Hoodoo Spell to Remove Evil Spirits

An evil spirit is one of the best
ways to haunt and curse a person.

Lately I've had several clients come to me seeking help for inexplicable conditions that feel like a curse. Everything the try to accomplish falls apart, and good opportunities turn sour. Their relationships are afflicted with constant arguments, and they can't seem to be able to keep a job. They have difficulty sleeping and sometimes feel like there is a presence around them. With some divination I confirmed that these particular clients were being cursed by an evil spirit that was sent to torment them.

If you think you may be afflicted in a similar manner, it's best to get a Rootwork Consultation with Dr. E. to get to the bottom of what is afflicting you.

Cursing with Evil Spirits of the Dead

In order to understand how this hoodoo spell to remove evil spirits works, you have to understand how and why people curse and haunt people with spirits of the dead.

One of the most effective ways to curse someone is to send a dead spirit after them. The spirit works tirelessly as instructed by the rootworker who sent it. The spirit never needs to eat or sleep and it can work continuously while the rootworker moves on to other endeavors. The spirit is bought from the cemetery (usually with an offering of a silver dime and some whisky) and then sent after a specific target, usually using their name, birthdate, a photo or a physical item from their body. Once the spirit is sent after their enemy it will continue to harass them until the goal is accomplished.

Typically, spirits are sent out of vengeance or spite against someone who has been wronged. One of the first things I do in a consultation is ask if there is anyone my client may suspect as a source of the curse. Perhaps it is someone with whom they work that wants them fired. Perhaps it is an ex-lover that is angry for the break up. Sometimes an in-law will hire a rootworker to haunt them so that they'll break up their marriage. The reasons are endless, but the effect is the same: a continual misfortune that perpetually afflicts the person and no amount of uncrossing or cleansing seems to fix the situation.

Spirit Traps Can Remove A Cursing Spirit

Dr. E. lures a spirit into a
spirit trap with a cigar.

One of the most effective ways of removing an evil spirit from a person that has been cursed is by using a spirit trap. Spirit traps take many forms and are found in cultures all over the world. Typically spirits of the dead are trapped in some kind of container either by magical enchantments, holy names, herbs and substances, and then the spirit is either controlled and used for other magical workings, or it is laid to rest. I prefer to take captured spirits and lay them to rest in the cemetery, giving them a Christian burial so that their spirits can rest in peace once and for all.

Constructing a Spirit Trap to Catch an Evil Spirit

When I make a spirit trap I will typically use a bottle or bowl to catch the spirit. I utilize palo trazos (symbols) drawn on the floor or altar to guide the spirit into the container, and I use items inside the bowl or bottle to ensnare the spirit once it enters. A very reliable hoodoo technique to catch evil spirits inside a bottle uses 9 nails, Spanish moss and blackberry leaves. The nails will nail down the spirit in place, and the magical power of the iron in the nails is well known for rooting energy in place. Spanish moss tangles and captures the spirit and is effective in crossing work. Blackberry leaves have little hooks and snares on them that are good for ensnaring an enemy or slowing them down.  I add these items to the bottle along with some ground up sticks used in Palo Monte to draw and capture a spirit.

How to Lure an Evil Spirit into the Spirit Trap

The spirit is trapped inside
the bottle and chained so
that it cannot escape.

Luring the evil spirit into the trap is the hardest part. You have to know the right songs to sing, and the right prayers to use in order to invoke your guardian spirits to protect you and force that spirit to comply with your efforts. (These are secrets and I will not reveal them here as some of them are only accessible to initiates of Palo Monte.) I also usually entice the spirit to come by using personal concerns of my client that resonate with the energetic frequency of their body. By luring the spirit with offerings of booze and cigar smoke, and befriending them, I can often get them to come near. The songs and prayers I recite catch the spirit in my vicinity and the personal concerns and Palo Monte figures under the bottle are what pull the spirit toward the bottle. The spirit will be guided into the bottle with a puff of cigar smoke and a bit of fire to light the rum in the bottle on fire. Once it catches fire the spirit can audibly be heard to enter the bottle. I then finish by stoppering the bottle with a piece of stick from Palo Monte that is known for conquering spirits of the dead.

Laying the Spirit to Rest

Once the ritual is complete I use chamalongo divination to determine whether I caught the spirit or not. If I didn't succeed the first time I will use different offerings to lure the spirit and try again. Once the spirit is indeed inside the bottle, I will chain the bottle up to restrain the spirit and keep it in place. Then I wrap the bottle with black cloth so that the spirit cannot see what I am doing. I take the bottle to a cemetery, dig a grave for it, and lay it to rest with Christian prayers and a memorial including flowers laid over its grave that it may rest in peace once and for all. On the way out of the cemetery I pay the spirit that guards the cemetery to keep that spirit there for good.

Cleansing to Restore the Client to Blessings

Uncrossing Herb Bath is
great for cleansing away
residual negative energy.

After such a powerful ritual is done, I find that clients still need additional cleansing to remove any negative after effects. I usually follow up with a course of seven Uncrossing Herb Baths done over the course of a week, and a Protection Mojo Bag to keep them safe from future attacks. I personally have to cleanse myself to remove any ill effects from handling such negative energy as well. It might also be a good idea for my client to follow up with some Road Opener spells or spells to draw in the goodness that was stripped away from the curse.

I Think I Am Cursed or Haunted! What Do I Do?

This spell is very hazardous and should not be undertaken by a novice or by anyone who does not have the backing and protection of their guardian spirits. You have to know what you're doing to do this spell. If you think you are cursed or haunted by a spirit of the dead, your best course of action is to get a Rootworking Consultation with me. In the Rootworking Consultation, I will use tarot cards and chamalongos as well as the guidance from my spirits, to find out what is at the root of your cursed situation. If you are indeed cursed with a haunting spirit, I can perform this spirit trap spell or other hoodoo spirit trapping spells to take the evil spirit off of you and return you to your blessed state. This spell can also be done for locations that are haunted in order to catch the spirit and return the space to its blessed state.

Get a Rootworking Consultation with Dr. E. to remove curses or evil spirits.

The Seven African Powers

One of the more popular spiritual forces to call upon within Santeria and now within Hoodoo is that of the Seven African Powers. The Seven African Powers are not something native to hoodoo but they are gaining in popularity and as such it is important to understand who they are and how they can fit into a person's spiritual work.

I recently founded the Santeria Church of the Orishas as a member of the Missionary Independent Spiritual Church movement. Over the Santeria Church of the Orishas website, I wrote up a great article on who the Seven African Powers are and it's a wonderful read. Head over there and read for yourself, and here's a hint ... they aren't orishas.

Clearing up the Facts on La Madama

American figurines of black servant
women are being used by modern
spiritists to represent their Madamas.

**(Updates and clarifications to this article are marked with an asterisk as there have been many critics out there who seemed to take everything I wrote as black or white. In an effort to further clarify and address those concerns, I've made these noted changes)**

A peculiar figure has recently become very popular in Rootwork. That individual is La Madama. As you go around various websites, or peruse online publications about rootwork or hoodoo you find more and more people are speaking about La Madama. But the conversation has become one that is rife with misunderstanding and it is becoming clearer and clearer that people are just repeating the misinformation they are getting from websites and self-published booklets. I've decided to write a blog article to set the record straight and hopefully educate people who may be interested in La Madama or want to learn about how to work with this type of spirit.

Who is La Madama? (Rather, Who ARE Las Madamas?)

A more traditional spirit doll for a Madama
type spirit. These dolls are made using
porcelain or plastic dolls which are then dressed
in custom-sewn dresses in their spirit's colors

There is a popular misconception that La Madama is a specific spirit. This is totally incorrect. A Madama is a category of spirit - to which many individual spirits and guides belong. Thus the more proper question is "who are las madamas?"

Madamas are spirits of the dead that were slave women (*or the descendants of slaves), round in stature, who looked like the sterotypical image of a house servant from the 1800's. Madamas are NOT conjure women (*as in American rootworkers). This is wholly incorrect and misinformed. They are typically either women who practiced Santería or Palo Monte  (*or Espiritismo) when they were alive (meaning they are most typically Cuban or *Puerto Rican black women). Typically Las Madamas are depicted wearing gingham skirts or aprons in the colors of the spirit which they worked with (red gingham for Chango or Siete Rayos, Blue gingham for Yemaya or Madre de Agua, etc.) They usually have their hair wrapped in cloth of similar color. There are countless "Madama" spirits out there... she is not singular in nature. For example, I have a "Madama" spirit who worked with Changó when she was alive and she has a particular name. My godfather has a "Madama" spirit who worked with Yemayá when she was alive and she has a different name. Simply put, La Madama is NOT one spirit. (*I understand that the thought of a priestess in Lucumí or Palo being a spirit is not in accordance with Lucumí or Palo cosmology, nevertheless these spirits do appear and give verifiable information - so this is one of those things that we just can't explain)

"La Madama" by Angel Cruz

Where did Madama Spirits come from?
The category of Madama type spirits is NOT native to Rootwork and has actually never ever been a part of Hoodoo at all until the last 15 to 20 years when people who practiced Espiritismo Cruzado (Blended Spiritism) from Latino countries started encountering traditional Southern Rootworkers and exchanging ideas. *The categorization of these spirits into a legion called "Las Madamas" was likely a function that arose out of convenience because they certainly don't refer to themselves in this manner.

In fact, the presence of Madamas, Indian Spirits (like Black Hawk) or other spirits like these were only found in Spiritualist Churches in the south, and not traditionally within Hoodoo. Most Hoodoo practitioners stuck to Protestant Christianity, praying psalms and working their roots. This introduction of Espiritismo elements (like working with saints, Madama Spirits, Indian Spirits, etc. is a rather new introduction to Hoodoo).

Espiritismo Cruzado and "Madama" Spirits
Espiritismo Cruzado comes from the latino countries of the Caribbean (Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic) and has spread to many other countries including Venezuela, part of Mexico and even the southern parts of The United States with the displacement of people from these countries northward. It is a type of Spiritualism based in the Spiritist practices of Allan Kardec blended with some spiritual concepts of the African Diasporic Religions. This type of spiritualism works differently than the more formal "white table" version of Kardecian spiritism found in Europe in the late 1800's, (*and found in many Puerto Rican spiritist houses). Practitioners of Espiritismo pray Catholic prayers, channel messages from their guides and spirits of the dead, work a lot with herbs, perfumes, washes and flowers, and focus on developing their skills as mediums and energy healers. Within Espiritismo the mediums work with lots of colorful spirits. There are many categories of spirits including (but not limited to): Madamas, Indians, Gypsies, Nuns, Arabs, and even Pirates. There is not ONE spirit of La Madama, just like there is not ONE spirit of The Indian, nor is there ONE spirit of the Gypsy. People may refer to "my Madama" (*or more commonly "mi negra" - my black woman) - meaning their Madama-type spirit, but there are many other Madama-type spirits as well.

Can I Work With "La Madama"?
This is an interesting question that I get from many people. The answer isn't so simple. It isn't whether you CAN work with La Madama - the question actually should be "Do I have a Madama with which to work?" This is a misunderstanding of the nature of Espiritismo from a Hoodoo practitioner's perspective. In Espiritismo (Spiritism), you don't go out seeking spirits to work with. Instead, you work with the Spiritual Court that already surrounds you. The Spiritual Court is a group of the most intimate guiding spirits you have around you that protect and teach you. They are your "inner court" and they defend you when you cannot defend yourself. They guide you, teach you and inspire you. Each person's Spiritual Court is different than the next's.

Before you can work with "Madama" type spirits you need to find out IF THERE IS ONE IN YOUR SPIRITUAL COURT! This is the most crucial element that people don't take into account. You must first do investigative spiritualist masses (or personal spiritual investigation) to find out if you have such a spirit in your court with which to work. Typically such a mass is conducted by other mediums who will look into your spiritual court with the assistance of their guides and identify who is there for you. You can then work on strengthening your relationship with those guides through prayer, introspection, meditation and contact with these spirits at your Spiritual Altar (in Espiritismo Cruzado this is called a bóveda and is typically a table or shelf covered in white cloth with goblets of water placed out to refresh one's spirits and to help with the transmission of spiritual messages). It is up to each person to learn as much as they can about their Spiritual Court, including names, behaviors, traits and to follow their guidance as much as possible. These spirits will act as the conduit for divine inspiration and guidance for that person. If you have a Madama type spirit you would need to find out where she's from, her name, what she practiced in her life and how to work with her.

Working with La Madama
I often see photos of people putting offerings to La Madama and petitioning her as if she was a saint. This is absolutely improper and incorrect. This is not the manner in which Spiritists would ever work with a Madama-type spirit. They understand very clearly that God is who we worship. A Madama-type spirit is not a saint to be petitioned. She is a spirit guide. She is there to give you guidance, inspire your spell work, guard you from harm, cleanse you when you pick up something nasty, and to be a teacher and mentor. You do not worship your teacher, similarly you do not worship La Madama. If you do leave her offerings, they are offerings of gratitude like bouquets of flowers or a cup of coffee and a cigar. These are given because she came through and helped you with an issue or to keep your connection with her strong. Ultimately she will help you with reading, perceiving and psychic abilities as well as giving you inspiration when you do spell work. After all, she was a priestess in her time and knows how to work spells, but she will tell you how to do it HER way, not the Hoodoo way (because she was not a conjure woman, she was an Afro-Caribbean *spiritual worker). Many people like to have a doll or statue to represent their Madama-type spirit on their altar or their bóveda. This doll acts as a physical container in which her spirit can manifest when you are asking her for guidance and spell crafting with her support.

If you don't have a Madama-type spirit in your Spiritual Court, that's fine and normal. You may have countless other spirits who are very powerful and close to you. But the more important thing to remember is that this internet fad of La Madama really needs to be handled with respect and a clearer understanding so that people don't waste their energy and money trying to petition a spirit that's not even accessible to them. Focus on the spirits that do surround you and keep those bonds strong, and you'll be much better off in the long run.

(*Many critics of this article argue that it is impossible for a priestess of Palo or Lucumí to incarnate as a spirit, as the cosmology of those religions believe that the spirits of deceased priests and priestesses take a different spiritual journey than other spirits of the deceased. I agree with that in the strictest academic sense and I myself believe that priests of our religions go to their spiritually rewarded places after death. Yet, I have seen many spirits that are categorized as "Madamas" who claim to have been priestesses - either Paleras or Santera - who make appearances in misas espirituales and give examples of knowledge in those religions that no uninitated person would know. I have no way of explaining this, but it is a testament to the fact that the spirit world is vast and we have much left to learn about how things work in the universe. I think the main thing to keep in mind here is that the category of "Madama" is something originating from Latino countries, not the USA, and that the spirits that could be categorized as them are broader than many of us are willing to admit.)

Spells and Rituals for Psychic Power

As a spiritual worker, I always have to be ready to perform a reading at the drop of a hat, but sometimes the gears get stuck and your psychic abilities just seem to go into hibernation. That's where the following spells and products come in handy. Some of them work to keep your perceptions clear, while others boost your powers. Even a novice who is just starting to develop their psychic perceptions would benefit from these spells as they train and practice.

It's important to keep in mind that in spite of the workings below, one of the most important things when performing spirit work, is to avoid self-doubt. That sounds very easy for me to say, but it really is the greatest obstacle there is to developing your abilities as a reader. Once you pray and enter into a meditative mental state to conduct a reading, you need to listen to your hunches and those gut reactions - that's your psychic channel opening up and receiving good information. The more you act on your instincts and first impressions, the more powerful your psychic perceptions will become over time.

Spiritual Baths for Psychic Power

A simple and effective ritual before doing heavy psychic work is to take a spiritual bath. Now, these are a bit different than traditional hoodoo baths, but they use many of the same ingredients. The objective here is to pump up your helper spirits and open your perceptions so that communication is more easily conducted between you two. This bath can be performed right before a reading or a seance as an effective way of increasing your psychic power.

Ingredients:

• Holy Water
• Florida Water
• Anise Seeds
• Liquid laundry bluing
• White Flower Petals
• Vision Oil

Place a tablespoon full of anise seeds in a coffee cup and pour boiling water over it. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes to let the essences leech out into the water. Strain the herbs out of the water and throw them away. Get a large basin and fill it with water that is slightly cooler than bath-temperature water. Add the anise water and holy water into the basin along with a nice big glug of Florida Water. Add a little squirt of liquid laundry bluing to the water - just enough to die it a very pale blue. Then take your white flower (a white carnation will do), and hold it over your third eye. Pray the Lord's Prayer and ask your spirit guardians and guides to open your sight and give you the gift to hear their guidance. Rip the petals off of the stem and scatter them into the basin. Run your hand through the water and pray for this bath to cleanse away any psychic disturbances and for it to open your perceptions to hear the messages of your guides.

Place two white candles on ether side of the tub, disrobe and enter into the tub with your basin of prepared bath. Dump the bath over your head and you pray the Lord's Prayer and allow it to pour all over every part of your body. You will immediately notice energy and shivers running through your body - those are the spirits opening up your channels. Wipe as much of the bath off of you as you can, then step out of the bath tub and towel yourself dry. Dab a bit of Vision Oil on your temples and the bottoms of your feet. Dress in white clothing and conduct your psychic readings as normal.

You'll notice this bath doesn't require the disposal of captured bathwater in any ritual way, nor does it require you to pray any particular psalm. It comes from the tradition of Kardecian Spiritism as it was practiced in the Caribbean. I was taught this formula when I was learning to be a spirit medium back in the day.

Vision Mojo Bag for Strong Psychic Powers

A mojo bag is always a great way to keep an intended magical goal near your physical body. One great recipe I came up with is my Vision Mojo Bag. This bag couples together herbs and seeds that are all suited to enhance clairvoyance, spiritual perceptions and psychic abilities. Anyone who works as a professional reader should carry this mojo bag on her person to keep the abilities going strong all day long. It comes with its own bottle of Vision Oil to feed it and keep it strong.

Honoring Your Ancestors - Talking to Spirits

Everyone should have a nice strong relationship with their ancestors. The ancestors give us wisdom, guidance as well as protection, and they have a vested interest in seeing us succeed. In many ways we are the pinnacle of their lives' efforts - so they don't want to see us fail.

Everyone should honor their ancestors in some way. For some this is just a matter of setting out photos of the dead on a special shelf. Others - like myself - honor them by communicating with them, making offerings to them and fostering relationships with them that one can call upon for spiritual assistance. This is actually a very easy thing to do and it has deep roots in many different cultures.

You'll want a special space or surface that you can dedicate to working with the spirits of your ancestors. A shelf or top of a dresser will work fine. Lay out a white cloth (I use a doily) and on that doily place framed photos of your deceased family members. If you are adopted, it doesn't matter if they aren't blood relatives - they are your ancestors of heart; the people who were your family in life and who welcomed you to their lineage. Only place photos of dead people on that space - no living people at all. Then put out small offerings of the kinds of beverages they liked. Often people will place a cup of coffee or tea, or a shot glass of whiskey or the like. You should at least have one glass of water for the dead - to refresh and cool their spirits. Then, get a white jar candle and put a few drops of Blessing Oil in the top. Some folks like to use a screen-printed candle that has an image of a saint, or Jesus or Mary on it - that's fine too. Let your personal tastes dictate how you handle it. You can also place a small vase of flowers on that space for the ancestors - just throw them away when they die. Food is also an acceptable offering, just make sure it isn't salted. Salt drives away the dead.

Once you have light and water for your ancestors on that space, then you pray. Pray the Lord's Prayer or the Hail Mary - or pray from your heart. Communicate with your ancestors, thank them for everything you have and ask them to guide you in your heart as well as protect you every waking and sleeping moment of your day. Then sit and listen in stillness for any messages that come to you. They might give you an idea in your mind, or a gut feeling - that's the ancestors communicating with you on a very basic physical level.

If you do this every day even for just 5 minutes a day, you'll start to notice real progress in your ability to detect the spirits of the dead. You'll have an easier time talking with them and opening up your perceptions and abilities.