Picture of a Basic Altar Setup

A very basic New Orleans Voodoo altar might look like this picture.  You see a sword or saber (the very powerful LWA Ogoun is good at helping to fight off your problems and a saber or sword is placed on the altar to honor him)  You see an incense burner, an orange candle (probably to represent the color symbol for what you are petitioning for), a crystal which always helps to keep the energy in your session positive, a white candle, also to keep your session free of negativity and negative spirits and what appear to be some pictures (perhaps of deceased ancestors who you have invited to join the ceremony; they can be a great help to you in these rituals.  They loved you on earth and they love you in the spirit world just as much). You can also see a chain with a cross and a saint metal attached.  You can't have too much blessing and protection while you perform your petition.  You might also want to include pictures of the saints represented by the LWA.  I know I always included a picture of St. Peter who represents Alegba who opens the doors of communication for you to begin your petition to the LWA you are petitioning to.  I will also  very shortly have a blog equating the LWA to the saints in catholocism so you know who they are and what they can do for you, along with candle colors to use for your exact petitions.

About Your Altar

In the previous post I gave you an example of what a basic altar setup should look like.  Please try to bear in mind that your altar is a very sacred spot and should always be respected as such.    If you don’t have the total privacy you need, you can disassemble your altar after each session and reassemble it when you’re ready to use it again.  If however, you’re lucky enough to be able to keep your altar up without fear of anyone seeing it, that’s great but just remember to always keep it neat and clean.  Don’t use it as a spot to put down pens, pencils, jewelry, loose change, etc.  This is a very special spot that you’ve set up to talk to the LWA and make your requests to them known.  It’s a very sacred spot so keep it clutter free and clean.  I only have my son living in the house with me and he rarely, if ever, goes into my bedroom where my altar is set up so I keep it up and just use a large, white cloth to cover its contents when I’m not using it (if you decide to do this, make sure that all candles and incense are completely out and cooled off before covering its contents; you don’t want to start a fire).  Keeping your altar uncluttered and clean shows reverence and respect to the LWA your petitioning.

How to Do Your Altar Sessions

Ok, I will be posting more of the LWA and the information about them in the very near future but let’s get down to the basics of exactly how to set up the altar and have your sessions. If you don’t buy the love kits from the spellmaker site (which I strongly recommend because Mambo Samantha Corfield has already consecrated them with amazing power), here’s the way to set up your altar for your sessions.  Say you want to petition for help with love.  You would set up the altar honoring Erzulie Freda, the spirit of love.  On the altar you would place a lavender or pink colored candle, two of Erzulie’s favorite colors (any candles used in your sessions should be that color through and through; in other words, a lavender candle would have to be the lavender color through and through).  A white candle should also be on the altar because it makes the energy of the session pure and minus any negative energy.  There should also be a love incense which can be bought at any magic shop.  I happen to prefer the Spellmaker’s Madame Bridget’s Be My Love Slave because it smells so wonderful and always added a strong magical power to the sessions.  There is also a Be My Love Slave Oil at the spellmaker site (www.spellmaker.com) that is perfect to use for consecrating the candles.  Of course any magic shops on the web have magic oils as well; whatever your choice.  On the altar you should also place the symbols or veves for Alegba and Erzulie Freda (shown on my earlier posts), a picture of the Catholic saint equivalent for each of them (St. Peter for Alegba and the Virgin Mary for Erzulie Freda).  You should place a small dish with offerings for Erzulie.  I would put cakes, candies and any kinds of shiny jewelry (costume jewelry even from the local dollar store worked fine) as these are the things Erzulie loves.   I would also place offerings for Alegba as well on a separate dish (he likes small toy cars, sweets and rum) Somewhere on the altar should be a bell that can be rung to start and end each session.   These sessions should be done for 9 days straight (preferably at around the same time) and they should last for about 30-45 minutes each.  Always remember to put all candles out when the session is through to avoid any fire hazard.  The way I started the session was to first consecrate the candles with the love oil (consecrating with the oil merely consists of taking your index finger and rubbing the oil on the candle from the middle up and then all the way back down to the bottom; this is done all around the candle), ring the bell to begin then ask Alegba  (three times) to open the gates of communication so I could talk to the LWA.  I would say “Papa Alegba please open the gates so I can enter (the spirit kingdom).  Please open the gates Alegba.   Please open the gates for me Papa Alegba.  I’d wait a few seconds and then thank him.  Next, I would call out Erzulie's name (the LWA I was petitioning) and then hold up the offerings I had for her.  "I bring you food" I would say and then gently place the offerings back on the altar.  I'd lift the drink I had for her and say "I give you drink" and then place the drink back down on the alter and thank Erzulie for attending my session; Normally I would have my petition written up before hand and I would petition Erzulie to help bring my heart’s desire closer and closer to me.  I would go into thorough detail about exactly what I wanted to see happen (I'd state it as if it were already happening)  When the  session was over I would say to Erzulie, "Thank you for attending my session and for helping me with my situation. If it pleases you, you may now leave.  To Alegba I would say, “You can close the gates now Alegba, please close the gates, papa Alegba,  Please close the gates Alegba.  After a few seconds I'd thank him and I’d ring the bell to signify the end of the session.   Then I would carefully snuff out all candles (using a candle snuffer or a spoon - never blow out the candles). After 9 days of doing this ritual passed, I would take all offerings, candle and incense remnants and bury them under a tree, stomping the ground three times as I thanked the LWA for their help and then turned and walked away.  If I couldn’t manage to find a private enough place to bury them, I would place them in a paper bag (the bag must be paper) and dispose of it in a trash container distant from my home, thanking the LWA for their help and then just walk away.  All sessions are sacred and should be given the respect and honor they deserve.

What Is a Houngan? What Is a Mambo?

 

 

 

In Voodoo, a Houngan is a male priest of the voodoo religion; a mambo is a female priestess of the voodoo religion.  They have been initiated into the voodoo religion (in Africa) and have passed through the djevo (a white washed room with a dirt floor where initiates spend five days and four nights sleeping with the LWA and learning all of their secrets). They have built strong relationships with the LWA and, as the result of their extensive training, have secret knowledge, learning and power. They are schooled during their initiation by already established houngans and/or mambos.  

Houngans and Mambos, unlike the clergy of other religions, do not receive a salary or steady paycheck.  Instead, they charge for their services, time and materials.  Houngans and Mambos provide advice as well as many different types of services for many different purposes.  Just a few of the services they provide include:

Divination/Readings – which can be done with cards, a candle and water reading, getting the Houngan/Mambo to call on the LWA on a person’s behalf.

Baths – spiritual bath treatments are, in most cases, put together for a client to help remove negativity, to bring luck, to bring money, to promote healing or to help resolve a specific problem or issue.

Lave Tet – which literally means a washing of the head.  It removes negative magic, adds power to a person’s magic, strengthens them, increases money and much more.

Wanga – A very commonly requested service.  Wanga is a wish or desire that can include all kinds of requests (love, money, work, revenge, etc.).  The Wanga ritual can be very simple or extremely complex in detail.  The more complex the ritual, the more money it will cost.  There are also Wanga Dolls one can personally use that I will go into detail about in a future post.

Gads – Gads are for protection.  There are different types of Gads, the most common being Gad Ko which is a cut on the skin that has certain herbal powders rubbed into it.  It protects people from negativity, negative Wanga, unnecessary accidents and so forth. The Gad is actually placed on the point of a LWA and remains there for protection; very much like a guardian angel.  There are also countless other types of Gads which are implemented in a variety of other ways.

These are but a few of the services that Houngans and Mambos provide.  If you are receiving the help of a Houngan or a Mambo, it is important that you give them the respect they deserve by addressing them by title.  They truly are your superior when it comes to Voodoo.

Wanga and Wanga Dolls



Wanga and Wanga Dolls originated in Africa hundreds of years ago.  They are like a sister counter-part to Voodoo Dolls but differ in the sense that with the voodoo doll, a spell is cast and the spirits (LWA) are summoned to help the spell caster with changes they want to see manifest in another person.  With the Wanga Doll, however, there is no spell casting involved.  The Wanga Doll employs the power of the user’s spirit guides which help to bring about desired changes in their life.  Unlike the Voodoo Doll, the Wanga Doll’s powers are directed towards the user, not towards someone the user wishes to target.  They can be used to attract money, love, power, luck, revenge, warding off evil and a myriad of other things.  Basically your belief plays a very strong part in the effectiveness of the Wanga.  To use the Wanga Doll, you simply hold the doll up in front of you and call its name (Wanga) out three times and then proceed to tell it what you wish for.  The more specific your wishes are, the more effective your Wanga Doll will be.  Just keep the old adage in mind, “Be careful what you wish for” when using the Wanga Doll as its power is very strong.

Wanga Dolls are said to be the tangible house of a spirit which the user communicates his desire to.  As such, they must always be used with respect and a strong faith.

Consecrating your Wanga Doll for use is simply a matter of first writing your petition or wish on a piece of paper.  Then light a candle and place the petition beneath the lit candle.  Hold the Wanga Doll near to the candle (not close enough where it risks getting burned) and begin speaking to the spirit it holds within.  In other words, narrate your petition, your wish your desire and need.  You ask the Wanga Doll to help attain the results you desire.  It is highly recommended that you talk to the Wanga Doll often during the day, while holding it, lovingly stroking its hair and so forth because the more you interact with it, the stronger the spirit of it becomes.  Create a sacred place for it and let no one else handle it but yourself.

An excellent site from which to buy Wanga Dolls is:

http://www.calastrology.com/wangadolls.html

 

 

What Is the Perfect Altar Session?

Ok, I just want to tell you a little bit about what contributed to my experiencing the most powerful altar sessions (and my sessions were and still are unbelievably powerful and effective).  Sitting down to petition the LWA should be more than a tedious task you take on to “just get to the results you want”.  If that’s how you’re going about it, it may take a long time to get what you want.  When I get ready to sit down at the altar and start petitioning, I take several deep breaths and erase all my life’s problems and worries from my mind.  Admittedly, it takes a little practice because that argument you had with a co-worker, that bill that is severely delinquent, that remark your brother made that hurt your feelings and a multitude of other things will creep in and temporarily detract from your complete focus on what you are petitioning for, if you let them.  When you get those disturbing thoughts in your head, immediately cancel them out (I actually think “cancel, cancel” to myself when intrusive thoughts try to invade) and get right back to focusing on what you are asking for help with.  You are, after all, petitioning for the help of the LWA, the Universe, to give you what you want, right?  Have you ever spoken to a friend on the phone or even in person, who is so wrapped up in texting or using their computer, or whatever, that they miss half of what you’re saying to them?  How frustrating is that?   Well, the LWA are your spiritual friends and if you’re coming to them for help, it’s really not nice and definitely not effective to have your mind on something else while petitioning for their help.  I found the best way to accomplish this was to, first of all, make sure that I am not interrupted in any way; a phone ringing, a knock on the door, a partner or children calling out to me.  I make it known to all the people I know and love that for a certain amount of time, I will need to be left alone so I can meditate and that I will be unavailable to answer them in any way at all.  My telephone has an answering machine so during that time, it can take any calls I have.   I always make it a practice to not only state my petition but imagine everything I’m petitioning for as already having happened.  I wanted my HD (heart’s desire) to draw ever closer to me so during my petition, that’s what I visualized as already having happened.  I wanted him to call me more frequently; I visualized him on the telephone calling me.  I wanted him to make me the #1 priority in his life; I visualized him putting me before his friends, family and any other girls.  Doing this packs a mighty punch, believe me.  Not only that but it makes each session almost euphoric because you’re actually seeing what you want to happen, allowing your psyche to believe it is already a reality.  I always walk away from my altar, at the end of a session, with the most unbelievably sacred sense of peace and love imaginable.  In fact, my altar sessions overcome any negative feelings I may have been experiencing at the start and replaces them with positive feelings.  Needless to say, I actually look forward to them, treasure them and bask in the warm feelings I get each and every time.  My altar sessions are not a task, they’re a pleasure.   Your unwavering faith in the power of the LWA and your own personal power is of the essence as well.  If you can’t believe in your own power and the unparalleled power of the LWA, if you can't believe, really believe in your heart and soul, that  something is in the process of happening, how can you ever really expect it to happen?

Reverence to the LWA has always been a very important part of my rituals.  I honor the LWA by leaving offerings as often as I can.  They are working on my behalf so I make it a part of life to show gratitude to them by leaving offerings for them.  They appreciate my effort and extend their help to me in anything I petition them for.

Having just the right atmosphere, the right frame of mind and total focus all contribute to your success in doing spell work.

Your Heart's Desire Has Contacted You - What Do You Do?

(for all intents and purposes he or him is being used for gender but it applies for she or her as well)

Ok, so you’ve done the love spells and it’s been a few days, maybe even a few weeks since you’ve seen or heard from your HD (heart’s desire).  Your heart is beating like crazy and you’re thinking maybe this spell work is working after all.  Well, the thing is, you don’t want to try to rush things along; in other words let him take the lead and you can follow.  If he says I’ve missed you, “I missed you too” is fine.  If he says he’d like to maybe take you to see a movie or out for dinner, accept graciously but like I said, let him take the lead.  Don’t immediately start asking things like where he’s been, what he’s been doing, what he’s feeling for you or when you’ll see him again.  Remember, he is still processing the spell work and any of these pushy type inquiries are actually confrontations.  Confrontation is lethal to the effectiveness of what you’re trying to accomplish.  I know how hard it is to hold back, but hold back is really what you need to do at this point.  He may even tell you he’ll give you a call tonight or tomorrow night and then not follow through.  This is a very tender time for him, a time when he’s trying to process all the stronger onslaught of feelings he’s having for you so hang in there.  If you feel the need to tell him how anxious you are to see him again or how taken you are with him, pull out the adjunct work (red mummy, image candles, love doll, etc.) and express your feelings to him through your petitions with them.  Now, if he has started coming forward with some frequency and say his birthday or Christmas is rolling around, a light hearted card sending him warm and loving greetings is fine; nothing too serious because you don’t want to have him recoil back from you again.  Nice and easy does it.  Any kind of contact while he processes is definitely a good sign so take it as such, keep the faith and keep doing what you’re doing.

*Back at the time I was doing spell work on my HD, I came to find out that if he let out too much of what he was feeling, inevitably he would back away for a while because he actually scared himself by letting too much emotion out at one time.  What I would do when that happened, was to pull out the white male image candles and work with them to help soothe his fears.  They worked like a charm!