by Dorothy Morrison. Well known author of books as the author of Lucinda's Web, Everyday Magic, The Craft, Utterly Wicked and many other books. A native Texan, she is  a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. Dorothy currently ensconced in studies of the RavenMyst Circle Tradition, and enjoys membership in the Coven of the Raven.

There are probably as many theories on how to gather graveyard dirt as there are graves on the planet.  And the truth of the matter is that the exact procedure just depends upon who you ask.  For that reason, you’ll only find my personal protocol listed in the guidelines below.

Timing:  It’s said that for good works, graveyard dirt should be taken within the hour before midnight, and for evil, within the hour after midnight.  That’s all well and fine, but it can really pose a problem in today’s world.  The reason is that most cemeteries are locked up tighter than a drum at dusk.  And unless you want to open yourself up to a trespassing charge – and Gods know what else – you’d best be gathering your dirt during normal “business hours.”

That said, I usually don’t worry about what time of day I’m handling my collection.  Instead, I simply tell the spirit precisely why I want the dirt and wait for permission.  Yes, sometimes, permission is denied, but that’s okay, too.  When that happens, I just finish my conversation, thank the spirit for chatting with me, and strike up a conversation with another of the resident dead.

The only exception is when I need to work at cross-purposes with someone else.  And for that, I begin my digging at times when the hands of the clock are in direct opposition to each other, and in a position to cross-quarter its face if there were four hands instead of two.  The exact times are 9:15, 12:30, 2:45, and 6:00.

Protection:  Because spirits are not always the peaceable, gentle creatures we assume they are, you’ll occasionally run across one who decides to wreak havoc with your work.  For this reason I always wear a necklace that I’ve charged for protection when I enter a cemetery - any sort of amulet or talisman will do if it’s charged properly – and then ask Oya for Her blessing.  This keeps any ornery spirits at bay, since not even the most mischievous would dare to mess with Her!

Payment:  Never enter a cemetery without at least nine dimes in your pocket.  There are several reasons for this.  For one thing, it’s polite to give something back in payment for the dirt you’re taking, and nine dimes is the acceptable payment.  There’s also a theory that dimes cut the connection with harmful spirits, and if the dirt’s paid for in that medium, they won’t attach themselves to you or your property.  In any case, I always bury the dimes where I’ve taken the dirt and I’ve never had the slightest bit of trouble.

One more thing about the dimes:  Some folks insist that only Mercury dimes be used for payment, as His likeness appears on the coins and entices Him to aid in communications.  While I certainly see the sense in this, these particular dimes are not easy to come by anymore.  So, if you want Mercury’s help, a better solution might be to just come right out and ask Him for it.

Tools:  While the most acceptable form of gathering dirt is to dig it with your hands, there’s little I abhor more than getting dirt under my nails – and there’s no way to dig by hand and keep that from happening.  As a result, I’ve taken to using an old soup spoon.  It’s handy, it fits right in my purse, and is easily cleaned between diggings with a baby wipe.

Some practitioners also like to use a knife for digging, as they say it cuts any connection to unsavory spirits that may be hanging around.

Storing:  Some folks say it’s unlucky to bring graveyard dirt into your home, but I’ve never found that to be true.  However, I do keep it sealed in zippered plastic bags, labeled with my intention, the name of its donor, and the related birth and death dates.

Why even worry about the age of the donor?  Because depending on the work at hand, age may actually have a bearing on the results – especially if you intend for the related spirit to aid you in your efforts.  The dirt from a child’s grave, for example, might work well for cementing a loving friendship, but wouldn’t do much good if a scorching melt-you-into-a-puddle romance was at stake.  The rule of thumb here is to never use dirt from a donor that could not possibly have experienced your desired result.  And proper labeling is one way of avoiding that pitfall.

One more thing.  Please remember to check for earthworms before you bag the dirt, and release any that you find.  I can’t say for sure that dead earthworms are unlucky, but there’s certainly no point in finding out!

[Used by permission and excerpted from Utterly Wicked by Dorothy Morrison; published 2007 by WillowTree Press, St. Louis, MO]

Five Hoodoo Hacks for Modern Witches

By Devin Hunter

Devin Hunter is a professional Psychic Medium and modern witch and is the resident House Medium at The Mystic Dream in Walnut Creek, Ca. He holds third-degree initiations in both the Northern Star Tradition of Wicca as well as the Dianic Tradition of Witchcraft (the Cult of Diana) and is the founder of his own tradition, Sacred Fires. His AV Club favorited podcast, the Modern Witch, has helped thousands of people from all over the world discover and develop their magical abilities. He is a blogger for Witches & Pagans magazine and is the creator of Modern Witch Magazine. Devin is currently teaching with the Black Rose School of Witchcraft and is the reigning Master of Ceremonies at the New Orleans Witches’ Ball.

Hoodoo has become increasingly popular amongst pagans and the magically minded. Perhaps it’s down to earth nature and recipes that come with a discernible past are what entice us or perhaps we have fallen in love with hoodoo because it doesn’t come with the same rules many of our European magical traditions come with. Many practitioners don’t know this but Hoodoo has been shaping the magical frontier in the US since before the 80’s and has a history here since before the revolutionary war. In today’s post we explore five Hoodoo Hacks that will take your magic to the next level.

1)    Sweeten up anyone

Have you ever felt like someone didn’t like you and no matter what you do they just wouldn't play nice?  In Hoodoo there is an entire classification of spell work that deals with these sticky situations known as the Honey Jar or Sugar Spell. These spells use the power of sweetness to slowly turn otherwise uncomfortable relations into partnerships. The key here with these spells is that they are slow and take some time to kick in and must be maintained as part of a regular practice.  Find out more about Honey Jar and Sweetening Spells Here.

2) Candle remnants will reveal all

Don’t just throw those glass encased candles away after you have used them! As a glass encased candle spell burns it will leave herbs, wax, and curio pieces stuck to the sides of the glass that can be read like tea-leaves and can give you insight into how the spell worked. A candle that burns clear with no residual matter on the sides means that you have a successful spell, a foggy candle can mean that you need to refocus and seek clarity on the matter, and a candle that leaves lots of remnants or leaves soot can mean that your spell is not going to be effective. This practice is called Ceromancy and is used by many Hoodoo practitioners to keep tabs on the effectiveness of their spell work.

3) Reuse that brown bag

Hoodoo comes from the slaves and immigrants who made their way to our shores and many of them didn’t have money for expensive parchment. In spells thatrequire petition papers, name papers, or sigils Hoodooists use recycled brown paper lunch or store bags. Cut a square out from the bag and use the side that hasn’t been printed on. Brown paper bags soak up oils better than standard white paper and won't cost you a thing.

4) Household products are perfect in magic

In Hoodoo it is understood that if something has the ability to clean the dirt from your floors it also has the ability to clear the spiritual dirt away. Household products like lemon scented oil soap, blueing balls, and ammonia are used in Hoodoo to get rid of unwanted energy. When you are preparing your household cleaners activate them like you would an herb or stone and ask for the beneficial cleansing properties of the product to also aide you magically as you clear away unwanted juju.Check out this Hoodoo floor wash spell.

5) Uncross yourself

It isn’t always easy to tell if you have been cursed or if you are just tripping yourself up. In Hoodoo there is a perfect way to take care of both with one shot. An uncrossing involves the untangling of energy and allows for us to smooth out the road ahead. This practice is primarily done as a magical bath or a candle spell and can be done for both general and specific needs. If you have been feeling off-base and confused, especially about the things that matter most to you an uncrossing can take the edge off and provided much needed clarity.Check out this Uncrossing spell from The Mystic Dream

Getting Back to Basics the Hoo Doo Way

by Patty Shaw

As you may have caught on, we’re going Hoo Doo this month.  For many, this will remind us of our roots.  Not just our ancestral roots, but actual roots.  Hoo Doo Magic is root work and with it we tap into the magical properties of what grows in the earth all around us.  Hoo Doo magic uses roots to help us understand the root cause of our problems and situations.   Did I say the word root enough?  I hope so.

I’d like to mention that you don’t have to be initiated in root work, Hoo Doo or any other religion or magical practice to benefit from working with the spiritual nature of plants and well planted intentions.  All you need is a problem and a desire to overcome it in a balanced and enlightened way.  I added balanced and enlightened so you know that it’s important to make positive magic, every time.   Please resist being a greedy, revengeful, or jealous when blazing the path to your future.  Ok, lecture and cautionary comments have been delivered.

The beauty of getting back to basics the hoo doo way is that it’s so straightforward, and well, basic.  The most complicate player in hoo doo magic is you and the more you allow yourself to drill down to the very root of your problem the easier it is to understand.  We are much better at solving our problems when we understand them.

Jacki and I like to play the why game when figuring out what candle to use to help us with a particular problem.  We played this game when we were kids to see how far our parent’s knowledge could go on a subject.  Every answer they gave us was met with, why?  It was pretty fun and we never knew where we’d end up.  This little game was the inspiration for the method we teach people for learning the root cause of their problem.  When you solve for that, your magic seems miraculous.

So before you decide the direction of your magic, play the game and find out what the real problem is.  Then it’s safe to pick your Hoo Doo Candle because you know exactly what you’re solving for.  I’ll give you a for instance.  My husband and I wanted to buy a house, but our debt to income ratio was quite out of balance.  I seriously doubted a bank would write a mortgage for us, but my husband said let’s try anyway.  The process was torture and I wanted to give up, so I played the why game.  My questions led me to the truth that I was afraid to make such a gigantic financial commitment; not just the mortgage, but potential home repairs intimidated me.  I have high standards and I know I wouldn’t want to live a minute without good plumbing and a working furnace or AC.  So calling more money to me or making the purchase of our house easier would have been met with more resistance on my part. The blocks I was dealing with were not financial at all, they were emotional.  Once I got on board with my reality and faced my fears, the Road Opener Hoo Doo candle could part my stormy seas so our mortgage could get approved, and the offer on the house we chose could be accepted.  OVERNIGHT.

I invite you to play the why game the next time you are stumped and can’t figure out what to do.  Keep asking why is it?, and why do I feel that way?, and follow the trail of answers.  It will lead you to the place where you the magic can help you make real and lasting changes.   Then choose Hoo Doo candles to help you break up the root blocks to your goals.  If you do your magic this way you’ll have less self sabotage to overcome and better results.