Monday, October 20, 2008

A little claws-and-teeth work - on a shoestring

A year ago, I bought the three big, thick volumes of Hoodoo – Conjuration – Witchcraft – Rootwork by Harry Middleton Hyatt.

The arrangement of this book is actually fairly confusing. It seems to be mostly arranged according to the materials used in each spell [or "rite," as Hyatt prefers to call them]. When you're looking for a particular kind of spell – enemy work, love work, etc. – it helps to know what each kind of material is most commonly used for.

Lately, for reasons of my own, I've been looking for good old-timey spells to – how shall I put this? – shut certain enterprises down. Herewith, a few choice methods:

  • Take a photograph or symbol of said enterprise and lay it face down on top of a glass of water. Surround it with a circle of nine black candles – they don't have to be very large – and stick the candles with pins. Light all the candles; do this every day for nine days.

  • If you have no black candles to spare (as I do not, at the moment), take some cotton twine or thread and tie a knot in it. Put some turpentine on it and read the 22nd Psalm over it (the first 8 verses should suffice!). Repeat every morning until nine days have elapsed; you will have a nine-knotted string, each knot dressed with turpentine. Go to your target's house, office, or place of business, and place the string behind the door. His efforts will come to nothing.

  • A simple trick that can be used for good or ill: take seven matches – wooden kitchen matches would be easier to work with – and cross them. You will probably end up with a vaguely teepee-shaped pile. Pour niter on them – also known as saltpeter, sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate – make a wish, and set the whole thing afire. Repeat every morning until seven days have elapsed.

I don't usually do this kind of work, but these are desperate times.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

My first and last comment on the 2008 presidential campaigns

I've been following the campaigns obsessively for the past few weeks. Before that, I was cowering under the bed, as I usually do when I have to face other people's bad news.

Yes, I have a lifelong allergy to bad news. It's gotten so I rarely read the papers and insist my husband wears headphones when he watches the news.

But I gotta say: my husband had the headphones off a few nights ago when Obama was explaining why we need some kind of economic rescue bill ASAP; in calm, measured tones, and in detail. And I realized I was able to relax when Obama was talking about our troubles.

  • When McCain talks, I hear an old white man demanding my vote.
  • When Obama talks, I hear a wise man explaining how everything's going to be all right.
I'm just sayin'.