In the interests of pushing our energies toward a successful facilitation of The Move, we have started making a Voodoo jar for that purpose.  I call it a “Voodoo Jar” but it would fall more into the category of a “Witch Jar” or hoodoo, or your basic variety of root magic.  The Witch Jar, or Bottle, idea has been around for eternity, all over the world.  Some were used to “trap” and hold any evil intent that was coming your way.  Others, like the hoodoo honey jars, “sweeten,” or bring good things to you.   For example, I made one last year, for some good friends, to bury in their yard to aide in protecting their home.  Whatever the need, it’s a way to encapsulate your goals or desire in a very tangible way, and provides something to physically cast your focus onto.  In this case: Jobs, and Journies.  In other words, give-us-jobs-in-new-orleans-and-grant-us-safe-passage-there.  Of course, one cannot rely on any spellwork alone – your own hard work and effort is necessary, too.  Which we have been hammering away on, so it’s just time to incite a little good mojo along the way.

This will be a two-parter, as the jar was started over the weekend, but is not yet finished.

Now, while I could easily wander into my nearest grocery or craft store to procure a nice, new, clean jar, I always prefer to reuse jars that I already have.  You know, that whole recycle/upcycle thing.  When I can feel a necessity in the works, I’ll keep my spaghetti sauce jars, or the like, for these purposes.  This also means they need a good cleansing, inside and out, physically and spiritually.

A bunch of rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, and elbow grease later, I finally got the gunk off.

That gunk is always my nemesis, but I prevailed.

Salt has always had a correspondence with cleansing and purification.   Since this jar had prior uses (in this case, dinner), I cleaned it out one more time and added salt to the water.  This made the jar a clean slate.  Tabula rasa.  Now, it could be used for anything.

Preparing the salt bath.

I gave it a good dry-off, and then it was time to start painting.  For the purposes of our needs, I decided that the focus of the message this jar will hold would be to the vodoun loa (or spirits) Ogun, and Agwe.  Thus, I began by painting each side of the jar in colors that are associated with them.

Blue for Agwe, Green for Ogun

This base layer had to go on thick.  Thus, I had to occupy myself while waiting for it to dry.  I turned to the lid.  Papa Legba is the go-between, betwixt physical beings and the loa (spirits).  Corresponding later with St. Peter, in Catholicism, he is the gatekeeper, the first AND last loa to address when working with the others.  Because of this, it made sense to include him on the jar’s lid.  Gate to the loa, entrance to the jar.

Papa, Open the Gates.

Aesthetically, I wanted to clean up the sides where the colors meet.  So I brought in some Damballah/Ayizan symbology – some of the head honchos in charge, they are always good to include.  (If you ever wonder what “The Serpent and the Rainbow” means, it refers to them.)  Since silver and gold are reliable prosperity colors, I painted them onto the jar with that.  And was struck as well by the corresponding God/Goddess color symbolism, too.  Hey, this is all working out.  I have a single white egg left, sitting in refrigeration, that will go into the jar for them.

Now, Ogun is a warrior.  He is also a proponent of hard work, ironsmithing, and tools.  As a result, over the passage of time, he has become modernly affiliated with jobs due to his work ethic, and even computers, since they are considered a tool for work, in this day and age.  His warriorship, in turn, means that he will fight for you.  If you get his attention, and treat him right.  His veve,or symbol, with his corresponding colors, now inhabits one side of this jar. Later, when we fill this thing up, offerings that are appropriate and preferred by Ogun will go in along with our own personal things.

Ogun

Agwe, meanwhile, is a man of the sea.  Often considered the patron loa of sailors, I’ve always related to him in connection with travel and journies, big and small.  His veve, and colors, will occupy the other side of the jar, and he will receive gifts when we fill it up, too.  I will commence with that when I next sit down to this work, this week.  Once that side is complete, the vessel will be ready, and we will Fill It Up.  Stay tuned for Voodoo Jar, Part 2!