The Spellcaster's Source Hoodoo and Voodoo Witchcraft Blog of Talia Felix

Recently I was in Edinburgh, Scotland -- the happiest place on earth! (And one of the most haunted!) I made sure to visit all the spiritual hot-spots -- Greyfriar's Kirkyard, Mary King's Close, and The Vaults! And it was there I seem to have made a few little friends... Yes, classic Ghost Orbs! I was so pleased. Also I think I made friends with one of the spirits in this place -- his reputation, according to the guide, is for being rather malicious, but in life it seems he was a the sort of guy who you went to, to "get things done." Seems like a hoodoo worker's dream to me. His name is Joseph Smith from what I understand, and I think I will be giving future updates about my work with this most interesting spirit. By the way, these photos were taken on one of the Double Dead Tours -- make sure to check them out if you're ever in Edinburgh. You get to see the haunted Vaults and the Graveyard at night.

There can be no doubt that where faith is very strong, and imagination is lively, cures which seem to border on the miraculous are often effected—and this is, indeed, the basis of all miracle as applied to relieving bodily afflictions. All of this may be, if not as yet fully explained by physiology, at least shown to probably rest on a material basis. But no sound system of cure can be founded on it, because there is never any certainty, especially for difficult and serious disorders, that they can ever be healed twice in succession. The "faith" exacted is sometimes a purely hereditary gift, at other times merely a form of blind ignorance and credulity. It may vividly influence all the body, and it may fail to act altogether. But the "Faith Healer" and "Christian Scientist," or "Metaphysical Doctor," push boldly on, and when they here and there heal a patient once, it is published to the four winds as a proof of invariable infallibility. And as ...

"Allan Kardac is known as the divine messenger and man of supernatural powers. Happiness, good luck, and prosperity. Burn candle for happiness, good luck and prosperity." So says Wisdom Products selling their Allan Kardec candle. As a teacher with little scientific background (he had never attended a university), Kardec -- whose real name was Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail -- decided to do his own research into the popular phenomenon of spirit communication. Not being a medium himself, he compiled a list of questions and began working with mediums and channelers to put them to spirits. Soon the quality of the communications, allegedly with spirits, appeared to improve. He is famous for writing The Spirits' Book , considered the first and most important book on the subject of spiritism.

When I stumbled upon the recipe for Tea Caudle at Vintage Cookbook Trials , it seemed like a perfect melding of my love for historical cookery and tea. I had made Medieval Style Caudle before, and this seemed like it could be an improvement thereupon. Still, I thought it funny to see how little this drink had changed in three centuries; the addition of tea is the main difference; other than that, nutmeg just replaces the older saffron. I made a half recipe, consisting of: 8 ounces Pinot Grigio 2 cups strongly brewed Pu Erh Tuo tea 2 egg yolks 3 tablespoons of sugar nutmeg Into the pot went the yolks, tea, sugar and wine. I beat them up together with a whisk, then kept stirring it over medium heat. The color immediately turned to something like tea with cream. I expected the mixture to thicken, but even after it began boiling it never did any such thing. I figure it just has too much liquid compared to the egg yolks to get that kind of effect. I poure...

New Orleans is often rumored to have above ground graves because of the city's water tables; supposedly dug graves wouldn't survive long in such damp soil and the bodies would float up. This is mostly an urban legend: in fact, it's more to do with the city's traditional French heritage. Here are some photos from the famous Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris to show French graveyard tradition: It's interesting to note that while New Orleans is considered the "Voodoo Capital" of the US, a lot of the magical traditions concerning the dead in Voodoo and hoodoo obviously originate with other cultures: the habit of collecting graveyard dirt for example cannot be easily achieved in above-ground sarcophagi. Scratching or drawing an X into the concrete of the tomb and making a petition seems to be the tradition, instead.

A charming little village church I found in Épernay, France .

When I am laid in earth, let my wrongs create No trouble in thy breast. Remember me, but, oh! Forget my fate. -- Nahum Tate Some performances of the song, whose lyrics we posted priorly:

The Haunted Close The area around Mary King's Close, from an 18th century engraving. I think the first time I even heard about Edinburgh, Scotland, what I was really being told of was the famous Mary King's Close , a supposedly haunted underground complex beneath the city, where the miserable spirits of wretched poor still wander their old abodes. I forget whether the rumor of plague victims being bricked up inside the close was part of what I had heard at the time or not -- it seems to be a common myth about the site nonetheless -- but definitely the miserable state of the town's paupers during the 17th century was an aspect of some importance in the story as it was being told. With the poorest of the poor living underground in its particularly wretched conditions, it was said to be known as "The Street of Sorrows." When I visited Edinburgh for the first time in 2001, Mary King's Close was -- much to my disappointment -- not open to the public. ...