Ask Brother Ash #3

Question: "How about maintaining protections. Refreshing and keeping alive front door, window, etc charms and helpful spirits".

I am going to be completely honest and say that I may not be the best person to tackle this subject. My own personal practice does not put to much emphasis on maintaining a lot of protection. I keep one broom/evil eye charm by the front door of my home that I do no upkeep on. I have protection included in my mojo hand, that I of course feed on a regular basis. I actually keep no charms specifically for protection in my altar room, but instead charge the spirits that I work with to that task.

Basically any protection that I make is geared toward to repelling any spirit that mas malicious intent, that includes those still housed in a corporeal being (i.e. a person).  I really don't put much focus on protection, because I really don't worry too much about being susceptible to attacks, especially magical attacks. My advice is to have one good charm or form of protection for your whole house, I don't think it is out of the realm of a spells reach to protect front, back, and all areas of the house simultaneously. Keep some form of protection that you can carry with you as you see fit. Of course prayers as Psalms can work for both home and personal spiritual protection. Finally ask the spirits that you maintain relationships with to keep an eye out for you. Putting your spirits to work for you is the best protection that you can have. Whatever you do, it is best to be consistent with it, but don't obsess over it or feel that moment that you don't maintain your defense that the forces of darkness are going to swoop in and carry you to the 9th circle of hell or something.

I don't worry too much, because I know that at the very least my ancestors have my back in the small likelihood that I am attacked. I also train for self defense for the occasion where that might fail. To me, going overboard with protection is like wearing full body armor everyday because you may get shot. Doesn't seem to be worth the hassle. I know there are some that put much more emphasis on this in their own practice, and I don't knock it. There are some that are involved in communities, and circles where magical attack is very common, and something that needs to be prepared for. If that is the case with anyone reading, I say by all means be prepared, or hey remove yourself from circles full of such petty people. I tend to keep to myself and have yet to find the need to engage in magical battle. I hope to keep it that way. There is my two cents.

"The Secret of Luck"

I found a fascinating video recently that I wanted to share and discuss with you all. It's an episode of Derren Brown's "The Experiments" titled "The Secret of Luck". The goal of the experiment was to spread a rumor in a small town that a dog statue had to power to grant a person good luck if they rubbed it's head. They wanted to see if the belief would take hold, and if rubbing the statue would have an effect on the lives of those that believed. The rumor certainly took hold, and some people did report having their luck change for the better. Of course it is metaphysically possible to endow an object with that kind of power through collective thought and belief. That's not what I found to be the most interesting part of the experiment.

To me this experiment was as much an act of sorcery as an ritual or spell. It is the reminder that deceit and manipulation are a useful skill to have at your disposal. When used the right way it can be used to gain influence over one person, or a group. In my opinion, the difference between a rumor and reputation is how much of the information that you get to control. There are some that would say that this kind of thinking has no place in African American Conjure. To them I would suggest digging a little deeper into their history.

Another interesting thing that this experiment touched upon was the nature of "luck", and those that feel that they have bad luck. The local butcher was sure that he had bad luck. "If it wasn't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all" was the cliche that he gave. What Brown's team found was that due to his personal views, the butcher often overlooked clear opportunities for good things to happen to him. They tested this on different occasions, first by mailing a fake scratch off to him that had he actually scratched it, he would have won a free television. Next the set up a street survey/contest that would have given him $50 had he only stopped and completed the simple task of naming 5 different cuts of meat. Lastly the just put money directly on the ground in his path, and he didn't even see it! This is an important lesson to consider when using a good luck charm. It is important that you are also on the lookout for opportunities. Even with sorcery you can't just wait for things to fall into your lap.

Here is the full episode for you to check out:

Black History Month Special

I am working on a post in regards to Black history month, I just need to find the right words. In the mean time, I running a special all month on my "High John the Conqueror" ebook. You can download it now for only $1.99! If you have not had a chance to check out this book, then now is the time to do it.

Wisdom of the Raven: The Mystic Way of Cabal Fang

"A blend of fact and fable, the practical and the esoteric, 'Wisdom of the Raven' instructs the reader in the spiritual underpinnings of Cabal Fang Martial Arts. Learn the basics of the Three Sisters -- contemplation, meditation, and prayer -- and how they come together to inform the mystic experience."

I may have mentioned once or twice that I practice a martial art called Cabal Fang . My good friend and founder of the martial art Robert Mitchell  has made the "Cabal Fang Martial Arts Manual" available for free on Smashwords, as well as a new companion booklet called "Wisdom of the Raven: The Mystic Way of Cabal Fang" Even if you are not into martial arts I highly recommend downloading the Wisdom of the Raven. It;s an excellent primer for anyone interesting in incorporating contemplation, and meditation into their spiritual practices. No complex breathing methods or anything like that, just easy to follow instructions to get you started. Did I mention that it is FREE?! Go download it now!

Brother Ash on Candelo's Corner

Last week I was a guest on the radio show "Candelo's Corner". If you missed, check it out at the link below. I had a great time and can't wait to go back on.

http://www.kimbisa.org/podcast/candelos-corner-with-brother-ash/

Ask Brother Ash #2

Recently someone on Facebook asked me an interesting question, and it is something that came up again while I was on “Candelo’s Corner”. The gentleman wanted to know if he could work Hoodoo even though he is European. To be blunt, anyone that tells someone that they can’t practice Hoodoo because of their skin color is being an asshole. There are enough examples of well known Hoodoo workers from Dr. Buzzard, to the present day Brother Moloch that aren't African American. People like to portray Hoodoo as being for more Afro-centric than it really is in my opinion.  Hoodoo is not an African Traditional Religion (ATR) so it’s not tied into ancestral lineage in anyway. It’s just folk magic practiced by the African Diaspora here in America. Also to focus solely on the African roots of the work and ignoring all of the other influences leads to a lesser understanding of Hoodoo. I often joke that I am about as Afro-centric as NASCAR. That doesn't matter though, because sorcery is about the individual, your mindset, style, philosophy, and personal power. So do your thing, and let the haters do what they do. 

Crossroads "Confessional".

As I mentioned in my last post the subject of my next booklet is on the subject of the Devil in the context of conjure. Of course one can't escape that topic without talking about the infamous crossroads rite. What I am finding is that there are a lot of different ideas about the nature and identity of the "Black Man" of the crossroads. I would like to get stories of people that have actually done the work and what their experience was at the crossroads. I may include some of them in my next book with permission of course. So to take submissions I am going to offer two options. You can either contact me and email your submission, or if you prefer to remain anonymous then feel free to add your story as a comment here anonymously. I am looking to hear about how you conducted your rite (days of the week, time of day, location, etc..) and what you experienced as a result. If you care to share what you sought mastery over that would be great as well. I want people to know that this work is still alive and thriving today.I also understand that the crossroads is not the only place that this deal can be made. So if you met H.I.M. in the cemetery, the woods, or at the water's edge, I still want to hear from you.