One of the oldest and most common forms of conjure in the
South involves the use of shoes in some fashion or other
(pun intended). Shoes are easy to work with, they are an
everyday item, and they are often readily available when they belong to someone other than yourself. Furthermore, shoes provide a malleable medium onto which we can perform
a wide array of conjures. They can be fixed from the inside, in between the soles, on the sides and underneath. They can be
drawn on, dusted with powders, anointed with oils and stuck with name papers and petitions. They can be used to stomp out bad habits, walk over people, or used to take advantage of the repetition of footsteps so that a specific conjure is activated with each
step.
In addition, shoes can be buried, burned, stuck up chimneys, placed under porches, situated in trees or thrown on a roof. Truly, the manner in which one can conjure with shoes is amazing and limited only by the conjurer’s imagination.
In the olden days, rootworkers used to draw symbols and mark
their doors, windows, shoes and what-not with plain, old-fashioned chalk that had been blessed and consecrated
for ritual use. Old timers will still use chalk for these reasons, and the practice continues in the various
African-derived
traditions such as
Voudou and Palo Mayombe where veves and
firmas are drawn on
the ground using chalk and/or a blend of cornmeal, ashes, and other ingredients.
The first order of business for fixing shoes with sigils and symbols is to make some blessed chalk. Depending on your
personal approach, you can either make the chalk from scratch or simply purchase some from the store and consecrate it for ritual use.
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How to Consecrate Chalk
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Consecrating chalk
couldn’t be easier. All you need is your chalk, four white candles and a drawing of the Kongo Cosmogram or crossroads, which is simply a circle drawn with the four quadrants delineated. But before I share with you how to consecrate your chalk, let me explain the significance of the Kongo cosmogram, and what it means to bless something
“on point.”
First, there are several ways to draw the cosmogram, and none is better than the other. It all comes down to personal preference really, and what any difference may mean to you.
That and aesthetic appeal. The most basic is simply the shape of a cross with equal arms: This basic form is referred to as a Greek cross. The top of the cross represents
the space where God resides, the bottom is where the Dead reside and separating the two is water. However, the symbology is actually
more complicated. The horizontal line, for example, symbolizes the boundary between the world of the living (Visibles) and the world of the Dead (Invisibles). The vertical line represents the path leading from the world of the Visibles to the world of the Invisibles and is considered to be a path of power that links both worlds.
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In addition to linking the living to the Dead, the vertical line represents a connection between God and humans, to life and death. It connects the Mountain of the Living World or “earth” (ntoto) to its mirrored counterpart of the Mountain of the Dead called “white clay” (mpemba). Notice that the reference to white clay is in no way coincidental when choosing to use white chalk or clays in rituals where connection to the Ancestors is desired. If you have ever seen images of people with their faces painted white, this is why. It provides an ancestral connection through the sacred earth minerals and also provides a form of protection when mixed with ashes of sacred herbs.
When the Greek cross formation is encircled by a circle, we have a symbol that shows the continuity of life. This is the symbol we see used by Native Americans that represents the Medicine Wheel. There are different significations that draw from the cosmologies of the various Native American tribes, but the basic shape and symbolism correspond to the African cosmogram. They both emphasize the importance of the four cardinal directions, the
division between the world of the living and the Spirit world, as well as the importance of the center as being a place of power.
Drawing the Kongo cosmogram as a “point” onto which items are placed and created, or where a person may stand to be cleansed or initiated or to perform other ritual activities, is extremely significant. Drawing the cosmogram as a "point" quite literally
functions as a symbol that points the Divine and the Ancestors to a point of contact through which their power may descend and be focused. In initiatory traditions, the drawing of the symbols is accompanied by singing sacred songs.
Some people will say that only initiated people can make something on the point of something else. While it is true that certain spirits should
only be worked with when you have specialized knowledge, anyone can work on the point of the cosmogram because anyone can work with God and the Ancestors.
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The Ritual
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Now that you understand the importance of consecrating your
chalk on the point of the Kongo Cosmogram, you can proceed with the actual ritual. The actual ritual is quite simple.
To make your plain chalk blessed and ready for workings, draw a Kongo cosmogram and set your chalk smack dab in the center—on “point.” Set four seven-day white candles on your altar at each point on the cosmogram. Pray Psalm 23 over the chalk each day until the candles burn all the way down. Now, your chalk is blessed and ready for use.
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Conjure ClubWhere else can you find a structured place to receive all sorts of cool magickal and spiritual information, learn at your leisure, grow your knowledge base and skill set, all at the
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of the downloads received. So, what is Conjure Club, exactly? Conjure Club is a membership club where members receive a year's worth of exclusive digital downloads and eBooks, released incrementally, that are focused on traditional conjure practices. The content includes
information on working with Catholic saints and folk saints, herbs and roots, conjure formularies, spirits commonly found on rootworkers' altars in the American South, as well as guidance on working with lamps, graveyard work, bottle spells, money magic, love spells, and other aspects of conjure. Check out more about this course and others here.
Have questions? Feel free to respond to this email and I will get back to you!
Conjurepreneur Creolemoon.com crossroadsuniversity.com
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