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| Hoodoo cleansing essentials we always bring with us when doing House Purification and Blessing rituals. |
Spiritually cleansing a house or place of business is created through prayer and ritual. If we have a space that can be set apart as a spiritual sanctuary, do so. If not, a corner of a room will do. But best of all, make all our homes, shops, and offices a protected and blessed space.
The practice of spiritually cleansing a location using housekeeping operations such as sweeping, mopping, or scrubbing has been a part of Hoodoo tradition for a very long time, dating back from the reconstruction era where African-American women with few other job opportunities, and a history of slavery combined with a culture of servitude embodied in the Southern United States 'Mammy' stereotype, dominated the domestic occupation.
Many conjure women then worked as household keepers in White American families. This was the moment when magically-inclined African-American women started to incorporate household cleaning agents like ammonia, lye, Epsom salt, borax, laundry bluing, turpentine, etc., in their space clearing and protection rituals, combining elements of African and Folk Judeo-Christian traditions and also a bit of Native American lore.
According to some sources, some methods in spiritual cleansing of locations originated from specific Mande tribes. This conclusion was founded because most house servants at that time were, in fact, recruited from Mande ethnic groups, particularly Guinea Africans, as they were believed to be suited for domestic service in that they had been city dwellers. The women were said to be loyal, maternal, obedient, submissive, industrious, and innovative and were also trained to perform similar tasks to those they had achieved in their home villages. Their duties included preparing meals, nursing children, laundry, decorating the house, and cleaning homes. Out of these responsibilities arose the different techniques of house cleansing and home protection.
So, where do we start?
The practice of spiritually cleansing a location using housekeeping operations such as sweeping, mopping, or scrubbing has been a part of Hoodoo tradition for a very long time, dating back from the reconstruction era where African-American women with few other job opportunities, and a history of slavery combined with a culture of servitude embodied in the Southern United States 'Mammy' stereotype, dominated the domestic occupation.
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| Mama Mollie, born in Africa, was transported into slavery, sold to the Partridge family of South Carolina, and came to Jefferson County, Florida, with John and Eliza Partridge. A family member described her as a loyal, thoughtful and caring servant and said they loved her as their second mother. |
Many conjure women then worked as household keepers in White American families. This was the moment when magically-inclined African-American women started to incorporate household cleaning agents like ammonia, lye, Epsom salt, borax, laundry bluing, turpentine, etc., in their space clearing and protection rituals, combining elements of African and Folk Judeo-Christian traditions and also a bit of Native American lore.
According to some sources, some methods in spiritual cleansing of locations originated from specific Mande tribes. This conclusion was founded because most house servants at that time were, in fact, recruited from Mande ethnic groups, particularly Guinea Africans, as they were believed to be suited for domestic service in that they had been city dwellers. The women were said to be loyal, maternal, obedient, submissive, industrious, and innovative and were also trained to perform similar tasks to those they had achieved in their home villages. Their duties included preparing meals, nursing children, laundry, decorating the house, and cleaning homes. Out of these responsibilities arose the different techniques of house cleansing and home protection.
So, where do we start?
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| Common Hoodoo cleaning materials: (from left to right) Chinese Wash, Pine-Sol, Two Girls Florida Water or Lanman & Kemp Barclay Florida Water, (in front) blessed salt, Van Van oil, and Epsom salt. |
Remove Messes and Bad Jujus
Evil spiritual entities can pollute places with their presence. Such pollution or messes usually occur when someone commits certain acts that open the door to the activity of evil spirits. For example, a place used for violence and torment or a house that witnessed rape or murder crime may invite haunting spirits and entities. Even when the perpetrators have left the scene, spirits may still linger, hoping to prey upon unsuspecting newcomers.
Objects, materials, tools, and instruments used in these sinful activities could have strong vibrations attached to them and therefore attract negative entities. A knife, for instance, used to kill somebody with anger and hatred, would acquire a different character and could have adverse effects on a place or a person. That's why antiques and second-hand items of unknown origin should never be brought to one's home unless you have cleansed them because they can give bad vibes.
Remove and/or destroy any objects exposed to sinful actions or evil motivations held by wicked people or troublemakers. If they can be burned, burn them outside the building while praying the Lord's Prayer (Our Father) and Psalm 29 or 40. Afterward, throw the ashes in running water like a river to completely banish the negativity. If they cannot be burned, throw them in outdoor running water. Ensure they are thrown in a place where they would not be easily found and that you wash your hands with holy water or Florida water after handling such objects.
Cleanse the Place
Space cleansing involves clearing the atmosphere of a house or place of business so that its spiritual energy becomes neutral, sending away haunting spirits and drawing in health, wealth, love, and peaceful spirits.
The energy in houses rises and drops according to the energies of those who reside in them. Walls retain traces, impressions, and imprints of memories and emotions, and there can be residual energy from the after-effects of illness, death, violence, divorce, or relational conflicts. It's also important to cleanse a new home when you move into it or if someone preparing to get pregnant.
1. General cleaning - making the place free of dirt or messes through the use of floor sweep, floor washes, and cleaning solutions are among the most practiced form of Hoodoo folk magic; that's why most conjure workers believe that for one to properly cleanse the place, he needs to make sure it is also physically clean. If not, thoroughly clean the area; sweep and scrub the floors, dust and wipe the furniture, wash the dishes, etc. Cleanliness attracts harmonious and tranquil spirits; otherwise, it's the opposite.
After doing your usual housekeeping routines, prepare your spiritual supplies. You may use ammonia solution, Peace Water, Florida Water, Van Van oil, and lemon-scented detergents as your cleaning materials for spiritual cleansing, as they acquired a very strong magical reputation due to their potent cleansing properties among Hoodoo practitioners and rootworkers.
Then begin clearing away the negativities by sprinkling floor sweep (it can be salt, ground coffee, or herbal mixtures or blend) over the floors throughout the house and then sweep them from back to front. You may choose to leave the floor sweep down for a little while. Sweeping the floor thoroughly before ever touching the mop to the floor prevents your floor from becoming a sticky, muddy mess.
How to make a powerful spiritual cleansing solution or floor wash?
Grab a bucket and pour in enough warm water. Mix a small amount of Chinese Wash or Pine-Sol, vinegar and/or ammonia, and Epsom salt. It is traditional to combine three ingredients when making up a spiritual cleansing solution. As a general cleaning rule, use no more than 1/2 cup of cleaning product per 1 gal of water.
What's the proper way of cleansing?
Dip the rag and mop into the floor wash solution. Place them in the bucket and let them soak up the solution for a few seconds while you pray for the purification of the place.
Now, start by cleaning the walls. All premises should be cleaned from top to bottom, back to front, often with the recital of appropriate Psalms or personal cleansing prayer. Wipe or wash the top of the wall, drying as you go down gradually. Other practitioners remove the marks and stains first before doing the entire walls.
After washing the wall, mop the floor in small sections, and cover as much of the floor with the cleaning solution as possible. Work your way toward the door, ensuring you do not step on parts of the floor you've already cleansed until they dry up.
Then light incense or white sage over a saucer, pot, or bowl that will catch any ash. Blow the sage to make it smolder. Then using a feather to waft the smoke, wave the sage into the house's walls while walking clockwise around each room, ensuring that smoke goes to every corner of the house.
Always remember that before doing this, a white or blue candle should be lit, and prayer to God should be said. Ritually dispose of the dirt and the water as it seems fit and is convenient to the practitioner.
If for some reason you feel very uncomfortable about how the place feels, redecorate it and rearrange the furniture. Do this to create the space that suits your will and the flow of your movements. Inhabit the area so that other evil spirits will not inhabit it.
2. Blessing and protection - in cases where regrettable events have occurred to the inhabitants, candles and special offerings (food and drinks, flowers, coins, incense, etc.) may be placed at the four corners of the building and to the altar to ward off future invasion or assaults of evil and to ask the spirit inhabitants of the building to bless or protect the property and its residents. Suppose the family or company experiences a string of unfortunate events or an ongoing threat of enemy work. In that case, all doors and windows that open to the exterior may be sealed with sulfur powder or crosses drawn with Jinx Removal or Fiery Wall of Protection oil or oil with scriptural verse ash (Psalm 91).
Once cleansed, doors should be opened, sweeping with salt crystals or herbal mixtures of angelica root, blessed thistle, cascara sagrada, holy basil, white rose petals, and/or yerba santa or washing inward with fresh water that contains herb-based oils or herbal blends that have been compounded and prepared to draw in whatever blessing you request, such as health, financial, family or fertility blessings.
When you have finished, smoke all rooms with appropriate incense, such as myrrh or benzoin, and pray quietly for a while, focusing on what you want to bring into your life. Say a thanksgiving prayer to God.
After that, call upon the protection, intercession, or assistance of the spirits, patron saints, or guardian angels of the family or the company. With a crucifix in one hand, pray Psalm 61, which is very effective for a home blessing, or Psalm 114 for a business blessing. Then start to move around the place, going from room to room, saying your own prayer while sprinkling holy water, spraying Florida Water, and calling upon the Holy Spirit and protective spirits to reside and protect the newly blessed home or business.
Dedicate the Place
Release your rights to the property. Other practitioners advise the house owner to 'mark' the place as the client's territory by washing the doorstep with the client's urine in a bucket of water. And when it dries, sprinkle red brick dust across the doorstep.
Offer the place to your spiritual community, most especially to God, inviting their presence. The verbal, visible pronouncement is important in declaring this intention. The head of the household (usually the husband) or the boss in the company leads in prayer or rite of dedication. In a home with a same-sex partnership or relationship or friends living together, one should voluntarily take the part of the husband or the head of the house. Single-parent mothers can take this role for their home and children and establish their authority over the place.
Decorations and Ornaments
Fill the place with objects and activities that attract protection, money, luck, love, good health, etc. A tangible blessing extends to the family and the dwelling or the company and the business of the one who is positive and optimistic. Let's be practical when you decorate your house, office, or shop; remember what the eye sees; the mind and heart will follow. Consider tastefully including paintings, sculptures, books, and symbols that catch the eye and direct the mind toward sacredness, protection, and happiness.
1. Sacred designs, amulets, and talismans - you can hang some sacred protective designs and good luck talismans around the house, shop, or offices, such as arrows, horseshoes, the Huichol Indians "tsikuri," mercury dimes, or any good luck coins, Hamsa, Nazar (evil eye charm), traditional African masks, or amulets such as corals, pieces of devil's shoestring root, animal horn or garlic cloves in a decorative manner. Protective designs can also be a simple drawing on an illustration board, a charm with sigils or seals, or any craft. The idea behind a specific design or symbol that demonstrates protection and blessings is to give you and other inhabitants a structure on which to base your belief so that you can be confident and kept focused that you are indeed illuminated, guided, ruled, and guarded. Additionally, amulets and talismans have consciousness and life forces or spirits; thus, they can create positive vibrations that affect your thoughts and emotions. These spirits are what give power to these objects. Like the Catholics hang crosses on their doors, you can try to ensure that every symbol you put is perfectly balanced by considering all necessary ritual procedures.
2. Setting up an altar - it's also advisable to make an altar or shrine – a small table is ideal at home or even in shops or offices. Place on it a cloth, candles, whatever spiritual symbols move you (a cross or crucifix if you are a Christian), a statute of the spirit, saint, etc. you are drawn to or working with, a glass of water, flowers that represent protection and happiness, votive offerings for the spirits, etc. Of course, ensure you have blessed the articles with smoking sage, cleansing herbs, incense, and/or sprinkling holy water or Florida Water. You can also create two or more altars, depending on their purpose. For instance, our home has altars for prosperity, love drawing, and ancestral work.
If you go to that place first thing every morning and bless yourself, your family, your business, and the day, you will create an area of consecrated space within a week. Make sure your altar is never cluttered; keep herbs and flowers fresh and renew the sacred objects when you feel moved. Very soon, you will find yourself drawn there whenever you need some peace, time to think, or an issue that needs to be resolved.
3. Jars and bottles - long ago, conjure workers revealed a powerful and valuable protection craft. Their purpose is to protect the practitioner from the envious look of others, help eliminate negative feelings and shield them from evil entities and spirits. The crafts are indispensable for spiritual and physical protection. When channeled through certain words and phrases, your prayer has the power to charm the crafts and turn their state into a state of entirely positive, protective energy.
One can create and place spell jars or bottles or Latin American charm flasks that are customarily filled with a variety of hand-made lucky pieces and protective amulets and botanical and mineral curios. Most of them contain a combination of native folk-magical charms and Catholic religious artifacts. One can create a spell bottle for Fast Luck, Steady Money, Peaceful Home, Protection, etc.
In the Gullah community, people keep the bottle tree tradition. Like many of the South's oldest customs, this tradition was brought by enslaved Kongo and Mbundu people who were passed down from early Arabian traders and continued by Southern African-American families and White rural folks. It is very decorative and a good garden feature, but its real purpose is to trap evil spirits that venture inside and then destroy them by morning sunlight.
Placing a bottle of Peace Water in the living room is a good one too. It draws its symbolism from the Biblical command to 'spread oil on troubled waters.'
4. Feng-Shui - although this ancient practice only became popular in the United States in the 1980s, its introduction in Hoodoo tradition came about through social and cultural intermingling of Cantonese Chinese immigrants who were adherents of folk Chinese religious systems with the African-American populations during the late 19th and early 20th century, which mainly originated on the West Coast, in New York City, and in Chicago.
One may also consider doing some Feng-Shui to draw and balance the spiritual energies. Feng-Shui is not just for Chinese or Asian people. It's about maintaining balance and harmony between form (doors, furniture, fixtures) and timing (dates, direction, location), which works like a computer's hardware and software – both are essential components for the machine to do its job. Here are some Feng- Shui tips for the home:
Make sure that the main door or entrance of the house or place of business is not blocked by anything. It should be open up to a pleasing vista. As you stand from your threshold, look out; what you see is what you receive. Go for a pleasant, clutter-free view.
Keep the foyer or entrance clean. Entering your main door, the first thing you and your guests see should be something welcoming, not cluttered. If the door opens to a blank wall, place something that evokes good memories like a happy photo of your family or the company, a painting of a place where you traveled, your personal collections, things from your childhood (toys, books, etc.), posters of your favorites, achievements, and recognition of the company - all of these things can lift the vibrations within the room without the need for magic.
Know which colors you need according to your birth month for balance. Winter-born people need firey colors such as red, orange, scarlet, bright yellow, warm yellow, and golden yellow. Summer-born people need watery colors such as blue, black, white, silvery blue, gray, blue-green, and seafoam green. Spring-born people need metal colors such as copper, bronze, silver, and gold. Fall people need wood colors such as brown, green, tan, olive, and dusky hues.
Illuminate your house, shop, or office. Make sure that there are lights turned on. Do not turn off all the house lights or shop at night.
Position your bed correctly. Ensure there's no light directly above the headboard, as this would drain one's energy. It's also ideal for placing the headboard facing the window.
Honor God and the Spirits
Regular prayer to God and your ancestors should form the cornerstone of your and/or your family's spiritual life. Families, couples, and singles living together should learn to gather regularly to pray and meditate.
God and the spirits also had reasons for instituting feasts and festivals. Many were object lessons of worship and ways of the ancient folks. As modern followers, you can celebrate some of these observances in your own modern way. A blessing awaits those who observe Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of Christ, the appropriate feast day of a saint if you venerate one, Pentecost to commemorate the giving of Torah if you are Jewish, or the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ if you are Christian, Passover to remember how the biblical God delivered the Israelites from slavery or All Soul's Day to honor your ancestors and other departed souls.
Maintain Protection
For your house or business location to be a sacred space, you must understand that you have an ongoing duty to discern and pray for the protection of the home, family, and business.
Evaluation and Replication
Because these activities are focused on the spiritual, measuring success is not always obvious. It is dangerous to rely on subjective impressions to answer the question, "How are you doing?" There must be objective criteria by which you determine movement in the right direction. Ask the hard questions: Has your discernment been correct? Are you slipping into any errors? Have there been injuries or casualties in my family? Do my family members or staff need correction and exhortation?
It's also necessary to measure the effectiveness of your efforts. Has there been a noticeable increase in the unity of heart and shared purpose among my family members or staff? Do I sense balance, happiness, and harmony in my life? Are there visible signs of evil spiritual entities or energies weakening? Are there signs of new, measurable growth or development among my family members or staff? Can you honestly say that forces of protection and blessing are advancing in my place?
Giving your experience substance helps to document in writing what you have developed. This can serve as a model or pattern adapted to other situations in other places.
Evil spiritual entities can pollute places with their presence. Such pollution or messes usually occur when someone commits certain acts that open the door to the activity of evil spirits. For example, a place used for violence and torment or a house that witnessed rape or murder crime may invite haunting spirits and entities. Even when the perpetrators have left the scene, spirits may still linger, hoping to prey upon unsuspecting newcomers.
Objects, materials, tools, and instruments used in these sinful activities could have strong vibrations attached to them and therefore attract negative entities. A knife, for instance, used to kill somebody with anger and hatred, would acquire a different character and could have adverse effects on a place or a person. That's why antiques and second-hand items of unknown origin should never be brought to one's home unless you have cleansed them because they can give bad vibes.
Remove and/or destroy any objects exposed to sinful actions or evil motivations held by wicked people or troublemakers. If they can be burned, burn them outside the building while praying the Lord's Prayer (Our Father) and Psalm 29 or 40. Afterward, throw the ashes in running water like a river to completely banish the negativity. If they cannot be burned, throw them in outdoor running water. Ensure they are thrown in a place where they would not be easily found and that you wash your hands with holy water or Florida water after handling such objects.
Cleanse the Place
Space cleansing involves clearing the atmosphere of a house or place of business so that its spiritual energy becomes neutral, sending away haunting spirits and drawing in health, wealth, love, and peaceful spirits.
The energy in houses rises and drops according to the energies of those who reside in them. Walls retain traces, impressions, and imprints of memories and emotions, and there can be residual energy from the after-effects of illness, death, violence, divorce, or relational conflicts. It's also important to cleanse a new home when you move into it or if someone preparing to get pregnant.
1. General cleaning - making the place free of dirt or messes through the use of floor sweep, floor washes, and cleaning solutions are among the most practiced form of Hoodoo folk magic; that's why most conjure workers believe that for one to properly cleanse the place, he needs to make sure it is also physically clean. If not, thoroughly clean the area; sweep and scrub the floors, dust and wipe the furniture, wash the dishes, etc. Cleanliness attracts harmonious and tranquil spirits; otherwise, it's the opposite.
After doing your usual housekeeping routines, prepare your spiritual supplies. You may use ammonia solution, Peace Water, Florida Water, Van Van oil, and lemon-scented detergents as your cleaning materials for spiritual cleansing, as they acquired a very strong magical reputation due to their potent cleansing properties among Hoodoo practitioners and rootworkers.
Then begin clearing away the negativities by sprinkling floor sweep (it can be salt, ground coffee, or herbal mixtures or blend) over the floors throughout the house and then sweep them from back to front. You may choose to leave the floor sweep down for a little while. Sweeping the floor thoroughly before ever touching the mop to the floor prevents your floor from becoming a sticky, muddy mess.
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| In Hoodoo tradition, brooms and scrub brushes are powerful cleaning tools, so folks in the South take extra precautions when handling them. |
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| Our own blend of floor sweep spiritually cleanses and blesses our home. |
Next, select your preferred detergent and prepare a powerful floor wash. Some commercial household products with magical history and applications are Pine-Sol cleaner, which has been in the market for almost 60 years, Murphy Oil Soap, and Young's Chinese Wash. However, the original manufacturing company of Chinese Wash, Oracle Products of New York, has already gone out of business, so spiritual workers nowadays find and purchase this cleaning product in spiritual or occult shops with their trademarked recipe and brand.
How to make a powerful spiritual cleansing solution or floor wash?
Grab a bucket and pour in enough warm water. Mix a small amount of Chinese Wash or Pine-Sol, vinegar and/or ammonia, and Epsom salt. It is traditional to combine three ingredients when making up a spiritual cleansing solution. As a general cleaning rule, use no more than 1/2 cup of cleaning product per 1 gal of water.
What's the proper way of cleansing?
 |
| Making a floor wash/scrub solution. |
Dip the rag and mop into the floor wash solution. Place them in the bucket and let them soak up the solution for a few seconds while you pray for the purification of the place.
Now, start by cleaning the walls. All premises should be cleaned from top to bottom, back to front, often with the recital of appropriate Psalms or personal cleansing prayer. Wipe or wash the top of the wall, drying as you go down gradually. Other practitioners remove the marks and stains first before doing the entire walls.
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| Always! Sweep your place from back to front, towards the door, cleaning up the floor sweep as you go. |
After washing the wall, mop the floor in small sections, and cover as much of the floor with the cleaning solution as possible. Work your way toward the door, ensuring you do not step on parts of the floor you've already cleansed until they dry up.
 |
| White sage smudge stick and abalone shell |
Then light incense or white sage over a saucer, pot, or bowl that will catch any ash. Blow the sage to make it smolder. Then using a feather to waft the smoke, wave the sage into the house's walls while walking clockwise around each room, ensuring that smoke goes to every corner of the house.
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| Spiritual materials to be used in space clearing and blessing: bluestone, Epsom salt, ammonia solution, Chinese Wash, holy water, Van Van oil, red brick dust, brown sugar, and herb mixtures |
If for some reason you feel very uncomfortable about how the place feels, redecorate it and rearrange the furniture. Do this to create the space that suits your will and the flow of your movements. Inhabit the area so that other evil spirits will not inhabit it.
2. Blessing and protection - in cases where regrettable events have occurred to the inhabitants, candles and special offerings (food and drinks, flowers, coins, incense, etc.) may be placed at the four corners of the building and to the altar to ward off future invasion or assaults of evil and to ask the spirit inhabitants of the building to bless or protect the property and its residents. Suppose the family or company experiences a string of unfortunate events or an ongoing threat of enemy work. In that case, all doors and windows that open to the exterior may be sealed with sulfur powder or crosses drawn with Jinx Removal or Fiery Wall of Protection oil or oil with scriptural verse ash (Psalm 91).
 |
| Offerings to the guardian or protective spirits of the house. |
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| Sprinkling sulfur lines at the four corners of a building (sometimes mixed with salt) is said to protect the area. |
Once cleansed, doors should be opened, sweeping with salt crystals or herbal mixtures of angelica root, blessed thistle, cascara sagrada, holy basil, white rose petals, and/or yerba santa or washing inward with fresh water that contains herb-based oils or herbal blends that have been compounded and prepared to draw in whatever blessing you request, such as health, financial, family or fertility blessings.
When you have finished, smoke all rooms with appropriate incense, such as myrrh or benzoin, and pray quietly for a while, focusing on what you want to bring into your life. Say a thanksgiving prayer to God.
After that, call upon the protection, intercession, or assistance of the spirits, patron saints, or guardian angels of the family or the company. With a crucifix in one hand, pray Psalm 61, which is very effective for a home blessing, or Psalm 114 for a business blessing. Then start to move around the place, going from room to room, saying your own prayer while sprinkling holy water, spraying Florida Water, and calling upon the Holy Spirit and protective spirits to reside and protect the newly blessed home or business.
Dedicate the Place
Release your rights to the property. Other practitioners advise the house owner to 'mark' the place as the client's territory by washing the doorstep with the client's urine in a bucket of water. And when it dries, sprinkle red brick dust across the doorstep.
Offer the place to your spiritual community, most especially to God, inviting their presence. The verbal, visible pronouncement is important in declaring this intention. The head of the household (usually the husband) or the boss in the company leads in prayer or rite of dedication. In a home with a same-sex partnership or relationship or friends living together, one should voluntarily take the part of the husband or the head of the house. Single-parent mothers can take this role for their home and children and establish their authority over the place.
Decorations and Ornaments
Fill the place with objects and activities that attract protection, money, luck, love, good health, etc. A tangible blessing extends to the family and the dwelling or the company and the business of the one who is positive and optimistic. Let's be practical when you decorate your house, office, or shop; remember what the eye sees; the mind and heart will follow. Consider tastefully including paintings, sculptures, books, and symbols that catch the eye and direct the mind toward sacredness, protection, and happiness.
1. Sacred designs, amulets, and talismans - you can hang some sacred protective designs and good luck talismans around the house, shop, or offices, such as arrows, horseshoes, the Huichol Indians "tsikuri," mercury dimes, or any good luck coins, Hamsa, Nazar (evil eye charm), traditional African masks, or amulets such as corals, pieces of devil's shoestring root, animal horn or garlic cloves in a decorative manner. Protective designs can also be a simple drawing on an illustration board, a charm with sigils or seals, or any craft. The idea behind a specific design or symbol that demonstrates protection and blessings is to give you and other inhabitants a structure on which to base your belief so that you can be confident and kept focused that you are indeed illuminated, guided, ruled, and guarded. Additionally, amulets and talismans have consciousness and life forces or spirits; thus, they can create positive vibrations that affect your thoughts and emotions. These spirits are what give power to these objects. Like the Catholics hang crosses on their doors, you can try to ensure that every symbol you put is perfectly balanced by considering all necessary ritual procedures.
 |
| Buddha representations with specific poses and hand gestures have significance related to an important event in Buddha's life - or past lives. The statue on the left prevents family members from fighting, while the figure on the right represents focused concentration, serenity, and calmness. |
2. Setting up an altar - it's also advisable to make an altar or shrine – a small table is ideal at home or even in shops or offices. Place on it a cloth, candles, whatever spiritual symbols move you (a cross or crucifix if you are a Christian), a statute of the spirit, saint, etc. you are drawn to or working with, a glass of water, flowers that represent protection and happiness, votive offerings for the spirits, etc. Of course, ensure you have blessed the articles with smoking sage, cleansing herbs, incense, and/or sprinkling holy water or Florida Water. You can also create two or more altars, depending on their purpose. For instance, our home has altars for prosperity, love drawing, and ancestral work.
 |
| Altar set-up service for a client. |
If you go to that place first thing every morning and bless yourself, your family, your business, and the day, you will create an area of consecrated space within a week. Make sure your altar is never cluttered; keep herbs and flowers fresh and renew the sacred objects when you feel moved. Very soon, you will find yourself drawn there whenever you need some peace, time to think, or an issue that needs to be resolved.
3. Jars and bottles - long ago, conjure workers revealed a powerful and valuable protection craft. Their purpose is to protect the practitioner from the envious look of others, help eliminate negative feelings and shield them from evil entities and spirits. The crafts are indispensable for spiritual and physical protection. When channeled through certain words and phrases, your prayer has the power to charm the crafts and turn their state into a state of entirely positive, protective energy.
 |
| Money-charm bottles (Photo courtesy of Rita's Juju) |
One can create and place spell jars or bottles or Latin American charm flasks that are customarily filled with a variety of hand-made lucky pieces and protective amulets and botanical and mineral curios. Most of them contain a combination of native folk-magical charms and Catholic religious artifacts. One can create a spell bottle for Fast Luck, Steady Money, Peaceful Home, Protection, etc.
 |
| Bottles in trees became widespread in plantation regions of the Southern United States. (Photo courtesy of Tradition and Innovation in African-American Yards by Grey Gundaker, African Arts, Vol. 26, No.2) |
In the Gullah community, people keep the bottle tree tradition. Like many of the South's oldest customs, this tradition was brought by enslaved Kongo and Mbundu people who were passed down from early Arabian traders and continued by Southern African-American families and White rural folks. It is very decorative and a good garden feature, but its real purpose is to trap evil spirits that venture inside and then destroy them by morning sunlight.
Placing a bottle of Peace Water in the living room is a good one too. It draws its symbolism from the Biblical command to 'spread oil on troubled waters.'
4. Feng-Shui - although this ancient practice only became popular in the United States in the 1980s, its introduction in Hoodoo tradition came about through social and cultural intermingling of Cantonese Chinese immigrants who were adherents of folk Chinese religious systems with the African-American populations during the late 19th and early 20th century, which mainly originated on the West Coast, in New York City, and in Chicago.
 |
| Our money-drawing altar is where Hotei the Laughing Buddha, Jin Chan the three-legged money frog, Guan Gong, and Maneki Neko are placed to flourish our business, obtain monetary gain, eliminate lousy chi, and protect us from competitors. |
One may also consider doing some Feng-Shui to draw and balance the spiritual energies. Feng-Shui is not just for Chinese or Asian people. It's about maintaining balance and harmony between form (doors, furniture, fixtures) and timing (dates, direction, location), which works like a computer's hardware and software – both are essential components for the machine to do its job. Here are some Feng- Shui tips for the home:
Make sure that the main door or entrance of the house or place of business is not blocked by anything. It should be open up to a pleasing vista. As you stand from your threshold, look out; what you see is what you receive. Go for a pleasant, clutter-free view.
Keep the foyer or entrance clean. Entering your main door, the first thing you and your guests see should be something welcoming, not cluttered. If the door opens to a blank wall, place something that evokes good memories like a happy photo of your family or the company, a painting of a place where you traveled, your personal collections, things from your childhood (toys, books, etc.), posters of your favorites, achievements, and recognition of the company - all of these things can lift the vibrations within the room without the need for magic.
Know which colors you need according to your birth month for balance. Winter-born people need firey colors such as red, orange, scarlet, bright yellow, warm yellow, and golden yellow. Summer-born people need watery colors such as blue, black, white, silvery blue, gray, blue-green, and seafoam green. Spring-born people need metal colors such as copper, bronze, silver, and gold. Fall people need wood colors such as brown, green, tan, olive, and dusky hues.
Illuminate your house, shop, or office. Make sure that there are lights turned on. Do not turn off all the house lights or shop at night.
Position your bed correctly. Ensure there's no light directly above the headboard, as this would drain one's energy. It's also ideal for placing the headboard facing the window.
Honor God and the Spirits
Regular prayer to God and your ancestors should form the cornerstone of your and/or your family's spiritual life. Families, couples, and singles living together should learn to gather regularly to pray and meditate.
God and the spirits also had reasons for instituting feasts and festivals. Many were object lessons of worship and ways of the ancient folks. As modern followers, you can celebrate some of these observances in your own modern way. A blessing awaits those who observe Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of Christ, the appropriate feast day of a saint if you venerate one, Pentecost to commemorate the giving of Torah if you are Jewish, or the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ if you are Christian, Passover to remember how the biblical God delivered the Israelites from slavery or All Soul's Day to honor your ancestors and other departed souls.
Maintain Protection
For your house or business location to be a sacred space, you must understand that you have an ongoing duty to discern and pray for the protection of the home, family, and business.
- Pray unceasingly. It's nearly impossible to be in a continual state of prayer that is conscious and practical. Just maintain sensitive communion with God and your guides. You can trust your indwelling guides to signal when physical, emotional, mental, astral, and spiritual danger is imminent.
- Exercise authority. Decide to overcome your hesitation about exercising ownership in your home or business. I know this is easier to say than done, but don't be afraid of the spirits and entities that cause harm and discord in your place. The most minor initiative here may result in warding off them completely.
- Discern and deal with negative influences. Be cautious about inviting strangers into your home: parents should be careful who enters the door. Similar to an online community such as this, real-life trolls in the outside world spread negativity and drain your energies.
- Confront negative values. Talk to children and other family members or staff about their undesirable traits, attitude, and behavior. Don't terrify them, but ensure they're informed when they need to be. Fathers must define values and exercise wise authority when children or other family members violate some values or house standards. The same applies to business for bosses and employees. Improper attitudes such as disrespect and deceit must be recognized and dealt with. A spiritual lifestyle in the home or business can protect everyone.
- Resolve tensions. Deal with attitudes of resentment, anger, hatred, bitterness, and unforgiveness before the nasties and parasitic spirits get an opportunity to deal with you. How often, after an argument, have you tried to settle into peaceful sleep without mending the rift with your colleague, mate, parent, or friend? Even if you think yourself free of guilt, you still may need to go to the other party and talk it out. Being convinced you are 'right' and others are 'wrong' doesn't produce any good. To live in harmony, you should have to reconcile conflicts with truthfulness and unconditional love. Whenever this is not done, consequences ensue a lack of peace in the home or business, stress on the mind and body, and an open crack for potential attachment.
- Deal with isolated psychic or spiritual attacks. If you are sensitive enough, you may discern an arrow from someone with ill intentions slipped into your home, family life, work, or business. Ask your spirit guides, guardians, and such to give you more discernment about it. You may be experiencing a barrage of fear during nighttime, heavy discouragement, or intensive strife. Learn to deal with these events quickly and decisively. Your tardiness in responding will keep you in the fog longer than you need.
Evaluation and Replication
Because these activities are focused on the spiritual, measuring success is not always obvious. It is dangerous to rely on subjective impressions to answer the question, "How are you doing?" There must be objective criteria by which you determine movement in the right direction. Ask the hard questions: Has your discernment been correct? Are you slipping into any errors? Have there been injuries or casualties in my family? Do my family members or staff need correction and exhortation?
It's also necessary to measure the effectiveness of your efforts. Has there been a noticeable increase in the unity of heart and shared purpose among my family members or staff? Do I sense balance, happiness, and harmony in my life? Are there visible signs of evil spiritual entities or energies weakening? Are there signs of new, measurable growth or development among my family members or staff? Can you honestly say that forces of protection and blessing are advancing in my place?
Giving your experience substance helps to document in writing what you have developed. This can serve as a model or pattern adapted to other situations in other places.
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