Good Afternoon Everyone! So I
have seen a lot of questions about Spirit Dolls lately and people wanting to
know how to properly use them. Each one must be prepared and activated ritually
before it will be ready for use. With this post I hope to educate and help you
understand what a Spirit Doll is and how to properly prepare and activate your
Spirit Doll. I was taught a by a primary Native conjure Woman so my practices
and beliefs reflect it. However you can alter this to fit your own beliefs and
Spiritual Practice.
Spirit Dolls
Okay so first things first, Spirit Dolls. There are two
types of Spirit Dolls, ones to represent the Spirit of a Deity and Guides such
as, Ancestors, Saints, Loa or Lwa, Orisha, and any other Deity Spirit, or Guardians.
The second type of Doll Conjure is used to “trap” spirits or bind them to the
doll. I would never advise anyone to attempt to bind any spirit to a doll and
from what I was taught this isn’t possible to do, but still something I feel
needs to be mentioned to fully educate on the subject. So there will not be any
rituals or spells in this blog about such. Spirit Dolls can be made out of just
about anything including sticks, cloth, clay, or even string, and are adorn with
symbols, trinkets, and charms that represent the spirit that you wish to work
with, for example I have a Spirit Doll made from taking Willow Tree Branches
and tying them together with blue and white string to form a figure. I made a
white clay face for it and glued it on to the string figure. I took white cloth
and made a head wrap. I then made a dress from blue and white fabric and made a
snake from clay and wrapped it around the doll. I use this doll to represent
Marie Leveau on Altar. Spirit Dolls can be as elaborate or as simple as you
would like as long as it represent the spirit they are meant to be. Spirit
Dolls represent active and “alive” spirits, I used the word alive to mean that
the spirits are not actually living but to mean the spirit is able to interact
with us as if they were here and alive. After making the doll is must be
cleansed and made ready to be used as a physical representation of the Spirit it
is intended to be.
One night my grandmother was crafting a Spirit Doll it was
quite elaborate from what I remember because she was still making it early the
next morning when I was accidently woken up by her. I asked her “ if she was up
all night making that doll” and she replied “ Spirit Dolls are best made at
night because they aren’t alive yet and if light touches them before they are
alive it will blind them and they will not be able to work properly, so I stay
up all night to make them so I can finish before the sun comes up.” So this is
how I have always prepared them.
On the night of a New Moon
gather all the items you need to make your Spirit Doll, whether it is clay,
string, cloth, or string. Begin to craft your doll from your chosen item into
the desired form. Take your time and be creative if you want, just keep in mind
the Spirit you wish to represent. When you are finished crafting your doll wrap
it in a dark cloth until you are ready to prepare it. The Preparation and
Cleansing Ritual can be done anytime between the Full Moon and the New Moon
after the Doll is created.
Preparation And Cleansing Ritual
· 1 White Candle
· Smudge and Shell
· Dish of Pure Water
· White Cloth
Begin by
light the white candle and saying:
“I call upon
the divine cleansing light of the Great Spirit, Creator of all things and Giver
of Life. I ask for the ability to cleanse and make ready this doll so it can be
a proper vessel for it Deity Spirit.”
Pass the
doll through the smoke of the smudge as it rises form the shell and say:
“By the four
sacred direction and the elemental energies of the four quarters, I purify and
cleanse this doll of any and all negative energies that ma reside within and
make this ready for my Deity Spirit.”
Splash the
doll with the water and say:
“With the
waters of Mother Earth I wash away all physical attachments to this doll, so
only my Deity Spirit may reside within.”
Wrap the
doll in the white cloth and put it away so no one else can see or touch it. No
one should ever touch your Spirit Dolls besides you; if it happens bury it away
from your property at a cross road, or throw into running water away from your
property.
Spirit Doll Awaken Ritual
· 1 red candle
· Feather
· Matches
· Quartz Cluster
· Smudge and Shell
· Spirit Doll
· White Cloth
· Corn Meal or Nuts
· Anointing Oil
· White Devotional Candle
Begin
by light the red candle and smudge. Put some of the Dragons Blood resin on the
charcoal in the censer. Light the white candle. Hold up the doll over the altar
and say:
“Oh Great Spirit, Giver of Life and Creator of
the Universe and all Creation. I pray that you bestow on me the powers to
charge and activate this Spirit Doll to represent, (Name of Spirit), so I may use
it to pay honor and give offering to you.”
Place the doll upon the Quartz cluster and envision a white
light coming from the ground into your legs and out through your hands into the
doll and say:
“By the energies of Mother Earth I charge and activate this
Spirit Doll to represent, (Name of Spirit), so I may use it to pay honor and
give offering to you.”
Take three deep breathes in through our nose and exhale
through your mouth onto the doll. Take the feather and waft air onto the doll
and say:
“With the breath of life I activate the Spirit of this
Doll, (Name of Spirit), I pray that you come and bless this doll with your
energies and essences, so I may honor you. Hear my prayer dear spirit, I wish
to use this doll to pay honor to and give offerings to you.”
Anoint the doll with oil and say:
“With this oil I seal the energies into this doll, no
longer a mundane object by a physical manifestation of (Name of Spirit). As I honor
this representation, I am actually honoring (Name of Spirit).”
Place some cornmeal in the center of the cloth along with
the spirit doll, this will feed the spirit for the next few days, and wrap them
in the cloth. My grandmother told me this is like wrapping the doll into the
womb of Mother Earth. Put out the candles and place the doll in a dark place
for three days. On the fourth morning take the doll outside at sunrise and unwrap
the doll. Hold the doll up to the rising sun and say:
“Oh Great Spirit, as I reveal the light of life to this
doll, I charge it with all the energies and powers of (Name of Spirit).”
Now the doll is ready. Keep
it wrapped up when not in use and never let anyone else touch your Spirit Dolls
besides you.
I hope this article has answered all the questions that I have
been asked and helps with creating your own Spirit Dolls. Remember these aren’t
the same as Poppets or “Voodoo Dolls” and aren’t used for magickal workings of
any sort. They are vessels used to represent Deity or other Spirits you wish to
honor and give offerings too. Happy Conjuring!!
BrandonRoberts
(Phoenyx)
copyright 2014