Milagro Roots and Readings

Beware of Scam Psychics!

I tell my clients this all of the time, but due to an unfortunate incident this week, I want to re-emphasize how CAREFUL everyone needs to be in checking out and authenticating their spiritual reader and root worker.  This was one of the main reasons that the Association for Independent Readers and Rootworkers was started--we wanted to create a community dedicated to serving clients with authentic Hoodoo and Conjure work.  Some folks don't know this but there is a rigorous application process for any worker who wishes to be listed as an AIRR certified worker.  AIRR is a unique organization, and one that I am proud to be a member of, because it goes one step further--clients who work with an AIRR certified worker and have complaints/concerns about their experience actually have resources at their disposal and an ombudsman who will hear out their issues and work to find a satisfactory resolution for both parties.

There is a real need out there for authentic Conjure work and AIRR has stepped forward to address that need.  Unfortunately, opportunistic vultures like the so-called Anaya Dia are now claiming that they are AIRR certified workers when they are NOT!  It is a sad fact that many folks who seek out spiritual workers are in emotionally fragile or charged states and often are experiencing a crisis in their lives.  Anyone in that state will be much less discerning about who they trust and hire to work for them.  Phonies, frauds, and charlatans do not think twice about exploiting folks in these situations; I have heard many horrible stories where people with real problems went to a "psychic worker" or "spiritual master" only to lose ALL of their money.  Not only that, but there is a long, authenticated tradition of this type of con-game.  Miss cat yronwode talks about it at length on her Lucky Mojo Black Gypsy page.  This week the AIRR logo was used by just such a fraud, going by the name of Anaya Dia, and she landed herself a victim too.  AIRR responded by creating this page.

So, the question is, how do you know if you AIRR certified worker is truly certified?  Well, read the link to the page above and you will find out.  The answer is CLICK IT!  Every authentic AIRR certified worker that has a website up also has an image of the AIRR logo.  This may be on several different pages, but it will always be on the worker's bio page, here is mine. Click on that AIRR logo image and it will take you back to the AIRR site, that is how you know that you are dealing with an authentic, AIRR certified worker.  Every industry has frauds; don't be fooled, be smart, ask questions, and if you end up with an AIRR certified worker, make sure that they are authentic.

So Fresh and so clean: Part Two

Continuing with the theme of spiritual cleaning--why its important, and how we do it--today I will focus on cleaning one's home space, vehicle, office space--in other words any physical space that you inhabit on a regular basis.  Before turning to that though I want to write about a few ways that people keep themselves clean in between spiritual bathing.  One traditional way of cleaning yourself in between workings or if you feel like you have built up some muck and you do not have time to take a full spiritual bath is to brush yourself off with a black hen feather whisk, I have also been taught that you can use a chicken claw or a turkey wing for the same purposes.  The black hen has a great deal of symbolism behind it and is considered a very magical animal in Conjure practice.  Chickens and turkeys are both ground dwelling birds that forage food and have a varied diet, they can adapt to different kinds of food, but left to their own devices their diets include a large percentage of insects and bugs that also happen to be parasites.  As they search out and consume pests in life, they are believed to spiritually search out and consume parasites and negative gunk that may have become attached to you.  Fumigating or smudging with an appropriate incense can also be a fast way to clean in between spiritual baths.  Please note: none of these quick tricks make up for or replace the full benefits derived from a spiritual bath but they can help to keep you clean and refreshed on a daily basis.

When it comes to cleaning any physical space there are a couple of guidelines to keep in mind.  Traditionally it is a good idea to clean from top to bottom (this is just practical sense, you dust before you vacuum) and back to front.  This applies whether you are cleaning a room, cubicle, entire house, or vehicle.  My favorite commercial Hoodoo cleaner is Lucky Mojo's Chinese Wash.  I also like Mrs. Meyers Lemon Verbena scented products which are made from essential oils, biodegradable, and phosphate free.  Lemon Verbena is one of many herbs used in traditional Conjure to clean, unlock, open the way, and attract good luck.  You can also blend your own cleansing products to further customize the formula you are using. 

To cleanse a home it is traditional to start in the back of the home and clean one room at a time.  Once you have dusted, mopped, vacuumed and cleaned any windows, you can light a small white candle anointed with a 7-11 type holy oil or if you are on a budget you may use olive oil that you have prayed over.  Place the candle in the room and let it burn all the way out, repeat the 23rd Psalm over the candle before proceeding to the next room of the house.  You may also light an appropriate incense in the room along with the candle.  Many folks today find that they need to clean their office, cubicle or work space.  This is especially true if you have co-workers who are negative or attract bad luck.  You can follow the same basic guidelines as you would when cleaning your house.  Skip lighting the candle and the incense, and if vacuuming is not feasible then lightly dust your area with Van Van sachet powder.  Vehicles are another area that can benefit from spiritual cleanings.  You can follow the same principle with your vehicle as you would elsewhere.  Make sure that you get the inside and outside of the vehicle, including the tires.  A blend of Van Van and Safe Travel sachet powders dusted lightly on the tires and into the carpet of the vehicle smells wonderful and provides an extra added layer of protection.

So Fresh and so clean: Part One

Yesterday I wrote about the importance of getting a Spiritual Reading before considering (and paying for!) professional root work.  Today I am going to focus on cleansing and its role in magical and spiritual matters.  We all can feel the difference between a messy room and a clean room; clutter, refuse, and objects that are not in their proper place can create confusion, imbalance, and waste our time.  This is true for our physical lives but also for our emotional and spiritual lives.  In relationships we can see how continually bringing up issues of the past that should be released and buried can damage the present. Spiritually cleansing is perhaps the single most important magical act you can do for yourself.  Think of a clean kitchen. Maybe the kitchen is sparkling and spotless or maybe it is a little dingy around the corners but more or less clean.  Now imagine someone walking through that kitchen with mud on their feet.  They leave muddy footprints all over your nice kitchen floor.  If this were really your kitchen what would you do?  Would you leave the muddy footprints where they are, ignoring them and hoping that they would go away?  Or would you get out the cleaner and go to work on them?  Most people would clean up those footprints if they were in their actual kitchens, but you would be surprised at how many folks refuse to clean up the muddy foot prints that have trekked all over their hearts, minds, bodies, and souls.  Now you can't take a bottle of pine-sol to your soul, but you can spiritually clean yourself just the way you would clean your kitchen floor.

For folks that are suffering from crossed conditions, the first level of cleaning is personal.  A spiritual bath is required.  There are many good commercial mixes out there for this ritual.  I recommend Lucky Mojo's 13 Herb Uncrossing Bath.  If you can't afford to buy commercial products then you can whip yourself up an effective Three Ingredient Cleansing Bath by using any 3 herbs or minerals from the following list:

• Kosher Salt
• Alum
• Table Salt
• Cumin
• Lemongrass
• Lemon
• Pine needles
• Mint (pepper, spear, lemon)
• Sage

These are just  a few options that I have had success with personally and that clients of mine have also had success with.  A spiritual bath can be performed in tandem with a deep cleaning of your home-space, and vehicle which will be further discussed in So Fresh and So Clean Part Two.

Why Spiritual Readings are Important

A lot of folks who are newcomers to Hoodoo or those hiring a professional root doctor for the first time, might be surprised when it is suggested that they get spiritual reading  prior to deciding on a course of work.  This is because most people who are looking to hire a professional root worker usually have a specific problem or goal that they are trying to achieve and they do not feel that a psychic reading is necessary.  They know what they want, they just aren't sure how to get it.  In other words, they do not need their future told, they need results.  This reluctance comes about due to a confusion about what a Spiritual Reading is and what benefits can be derived from one.  Spiritual Readings can offer greater insight, clarity, and direction to people caught in old situations, in emotionally draining relationships, as well as those who have negative or difficult thought patterns. A spiritual reading can include information about your past and your future, but they can also give you very good information about the here and now--things that you might be too upset or too involved to see clearly yourself.  The reader can become a trusted adviser who is able to offer objectivity, insight, and encouragement to folks no matter how difficult their situation has become.  I have always requested that my clients get readings before deciding on a course of work and I have seen first hand that the road is opened and made smoother if the client is willing to help themselves in this way.  Spiritual readings along with simple cleansing rituals are two of the most basic ways in which any practitioner--old, young, new, intermediate, or experienced, can help themselves.  These are fundamentals to traditional conjure work that are appropriate for any condition and will assist you in laying a strong foundation for future work.