Things to Do to Thank and Celebrate Your Spirits

When spirits do work for you, or when you feel the need/impulse to say thank you, there are some great things you can do:

  • Light a vigil candle for them (in their color, with their saint picture if they have one, etc)
  • Read the Bible or another holy book to them
  • Pay them with food or drink. General catch-all things you can offer are alcohol, coffee, plain water, sliced fruit (avoid lemons and limes; they’re too harsh), flowers (yeah, it’s not a food, but still a good idea). Different spirits may take different types of food; if you’re dealing with lwa from Haitian Vodou, ask a manbo or houngan what specific foods a spirit takes
  • Have a Mass said for them at a Catholic church. In Catholicism, dedicating a Mass to a person or saint is common. Call your local parish and ask. You will probably need to pay a small amount of money; usually it’s around $10 U.S. Try to attend the Mass if you can.
  • Write them a poem or song and present it to them.
  • Give them something for their altar. I have a few toy soldiers on my altar for Ogou, and some toys for Legba.
  • If they did something REALLY big for you, ask a manbo or houngan to give them what’s called an “action de grace”. This is a small feast or feeding for your spirits.

These are the most common things you can do to say thanks to your spirits. If you can think of any more, leave a comment!

Example of Hoodoo Candle Work

Below is a picture of some candle work I’m doing for a friend who’s ill. I took a female figure candle, dressed it with Healing oil (you can get it from Khi Armand; thanks, Khi!), and rolled it in a mixture of healing herbs like Lavender and Althea. The spell was then activated with prayer. I will pray over it every day until it’s burned out. Then I will bury the remains at a crossroads so it can manifest out into the world.

 

figurecandlework0516

 

I do custom candle work like this for my clients. Contact me for more info!