How to set up an ancestor altar
The tradition of maintaining an ancestor altar comes from Puerto Rican espiritismo, but I’ve had one for 20 years and […]
Recipes & Rituals
Recipes & Rituals
Recipes & Rituals
How to Make a Pugnus Sanctus (sacred fist)
Since I’d already made a left hand for receiving, I decided I also needed a right hand for giving, which
Recipes & Rituals
How to Make a High John the Conqueror Slingshot
A whimsical creation inspired by the cover art of Celtic Frost’s 1985 black metal masterpiece “To Mega Therion,” this tool
Recipes & Rituals
How to Make a Two-Headed Reversing Fetish
Inspired by the kongo tradition of the nkisi nkondi (a type of Janus-headed wooden dog which looks into the past
Recipes & Rituals
How to Make a High John the Conqueror Folk Art Kitchen Sign
I got a folky kitchen sign from Cracker Barrel made out of carved wood that said “Kiss The Cook” in
Recipes & Rituals
How to Make a High John the Conqueror Loaded Statue
This piece evolved in stages and was directly inspired by an Exu fetish I saw in New Orleans once. It
Recipes & Rituals
How to Make a Super-Magnet Jack Ball
A “jackball” is a traditional hoodoo ritual tool consisting of various herbs and roots (most often, the “Three Johns”) mooshed
Recipes & Rituals
How to Make a High John the Conqueror Altar Cloth
In the Thai saiyasart tradition there is a practice of making magically activated cloths that believers can carry for protection
Recipes & Rituals
How to Make High John the Conqueror Plant Golems (“John Payons”)
These little guys entered the world over a period of weeks during what seems in retrospect to have been some