Karma and justice in the ATRs

Rampant in facebook groups is people casting all kinds of witchcraft on other people who don't believe that anything bad will happen to them as a result of their actions.

Firstly lets have an accurate definition as I understand it in the EAST: karma is a result in your life based on your actions and whether you are following your dharma: your duty and spiritual path. If you are off your spiritual path and destiny, karma can result good or bad things can happen to pull you back to your orientation. Its not as pat as do bad things bad things will happen, but it can sum it up in general. Some people need something nice to happen or they become more hardened and cruel only knowing suffering and never hope or kindness. Other people need a foot up their ass.

Even if we do not have karma, x3 etc in African traditions does not mean there is not cause and effect, some people call that karma: punishments or negativity in your life that can happen based on your own energy and actions. I think people do not like the idea of centralized power of a vengeful Judaic God, so they reject the notion of consequences for your actions.

I am not talking morally grey area, like if one does a spell which disadvantages others, nor to those who believe in moral ambiguity who are lost. Lets see what happens when someone comes for you or your family or someone you care about. I'm also talking about harming someone innocent for pettiness or completely selfish reasons. I'm talking about harming people's children for example.

Negative actions can be considered just without consequence, "right" to do for protection, when people oppress you, however other solutions must be explored, and sometimes cleansing and continuing to be in the grace of God is the best choice to keep it moving. Keep in purity is protection kind of like a teflon aura. A dirty hand cannot make another hand clean. One hand washes the other is a proverb often cited in the ATRs for cooperation and in keeping spiritually clean. You can cleanse yourself but still have to answer in your heart, you can cleanse yourself, but it doesn't rinse out a bad mind or head. There needs to be some self reflection.

Your protective spirits got you. It warns against unclean spirits in the New Testament.This choice will reward you with other gifts and spiritual boons as you are owed a debt. Jesus said "has thou received recompense"....what reward do you choose?

In terms of spiritual protection it is generally believed in these traditions that the innocent party will likely come out on top in a witch war even as a slightly weaker practitioner, and especially if they did not throw witchcraft first. That is all the justification a normally chill practitioner would need to hex you back. Even reversals are tricky if the other person can pick up on what you did. People ask how to hide their work and the answer is there are tricks but nothing is 100 percent fail proof. A skilled diviner can still find you or reverse back your witchcraft and a taste of your own bad medicine.
People can hire other people also to defend them who cannot defend themself, more than you bargained for.

Maybe they just keep cleansing and breaking your work, and in your paranoia or lack or results keep obsessively spending more time and money. Many people underestimate their opponent.
Now you are engaged in a co$tly in time and effort, and in losses, drawn out back and forth or stalemate if you didn't get your ass handed to you at once. Time you could have and money spent on getting ahead and enjoyment.
Strong practitioners can come out on top who are unjustified, but will suffer directly or in other areas indirectly, eventually.

In Ifa lineages of Nigeria and Ocha in Cuba/Santeria, there is the concept of Iwa Pele that some translate as good character but actually some say is gentle character from wisdom. This is being in alignment with the power of ancestors and the Orisha beneficial spirits. These good spirits protect you. 

There are bad spirits known as osogbo who are the bad things in life the opposite of blessings. They hang out together: witchcraft/evil magic, war, gossip, false imprisonment, disease, poverty, untimely death etc and are invited into your life.
Ellegua also opens and closes the gates to the osogbo spirits of misfortune. People abusing these traditions meet an ugly end. What holds back these osogbo in the folk stories is humility and charity (love for fellow man or sympathy towards these spirits as appeasement). However charity to this end, with hate in your heart, is only a temporary stopgap measure. Negative spirits give bad thoughts, cloud the mind, provoke and thrive in unhappiness anger and fear, create evil suggestions and inspiration.

You go against your good/ancestors and moral spirits you got to answer to them. Ashe or personal power comes to us by being in accordance with the spirits. You would have to be spiritually deaf or willfully ignorant to never hear your spirits advise against something, never ask for counsel, or ignore these advices at times. You know that voice in your conscious thats often times your main spirit guide to do the right thing. This connection weakens and they step back when we distance ourself and disrespect our ancestors living in disgrace.

Spirits of justice such as the Iyami are said to be "witch mothers" of which a path of Oshun is a part of, they mete out justice and punishments to those who abuse their power. A bunch of avenging pissed off mommy bears but they are bird women. Like the siren, the harpy, the vulture and owl figures prominently as primordial forces.

People approach spirits like St Michael who is known for God's justice and against evil. Spirits of Justice like Ogun do things in their own time they are concerned with, not just because a human asks to enact justice. People think they can then go to these beings for their own motivations with no consequence?
The fiery aggressive Vodou Petro Lwa reason of coming into existance was to combat slavery and oppression in the name of freedom. For Example the Lwa Dantor protects children and doesn't like a bully. We are the children as the result of our ancestors. "the slave master dies at the hands of the slaves" "live by the sword die by the sword" clarifying proverbs.....

When we appeal to spirits to help us they are using their divine powers. They help us out of mercy, love, charity and not just reciprocity as they cannot be bought. As many songs in the traditions of Es piritismo and Vodou in spanish ask for the mercy "misericordia" from the Lwa or elevated spirits to alleviate our suffering. The balance is to provide them with gratitude and energy to fulfill their mission, but also to do charity for others, often in their name or at their request. This is part of the relationship held with saints etc, but also in the traditions religiousity, as many forget its not strictly witchcraft. These traditions are also concerned with self improvement towards our own spiritual progress as a decent person. Charachter is seen as wise and noble rarely stooping to a lower gutter level or to dirty ourself and our crowns shine. This is seen in Ocha and Vodou that we crown and baptise our spirits on our head, and the ceremony is much like a coronation of royalty.

In Vodou and Quimbanda spirits such as certain Exu and the Ghede are tasked with recruiting unclaimed radical dead, often malevolent people, into service to work until they have paid their debt towards spiritual progress. In this regard they are like the priests of the dead. They would otherwise not have veneration to empower them. The slavery or servitude can exist between us and the spiritual realm and has consequences for how the contracts or spiritual vows and initiations are upheld following our death. Not much can be said about it, but an example is between the Nfumbe spirit of the dead and the Palero/a in Mayombe, Congo derived Cuban tradition. How the Palero/a chooses to use the spirit dependant on them, they have to answer for in my understanding.

This spiritual progress is also seen in spiritualism and their philosophy into working with the dead in Caribbean spiritism and all over the world with mediumistic seance traditions. Our destination after death and ancestral status depends on our life lived. We do not regress but we can suffer as a result of re- incarnations and as a spirit. There is a whole group of suffering tormented dead the anima solas and intranquil spirits. These mechanisms give a system of justice and mercy even if there is no "hell" the closest we can say is trapped, ceasing to exist and purgatory as the closest. Besides hell on earth being a physical human reincarnating over and over in this realm in a spiritual quarantine and short sightedness.

It is considered the imbalance which must swing of scales and certain spiritual laws. The archetype of lady justice, Venus, Libra, goddesses such as the Greek Themis and the laws of the egyptian Ma'at and Anubis of truth order and justice against chaos. The pendulum must swing the other way, or "chickens come back to roost". The imbalance is what leads to the tree of death or evil, the qlipoth in western systems away from truth, light, blessings, mercy and life into the obscurity of shadows.

This is not judgment necessarily but exposing truth against illusions as in the tarot. Linked with judgement card as it relates to the dead, and temperance as it comes to personal qualities of prudence and ascension. Those sagittareus arrows upwards of truth and justice, alchemy, light and fire. There are many spirit guides and hunters like of Indios with their arrows of truth and justice, spirits such as Ochosi or Watariamba and deities like Artemis.

Look at the tarot cards of the 2's of cups: love/union of swords mental balance of coins change, wands of worldview and plan of action.

Often these people espose free will for themself, and equality, but these are related.

Imbalances create spiritual blockages and illness. First there would be a need to have enough awareness when bad stuff happens that you could have messed up via magic or spiritually. Without any awareness you fail, there is no perfection and continue to have a messed up life with no responsibility. In ignorance these people often are playing around with volatile forces that can burn them. In a lack of spiritual hygiene and ego they often mess themself up.

If you believe you are guilty it is somewhat correct that is why punishment is attracted to your life ( a self fulfiiling prophecy or manifestation/command/program), but not the only consideration. This is a European western view from chaos and ceremonial magic being applied onto African traditions. That "Everything is mind and controlled in an individuals mind" becomes the antithesis to tribal community religion and the good of society vs sociopaths. This false sense of control lends no accountability in working with real spirits who are not thoughtforms or just archetypes.

People who believe there is no spiritual authority or nothing greater than themselves are under delusion. Firstly these are monotheistic practices, and God's law is justice, truth and love or they "God" are a liar. not a good God This power is even more concretely evident when these same people use biblical versus and prayers in hoodoo. Yes largely symbolic but others placing themself under and calling deities authority to command spirits who enact certain principles People who believe that they themself are the ultimate God, because they have no faith, an inherent component in these traditions. They have humongous ego and lack humility which blinds them spiritually. This lack of clarity muddies visions, discernment of spirits who flatter them, intelligence and spiritual gifts or insights. Spiritual guides begin to distance themself as we do not listen to good advices and good spirits.

This hubris is now the cause of the "karma" effect. Because there is the belief in lack of accountability, there is no need to enact protections (as the self as ultimate power) nor do cleansing. People wallow in all kinds of spiritual stench, and this negativity begins to physically manifest into bad situations, bad health, blockages etc.  
Never doing the math, never having spiritual faith as it lacks convenience.

People conveniently forget the hermetic laws despite using it as karmic excuse. Correspondences, resonances, like attraction, similarity, vibration. Alot of people keep negative work in their house and invite negative beings around themself and feel negative. Some desperate for anything to happen not taking things seriously.
These negative beings can be vampiric.
What is sad is that innocent bystanders can get hit such as relatives, children, and pets.

People cast spells on people who have spiritual protection and guardian spirits and strong ancestors who will come back and teach you a lesson. People who don't know what they are doing, in their ignorance get their hands slapped.

Fail safes

In the end people will continue to blunder around, but there is a fail safe called godparents, mentors and keepers of sacred spiritual technology. Don't teach people things that can really damage someone else if they are shitheads or if they are at fault. Thankfully secrets still exist, as I see what people are posting about to harm others, it is of no concern for the most part. Mostly negative emotional energy being used. They will slow on their spiritual progress not knowing how to reverse or resolve these conditions.

The other fail safe is they are likely to torpedo their own life in general ignorance. Creating and practicing things with little insight, can be dangerous. Unintentionally hexing themself. And NO intention is not everything. You spread hotfoot mixed with goofer dust all over your house against an enemy by accident on your enemy candle spell that can backfire.
People using their own blood and ancestors to do evil end up shooting themself in the foot as it ties themself and bloodline to the negativity and work!
They mess with the dead, demonic spirits and entities who are not having it and turn around and attack them instead.
Working with just one type of energy also can throw a person into imbalances. ie left versus right hand and not the middle path or pillar as a strong internal balanced tree or universe. Each planet, emotion or energy has a resonance with organs in our body. I have seen people who consider themself experienced witches only work with dark goddesses, lunar and earth energy have all kinds of health problems, as they ignore the male life force giving solar energies.

And finally that they can't control themself, are reactive, impulsive and are easily swayed and tossed around as a lightweight opponent with no stability or strategy. Their mind and emotions are unable to come into alignment. which is part of the Orisha known as Ori their head linked with destiny and Iwa pele. To control themself is to mature in honesty, to have moderation, work on themself as a human being and on their personality. Discipline focus and control and knowing the self, the self awareness which has not been mastered, the self they raise above all.

Is there no consequence: No, is there karma: not exactly what you might call it......
This article will never convince evil people but to inform more about the views in these traditions as I understand them, and to console and stregthen your resolve of those undergoing trials.

Sancista 7 Crossroads

Just judge & the 7 african powers

 Alot of people think the 7 african powers are the Orisha but they are not. The confusion came from the saint image of Jesus crucified with an array of saints around him. It did not come from the yoruba faiths that work with the Orisha neither, it came from puertorican espiritismo. People saw these products in the botanica and decided to use them without cultural context, and bad information was spread. You will also see the statues used as 7 madamas or 7 congos as a group of guides, sort of like a package of spirits. The original image likely came from someone in espiritismo to honor their own 7 african guides.

The Orisha religions do not have this concept of the 7 african powers of being "the most important" or prevalent Orisha at all out of a pantheon of hundreds, of some who will be more personally concerned with you than others. The Orisha are all received in ritual and pots anyways, or are in your court and not to be used as a group or pick and choose either. The beginning rituals in Ocha, usually is to receive the 4 guerreros or warriors for your own personal growth and care: Elegguá, Ogún, Ochossi and Osun. This does not make you an initiate until you make kariocha with your personal Orisha.

The 7 african powers are spirit guides, dead elevated humans, just like the madamas, or la madama, not everyone has one of these commissions in their spiritual court or cuadro that makes up your spiritual frame.
Therefore there is no reason to be petitioning them or honoring them without this knowledge, as it will weaken your spiritual connection with the guides you actually do have. Despite people making products and writing books that are not in these traditions since the 1980's.

They represent different african tribes, of dead, that one may have, and one will usually take the lead and come through a reading in Ocha or a misa (seance) in espiritismo. No one person will have the same guide that comes through this category. Dr E, a spiritualist, santero and hoodoo doctor identified them as coming from Yoruba, Congo, Takua, Kissi, Calabari, Arara, and Mandika tribes. Within the diloggun oracle’s corpus of information, the Seven African Powers are heavily referenced in the odu Edigbere (7-8). Interestingly, this odu also speaks about the importance of the drum as a tool to call down the Orishas and it also speaks about the power of Congolese magic within the religion of Palo. (however beyond that one cannot comment on Palo or ones spirits within that religion unless being a priest of Palo, but the dead are the dead). It speaks of working with the dead in context of being around the person, which santerismo, palo and espiritismo would be a path open to them being associated with strong dead.
If a person were to receive the odu 7-8, it would indicate that they have the Seven African Powers in their court of spirit guides and it would be up to them to seek an Espiritista to determine who they are, what their names are. 
Copied from http://santeriachurch.org/the-seven-african-powers/

I do disagree when he says anyone can approach them because we all have dead. Yes we all have dead, but it is appropriate within these traditions and for safety to go to misa, and work with your dead you actually have first. Its not to say you will have these at all, so its pointless. Can you call forth a dead from each tribe? I suppose, at your own risk with varying results. Would this then be guides as used in the originating culture, or the 7 african powers, no. It would just be working with the dead. And they are usually not ancestors, and guides are mostly contracted and present since birth. The best thing would be to enquire before a misa, or get a investigation or reading.

Elekes or Orisha necklaces hanging in a botanica, for the priests of Ocha to sacrifice and prepare over with specific leaves. Note on the second left: 7 potencias or powers. Many in Ocha also practice espiritismo and if they do both may call it Santerismo, especially in New York. In Sanse we do not do animal sacrifice, but may rarely participate in the need to have it. Our necklaces are prepared differently. In the Maria Lionza sect in Venezuela, they use 3 different races in figures of the Indio, African and Eurasian to represent the hereditary and ancestral cultures and of mankind as the 3 powers or potencias, a spiritist tradition, also of the dead. In Sanse you may also see this used, even though they are specific spirits, to represent the 3 groups.

The 7 african tribes are usually worked with a 7 color candle, and a 7 different color striped or patched cloth. For us in Sanse and puertorican espiritismo, 7 is the number of the higher spirits such as Lwa, enlightenment, the auric field light spectrum, and the celestial energies of planets. In my tradition we do not use the 7 bead pattern of 7 colors necklace. We do use a multicolored necklace from the more congo lineage, as we have palo pracitioners in our house. The multicolor also represent all your personal dead including ancestors, necessary spirits of the dead and guides, not just if you have these 7 african powers in our house. This would be called the egun and the egungun associated with the multicolor dress outfit in the yoruban faiths. This is why Oya the Orisha of the cemetary gate is associated with the multicolor skirt, the colors of the wind and dead, besides her brown-red-purple burgundy and the multicolor stripe skirt of the Palera. 9 is moreso associated with the dead and her number. And we use 9 color bandanas on our white table to the dead, 7 on the divisional table to the Lwa. I have seen one lineage use the 7 color 7 bead necklace sequence for the misterios or Jefe Lwa that a emmisario or messanger dead of the Lwa, but we personally do not do this, and have our own way of making a bead necklace for a misterio, but this is not traditional, nor receiving an eleke as they do with Orisha. In Haiti some hounfort do have necklaces which belong to the temple with a specific number of beads to represent all the misterio for the Mambo or Houngan, or made for a Hounsi if it is known the misterio they are under.

                                                       Oya –by Susan Matthews

Egun dancing masks, Benin, by Susan Carlslund

The just judge image is used for folk magic such as hoodoo in justice or court case work, usually in a multiple odd number of novena candles. The just judge is Jesus in the protestant tradition, or Yaweh as they are not polytheist as the judge of mankind, or at least the judaic followers. But it is also a mystic glyph of the sun who is the roman glyph of sol invictus, invincible (winning), and of the bay laurel crown (corona from the sun) of success and victory. Jesus's death signified victory over death as soul everlasting, as well as the justice of a new deal over old testament and Mosiac law. As lady justice has been blinded, many turn to court case work to get a fair trial, for forgiveness, against enemies (as the old guard god of vengence), protection from enemies, or a positive legal outcome. Psalm 94 is sometimes used.

This image and story contains many secrets held within the magical qaballah and hermeticism, and of the numbers, 7, 8 and the dead and solar mysteries.

Of course there are many different Jesus images, as there are fewer than the assorted Mary's used to represent the higher misterios of the Lwa and Orisha. The crucified Jesus may be use to represent Ogun of war and blacksmith god of making the nails and sacrifice, justice and progress,or Olofi incarnated god, the thorn crowned as power of god as mars, the one of good hope or esperanza as Torolisa the bull Lwa, and the sacred heart as Gran Solier sun Lwa.

The 7 saints usually picture around this is:

• Saint John the Baptist.
• Virgin of Regla.
• Saint John the Baptist.
• Saint Martin of Porres.
• Saint Joseph of Arimathea
• Jesus Christ on the Cross.
• Lady of Mercy.
• Saint Barbara.
• Lady of Charity of Cobre
•  The saints are not the Orisha, Lwa, nor the dead guides in question, and saints are used as such in a religious or catholic folk witchcraft, or modern hoodoo sense. As the saints were also not originally in hoodoo, added in since the 1970's. Just Judge, Jesus was used in the protestant sect.

There are many prayers you can use for the just judge. This prayer is from the book:
 New Revised Helping Yourself With Selected Prayers:

Oh Just and Holy Judge, Blessed Son of the Virgin Mary, let my body be calm and my blood be washed so that wherever I may go, the hands of my Lord Jesus Christ be in front of me. That of St. Andrew before and after me. St. Peter's in the back and the middle. Those of the Virgin Mary, that my enemies may come and go with eyes but without seeing me, with arms but without hurting me, and that justice may not apprehend me. That my body be covered with the cloth that covered Jesus Christ's body, that I may not be hurt, or dead, or incarcerated. Oh Virgin Mary, this prayer I say for good or evil that my enemies hold against me. If any sentence be in this day against me, let it be revoked by the blessings of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen

During spiritualist misas, just judge prayers and chantry or mass for the souls of the dead are done to the just judge and especially around the day of the dead, after funerals for their benefit, and souls in purgatory.

 I hope that this clears up the issue and should not discourage you, but encourage you to find out who your spirit guides are, inform your practice, and further your learning. Use this information to evaluate correct resources and teachers, who should actually be in the tradition you are learning about.

Sancista +++++++