BELOVED & CO.

This little guy is a Graveyard Spirit Doll. His name is "Monsieur Louis Noir" (aka Mr. Louis Black) He is stuffed with a combination of herbs, Voodoo Conjure Oil and graveyard dirt collected from the St. Louis Cemetery in New Orleans. He has an antique glass eye, coyote claw and tooth, an all seeing eye talisman, an "alleged" black cat bone (an occult curio that is usually a chicken bone...I would not harm a kitty!) He is approx. 8 inches tall... The St. Louis Cemetery is the where you can find the Tomb of Marie Laveau, the Legendary Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. Hoodoo Conjure magick is the "Folk" version of Necromancy. The purpose is to evoke dead folks to do your bidding. "Low Magick" if you will...Conjure Dolls can be used for Good or Evil. But don't forget about the Karma factor!




Louisiana Voodoo Queen Necklace

A thick 18" brass chain, closing with a large lobster claw clasp, holds a vintage brass address book with the state of Louisiana stamped upon it! The book measures just under 2 1/2" long. Just a few pages names are filled out on the many pages inside the book. A vintage style brass locket filled with "Low John the Conqueror Root" and a tiny vial of graveyard dirt also hang from the necklace. Low John the Conqueror Root when worn or carried, it is said to protect the bearer and bring good luck.

Lady Lavona's Medicine Show

I was looking for a way to organize my collection of Supernatural Specimens. I found this antique printer's tray at a local garage sale for 5 dollars over the summer! I put the project aside for a while...but now that it's cold outside I have plenty of time!



I started this project in an attempt to organize all the magical curios I have collected over the years. Various roots, seeds, dirt, bones, misc. animal parts, ect. Some are found objects, others sold as mystical curios at Mexican Botanicas, Occult shops, China Town, ect. Each one has "alleged" Supernatural powers and is used as spiritual medicine or cures. For example: Balm of Gilead worn near the heart will mend a broken heart and attract new love. You can always find various Supernatural Specimen Pendants in my Etsy shop!



I'm going to put some of the Specimens in glass vials n' such, others will be mounted right into the box. I'm going to use my Vintage typewriter to label each one and I think I'm going to leave the cabinet just the way it is. On the other hand I'm kind of tempted to paint the whole thing a light color...that would be a nice contrast to the natural contents of the cabinet. What do you think!? Check out this organized collection of teeth by artist Rosamond Purcell, I love her work!



"I've got war paints, the skulls of saints, don't you want to see 'em
The blood of popes, and Tyburn ropes from the Black Museum
I've got Frederick Delius' finger, Wordsworth's tattoo
I'm going to love you with everything,
and I think you're going to love me too
I've got all the magic I need, all the magic I need."

~Richard Thompson~

Swamp Medicine

The Alligator has walked on mother Earth for millions of years and are known in many myths and lore as the keepers of ancient wisdom. The eyes of the alligator are positioned high on their head allowing them to remain relatively hidden beneath the water and still see above it. Symbolically this hints to clairvoyant abilities. The power of alligator is its power to survive. They have no known predators. If alligator shows up in your life or in the dreamtime it might be telling you to take care of yourself and secure your basic survival needs.

Alligator visits me often in my dreams to share her wisdom. I made this doll to honor her... The dream scenerio is always the same: me trying to make it through the swamp. There have been times when I was exhausted and without a boat. Alligator carried me upon her back. Snake is a friend too. Throughout history the snake has had many legends associated with it linking them to creation, fertility and transformation. Crawling out of its old skin is very significant for those with this medicine. It is a metaphor for how we shed old ways and habits as we grow into higher spiritual energy symbolizing the death and rebirth process. Some might think the Swamp is a perilous place...actually it is very fertile sacred place where one can regenerate. We can find purpose and meaning in the depths of the swamp...and the courage to change.

Face Jugs/Ugly Jugs

I started Spring cleaning early this year...I'm almost done! Things are going to start getting really busy for me so I need my house to be clean and organized. I just ordered some new jewelry making supplies. I'll have some cool stuff to show you soon! But what's really exciting is that I'll be taking a Pottery class! I start the first week of April...I can't wait. I've been wanting to do this for soooo long. I have a bit of experience, but it was a long time ago. Maybe it'll be like riding a bike. I'm already overflowing with ideas, but my main objective is to make face jugs. Face jugs have a really interesting history. They were first made by Slave Potters and others in the early 1800's. They were made to mark the graves of dead loved ones because slaves weren't allowed to have tombstones. They are also referred to Ugly Jugs and are said to have held moonshine. The ugly faces would scare off children from getting into the liquor stash.



This one is made by my favorite face jug artist Heather Gwinn.

But the fact of the matter is that these face jugs weren't just turning up only in the South. Jim McDowell believes himself to be the only black potter who creates face jugs from far reaching ancestral traditions as well as from his own family lineage. He explains "Slaves were not allowed to have tombstones, they said, so face jugs served as their gravemarkers. My great-great-great-great Aunt Evangeline was a village slave potter in Jamaica. She made face jugs, too. The story handed down from Evangeline was that slaves placed personal items on their loved ones' graves along with face jugs. The ugly face on the jug evolved something like this: Slaves from Africa revered their ancestors and participated in ancestor honoring, or what we might call ancestor worship. African slaves were taken to the Caribbean to be acclimated and there they picked up the religion of voodoo. Eventually ancestor worship, voodoo, and Christianity amalgamated into the tradition of the face jug. Many slaves who came to this country converted to Christianity and acquired a belief in the devil. They combined all their beliefs and came up with the ugly face jug. Apparently it had to be ugly enough to scare the devil away from your grave so your soul could go to heaven."



Jim Dowell's story about his Jamaican Aunt is probably true. But he got the rest really mixed up. Voodoo actually originated in Africa not the Caribbean. It was brought to the Caribbean during the African Diaspora via slave ships to the Caribbean and the Americas. West African Vodun originates from the African Kingdom of Dohomey now called the Republic of Benin. It is the national religion to this day. The people indigenous to this area are the Fon Tribe, they originated in Togo and spread throughout Benin and Southwest Nigeria. A large population of Fon peoples were taken to Haiti, so Vodun morphed into Haitian Vodou. Haitian Vodou is a syncrenistic religion combining Vodun and Christianity as well as both the Fon and French language. Finally a large population of Haitian slaves were brought to New Orleans...this is why we have Voodoo. Voodoo spread throughout the South so now we have the even more obscured version of this...African American Folk Magick known as Hoodoo. An integral part of all these belief systems is Honoring the Ancestors. Vodun...Vodou...Voodoo...Hoodoo.


This mischievious imp I picked up a street fair!

Spirit Vessels in Haitian Vodou are called Pot Tet (Head Pot) These vessels are made to house the Soul or Gwo Bananj of the Initiate during ceremonial trance possession. It is usually a white clay vessel drapped with scarves and beads. The vessel is kept by the Houngan (Preist) in the Temple. It is kept even after death because it houses the Spiritual essence of the deceased ancestor. This practice is an integral part of Hatian Vodou. Spirit vessels are found amongst the Yoruba and Fon too but not to house the Spirits of the dead. They house the Spiritual essence of the Orisha and the Lwa (Celestial Spirits/Dieties). You have to remember the Fon weren't the only Africans in Haiti. This practice was more likely introduced by the Bantu of Central and South Africa. The Bantu religion is called known as Nganga Kiyangala. This religion spread throughout the Carribbean and is also known as Las Reglas de Congo, Palo Mayombe, Palo Monte, Kimbisa or Santo Cristo Buen Viaje...more commonly referred to as simply, Palo. The Spirit Vessel is called a Nganga....a large iron cauldron filled with magickal herbs and items. The Nganga is called the Prenda in Spanish. Again these vessels house the Spiritual essence of the Ancestors.

Natural Curiosities

I've searched high and low for old Medicine labels. I'm altering them on PhotoShop, however I have limited skills. I really need to take a class or something. I'm really happy about the way one shown below turned out though. I've collected a variety of roots, bones, and herbs that are used in Folk Magick. I'm bottling them up in cool corked glass vials and jars. Perfect for Natural History enthusiasts, Witchy Women, or for your own Cabinet of Curiosities. Each specimen will include a complete description and instructions for use. They will be offered in my Etsy shop soon! I just couldn't wait to show you the label though...it turned out so cute!