Last updated on: February 20, 2016 at 7:32 am By Lilith Dorsey
Graman Quacy drawing by William Blake. From NYPL digital collections.
Many times Africans who make a difference are lost to the pages of history. This is particularly true if the individual practiced an alternative spiritual path. Humanity, and the lives of many of you reading this, have benefited from the monumental contributions of a man named Graman Quassi, also known as Graman Kwesi or Quacy. Born Kwesi Mukamba, this man was an 18th century leader, healer, botanist, and innovator. The blog Trip Down Memory Lane fills us in on some of the background of this lost history saying :
Quassie was named Graman Quassi, which means Great man Kwasi (Quacy) by his admirer and unofficial biographer, Lieutenant John Stedman. Quassi was a scout and negotiator for the Dutch, and he lost his right ear during the fighting. For this reason the Surinamese maroons remember him as a traitor. But the most important angle of my analysis on Graman Quassi was his success in the field of botany and medicine in which Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) popularly known as “the father of modern taxonomy” and the famous Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern biological naming scheme of binomial nomenclature- honored him for using the back of Quassia tree in Surinam to cure fever. A discovery that has enabled scientists to use Quassia in medicines like Bitter tonic and vermifuge.
As famous as Quacy was for his medical achievements, he was even more renowned for his accomplishments as a magickal practitioner. Called a “Witch Doctor” and a “Sorcerer,” he was immortalized by the image created by William Blake for the John Gabriel Stedman’s Narrative Of A Five Years’ Expedition Against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam. Stedman referred to him as “one of the most Extraordinary Black men in Surinam and Perhaps in the World….By his insinnuating temper and industry this negro not only Obtained his Freedom from a State of Slavery . . . but by his Wonderful artifice & ingenuity has found the means of Acquiring a very Competant Subsistance.” Quacy had become famous for his herbal knowledge and charms, also called Obeahs or Obias. He sold these to the fighting free people of color, Stedman comments about this that, “he not only has done a Deal of Good to the Colony but fill’d his Pockets with no inconsiderable Profits Also. ” His knowledge and skill also gained him an audience with the Prince of Orange in The Hague, where he was gifted with a gold-lined coat, gold-tipped cane, and a gold medal. Quacy in later days would proclaim that his trip was the impetus for the Dutch law that granted any person of color brought to Holland as a slave their freedom after six months. So maybe next time you order a Gin and Tonic, turn your minds to Graman Quacy one magic man who truly left his mark.
If you have enjoyed what you read here, please do us a favor and share this post. Thanks.
Last updated on: December 24, 2015 at 4:04 pm By Lilith Dorsey
Happy Holidays from Voodoo Universe
Happy Holidays Everyone ! Or should I say Holidaze ! Each year it seems like the Xmas frenzy gets more intense, people get more stressed, and we all struggle to find the joy in the season. If you are like me, you are up to your elbows in preparations. Our menu this year consists of Butternut Squash and Gouda Dip, Bourbon BBQ Meatballs, Stuffed Mushrooms, Winter Wassail, and Oreo Santa Hats… and those are just the appetizers. With all this going on I thought it would be fun to throwback …hey, and it’s actually Thursday… to the posts of Xmas past. These are some of the posts I’ve really enjoyed over the past few years, I hope you will too. Have a blessed Holiday everyone and Thanks for reading!
Facts About Frankincense – This post contains everything you might want to know about Frankincense and much more.
WTF is Winter Wassail – My version this year contains Meyer Lemon and Blood Orange juice… just add those to the ingredients listed, and you will be very pleased.
Krampus horns selfie by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
Crazy Krampus Craft– Ok, this post is from this Yule, but I’m so happy about how well they came out. Don’t they look great, if your wear these around the dinner table everyone will be entertained !
Last updated on: October 14, 2015 at 5:04 am By Lilith Dorsey
Etsy again photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
Dear Etsy, ….
Regular readers of this Voodoo Universe blog, know that in June 2015 Etsy announced some changes to its psychic services policy and categories. This affected myself and many other Spiritual practitioners that offer our services and goods through their website. Recently they changed their policy again.
The letter I received on Sept. 30th stated:
“Thank you for being part of the Etsy community. We’re writing to let you know that we’ve added the subcategories of Psychic Readings and Tarot Readings & Divinations to the category of Home & Living>Spirituality & Religion. “
The full policy changes can be seen here. In short they have given us a real category for readings, a slight change in their position. Back in June they removed the category called spells, rituals and readings. So are we to assume that magic spells are still tabu? In short I guess we can tell people what is going to happen, but not help them with anything to improve their situation.
I’m not trying to demonize the company, Etsy faces a difficult problem. This is a larger problem really, that every psychic practitioner or client faces. We have legal safeguards for Doctors, Lawyers and others who may be doing more harm than good, but what do we have for psychics? I have been in some locations where psychic readers were unable to charge a set price for clients, and in other places where a reading could not tell someone they were going to die. Part of me understands the logic, but my response is still guided by the facts that everyone has to make a living, and everyone is eventually going to die. In my Dear Etsy post about their earlier decision back in June of this year, I wrote:
“Now if we go to a doctor expecting for help and don’t improve …. and correct me if I’m wrong, the doctor still gets paid, as do the drug companies, and all the other support people along the way. What are the larger and wider assumptions being made here? That magick is ineffective and medicine is not.”
It was wise of Etsy to revise their decision, many people offer readings thru the site, and they will continue to do so elsewhere if Etsy isn’t friendly. I have my own shop there DeStressed Dreams, and I urge you to visit that shop, as well as that of my fellow Patheos blogger Asa West.
Please post your thoughts, suggestions, and opinions in the comments below and remember to share !!! For those wishing to contact me privately about a reading, those important psychic services, or otherwise, feel free to email me at [email protected]
Last updated on: October 12, 2015 at 9:44 am By Lilith Dorsey
Plum Pork Roast recipe for the ancestors photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved and protected by voodoo.
I love to cook for the ancestors. In one of my spiritual houses the reading for this year requires we leave ancestor food offerings daily. Another one of my spiritual houses has me responsible for cooking for the Gods, goddesses and attendees, and even in my own spiritual house we frequently come together and honor those that have come before with sacred preparations of food and drink. If you would like to cook up something this season for your ancestors, I highly recommend this pork recipe.
The following is a harvest recipe, suitable for the fall, when we celebrate the fruits of our labor and the coming of the darkness. Plums are known to bring protection from the ancestors and also the answering of prayers.
Plum Pork Roast Recipe
1 lb. Pork Loin, butterflied
Pork before cooking photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
3 Tbs. Dried Cranberries
3 Tbs. Walnuts, chopped
1 Tbs. Fresh Ginger, grated
2 Large Plums, peeled and diced
3 Tbs. Coconut aminos, or soy sauce
2 Tbs. Grapeseed or Olive oil
1 Tbs. Mustard
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine Coconut aminos, or soy sauce, along with the oil and mustard. Add Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Pound pork loin out thinner with a mallet or the bottom of a glass. Mix together plums, cranberries, walnut and ginger. Put this fruit and nut mixture in the middle of the loin. Tie up with natural string. Rub the outside of the pork with the oil and mustard mixture. Roast the pork in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until it reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit in the center. Let sit 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serves 3-4.
Last updated on: September 25, 2015 at 5:29 am By Lilith Dorsey
Lilith Dorsey inadvertently fondles a witch’s tit. Copyright 2010 all rights reserved.
It isn’t easy being Pagan. On a good day you are met with confusion, and on a bad one prejudice. Despite these difficulties, it is always a pleasure to present at NYC Pagan Pride. It is the one day of the year that we can let our true selves shine. I will be at this year’s 2015 NYC Pagan Pride this Saturday, September 26th in Washington Square Park. I will be offering a workshop, and answering questions about New Orleans Voodoo, Haitian Voodoo, and La Regla Lucumi (Santeria.) Please if you get the chance, stop by, avoid the Pope, and say hello, maybe check out my cookbook or get a tarot reading, or just smile at me… It’s been a long week.
While we are on the topic of smiling, I thought it might be fun to list the top ten times I was proud to be Pagan. Most of these happened at large events, concerts, and performances, if I have left some names out it was to protect the guilty….
The time onstage that we put a hex on George W. Bush. I’m a democrat, not an easy thing these days, and one of my finer moments was laying out a curse, complete with psalms, candles and bones to help stop some of the negative impact this president had on so many lives.
Then there was the time after a large fire ritual performed by the Dragon Ritual Drummers and myself. I had danced with my fire machete, along with many other fire performers, and it was intense. Despite the fact we urged repeatedly Don’t try this at home, after it was done I heard two kids talking. ” We could do this, Mommy has a machete… and Daddy has gasoline.” Don’t worry I discouraged them.
The time I was fake kidnapped by an ATV turned into a Viking boat by Norse Pagans who conducted great pillaging. Yes, they did shout Capitol One.
The mysterious Zombie Flamingo that appeared in our camp. That’s just funny, it needs no explanation. Or maybe it does?
The time I tried to pick a photo for this post and realized I have this shot where I was groping Samantha Stevens. I’m a bad witch.
Then there was the time my friends and I schooled an elder about Pagan names. We had just checked into our cabin at an indoor Pagan event in the midwest. As we all began introducing ourselves, I said my name was Lilith, my friend identified herself as Ainsley, and we were rudely interupted by our cabin mate. He shouted, ” not that crap. what are your real names.” My friend and I looked at each other and said “those are our real names.” My other friend blurted out “people call me Earil, but my real name is Jacques, so there.”
No one who was there will forget the unofficial dirty south jousting tournament where we had 18 people on one golf cart and 14 on another. It was impromptu pagan genius.
A similar moment was had when I participated in the luggage rack surfing race. I remember riding the rack, someone else was surfing in a wheelchair. We won. Pagans most certainly like to think outside the box, or the luggage rack.
Lest I get to the end of the list without mentioning at least one of the more unusual moments, here’s another true story. I was working a hipster party for Samhain ( Halloween) doing Tarot reading. The event was mostly non-pagans except for some OTO people who disappeared early on. I must have done over 50 readings that night about boyfriends, fashion, and underpaying jobs. Then as the night wore on the crowd began to get thin. A small spiky haired Irishman asked me what I was doing. I told him I was the psychic for the party. He said he would really like a reading. He was a drug dealer and all he said he had to offer in exchange was his wares. My first thought, which still lives on today, was that the universe had sent me a leprechaun with a bag of lucky charms to ring in the high holiday.
I’m still laughing at the person at an event who told the late Isaac Bonewits, my sister, and myself that we were talking too loudly and that the drummers (located over 200 feet away at drum circle) couldn’t hear themselves. I think Isaac said something like ” If they can’t hear themselves over myself and these lovely ladies talking, they need to go back to drum school.”
Thanks for letting me share these wild and wonderful proud Pagans memories ! Here’s to many more to come !
Last updated on: August 1, 2015 at 7:31 am By Lilith Dorsey
Photo of Deborah Lipp, all rights reserved.
Many, many years ago in a galaxy not too far away, (the lower East Side actually- which can seem like another galaxy) two women put their toddlers down in a pile of fuzzy toys at a Pagan event, and began to talk. They talked about things that most people kept silent about then… about magick, mystery, and mastery. I am proud to say these talks continue today … over two decades later. For those who know Deborah Lipp and myself, this probably doesn’t come as a surprise, we tend not to stay quiet for long. I am very honored to have her featured here on Voodoo Universe.
Lilith Dorsey: You are a prolific and gifted author, tell us about your latest book?
Deborah Lipp: Thank you! My most recent book is Tarot Interactions, which has a really wordy subtitle: Become More Intuitive, Psychic & Skilled at Reading Cards. The book uses the concept of “interactions” to help anyone become a better and deeper card reader. The title says “tarot,” and my expertise is tarot, but the techniques taught in Tarot Interactions are equally useful for any divination system that uses a deck of cards. In fact, some of the chapters are applicable to any kind of divination.
Chapters are broken down by the type of interaction, and I think two chapters in particular, “Interaction with the Psyche” and “Interaction with the Querent”, can be as useful to a palmist or an astrologer as to a tarot reader. Every chapter also has homework and exercises.
It can be used by a beginner, but the reader I had in mind while writing was someone who had, perhaps, tried and failed to read the cards. Someone who keeps laying out readings and coming away from it feeling like nothing happened. It’s also a good book for someone who has a lot of books that keep teaching the same thing—what the cards mean and how to lay them out. This isn’t that book. TarotInteractions isn’t a system, it’s really just my thirty years of experience organized into topic areas—how I became more psychic, how I began to perceive more and be able to give more—and then sharing and teaching that.
When did you start divining? With what method?
When I was a teenager I studied astrology, up to and including chart drawing, but it never really “took”. I got my first tarot deck at age 21, and I’m not ashamed to admit that was more than thirty years ago!
What method do you use most often now?
Since I first picked up the cards, they have been my primary method. I truly have a love affair with the tarot. I still sometimes use astrology, sometimes do cold readings, and sometimes use laying on of hands, but tarot is my lifelong companion and I trust it completely.
How important is the choice/phrasing of the question?
To me, it’s not at all important for most readings. The exception is yes/no readings and short-answer readings. In those cases, you have to choose your question carefully.
But the vast majority of readings that I have done have been for querent’s life issues; things that can’t be answered instantly or glibly. In this case, questions complicate things in some odd ways. First of all, querents don’t necessarily know what’s important in their life. They usually ask about love or money, right? But maybe they’re asking about love and what’s really going on is drug addiction or domestic violence or a spiritual awakening. It’s important to let the cards redirect the question sometimes.
On the other hand, I do tell a story in the book about a querent who redirected my reading back to her question. This was an interesting case. The querent is a regular of mine, and we usually talk about her career. The first few cards were pretty typical career cards, but after a few minutes she said, “Wait a minute, I booked this reading to ask about my health.” So I went back and reinterpreted the same cards in light of this.
So, even just answering a simple question, I’m talking about interaction. I interacted with my querent appropriate to our long-standing relationship. If I’m reading a stranger, I’m more likely to insist on reading the cards as I see them, because I tend to trust the cards more than the person.
Native American Tarot Queen photo by Lilith Dorsey
Do you have a yes/no method of divining you recommend?
I do, I have an awesome three-card reading that I learned from Eden Gray, and that I use quite a lot. It’s a six-card reading, which is pretty expansive for a yes/no.
Shuffle the deck and cut into three piles, left to right. Flip over the top card of each pile. Then flip over the entire remaining pile, so that you are reading the bottom card. (I have this reading in the book, and it’s easier to understand with the illustration.) Your yes or no is based 100% on the number of upright versus reversed cards. 50/50 means an answer can’t be found right now.
I love that I’m just counting cards to get my answer. Then I can go ahead and interpret the six cards (two each for past/present/future), but there’s no wiggle room on the answer regardless of the meaning.
The quickest method is just to cut the deck and read the card you cut to. Again, the yes or no is derived from upright=yes, reverse=no. Then you read the card to understand why. I think it’s so incredibly helpful for a yes/no to avoid interpreting the yes or the no, just interpret the reasons.
Is there any advice you have for newcomers when using divination?
Haha, that’s funny. Like it’s even possible that I wouldn’t take the opportunity to tell people what I think they should do!
First of all, learn your system, whatever it is, thoroughly. Memorize card meanings, or rune meanings, or what have you. This is like a music teacher telling you to practice your scales. There’s simply no substitute.
Yes, you can read without this, but I think there’s always a quiet little component of self-doubt, like “What if I’m wrong?” Part of becoming a gifted reader is getting past that self-doubt, and knowing that you’ve done the book-learning part, that you have it down, is incredibly empowering. Plus, there’s about a dozen more reasons to memorize. It’s a first step, you’ll move on from that, but you have to do it.
Second, you have to have a meditation practice. There is just no way to become a skilled psychic without basic mind skills.
Finally, trust yourself. If you know what you’re doing and you work to improve your mind skills, it’s easier to trust yourself. At that point, learn to let go, to keep going past uncertainty, to share your trust and confidence with your querent.
To Learn more about Deborah Lipp please check out her site www.deborahlipp.com
Deborah Lipp’s most recent book is Tarot Interactions. Her earlier works include: The Study of Witchcraft, The Elements of Ritual, The Way of Four, The Way of Four Spellbook, Merry Meet Again, and The Ultimate James Bond Fan Book. One of these things is not like the other.
Deborah became a Gardnerian Witch in 1982 and a High Priestess in 1986, and has been teaching Wicca and running Pagan circles ever since. She’s been published in many Pagan publications, including newWitch, The Llewellyn Magical Almanac, Pangaia, Green Egg, and The Druid’s Progress, as well as Mothering Magazine. She has lectured at numerous Pagan festivals on a variety of topics.
As an active “out of the closet” member of the Pagan community, Deborah has appeared in various media discussing Wicca, most notably on the A&E documentary Ancient Mysteries: Witchcraft in America. She has also appeared on MSNBC, in The New York Times, and in many smaller TV and print sources.
In “real life” Deborah is a Business Analyst. She lives with her spouse Melissa, and an assortment of cats, in Jersey City, NJ, three blocks from a really great view of Freedom Tower. Deborah reads and teaches Tarot, solves and designs puzzles, watches old movies, hand-paints furniture, and dabbles in numerous handcrafts.
Last updated on: June 11, 2015 at 3:44 pm By Lilith Dorsey
Light up the black photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
As a Santeria practitioner and TV scholar I truly appreciate the inclusion of the La Regla Lucumi’s religion (aka Santeria,) on the Netflix show Orange is the New Black. The show’s third season begins on June 12th and has already been renewed for a fourth so there is much more to come. The show’s creator Jenji Kohan, who was the remarkable genius behind Weeds, said this season will focus on “faith and motherhood.” (Last year I wrote about the 1st two seasons which you can read about by clicking the link.)
This season’s premiere heads the list of CNN’s shows to watch this week. Netflix made us wait awhile for this one, and I am certainly excited. In my previous post Orange is the New Black Puts On It’s Santeria Whites I write about the character of ” Gloria Mendoza [who] knows her way around the Orisha. Mendoza is inspiringly played by Selenis Leyva. In the early episodes of the show she makes herbal preparations to help with unwanted pregnancy and constipation.”
Season two featured lots of Santeria moments, particularly in Season 2 Episode 5 where we literally start with St. Peter opening the way to learning more about the practices. The shows illustrates the spiritual values of common sense, patience, and cleanliness. As a bonus you also get to hear the Santera Lourdes’ character recite Psalm 91… traditionally used for removal of one’s enemies and “protection against the dark arts,” This episode ends wit a special petition for St. Anthony. Ironically the season premiere is June 12th, while St. Anthony’s feast is June 13th. Who knows what doors will be opened ? I’d love to see more faith based storylines across the board. What would Crazy Eyes’ special brand of Hoodoo look like ? Wouldn’t it be delightful to see Kate Mulgrew’s character of Red Reznikov get a jailhouse Kolovrat tattoo? Hopefully more of the Santeria or “Catholic Plus” religion as they call it will be highlighted too.It certainly seems so, if the advance publicity is any indication, you can see for yourselves in the poster below. But for now, I will light a candle.
NYC Subway ad for Orange is the New Black photo by Lilith Dorsey. All rights reserved.
Thanks for reading, please remember to share, like and comment !