To Fire Up or Not to Fire Up, That is the Question

Working with Indian Spirit Guides is an ancestral tradition more than anything else. As such, respect for our ancestors is paramount. This means listening to them, not only in our hearts, but also with our minds and our eyes. We are lucky to have the words of Black Hawk, Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, Geronimo and others transcribed in written form and preserved for us to draw from and learn. They tell us who they are and what they like—we don't have to guess. For example, the popular practice of giving Black Hawk alcohol to “fire him up” is completely contrary to both Native American spiritual traditions, as well as Black Hawk’s belief system (not to mention horribly stereotypical). He tells us how much he hated alcohol because of what it did (and continues to do) to his people. Consider the following passages from his biography where Black Hawk states in no uncertain terms exactly how he feels about alcohol: 

“Why did the Great Spirit ever send the whites to this island to drive us from our homes and introduce among us poisonous liquors, disease and death?”

”I found several barrels of whiskey on the captured boat, knocked in the heads and emptied the bad medicine into the river.”

“Our people got more liquor from the small traders than customary. I used all my influence to prevent drunkenness, but without effect. As the settlements progressed towards us, we became worse off and unhappy.”

Perhaps, this passage from his autobiography is the best example for not offering Black Hawk alcohol:

"The white people brought whiskey to our village, made our people drink, and cheated them out of their homes, guns and traps. This fraudulent system was carried to such an extent that I anticipated serious difficulties might occur, unless a stop was put to it. Consequently I visited all the whites and begged them not to sell my people whiskey. One of them continued the practice openly; I took a party of my young men, went to his house, took out his barrel, broke in the head and poured out the whiskey. I did this for fear some of the whites might get killed by my people when they were drunk."

So, in the above passage, he refers to those who brought the alcohol as fraudulent. Knowing how strongly he felt about alcohol, why would we give it to him? Do you want to be a fraud in his eyes? He doesn’t want it and he doesn’t need it. In fact, it is likely to piss him right off and not fight for you at all; but, fight against you. He is a warrior spirit—warriors do not need alcohol to fight their battles. While giving spirits alcohol as an offering is commonplace in Hoodoo, it is not a blanket practice. Not everyone gets rum and whiskey. So the inevitable argument that alcohol is an appropriate offering to Black Hawk in the conjure tradition is an irresponsible and disrespectful excuse on the part of the rootworker, especially in the context of ancestor reverence.

Uncle Monday

Uncle Monday was a medicine man from Africa, brought over with the slave trade to South Carolina where he escaped and went to Florida to live among the Seminoles and maroons. He brought his crocodile medicine with him. We know the Seminoles hold the alligator very sacred as well and like Uncle Monday’s crocodile medicine, they have their alligator medicine.

Legend says that Uncle Monday refused to surrender to the whites, even though he said the spirits told him resistance was futile. But he swore he would never submit to slavery or death at the hands of whites and said he would change himself into an alligator until the wars were over. Then he would come forth from the waters in peace.

So the Seminoles held a ceremony for his transformation. As he danced to the drum beats, his legs began to become shorter and his face longer, his skin became scaly and his voice changed to thunder. He began to bellow, and in response hundreds of gators bellowed and came up from the swamp…thousands of gators actually, so the story goes. They lined up in two lines leaving a space between them.

Uncle Monday turned into the biggest gator of them all and he sauntered in between the two rows of gators and slid right into the water. As he let out the loudest bellow, all of the other gators slid into the water after him.
And that's how Uncle Monday changed himself into an alligator. They say he still lives in the swamps and every now and again he comes from the water and changes back into a man, walking among the living casting all sorts of spells—good and bad.

Now, there was this old lady name Judy Bronson, she went around bragging that Uncle Monday was no better a hoodoo doctor than she was. She said she could not only undo any spell he cast, but she could throw it right back at him.

Uncle Monday heard about her bragging and said "The foolishness of tongues is higher than mountains!"
One day, Judy wanted to go fishing at Blue Sink, which is the lake where Uncle Monday had been seen and was believed to live. Folks warned her about going there because they say Blue Sink is bottomless and a dangerous place. But, being the arrogant old lady she was, she insisted on going. So, she got to Blue Sink at sundown and tossed in her baited pole. No sooner did it hit the water than did she feel a pull on it. A BIG pull. So BIG she was scared as a cat in a dog pound and paralyzed with fear.

Old Judy's biggest fears were the dark and the water—and there she was at sundown, near the water, being pulled in by a force she couldn’t resist. She couldn't move - her legs were frozen. Somehow she found the strength to scream and as she did, a bright beam of light shone upon her. At this point, you may think that the light helped others find her and rescue her…BUT… No such luck.

Old Judy looked up and as she did, she saw Uncle Monday walking across the water like Jesus, dressed in flowing robes and marching right towards her with an army of gators behind him. He walked up to her and said "I brought you here, and here you will stay until you get off your high horse and admit that you can't do no such magic as me."

Soon, the light faded and it was black as night. Uncle Monday and his army of gators slid back into the water, leaving one gator behind to stand guard with Judy. He edged right up to her so she could feel his scaly skin. She couldn't help but touch him with every breath she took.

Old Judy hated more than anything—even more than the dark and the water at this point—to give in to Uncle Monday's challenge. But she was too scared to let her pride get in the way. So, first she admitted to herself that she was not as big and bad a hoodoo doctor as Uncle Monday. Then, she shouted it out loud: “I AIN’T AS BIG AND BAD A HOODOO DOCTOR AS UNCLE MONDAY!”

As soon as she said it out loud, the gator that was on guard quickly swam off into the darkness and that’s when Old Judy heard her grandma calling for her. Within a few minutes, some of the locals found her and lifted her out of the water and carried her home. The people tried to tell her that she fell and had a stroke; but, Old Judy, she knew differently, of course.

Well, after that swamp scrape Old Judy threw away all of her Voodoo and hoodoo stuff. From them on she said she had Uncle Monday to thank for being able to walk again.

Uncle Monday still walks through the countryside as a man, but he always changes back to a gator and swims in the waters, keeping an eye on things, especially arrogant folks.

When he goes back into the waters, all of the other gators start to bellowing and carrying on... and when the people hear that, they know Uncle Monday has returned to the waters and they can breathe a sigh of relief again.

~Oral tradition

Copyright 2010-2012 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide. Please ask if you would like to repost this article.

 

Denise Alvarado www.planetvoodoo.com, www.crossroadsuniversity.com, published author, Educated, artist, internet. I`ll endeavor to remove any and all negative comments I`ve made about her and her businesses or work. The truth is that I do admire Denise`s artistic talents, and I`ve always found her to be an intelligent and congenial person. I do not want to feel this kind of anger or pain any longer, and I don`t want to block Denise`s ability to make a living. And so I would urge others to go ahead and order from her. I regret this whole experience and I will do whatever I can to heal the hurt of it. 

Copyright 2012, Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide.

Liquid Love Gris Gris

The gris gris tradition first arrived in New Orleans in the 1720s with the arrival of the first Senegambian slaves. It is a unique characteristic of New Orleans Voodoo and an interesting and important facet of New Orleans' cultural history. The knowledge of making charms, amulets, wangas, and poisons - all part of New Orleans gris gris - was brought to New Orleans by the Muslim marabouts and by traditional Africans from Central Africa.

Gris gris is mostly known as akin to a mojo bag, but as I have written about in Hoodoo and Conjure Quarterly, on my various blogs and Examiner.com column and in the Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook, it comes in many forms. "Gris gris" can be a noun and a verb just like the word "hoodoo". Gris gris can consist of animal parts, powdered insects and herbs, can be placed in a bag or a toby and can be deployed in foot track magic. It can smeared on door knobs, sprinkled on floors, sheets, and clothing, and blown in the face to be inhaled by some unfortunate target. Gris gris can be made and used as a tool using the principles of sympathetic and contagious magic, and it can be made to house a spirit. As such it is alive upon the completion of its creation. Gris gris can be used for positive works such as healing and relationships, drawing money and self empowerment, and it can be used for more nefarious purposes like revenge and harm. It even has a history as being used as a weapon of war (see Diouf, 1998; Hall, 1992; and Walter & Friedman, 2004 for more historical discussion about gris gris used defensively).

 One form gris gris takes that is never written about is its use in liquid form. In the past, when gris gris was used as a means of self defense against cruel slave masters, or as a weapon of war, it was made into a potion or liquid. One formula included snake venom  mixed with copper and clay into which talons of birds of prey were dipped and used as a weapon. Another way consisted of writing words of power onto a smooth surface and then washing them off with water into a cup and clandestinely given to a target. Its use as a poison is no longer practiced but there are documented cases of its use in such a fashion dating as far back as the early 1720s (Superior Council, 1729).

I love this liquid means of deployment - how ingenious! I  like it so much I have adapted the method for putting the gris gris on a lover who consents to it. Check it out.

Liquid Gris Gris

This gris gris should only be done with the express consent of the target person. It can be used in a lover's pact to profess one's commitment to the relationship, for example.

First, you have to make an edible ink. To do this, use a cup of the juice of blackberries or pomegranates and cook it down on the stove on low heat with a bit of sugar. Place the liquid in a saucepan and cover it, cook on medium heat and slowly bring to a boil. Then, simmer it and stir the liquid uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it reduces down to approximately 2 tablespoons of a syrupy consistency. This takes quite some time to do so be patient...but it also gives you time to pray your intention over the ink and to focus. If your partner is present when you are making the ink, which I highly recommend  - both parties should be part of the process - take turns stirring the potion and speaking kind and loving words to each other, and speak of the improvements in your relationship you would like to make.

Once the potion is of a thick consistency take a chopstick and dip it into the ink and write on a mirror an agreed upon pact, such as "forever faithful, honest and supportive". This pact can be written in Theban (the Witch's Alphabet) to enhance the magical quality of the work. In the past, passages from the Koran would be used, or the words would be written in Arabic, or in symbols of the particular African tradition. In New Orleans, this has been replaced by some practitioners with the use of the Theban Alphabet. Allow the pact to harden.

Using the juice of a pomegranate or red wine, gently wash the words off of the mirror into a glass. Take turns sipping from the love gris gris you have just made together. The pact has been internalized both spiritually and physically and will have a profoundly positive psychological effect on the relationship as a result.

Copyright 2010-2012 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide. Please ask if you would like to repost this article.