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Qdoc - Tips Lucky-Hoodoo
Qdoc - Tips Lucky-Hoodoo
By Stewart Farquharson
There is a school of folk magic
called Hoodoo and it comes from
the Caribbean and New Orleans.
When people were brought over
from Africa to work the new
island plantations of sugarcane and
cotton, they brought a view of the
world that said the Ancestors’
Spirits would help people here on earth, provided you knew the
magical way to talk with them. And that plants, stones and animals
held their own magic.
Damballah and Ayida Wedo, the serpent couple. They bring peace,
self-control and rain for the crops. They like pools and trees.
They are always kind.
Loko, the herb doctor of the forest. People hang straw bags in
the trees in his honor. He is a teacher. His symbol is the
butterfly.
Ghede who is the death and good luck trickster. He loves to dance
and make lewd jokes at ceremonies, and drink and smoke. He
wears dark glasses and a top-hat at times. He tells all the gossip.
His simple younger brother is the peasant farmboy Zaka. A more
sober form of Ghede is Baron Samedi (Baron Saturday) with his
wife Brigitte, rulers of the cemetery.
Veves are found in botanica shops too, usually inside a charm bag,
or gris-gris as it is called. With them will be a magical root, some
symbols of luck, love, health or money, and perhaps fragrant oils
and spices. A veve is a special diagram that attracts a spirit.
On the shelves you will see glass jars with dry roots. A famous
root is called High John the Conqueror. It brings luck, strength,
romantic attractions and breaks hexes. Another is called a Lucky
Hand root because it looks like five fingers.
Oils are made from secret recipes and have lovely and quaint
names such as Van-Van, Has-No-Hanna, Three Jacks and A King,
Essence Bend Over, 4 Thieves Vinegar, and Fast Luck.
And yes,
sometimes a
figurine is pierced
by thorns to make
calamities go away.
So how does this all relate to reiki? Well, we can attune to the
healing energy in herbs and the oracle of seashells simply enough.
We can soothe the ancestors and accept any helpful advice they
have to give us.
And we can become at ease with all this and mentally shake our
gourd rattle and warn away mischievous entities with the
authority of our hands and hearts.