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Because you should only ever be learning your ancestral ways from kinfolk. Here's a compilation of some books, videos and podcast episodes I recommend reading and listening to, on customs, traditions, folk tales, songs, spirits and history. As always, use your own critical thinking and spiritual discernment when approaching these sources as with any others.

Hoodoo in America by Zora Neale Hurston (1931)

Mules and Men by Zora Neale Hurston (1936)

Tell my horse by Zora Neale Hurston (1938)

Let Nobody Turn Us Around: An African American Anthology by Manning Marable and Leith Mullings, editors (2003)

Black Magic: Religion and the African American Conjuring Tradition by Yvonne P. Chireau (2006)

African American Folk Healing by Stephanie Mitchem (2007)

Hoodoo Medicine: Gullah Herbal Remedies by Faith Mitchell (2011)

Mojo Workin': The Old African American Hoodoo System by Katrina Hazzard-Donald (2012)

Rootwork: Using the Folk Magick of Black America for Love, Money and Success by Tayannah Lee McQuillar (2012)

Talking to the Dead: Religion, Music, and Lived Memory among Gullah/Geechee Women by LeRhonda S. Manigault-Bryant (2014)

Working the Roots: Over 400 Years Of Traditional African American Healing by Michele Elizabeth Lee (2017)

Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston (2018)

Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals by Luisa Teish (2021)

African American Herbalism: A Practical Guide to Healing Plants and Folk Traditions by Lucretia VanDyke (2022)

These are just some suggestions but there's many many more!! This is by no means a complete list.

I recommend to avoid authors who downplay the importance of black history or straight out deny how blackness is central to hoodoo. The magic, power and ashé is in the culture and bloodline. You can't separate it from the people. I also recommend avoiding or at the very least taking with a huge grain of salt authors with ties to known appropriators and marketeers, and anyone who propagates revisionist history or rather denies historical facts and spreads harmful conspiracy theories. Sadly, that includes some black authors, particularly those who learnt from, and even praise, white appropriators undermining hoodoo and other african and african diasporic traditions. Be careful who you get your information from. Keeping things traditional means honoring real history and truth.

Let me also give you a last but very important reminder: the best teachings you'll ever get are going to come from the mouths of your own blood. Not a book or anything on the internet. They may choose to put certain people and things in your path to help you or point you in the right direction, but each lineage is different and you have to honor your own. Talk to your family members, to the Elders in your community, learn your genealogy, divine before moving forwards, talk to your dead, acknowledge your people and they'll acknowledge you and guide you to where you need to be.

The Satanic Statutes of the Celestial Church of Leviathan are designed to aid the Satanist into physical, spiritual, abd philosophical freedom.

Every one acts as a key to one's liberation from the oppression of the materialistic and superficial society in which we live, and be a guide to fulfillment in one's life.

The Decrees of Lucifer

1. Reject Any Act Of Tyranny: Tyrannical oppression cannot survive with forces of rebellion at work. One should opose those who oppress them and others from experiencing the satisfaction life may offer.

2. Seek Truth In All Things: The pursuit of knowledge leads to freedom of the mind. Always seek to grow and learn.

3. Respect That Which Deserves It: Any idea that poses no threat or problems should be respected, even if it is disagreed with. Unnecessary bigotry should be discarded.

4. Abandon That Which Inflicts Harm: One should let go of what troubles them to move closer to fulfillment. They should attempt to release what hinders their happiness, and purge impurities that block them from their Truth.

5. Let Others Live Their Truth: Respect other individuals in their pursuit of Truth and happiness, as long as it harms none, in reason. For to proselytize is to shed the value of your Truth.

6. Strive For Self-Illumination: To be an individual is to be true, but to know one's self is to be free. One should always strive to shine a light on their every aspect, light and dark, positive and negative.

The Magickal Suggestions of Satan

1. When one decides to perform a magickal working, one should be completely sure of their intent, what they want the outcome to be, and what might happen should the spell work in a different way than wanted. They should be 100% sure they want what they are asking for/working towards.

2. One shouldn't enter into the craft with any fear, as this will damage the effectiveness of whatever sort of magick they're working and leaves them open to spiritual attack.

3. One should take the necessary precautions to ensure that the magickal working is met with success, and that they are safe from any backlash. This means taking advantage of protective magick and balancing rituals.

4. One should know the area around them, and work in tune with the land and the spirits dwelling there. Magick will always work through the mediums of Spirit and/or the land.

5. If one is to work with spirits, one should get to know who exactly they are working with and set boundaries for that relationship.

6. If one should promise something to a spirit in return for help, one should make good on their promise, lest the spirit decide to inflict harm.

The Edicts Of Samael

1. Let not death strike a fear in your heart. For it comes to those with and without.

2. Utilize your gifts without needless restraint. For if one is to reach their potential, it wouldn't be through solemn shackles.

3. Your pride is your virtue. For if your flames should be put out, your Truth must light them again.

4. Cease not the battles waged in passion. For the war will be lost and despair will be found.

5. Remember the joys and woes of a life well lived. For riches won't sustain vitality.

6. Repair that which you have broken. For hideous regret will soil the soul.

Since I don’t have much context for your question, I’m going to answer this a couple different ways.

If you want to be very technical, the only thing that will add extra padding to your nerves is fat. For this reason, it can be harder for thinner rope bottoms to stay in bondage.

Outside of that, shibari shouldn’t hurt unless you’re purposefully adding an element of masochism. Shibari is usually a bit uncomfortable, so it is very important to make sure that your rope bottom is aware of their body during the tie so they can let you know if something feels wrong. It is also important for both parties to be aware of the signs of nerve damage, so that the tie can be removed if the symptoms begin to appear.

My advice if you’re experiencing pain when you tie is to work on your tension. Tension is how tight you tie your ropes, and if they’re too tight it will put you at risk for nerve compression, which is the cause of nerve damage. ShibariStudy.come & Crash-Restraint.com both have information about how to avoid / identify nerve damage.

Stunning decor, love the wood furnishing panels and window frames ❤

Saguaro cactus Strawberry ice succulent

Zebra Haworthia Burro’s tail succulent

Bunny ears cactus Moonstone succulent

this is a list of magical associations for every tarot card, they can be added into spells to amplify your intentions and strengthen your manifestations

Wands are connected with the Fire element and is centered around movement, direction, energy, passion

Swords deal with thinking, communication, perception, and issues dealing with truth, connected to the air element

Cups are connected with water, and the full spectrum of emotions. every emotion imaginable is covered in the cup’s suit.

Pentacles are connected with Earth and are symbolic of manifestation, rewards,  material wealth and material abundance.

The Fool creates new beginnings and can be paired with other cards. ex: the fool + the lovers for new romance, the fool + pentacles for new opportunities, etc.

The Magician increases your power and capability on all levels, willpower, emotional security, balance within yourself, etc.

The High Priestess increases your psychic abilities, mediumship abilities, and intuition

The Empress will help you with creativity and creative endeavors

The Emperor establishes order, structure, and command

The Hierophant can be used in a lot of ways, my favorites are 1. Pairing it with the fool to attract a new mentor, 2. Using it to summon a spirit guide or ascended master

The Lovers help invoke and attract love, partnership, mutual relationships, and passion

The Chariot is amazing for success, and triumph. I always use this in success spells for exams, tests, and projects. The Chariot will help the best possible outcome for a situation to arise

Strength will help you master your emotions

The Hermit is good for rituals and meditations based going within and gaining a better understanding of your own self, and life purpose.

The Wheel of Fortune can be used for luck, change, and getting a desired situation moving

Justice is great for truth, legal matters, and justice 

The Hanged Man buys you time for a situation you aren’t ready to face, delays events

The Death card works well for ending situations, closing doors, gaining closure, and new beginnings

Temperance will restore balance and serenity to any situation

The Tower is best used for hexing and cursing, brings misfortune, unhappiness and chaos

The Star card is good for when you are casting spells focused on gaining something, The Star card is centered around healing, openness, and hope

The Moon helps develops intuitive abilities and can be used to send bad dreams

The Sun is used in spells for summoning happiness, success, and health

Judgement will help clear confusion and help you with understanding your life mission similar to the Hermit in that aspect

The World invokes wholeness and completion

Page of Wands: works with communication, messages, action, and passion

Page of Cups: boosts creativity, taps into your spiritual nature to bring out new creativity

Page of Swords: amplifies ingenuity and creativity, helps deliver messages from one person to another, can be used to attract someone’s attention to yourself

Page of Pentacles: good for grounding and centering spell work

Knight of Wands: speeds up any workings involving passion, love, and creativity

Knight of Cups: speeds up workings dealing with emotions, psychic development, inner strength

Knight of Swords: speeds up workings involving communication, balance, and thinking

Knight of Pentacles: speeds up workings dealing with manifesting abundance, material wealth, prosperity, and creativity

King of Wands: associated with leadership, command, can help you gain authority

King of Cups: associated with personal feelings, can help you resolve personal conflicts and inner turmoil

King of Swords: aids in strengthening your communication and speaking skills

King of Pentacles: invokes luxury, great card for business success

Queen of Wands: establishes a sense of self security and sufficiency

Queen of Cups: develops your psychic abilities, also helps with understanding/controlling your emotions

Queen of Swords: helps you develop stronger focus

Queen of Pentacles: abundance, creativity, fertility

Aces: used for new beginnings based on the energy represented in that suit

Two of Wands: positive progress in any situation whether it be romance, health, career, etc.

Three of Wands: business prosperity

Four of Wands: strengthens any type of relationship

Five of Wands: used in hexes and curses to invoke conflict, and arguments

Six of Wands: manifests recognition, success,

Seven of Wands: use this card when you’re in a tough situation, it will help you succeed and come out of it stronger

Eight of Wands: directs energy and intentions towards a specific goal or purpose, helps to speed up workings 

Nine of Wands: use this card when you come face to face with a difficult task, this card will keep you brave and strong

Ten of Wands: can either be used to achieve something great, or it can be used in a hex or curse to manifest burdens

Two of Cups: union, strengthens romantic relationships

Three of Cups: strengthens a friendship

Four of Cups: dissatisfaction with surroundings

Five of Cups: causes despair and sadness

Six of Cups: lifts your mood when you’re feeling down

Seven of Cups: illusions and deceptions

Eight of Cups: used to help you move on from the past

Nine of Cups: make a wish and use this card’s power to grant your wish, invokes happiness 

Ten of Cups: brings happiness to relationships of all kinds, friends, family, romantic, etc.

Two of Swords: used in curses and hexes to cause someone to have a limiting mindset

Three of Swords: heartbreak and emotional strife

Four of Swords: used in healing spells, sleeping aid

Five of Swords: manifests conflict, and failed success

Six of Swords: this card will aid you when you face a difficult change, helps you to move on and move forward

Seven of Swords: causes betrayal

Eight of Swords: powerful energy that causes isolation

Nine of Swords: sends nightmares and anxieties 

Ten of Swords: defeat and betrayal

Two of Pentacles: brings balance

Three of Pentacles: strengthens business connections

Four of Pentacles: manifests financial stability

Five of Pentacles: financial problem

Six of Pentacles: prosperity

Seven of Pentacles: material abundance

Eight of Pentacles: if you’ve worked hard this card ensures you that your efforts will be rewarded

Nine of Pentacles: success, luxury, accomplishment

Ten of Pentacles: success, wealth

Oxford World’s Classics Redesign: Shakespeare

"As to the roaming of sages, They move in utter emptiness, Let their minds meander in the great nothingness; They run beyond convention And go through where there is no gateway. They listen to the soundless And look at the formless, They are not constrained by society. And not bound to its custom."