Morning Offerings

Dear Neophyte, 


I'm using my morning devotions as a time to pray for specific things now. I'm down to a schedule of sometime around waking I go to the altars and say a quick greeting and prayer. I had been doing more complex rituals that involved getting dressed in robes and lighting candles and making offerings but when I get slammed with 'life' I feel so guilty for not carrying out the complex ritual. I've since shortened it to a quick ritual so I dont feel so guilty. Quick is still better than none at all!

Bow before altar; ring bell three times. Hands in Goddess positon:
"Hail [deity],
I greet you in this day/night.
I trust your endevors have gone well
Since last we met.
I thank you for the blessings you have bestowed upon me (and mine)
Since last I stood before your altar;
And ask for your continued blessings upon me
Till next I stand before your altar.
(specific prayer hear)
Blessed be."
Kiss fingers, touch third eye, extend hand to image (loving gesture)
Repeat for next altar and so on.
When ritual is done, ring bell three more times, bow and exit room (backward if you feel this is more respecful)

I try not to get too upset with myself if I have to hurry threw this or if Im not 'clean' by way of brushed teeth or combed hair. It's just respectful to at least brush your teeth before speaking to a deity, lol.



Salutations,
Sesh


p.s. Not my picture.  All these items are for sale in various pagan and occult shops around the internet.  This arrangement is beautiful and if they were not all made out of glorified plastic (I'm against plastic) then I would gladly buy them all!  I dont think it quit captures the essence of "Hekate" but it certainly is magical!

It Runs in the Family

Dear Neophyte,


Apparently my nephew can see spirits too.  He claims to see a "Brown Man" coming after him whenever he was at my mom's apartment.  In distress she called me up (me somehow being the go-to person for fixing magical problems) to ask what she should do.


I tell her not to bother with a house blessing because the man was after Roo and that she needed to teach him to get rid of the problem. She seemed surprised by this and I dont know why.  I gave Melissa the same instructions when her brother was being bullied at school.  She taught him to do a spell to 'freeze' bullies and it worked like a charm! - till she moved out and he forgot to refresh it.


I instructed my mom to make him goofer dust!  It's an old Voodoo thing that was possibly used to fight other Witches at first, but then became about fighting evil spirits as internal-wars are frowned upon in the Pagan community now.


Goofer (or Gopher's Dus)
Brimstone (sulpher) Cayenne
Salt Black Pepper
Rattlesnake Skin or Rattle
Chief weapon in Hoodoo arsenal. Protects property and can be used to blow bad intentions towards intruders with melitious plans. This dust brings together earth and air elements. Can also be used to dispell evil spirits and intentions.


It boiled down to salt and pepper (cause no one is crazy enough to give a 4 year old cayenne to wave around!) and when Roo tried it, it worked like a charm.  The Brown Man has gone away and left him alone.  A note, however, that my mother did re-do her housebelssing after all, preventing anymore oogies from sneaking up on Roo while he sleeps. 


That's THREE for me and ZERO for the oogie-boogies!


Salutations,
Sesh