This spell combines together rootworking elements with some elements from the Afro-Cuban religions of Palo and Lukumí to curse an enemy, torture their mind, make them lose sleep, endure headaches, and drive themselves to the brink of madness. It is important to note that a person cannot do this spell unless they are a priest or priestess in Palo or Lukumí.
The trick to this spell is the spiritual significance of the coconut. In Palo and Lukumí, the coconut represents a person's head. Consequently, coconuts can be used to affect a person's mind either to heal or to curse with great effect. In this instance, the coconut is being used to curse the mind of a man who has acted in a predatory manner against one of my clients, harassing her, dragging her family and her job into it and putting her livelihood at risk. I won't go into details but trust me, this man deserved it.
Preparing the Coconut for the Curse
In preparation, the coconut is drilled open through two of the eyes, and all of the coconut water is allowed to drain out. Into the coconut is placed the enemy's name written on a brown piece of paper, his hair and a sample of his dried semen to hit both his mind and his sexual nature and utterly cripple them. (The man was known for fathering children with many women and then not taking responsibility for them.) The coconut is then prayed over and conjured to energetically tie it directly to his physical body. It is now more than just a coconut - it is his actual head.
Filling the Coconut with Cursing Curios
Then a series of cursing elements are added to the coconut. I like to start with mineral-based cursing items: sulfur (to damn him to hell), black salt (to curse everything good in his life) and graveyard dirt that has been purchased from the grave of a soldier (to haunt his mind and disrupt his sleep).
Next, I add the curios: red ants (to make his mind wander and his thoughts derail), snake sheds (to poison his body), 9 pins (to curse him with stabbing pain).
Thirdly, I add the herbal cursing elements: Vandal root (to cross), brown mustard seeds (to cause confusion), cayenne pepper (to burn his mind and cause anger / upheaval), ceiba sticks (a palo herb used for powerful magic to either curse or cure), guinea peppers (to cause chaos and explosive energy).
Sealing and Painting the Coconut
Then the coconut is sealed shut by dripping wax from a black candle around the holes until they seal up. The coconut is then painted with a palo "trazo" (symbol) that acts as a cosmogram of confusion and misdirection - to afflict his mind and drive him nuts. Trazos are not "fixed" symbols, they are inspired within the priest by his guides and each is unique and applicable to that person and instance. Copy-catting the symbol I've used will not work. It has to be inspired and channeled in the moment.
Finally, I took a triangle of black cloth and using chalk, drew another "trazo" that indicates confusion and haunting inside the mind with dark spirits. The coconut was then wrapped up in the cloth and the three ends were braided together. The coconut is then hanged outside from a tree where it will stay. (Final product is shown in the first photo at the top.)
Torturing Your Enemy
Every day, I go outside and beat that coconut with a stick to cause the enemy furious headaches, confusion, rattling up his thoughts and causing him mental torture. I can time the beatings for deep in the night as well to wake him up from any sleep he might be getting.
I finish off by taking an Uncrossing bath to get all that mess off of me.
Interesting to read, as always! How do these Palo etc traditions differ actually from each other (main points)? It is not always easy to find reliable info on this.
ReplyDeleteRhea: Good question. Perhaps I'll write a blog entry on that, but the basic explanation is as follows.
ReplyDeletePalo is an Afro-Cuban tradition composed of the magico-religious practices of the Congo slaves brought over in the first waves of the slave trade blended with a scant bit of catholicism. There are several branches of the religion (Mayombe, Kimbisa, Brillumba, etc.) but they are all "Palo" - which means "stick" in spanish and references the practitioner's use of the branches of plants in their magical work.
Lukumí us another Afro-Cuban tradition composed of the religious practices of the Yoruban people (Near Nigeria/Dahomey/Benin - further north on the African coast). These were the last waves of slaves brought to Cuba but one of the most prominent in terms of population. Lukumí is known derrogatorily as Santería. Lukumí favors the use of plant's leaves in their ceremonies. Paleros did adopt some Lukumí correspondences into their work over time but they are whole and distinct religions with different magical practices.
Rootwork/Hoodoo is a magical system, not a religion. It is a combination of the magical practices of the Congo slaves blended with herbal knowledge of the Native Americans, some Jewish mysticism and some European magic. It is the magic extracted from the religion. In fact, most rootworkers are Protestant Christians. Hoodoo is often called rootwork because of the prominent use of a plant's roots in the magical spells in contrast to other African magico-religious systems.
What a fascinating entry. It definately reminds me of the conjure with the coconut to break a couple up and/or drive someone out of town.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
This actually reminds me of a European effigy spell that I know where a spirits sigil is used to torture a target while symbolically beating them with a stick. I always find the the crossovers interesting.
so do you perform this spell to
ReplyDeleteso do you do the Coconut Palo Curse to Torture an Enemy
ReplyDelete