Religion and Magick

Church Doctrines

Many people mistakenly believe that their church teaches against magick.  That isn't quite right.  You have to understand what exactly the scriptures are referring to and what magick really is.

The Bible is full of magick, from Genesis to Revelations.  But to understand the cautions included in the Bible, you have to understand the history of it.

The Old Testament has several verses in it that people take out of context to conclude that magick is against the Bible. When you read those, you should not only include everything said before and after, but you should know why they were written and to whom.

Let's examine a few of them in depth. 

Witchcraft and Sorcery

First there is a familiar verse we have heard over and over: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live".  Then there is the admonition against familiar spirits.  

Let's put these in context.  You have to remember that the Bible is based on the Torah- the sacred book of the Jews.  This book was written concerning how Jews should live and act.  It was their principles that separated them from the world around them, where people lived differently, and had different understandings of how their world worked - much like today.

The religions of that time were mostly matriarchal - as opposed to the patriarchal path of the Jews.  Most revered a Goddess and then a God - the way their ancestors had done for centuries.  They had religious rites that the Jews didn't understand.  

Primarily the laws were given by a priest, or by Moses.  They, as most religious ministers even today will say about their own perceptions or prophecies, received these laws from Jehovah, or God.  However, the rules were created to govern their society and to lead them in a path that would be best for their nation and religion.  You have to remember that Israel was and still is a Theocracy. 

The entire book of Exodus contained many laws to tell them how they must live now that they were leaving Egypt.  It included not eating certain foods that were known to be contaminated - like pork and scavenger fish.  

Exodus 10 is where the verse (about killing witches) came from but it referred directly to certain practices among the surrounding nations and religions.  The Jewish priests didn't want other religions to permeate and undermine their own religion.

You also have to remember that the Bible as we know it today was interpreted from the originals into other languages including English.  The climate at the time was the Inquisition and many people were killed with accusations of witchcraft.  

The Burning Times was a terrible time in our history.  The writers of the day often interpreted words they didn't understand according to the social climate of that time.  Later writers kept those original mistakes and people believe them to be law.

There is a wonderful website that explains this in full: http://biblehub.com/topical/w/witchcraft.htm

One paragraph reads as follows:

"Since the ideas we attach to "witch" and "witchcraft" were unknown in Bible times, the words have no right place in our English Bible, and this has been recognized to some extent but not completely by the Revisers of 1884. The word "witch" occurs twice in the King James Version, namely, (1) in Exodus 22:18, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch (the Revised Version (British and American) "a sorceress") to live"; (2) in Deuteronomy 18:10, "or a witch" (the Revised Version (British and American) "or a sorcerer"). The Hebrew word is in both cases the participle of the verb (kishsheph), denoting "to practice the magical article." See MAGIC, V, 2. In the first passage, however, the feminine ending (-ah) is attached, but this ending denotes also one of a class and (on the contrary) a collection of units; see Kautzsch, Hebrew Grammar 28, section 122,s,t."

(Kautzsch was an interpreter of the Hebrew language.  Some of his work can be found on the internet:
wikisource:  about his work and his book 27.   I was unable to find his book 28, but all in all, this is an interesting read.  Also interesting is that it was interpreted into English by A.E. Crowley)

About familiar spirits, the Bible is quite clear what it means.  This means a person possessed by an evil spirit or someone who summons a spirit- evil or not.  It refers directly to the oracles and summoners and other people who had the gift of prophecy who weren't Jews.  It directly related to the other religions around them and was pretty much a biased belief.  

Like many religious leaders today, when the Jewish prophets prophesied, they got their gift directly from God.  If any other people did the same, they must have gotten theirs from an evil spirit.  The early Jews didn't understand the ways that other people used their abilities so they were afraid of them.

Another thing the Bible teaches against is willful contact with the dead.  The dead don't want to be disturbed.  If they have something to tell you, they will come to you.  Most magickal teachings include a warning against summoning the dead or unknown spirits.  This can be a dangerous practice.

The Bible and Sacrifices

Magick and its practice is all throughout the Bible starting in Genesis.  It was interesting to note in the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4, that when it came to an offering to God, Cain, who was a farmer, a grower of crops, offered his first fruits to God and was rejected.  God apparently didn't value the fruits and vegetables.  He wanted blood.

Abel killed a lamb and was immediately accepted.  The people around them offered similar sacrifices.  Some offered crops, and others offered blood- sometimes human blood.  Usually the people who offered crops were matriarchal and seemed to abhor bloodshed. (Not all- there were some bloodthirsty goddesses too.)

I find it interesting to hear Christians talk about "heathens" making blood sacrifices.  They seem to find the practice abhorrent.  Yet they gladly recount how Abraham prepared to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice and just in time a lamb showed up to take his place.  Then they relate this story to Jesus as the son of God who was the lamb that took our place.  

I can understand that Christ gave His life so that a new religion could be born.  After all, when He died, the veil that hid the "Holiest of Holies"  was ripped from top to bottom, a sure sign that the old religion was no longer relevant to Christians.  

With the new movement,  no more little doves, lambs and goats would have to die. Seems He cared more for the animals than the God of the Old Testament did.

I do understand that Jesus was often referred to as the Lamb of God because He was destined to become die. The reference was clearly made to the practice of blood sacrifice of the Jews and how this new religion would change all of that.

The Influence of other Cultures

Most of the religions of that time worshiped a dual deity.  They also had statues of their gods - which were called idols.  The Judaic religion chose to separate itself from other cultures of the day by forbidding such statues.

Two cultures seemed to have influenced Judaic religious practices immensely- Egyptian because of years of captivity, and Babylonian because of the next years of captivity.  The Jewish leaders were well versed in their ways - Moses because he was raised by the Egyptian royal family and others from direct contact with the Babylonian culture while in captivity.

In both cultures, there were a few things they liked, and other things they abhorred.  I found particularly interesting the similarities between ancient Jewish practices and the ancient Babylonian practices- in reference to the "holiest of holies". In Babylonian practices, the priests were the only ones who could go behind a veil to pray to the gods.  In the Jewish religion, it was the same.  In both religions, the area behind the veil was referred to as the Holiest of Holies.

(http://autocww2.colorado.edu/~toldy2/E64ContentFiles/ReligiousGroups/BabylonianReligion.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_religion)

The Bible and Predictions

Let's look at the second chapter of Acts.  It speaks of a miracle that happened on the day of Pentecost- which was a Jewish holy day.  It states that the people were gathered in a small room.  They sat together "in one mind and one accord".  They were praying.

There was suddenly a rush of wind and they perceived little flames above their heads.  Some began to speak in other languages.  They got pretty excited, loud enough that passers-by could hear them.

At the time of the happening, as was the custom of Judaic holy days, there were people there from all nations. The Jews even in those times were spread out among other countries.  Some of them barely spoke Jewish.  So when they heard what was happening, they rushed to the scene.  

They were amazed to hear their own languages spoken by some lowly Jews- mostly poor, uneducated and considered not the best of people. After all, Galileans were kind of looked down on back then.  So they wanted to know what this meant.

Some said they were possibly drunk.  I am sure that was only the nicest thing they said.  However, Apostle Peter had a different explanation:

Acts 2:14- 22:

"14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:"

 (https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Acts-Chapter-2/)

This was a direct quote from the Old Testament: Joel chapter 2:28-32

28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

(http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Joel-Chapter-2/)

Not only does this chapter in Joel speak of the coming disasters that worry everyone, but it speaks of visions, dreams and prophecies that everyone can do.    And other scriptures in the Bible speak of things that seem like miracles such as the parting of the Red Sea, walking on water, seeing a bush on fire but not burning, animals that actually talked.

There are those who say, no, those were just perceptions- especially the part where the donkey and the snake talked.  However, if you take part of the Bible as literal truth, you have to take it as the whole thing being literal.  You can't pick and choose parts of it and say this is real and this isn't.  

Truth and Interpretation

The one thing that people don't realize is that truth is open to interpretation.  Yes you can take it literally and not care about the fact that the original wording was not even close to what we read today.  Or you can dig deeper for the real truth hidden in the words. 

To do this, you must take the writings in context with the culture of the day and realize what they meant back then.  Then you have to relate them to what we know and how we live today. To do this, you have to either be willing to look up an interpretation of questionable words, or go study the original Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament.

Words when accurately translated from other languages mean very different things from what we often see written in the Bible.  That is because some words were difficult if not impossible to translate.  The writer had to translate it based on his own perception or culture.  It was all he had to go on.

Faith and Natural Forces

Still, you can find the use of natural forces to affect one's personal life and atmosphere all throughout the Bible.  They are stated rather clearly and often, as appropriate to the culture and religion, talk about "calling on God" and "waiting on the Lord".

The Bible tells you that if you have the faith of a grain of a mustard seed, you can say to a mountain, "be removed," and it will be. (Luke 17:6).  We are also told that God knows our need before it is even asked and will take care of us. (Matthew 6:26-34)

Jesus also told us that greater things than he did, we can also do if we just have the faith. (John 14:12).  What exactly did He do?  

Well, let's see.  There was the time he fed a whole crowd with two little fish and five loaves of bread. (Luke 9:16 and Matthew 15:34).   

He made the lame to walk, cast out evil spirits, and even raised the dead.  (John 11).  He turned water into wine. (John 2).  And He knew before it even happened who would betray Him and how they would do it. (Matthew 26).  He also knew that Peter would deny him. (Matthew 26:24).  

So if you look at the life of Jesus, you will find many wonderful works that fit our definition of magick- bending nature to our will by the use of natural laws and forces.  

You might say "but what Jesus did was supernatural".  Really?  What is supernatural?

According to the dictionary it is: "1.

of, relating to, or being above or beyond what is natural; unexplainable by natural law or phenomena; abnormal.

2.

of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or attributed to God or a deity.

3.

of a superlative degree; preternatural:

a missile of supernatural speed.

4.

of, relating to, or attributed to ghosts, goblins, or other unearthly beings; eerie; occult."

(http://www.dictionary.com/browse/supernatural)

Please note - "above or beyond what is natural. "   But was what He did unnatural?  I don't think so.  Not once did He or any of the people in the Old or New  Testament state that what they did was beyond the laws of nature. 

 Every teaching in His ministry, from "what you sew, so shall you reap", to how to not worry and live in the moment, letting the future take care of itself, was all about explaining how natural law that the creator of the universe put into place at the beginning of time, had rules that we must not break and was there to take care of us, the creation.

Every teaching in the Bible speaks of our obligation to the Earth and that we need to take care of both the plants and the animals.  It also teaches us how to become more spiritual so that we can experience the beauty of the magick all around us and within us.  Magick has many names.  One of them is Nature.

Sorcerers and Magicians

The Bible often speaks of the sorcerers and magicians of other cultures. It also mentions the rituals of other religions.  It claims that the Jewish prophets had the exact same power.  For instance, in Exodus 7, it describes a confrontation between the Pharaoh  and Moses.  

It starts with Moses showing his own brand of magick:

Exodus 7:7-12

7 And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

8 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

One must note that back then, people lived way over 100 years.  Some lived over 1000.  Seems they had plenty of time to perfect their art and grow their spirituality.  Moses and Aaron were in the prime of their lives at 80 and 83 when they took over the exodus of the people from Egypt.

To deny the use of magick is to deny the very essence of the Bible. It exudes magick from almost every page.  You will find it in every book and almost every chapter.  

The Psalms are full of magick- from telling you how to live so that you will enjoy protection and abundance, to how to ask for vengeance.  It even tells how David called down God Himself to avenge him - a very powerful story in Psalms 18.

So before you begin to think that people who practice forms of magick are evil and against the Bible, before you think those who predict things today are evil, read your Bible.  Ask for a revelation as you do so.  You may find your eyes opened in a unique, seemingly miraculous way.

Humans Were Created to Worship

We need Worship in our Lives

Wow, did you ever really think of that?  Why you were created?  What do you really need to feel good and to prosper?

The entire key is Worship.  Yes, even if you are Pagan or Wiccan, it is still about worship.

I looked up the meaning of the word and this is what I got:

 wor·ship

ˈwərSHəp

noun

1.

the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity.

synonyms: reverence, veneration, adoration, glorification, glory, exaltation;

verb

2.

show reverence and adoration for (a deity); honor with religious rites.

synonyms: revere, reverence, venerate, pay homage to, honor, adore, praise, pray to, glorify, exalt, extol;

To really experience spiritual growth involves worship.  Every religion is based on the need of humans to connect with the Divine in the form of worship.  From the earliest days of humanity, humans have recognized the need and accepted it.

In some cultures the form of worship was administered by the medicine person or the wise person.  Someone, much like ministers, created or maintained rituals passed down from ancestors and helped the tribe or village to worship.

Putting the rituals in the hands of the priests did not keep the people from worshiping.  They were only guides.  Each person who wants to grow spiritually needs to have something to worship and a form to do so.

Some may worship a God or a Goddess.  Others send their worship to the Universe.  Still others call their deity a higher power.  It doesn't matter who you worship or how you worship.  It matters that you worship.

Worshiping fulfills a deep seated need within our subconscious that we inherited from our ancient ancestors.  If we don't learn to worship, or if we abandon it, we will always feel this nagging hole in the back of our minds that will haunt us during the most unexpected times.

As you begin your journey into Magick, you have to understand that it is a spiritual one.  Part of being on a spiritual path involves some form of worship.  Kind of hard to be an atheist and believe in magick and the spirit world.  You can be agnostic and do so, but to be on a spiritual walk, you really have to believe in something.

However, each person's perception of Divine and worship may be different.  It really doesn't matter.  How you worship, who you worship, that is all about personal choice.  Each person decides on what path is right for them at any one time.

Often with growth and time, you will find that your perceptions change and your path takes an unexpected turn. That is ok too. We are drawn to what we need at the moment.  As we grow, we often find some other path that we need more.  It is part of growing and learning.

Sometimes the path makes a full circle.  That is part of life too.  You need to let go of anxieties, any pre-concieved  notions of what your path should be.  If you have labeled your path, and are determined to stick with those labels, you may find your growth inhibited.  You can be more adaptable to what your growth calls you to if you go beyond labeling.

By keeping worship alive in your soul, you will find yourself more open to where Spirit wants to lead you.  Learning to follow the signals from the spirit world will help you become stronger in your spirituality.  It will also help you develop your abilities and make your magickal work stronger leading to better and faster results.

Such growth doesn't happen overnight and it won't just happen.  You will need to make a conscious decision to walk your talk and make sure it is one of worship and gratitude.

Practical Magick- Bringing Abundance into your Life

Magick can have some very practical uses.

So we have been talking about Magick. You now have a pretty good idea of what it is and how to grow spiritually. 

But you are probably wondering, "Ok, but how do I use it?"

There are many ways to use magick and connect with it.  However, many people I talk to are in desperate need of a way to pay bills, to draw abundance into their lives and to simply make ends meet in today's sad economy.

To that end, my first post on the use of magick will be about abundance.

There are a few rules about bringing abundance into your life.  Remember magick has rules because it works within the laws of nature.

1. This is a very important rule:  gratitude.

You need to have gratitude.  In other words, be extremely thankful.  One way to do this is to make a list of every blessing in your life.  Put it where you can see it every day to remind yourself of the wonderful things you have.

We aren't talking about the material things only.  Those are indeed blessings.  But we are talking about your health (even if you are sick you can be grateful for the times you feel better), your family, your friends, the income you actually have now, the roof over your head, etc.

When you count your blessings, you begin to realize that life is not so bad.  We all have some blessings we can be grateful for no matter how bad life seems.  

Of course, the next step is to be thankful from deep within your heart, for each one.  Say a prayer of thanksgiving to God, the Goddess, or the Universe - whomever you believe in.  But you have to mean it.  Don't just pay lip service.  Actually be grateful.

2. Feel the need deeply.

Even after your ask, you have to continue to focus on the fact that this is a need, not simply a desire.  Anything can be a need if it is important to you. But you must remove anything from your mind that tells you it is just a want, not a need.

3. You need to get rid of those negative thoughts.

Not just the ones that tell you that you don't really need it.  Or that it is impossible.  But also the ones that say you don't deserve it.  Or that who are you to be asking for anything.  

You have to understand that you are a child of the Divine.  The power that created the universe also created you.  That power, by natural law, takes care of its own. That includes you.  

You have every right to expect fulfillment of your needs.  Telling yourself that you don't deserve it is like telling yourself you don't really exist. Get rid of those thoughts that keep you from your goals and needs.

4. You have to ask for it.

Yes, you actually have to make the request.  Put it in writing.  State how much you need, not what you want.  That is very important.  You won't be given anything unless you feel you really need it.

5. You need to put the request in motion.

It isn't enough to just ask.  You have to do something to put it into motion.  If it remains static, it won't go anywhere.  

Putting it into motion can take place in many forms.  Some people do a spell.  Others do a ritual.  Some do a prayer followed by a fast.

Any method will work, although I will share some details later in this post.

6. You have to have faith.

Faith is not hoping.  It is not simply believing.  It is knowing, without any doubt, that this will happen for you.  It is assurance that before you even asked, the result is on its way to you.  

7. You have to release it.

You have to hand it over to the higher power you believe in.  You can't hold on to it because then it never goes anywhere.  You have done your work, now release it, send it on its way.

8. You have to have patience and wait.

There is a Bible verse my dad used to love. "They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength".  Waiting is the hardest part of any work.  You need to give the universe or higher power time to respond.  

You have to remember that the spiritual time is not the same as human time.  It may take longer than you expect. Or it may happen quickly.  Part of it depends on your faith.  The rest depends on the law of returns.

9. You have to give thanks.

Here we are again with the gratitude.  Did I tell you that the most important aspect of magick is a spirit of gratitude?  Before you can expect anything, you must be grateful. When you receive anything you must give thanks.

That can be as simple as a whispered prayer, or as elaborate as a ritual.  The choice is yours.  It is about connecting the act of worship and gratitude to the understanding in your mind.  The important thing is to feel your gratitude- to be grateful.

Some Interesting Spells and Prayers for prosperity.

San Martin de Caballero

Also known as Saint Martin of Tours, this is a very interesting Saint.  

He was born in what is now Hungary but was raised in Italy.  When he was a young man, he joined the Imperial Roman Army.  There he distinguished himself and became a head soldier.  He was also a Christian.

While out on his rounds, he encountered a poor beggar.  It was cold out.  He cut off part of his cloak to wrap the man in.  

Later he had a dream. He saw Christ wearing part of his cloak and telling the angels how Martin had clothed him.  He spent the rest of his life helping the poor.

There is a shrine to him in France.  He is very popular in Mexico.  My mother-in-law introduced me to the invoking of his help.

You don't have to be Catholic or even Christian to do this.  All you need is faith.

I used to have a lovely statue of him.  However, in this prayer, you can use any image of him.  You can buy a prayer card at any Catholic gift shop and most stores that have prayer candles (even large grocery stores throughout Texas and Louisiana) will have a candle with his picture on it.  Or you can print one out from the internet.

There is a simple ritual that we use for him.  It is done on Thursdays.  For some reason, that seems to be the day associated with him. 

November 11 is St. Martin's Day.  On this day throughout Europe and especially in France there are celebrations and the ending of a fast that begins the day before.

To do the ritual:

1.  What you need for the ritual:

• a small glass like a shot glass or juice glass
• a saucer or small plate
• several blades of fresh grass from outdoors
• a picture of him or his candle
• optional: a 7 day candle with his picture on it.

2. For the setting:

• fill the glass with water
• place the glass and the grass on the small plate
• place his picture or candle close to it - if you have the picture, you can lean it against the glass
• if you choose to do a seven day candle, dress it

To dress this candle, you get some type of herb or seed like mustard seeds  or fenugreek. Popular money herbs include bay leaves, basil, cinnamon, cloves and ginger.  Just put a pinch in. Doesn't have to be much.

Then with something sharp and narrow (I use skewers) poke shallow holes in the top of the wax and add some oil. Some of the easiest oils to get are cinnamon, basil, ginger or bayberry and peppermint.

Before you light the candle, place your hands over it, left hand first and right hand over that.  Left is for receiving and right is for giving back.  Then focus on the candle, clear your mind and visualize a green light from your forehead going into the candle and filling it with light. (Green is for growth.)

Now release the light and remove your hands. Using a match, not a lighter, light your candle.  The natural ingredients of the wooden match are essential to magick.

You can get oils at most craft stores or in crafting sections.  You can sometimes find extracts - not quite the same as oils but they will work - in most grocery stores.  If you want to make your own, I will be posting another post about how to make oils, and other magickal tools, and about dressing and using candles in a future post.

When you get this all set up, (make sure it is in a place where it won't be disturbed), say the following prayer:

Saint Martin, the gentleman, bless me I pray that I may have abundance and prosperity and my needs be met.

Now, leave the setup alone.  Don't mess with it other than to check that there is still water if you are using a shot glass and it is hot.  

The water and the grass is for the horse, not the Saint.

The following Thursday, take the saucer and water to the most used door of your home.  Sprinkle the water over your steps and throw the grass to the wind.

Now say this prayer:

Saint Martin, the gentleman, 

Take the salt out of my house

Bring me work, luck and money

That the waters that I sprinkle at the door to my house

Will convert into luck, health, happiness and money.

Salt represents negativity in this prayer.  You will find my use of salt in another post.

Now start the ritual over again and say a prayer of thanks for the blessings that are about to come your way.

For those that think this won't work, consider this. I used that prayer for over 30 years.  There were times when I thought I wouldn't have enough to pay rent, but it worked for me and I got the money just in time.

One time I was waiting on an income tax return.  It was delayed that year for a lot of people and unfortunately I was one of them. I had a big bill due and I had planned on paying it when the check came in.  However it didn't arrive and the due date was the following week.

Then I remembered that I had stopped doing the prayer for a couple of months due to some things that were happening around me that had taken my time and my focus.  So, even though it was Friday, I decided to start the ritual.  

The next few days passed with nothing.  I was getting closer to the deadline.  

The day before the deadline, I went to the mailbox as usual to get the mail.  There it was.  I had gotten my check.  The ritual wasn't over, but the prayer had been answered.

So it works.  In fact any form of prayer will work.  Rituals, however, are the keys to opening certain facets within your mind that will accept and expect the seemingly miracles that follow. 

Using candle spells

We often use simple candle spells for anything we want. There are some elaborate ones, but I feel the simpler, the better.  For this you will need a small green candle.  Even a votive will do.

Write your need on a piece of paper.  It doesn't have to be in any special form.  You can simply state "I need $100 to pay my light bill"  or something similar.

Taking an oil you want to use for money (see above) put the oil in your palms and rub them together.  Pick up the candle and starting with the center, rub the oil outward towards the top with your right hand.  Then starting at the center again, rub the oil around the candle downward.  Make sure the candle has oil all around it when you do this.  

There are reasons for this.  In magick, the left hand receives or accepts, and the right hand gives or sends.  You are giving a prayer as it begins to burn. You are receiving an answer as it burns to the bottom.

Place the candle on a fire-proof surface (an ashtray is fine) and put the piece of paper under it.  Focus your energy into it.  Visualize it filling with green light.  Now light it with a wooden match. 

As the candle burns, focus on the flame.  Then visualize yourself having the money in your hand.  See it in the form of dollar bills in your hands and ready for you to use.   Now visualize yourself using that money to pay that light bill. (Or whatever your need is.)

See yourself actually handing the money over to the clerk and receiving a receipt.  

If your need is for a car, or something similar, then visualize yourself paying for it and receiving it.  Visualize yourself driving away in the car or using the object you just received.

Now say a simple thing like:

"Money, money come to me

As my will so mote it be."

And clap your hands loudly at the end- with all of the force you can muster.

Clapping your hands will send the spell on its way.  One note- we always end spells with "as my will, so mote it be".  That is because we are using the force of our own will to perform them.  You have to have the will to do anything.  That is your energy you are putting into the work.

There are also other ways to bring money.  I used to write the amount I needed on a bay leaf and then put it in a drawer or somewhere until I received it. Then with a prayer of thanks, I would burn the bay leaf.

I also made tiny money jars with seeds and oils in them and sealed the cap with wax.  Then I would wrap a dollar bill around them, tie it with a red or green thread, and carry it in a little bag with me everywhere.  I still have mine.

My first mother-in-law gave me a rubber grasshopper.  She said to rub it whenever I needed money and ask for it to come to me.

I made tiny ties for money or for healing or whatever I needed. I would cut small squares of cloth in the appropriate color (in this case green) and put in some loose tobacco, some sage, and then herbs for the type of prayer I was doing- like money herbs for this type.

(Prayer ties are used by some Natives in different ways. Often the colors of the Medicine Wheel are used in them.  However, being eclectic, I adapt them to the vibrations I need.  Similar ties are made by people who do Hoodoo and Voodoo and are called gris-gris but they use only one bag instead of several strung together.  They are made the same way but larger and fuller. They also may have more than just herbs in them.)

I would make four of them. Then I would use one long string, bring all four corners together of the first square, making what looks like a little bag and tie each it tightly and knot it with the string. Make sure you leave about a 3 inch tail at the end. I find embroidery thread best for my spells.  

(Four is the number of completion.  I use the meanings of different numbers when I work.  If I needed something highly spiritual, like  growth for instance, that vibration is a 7.  If I need money, that vibration is a 4, the same as completion.  You can study Numerology, which I plan to introduce later on a page, to help you understand the vibrations to use with your work.)

 Then I would add the next square and on until I had all four squares on the same string.  When I finished all of them, I cut the end of the thread so I had about three inches on each side of the string.  I tied them together to form a circle and then I hung it in my house, over my door.  

As I made each tie, I said a simple prayer stating what the ties were for and what my need was.  When I closed the circle I added a simple prayer of thanks.

Tobacco and sage are sacred to Native Americans.  All plants are universal and anyone can use them. When using a sacred herb of another culture, it is nice to keep in mind where such a use came from and what it meant to those who shared it with us.  Tobacco is used in prayers and sage is used for cleansing.

There are many other spells that can bring money.  You can even make your own.  Just remember to keep things simple.  Heavy rituals are fun if you understand each step and why you are doing them.  However, they are not necessary.

One word of warning.  Don't ever try to do a spell in a language you don't fully understand.  I know some spells you will find in different places are written in Latin, or other languages. Just getting the interpretation for them is not enough.

Each word may have different meanings in the other language.  Sometimes it is not so much the words that are used, but how they are said that conveys meaning.  Trying to do a spell in a language you don't understand completely can backfire. 

Just do your prayers and spells in whatever language is native to you.  The one you speak every day and express your personal thoughts in. If that is English, then use English.  If it is Spanish, then use Spanish.

Better for your meaning to be clear and your intent well known than to try to do a work in a form you don't understand.  Keep in mind that you are speaking to your subconscious as well as the spirit world.  If you don't understand what you are saying, then you have defeated your purpose.

Also when adapting things from other cultures, please remember the source and do it with reverence.  There are no rules that say you can't adapt something you have seen to your own personal worship.  The concept of being eclectic is using what works for you and letting things that don't work for you pass on by.

A Cajun Video

Being Cajun, when I ran across this video I was quite excited.  While most Cajuns don't live like this today, some still do.  Of course, this doesn't cover the exciting secret life of most Cajun families- the one where ghosts are very much alive and so many little things happen.

From time to time on this blog I will relate some of the stories from my childhood and the things that happened.  All of these stories will be true.  Some I will have experienced myself and others my family members told me.  Because they are about the magick of our culture, they are very appropriate to our site.

For now, let me share this video. As I find other appropriate videos, I will share them.  This one is about the vanishing life of the bayou and the Cajuns that live there.

Many Cajuns consider themselves more modern.  However, our ancestors, when they first landed in Louisiana (not so many generations ago), lived on bayous and made pirogues (a little cajun boat with a flat bottom).  They fished and crabbed, harvested crawfish, hunted, trapped, and lived in palmetto huts.

Later they moved to areas with farmland and began to build plantations.  Some never got that rich and were happy to have a small farm.  They mingled with the Natives they met and often married into tribes.  Some actually moved to tribal lands and adopted the Native lifestyle. Others chose to move to cities.  Still others began to buy shrimping boats and shrimping became a major trade among Cajuns.

Wherever they went, whatever they did, for a long time the unique language (mostly French with a lot of Native words added like gumbo and a heavy dialect similar to archaic French) and accent marked them.  So did the unusual dishes that were cooked, like jambalaya, gumbo, and boudain.

For a long time, people didn't care much for Cajuns.  I still remember some of the remarks I heard as a child.  But times change.  Now, people appreciate and enjoy the Cajun culture.  The language, stifled by schools in the early 1900's when it was not allowed to be spoken on school property, is now making a comeback - being taught in schools and once again spoken in homes.

Please do enjoy this video.  Thank you.

Louisiana's Cajun Lifestyle

The Practice of Magick

How do we use magick?

So ok, we have addressed what magick basically is, but how do you use it?  Talking about the energy of magick and putting it into context is great, but if you can't harness the power for your daily life, then what use is it to us?

The greatest thing about magick is that you absolutely can use it in a practical manner to influence your world and your reality.  However, let's get some basic warnings out of the way.

1. Harm None

In simplicity, this means not to do anything that might harm another being or interfere in any way with their rights as another spiritual being.  However, it goes deeper than that.  

If you try to manipulate someone's emotions, for instance, you are harming them.  Whether you do that with a spell, or words, or a guilt trip, you are still harming them.  

To understand how you harm them, you must first understand that each person has the right to decide for themselves everything about their reality- from who they love, what they do and how they do it to what they believe.  This means you have to respect them as individuals and respect their rights.  If you manipulate in any way, you are not respecting them.

It also means don't harm yourself.  If you take drugs, drink too much, and smoke cigarettes, we all know those are a means of harming yourself.  But what about the words we use daily that are negative?  Words like "I can't" and even the occasional "Oh I am so stupid"?  

Do you realize that your subconscious believes every single word or phrase you say or think?  If you are telling yourself such things, then it is small wonder that you can do anything at all.

2. Whatever you send out comes back to you.

You can't send out negativity without getting it back.  Some religions teach it comes back to you threefold, others say nine, and some even say tenfold.  However what it basically means is what you plant in life, you will harvest.  If you plant seeds of barley, you will get barley.  

If you therefore talk about people behind their backs, you shouldn't be surprised to find the gossip has become about you.  If you cheat, lie and steal, you shouldn't be surprised to find your most prized possession missing.  Not to mention people avoiding you because they realize what type of person you are.  

Each thing you send out has repercussions.  If you do small acts of kindness daily, you will find wonderful things beginning to happen in your own life.

3. You are responsible for anything you think, say and do.

That means you must take responsibility for the effect your words, thoughts and actions have on those around you and even on yourself.   It relates back to "harm none".  But it also relates for taking responsibility for your own life and your own reality.

No one can change your life but you.  It is all up to you.  

4. Everything works within nature, not against it.

Don't try to do things that are against nature. You will fail and it will come back on you.  Every failure will undermine your faith and destroy your abilities.  So realize that some things are not possible because they defie natural laws.  Magick is not supernatural.  It works within natural law and is limited and defined by those laws.

Nature's laws were put in place during the very creation of the Universe.  We don't know all of them.  We don't know how most of them work.  But we do know they exist.  

However, you also must realize that if it is within the boundaries of nature, then it can be done.  Religious books like the Bible are very good at pointing out things that we often think of as being outside of those laws but telling us they are entirely possible.

Some of those things may well be possible, but we have forgotten how.  Things like healing, raising of the dead, walking on water, and even levitation and what was once defined as flying (not like birds however) are mentioned in books like the Bible, other religious books,  and the old stories and legends.

So we won't say you can't do them.  We will just say that you don't know how yet.  You may be the one who discovers how.

How to Harness the Powers of Magick

So are you ready to harness the magick?  We start with baby steps.

  

1. Realize that this is a Spiritual Journey

Harnessing magick and spirituality can not be separated.  To use magick, you have to be willing to work and grow your abilities.  All of magick comes from and is part of the spiritual world.  You therefore have to understand that this is a spiritual journey that will take you far beyond anything you have ever found in all of your searching.

We all search for something greater than ourselves.  We hope that if we find it, we will begin to experience changes that will help us in our daily lives.  Some hope for love, others for riches, and still others wish for simply a more positive life experience.

All of that is possible.  To get there, however, is a journey that you alone must undertake.  It won't come overnight and it won't be easy.

2. You must have faith.

What is faith?  It is the strong belief in things we don't see or understand.  But it is more.  It is knowing, beyond all doubt, in the outcome of an adventure or a prayer.  

If you have faith, you can do anything in the entire world that is within the laws of nature.

3. You must build your spiritual strength.  

There are several ways to do this and you are encouraged to use more than one method.  There is meditation, prayer, fasting, and practice.  These are just a few ways.  Study is another way.  Reading what other people have to say and giving it a lot of thought.

Don't depend on other people to tell you exactly what will work for you.  You are the only one who will know that. But reading what helped them may well open doors in your mind for things that will work for you.

Open your mind.  With strength and growth will come new abilities.  Practice them.  Experiment.  You don't know what you can do until you try.

Not everything requires a spell.  Some things only require an open mind and a will to make things happen.

4. You must be persistent.

You can't get anywhere if you are impatient.  Don't try a few times and then give up.  Keep trying.  You will get there. You may have to change your methods.  You may have to change your perceptions. But if you give up, it will never happens.

5. You must be willing to let go.

Once you have set something in motion, you have to be willing to let it go.  It can't happen if you don't.  A person who harnesses magick is not obsessed with their work. They know that everything follows a certain path to success.  

First you have to plant the seed, then you have to help it grow, then you have to let it go so it can mature.  Only then will you be able to harvest it.

It is the same with any work of magick.  You have to start it.  You have to build the momentum of it.  You have to release it.  Then you have to wait for it to come back to you.

6.  You must have a spirit of gratitude.

You don't wait for your rewards to come before you give thanks.  You give thanks before they come.  But it is more than that.  You need to be grateful for every blessing in your life right now.  You need to see every hardship and every failure as a lesson you needed so that you can grow.  You also need to show gratitude in your daily life.  

Don't just show it, feel it.  Understand that gratitude is the key to having wonderful things come your way.  One way to show and feel gratitude is to pass it on.  Don't hoard your wonderful blessings, share them. Do something for someone else each time you get a chance.  You will be amazed at how much you will have to be grateful for when you began to practice gratitude.

7.  You must accept and claim the result.

Let's say you asked for a way to pay your rent this month.  Things just haven't been going well and you need a little help.

First of all, you have to be willing to help yourself.  That is responsibility.  Then you have to be grateful for what you have.  But sometimes things aren't answered in exactly the way you expect.

Yeah for one person money may appear on the ground for them to pick up.  Or someone may give them money out of the blue. Or a check might come in their mail.  But that might not happen for you.

With faith however, it can work for you.  Perhaps in a dream an idea is  given for how to make some extra money.  Or you see on tv or in a story somewhere that someone sold something on ebay for a certain amount of money- and you happen to have the very same thing sitting around.  

Or your boss may ask you to work a bunch of overtime.  Someone may need some handiwork done.  Don't limit how your request will be answered by expectations.  Just have faith and know that it will work for you.

If at the end of the month it didn't seem to work, go back and take a hard look.  What did you do to keep it from happening?  Did you squander what money you had thinking you would get more?  Did you not get the hint when an idea came?  Or did you ignore something that was trying to come your way.

You have to be willing to accept the answer to your request in any form it might come.  And you have to claim it.  If you don't it will pass you by and you will feel like you failed.

However, an unanswered prayer or spell or request is often just an opportunity missed because you weren't open enough to see it.

These are just some basic rules for getting started.  We will address the way to work in the next post.

Spiritual or Religious?

Spirituality 

Ever wonder why some people say they are spiritual, but not religious?  That is because spirituality has nothing to do with religion.

Yes there are some concepts in each religion that points toward the spiritual.  Each religion tries to encourage you to be more spiritual. 

So what is spirituality?  It can mean different things to different people depending on your view.  It can mean searching for the "sacred".  Or it can mean being attuned to a higher power.  In all cases, it means seeking to relate to something greater than our individual selves.  

Religious

So what is religious?  There are several synonyms associated with religious.  There are pious, devout, reverent, devoted, church-going, godly.    

Religious means that you adhere to the principles and teachings of a particular religion.  That religion can be one taught to you as a child or one you choose for your adult life.  To be religious does not necessarily mean to be spiritual.  You can go to church every time the doors open, listen faithfully to the sermons, and strive to do exactly as your religion teaches.  However, that does not mean you automatically grow spiritually.

Spiritual Surpasses Religious

To be spiritual, one does not have to adhere to any particular religion.  Religion is chosen because of conviction or teachings you choose to follow.   Spirituality is growth within yourself that moves you closer to the divine.  

We grow spiritually when we accept responsibility for our own faith.  When you ask people how to grow spiritually, you get a lot of answers.  All of them seem to relate to their own religious beliefs.  

For example, you will hear that it means becoming more like Jesus or that it means giving up bad habits and creating better ones.  Or that it means embracing the principles of Wicca and meditating .

Although those might be one person's paths to growth,  they are by no means the only ones.    

There are several principles involved in spiritual growth. Let's start with a few.

1.  Accept that we are all spiritual beings.

Accepting that you are a spiritual being is a great beginning.  That means you have the capacity for spiritual growth.  Remember what we said about spirituality?  It is the search for the divine, the sacred, and the higher vibration of life.  

As a spiritual being, you already are in tune with the divine. You just have to open yourself to it.  Opening your mind can help you become stronger spiritually.

2. Take responsibility for all of your action, words and thoughts.

By taking responsibility for your own actions, words, and thoughts, you must also take responsibility for how they affect you and the world around you.  Whatever you send out will come back.  

For instance, if you constantly say "i'm sorry", what does that do to your subconscious?  Yes it is a form of an apology, but what if you have done nothing to apologize for?  

If you look deeper, you will see that you become apologetic for your very existence.  You also begin to look for confirmation from others every time you speak or act.

This can inhibit your actions and affect your self esteem.  Words have a great effect on your subconscious mind.  Undermining your inner self with words and actions that tear your self esteem or faith down will keep you from growing spiritually.

To grow, you must be willing to use love and affirmation from within your own mind, without depending on others and their opinions.  The less you look to others to validate you, the stronger you become.  The thing is, you can't validate yourself if you constantly put yourself down.

3. Learn to clear your mind so that you can attune to a higher vibration

Clearing your mind helps you attune yourself to a higher vibration, a greater energy.  We do it by meditation.  We find a comfortable place and sit in a relaxed position.  We then just clear our minds of all thought.  

Don't seek to enter silence, let it envelop you.  The harder you search for something, the more it will elude you.

4.  It takes practice.

If you practice every day, you will soon notice that it is easy to do this.  After the time spent in silence with a clear mind, you will begin to find more clarity in your thoughts and in your daily life.

Nothing happens overnight.  You won't become more spiritual without effort.  It is worth the time, effort and study you put into it.  There is much more to be said about spiritual growth, but understanding the difference between spirituality and religion can be a beginning. 

What is Magick?

Magic or Magick?

Magic is something we all grasp the meanings of.  It actually has two forms.  One is entertainment.  A magician does a lot of tricks and we are amused.  One magician seems to make a car or a person disappear, and we are awed.  He uses his abilities to escape a box or water tank, something he must train for hours to master, and we applaud him.

Another form of magic pervades our world.  We observe it when we get up and see the sun rise over the horizon.  We see the trees sway in the wind.  This magic is the force of nature in all of her awe and beauty.  Magic in this form is magnificent.  Some call it God, others call it Nature, and some call it natural forces.  But it is still a form of Magic.

So what is Magick?  When we add the k to the end, we are talking about something entirely different.  Yes, it is natural. It works within the laws of nature- never against them.  It is something that every person born has an affinity for, but some never harness the power.

Magick is the use of the laws of nature to manipulate or change our own reality. 

Every religious book, every spiritual book, every self-help book that encourages you to grow has given you a small part of the principles involved in Magick.  Magick is not something you can explain away with a few words.  It is much greater than anything you can imagine or grasp.  

You see, Magick is that unique force that holds the very threads of the Universe together.  To understand it requires faith.  As the Bible puts it, it's the faith in things unseen.  It's the understanding and harnessing of this energy that creates seeming miracles in our lives.

Jesus once said that with a very tiny bit of faith, you could move mountains.  It's true.  We all face mountains in our lives. 

There are many ways to harness this energy.  We can do it alone.  We can join in a group to harness and direct it.  As Jesus once said, being in one mind and one accord.  Jesus was a great teacher who tried to open people's minds to what they could do with faith.  Faith is the very essence of the power of Magick.  If you don't believe, you can't achieve.  

I once read a book on success.(Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill)  He wrote:  "Anything a man can conceive and believe, he can achieve."  That is the basis of using Magick.

The force of Magick can be used in many ways.  Have you ever watched a child who wants something?  I had a little friend named Gwen.   She was about 5 years old.  She told me she wanted a swing set for Christmas.  She was determined she would have one. 

 She found a magazine her mother had with an ad. In it was a swing set. She tore the ad out of the magazine. She put a circle with her crayon and showed it her parents and to everyone she saw. She put it under her pillow every night and slept with it.  She always had it with her.

Her mother was doubtful and told her she might not get that because Santa might not have one.  Gwen was persistent.  Every day she would look at that swing set and put another circle with her crayons.  Every person she met heard about the swing set she was getting for Christmas. She was very excited about getting that swing set and would jump up and down while talking about it.

Christmas Eve came, and as her father started home from work, he said it just hit him.  He couldn't come home without that swing set.  So he went to the Walmart in Pasadena.  No swing set - they were all sold out.  He asked the clerk if she could have someone call around to see if any other stores had a swing set.  They finally found one on the other side of Houston and so he asked them to hold it for him.

He rushed to the other store and picked it up.  When he got home he spent all night while Gwen slept putting up that swing set.  He told his wife, "I just couldn't come home without it."

Gwen of course was not surprised when she walked out to see her swing set.  She was very happy and danced around it.  She told her mom, "See, I told you I was getting a swing set for Christmas."

That is how the Magick works.  You must have faith.  Faith is not trusting or hoping.  It is knowing.  It is believing totally in your outcome.  

That is the first principle of Magick.  The principles are:

1. You have to believe. (Gwen believed)
2. You have to know it is possible. (She saw it in a magazine so it was there, she had to get it.)
3. You have to work within the laws of nature. (If it doesn't work within Nature, it will fail.)
4. You have to be persistent. (Gwen talked about nothing else to everyone she met)
5. You have to work the spell (prayer). (Gwen circled the swing set with her crayons every day)
6. You have to set it in motion by speaking it out loud. (You don't have to tell people, but it helps.  You have to proclaim it in some way.)
7.  You have to push it with force. (Gwen did this when she told people in a very excited way, jumping up and down)
8. You have to get obsessed with your need.
9. You must see it as a need, not a desire.  If you only see it as a desire, you won't put out the necessary energy to get it.
10. You must seed it.  (Gwen did this when she circled the swing and planted the need for it in her parent's minds.  Seeding can happen in several ways)
11. You must have patience.  You don't get it overnight.


By following those principles, you can make almost anything happen.  This is not supernatural.  They may seem like miracles.  But everything works within the laws of nature.

However, you can't expect anything to work against nature.  It is not natural for humans to fly unaided.  We don't have wings. However, it is possible to levitate.  I have seen that happen.   If it's possible within the laws of the Universe, it can happen.  

The wonderful thing about this is that we haven't yet discovered all of the laws of the Universe. That means it's still open to experimentation.  We, as humans, still don't know our limitations.  Almost anything can happen if you have enough faith.

Cajun Traditions Are Steeped in Mystery

My Grandma, dad and uncle

Cajun Traditions Are Steeped in Mystery

Growing up in a Cajun family, I learned about the mysteries of the spiritual world at an early age. My family traditions were steeped in secrets and stories that were only shared with other Cajuns and family members. There were tales told anytime we met with cousins and other family members with the warning "don't tell anyone".

It was actually fun to hear about someone who had brushes with Voodoo and Hoodoo and the stories about miracles. We devoured every little detail about how a preacher lady made a family move from my grandma's home by discovering a little bag hidden in a cabinet that had caused her to get very sick.

The stories of healing and traiteurs - the traditional healers of our culture - kept us talking for hours. Then there were the ghost stories that were unlike any we had ever read.

Personal Experiences

There were also personal experiences, like snakes everywhere when we were moving from a small town in Louisiana and my grandmother telling all of us "The snakes are here. Hurry, we have to be out of here by sundown. Take the kids and go"

Then another time, there was an old man who called wasps to him in a small building my dad had. He killed them one by one with his fingers as they came to him. No more wasp nest.

My Mawmaw would remove warts with a string and a prayer.  My other grandma once cured an elderly couple during the swine flu epidemic after doctors had given up on them.  She used twigs from a tree in her yard and made a tea from them.  She also made me chew the center so I wouldn't get sick. It was very bitter, but I didn't get sick.

There were many such incidents in my life.

Legacies

There were also fascinating stories of legacies (gifts) being passed to individuals chosen by people before they died and a dream my dad had that his legacy would pass to me. Certain abilities seemed to be inherited while others were received from our elders as chosen by them.

I was called several times to come pray by the bedside of a dying elder in my family.  Later I would see a new ability or get a new impression I had never felt before.

MawMaw

The stories that held my attention the longest were the ones about readings. Card readings, coffee cup readings, lamp readings, there were so many different kinds that served many different purposes. 

My Mawmaw would have a client come in and tell us to all go outside. Then we would peak in windows and hide near the house to hear her read. Yeah, kids do that.

Late at night, my Mawmaw would bring out the lamp and a glass of water and a mirror. Hours were spent sharing with us how to scry the lamp.

There were memories of waking up in the middle of the night because Mawmaw was talking to someone and seeing a shadowy figure standing at the foot of the bed. "Who is that, Mawmaw?" She would always answer "Shhhh that is Aunt Dot, shaa, (or another friend who had long since passed) now go back to sleep."

When we slept over at Mawmaw's, the girls always shared her big bed. The boys slept in the other room, unless my parents were there. Then all of the girls slept in the living room on the floor on a mattress and the boys slept in the kitchen.

We had a big family

There were 11 of us kids - myself and my four siblings, and my cousins. Sometimes other cousins would be living with us and that would make the number even higher. But we would all gather at Mawmaw's for a big dinner on Sundays.

Harvest time was a lot of fun with cracklings, soap making, little egg yolks from the old hens boiled and given to us for snacks, and plucking chickens.  

 Any time we were all together, we spent the better part of the time crowded in a room for "just us girls". There we would learn from each other the way to read playing cards, and coffee cups and tell tales of our latest experiences.

My Other Grandma

My two grandmas, my Aunt Audrey

Every summer I got to go to Louisiana to be with my other grandma. This grandma knew a lot about herbs and how to help people with them. She also taught me about the saints and took me to her church. She once took me to watch a nun receive her vows. Being raised in a Pentecostal family, the Catholic church, with its rich traditions of ceremony and formality drew my interest.

Cajuns are Christian, not Voodooist

Most Cajun families don't actively practice Voodoo- a religion that came to the States from Haiti. However they do practice a form of magick we call "hoodoo" - which is the magick (like folk magick) without the religion.   Hoodoo spells and works are similar to Voodoo- but any Cajun practicing them would tell you they are Christian, not Voodooist.

What matters most is the magick- not the religious practices that may have spawned it. Not only did Cajuns learn from the Creoles and other African Americans in their neighborhood, most were of mixed blood with Native American tribes nearby and learned a lot from their Native ancestors and friends.

The Cajun culture contains remnants of the deep past that started in France, moved to Arcadia, and finally to Louisiana and Southeast Texas. They picked up a lot of things along the way, and simply added everything they learned into the mix. Just as they depended on natives to teach them to survive in the hot Louisiana marshes and bayous, so they drew on different cultures for spiritual beliefs and practices.

This adds up to a very rich culture, steeped in magick, and full of mystery. You can't separate the spiritual from the daily survival. 

You can't be Cajun without the history and all of the assimilation that went into it. Cajuns are inclusive. They will adopt anything they learn from other cultures, absorb it, give it a Cajun twist, and make it their own.

A lot of people don't get that about Cajuns. They think that we are simply a group of people who survived the exodus from Arcadia and who speak with a thick accent and cook good food. They welcome our fait-do-dos and our crawfish boils. They join in the fun of our Mardi Gras. They like that we find any excuse for a celebration in any happening - good or bad.

But they miss the important part- the spiritual part- of our culture. That is because that part has been kept almost a secret for many years. When outsiders hear about it, they think of Voodoo. However, the spiritual culture that has evolved has very little to do with Voodoo. You can't even say it has much to do with the traditions it evolved from. 

It is unique. And very Cajun.

4 generations of Cajun women

Author with brother and cousins