#TWILIGHT
Twilight’s Insights, a Weekly Kaleidoscope post by Rachel Dayton
Deals with Deity; or, Worshiping YOUR Way.
For me, as a solitary witch, and an Eclectic Omnist one at that, working with different deities from may different spiritual paths is par for the course. As I explore all of the branches of Spirituality, my path winds through some pretty varied terrain. Currently, I am exploring African, Louisianan, and Haitian Spirituality, through voodoo, hoodoo, and rootwork. This means that I am also building a relationship with the Iwa/Loa/Orishas of those paths.
Now, so far, I only work with one Loa, the guardian of the crossroads, Papa Legba. He is a laid back fellow, but working with him means he brings me to the crossroads often, and will lay the smackdown on me, in his way, when Balk at making needed decisions. Last year was an exercise for me in how Papa doesn’t care what choice you make at his crossroads, so long as you make one. Or maybe he does. I learned some lessons last year, some really hard ones, but those lessons have led me to some spiritual and personal growth I might not have reached otherwise.
Now, part of working with Papa Legba means I must make offerings to him. Sometimes this is as simple of making a small temporary altar to him and putting things he likes on it along with something to stand in for him, but most work with the Loa requires that they ‘ride’ you. Kind of like channeling the spirit in some evangelical churches, this means that Papa rides my body for a short time in order for me to do the work I need to do with his touch. Mostly this happens when I create talismans dedicated to him, but sometimes he just hops on in and takes me for a spin. He is Loa, it’s what they do. Once invited, Papa is like that friend who will come over and ransack your fridge and drink all your beer but who also pays for it with good advice or a helping hand.
Now, when I was very young, I made a personal vow to myself that I would never in my life get drunk, or drink hard liquor. My father was - IS - an alcoholic, and he and I are very alike, and drunk him is not a person I ever want to emulate. I have stuck to that vow, and have never been drunk in almost 41 years. However, I have had to bend my rules a tiny bit. You see, Papa loves to drink. It is standard to have a bottle of rum on an altar to him, and when making the talismans, I must anoint them with rum, and at the end of every session with him, he wants a taste for himself. It’s part of why the Loa ride people - its to get a taste of the pleasures of our plane of existence.
So, this was kind of an issue for me. Papa Legba and I went round in circles for a bit, with me trying to keep to my personal convictions, trying to placate him with the forms of alcohol I do permit myself, and him just getting more and more hungry for his rum.
So, we made a deal. It was a long process to get there, with me trying to ply him with my favorite champagne, with beer, with asking another vodoun to drink extra on my behalf - finally Papa smacked me so hard (figuratively) my head spun and I went and got a bottle of rum. Because of my vow, I don’t know good rum form bad, so I regret that bottle deeply, but Papa was happy as can be. And here’s the thing - I still have never been drunk, and I don’t know if the amount of rum I drink even qualifies as actual drinking. When I make talismans, anointing them with rum literally means I put my finger in a shot glass with a tiny bit of rum in the bottom, and put a few drops of rum on the pieces I’m working with. Papa has agreed that as long as I don’t waste any of the rum at the end, and drink what is left, he’s okay. He isn’t completely selfish, that wily wiry god-man; he just wants his payment. So I get to make horrendous faces and drink a sip or two of rum (good lord that stuff burns! EW!) and he gets his taste and enjoys his ride.
So, why am I telling this story? Because Papa Legba and the pantheon of African gods, Iwa, Loa, and Orisha are not the only deities who enjoy an offering. MOST of them do. Some religious practices have very set in stone rules for said offerings, and for the most part they are simple, just placing the things they like on an altar, saying some words, perhaps burning the stuff so it can get to them, but other practices are more fluid, like mine. Don’t hesitate to stand up for your personal convictions when dealing with deity. Make a deal! If you don't like the idea of sacrificing an animal for your deity, see if cooking them a meal from the grocery store works. Meat is meat for some of them, and fresh kills are not always required. Allergic to some herb they like? Your deity doesn’t want you dead, so make a deal! Maybe there’s an alternative, or maybe you don’t have to burn it. I’m personally allergic to many essential oils, and burning incense releases oils in to the air that make me ill. So I leave bundles of dried herb instead, or do any burning outside where it wont bother me as long as I’m out of the line of fire - or smoke in this case.
There are no real rules in witchcraft - everything is mutable. So talk to your deity, and make a deal! Come to a mutual agreement on how your relationship with them works.
Twilight’s Insights, a Weekly Kaleidoscope post by Rachel Dayton
Deals with Deity; or, Worshiping YOUR Way.
For me, as a solitary witch, and an Eclectic Omnist one at that, working with different deities from may different spiritual paths is par for the course. As I explore all of the branches of Spirituality, my path winds through some pretty varied terrain. Currently, I am exploring African, Louisianan, and Haitian Spirituality, through voodoo, hoodoo, and rootwork. This means that I am also building a relationship with the Iwa/Loa/Orishas of those paths.
Now, so far, I only work with one Loa, the guardian of the crossroads, Papa Legba. He is a laid back fellow, but working with him means he brings me to the crossroads often, and will lay the smackdown on me, in his way, when Balk at making needed decisions. Last year was an exercise for me in how Papa doesn’t care what choice you make at his crossroads, so long as you make one. Or maybe he does. I learned some lessons last year, some really hard ones, but those lessons have led me to some spiritual and personal growth I might not have reached otherwise.
Now, part of working with Papa Legba means I must make offerings to him. Sometimes this is as simple of making a small temporary altar to him and putting things he likes on it along with something to stand in for him, but most work with the Loa requires that they ‘ride’ you. Kind of like channeling the spirit in some evangelical churches, this means that Papa rides my body for a short time in order for me to do the work I need to do with his touch. Mostly this happens when I create talismans dedicated to him, but sometimes he just hops on in and takes me for a spin. He is Loa, it’s what they do. Once invited, Papa is like that friend who will come over and ransack your fridge and drink all your beer but who also pays for it with good advice or a helping hand.
Now, when I was very young, I made a personal vow to myself that I would never in my life get drunk, or drink hard liquor. My father was - IS - an alcoholic, and he and I are very alike, and drunk him is not a person I ever want to emulate. I have stuck to that vow, and have never been drunk in almost 41 years. However, I have had to bend my rules a tiny bit. You see, Papa loves to drink. It is standard to have a bottle of rum on an altar to him, and when making the talismans, I must anoint them with rum, and at the end of every session with him, he wants a taste for himself. It’s part of why the Loa ride people - its to get a taste of the pleasures of our plane of existence.
So, this was kind of an issue for me. Papa Legba and I went round in circles for a bit, with me trying to keep to my personal convictions, trying to placate him with the forms of alcohol I do permit myself, and him just getting more and more hungry for his rum.
So, we made a deal. It was a long process to get there, with me trying to ply him with my favorite champagne, with beer, with asking another vodoun to drink extra on my behalf - finally Papa smacked me so hard (figuratively) my head spun and I went and got a bottle of rum. Because of my vow, I don’t know good rum form bad, so I regret that bottle deeply, but Papa was happy as can be. And here’s the thing - I still have never been drunk, and I don’t know if the amount of rum I drink even qualifies as actual drinking. When I make talismans, anointing them with rum literally means I put my finger in a shot glass with a tiny bit of rum in the bottom, and put a few drops of rum on the pieces I’m working with. Papa has agreed that as long as I don’t waste any of the rum at the end, and drink what is left, he’s okay. He isn’t completely selfish, that wily wiry god-man; he just wants his payment. So I get to make horrendous faces and drink a sip or two of rum (good lord that stuff burns! EW!) and he gets his taste and enjoys his ride.
So, why am I telling this story? Because Papa Legba and the pantheon of African gods, Iwa, Loa, and Orisha are not the only deities who enjoy an offering. MOST of them do. Some religious practices have very set in stone rules for said offerings, and for the most part they are simple, just placing the things they like on an altar, saying some words, perhaps burning the stuff so it can get to them, but other practices are more fluid, like mine. Don’t hesitate to stand up for your personal convictions when dealing with deity. Make a deal! If you don't like the idea of sacrificing an animal for your deity, see if cooking them a meal from the grocery store works. Meat is meat for some of them, and fresh kills are not always required. Allergic to some herb they like? Your deity doesn’t want you dead, so make a deal! Maybe there’s an alternative, or maybe you don’t have to burn it. I’m personally allergic to many essential oils, and burning incense releases oils in to the air that make me ill. So I leave bundles of dried herb instead, or do any burning outside where it wont bother me as long as I’m out of the line of fire - or smoke in this case.
There are no real rules in witchcraft - everything is mutable. So talk to your deity, and make a deal! Come to a mutual agreement on how your relationship with them works.
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| art by Galen Dara |
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