THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
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From: catherine yronwode 
Subject: Re: Voodoo spells/ Questions about.
Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 16:48:13 -0800

from e-mail:

> My question is as follows:

[...]
> back in August I spoke to a mambo concerning a Love Return Spell. She
> told me what to do & sent me the items with which to do it. For the 
> next 9 nights i worked the spell asking Baron Samedi to help me in the 
> return of my love.
> Well, unfortunately, the spell has had no effect.

In my experience, reconciliation spells have the 2nd-lowest rate of
success. (The lowest? Spells to win the state lottery!)

> I still have the gris gris bag from the spell. I would like now to get
> rid of this item. 

Yes. See below. 

> I will never stop loving my ex love. But I never 
> wish to see her again in this or any other life. I have found out that 
> during our relationship she lied to me & cheated on me to a great 
> extent. I realize that you cannot have a relationship with a liar.

Very true. 

> i also realize on some deep level that I will never love anyone again. 
> I have lost so much of what I once was over this - my faith, my 
> friends,my family, my hope. Maybe it was a punishment Karma that she 
> was sent into my life. I don't know - i will never know why.

I personally do not believe in multi-lifetime "karmic punishment" so i
can not advise you on this metaphysical matter -- but if it helps, i
think you could look at this as an example of really bad luck or an
accident. No need to fall into what i call the
"self-help-blame-the-victim" thinking ("this event was sent to me, it
was karmic punishment"). 

> I only know that I wish to get rid of this bag and all the other spell
> related items I was sent.

Yep. See below. 

> It was wrong for me to ask for help from the Baron. 

Personally, i have always thought it odd that some folks use Baron
Samedi for love-spells. He is the Lord of Cemeteries and crossroads,
after all, not bedrooms or wedding chapels. Perhaps the Mambo's idea was
that since hthis woman's love for you was dead, the Baron may have been
able to control its revival? 

I do know one graveyard spell for love -- but it's not always useful: Go
to the grave of someone -- ANYONE -- who loved you a lot and who has
died (your mother, a pet dog, a former lover -- and "buy" a handful of
graveyard dirt from the grave with a dime. Take it from right over the
heart of the dead one. Soprinkle this on the one you wish to have love
you and the spirit of the dead one will aid you by influencing the new
lover. You have to keep sprinkling the dirt often, though -- it doesn;t
last a long time, as trhe dead are fairly weak in their power. 

Anyway, all that aside, like i said, using Baron Samedi for a love spell
is unusual where i come from. There are many spirits called upon for
love who are more congenial. In Mexico folks call on the Chuparosa --
the hummingbird -- in love matters. This is also done among the Pomo
Indians of northern California, who believe the hummingbird has unique
sexual prowess. Some people call on their favourite saint, or on Jesus.
Some call on the goddesses Venus, Aphrodite, Inanna, Astarte, or
Erzulie. 

> If my girlfriend had loved me she with be with me now. 

I agree. 

[...]

> Please if you can help, let me know 
> what I should do with this stuff? The mambo won't return my e-mails or 
> calls. I think she believes I want my money back. I do not. I am not 
> upset with anyone. I just wanted to know how to either return or 
> destroy this stuff without offending the Baron.
>
> One thing I do know  - the loa do exist. I know i made contact with
> Baron Samedi. He either would not or could not help me. I am not angry
> at him. I just want now to put an end to this spell.

Okay. Here, first is general advice: 

In my tradition -- hoodoo, not Vodoun -- when one is done with a magical
curio or artifact, one disposes of it in a ritual way. 

If the intention of the spell is either good (like helping someone) or
neutral (like increasing your money-luck or love-luck), you can wrap the
stuff in a paper packet and throw it in running water over your left
shoulder and walk away. 

If the intention of the spell is either neutral (like money-luck or
love-luck) or negative (like breaking up a couple or compelling someone
to do something), you can take the left-overs to a crossroads -- any
place where two roads cross -- and throw it into the center of the
crossroads over your left shoulder and walk away. 

If the intention of the spell is specifically to get someone to leave
town or leave you alone, you can wrap the left over stuff in 9 packets 
with Hot Foot Powder (or Drive Away Powder). Start at a crossroads near
to where the person lives and throw out the first packet. Then drive in
a direction away from their home, toward where you want them to go, and
drop a packet at each crossroads you pass until all the packets are
gone. In the country this might carry you several miles. In the city it
would only be 9 blocks, so city folks only count major intersections
(with a light) when they do this, or they may count freeway interchanges
to get some distance worked up between the packets.  

If the intention of the spell is seriously, irreprably harmful (like
causing another person grave illness), you can dispose of the wax in a
graveyard. Put it in a miniature coffin, bury it, and mark the grave
with a miniature headstone with your enemy's name on it. Sprinkle a
mixture of sulphur powder and salt around the grave. Walk home and don't
look back. 

And now for specific advice to cover your situation: 

The spell -- even though it was a LOVE spell -- was conducted with the
agency of the Haitian Vodoun loa Baron Samedi. His natural dwelling
palce is cemeteries (graveyards). I would recommend burying the
gris-gris bag in a graveyard. This will signify that your relationship
with the woman in question is dead. Place flowers on the "grave" of the
bag, if that feels right, and light a candle. Walk away and don't look
back.

Good luck, 

catherine yronwode