Saturday, August 29, 2009

Unintended Consequences

Magic quite frequently has unintended consequences. You know, those little life details that accompany the fruits of your labor. Conjure up a phone call from a lover, and you will get it - but perhaps he's calling to tell you he's canceling your date or found a new lover. As the saying goes, "Be careful what you pray for; you might just get it."

I knew I wanted to try poppet magic, and I had just the target. My problem: I had no intimacy with the target. I only know her to exist, and to be a thorn in my side when it came to my significant other. I didn't know what she looked like. I didn't have a picture of her. No taglocks to speak of. So how do I construct a poppet to torment her?

I lucked out - I obtained a pullover of hers. Soon after, she did something out of jealousy that affected me, so I felt the time was right. And it was: as luck would have it, it was during a waning moon. I pulled out the piece of clothing and got to work.

If you haven't made a poppet before, it's labor intensive work. Because I felt that could be the case, I enclosed my space within a magical circle. I gathered my supplies, and got down to business.

Stuffing each cavity takes thought. What to stuff in the cavity? What will yield the most reward? It was both fun and challenging to find ingredients and items to place in the cavities. Fun? Yes. I know in this particular case, the magic wasn't, as some would say, "white." But yes, it certainly was fun.

After the activation ceremony, I placed the poppet on my altar and began working with it daily. At some point in time, I didn't feel the need to work with it every day - but once in awhile I would feel the need to "prompt" it again.

Yesterday I received a call - did I, by any chance, have a red pullover in my possession? Danielle sent her boyfriend over to get it.

Um. Huh?

Well, duh. Of course. Girlfriend's clothes were all high end: Ann Taylor. Banana Republic. The Loft. The pullover? From Wal-Mart. I should have known.

But... and here's where the unintended consequences come in... it worked. Anyway. You see, the owner of the pullover was the cause of the most recent jealous reaction. It was because of her that Girlfriend went over the edge. Had a snit fit. Put Ex-Boyfriend through the ringer.

Bwahahahahaaaaa.... sometimes I just love magic, unintended consequences or not!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Dead Man Flirting

Graveyard dirt. Believe it or not, it's a key ingredient in many spells. Unfortunately, graveyard dirt isn't easy to come by. You can purchase it in stores, but who knows if it really came from a graveyard? And, if you've been to a cemetery recently, you know that most graves are covered with grass, so digging up dirt would be a desecration of sorts.

Another little known fact: to be used effectively, graveyard dirt must be obtained ethically. That is, with full consent of the deceased. It helps to aid the Goddess Oya in this endeavor - and there is a way to do that as well.

I've had need for graveyard dirt on several occasions recently. I decided it was time to do a little research so I could stock my cabinet with this much needed and hard-to-come-by resource.

I thought of the perfect graveyard, in my hometown of Fremont. There is a little cemetery not far from Ohlone College. When I was a kid, we often walked our dog there, and spent time honoring those long since gone. Some of the graves date back to the early 1800's, and we assumed there were no family members left to visit. So, we'd visit instead.

This weekend was the perfect time. I helped my dad at the flea market (conveniently held at Ohlone), and after I was able to excuse myself, I went to CVS to get the last needed requirement: wine. See, Oya likes her gift of nine pennies to be doused in wine - specifically, red wine (that's my kind of Goddess!). I grabbed a four-pack of Merlot, checked out, and drove back to the cemetery.

At the entrance, I called to Oya. I let her know I had pennies and wine for her and asked to to allow me entrance. Before I could finish, I swear I heard Oya say "What are you waiting for! Give me my pennies." So, I did. Then I left the wine at the foot of the stairs. I heard her say, "Don't cap the wine!" I made sure to keep it open, because I certainly did not want to piss her off.

The next step was to talk to the spirits. I let them know why I was there, and told them a bit about my history and what I planned to do with the graveyard dirt. This is the part that can literally take hours. I was hoping it wouldn't, as I had to get back to my parents' house to check on my mom.

I walked around, and visited graves. I spent a lot of time with those who were veterans, hoping that our mutual connection of service would grant me permission. I sensed that a former Corporal in the Army wanted to grant me permission, but his wife did not want him to. I walked around some more. Some clearly told me to move on. Others were eerily silent.

I saw one grave that someone had clearly been at recently, and not in a good way. I talked to the pair (sisters, it looked like), and apologized for the state someone left their graves in. I looked around for a garbage can so I could clean up, but none was found. I moved on.

I visited grave after grave. I talked to many, and didn't make much of a connection. Finally, I asked Oya for help. "Oya! I'm having trouble locating a helpful spirit here. Is there somewhere I should be looking at specifically?" Oya answered me with the help of a squirrel. I saw him poised at the edge of a gravestone, and then he ran. I wasn't sure which grave to check out, the one he started at or the one he ended at. I decided to check them all out.

I talked to all those spirits in the immediate vicinity of the squirrel sighting. The only one who engaged with me was one Richard "Dick" Valencia. He died in 1999, at the age of 74. His wife had not yet joined him, but her name was already engraved on the headstone next to his.

I told him what type of spells I wanted to use the graveyard dirt in: Protection, Love and Banishment spells. He said "I can help you with protection and maybe banishment. But, girlie, I can help you more with sex than I can with love." He was joking with me - and I so did not expect that. We "conversed" for awhile, and he continually flirted with me. I asked him if his wife would mind if I took dirt from his grave, and he said "Who cares? I want you to have it." So, I took two handfuls of dirt and left him nine dimes in return.

After leaving the nine dimes, he was delighted. He said, "Take more dirt!" I told him I'd only feel comfortable taking another handful, and that's what I took. He told me he liked my red hair. I thanked him. We talked for a few more minutes, but since I had the dirt and had left the dimes, it was time for me to go. Before I left, I kissed his gravestone. I swear I felt him blush.

He escorted me part of the way out. When I felt he was no longer with me, I said good-bye and thank you to Oya, and left. I knew, though, when I got home I'd have to check the Internet to see if I could find out any information about him.

Tonight I checked, and I found him easily. It turns out his nickname was "Muscles" and he was apparently really well liked. I could tell that, though, from his spirit. He headed "The Big Dick Golf Tournament" in the Bay Area, and was an avid sportsman, hence his ability to readily admit the dirt from his grave could aid with protection. And, I do imagine that his sportsman-like physique probably did make him a big hit with the ladies, so perhaps he wasn't joking when he said he could help me with sex magic.

Either way, as read about him on the 'Net, I felt him next to me again. He didn't say anything, though, he just seemed to delight in reading his obituary. Plus, he seemed to just enjoy my company.

It's kind of sad that the only guy enjoying my company this weekend is a dead man, but I'll tell you, I'll take what I can get. After all, a compliment is a compliment, no matter who it comes from.

Thank you, Muscles. It was nice talking to you.