Harnessing the “Burning Ring of Fire:” Fiery Wall of Protection Oil in Rootwork and Solomonic Conjuration

By Frater S.C.F.V.

A. Introduction: The Wall of Flame that Burns Transgressors

Fiery Wall of Protection Oil is a well-known and time-tested condition oil in the Hoodoo, Conjure, and Rootwork traditions. While standard Hoodoo Protection Oil will ward off evil and guard the people and places anointed with it, Fiery Wall of Protection goes a step forward to ensure that if anyone crosses its protective boundary, they get burned. To illustrate this point with an analogy, if the general-use Protection Oil is a fence blocking a property, Fiery Wall of Protection is an electric fence.

Like many Conjure methods, the Fiery Wall formula finds the roots of its rationale in the Bible. Zechariah 2:4-5 states: “Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.” Similarly, the Fiery Wall of Protection formula surrounds us with Divine, Angelic, and Herbal protection with power and heat behind it.

Variations on the Fiery Wall formula–of which there are many, as we’ll see shortly–have long been used by Rootworkers for a wide variety of reasons. These have ranged from combating curses, jinxes, and crossed conditions being thrown in our direction to keeping abusive men away from their children, to keeping potential mistresses away from husbands, protecting children from sexual predators, keeping away the law, protecting soldiers doing tours in active warzones and many more.

Fiery Wall of Protection is perhaps best-known as being linked to the famous candle working that uses it, but it can be used in much subtler ways when the herbal formula is applied in Fiery Wall of Protection Oil, Sachet Powders, Floor Washes, Incenses, and so on. As cat yronwode (2000) notes, you can “Use the Oil to dress yourself or any wooden furniture or metal surfaces such as door knobs. The sachet powder is deployed by sprinkling it in carpets or laying down piles in the corners of the room. The incense powders can be burned at any time to set a shield in place in a given area. The mineral crystals can be applied to an area in the form of a floor wash or sprinkled into the rinse water of your laundry, to dress the clothes you wear when dealing with people from whom you desire protection.”

About the famous Fiery Wall Candle Working, Miss Cat (2000) adds that “basically, this spell is an enactment of the results one desires, with candles standing in for the participants, somewhat after the nature of doll-babies. Often the major reason to perform this spell is to remove a bad person from a social situation such as the family or a work site. Depending on how wicked the “Perpetrator” is, this removal can be performed with differing degrees of severity, from very mild to very extreme. The form in which I learned this spell is Catholic Christian hoodoo and it calls for the total and unconditional removal of the unwanted person from life. However, it can be adapted for use in other religious — or completely non-religious — contexts, and with a lessened degree of severity, if circumstances warrant mercy. Variations such as these arise because different folks have different reasons to work such a spell and because the conditions they are working under may differ.”

The Fiery Wall formula is potent and useful, but like all tools in the Rootwork arsenal, it also has its limits. As Michelle Gruben (2017) aptly states, that “a Fiery Wall of Protection (…) does not punish your enemy for past sins, and it does not prevent them from transferring their negative attentions to someone else.” Thus, it will not necessarily be helpful to undo malefica that has already been thrown at us, whether that be jinxes, crossed conditions, or substantial mental, spiritual, or physical curses. For that, we need to look to other methods (e.g. using Uncrossing condition Oils, doing Despojos, using spiritual baths, using suffumigations of Uncrossing-related herbs and incenses, etc.). However, once that work is completed, a Fiery Wall is a wise way to seal a protective barrier around the space that has been cleansed and made spiritually “clean.”

B. Different “Woods” to Build the Fire: Herbal, Root, and Curio Variations on the Fiery Wall of Protection Formula

If you ask 10 different Rootworkers about the Fiery Wall of Protection Formula they use, you’re likely to get 10 different answers. This is because it is a folk formula that has been used for years with regional variations in different parts of the United States, depending on the availability of different ingredients, substitutions employed, and variances in “style” from say New Orleans to Louisiana.

To better understand the “root essentials” of Fiery Wall of Protection, let’s analyze some variants of the formula and then try to tease out the key components that need to be included to make the Fiery Wall formula what it is so that it can do what it needs to do.

1. First, cat yronwode (2000) notes that the Lucky Mojo formula uses “Rue, Sandalwood, Black Snake Root, and other herbs and essences.”

In Miss Cat’s formula, Rue is there for protection, warding the Evil Eye, and helping with diffusing curses and jinxes thrown our way. Sandalwood has many uses, but here, adds protection. Black Snake Root yields both protection and boldness. Like a suggestive dress, the phrase “other herbs and essences” leaves a lot to the imagination. However, we can tease out some of those possibilities by consulting other sources.

2. Second, Papa Gee Papa Gee at Aroma G’s Botanica in Nashville Tennessee, in his Fiery Wall of Protection formula, includes “Dragon’s blood resin, bay leaf, ginger root, angelica root, marjoram, red pepper, chili, Peppermint.”

This formula adds some interesting new elements we don’t see in Miss Cat’s admittedly abridged and incomplete list. Dragon’s Blood adds, not only a fiery red colour, but also protection, good luck in the operation and help in invocations (e.g. of Archangel Michael who is often called upon in Catholic versions of the Firey Wall spell). Bay Leaf helps ensure our victory against our enemies. Ginger adds not only protection, but heat — essential for Firey protection. Angelica root is a very smart choice to include if we will be calling on Angels for protection in the Candle rite; it not only protects, but helps heal if we have been burned already, and facilitates angelic work. Marjoram helps drive off those who would wrong us and also protect our business or home from jinxes. Red Pepper and Chili both add heat–more fire to the Wall–as well as warding power. Mint is a smart choice to include, because it not only adds protection, but also builds mental fortitude and helps shatter jinxes and curses thrown its way.

3. Third, Hurricane Badessa (2022) from The Conjured Saint in Rhode Island also includes Rue and Chili among the herbs used in his Fiery Wall of Protection Oil, again for protection and heat as we’ve seen.

4. Fourth, the Art of the Root‘s Fiery Wall of Protection formula includes “cinnamon, rue, salt, black pepper, dragon’s blood, and many other protection-related herbs and oils.” Some of these are familiar from what we’ve seen so far, such as Rue and Dragon’s Blood. Cinnamon here helps “fire up” the Fiery Wall and provide purification and protection. Salt provides protection and wards curses, jinxes, and Mal Ochio; it is also a “power booster” in workings, just as salt “boosts flavours” in food. Black Pepper also adds fire as well as warding evil and offering protection.

My intense Fiery Wall of Protection Oil. Formula to follow below.

5. Fifth, Hoodoo and Rootworker Mama Sarah at Conjured Cardea uses an interesting formula with some surprising twists for Fiery Wall of Protection. Her method includes “dragon’s blood resin, calamus root, allspice, cat’s claw, juniper, sea salt, iron filings, basil, orange zest, rosemary, witch grass with frankincense, amber, and cinnamon oils.” Dragon’s Blood, Salt, and Cinnamon, we’ve seen so far, but almost everything else in her formula is intriguingly different. Calamus here helps with dominating and controlling our enemies; other formulas sometimes use Master of the Woods (Woodruff) or Master Root for the same purpose. Cat’s Claw cleanses and rebalances the space it is used in (e.g. interior of the Fiery Wall Circle in this case). Juniper is likely included to add strength and energy. Iron Filings add strength and protection; in grimoire magic, they are linked to Mars. Basil protects the home and drives away the Evil Eye. Orange Peel attracts luck and success, similar to Bay Leaf. Rosemary protects against evil and cleanses. Frankincense is included for scent, blessed power, and protection. Amber is a creative and unique choice not seen in any other formula I studied, which was likely included for protection as it “protects” whatever is encased within it. Witch Grass is typically used for binding, love-magic and cursing, but can be used to try to control enemies as well, which is likely the rationale here.

6. Sixth, Dr. E (2022) at Conjure Doctor uses a variety of herbs in his Fiery Wall of Protection formula, some of which include “ginger, rue, and angelica.” These recur in formulas we’ve already seen for the reasons already outlined

7. Seventh, Ocean Delano (2011) at Turning the Magic Around synthesized several Hoodoo sources to craft the following formula for a Fiery Wall of Protection Oil that includes “Ginger • Dragon’s Blood • Rue • Cinnamon • Sandalwood • Devil’s Shoestrings • Black Pepper • Red Pepper • Angelica.” All of these inclusions are common staples of the formula and are included for reasons we’ve already seen.

In addition, Delano’s (2011) fascinating article on the subject of Fiery Wall of Protection interestingly adds a formula for a Fiery Wall of Protection Sachet Powder:

• 1-2 tbsp Powder Base (talcum, flour, cornstarch, or cornmeal)

• 1 tbsp salt, powdered

• 1 tbsp dragon’s blood resin, powdered

• 1 tbsp frankincense resin, powdered

• 1 tbsp myrrh resin, powdered.”

My Fiery Wall of Protection Sachet Powder. Formula to follow below.

8. Eighth, another Rootworker, who wished to remain Anonymous, shared the following insights into the magical rationale behind the Fiery Wall of Protection Formula in 2011, stating that “traditional Fiery Wall of Protection smells rather spicy because of the addition of Ginger root/oil, and slightly woody scent because of the addition of Sandalwood, and since the “wall” is usually said to be created by St. Michael’s fiery sword, Angelica root is added into the blend. Other staple ingredients are Rue for reversing back evil to the sender, Devil’s Shoestring to trip the enemies from doing harm on you, and Black Pepper or Grains of Paradise, for protection and banishing. There are more ingredients depending from one Rootworker to another, such as Red Pepper, but with these, you can’t go wrong.”

9. Ninth, the ever-insightful Sam Block (2012) at the Digital Ambler, when analyzing the structure of the Fiery Wall formula, provides an interesting Planetary perspective to illuminate the ingredients in a style typical of grimoire magic. To quote Sam, Fiery Wall of Protection Oil “combines the essences of Fire, Mars, and the Sun to create a barrier of protection that both drives off evil and keeps harm out, a two-pronged approach that helps keep the things anointed with it safe and free from all harm.  It’s also good at driving out evil entities from a place already anointed with it, burning them out, as it were, from their current place and keeping them from coming back.  Although the oil has traditionally been categorized as more Solar than Martian, I incorporated the strength of Mars to lend the recipe and consecration a bit more oomph.”

He goes on to say that he “based my recipe off of the one Ocean Delano used, with a few extra things to pump up the power.  The idea was to combine fiery, hot, and protective Martian and Solar materia: Martian to give the oil the fire to kick anything wicked approaching it in the balls, Solar to lend the oil a defensive character to let nothing harmful pass through.  Since both Mars and the Sun are ruled by fire, anything hot, peppery, spicy, or stinging would do.  I found more than half of the stuff I needed in my spice cabinet, and the others can be found at swanky gourmet supply stores or new age/occult suppliers.”

Sam’s Fiery Wall of Protection formula includes the following:

• “1 tbsp pink rock salt (trace amounts of iron oxide)

• 1 tbsp true cinnamon

• 1 tbsp dragon’s blood resin

• 1 tbsp frankincense resin

• 1 tbsp myrrh resin (related to Saturn, but the myrrh plant is spiky and thorny, good Martian qualities)

• A dash of chili powder

• A dash of powdered Saigon cinnamon (hotter than true cinnamon, but cassia will suffice)

• A dash of crushed red pepper

• A dash of powdered ginger root

• A dash of finely ground black pepper

• A dash of red sandalwood (normally ruled by Venus, but used to “build” a wall of protection; its redness helps, and is used in hexing in some traditions)

• 1 cup castor oil

• 1/2 cup olive oil”

One thing I love about Sam’s work is that he is a master of meticulous details, a trait I wonder if he derives from his meticulous work as a computer programmer. We see this in his decision to include Pink Rock Salt in particular for the Salt component because it contains “trace amounts of iron oxide,” with iron being linked to Mars. He goes beyond most recipes to include not just Dragon’s Blood or Frankincense, but both, with the addition of Myrrh for its Saturnian connections linked to boundary-setting in the Fiery Wall as well as its spiky, thorny qualities, which fit the Fiery Wall’s intention to “bite back” at those who try to cross it. In another great example of Digital Ambler meticulousness, he includes not one, but two kinds of cinnamon, the second being Saigon Cinnamon. The other ingredients we’ve seen before. A combination of castor and olive oil are included to provide a pure and stable based to hold all of the above along. It’s a thorough and solid formula overall.

10. Tenth, in her excellent Conjure Cookbook: Making Magic With Oils, Incense, Powders and Baths, Miss Talia Fenix (2010) provide the following formula for Fiery Wall of Protection Oil on pages 48 to 49, which includes “Ginger, White Mustard Seed, Grains of Paradise, and Sandalwood.” This formula is sleek, clean and tight. Grains of Paradise are included for protection, especially of the home, and the interesting addition of White Mustard Seed both helps (1) disrupt the activities of meddling or injurious enemies and (2) offer protection.

11. Eleventh, my wise Rootwork teacher Aaron Davis kindly shared his own Fiery Wall of Protection formula with me, which includes “devil shoe string, bay, pinch sulfur, 5-finger grass, angelica, woodruff, calamus, pinch dragon blood, camphor resin/oil, petition paper ash, write petition on Isaiah 41.” Many of the fascinating staples of the formula are included from Devil’s Shoe String to Bay, Angelica, and Dragon’s Blood. However, Aaron interestingly also tosses in Sulfur; I wonder if he drew this from grimoire work, where Sulfur can be used to ward off demons after they have been conjured! In any case, it is a powerful, although stinky, warding curio. Five-Finger Herb is here for “success in all things that five fingers can do,” which is smart, given all of the hand-based work we do in the Fiery Wall of Protection candle working. Camphor is included for both its powerful cleansing ability and its protection. This idea offers another complement or substitute to the Frankincense, Dragon’s Blood, and Myrrh resins we’ve seen so far. Finally, Aaron is a master of creative uses of ash in his work and his use of it here is no difference; he has us write a petition on Isaiah 41, burn it to ash, and include that. This is a brilliant addition of biblical material for those dauntlessly unoffended by uses of this type.

If we look at all of the formulas above, we find that they have some commonalities: they must include (1) protective herbs or curios (e.g. Angelica, Rue, Sandalwood, Dragon’s Blood, Ginger, Devil’s Shoe Lace, etc.) (2) they often include herbs designed to disrupt crossings or jinxes as they come our way (e.g. Rue, Mint, Mustard, Devil’s Shoe Lace, etc.), (3) they must include hot or fiery Herbs (e.g. Black Pepper, Chili, Cinnamon, Cayenne, Ginger, (4) they often include Salt as a “power booster,” cleanser, and protector, often alongside Pepper, (5) they almost all include at least one Incense (e.g. Dragon’s Blood, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Myrrh, Camphor), and (6) they sometimes include herbs designed to produce control or mastery (e.g. Woodruff, Master Root, etc.).

C. A Fiery Wall of Protection Incense and Sachet Powder Crafted on the Day of Mars

On this Day of Mars, 2022-08-24, I strove to integrate what I learned from analyzing the traditional and contemporary formulas given above in addition to what I had available in my current curio collection to arrive at the following formula:

I. Frater S.C.FV.’s 13-Ingredient Fiery Wall of Protection Formula:

• Ginger (Protection and Heat)

• Chili (Heat, Aggression to Boundary-Crossers, Protection)

• Cinnamon (Protection, Heat, Purification)

• Angelica (Protection, Angelic Power, Healing for the Protected)

• Rue (Protection, Warding the Evil Eye, and helping with diffusing curses and jinxes)

• Black Pepper (Heat, Protection from Evil, Warding Jinxes)

• Himalayan Pink Salt (Cleansing, “Power Boosting,” Mal Ochio and Malefica-Warding Power, and because of its “traces of iron” linked to Mars, inspired by Sam Block)

• John the Conqueror Root (Victory, Control, Luck, Commanding Power)

• Dragon’s Blood (Protection, Luck, Invocation Enhancement),

• Frankincense (Blessed Power, Protection)

• Sandalwood (Protection from Evil)

• Bay Leaf (Victory)

• Mustard Seed (Disrupting Enemies’ Work Against Us, Protection)

Steps for an Oil or Sachet Powder:

• Finely grind all dry ingredients. I tossed them all, in batches, into a coffee grinder and grinded them as finely as possible. We especially want to do this with the larger and coarser ingredients (e.g. Frankincense resin, Dragon’s Blood, Sandalwood, Rue, etc.).
While adding each ingredient, I spoke to its Spirit and asked it for what I wanted it to add to the oil or Sachet Powder (e.g. “Spirit of Ginger, bless this Oil and Powder with your fiery heat and fierce protection”). If you wish to use a similar approach, I included the role of each ingredient that we are asking it to serve in parentheses above.
• Mix all dry ingredients after grinding. You can then divide this herb mix up depending on the applications you want to do (e.g. I put some in an olive oil base and mixed some into a sachet powder base, and kept some additional amount for future uses).
• If making a Fiery Wall of Protection Oil, add the herbal mix to olive oil in a mason jar or bottle with a lid and and mix thoroughly. If you have castor oil, you can follow Sam Block’s lead above and use a mixture of the two. I only used olive oil because that is all I had on-hand. You only need enough herbal mixture total for about 1/10th of the jar, so a little bit goes a long way. For a stronger oil, add more; it’s up to you and your needs. This formula is potent.
• If making a Fiery Wall of Protection Sachet Powder, add a small amount of the herb mixture to a mixture of 2/3rds cornstarch to 1/3rd baking soda (if using Miss Talia Fenix’s method). That’s what I did. Others like to use talcum powder. The choice is yours. Experiment to find the ratio that is best for you.
• In either case, shake the bottle or mason jar thoroughly.
• Allow to rest for at least 7 days (e.g. on an Angelic Altar (e.g. St. Michael) or Ancestor Altar, if you use one). At least once per day, continue to shake the bottle thoroughly as the curios and materia will tend to settle in a layer on the bottom.

Quick Divination Tip to Check on the Spiritual “Readiness” of an Oil: If you aren’t sure if your Oil has rested long enough for your Spirits to set it up for you, try doing a Pendulum reading with a yes-no question (e.g. “Should I leave this Oil to rest for another day before I use it?” If you get a Yes, leave it. If No, you can remove it and put it to use).

D. A Psalmic Arsenal for Protection: Options for Psalm Empowerment of Fiery Wall of Protection Oil

In a traditional Hoodoo, Conjure, and Rootwork context, all we would need to do to “empower” an oil like this spiritually is to simply pray over and recite Psalms over it. Which Psalms should we use? Many options exist.

Psalm 23 is a standard “Swiss Army knife Psalm” that can be used nearly for anything. We can also add on additional Psalms depending on our circumstances.

To provide some examples, here are some ideas of Psalms to use for different contexts of use of the Fiery Wall of Protection Oil, Sachet, Incense, etc.:

• Use Psalm 12, Psalm 74. Psalm 93, Psalm 109 if you are facing severe persecution or oppression,
• Use Psalm 11 to add righteous retribution against enemies, appropriate for Fiery Wall,
• Use Psalm 14, Psalm 36, Psalm 43, or Psalm 31 if you want to use the Fiery Wall to keep our slander and gossip against you,
• Use Psalm 29 if you feel a need to drive out evil and restore peace and tranquility to your home,
• Use Psalm 30, Psalm 105, or Psalm 106 for protection from enemies, good in most Fiery Wall applications, especially if they have thrown curses at you affecting your health (i.e. what Brujeria calls “physical witchcraft”),
• Use Psalm 33 fi you are using Fiery Wall of Protection to protect all members of your family,
• Use Psalm 34, Psalm 70, if you know people are actively throwing malefica at you to destroy and cast back evil as soon as it hits your Fiery Wall of Protection,
• Use Psalm 40, Psalm 101, or Psalm 145 if your magical opponent is conjuring malevolent daimons or Muertos Oscuros (Dark, low-level dead spirits) and sending them to torment you,
• Use Psalm 44 or Psalm 116 if you fear that someone is going to physically try to come and hurt you or your loved ones,
• Use Psalm 47 if you are trying to gain mastery over your enemy,
• Use Psalm 48 if you want your enemies to be hit with terror after they throw at you as part of the “Fire” added to the Fiery Wall,
• Use Psalm 53 to protect against unknown enemies who are working behind your back to try to hurt or ruin you,
• Use Psalm 54, Psalm 55, Psalm 94 to reverse malefica back at its sender amplified by Divine retribution for evil,
• Use Psalm 76 to invoke Divine protection and retribution against enemies who have unjustly wronged you,
• Use Psalm 79 for the most aggressive form of “fire” to be added to the Fiery Wall, in cases of life and death,
• Use Psalm 88 if you want a combination of reversing evil and healing the effects it had on you, your loved ones, or client,
• Use Psalm 91 or Psalm 141 for protection against someone who is abusing you psychologically or emotionally,
• Use Psalm 112 to amplify your power and strength against your enemies,
• Use Psalm 125 if you will be traveling and anointing yourself with Fiery Wall of Protection to protect you while abroad (carry a Comfrey root and St. Christopher medal in a Mojo bag too to help with protection while traveling)
• Use Psalm 130 if you are a soldier or someone living in a war-torn area and need protection while passing by sentries in a warzone.

You can also use combinations of Psalms from different categories to tailor your Fiery Wall of Protection to exactly what you’re up against. This is sufficient to “charge” the Fiery Wall product you are making with its intended purpose from a Rootwork perspective.

E. Mixed-Method Empowerment: A Blended Solomonic and Conjure Approach to Empowering a Fiery Wall of Protection Oil, Herbal Blend, and Sachet Powder

In my case, as I am also a grimoire magician with ongoing relationships with multiple Spirits, I opted to use a mixed approach, combining Solomonic magic with Rootwork approaches.

This worker was completed on Tuesday, August 24, 2022 in the Day and Hour of Mars, to heighten the “fiery” component in the context of attuning this Oil for use in protection from magical attacks being thrown at me. In this case, the fact that I was being thrown at was confirmed by 3 methods of divination by myself as well as by 2 objective third-party readers, since I favour objective replication in such matters.

As timing was of the essence, I was not able to wait for a waxing Moon as would be more traditional in grimoire work. As I know some of my grimoire friends will be triggered by the fact that I did this working on a waning Moon day, I would humbly suggest that 5 important points are worth noting.

First, in Rootwork, urgency overrides perfection; that is, when we need something now, there ways of working around imperfect circumstances. In this case, I simply factored the waning Moon into the formula by design, such that it is the Mal Ochio and Malefica thrown at me by the enemy that wanes when it contacts the Fiery Wall.

Second, this work was done in the context of a larger multi-day working involving a whole series of cleansing baths, reversal works, despojos, suffumigations, uncrossings, etc for which there is precedent in traditional witchcraft to do during waning Moon phases when we need to get rid of something.

Third, it’s worth noting that Moon phases were not historically factored into Hoodoo, Conjure, and Rootwork until later on when grimoire materials (e.g. 6th and 7th Books of Moses, etc.) came into the picture and influenced the way some workers operated; indeed, the American slaves and marginalized and oppressed peoples who created these systems based them on flexibility and urgent needs. If they needed something now, they found a way to make it worse.

The same goes for Planetary Days and Hours; these were completely disregarded in Hoodoo, Conjure, and Rootwork for much of its history with zero impact on results. Therefore, many Rootworkers use them when convenient and disregard or work around them when not while others never mind them at all and still get results.

Fourth, the context of our relationships with spirits can also yield more flexibility with regards to the magical timing of operations. When I first contacted the spirits in question, I respected all of the traditional protocols included timing. However, as Aaron Leitch, myself and others have often pointed out over the years, once we’ve built up a connection with a given spirit, we can be a little more flexible in terms of magical timing because our spirits know us and come when we need them. Moreover, when we are combining Solomonic and Rootwork, we also have more freedom than we do in a strict Solomonic approach, which I’ve also done and recorded elsewhere here at Light in Extension.

The final point that’s worth noting is that what I was doing in this particular working was not a full-blown evocation of 14 Spirits. Rather, it was a call for assistance in the context of long-standing relationships that did not require the extensive back-and-forth communication of the type I would engage in within a full evocation.

In any case, the Moon was in a fitting Lunar Mansion on this Day of the Moon, namely, Al-Tarf (the Glance of the Lion’s Eye). The 11th century Picatrix says Al-Tarf is good for causing infirmities to others who have afflicted us and Agrippa agrees in the 16th century. In that respect, it seems appropriate to a Fiery Wall of Protection. It’s also good for separation work ,which is appropriate to materials designed to create boundaries (i.e. the Fiery Wall).

For the Altar set-up, I used St. Michael the Archangel’s Altar since the associated Fiery Wall of Protection Spell associated with this Oil and Powder call on Michael.

However, I was pulled by my Spirits to include not only Michael, but the full 7 Heptameronic Archangels and Arbatel’s Olympic Spirits that are my long-term Spirit allies, with whom I have been working for years. The statues of the 7 Archangels were arranged in a Circle with an orange ribbon symbolizing the Fiery Wall of Protection to be formed by them tied around them all.

The Sigils of the Olympic Spirits were positioned partly under each of the associated Archangels (e.g. Bethor with Sachiel). In the center of this circle of Angels and Sigils, which was itself located in the center of my Solomonic Circle, I placed a golden Altar Cross. Around the Cross, I placed the 2 bottles of Fiery Wall of Protection Oil, the jar of Herbal Blend with the Incense censer over it, and the jar of Fiery Wall of Protection Sachet Powder I had made with the offered candle over it.

I opened the Temple with the Bell of Art in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, conjured the 7 Archangels and Olympic Spirits with a series of prayers and conjurations, and then offered the Triune God water, a candle offering, and Frankincense in their name, which I then encouraged them to partake of. I also called on my Ancestors to assist. I then asked the Spirits of the Angels, Olympics, Ancestors, and the Spirits of the Herbs themselves to empower the Oil, Powder, and Blend with all of the virtues mentioned above, working in harmonious, exponential, and synergistic manner. At one point during this working, I saw a bright white flash surge past the outside of the Circle on my right, seemingly from a spirit arriving.

I then thanked all of the Spirits for their assistance, closed the Temple, and left the candle and incense to burn out overnight. In the next morning, I confirmed that the candle and incense had burned out cleanly with no adverse drippings or other indications. These items will remain on Michael’s Altar for the next 7 days, then a final 2 days on my Ancestors’ Altar to complete the 9-day period linked to Ancestors.

When I finally do perform the Fiery Wall of Protection candle Operation, each Guardian Candle will feature the name of both one of the 7 Archangels and the associated Olympic Spirit. In this way, the same Spirits who empowered the oil will be called again to drive the candle work. And so, the Fiery Wall will come full-circle.

F. Conclusion: Stepping into a “Burning Ring of Fire”

The Fiery Wall of Protection is a staple of African-American Hoodoo, Conjure, and Rootwork and will continue to remain so because of its versatility, effectiveness, and potency. May we always find ourselves at its Center, in the confines of its secure Heat, and woe betide those who, foolishly taking aim at us, would dare try to cross its Fiery Wall, for, paraphrasing Zechariah 2:4-5, “I, saith the Lord, will be unto you a wall of fire round about, and will be the Glory in the midst of you…”

References

Badessa, H. (2022). “The Fiery Wall of Protection.” The Conjured Saint. Retrieved 2022-08-23 from https://www.theconjuredsaint.com/product-page/fiery-wall-of-protection-oil-spiritual-protection-removes-negative-forces

Block, S. (2012). “Fiery Wall of Protection Oil.” The Digital Ambler. Retrieved 2022-08-23 from https://digitalambler.com/materia/fiery-wall-of-protection-oil/

Dr. E. (2022). “Fiery Wall of Protection Hoodoo.” Conjure Doctor. Retrieved 2022-08-23 from https://conjuredoctor.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=17

Fenix, T. (2010). Conjure Cookbook: Making Magic With Oils, Incense, Powders and Baths. Bolton, On: Amazon.

Gruben, M. (2017). “A Quick and Dirty Fiery Wall of Protection Spell.” Grove and Grotto. Retrieved 2022-08-23 from https://www.groveandgrotto.com/blogs/articles/the-fiery-wall-of-protection

Mama Sarah. (2009). “Fiery Wall of Protection Ritual Oil.” Conjured Cardea. Retrieved 2022-08-23 from https://conjuredcardea.indiemade.com/product/fiery-wall-protection-ritual-oil-hoodoo-voodoo-witchcraft-highest-protection-removes-unwante

Delano, O. (2011). “Uncrossing Follow-Up: Fiery Wall of Protection.” Turning the Magic Around. Retrieved 2022-08-23 from (https://turningmagicaround.blogspot.com/2011/04/uncrossing-follow-up-fiery-wall-of.html?m=1)

Papa Gee. (2022). Wall of Fire: Hoodoo Wall of Protection Oil.” Aroma G’s Botanica. Retrieved 2022-08-23 from https://www.aromagregory.com/product/wall-of-fire-hoodoo-protection-oil-fiery-wall-of-protection/

The Art of the Root (2021). Fiery Wall of Protection. Retrieved 2022-08-23 from https://artoftheroot.com/products/fiery-wall-of-protection-oil-for-hoodoo-conjure-vodoo-pagan-ceremonies?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxveXBhDDARIsAI0Q0x2tfvGbk2uz6N40-fCqjMH5NBV4yqzCB3VzA0ETHQ3VdWU3uIr9Ul4aAszHEALw_wcB

yronwode, cat. (2000). Fiery Wall of Protection Magic. Lucky Mojo. Retrieved 2022-08-23 from https://www.luckymojo.com/fierywall.html

By Herb and Angel: A Folk Christian Working with Archangel Michael for Three Recently Deceased Souls

By Frater S.C.F.V.

A. Spiritual Work for the Dead: Context of the Working

As some of readers may know, I am a Clinical Social Worker in my professional life, and specialize in palliative care, working with older adults with dementia, cancer, and other serious diagnoses, defending vulnerable people from elder mistreatment, and working with younger people with disabilities.

The people with whom I work with are mostly low-income, socially and intersectionally disadvantaged in various ways, and desperate for help. My mundane calling on this Earth embraces working with them, empowering them, equipping them with tools and resources from the government and community organizations, supporting them emotionally through their challenges, and accompanying them, often until the end of their lives.

And yet, it dovetails with my spiritual calling, for as Initiates know, matter and Spirit are but two sides of the same nondual coin, and death is but a phase of the soul between life and afterlife.

V0017612 – Life and death. Oil painting. Credit: Wellcome Library, London.

Indeed, the deeper I go into the study and practice of traditional Rootwork and Conjure with my beloved teacher Aaron Davis, studying the classic texts, and learning from experienced Rootworkers, the more I see that this style of magic is and always was about community, resilience, and survival. The African slaves who developed Hoodoo, Rootwork and Conjure in conversation with Indigenous Peoples, Appalachian white folks, esoteric Jews and others, developed a way of using what they had access to to protect and empower themselves, as well as to strengthen and nurture their families and communities. Furthermore, they did this often in the face of harsh realities, abuse, antagonism, and death. Hoodoo, Conjure and Rootwork, therefore, not only practices of spiritual resilience, resistance, and resurgence, but also practices grounded in family and community.

In the spirit of these traditions’ history, I strive to be mindful of my social location and yet also to honour the great teachers spiritual ancestors and workers of old by applying what I’ve learned in service to both the living and the dead. Chiefly, like the Rootworkers, of old, I’ve been focusing on those in my care–friends, family, loved ones, community members, and clients. As I came to work more and more for others and less for myself, I came to discover that doing magic for the betterment of others has a purity of purpose and spiritual strength that can be both moving and profound.

Just as my magic has become more community and service-focused, quite like my professional life, so has it also extended to accompanying my elderly and palliative clients into the liminal spaces following their deaths. Of course, working with people as they transition from life to death is by no means new; from the Ancient Period onwards, spiritual workers have often played the role of Psychopomps, that is, beings who strive to accompany newly deceased souls as they transition from life through death into the afterlife.

Icon Depicting St. Michael the Archangel as Psychopomp.

Historically, the Psychopomp role was deemed so important that it was cross-culturally enshrined in our mythologies in figures as diverse and yet similar as the ancient Egyptian god Anubis, the deity of Yama in Sanatana Dharma, the Greek ferryman Charon and god Hermes, the Roman god Mercury, the Norse Valkyries, the Aztec Xolotl, the Slavic Morana and the Etruscan Vanth. Ancient Mystery Religions like the Rites of Eleusis often centered on the Mysteries of Life, Death, and the Afterlife. Similarly, in the Christian tradition, Jesus Christ, St. Peter, and the Archangel Michael were all regarded as serving Psychopomp functions, much like the Angel Azrael in the Islamic tradition.

By extension, folk spiritual workers strove to collaborate with these spiritual powers to assist the dead. Indeed, in European folk magic as well as in American Hoodoo, Conjure, and Rootwork, magicians have often helped to offer the dead comfort, rest, light, and spiritual support in their experience beyond this world.

And so it was it was that I found myself drawn to continue to serve my clients after their deaths and helping them as best I could to brave the Great Beyond that gaped before them.

The working to which we now turn was a product of teachings passed on to me from the Conjure and Rootwork traditions in addition to folk Christian traditions, some elements of grimoire magic (e.g. the use of the Bell of Art), and the guidance I received from my own Spirits.

The purpose of this working was to bring cleansing, purification, protection, good fortune, blessings, Light, and peaceful rest to the spirits of three older adults I served in life after they passed away. Within the span of a few weeks, these individuals, each with their own strengths and limitations, had all died in sudden and unexpected circumstances: one after a sudden heart-attack while walking with his caregiver near his home, one after a major stroke in her residence, and one after complications stemming from COVID-19 in the hospital.

Concerned about the suffering and confusion they might feel after passing away so suddenly and hoping to help them in every way I could, I prepared the following ritual.

B. Setting the Lights on the Tablet: Preparations for the Work

To begin, as I work within a chiefly Christian framework, I offered prayers to God for guidance in the work and asked the Holy Spirit to guide me to select the right ingredients to benefit the three souls at the center of the work at hand.

I also opened up to the Archangel Michael as well as to my Ancestors, their Ancestors, and the spirits of the Herbs to guide me in developing the right formula for the work at hand.

I began by gathering the Herbs, consulting their spirits to see who would like to assist me in this work. In the end, the following 7 curios were included:

• Holy Olive Oil (for spiritual anointing and to carry the powers of the Herbs),
• Hyssop (that their souls might be purified and cleansed),
• Rue (that they might be protected and cleanser),
• Oak (that they might have good fortune in the afterlife and be blessed with protection),
• Cinnamon (to fire up Light to help them progress and strengthen their spiritual progression),
• Mugwort (that they may rest in peace and to enable them to communicate with me in dreams if they should like to do so),
• Loosestrife (that they might have calmness of mind and heart and drive away all evil and worries).

I ground the herbs together while praying over them, thanking each for its aid and asking it what I wished it to do.

I then took up a plate consecrated for the purpose of candlework–which Solomonic magician and Conjure worker Balthazar Van Der Merwe called the “Tablet of Lights”–as well as a spiritually-prepared chalk marker. This chalk had been previously exorcised and consecrated following the Key of Solomon’s method.

With these, I drew a “5-spot” of 5 equal-armed crosses in the form of a larger cross. Hearts were used to finish the Holy Cross, signifying the intention to extend love, care, and comfort to the Souls included in the work. I then included the initials of the three Souls under where I would position their candles.

Using a fresh pin, I carved each of their names into their respective candles. I then dressed each candle with Holy Olive Oil before rubbing the Herbal mixture into it, praying continuously at the same time. Finally, I warmed the bottom of each candle to fix each to the Tablet of Lights, while praying over them.

Next, I prepared charcoal, Frankincense, 3 glasses of water, and an additional candle for Archangel Michael, and brought the Tablet with the fixed candles into my Temple space. I left them there while I took a ritual bath, cleansing and purifying myself with Hyssop for the work at hand. Then, the spiritual work began.

C. The Working: Offerings and Transition Assistance for Three Recently Deceased Souls

I placed Archangel Michael’s dedicated spirit table at the center of my Solomonic Circle in the center of my Temple space. On the table, I placed Michael’s Statue, a water glass for him, the Tablet of Lights and candles, a censer containing charcoal and Frankincense, the Bell of Art, a bread offering for Michael, a torch, and three glasses of water for the three spirits.

I began began by praying in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, while ringing the Bell in the formation of a Cross multiple times over the spirit table, to open the work and “wake up” the spirits.

I then prayed extemporaneously for God’s help, the help of my Ancestors and those of the three deceased, and that of Archangel Michael. I did not do a formal Solomonic evocation of Michael, but simply asked him to be present and to assist with the work and greeted him with water, bread, Frankincense, and a candle offered to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit on his behalf and which I invited him to enjoy.

I then lit the three candles while praying over them. I greeted each spirit in turn, starting with P.D., proceeding to M.TP. and ending with J.W. I explained to them why I had invited them here and offered their candles, Frankincense, and water glasses to the Most High on their behalf before inviting them to partake in them for refreshment, light, and strengthening.

I then prayed for the three spirits collectively and then explained to them the role of each Herb fixed to their candle and prayed for its benefit to be bestowed unto them.

Next, I spoke to the spirits of the Herbs and invited them to partake of the fire, Frankincense, and water offered as thanks for their assistance in the working.

Then I prayed for each spirit one at a time, starting with P.D., proceeding to M.TP. and ending with J.W. I then spoke to each spirit as if they were sitting before me and alive, citing cherished memories of my time with them, thanking them for their strengths, blessings, and the traits I appreciated about them, and again praying for their cleansing, purification, uplifting, illumination, good fortune, care, and comfort beyond their deaths.

At the end of each series of prayers, I addressed the spirit and invited it to communicate any message he or she wished to share with me.

The messages were brief and yet, so meaningful to me. As each spirit spoke, I seemed to see a hint of it Astrally; I saw them appearing from their waist up, looking much as they had looked when I last saw them, or perhaps a little younger.

Their images seemed to emerge out of darkness and hover in a gentle illumination above their associated candle and its flame.

These were the messages I received from the three dead spirits with whom I had worked in life:

From P.D.: (speaking in French) “Thank you for this gesture and for your help. It’s so nice here (Frater S.C.F.V.’s Note: seeming to me, in the “space” in which he now found himself after death)! So beautiful! Thank you!“

From M.T.P. (speaking in French): “Thank you, A., for helping me. How we laughed! Thank you for all you did.”

From J.W. (speaking in English): He appeared stern as he had in life, then seemed to shift into a half-smile and said, gruffly but sincerely, “Sorry I gave you such a hard time. Thanks for your help.”

After each spirit spoke, I shared some private final words to them, which I shall not share here as they are personal to us.

Their candles were burning so still and the feeling in the room was somehow both heavy and light at the same time. The words I spoke seemed to hang on the air… as if time itself had come to a halt.

Attuning to the spirits of the tree, I could feel that they were dead, but they did not seem scared; instead, they seemed content and comforted to be there.

The space in the room was positively thick with energy and yet so still, so clear and yet so solid…

Indeed, I was so touched when I finished sharing and receiving the above messages, that I had completely forgotten to pay attention to Archangel Michael’s candle.

That’s when I noticed — it was going wild.

My impression was that the Archangel was doing some intense work to help the three spirits.

In a startling visual display, Michael’s candle began to sputter up tall bursts of fire, spitting them upwards at a rapid pace, like dragon fire. This rapid bursting would be followed by the flame dropping into a very tall, clear, still flame, and barely moving at all.

Then the flame’s tip would split into separate “tongues” of flame, as if the Angel was working on individual spirits at that time, 2-3 at a time, before returning to the tall flame bursts and swaying. The bursting seemed to indicate burning through impurities; the still hovering to harmonizing and attuning.

I asked Michael if I could film this candle flame manifestation and share it with others to inspire them to know that Angels are very real and he agreed for me to share the brief footage below:

I cannot overstate the intensity of the emotions I felt as I watched this scene and felt its impact on the three spirits… I felt overcome with awe, complete wonder, utter astonishment, moved almost to tears…

Even just watching the video back a day later, I feel an intimation of those same feelings. The contrast between the wildly active candle offered to Michael and the very still candles of the dead was so striking to me then and remains so today.

Moreover, I was amazed and surprised by the fact that in this humble little ritual to help these three souls, I felt Michael’s presence more powerfully, more palpably, more viscerally than I ever had before… Including in any of the full Solomonic evocations I had done with him. I didn’t know what to make of it…

Suddenly, my eyes fell closed.

Out of the blackness of my closed eyelids, I saw a face of pure light emerge from the darkness.

It was Michael.

He spoke to me in a voice at once deep, calm, loving, and grounded.

He said:

“This is the work I knew you were capable of, that I was waiting to see from you.
Working to help, working not for yourself.
Whenever you work for the good of others, in love and humility,
I’ll never fail to help you.“

Just like that, his image vanished, and my eyes opened once again.

The Archangel’s candle continued to flicker, sputter, wind from side to side like a serpent, and stretch higher than I thought possible above the candle holder…

Image of Michael’s candle rising high above the rim of the candle holder, with the wick being all the way at the bottom of the candle holder, sitting in a shallow pool of wax. Shared with the Angel’s permission.

I felt so moved and touched I couldn’t think of words to say. I could only pray “thank you… thank you… praise God! Thank you…”

My thoughts drifted back to remembering a Solomonic invocation I completed 4 years ago, in which I had found Michael quite difficult to communicate with. I’ve now come to believe that part of why I had such trouble was that, in that ritual, my heart simply wasn’t in the right place. I was thinking too much of myself and fooling myself perhaps, but not the Angel.

Now I was focused on working for the good of others, asking nothing in return, pure and sincere in my intent, nothing could be easier than receiving Michael’s words… That seemed a profound lesson about Angelic work, namely, that an Angelic Operation is most powerful and effective when we not only respect the protocols for fasting, prayer, abstaining, etc. in the days leading up to the Operation, but also approach it with a clear and clean purpose and a heart centered on extending the Good, on blessing.

Such a heart, such a mind-set, is in harmony, not only with the nature of the Angels themselves–thereby making it easier to attune to them–but also with the Divine Will itself.

For the Divine Will is always to extend the Good, through all manners, through all planes and worlds, to all beings, in all ways; as the great Adepti and Scriptures tell us, the eternal extension of the blood–Supreme Cosmic Benediction–is Love itself in action, Grace itself, and even the very Nature of God.

Photo of the Statue of Michael I took in Saint Michael’s Basilica in Sherbrooke.

Indeed, it reminds me of the words of Christ in Matthew 23:12, in which he says that “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

It now seems to me that there is a profound occult secret hidden here, in plain sight. At least for the Christian folk magician, the more we humble ourselves, the more we keep our self-concern out of the work while elevating the Divine and focusing on benefiting others through the work, the more help we will receive and the easier it will be to attune to the Angelic presence in the work.

Conversely, if our Angelic communications break down, it’s worth doing some soul-searching about our real motives, what we’re really aiming at, and whether that really is what we say it is…

This lesson also reminded me of the words of John the Baptist speaking of Christ in John 3:30, in which he proclaimed that “I must decrease; He must increase.” John devoted his life to paving the way for Christ, heralding his arrival, and drawing all to him in repentance, even unto death. Having so faithfully humbled himself, Jesus said about him in Matthew 11, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist.” And yet, even after this, he added a humbling other part for you and me, “…yet whoever is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.“

At this part of the working, I was so moved, I could barely proceed. But I knew I had to carry on.

I prayed for P.D., M.T.P., and J.W and recited Psalm 132 on their behalf, praying the following (Names of God Bible Translation):

“Psalm 132

A song for going up to worship.

¹ O YHVH, remember David and all the hardships he endured.
² Remember how he swore an oath to YHVH
    and made this vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
³         “I will not step inside my house,
⁴ get into my bed, shut my eyes, or close my eyelids
⁵ until I find a place for YHVH,
    a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

⁶ Now, we have heard about the ark of the promise being in Ephrathah.
    We have found it in Jaar.
⁷ Let’s go to his dwelling place.
    Let’s worship at his footstool.
⁸ O YHVH, arise, and come to your resting place
    with the ark of your power.
⁹ Clothe your priests with righteousness.
    Let your godly ones sing with joy.
¹⁰ For the sake of your servant David,
    do not reject your anointed one.
¹¹ YHVH swore an oath to David.
    This is a truth he will not take back:
        “I will set one of your own descendants on your throne.
¹² If your sons are faithful to my promise^[a]
    and my written instructions that I will teach them,
        then their descendants will also sit on your throne forever.”

¹³ YHVH has chosen Zion.
    He wants it for his home.
¹⁴ “This will be my resting place forever.
    Here I will sit enthroned because I want Zion.
¹⁵ I will certainly bless all that Zion needs.
    I will satisfy its needy people with food.
¹⁶ I will clothe its priests with salvation.
    Then its godly ones will sing joyfully.
¹⁷ There I will make a horn sprout up for David.
    I will prepare a lamp for my anointed one.
¹⁸ I will clothe his enemies with shame,
    but the crown on my anointed one will shine.”

Ancient Roman fresco of David as Shepherd.

I was going to end the ritual there, but felt nudged to add a final Psalm 23 as well:

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his Name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

Having finished praying the Psalm, to close the Temple, I prayed an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be, as taught to me by a dear Esperitista friend, while again ringing the Bell of Art.

I gave thanks a final time, said goodbye to the three deceased, thanked Michael, the Ancestors, and the Most High, then declared the Temple duly closed.

I left the candles to burn and checked in on them about 40 minutes later, only to see the following:

My impression was that P.D.’s and M.T.P.’s candles had burned down rather quickly, but with tears of wax running down the sides as they burned, suggesting that pain and other impurities were being processed out of the spirits with help from Michael.

J.W.’s candle on the other hand, burned clean and clear almost to the end, when it suddenly pulled forward in an extension of wax towards where I was standing. How can we interpret the wax from these candles?

C. Practical Carromancy: Wax Remains Readings of the Three Candles

P.D.’s candle wax remains.

The next morning, I took the high-definition pictures of the wax remnants of each candle that you see here and endeavoured to interpret them with some insights from fellow readers with whom I shared the images in order to obtain insights from objective third parties. Much thanks to Cléo and David Domart, my fellow Working the Root students, for their input.

First, as seen above, we have P.D.’s candle. What I saw here was a spirit reposed and relaxed, a face looking to the side, surrounded by comforting and joyful petals. David got an impression of “thank you” from this wax and Cléo got a sense of “petals and playful cherubs.” This seemed very much in harmony with the message I received from P.D., namely, that he was grateful and that he found the space he was in very “nice! So beautiful!” This wax pattern was also very much in harmony with P.D.’s personality; he was a friendly and fabulous man who delighted in fashion and flowing fabrics. I saw his ‘imprint’ in this wax, in this sense, the stamp of the energy he embodied.

The second candle was M.T.P’s and looked as follows:

M.T.P.’s candle wax remains

What I saw here was her face, looking relaxed and content (the wick remains forming two eyes connected to a nose with a mouth below it). Above her, I saw the sweep of her hair, looking flowing and free. There were hints of her ears and perhaps a suggestion of a bosom at the bottom of the wax. Cléo also got a feeling of joy and gratitude from M.TP.’s candle. I was also struck by how much it looked like her; I could almost see her little smile and hear her joyful giggle as if she were laughing in my presence! David, similarly, sensed her free-flowing spirit and noted that he could feel “energy moving fast.” That sounded appropriate to me.

Finally, and most interestingly, we come to J.W.’s candle wax remains:

J.W.’s candle wax remains.

This wax felt entirely different from the others. As it turns out, this was exactly as it should be. P.D. and M.T.P. were both friendly, jovial people. J.W. was cut from a different cloth; he tended to be harsh and suspicious to the point where he refused to answer nearly every question I ever asked him. Part of my work with his spirit in the candle work here involved trying to show him my good will for him and help him relax his walls of suspicion so that he could move on without getting unnecessarily obstructed and encumbered. To hear him say “Sorry I was so hard on you, thank you” was about the nicest thing I could have hoped for from him. I told him all was forgiven and that I was just happy to have had the honour of meeting him and his family.

Looking at his wax remains, I see the wick remnants making up a face once again, a very different kind of face. I see eyes that look suspicious, perhaps a little fearful yet incredulous, but also see the wax sweeping down to the right as an outstretched arm, a kind of “olive branch” to me. I read it this way because the wax is coming towards where I was standing while doing the candlework. The overall message then became something like “yeah, I’m still a little wary of you, but I appreciate what you did for me so here’s an olive branch.”

Seeing this wax pattern, Cléo found it a little hard to read, saying he “seems elusive, like moving on or going through something.” That sounded right to me. J.W. was an elusive person in life, and remained so in death. He was hard to read, evasive as a man, both for people who just met him and for his own family members who had known him the longest. Moreover, he likely was going through confusion because his death came suddenly when we had been preparing for him to go home the very next day from the hospital; we have even put in place a new bed, raised toilet seat, and free homecare services to help receive him more comfortably at home. Appropriately, reading this wax, David saw someone “lost, not quite conscious.” That resonated. I hoped that the Rootwork would help calm, comfort, clear, illuminate, and strengthen his spirit through this transition.

D. Conclusion: Parting Thoughts on Working at the Crossroads of Life and Death

Overall, this was a beautiful working, a working that made me feel at once connected to the roots of the Herbs that powered the work, to Archangel Michael’s profound presence, to my own Ancestors and the Rootworkers who came before me, and to my fondly-appreciated clients at their passing.

I hoped that the working would help them to move on even as the Fire and Herbs helped soothe my own grieving and the bereavement of their surviving loved ones.

At the same time, the ritual cemented for me that magic really can operate at the Crossroads, even of Life and Death itself.

And while moving in that liminal space, a space of terror for many, we as spiritual workers can move in peace, and doing so, help bring that peace to troubled spirits in their moment of transition.

What could that be but an honour and a humbling opportunity for service, to life, death, and the Infinite itself?

Healing Beyond the Grave: Working Wonders for a Dead Man and his Family

By Frater S.C.F.V.

Post-Death rootwork set-up for my Buddhist client Michael.

A. Context of Working: Spiritual Forces Aligning at the Sudden Death of “Michael”

On July 12, 2022, I was informed that one of my elderly homecare clients, whom I will call “Michael” to protect his identity, was found dead in his room.

As it turns out, shortly before Michael died as we later discovered when time of death was determined, he had left me a touching voicemail about his friend Nancy, saying that he missed her and wished to see her more.

“Talk to you soon, man” Michael said, before ending his call.

Not long after that, he appeared to have died of natural causes linked to one of his many health conditions.

It was later suspected that he passed away either due to the cessation of breathing after choosing not to use his sleep apnea machine or a cardiac issue had led to his death.

In a sad turn of fate, the person who found Michael lying dead in his bed the next morning was the very person about whom he had left his final voicemail — Nancy.

She was stopping by to bring him some breakfast, a breakfast he sadly never got to eat.

As it turned out, Michael’s homecare Nurse, whom I’ll call “Haley,” happened to stop in to see Michael just as Nancy was still there after discovering his body.

The amazing thing was that Michael was not on Haley’s nursing route for that morning — she said that “something” had prompted her to bring Nancy some of the tubigrip Michael had to have wrapped around his legs to reduce swelling.

As an occultist and reader, I can’t help but see the aligning of spiritual forces coming together here — Michael’s last call to me being about Nancy; Nancy showing up to bring him breakfast mere hours after he passed away; a spiritual ‘nudge’ bringing Haley to his apartment at the same moment Nancy would need her to be comforted after the traumatic discovery of his body; Michael sharing his final message about Nancy with me so that I could share it with her to show Nancy how much she meant to him and what a profound impact she had on his life…

It was like the golden threads of each of our life paths had been woven together in this significant moment to weave a beautiful tapestry of meaning, healing, and spiritual import….

As the great rootwork and conjure teachers would say, this was a “crossroads moment” where life, death, and the hearts of the living and the dead came together for a key purpose.

After Haley found Nancy crying near Michael’s body, she gracefully completed the necessary follow-ups for paramedics to come to intervene with Michael.

The paramedics did not attempt CPR because his body was already cold, suggesting he had died the night before, shortly after he left me his final message.

The Crossroads Moment. Credit to Getty Images.

I spent the morning consoling Nancy, who was understandably distraught by this ordeal, and made a plan with her to offer her some support in the weeks to come as she processes the traumatic experience of finding someone she cared about dead in their home.

I spent the afternoon helping to organize for the funeral home to pick up Michael’s body and coordinating with his ex-wife, whom I’ll call “Emma,” as she was listed as Michael’s official next-of-kin.

Michael did have children, but they had sadly not spoken to him in 20 years. As he once told me, “I made a lot of mistakes with my children, mistakes I regret — I just wished I could have told them I loved them and am proud of them.”

Michael’s siblings lived in another province, and unfortunately, we had no contact information for any of them.

Tragically, when Emma unlocked Michael’s phone, she found that he only had a few numbers saved: hers, mine, Nancy’s, and Haley’s.

He did not even have numbers to reach his children or siblings. This is an important point, which I’ll come back to later, as it shaped the direction of the spiritual work to be done to help him after his passing…

Due to Michael’s descendants and family members being out of reach, it fell on Emma and me to try to plan Michael’s funeral arrangements.

Quite understandably, Emma was not very close to Michael after their divorce, but she was nonetheless very distressed by his sudden passing as they had been close for many years.

Indeed, we all were — I had worked with Michael regularly over the past 3 years and expected him to live many more years to come.

But Death comes on its own schedule, whether we expect it or not.

Emma believed that Michael would have wanted a Catholic funeral, but I explained to her that he was a devout Buddhist. He and I had often discussed Buddhism and he used to light incense for the Buddha every day.

Very touchingly, Michael had compassion for a little squirrel he used to feed as part of his Dharma practice; “Squirrely” as he called him, would come into his bedroom every morning to pick up some of the deluxe almonds and cashews Michael spoiled him with, would leave, and would come back the next morning. Michael always left his patio door ajar so that Squirrely could come in, get his breakfast, and leave.

Medically, Michael’s Nurse and I had concerns about the squirrel coming into his home from the perspective of possibly carrying rabies, fleas, etc., but spiritually, I knew it was alright and a valuable part of his practice by which Saint Francis of Assisi would have been pleased. Squirrely only came to the apartment to eat and always left right after.

In light of Michael’s wishes and spiritual path, I suggested that Michael would have wanted a Buddhist funeral. I informed Emma that he had once asked me to give an incense offering on his behalf, which I had committed to do.

After providing Emma with emotional support, helping her with the kinds of follow-ups we have to do after someone passes away (e.g. informing the government to end their benefits, doing tax follow-ups, searching for a will, dealing with creditors, etc.), we went on to start planning the funeral.

I put Emma in contact with a local Buddhist Temple that I had previously inquired with to help Michael get some Dharma teachings to request their help with the funeral planning. Emma and I then made a plan for the next few days of steps from the practical, mundane side of things.

As for me, I began to plan for the spiritual work I would do to continue to help Michael beyond the grave.

B. Working the Herbs and Light: Offerings and Rootwork to Aid the Transition

Once home, in order to honor my promise to Michael to light incense for him, say goodbye, and help him in the next stages of his progression from this world, I wanted to do some offerings on his behalf.

I divined with some of the Spirits with whom I worked and put together a series of offerings to honour and support him.

Buddhists like Michael don’t precisely believe we have a “spirit,” but they do believe in a continuity of consciousness from one incarnation to another.

Whatever the transition should look like for Michael, I wanted to help ease his path.

Therefore, first, I prepared some bread for him in case he does not yet realize he has died and would benefit from the energy.

Second, I prepared a shot of Sortilège, which is a Canadian sweet maple whisky, which I thought Michael would enjoy as a French Canadian raised surrounded by sugar shacks. From the magical side, I knew the sugar would also help “sweeten” him to the work to be done and the transition ahead of him.

In addition, whisky is often used in conjure and in several ATRs in offerings for the dead. My hope was to nurture and warm Michael’s consciousness–I would say spirit in my paradigm–and also to help sweeten him to his new existence and “lift his spirits” or cheer him up.

Funny enough, “sortilège” is French for sorcery; how appropriate for a magical working.

Third, I showed him some different incenses and asked him to nudge me when I hovered over one he liked. I was going to go with Frankincense or Myrrh, but he nudged me to use Musk. I sensed he might be looking to draw Love to himself in the unfamiliar space of death, since we use Musk as a love-drawing scent in rootwork. In addition, Musk is also a common incense in Buddhism, so it might have felt more comforting to him as well.

Fourth, I wanted to offer him a white candle and invited my Spirits and Michael himself to guide me as to which herbs to use to dress the candle.

I used a base of Holy Olive Oil, which in rootwork is used for anointing and as a general purpose oil.

For herbs, I felt guided to use an interesting combination of Rose and Pine.

Rose is used in Venusian work in traditional grimoire magic. Interestingly, it is also used for drawing Love in Hoodoo and as a symbol of Divine Love in Rosicrucianism. I used it to help Michael feel loved in his transition and as an expression of my care and appreciation for him.

Pine can be used for a number of reasons. In Hoodoo, it is used for attracting fortune and cleansing. In the context of this working, I hoped it would help cleanse Michael’s consciousness to help his transition and strengthen him spiritually with good fortune in the time to come.

Interestingly, in his Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1533), Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa also interestingly links Pine-Trees to Saturn (Book I, Chapter XXVI). This seemed appropriate to the Saturnine work of crossing the boundary of life/death, and our mourning for Michael’s sudden passing.

In addition, some traditional witchcraft traditions link Pine to Mars because of the plant’s pointy needles. I hoped this aspect would give Michael some energy and drive to help him with his transition.

Finally, I included two images of the Buddha as Michael would have wanted. Even though I mainly work within a mystical Christian paradigm, I wanted to respect Michael’s wishes and comfort zone.

I opened with a set of prayers within my paradigm, made offerings to God on Michael’s behalf and invited Michael, my Ancestors, Michael’s Ancestors, and the Angels and other spirits of my spiritual court to partake of them for strengthening in the work.

I explained the purpose of the different ingredients to Michael and why I was offering them and how I hoped they would help him. I called on the spirits of Musk, Pine, Olive, Rose, to help in the work according to each of their specialties.

After this section, I saw a small sphere of white light appear near the offerings and streak off towards the right. I wondered if it might be Michael, showing his presence for the work. Or perhaps another spirit who was curious about what I was up to.

At the end of the working, I explained to Michael that Emma would like to invite his children and siblings to his funeral but that we have no contact information for them. I asked, if he wanted them to attend, to please help Emma and I to contact them and made prayers on my side to help with this as well.

Finally, I invited Michael to appear in my dreams tonight if he would like to pass on any final messages to me or Emma, or any other guidance in contacting his family members. With that done, I told Michael the things I appreciated about him, reasons I was proud of him, and told him I would do my best to help give him a Buddhist funeral. I thanked him for the joy of knowing him and wished him all the best, then duly closed the Temple.

C. The Results of the Working: Wondrous Beyond Expectation and Culminating in Healing

The ritual itself left me feeling at peace and with a sense of closure that I did all I could do for Michael to accompany him, not only through his palliative care journey as I did when he was in life, but also, in his transition beyond the grave.

However, what I was most curious to see was how the magical work might dovetail with the practical, mundane work I was doing to accomplish Michael’s last wishes.

As it turned out, the results were nothing short of striking, and the paths through which they came to fruition were equally surprising.

First, although the Buddhist Temple to which I initially referred Emma was unable to assist. Through a series of interesting synchronicities, she was “nudged” towards another Buddhist Temple here in the city with whom she was able to make a beautiful arrangement for Michael. For a reasonable fee, a monk at the Temple agreed to offer Buddhist prayers and incense on Michael’s behalf for 49 days!

Second, as it was Michael’s wish to be able to donate his food and other items to help others, we were able to find an organization that accepted his food items on short notice. This was his wish as part of his dana or charity aspect of his Buddhis practice. Michael had always wanted to help refugees, but never was able too; in death, his remaining food items went on to feed them.

Third, and most striking of all was what took place in regards to his children and siblings. Emma and I did our very best to locate contact information for Michael’s family members, but our efforts were coming up empty. Then, it turned out that a woman at the funeral home with which Emma had been liaising had a contact on the police force, a Sergeant Detective, who specialized in locating missing persons. Normally, this Officer did not assist in cases of people who passed away without contact with their families, preferring to focus on criminal cases. However, in a very unlikely turn of events, she agreed to take on the task of finding Michael’s family members.

A Buddhist funeral service for Thai monks. Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images.

Within a span of days, Michael’s siblings in another province were located. His brother took on the task of repatriating his ashes back to his province so that he could be buried in his family’s graveyard after receiving his Buddhist rites, as per his wishes.

Then, the Sergeant found his children, who were living far from the city. They were contacted, brought up to speed on the events that occurred leading up to his passing. They agreed to come to Montreal to visit his apartment, because Emma had found photo albums depicting them as children — despite their being estranged and not having spoken for 20 years, Michael never got rid of these precious photographs.

Finally, through the Sergeant Detective, I was able to pass on to Michael’s adult children the final message he wanted them to hear and never got to tell them: that he loved them, was proud of them, and wished to apologize for all of the mistakes he made as a father. The closure that came from this was beyond what any of us ever expected.

Tears were shed, not only of grieving, but of healing… a healing that came through and beyond the tomb. With his passing, healing passed to his children, and his final wishes were accomplished, his final words for them were expressed after his death, and his transition into the afterlife was completed with the help of our Spiritual Helpers, with Divine Grace, and the help of the Herb spirits enlisted in the task.

Rest in Peace, Michael.

And above all…

Thank you.