According to legend, Barbara was a young martyr who lived during the third century AD under the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian, a notorious persecutor of Christians. Little is known about her life and various accounts place her birth, life and martyrdom in various locations as far apart as Northern Italy and Armenia. What we do know is that from the very early Middle Ages, there has existed a devotion to this powerful virgin, martyr saint…
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Traditionally, practitioners of Voodoo and Santeria would make oil lamps from wicks suspended in oil held inside small ceramic basins, metal cauldrons, hollowed out coconuts and pumpkins. Different herbs and other ingredients were also added depending of which saint of spirit was being invoked and the purpose of the oil lamp. This particular spiritual oil lamp was made to invoke the help of Ochun, Our Lady of Charity, to bring luck and financial blessings. We also made…
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I just wanted to take a few moments to share these photos of the Halloween and All Saints Day festivities from this most wonderful time of year. I spent Halloween night in a rural village with some friends. One of whom officiated over a traditional Wiccan calling of the corners ceremony. Later in the evening, we visited the local cemetery where we decorated the graves of his grandparents with flowers and candles, as is the tradition in…
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Autumn is a wonderful time of year during which the earth gives us the fruits it has been growing since spring and the veil between our world and the spirit world is at its thinnest. It’s even been called “The Season of the Witch.” Throughout time and in numerous cultures, there have been and continue to be holidays and festivals that recognize the many blessings of this time of year. One such holiday comes from China and…
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The pumpkin is a highly magical gourd! There are many magical uses for pumpkins as it represents abundance, prosperity and luck. In Santeria, it is sacred to Ochun, the Yoruba Orisha of love and money and is commonly used in many services done under her patronage. I have seen the power contained within these blessed fruits and I find it no coincidence that cultures throughout the world as far apart as the Balkans, West Africa, China and the…
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