Dealing with Egg Spells and Modems~~

Hello Everyone,

I know, what a strange combination.

Well it’s simple just as I was about to reply to a few comments as well as post my latest article, the modem decided to “die” I mean it was in “forget it I’m not hooking up to anything mode, you can just sit here and twiddle your thumbs or get back to the real world, ah ain’t a doin’ nuthin’ “   which was true.

Things have gotten more complicated than I thought,  what I thought was problems with the power (which may have started things), then I thought it was problems with the web site, now I have found out what is the culprit.

My modem died beyond resurrection.  Fortunately the technicians with the phone company that provide my internet service  and my Hubby who is a bit more computer savvy than me, were able to diagnose the problem and will be sending me a free modem, as long as I send the old one back within 10 days, otherwise it’s $150 dollars, so free is always good.

So I’m up and running again.    I forget these things don’t last forever, not like our old cars which seemed to keep going and going with spit and glue.

Now this has put me behind again to answer your questions --- sigh --- it can’t be helped.  Again I ask for your patience.

Now about that Egg Spell.

There are a lot of Egg Spells on the internet just as there are a lot of egg recipes.

My Granny use to say “If you have a chicken in the kitchen you’ll never go hungry” that was because of the eggs the chicken(s) provided.   Although I do not keep chickens I do have a ceramic hen and rooster in my kitchen for good luck, the rooster especially because I’m Portuguese on my Granny’s side.

EGG SPELL RITUAL TO FIND OUT WHO HAS CAST A SPELL ON YOU OR SOMEONE

Now I have been getting a lot of questions as to how to find out who has been casting a spell or hex or whatever on someone.   Or if they have been "Goofered".   This is a good way to find out.

  I myself do not like to cast doubt about anyone, especially on such a personal matter but by doing this ritual one can get an idea who it might be, either someone close to you or someone further away.

Or if you've been goofered. 

Now some people tell me that they heard that “so and so cast a spell on me or whomever” but they hear about this from someone else.   Well I’d be careful about that because that is like gossip, and if it’s not true it can cause harm.

In the old days if someone came to my Granny and wanted to know who cast a spell on them or a family member, Granny would get an egg or two from Mrs. Washington who owned a small flock of black frizzy feathered hens (the feathers would fluff out like they had been startled), but this can be done with any egg although traditionally from a black frizzy hen was the usual one to get the egg from.

First the egg(s) has to be bathed with either Holy Water or Florida Water and then allowed to be carefully patted dry, keep them at room temperature on top of a soft cloth so they won’t roll or crack.

Then make a list of everyone you know starting with close family member all the way out to cousins, including godparents, close friends of the family, not so close friends of the family, people that you know, people that you are aware of but may not know their name.

Then on the egg(s) make little circles, back then it was done with either charcoal or a soft leaded pencil or a child’s color crayon, now a days you can use a felt tip pen, make these little circles like the ones you’d see on a true or false questionnaire, just cover the egg with those circles but do not have them overlap.

Light a white candle and call upon your guardian angels to help reveal who is doing the work upon you, recite Psalm 23 prior to reading the list of names.

Then with the egg in your left hand and the felt tip pen in your right hand have someone you trust read off the name, you repeat it and check off one of the circles on the egg while the other person crosses that name off the list, keep doing that until the egg cracks at a name.

If you do not want to have someone else read the names you can do it yourself with first reading the name, making a check mark in the circle on the egg and then crossing the name off the list.  So it’s one name per circle that’s checked off.

Now if your list is long and you’ve run out of space for circles and the circles on the egg has been checked off and the egg still has not cracked, then do the same thing to a 2^nd egg, keep doing it until the egg cracks at a name.  

I should warn you it could be messy, so have newspapers to collect the mess.

The name that the egg cracked at is traditionally the person who is doing spell work on you or a family member or loved one.

Once the egg is cracked clean up the mess with paper towels and/or newspapers and throw it into the garbage, with the list tear it up and toss into the garbage.

From there you will know whom to direct a reversing spell towards.

So if you are in doubt, this is a good ritual spell to do.  

Now if you think you've been goofered, you can do the same thing, get an egg and prepare it as I've directed above, just do two circles.   Say the 23rd psalm while holding the egg in your left hand,

then ask "Have I been goofered?   Yes?"   then check off one circle, if nothing happens ask the same question again but after say "No?" and check off the other circle  if nothing happens after asking both questions then do the egg spell with the list of names of people, because now it's spell work.

Bright Blessings,

Ms. Q

I am a bit behind in replying to your questions/comments~~~~

Hello Everyone,

I have to apologize but many of you have been posting questions and comments, and I am a bit behind in replying to them.

So what I've done is I've posted your comments so you all will know they are there,  one of you actually tried to post the same question 3 times,  because it does not come up immediately it is to prevent inappropriate comments from coming up.

I ask all of you to please be patient, some of you have asked some very interesting questions which require my going through my notes to confirm what I know. 

I'm also trying to write another article to post as well.

And it seems I've been invaded by the family, something about celebrating the Super Bowl at my house since I have the most room.  But I don't think I was consulted,  I think my husband has some explaining to do.

I think it's the Falcons vs. the Patriots.   

And it's also pot luck here as well for dinner, if anyone will any room in their stomachs after eating all those chips and dip and other appetizers.

I love my family but sometimes it's like being invaded by the Visigoths.   And I'm not into the "Game of Thrones" story line. 

And why is this person Lady Gaga on the roof?

Sorry I don't follow football.

Either way I'm going to be delayed in responding, so please be patient.

Thank you.

Bright Blessings,
Ms. Q

What do Groundhog Day, Candlemas and Imbolc have in common?~~

Hello Everyone,

Well that's a question that I'm putting to you, what do Groundhog Day, Candlemas, Imbolc and even St. Blaise Day have in common?

They are in essence celebrated on the same or with in a day or two of each other for the same reason, the pre-welcoming of Spring.

 Today Feb 2 is a 4 times important day for anyone who does ‘the work”.

In its more mundane aspect it’s “Groundhog Day”, that’s where Punxsutawney Phil, the famous Pennsylvania groundhog that can supposedly forecast when the North American winter will end.

As legend has it, if this not so little rodent sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, frigid and blustery weather will continue for six weeks. If it is cloudy and no shadow appears, the onset of spring is near.

However this year Phil dashed everyone’s hopes for an early spring on when he emerged from his tree stump and saw his shadow. And that is according to the Reuters news-feed.

Spiritually this is also known as St. Blaise (pronounced Blaze) Day Although it’s actually celebrated on Feb 3^rd. According to the Acts, while Blaise was being taken into custody, a distraught mother, whose only child was choking on a fishbone, threw herself at his feet and implored his intercession. Touched at her grief, he offered up his prayers, and the child was cured. Consequently, Saint Blaise is invoked for protection against injuries and illnesses of the throat.

In many places on the day of his feast the blessing of St. Blaise is given: two burning candles, blessed on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord ("candlemas"), are held in a crossed position by a priest over the heads of the faithful or the people are touched on the throat with them. At the same time the following blessing is given: "May Almighty God at the intercession of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, preserve you from infections of the throat and from all other afflictions". Then the priest makes the sign of the cross over the faithful.

Candlemas in the Catholic Church, is also known as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus, is a Christian holiday commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. It falls on February 2, which is traditionally the 40th day of the Christmas-Epiphany season. While it is customary for Christians in some countries to remove their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve), those in other Christian countries historically remove them on Candlemas. On Candlemas, many Christians (especially Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, Orthodox and Roman Catholics) also bring their candles to their local church, where they are blessed and then used for the rest of the year.

Special candles are brought along to the blessing by the worshippers. These are often very elaborate and are highly treasured. Afterwards they are taken home and kept to be lighted at times of stress – during storms, in sickrooms and at the bedside of the dying.  According to some sources, Christians began Candlemas in Jerusalem as early as the fourth century, the candle lighting procession started in the fifth century.

Friedrich Justus  Knecht,  in his book  A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture (Published 1910)  states. "We keep a feast on the 2nd of February, forty days after Christmas, in memory of our Lord's Presentation in the Temple. This feast has several names. First, it is known as the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus. Secondly, it is called the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But the usual and popular name for this Feast is Candlemas-day, because on this day candles are blessed before Mass, and there takes place a procession with lighted candles. Candles are blessed and lighted on this particular feast."

  Niall Edworthy, in his book The Curious World of Christmas.  Stated "The time-honored epoch for taking down Christmas decorations from Church and house on Candlemas Day, February 2nd. Terribly withered they are by that time. Candlemas in old times represented the end of the Christmas holidays, which, when "fine old leisure" reigned, were far longer than they are now."

Steve Roud, in his book, The English Year, confirmed this tradition "….. in the mid seventeenth century Christmas decorations were expected to stay in place until Candlemas (2 February), and this remained the norm until the nineteenth century."      

But although we’d have all of the Christmas decorations taken down well before Feb. 2, Granny insisted that the Manger Scene be left up until Feb. 2 and then taken down and packed away after we came back from church.    Even I do it now although it sometimes frustrates my Niece but I tell her that it’s easy to pack away so relax.

Most folks try to have their decorations down by Martin Luther King, jr. Day,  by that time they will have recovered from the Holiday Season, in time to enjoy the Super Bowl Football game.

But these Feasts and celebrations are far older than the 4^th century.

The ancient Romans celebrated the Lupercalia in mid-February, in honor of Lupercus, the god of fertility and shepherds. The celebration of Feralia occurred at the same time.  It was the custom of the Vestal Virgins during Lupercalia, to be offering cakes made with wheat from the old crop so that the following crop would be good.

The custom of making pancakes or crepes is similar to the Vestal virgin cakes in the celebration of Imbolc which is on the first of February. This was in honor of the goddess Brigid and was associated with purification and fertility at the end of winter. Peasants would carry torches and cross the fields in procession, praying to the goddess to purify the ground before planting.  Crêpes or Pancakes with their round form and their golden color are reminiscent of the sun, an appropriate symbol during Candlemas, as this is the time of the year when the days get longer. It is also the time of year when the winter seeds begin to grow. The people therefore used left-over flour to make these crêpes, symbolizing prosperity for the coming year.

This is carried over into countries such as France and Belgium.

I could go on and on about this as there are many “Fire” or Candle or torch legends especially surrounding the Month of February such as the Demeter hunting and finding her daughter Persephone and with that the return of warmth to the earth and spring.

The word February comes from the Latin verb februare which means "purification". Christianity has therefore placed the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin at this time. The purification in question is the departure of the "winter darkness". The myths of Sleeping Beauty or Theseus and Ariadne (for example) relate to the release or liberation of the light (Dawn of the year) by the "solar knight"

In Puerto Rico this festivity officially finalizes the end of Christmas for Catholics, the festivities include a procession where the statue of the "Virgen de la Candelaria" is carried on the shoulders. Others follow with lit candles until they reach a church where a Mass is celebrated. In the evening the festivities continue with a giant bonfire and singing.

In Mexico it is traditional to celebrate the presentation of the Christ child in the temple on February 2. The dressing and adoration of the child Jesus and family meals with tamales are an important Mexican tradition.

But in the United States and Canada it has mostly been replaced by Groundhog Day.

No matter what it is called it is a festival of light or a fire festival, and a Festival of Purification.

Granny and her Ladies would go to church for the blessing of the throats, but they’d also would lay in a huge supply of candles for their spiritual use but all of them would take one candle (when the churches use to do it) and have it blessed by a priest, and from that candle they would light their own sanctuary “lamps” or Candles for their altars to make sure that whatever energy (mostly positive ) was sent out it would always remain.

Also and I remember this as a child and I still do it today as an adult, we would bathe in a purifying bath or shower, with hyssop herbs in a muslin bag and pray Psalm 51 lines 7 to 12:

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

After that we would start an early Spring Cleaning of the house, the garage, the shed anything that could be done inside out of the rain, and I mean cleaning, things that haven’t be used or worn in ages but still usable were donated, closets emptied and clothing sorted, (it was hard to get some of the men to surrender their favorite old T-shirts) bed’s striped, mattresses flipped, furniture pulled away from walls and dusted and vacuumed, base boards (if painted) washed down.

And then all the wards and shields would be reactivated and renewed.  

Now I’m not saying the Granny was a Wiccan, she wasn’t, it just made very good sense to do all of that because then the house became lighter in energy, cleaner in spirit and more protected than before.

Now this could not be done in one day, no, but February 2^nd  Candlemas, St. Blaise, Imbolc, Groundhog Day whatever you wanted to call it, it signaled to clean things from Attic to basement and that was also squeezing in doing the income taxes and paying the property taxes as well.

So we started by cleansing our bodies and souls, and then our living environment.   And all to welcome Spring and the earth warming up as well as re-setting our protections.  

If more folks got back into that habit they would clear out a lot of clutter in their lives, and find a lot of weight lifted from their shoulders.

Bright Blessings,

Ms. Q

Who is Black Herman~~~

Hello Everyone,

I was asked a most curious question, one that I even put to my husband because of his knowledge of stage magic.   The question was this:

“Dear Ms. Q,

I have heard of a powerful hoodoo worker called Black Herman, I’ve only heard his name but I don’t know who he is, and I’ve seen for sale ‘Black Herman oil’.  Who is Black Herman and what does his oil do?”

When I read that name a light-bulb went off in my head, but I have to admit the light was sort of dim, so I turned to my Hubby who not only is a retired DOD Officer but is also a retired magician, so I asked my Hubby if he knew of a magician by that name and once I asked him he was off and running on what he knew.

And since here in the United States it’s Black History Month this maybe a good time to post about this interesting man.

Black Herman was the stage name of Benjamin Rucker who was a very prominent African-American magician of his time which was from about 1910 to when he died in 1934.   He was first and foremost a brilliant stage magician and was often referred to as the Black Houdini but as he got older he included in his act bits of reference to Hoodoo or Conjure especially in a pamphlet that he had published and sold at the theaters where he was performing at.   So he, in a way crossed both lines of stage magic as well as spiritual magic.

To make sure of my facts on this gentleman I had to research a number of sites which I’m going to first list here to give those authors and web sites credit,  Wikipedia,  Denise M. Alvarado at ConjureDoctors.com, MagicTricks.com., MagicExhibit.Org, CabinetMagazine.Org, MagicPedia sponsored by Genii Magazine, California Science Center (2000),  iUniverse news article Oct 06, 2009 referring to fictional book “Black Jack” by George Patton,  and Erica Taylor on The Tom Joyner Morning Show,  If anyone is interested in looking at these sites for more in-depth information, please do so.

He was born as Benjamin Rucker in Amherst, Virginia on June 6, 1889, Rucker got his start in magic working for a magician named Prince Herman who was a stage illusionist, Rucker first worked for Prince Herman then later became his partner in the magic/medicine show act.

The two ran a medicine show, performing magic tricks to attract customers for their "Secret African Remedy", a tonic that was mostly alcohol with some common spices added for good measure. When Prince Herman died in 1909, Rucker, then only 17 years old, continued to travel with the show, focusing on the magic and dropping the medicine show side of it.

Creating his own stage persona, Rucker took the name "Black Herman", partially in honor of Prince Herman, and partly as an homage to Alonzo Moore, the famous African-American magician who was known as the "Black Herrmann". (two r’s and two n’s)

Eventually, Herman made Harlem, New York City his home base. Jim Crow policies were in effect at that time, so in the Northern states he could perform before racially mixed audiences, but when he traveled through the South, often with his own tent show, segregation laws kept his audiences primarily Black.

His specialties included the Asrah levitation, the production of rabbits, release from knots tied by audience members, and a "buried alive" act which began with his interment in an outdoor area called "Black Herman's Private Graveyard" and continued three days later with his exhumation, revival and a walk to the stage venue, where he performed the rest of his show.

Black Herman was an ethnic nationalist, a contemporary of activists Marcus Garvey and Booker T. Washington. Increasingly throughout his career, his shows promoted the message of Black pride.

The truly unique aspect of Black Herman's act was that he played to his African heritage, shared by most of his audience. His tricks were "secrets taught by Zulu witch doctors". He did imitations of bird sounds heard in the rural South and in Africa. A number of magic tricks were compared to miracles from the Bible. He even narrated his rope escape routine by explaining that he used the methods that Africans used to escape the slave traders.

Black Herman also capitalized on his audience's superstitions. At times, he would use his brother, Andrew Rucker, and his assistant, Washington Reeves, as confederates in the audience. Either man would suddenly jump up, seemingly possessed by demons. Black Herman would cast out the demon (usually represented by a small snake or lizard which was released into the crowd to cause great commotion), then give the man some special tonic (which was, of course, for sale after the show), and also offer a private psychic reading to the man to further uncover the man's "problems". Reading were also available to any audience member who wanted to pay for one.

Black Herman included mentalism in his act even making a prediction, prior to the Black Friday Wall Street Crash of 1929, his prediction labeled him as a visionary, the illusionist was remembered for warning people not to invest in stocks and bonds shortly before the Great Depression. Herman advised people in the audience to stop buying stocks and to stop investing because he could see an economic crash was coming, when it did happen some months later, people said that Herman could truly see into the future.   The Wall Street Crash did not affect Herman financially, as a matter of fact many people had need of a person who could see into the future, and his prediction garnered even more fame for the magician.

Herman was the ostensible author of "Secrets of Magic, Mystery, and Legerdemain," a book published in 1925 that contains his semi-fictionalized autobiography, directions for simple illusions suitable to the novice stage magician, advice on astrology and lucky numbers, and a sampling of African-American hoodoo folk magic customs and practices. The book was sold at his performances, although it has been determined that he was not the author that it was “ghost written” by Henry Young, this is the same author under the name of Henri Gamache who wrote the book “the Secrets of Candle Magic”.

Black Herman [Benjamin Rucker]. Secrets of Magic, Mystery, and Legerdemain was published in 1925. Then republished in 1938 first by Empire Publishing, then by Dorene Publishing.   Copies can still be found if one looks.

Black Herman’s “Buried Alive” illusion was a key part of his act and it was so believable to many people, that when he died of a heart attack no one believed he really was dead

Now there are two versions as to how Herman died, the most famous and dramatic is that he collapsed on stage in Louisville, Kentucky, in April 15, 1934, he collapsed on stage and died, presumably the result of a heart attack. 

But according to an obituary He did not collapse on stage as the legends tell but rather in a home on West Walnut Street. The cause of death was recorded as cardiac failure resulting from a viral inflammation of the heart (chronic myocarditis). Due to the fame of his "buried alive" act, many people in the audience refused to believe he was really dead, and thus it came about that his assistant, Washington Reeves, charged admission to view Rucker's corpse in the funeral home, bringing a dramatic close to a life spent in showmanship. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in New York City.

In 2009 the book “Black Jack” was published by iUniverse, author George Patton tells the story of the great illusionist, mentalist and Harlem Renaissance figure Benjamin "Black Herman" Rucker. The author, George Patton Jr.  is the great nephew of Eva and Benjamin Rucker (Black Herman). Born and raised in Manhattan, Mr. Patton graduated from Fairleigh Dickerson University in New Jersey.   His fictionalized but very accurate account of the Life of his famous uncle makes for very interesting reading and revived the interest about this famous black magician.

Now I have seen Black Herman oil as offered by Indio Products, I am not sure when Indio started to produce it, according to the website this oil is specially blended to aid your intentions and generate positive energy around you.  It is sometimes referred to as Black Herman Protection Guard Oil and also as Black Herman Psychic Oil to help aid in seeing visions psychically.

I’ve also seen at the Magic Wicca web site (magicwicca.com) a 7 Sisters of New Orleans 7 DAY GLASS DRESSED CANDLE TRIPLE STRENGTH BLACK HERMAN BEND OVER – ORANGE candle,  according to the web site  it Makes others do your bidding and put them under your control.   Now this is the direct quote on the web site as to what this candle is allegedly suppose to do   “The master wizard my heavenly father has given me this gift to help you, Triple Strength Black Herman Bend Over Candle. For me to work this miracle for you, you must honor me by burning this magnificent candle that bears my name. Now with the power that our heavenly father has given me I shall magnetize you so that the minds of every man or woman of your choosing shall bend over to your way of thinking. Your ideas shall be their ideas, your will shall be the dominant will between you and them. You shall be the master and they will find you irresistible. Anoint Candle daily with three drops of 7 Sisters Bend Over Oil.”  

Sounds pretty powerful doesn’t it?

Doc Conjure on his “My Secret Hoodoo” website says “Due to Black Herman's interests in Hoodoo/Conjure, various spiritual products have received his name, such as the oil pictured HERE.(referring to an image of Indio's Black Herman Oil) I'm assuming such products would be used by Hoodoo practitioners when working with the spirit of Black Herman or when they wish to tap into his powers of mentalism, illusion, and for his knack of "escaping death".   

I would also have to say revived interest I think thanks to the book “Black Jack”

 At the southern heart of segregation, he became an advocate for civil rights and a freedom fighter, holding roundtable meetings at his home in Harlem and planning ways to fight the oppression of African-Americans.

Benjamin “Black Herman” Rucker was at the top of his game when he died in April 1934. The audience, who was used to his graveyard act, didn’t believe he was truly dead.  He died at the relatively young age of 45, who knows what he could have done for African-Americans if he lived longer.

Magician, illusionist, mentalist, visionary, fighting for racial equality and crossing over into the spiritual aspect of conjure.  He will be remembered in the annals of magic, racial equality and conjure. 

Bright Blessings,

Ms. Q