Today: Peppers and allspice, when to use each kind
Sunday is when Yeyé visits! Several people asked for more advice, and she was delighted to share her knowledge. Yeye’s health hasn’t been great, and she’s been feeling terribly bored since she can’t walk so much anymore. So getting the chance to write her spells and advice has given her a fun project to work on while she’s bedridden. Thank you all for taking interest! When she saw all those notes in the post of her advice she blushed and got all flustered. It was so cute. We’ll be doing a few weekly specials if it piques people’s interest. Tell us what you think!
So today Yeyé wanted to share with you how we use different kinds of pepper. In Argentina allspice is known as “Jamaican pepper”, so that’s why we’ll be talking about it. I hope you don’t find it too odd lol
I debated with myself whether I should adapt Yeyé’s advice, but I decided to let it as close as possible to her actual words because it would feel wrong to put words in her mouth. However, do remember she’s two/three generations older than most of us here. It means that her practices can sound a little bit archaic (for example for her witchcraft per se was always a women’s art, men are healers, not witches. Also for her “spirit” and “fairy” are synonyms). If you have any questions, we can clarify or provide more info as needed!
Let me translate what she said about peppercorns:
Pepper is a very powerful way to keep away everything we don’t like, to protect, and to spice life up. It’s very interesting, because at the same time it repels bad things, but brings in exciting ones. All kinds of peppers have these two different secrets. It depends on how we combine them with other ingredients what effect we’re gonna make stronger. Pepper keeps away the fairies because it makes them sneeze.
White pepper: is more spicy and stronger. You use white pepper when you want to kick something very bad very far away from your life. And if you want to bring adventure to a very boring life, you use this kind. White pepper protects from the worst dangers. If something really threatening comes, it’ll keep it away. Put a grain of white pepper in each corner of a room to keep Mandinga (an aspect of the devil or also a powerful evil fae in Argentinean folklore) away.
Black pepper: Is the most famous one, right? Green pepper is exactly the same thing. It’s good to banish and to attract things in moderation. Somebody hurt you but you think you’ll be ready to forgive one day? Keep them away for some time with black pepper. Also when your job is boring, a single black pepper grain in your suitcase will make it more exciting. If you’re looking for a new, more fun job, rub a grain against the edges of your curriculum without staining it. Grind black pepper on any kind of food to make yourself stronger and more interesting (that’s a glamour advice, people).
Allspice: this is a very soft kind, and it helps to keep away things that didn’t mean to hurt us but did by accident. For example if you have a fight with your sister, allspice will not let it happen again, but it will not kick her out of your life forever. If you want good spirits to enter your house but bad ones to keep away, you can put allspice in a jar near the window. Bad spirits will munch on it, and since it’s spicy they will run, but good ones are more thoughtful and will only smell it and they can pass. If you are making chocolate cake for the fairies, putting some ground allspice on top of it makes so the bad ones can’t steal it but the good ones can eat.
Pink pepper: this one is the spiciest one. Very hot. You have to be careful or it’ll burn your tongue. Pink pepper is good to keep away bad love. If there is a boy who wants to be your boyfriend and you don’t like him, you keep a grain of pink pepper in your pocket when he comes to talk to you to chase him away. But pink pepper also is really good for when you and your husband are having too much routine and want to change things.
If you want to make a mix of peppers that will keep your life safe but interesting, you can do it like this:
-One part pink pepper
-One part allspice
-Two parts white pepper
-Two parts green pepper
-Five parts black pepper
[She pauses] The parts… should be SMALL.
So that’s about it on pepper. Let us know in the comments or captions if there’s any specific topic you would like to ask Yeyé about next week (I can’t keep track of all the tags, sorry ). We hope this was useful, and she sends a lot of love to all of you! She’s really happy you guys take her advice to heart, and I personally thank all of you for making her feel so loved and welcomed.
Here’s a quick post of herbs used to summon, talk to, or celebrate with the dead. It was created to invoke ancestors specifically, but I hope this helps all of you guys!
Bay leaves promote communication with the dead, are used in funeral wreaths, and shared during ancestral feasts on Samhain.
Birch is associated with rebirth and reincarnation. Blessings for the deceased are written on birch bark and burned.
Cedar is used to summon the dead, and in ancestral feasts.
Elderberries are used to decorate altars during Samhain.
Frankincense is used for purification while communicating with the dead and spiritual transformation.
Holly is associated with resurrection and renewal, thus making it an appropriate decoration for Samhain altars as well.
Lavender is used to bring peace to the dead.
Rosemary is burned in Samhain ancestral feasts to communicate with deceased friends.
Rose represents love, healing, and purification, also making it a great Samhain altar decoration.
Tobacco is used as an offering during ancestral feasts.
Wormwood is used to summon spirits and help them manifest.
Sources:
“Wortcunning: Herbs of the Deceased.” Nafaeria. n.p. 7 August 2008. Web. 17 October 2015.
“Necromatic Herbs: Plants of the Dead.” WordPress. n.p. 8 December 2013. Web. 17 October 2015.
Samhain (October 31st) you can decorate your altar with apple, pumpkins, squashes, crows, photos/items of the deceased, bones, dried flowers/herbs
The full moon is on the 5th and traditionally known as the Hunter’s Moon or Blood Moon. We’ll be seeing it as the Harvest Moon this year(2017).
Yew is the symbolic tree, marigold and red roses are the symbolic flower, rosemary, thyme, and sage are the herbs.
Colors are black, red, and orange.
October is a month to focus on death and rebirth; personal transformation, seeking wisdom, and a time when the veil between worlds in thinnest.
🔮Witchy Ways To Celebrate October🔮
Connect with your ancestors or deceased loved ones; meditate on how they lived and how you can honor them. You can also try reaching out through a spirit board, pendulum, etc.!
Did you know gods of death love apples? But seriously, if you have a deity of the dead take this time to leave them an offering and show your respects.
Cooking! You can cook a favorite meal of a departed loved one, a favorite meal of your deity(if you have one), or just to celebrate the beginning of a new you!
This is a great time to practice divination and it doesn’t really matter which type but try recording your results!
Decorate your home or altar with all things spooky! You can hang garlands of sage and dried apples or decorate your altar with the colors and plants mentioned earlier. You do you, this is a great time to honor the dead but also to honor yourself and the start of a new year.
Celebrate the death and rebirth of the earth by setting goals for yourself, letting go of old negative ways, and starting a new.
this is just a short list to get you started, all other plants and trees have their own correspondances you can look for and use, or define from how you personally think of them.
🍁 Maple –
love, kindness, wealth.
🍂
Oak –
protection, fertility, strength.
🍁 Chestnut –
love, longevity.
🍂 Hazel –
truth, divination.
🍁 Pine – banishment, exorcism, purification.
🍂 Rowan
–
defense, creation, travel.
🍁
Paperbark / Birch –
exorcism, protection, and purification.
🍂
Cedar – healing, psychic abilities, purification.
🍁 Apple –
banishment, fertility, healing, love.
in general, if you dont know the species of trees you’re working with, you can use fallen leaves in spells/rituals to signal change, death before rebirth, shedding excess, and making room for growth.
this is just a short list to get you started, all other plants and trees have their own correspondances you can look for and use, or define from how you personally think of them.
🍁 Maple –
love, kindness, wealth.
🍂
Oak –
protection, fertility, strength.
🍁 Chestnut –
love, longevity.
🍂 Hazel –
truth, divination.
🍁 Pine – banishment, exorcism, purification.
🍂 Rowan
–
defense, creation, travel.
🍁
Paperbark / Birch –
exorcism, protection, and purification.
🍂
Cedar – healing, psychic abilities, purification.
🍁 Apple –
banishment, fertility, healing, love.
in general, if you dont know the species of trees you’re working with, you can use fallen leaves in spells/rituals to signal change, death before rebirth, shedding excess, and making room for growth.
). We hope this was useful, and she sends a lot of love to all of you! She’s really happy you guys take her advice to heart, and I personally thank all of you for making her feel so loved and welcomed.
Candlelight-magick 