

Different people will work with the spirits different ways - there's no one way to do it. If I sat here and wrote a stereo-manual for how I work with spirits, it could have 0% to do with how YOU would work with spirits. Some may actually be able to see them and interact with them directly in that way, others may sense them in a more abstract way and be able to communicate on a more subtle level. Each person will learn to sense and speak with spirits in a slightly different way that reflects their own individual intuitive gifts.

This is part of where the notion of a person being “gifted for the work” that if often referred to in folk magic comes in. The gift has a lot to do with this natural ability for working and communicating intent to spirits, as well as sensing subtle spiritual energies and being able to manipulate them in one way or another. Just like some are born with a natural aptitude for math or science, while others will struggle with it. Magical ability is no different. These talents can be learned to a certain extent, but there’s no denying that some people are simply born with that talent very strongly represented in their make-up. Others will need to work very hard to acquire even a marginal skill. But the secret is opening exploring what intuitive talents you have, and learning to exploit them to the best of your ability.

One thing that spirit work definitely is not, however, is forcing our will upon the spirits. Many people coming from a more modern magical perspective are very married to the ideas of “programming” and “charging” and “empowering” – a bit of an imperialistic approach, really, stemming from the proliferation of ceremonialist-inspired practices popular today. There is this idea that magical items are useless until the magician comes along and empowers them, or charges them. I wouldn't say that you "charge herbs/roots/etc with intent". We're not enforcing our will upon the plant spirits like they are our slaves or something. In conjure each item is believed to already be divinely powerful in a specific way – otherwise why would you use one object over another? We're helping to tune in all the spirits and their individual innate power to the same work. Part of that is having your intent and your desire very strongly available, but I consider it more of a communication process, then some sort of "programming" or something.

Speaking to the items as if they were individual people is one common way that a conjurer will approach this. They communicate what job they wish the herb/root to do for the specific case the mojo is being prepared for. For instance, cinnamon can be used in love or money work, so when adding the cinnamon to a love mojo bag, the conjurer might say “cinnamon, I want you to take your spicy heat, and make the passion between N and NN grow likewise fiery and delicious – in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, so be it”. This has communicated what specific energy the practitioner wishes that herb to contribute to the work at hand. Other workers may approach it entirely different depending on their personal style of spirit work, and their personal religio-spiritual preferences.

Once all the herbs have been added and their roles in the work communicated clearly, a personal concern from the person for whom it is being created &/or a petition paper onto which the overall intent of the mojo has been written, will be added into the bag. (Hair or fingernails are very common, in love or sex mojos a pubic hair or sexual fluids from the target are ideal - when a bodily concern is not obtainable, photos can work as well.) Again the conjurer will communicate with the mojo, letting the spirits of all the items know the larger plan of action of which they are a part. The personal concern helps the energy of the items target where to lay their effects. At this point, the practitioner will finish the work often breathe into the bag, giving it the “breath of life”, and then tying the bag shut. The finished mojo is then passed through incense smoke, and fed in some manner. The breath, smoking, and feeding are the final key actions that solidify the mojo as a unified working spiritual entity.

I’m sure you can now see why the mojo bag is such a powerful magical tool! It’s fairly simple to construct an incredibly potent item, and the fact that it utilizes nothing more complicated in many cases than easily obtainable herbs and roots makes it accessible to nearly anyone, and customizable for nearly any life situation that one may face.

Custom Mojo Bags Creation services and DIY Mojo Bag Kits from Queen of Pentacles Conjure Shop & Village Witchery

Here at Queen of Pentacles Conjure Shop & Village Witchery we're happy to create a custom mojo bag for your specific needs. We offer a standard Custom Mojo service, and a Deluxe Custom Mojo & Triple Fixed Vigil Candle Empowerment services, which you can order through our Etsy Conjure Shop.

We offer these options as stand-alone services for those who wish to obtain a personalized mojo bag, but don't feel the need to have a full magical consultation on their situation. In other words - they know what they want! Of course if you’re not sure what you need, feel free to book a consultation to read your situation, and develop a plan of action that includes a custom mojo bag.

I am happy to make mojos for nearly any positive purpose, but I will *NOT* craft double-cross, sexually or emotionally binding, or aggressively coercive mojos. If you are unsure if I will craft the type of mojo that you are looking for, please contact me directly to inquire.

Our Custom Mojo Bag creation services offer a mojo bag created and fixed specifically for your personal needs by an experienced hoodoo practitioner, using traditional conjure/rootwork techniques. It includes a mini-reading on your situation, and a 3mL bottle of custom blended condition oil to feed the mojo bag.

To determine the best ingredients for your mojo bag, a detailed background of your situation will be requested, and a mini 3 card reading will be performed to see what currents are most strongly at play, and what herbs, roots, and curios would be most appropriate for obtaining your intent.

After the proper ingredients are ascertained for your mojo hand, the hand will be fixed on the appropriate planetary day and hour. A small candle dressed for your intents will be burned on the mojo to help awaken and "heat" it up.

For those that purchase the Deluxe Custom Mojo & Triple Fixed Candle Empowerment service, the mojo is prepared the same as above, however as part of the mojo creation process, three vigil lights will be dressed for the client's specific situation. They do not all need to be dressed the same, and may support various aspects of the work at hand. A petition paper for the intents of the client will be placed underneath each candle.

The mojo is placed within a triangular formation made by the three lights, which is a sacred geometrical shape that encourages manifestation, and the lights set working. Over the course of their burn (which averages about 5 days), prayer will be said for the intents of the clients, and a watch kept for any divinatory signs that the candles may produce. The mojo is bathed in the energy of the three candles for the entire duration of the burn, gathering strength.

At the conclusion of the vigil lights burn, the petition paper will be loaded into the mojo, and the mojo tied shut and fed. It will then be shipped to the client, along with a report of how the candles burned.

All clients wishing to have a custom mojo bag created for them must be able to supply at least some kind of personal concern. They must also commit to feeding the mojo weekly in order to keep it working strongly.

For the more thrift-minded or independent practitioners, we also have some do-it-yourself Mojo Bag Kits! We have Money-Drawing, Love-Drawing, and Luck-Drawing Kits available through our Etsy Conjure Shop.

I hope this article has helped inspire you to try bringing some mojo into your life! It is certainly a fantastic magical tool to have on your side working for you.

Hallucinatory Hypnagogic Sleep Phenomenon

Hypnogogic (when falling asleep) and hypnopompic (upon awakening from sleep) hallucinations are another sleep phenomenon that I've experienced very frequently throughout my life. These are defined as a variety of sensory experiences that are had in the liminal states of consciousness that occur when transitioning into or out of sleep. They are classified as hallucinations due to the fact that is no objectively "real" source of these experiences, as they are believed to arise from the mind itself.

They are often linked by science to various sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, or at least to times when over-exhaustion or stress is altering our sleep patterns. In my web-searches on the topic I've seen it said more than once that if one is experiencing these types of things outside of any evidence of a sleep disorder that it is very likely that they are experiencing psychotic episodes and should be medicated accordingly. (Personally, I think that's one of the most ridiculous statements out there from an institution that would love to pathologize every state of consciousness outside of slack-jawed docility. )

I've found all sorts of interesting things that people have seen and heard while in these states - bugs or other creepy-crawlies coming out the walls seems popular, as does humanoid figures of one variety or another. Auditory hallucinations are also common accompaniments to these events, and some also experience tactile ones as well. My own tend towards faces, and an occasional distant and fading figure, many times accompanied by voices that feel very much inside my mind (as opposed to perceiving them as having come from outside).

Many people find these experiences extremely frightening, and seek help thinking that they are losing their minds, or just looking for any way to avoid having to experience anything that bizzare again. I've never personally found them frightening. From time to time they can be a wee unsettling, but that is due to the particular way in which these manifest with me. I've asked others their opinions on the matter, and I've never talked to anyone - even within occult circles - that gave these any spiritual weight. I'm still personally on the fence with some of my experiences. Others, though, I dismiss as nothing but a strange sleep-state experience.

I would be interested in hearing about hypnopompic & hypnogogic hallucinations that others may experience, and what they make of them. I'll tell you a little more about my own.

I get these probably about 1/5 of the year. They will come in flaps, happening nightly for 3 days to 2 weeks, and then disappear for a few months, only to reoccur. What makes them puzzling to me is that during the flap the hallucination will always be the same, although every flap has a different repeating event. It is this persistent repetition during the onset of these incidents that really sets me to wondering about them.

Sometimes I will awake to see an inhuman face right up next to mine, which will fade as I awaken to full consciousness. If I drew these faces for you, I'm sure you'd find them horrible - but I've rarely ever gotten a bad feeling from them; and the few times that I did it was more a mild state of anxiety related to knowing I knew why that face was there, but had lost that understanding as I awoke.

Other times I will awaken with a set of numbers running through my head which I know hold a deep importance, but that info will fade as I awaken. Sometimes it's not numbers but a phrase or word or name that I feel strongly is somehow very important or that needs to be communicated or remembered or applied in some way, but again, as I awaken it fades into nothingness.

Once or twice during such a flap after a few nights of a repeating message, I had made sure that I had a pen and paper bedside so that I could write down that info as I awaken. I managed to actually get it written down on one occasion, but when I read the message once fully awake it was utter nonesense.

There have also been times when these recurring experiences also happen at the same time each night. I will look over at the clock as I'm waking and see the same time as the night before. This time-stamping doesn't occur very often with these, but it has happened on more than one occasion.

I've often wondered if there was some significance to these repetitive occurrences. I certainly do have these experiences where it is a one-off; just one event, one night. The one-off appearances tend to be of the seeing a figure as I awake. Those tend to be more angelic looking and much smaller, as if off in some astral distance, rather than right up in my grill like the other ones that come during longer flaps.

As I said, I've never been frightened by these experiences as others have. Though most everyone I've told about them thinks it's creepy as hell! (My husband gets a shiver and cringes whenever I tell him I saw another face upon waking.) I guess from being very used to lucid dreaming, and other non-ordinary dream-states and states of consciousness in general has made me somewhat immune to the sense of frightening High Strangeness that many encounter when having one of these experiences.

I just recently heard of another one of these phenomenon that has been classified as a rare sleep disorder, which I've experienced at least a dozen times or so in my life. It's called Exploding Head Syndrome, and involves being awakened by a huge crash or bang, only to find that there was no external sound, that it had been "dreamed". In some cases, though much less often than the loud noise occurs, the sound of a voice yelling is what awakens the person. Again, people report being terrified by this. I've experienced both the loud crash, and the voice shouting.

I admit that once I actually did get up and check to see what the bang was, as it had sounded like someone pounding on my front door, and that was one of the first times that that particular phenomenon had happened to me. Another time, it sounded as though my grandfather yelled my name. I knew this was a dream-phenomenon, but I called him to make sure he was ok as I had never experienced the awakening as a voice that I recognized previously. The times I've heard the voice it's usually been a deep, male voice exclaiming "AH!" or "HA!" seemingly right in the room near me.

Both the hypnagogia and the Exploding Head Syndrome are said to occur more frequently during periods of sleep-deprivation or exhaustion. I can't say that I've ever made that kind of connection between tiredness and these experiences, so I don't know if that is true for me or not.

So, what do I think is going on? I think the Exploding Head Syndrome is just one of those things, like when you jerk yourself awake as you're drifting off. (I always seem to dream that I'm walking down stairs and miss one, with the fall jerking me awake as you get that sick "falling" feeling in the pit of your stomach.) I think many of the hypnagogia is likewise your dream-brain just not turning off fast enough as you emerge into wakefulness. But what of the repeat appearances of the same face, or the same numbers, or the same phrase over many nights? That seems very odd to me. But maybe I'm just reading too much into things.

In any case, these are just more of the strange things that I experience. I would love to hear other people's stories - ESPECIALLY if you've also had identical hallucinations occur over a period of several days or weeks. Theories as to what is going on are also welcome.

The Love Magic Series: Honey Jars for Love

This article continues my series on Love Magic...

and just in time for Valentine's Day!

Sweetening spells are among the most gentle of love spells, and also very effective at gaining favor with a specific individual. If you've read my other articles here, you know I feel that love should only need a little push - if it needs any more than that, then you're likely better off drawing a partner that will complement you, and who you will complement in turn. But giving a love spell the good ol' college try on that special someone you've had your eye on is certainly encouraged.

Honey jars and other sugary container spells work by surrounding the target with an energy which encourages that person to think sweetly about you - gently bringing them around to favoring your attentions. Packing the honey jar with herbs which apply directly to the effect you are wishing to have on the target helps to further personalize and focus the spell's power. Loaded with a carefully crafted petition paper which contains personal concerns of both the smitten and their love-interest, these jars pack a real punch without being overly aggressive.

Honey jars are the one of the spells that I'm happy to suggest to those who are looking for something to try on their intended sweetie. They are easy to make, and never cause things to go off the rails through unexpected results (which can certainly happen with love spells - I will be doing an article on this at a later date). As is suggested before undertaking any magical work, doing a divination to read the full situation and to determine if a honey-jar is an appropriate action to take that is likely to succeed. If you are unable to read for yourself, seek out a reputable worker to do a reading and consultation for you.

You'll find lots of info out there that may suggest that honey jars are slow in working, and they can be if you are not working them often enough to bring about results more quickly. You will often find instructions for just working a honey jar 1 or 3 times per week, which is fine once you've already gotten a good deal of momentum with it. To really build up some movement you will want to work the bottle at least once daily until things start moving your way. And while burning candles daily is indicated when you are first starting the work, I like to work the bottle in some way 3 times daily to build some force - you may light a candle once daily, but take some time to hold that bottle and pray over 3 times a day!

So without further ado, here are some instructions for making your own honey jar for love.

MAKING a HONEY-JAR for LOVE

What you'll need:

* small jar of honey

In the old days workers would sometimes match the type of sweetener to the skin color of the person being targeted. If the person was dark-skinned, they would choose molasses, a light skinned person would get clear Karo syrup, medium skin would get honey, etc. However any substance which is naturally sugary sweet can be used, and today there is much less emphasis on race, and honey seems to be the most common sweetener used. You can get it nearly anywhere, and it often comes already packaged in a small glass container perfect for use in a honey jar spell!

If you'd prefer to use a different kind of sweetener (I've heard of some people simply disliking the taste of honey and so wishing to use something they felt more kindly towards), you are free to. I would just suggest that you stick to natural substances, and not use chemical sweeteners of any kind.

If you can't find a small jar, or you'd rather just use some honey that you already have on hand, you can empty the appropriate amount of honey into a small jar that has a metal lid (you will be burning candles on top of this, so you need a lid that is heat-proof). Small canning jars and empty baby-food jars are perfect for this.

* Queen of Pentacles' Love-Drawing Herb Blend, or herb blend of your own making

* red 4" candles (if you are trying to inspire passion/lust), or pink 4" candles (if you are trying to evoke romance)

You'll need 7 candles the first week, and 3 every week after that. Plan on working the jar at least 2-3 months. Make sure to get enough candles to keep you going for a little while. Honey jars are notoriously slow to work, due to their subtle nature - so just prepared to keep things going for a good few weeks before you really start seeing a change slowly taking shape.

* an appropriate love condition oil such as Love Me, Come to Me, Dixie Love, etc

* small square of parchment paper to write your petition

* either a pen with red ink, or an eraser-less pencil

* a hair from your target and a hair from yourself - if you absolutely cannot get a direct personal concern from your target you can use pictures

* spoon

* tool to inscribe candles

To craft your honey jar spell, start by gathering all your supplies together on your work surface. If you need to transfer honey into the jar for the work, then do so prior to beginning.

This work is best done on a Friday, which is associated with Venus. If you enjoy working by lunar timing and planetary hours, you can harness the waxing moon to help increase your target's passions, and work during the planetary hour of Venus on a Friday.

1) Take your parchment paper, a square of 3"x3" is ideal, and write the name of your target 7 times in block letters using either the red pen, or the eraser-less pencil. Turn the petition paper clockwise 90 degrees, and cross your own name tic-tac-toe style across the target's name 7 times in block letters. This puts you on their mind, influencing it. While you are doing all this, pray your intent, letting your emotional desires pour down through you and into the writing.

2) Now, condense your petition down into a short phrase, such as "LOVE ME" or "WANT ME", etc. Write this phrase cursive-style - i.e. in one continuous connected stream of writing - in a circle around the crossed names. Do not lift the pen at any time during this part! Make sure the last letter your write joins seamlessly to the first letter than you wrote down. Remember to pray your intent during this process.

3) You can decorate the corners of the petition paper with symbols of love, such as hearts, or anything else that means love, romance, passion, etc to you.

4) Now take a dab of your love condition oil, and anoint the petition paper with it in a 5-spot pattern (like the face of a dice that reads as 5). Continue to pray your intent, linking the power of the oil to your work.

5) Next take the target's hair. Using a small dab of honey as glue, stick the hair in the center of the petition paper. Then cross your own hair on top of your target's hair, making an X or +. Pray your intent as you do this. Imagine your two lives becoming intertwined romantically as you do.

6) Take your love herbs and pray over them - talk to the spirit of the various herbs letting them know what job you wish them to do for you. You can then place some of the herbs in the center of the petition paper. (You may wish to mix a few drops of your love condition oil into the herbs before doing this, to dress them.)

7) Now fold the petition paper towards you, praying that your love be brought to you. Turn it clockwise and fold it towards you again. Depending on how much of your herb blend you put in the petition paper, this may not fold very neatly, and that's ok; just take care not to tear you petition paper.

8) Open the honey jar and eat three nice spoonfuls of the honey (eat enough of the honey to make room for your petition paper packet to fit into the jar).

9) As you eat each spoonful, say something to the effect of "as this honey is sweet to me, may ______ grow sweet on me", and then place the petition paper packet well down into the honey. Close the jar tightly.

10) Do the following daily to get your honey jar heated up and working strongly for you:

Take one of your 4" candles, and inscribe the name of your target on it, and your petition phrase ("LOVE ME", "WANT ME", etc) onto it.

Dress it with your love condition oil while praying your intent.

Melt a few drops of wax off the bottom of the candle, letting it drip on the lid of the honey jar. Stick the candle to the lid using the hot wax as the adhesive - it should stick firmly once the wax hardens.

Light the candle, and allow it to burn itself out.

11) Once you have seen good positive movement towards your goal you can then work the jar on a maintenance schedule by burning candles on the jar 3 times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Continue this until your goal is achieved.

Honey jars can be worked even once a relationship is established, helping to foster continuous romantic feelings. I still have the honey jar that I made when I was first pursuing my now husband. On our anniversary, I burn a candle on it - the rest of the time it has a place of honor in our home.

Or you may wish to conclude the initial honey-jar, and begin a new one that is more suited to a long-term relationship (use the same process, but different condition oils and herbs appropriate to your situational needs). If you wish to conclude a successful honey jar working, you may bury it in your yard with respect.

If after a few months you have not achieved success, and you wish to stop working the honey jar and move on with your life, you may do so. Simply open the jar and remove the contents, allowing them to rinse off in running water, and the honey to wash away. Pray your thanks to the jar, and your intent to leave the work. Recycle the glass!

If you are unsure about making your own honey-jar, or would like to have a professional worker prepare one especially for you, and perhaps even work it on your behalf, please feel free to contact us here at Queen of Pentacles Conjure Shop & Village Witchery! We can happily craft a custom Honey Jar for Love Drawing for your individual needs!

Have a very happy Valentine's Day!

Return to Sender!! Reversing & Mirror Work to Restore Balance

If you've read my articles here or visited the website for my conjure practice, you'll know that I'm a tender-hearted spiritual worker who doesn't deal in crossing work. My personal moral ethic is based in Eastern systems where one tries to take into account the ripples our actions cause on the fabric of Life, and cause as few waves as possible - living lightly and balanced in a compassionate and dispassionate way. I've spent many years working very hard to master my mental/emotional self by being mindful of my reactions and making conscious choices about how to respond without letting myself get drawn into the drama of my (or anyone else's) maya. I'm certainly no Vulcan, and it's an ongoing practice that one never truly masters...unless you attain sainthood. And I'm no saint either. It has helped me gain new levels of health and healing, and I do my best to let it inform every area of my life. For that reason, I simply don't consult on - and certainly do not work - in the realms of Revenge, Crossing, Break-Up, or other such actions.

That fact does NOT mean that I believe in turning the other cheek, or shying away from offensive action when under attack! Karma at it's very core is cause-and-effect. If you cause harm, then you open yourself up for an equally unpleasant effect. I strive for balance in my life and in my magical practice, so I don't desire to call up any additional negativity than what is already going around. (Really - does the world need any more violence and anger??) But sending that mess wheeling right back at the person who sent it...that is right up my alley!

That's where a wonderful little type of trick comes into play - Reversing.

Reversing work sends negativity right back to its source, so an enemy reaps exactly what they've sown. And reversing work isn't just for when someone has been working roots against you or otherwise sending a mess your way through spiritual means. It can also help deflect emotional and mental attacks on one's wellbeing and way of life. The relative that always demeans you and talking negatively about you to the family, for instance. Or a workplace bully that pushes everyone around and glaringly abuses the power they have. Or an ex-lover who had decided to play it dirty and badmouths you all over town trying to get friends and acquaintances to think poorly of you and abandon you. All of that is negativity that can be sent back to whence it came.

Whenever there has been a real effort on an enemies part to make life miserable for you, Reversing is generally a justified response. One could just cleanse away the negativity by doing Uncrossing work on their person, home, and if needed their workplace; that would relieve the pressure the mess was causing and allow for new positivity to begin coming back into one's life. But when the crossing occurred maliciously, it can be part of stepping into one's power and really beginning the healing process to take offensive action against one's persecuteor. Standing up for one's self and saying "NO - I'm not going to allow you to harm me anymore. I reject your attacks, and I send your ugliness right back to your doorstep!" can be extremely therapeutic and necessary in many cases.

However, as with any form of practical magic, it's always a good idea to do a divination (or have one done for you by a professional worker) to determine if Reversing is the best work to get your job done.

It's also worth mentioning that Reversing work is best worked in conjunction with Uncrossing or other spiritual cleansing work, to make sure that the residue of all misfortune or other lingering negativity that you have suffered due to the enemy's actions are cleansed away and your road opened to greater happiness and prosperity. In the case of ongoing Reversing work being necessary, Protection work should also be performed for yourself to maintain a strong shield should any strong work happen to still reach you (such as might happen if the enemy gets someone else to work against you on their behalf). If you are unsure about the best way to deal with your particular situation, please consider having a magical consultation with a professional.

MIRRORS and REVERSING WORK

The herbs used in Reversing work are ones that are known for clearing away negativity sent by other people, clearing away long-standing negative conditions, breaking free from negative and evil people, and protecting from negative energy while cleansing it away. Crab shell powder is commonly employed, harnessing a crab's "backwards walk" to walk the mess back to where it came from. Practitioners will often dress Reversing candles that have been named for the enemy with the crab shell powder, or surround the Reversing candle with a circle of it laid down counterclockwise. This ensures the enemy is kept within a barrier that will send back anything that comes out.

Mirrors play a central role in Reversing work for rather obvious reasons - you want to reflect a particular energy back to its source. As I'm sure you've noticed by now in a mirror everything is backwards - reversed - so in Reversing work many things are done backwards and in mirror-writing. This all builds a magical resonance and a strong symbolic link with sending conditions back.

Take a look at this very simple Reversing spell, looking for all the "backwards" elements in play:

You will need:

* small mirror that you have never looked in

* black candle

* Reversing oil

* crab shell powder

* hyssop herb

* a rag

* knife or other carving implement

* sharp object to inscribe candle

(NOTE: NOT catching your reflection in the mirror is VERY IMPORTANT. When using mirrors to redirect negative energy to a target, you definitely want to keep your reflection from being caught. Otherwise, a piece of you can be caught in the mirror, and you can end up crossing yourself up in the work.  When shopping for a mirror for this type of work, reach behind the front display mirror for ones that have not reflected you, and be very mindful to not let it catch you as you check out. Some practitioners, myself included, will cover their face with a scarf or handkerchief and put sunglasses on when putting together and performing a working like this.)

1) Take the black candle and cut the tapered end (the end you normally would light) off. Turn the candle over, and carve a new tapered top onto the bottom, making sure enough wick is carved out so that it can be lit. This is called "butting the candle".

2) Carve your enemy's name onto the candle in backwards mirror-writing (so that it would be legible in the reflection of a mirror, but looks reversed) 3 times. If you do not know the name of your enemy you can write "MY ENEMY", or a similar phrase, in mirror-writing 3 times instead. Pray over the candle your intent for all harm caused to you by the enemy be reversed back onto them.

3) Dress the candle with Reversing oil, stroking the candle in a motion away from you. Continue to pray for harm to be reversed.

4) Affix the dressed candle to the small mirror taking care not to catch your reflection in it. (You can do this by melting a few drops off the bottom of the candle, letting the wax spill onto the center of the mirror, then sticking the candle to that wax and holding it until the wax hardens.)

5) Take the crab shell powder and create a circle around the candle, laying the powder down counter-clockwise. Continue to pray for the harm to be reversed.

6) Light the candle, and allow it to burn all the way out.

7) Repeat this ritual for 3 days.

8) Once the candle has burnt out on the 3rd day, wrap the mirror, any wax remains, the crab shell powder, and any other ritual remains in the rag. Break the mirror once it is wrapped up in the rag.

9) After collecting the ritual remains up in the rag, make a strong tea from the hyssop herb and add this to a bath. Pour the bath water over your head and down your body while you pray the 51st psalm, or pray that you be cleansed of all ties to the Reversing. Collect some of the used bathwater before draining the tub, and take it to a crossroads to dispose of it. Leave both the bathwater, and the rag with the ritual remains in the center of the crossroad. (Try to choose a crossroad where a small broken mirror in the road will not cause any major issues. If you cannot find a suitable crossroad, you can always dispose of the ritual remains in a running body of water - though please keep ecological responsibility in mind.)

REVERSING ONGOING WORK with a MIRROR BOX

Reversing work is great for sending back what's already come your way from a circumstance that has already been dealt with successfully. Sometimes though the attack or negativity coming at you may be ongoing due to a more complicated happenstance that may not be so easy to permanently remedy. Some enemies may be pathologically obsessed with causing you harm, and work against their target, or keep someone on the payroll to work against the target for years and years on end. Other times the negativity may be coming from a vindictive close relative who is difficult to get distance from. Or a company owner who enjoys playing dictator with employees that can little afford to lose their jobs. I'm sure you can imagine a few other scenerios in which ongoing negativity would be difficult to stop permanently. This can be a perfect situation to employ a mirror-box.

A mirror-box is used to contain the enemy, surrounding them with mirrors so that anything negative that they put out into the world, will be immediately reversed back onto them. The box will act in an ongoing manner, unless it is ritually dismantled. This may seem drastic, but I look at it as a great teaching tool - the perpetrator will suffer only as long as they behave poorly. Ideally, they will eventually indulge in some healthy introspection as to the source of their misfortune, and decide to stop treating other people like garbage. As soon as they do, their life will improve drastically. It's sort of a magical shock-collar!

A mirror-box is made by taking a container - a shoe-box, a bottle, a jar, a wooden craft box, etc - and lining it with mirrors or other highly reflective items. Tin foil placed shiny-side inwards can be used in a pinch. A representative of the enemy is then placed inside the box. This can be a doll-baby or poppet stuffed with personal effects, herbs and curios, and named for the enemy, or simply a picture of the person in question that has been strongly ritually linked to them. Reversing herbs, as well as other herbs or curios that may apply to the specific case (for instance adding slippery elm if the enemy has been using gossip or slander against you, or hot foot or banishing powder if you are wanting to get rid of them from your life) may be added to the box to help focus and amplify the intent. Of course prayer is said throughout the creation process.

The mirror box, or mirror bottle, is then sealed and disposed of. I prefer disposal in running water for this particular trick, as the symbolism can be harnessed on several levels depending on your intent. The water can be asked to wash away that person's harmful influence on your life, or it can be asked to wash that person out of your life for good, or it can just be used as a generally neutral disposal place (as opposed to disposal at a graveyard which could have very different connotations). Take a cleansing hyssop bath afterwards is recommended.

Again, performing a divination or having a reading/consultation to determine if it is actually justified &/or necessary before using a mirror box is strongly suggested.

QUEEN OF PENTACLES' MIRROR BOX & REVERSING SPELL KIT

I've run into quite a few cases lately where a mirror-box was indicated, yet people were hesitant because they felt they didn't feel confident in actually making the box itself...even though it is quite simple. But I understand that some people are more crafty than others, and so I decided to put together a Mirror Box & Reversing Spell Kit.
This kit contains everything you need to start getting your relief for your misery:

* Mirror Box (3"x3"x5")- to place the name paper or dolly of your enemy in to keep any new negativity sent out from effecting you

(Patterns of mirrors may vary from box to box - the one your receive may look slightly different, but will be equally effective.)

* 3 Black Candles - when butted, inscribed with the name of your ememy in mirror-writing, and dressed with Reversing oil and herbs, these will work to send past negativity sent your way back to their source

* Reversing Herb Blend - a 5 ingredient blend of traditional hoodoo herbs and curios, including Rue and Crab Shell Powder dressed with Reversing condition oil; this blend can be burned on a charcoal as incense, used for dressing candles, sprinkled around your black Reversing candles to amplify the effect, folded inside your enemy's name paper, and placed within the mirror box

* Reversing Oil - a 3mL bottle of Reversing oil to dress candles, and name papers with, made from high-quality essential oils of traditional reversing herbs, and fixed with authentic herbs and curios in the bottle

* Parchment Paper - for writing your name paper, if applicable

* Hyssop Bath - (not pictured) used to cleanse yourself after working the mirror box, to ensure that no negativity from that conjure will remain with you

* Complete Detailed Instructions for Use and Disposal


--> This Mirror Box & Reversing Spell Kit is best suited for those dealing with ongoing negative situations, not only sending back what has already been sent, but also making sure that any future negativity never hits its mark and is turned right back on its source.

--> This kit will also work best in conjuction with Cleansing/Uncrossing work to rid yourself of the lingering effects from the negativity in your aura and around your home.

You can read an in-depth article, Cleaning Up and Getting Uncrossed, on why and how to work basic cleansing and uncrossing for yourself here on this blog.

--> If you would like personalized advice on Uncrossing and Reversing work, please consider purchasing a Magical Consultation with Queen of Pentacles.
You can purchase this and other hoodoo spell kits from the Queen of Pentacles Conjure  website.


I hope this article has been enjoyable and enlightening! Happy Hoodooing!

Steam Mop Spiritual Cleansing!

This just tickled me pink, so I thought I would share.

We have mostly hardwood and tile in our home, and so I've been wanting a Steam Mop for awhile since I find that Swiffer WetJet just doesn't get up the ground-in or slightly greasy marks like doggie footprints and such very well. There's nothing more frustrating than vacuuming and then mopping, only to see all the stuff you just tried to clean up still there once it all dries.

So for Christmas I asked for a Steam Mop, and I got one! It worked very well, and I was pleased. Then my husband mentioned to me that you can get some fragrance to put into the water tank so that it will deodorize the place as it cleans. I was very suprised to hear this and got online to confirm. It was true! You could add essential oils to the water.

WELL! This just got me all excited as now I could spiritually cleanse right along as I did my housecleaning. I know that this is what many people do with their mopwater, but I don't use the old fashioned mops and hadn't for a long time, so when I wanted to spiritual cleanse the floor, it was a separate cleansing all together from the regular. The steam mop brings back the old fashioned spiritually cleansing housecleaning!

Today I put about an ounce of Florida Water along with some of my undiluted Van Van mixture (just the essentials, not mixed in with a carrier) into the water tank...and halleluiah!! Now my place smells fantastic, feels so much spiritually lighter and fresh - and it didn't take any extra effort on my part. This would also work with any drawing essential oil mixtures that I may want to use as well.

So, if you have a Steam Mop, go ahead and put some spiritually cleansing essential oils in there and go to town!