As i often am, that morning i was feeling equal parts martha stewart and marie leveau. In addition to being those two ladies, im also always the dude everybody LOVES to make halloween costumes with, since i have craploads of little knick knacks, trinkets, and odds and ends sitting around for years, waiting for a purpose. And that, folks, is what voodoo is all about: collecting simple things from around your world, creatively making your purpose their purpose, and sending their magick off to do what it does how it sees fit. Who knew all this shit around my house was a link to the universe?                  {{{{{{MIND BLOWN}}}}}} Before i digress further, back to my point..... That day being saturday, and me being a 35 yr old gay guy with a cat and an injured knee, I had an urgent need to do something exciting, but with some meaning....and almost always with glitter. This is why we craft. Both artsy-crafters and witchy-crafters; we're just lonely creative geniuses with sewing kits and glue guns and mason jars and quill pens and mortars and pestles. We're like pioneer folk, but gothier and with bluetooth capability. And, usually, we're kinda the shit. Again, it being a saturday, and with all the voodoo ive been studying, i immediately think "hmm, saturday...BARON SATURDAY!" A LITTLE BACKGROUND INFO... The baron i most often speak of is Baron Samedi (translated: "Baron Saturday"), but there are several Baron incarnations (LaCroix, Cimetiere, etc.) The barons belong to a group of loa called the ghede. In essence, the ghede are cemetery/death-related spirits, but they live right here among us in our world, and they are no angels.  They drink, they smoke, they cuss, they fuck, the are quite obscene at times. So basically, theyre that hot mess Laura from yr cousins wedding, right? Nope. They're better. Know why? Cuz the barons aint all doom and gloom. They can actually be helpful, albeit obnoxious  guardians who can sometimes help in dire situations. They also hold a very important place in the voodoo/hoodoo pantheon, because they are in charge of our exit from this life, and can help when things hang in the balance. Petition them carefully and dont expect special treatment...but if u offer some candy and alcohol, u just may luck out (still not Laura, i swear!) The ghede dance the banda, and they represent death and fertility. They each have a unique and fascinating story to tell.  Baron samedi is probably the most famous of the ghede, and his wife Maman Brigitte also plays a prominent role in their graveyard community. The baron is revered by new orleans  natives and tourists alike. In haiti to this day, the first male grave in a cemetery is dedicated to him, and the first female plot to his wife Brigitte. The Baron along with the rest of the ghede are celebrated on November 2nd (All Souls Day, Day of the Dead). The dark, skeleton-like images of the ghede have got a very halloween-y appeal for many, understandably. But they also have a significant religious, cultural, and practical appeal for like bazillions of people (according to the university of vague and exaggerated facts.com......ok, lets just say alot of people then). From africa, haiti, cuba, throughout the caribbean and south america.... and here in the states, specifically in louisiana. Each place has evolved its own traditions and spin on the original african Voudon tradition. But his tophat! His glasses missing one lens! His funerary style! His skull face!....Laura? Nope the unmistakable baron samedi! The loa are fascinating to learn about. Personally i find that, through creating items with the powers and symbols of a certain loa in mind, i can make a connection to them. I begin to understand them. I feel their vibe (like dig it man....no, but seriously). Do i believe a mystical being is possessing me in a supernatural sense when i serve the loas? No. I do however feel as if i invoke certain energies from the idea of them. They are powerful archetypes associated with specific numbers, colors, plants, animals, objects, and acts. Putting a human-like name, face, and personality to these energies is the best way to get to know them and their inherent power. 

         A) Smudge my sacred space (my home)

         B) Welcome ghede spirits/energies (by fanning towards me, prefferably when the moon is waxing)

         C) Get rid of ghede spirits/energies (by fanning away from me, prefferably when the moon is waning).....

                Plus....on the other side is a sacred mirror, perfect for mirror spells! Personally, ive seen similar feather orisha fans (and mirrors, but not fan/mirror combo), and i havent seen any dedicated to the baron or the ghede, though im sure they exist. But who needs their fans?!! I poured this one out from my heart and soul and, because i made it, my magick comes built-in. All of the details are specific to the ghede or the baron specifically, and quite honestly it made me feel closer to understanding what makes Baron Samedi a powerful image i can channel into my own creative magick.

There was no plan.

No specific end goal.

No list of supplies.

Just grabbin' and gluin' and beading with fervor until painstakingly perfect. I wouldnt stop until it looked like something the baron himself had commissioned from me. Beautiful in an honest way, and beautiful in its ugly aspects as well. The ghede have a twisted beauty that is awe-inspiring....

As the process continued, the art transformed. I was, in a sense, "possessed" by creativity. Quickly i grabbed anything i could use that has an association with the baron and the ghede:

Numbers 9 and 13.

Colors purple, black, and red.

Skulls and skeletons.

Crosses.

Nails.

Every detail bringing the baron closer.

By the time i was finished,  the entire table was a full-on Baron Samedi conjure altar:

Offerings of rum, coffee, and cocoa. Cigars. An image of a rooster. Candles. Incense.

And my fan. OUR fan. Without the idea of him and his signature style and tastes, none of this very real magick would have occurred.

Even if he is a mythical being or a metaphor, his mere history and unique character make him someone who will continue to carry magickal associations when focused on.

After the work was complete, i blasted "No time to cry" by sisters of mercy, danced a bit in my legbrace, and fanned the incense throughout my apartment, feeling as if those feathers were part of my very own wings.

I left the baron his rum, coffee, cocoa, rooster, and half a cigar in a nice black box with a bow. I wouldn't have felt right removing them (even in the world of the dead, there are no take-backs).

Finally,  i hung the fan, mirror-side down, on the inside of my front door. This is where i can interact with it daily, and also where it can best fan in the good and fan out the bad.

Though i never petitioned the baron for anything (it felt more like a fun boozy brunch with a friend than conjure), i left the experience  feel honored and powerful. And with a dope piece of magickal art.

Its nice having friends in high places.

P.S.  tell hot mess Laura, Baron Samedi says hello.

MY HOODOO: WHO KNEW?

Since delving into the realm of voodoo/hoodoo/rootwork/conjure/gris gris, etc etc etc, ive been constantly amazed at how i've always practiced parts of it without even realizing. Put simply, making art is my hoodoo. Everything i make is, in a sense, a spell. This applies to my personal recipes (candles, balms, salves, oils, and even food and smoking blends), as well as visual art that can be worn on a necklace, hung in a doorway, placed on a shelf, put under your pillow, or mounted on a wall. The colors, symbols, and materials used are physical representations with meanings (which can be widely accepted or nearly universal, as well as just deeply personal to u alone) that evoke certain feelings within us. Only when we pour our blood, sweat, and tears (figuratively....usually lol) into the creative process, do we channel our energies and intent into ordinary things and make them magickal. It can be powerful and trance-like, although often it feels completely natural, because it is. Music does this to me as well, and although i dont create my own music (maybe one day!), i do incorporate music that makes me feel magickal or trance-like into my process. Dancing is also a major part of it. But thats because i enjoy those things anyway; they bring out my inner magick. Feel free to incorporate whatever takes u into an enhanced mental state....for many people it's meditation, although i personally hate it. Dancing and music allows me to alter my perception in a similar way. While writing this (a spell in itself) listening to The Kills. They fucking rock and they make me feel witchy right now. But i vary very widely depending on the moment. Recreational drugs and alcohol can also aid this a bit to be quite honest. I repeat, RECREATIONAL. Im not sayin go shoot up or smoke some Tina, or give blowjobs for dimebags of coke or anything, but its ok to get kinda "Nice". Smoke a little bud if it helps u. Have a drink. Maybe a xanax. And let the process do most of the intoxicating after that. Just be sure to offer some to the loas you are serving. I usually think of it as "one for the homies". Thats the thing i love about the voodoo spirits, the loas (and their various regional interpretations). They often are extremely human, flawed, accessible descriptions of different areas of life. Over time these african spirits have combined, via the slave trade, with everything from catholicism to the qaballah to native american folk medicine. Via the slave trade, this combined to create new orleans style voodoo, hoodoo, rootwork and conjure, as well as various other related practices. The loas were also disguised and combined with catholic saints in order to allow slaves to serve them incognito. The history is really amazing, and there are many variations that evolved from slaves living in different areas and combining with locals. Personally, I do not necessarily serve the loas or the saints in a literal sense. However, many people do and that works for them, and i think thats great. Its all very open to interpretation . For me, the loas, saints, and various other archetypes are powerful symbols that represent parts of ourselves and our everyday lives. I use them in a symbolic sense, calling on them to help me in their area of expertise. I honour their purpose, honor my ancestors and dead loved ones, and honour the ebb and flow of the universe. Combining these with appropriate herbs, oils, incenses, plants, curios, sacred images, prayers, and music creates a vibe conducive to magickal activities, as well as magickal everyday living. The altars we create, the oils we make, the remedies we use, the mojo bags and bottle spells and potions are ways for us to access that magick in a tangible way. When we create them, they keep a piece of us, our environments, our struggles, our vices, our hopes, our fears, our mojo. They are powerful because we are powerful. Pay attention to what makes u feel magick inside u, and do it as often as u can. For me its the process, the craft, the beautiful homespun memorabilia of it all, the charms, the setup, the transformation. It is alchemy, and, when combined with our intent, it is a vision board of sorts. A place to materialize and define our everyday wishes.....and the fact that its supercharged with tiny bits of myself only makes it more powerful. Its like punk rock--DIY as much as u can. The magick's inside. My hoodoo is a party. My gris gris is the goodie bag The magick fuels the fire. More to come...