Folk magic uses of Green Pepper

Many know and use hot or red chiles in their workings. However one day a couple years ago a product caught my eye at a mexican botanica store, a Green Pepper Novena Candle. Peppers are called pimente or pimenta in spanish and closely in other languages, but they are not all spicy. An Anaheim, Ancho, or Poblano variety, are less spicy.

Hot pepper more aggressive, commanding and protective and add hasten or to quicken a spell, but can cause explosive relations: too much passion or quarrel, burning akin to needles or a thorn. As I have seen them added to love spells cinnamon might also be a better option as peppers are bitter, acidic fruit.

Peppers are part of the nightshade family of plants like potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and the deadly often poisonous belladona herb. People used to beleive tomato was poisonous, and potato if green or gone bad can kill people.

Green or Red Bell peppers can be used in Desire work for love as they are sweet. Usually a persons object of affection or partners photo are placed between the two cut halves, then fixed shut. The vegetable is used as a spell container or jar.

I have on good authority in the area of southern Texas to Mexico they are fixed with chile, cinnamon, ant hill dirt, and honey to make them think of you. Then wax is used to seal them shut of the desired color.

Peppers cleanse and absorb negativity, undo jinx, used against evil, evil eye, witchcraft or spells.

I have also seen a green pepper floorwash or they can be placed at the doorstep to cleanse and maintain the home or business. To make your own you can boil a few sweet peppers, and then blend them or with a hand mixer diluted with the water, then strain.

I have also seen a green pepper bath!
Hot peppers are usually passed over the body as a more agressive form of cleansing in many native traditions.
They can be burnt in a mixture to dispel evil along with other herbs.
Of course other preperations such as oils, herb mixes in mojos are used.

I seen a lamp to the Lwa Dantor with sweet red pepper for love, money, to break obstacles. Giving her pork or hot peppers will make her "hotter" and more dangerous to work with, especially for the untrained or unassociated.
For bell or sweet peppers color is important, I seen green and red peppers floating in a lamp for her. Green is close to blue in spectrum. Some also use yellow, I assume this lamp was to sweeten the Lwa or was for love or green some use as a color intended for money. I have seen colored powders used for her veve in Haitian Vodou with blue yellow red and green colors.

                                                                                                              S7X

Lineages of Sanse

There are many lineages of Vodou such as "Haitian": Asogwe lineage
and other lineages in Haiti and the Dominican Republic such as 21 Divisiones and family groups.
There is also New Orleans or Louisiana Voodoo and West African Vodoun from which the lineages in the new world originate and arrived from via the slavery diaspora.

Little known is Sanse a Vodou lineage through Puerto Rico which is more spiritualist and deals more with the dead in its approach. Within the other listed traditions there are also differences in how things are performed and this is not because there is no unity of thought rather that the way that things are done have some similarity and an underlying reason for choices that went into the way these lineages were perserved. For example I have learned from some people in "Dominican" Vodou 21 divisiones that their practice is baptismal and more saint based in their approach than others in the same umbrella tradition. Those familiar with these traditions know some things never change and others can be done correctly in different ways that make sense. Most of these traditions are family based, while others are a mixture of family and temple in organization. There are Lwa that are more concerned with individuals and others with community and family groups so that there are going to be differences in spirits served from one region or locale to another, which also influences focus and way the group operates.

When it comes to Sanse we also see ourself as organized by lineages of spirit groups. Our house has pantheon 7 chiefs, whereas others have 21 divisions of families of Lwa or chiefs that oversee a group of Loases. Within the 7 chief lineage the 7 chiefs served can again vary from one house to the next for example.

Ours is Candelo, Tindjo Alawe, Ghede Limbo, Metresili, Ogun Balendjo, Beli Belcan and Legba.
They all have spirits under them. Wheras other houses may have different Ghede jefe chief or Lwa Anaisa or Marta the Dominator instead of Metresili to head the female spirits in general. Gran Solier is generally viewed as head of them all the chief of chiefs.

The candidate entering Sanse would receive these 7 by lineage and also any Lwa insistent within their spiritual frame. Other Lwa can be received at a future date. Some choose to only baptise if they do not intend to or serve as a horse for the spirits to come in preliminary ceremonies to connect them with their own court of spirits. This is partly where the idea of the 7 african powers came from, mistakenly taken to mean the Orishas
example from Sancista Brujo Luis

21 jefe:

Sanse includes the spiritualist tradition of Espiritismo, some are cruzado with african elements and some indigenous elements, whereas others are more classic, minimalistic or european spiritist in their tradition. Usually within Sanse there is the coronation of the or crowning of the dead. Some such as our house and the influence and houses of Ocha/Santeria it is a joining of the consciousness with a main spirit guide with a baptism ceremony, somewhat like the Lwa when Vodou spirit points are received after a lave tet headwashing. Others see it as recognizing your spiritual frame and having a spiritual party.

As described many houses of family Vodou and lineages are baptismal in their entrance rites only. And that also lends to the perceptions about Sanse being a family baptismal tradition, with some minimalist in their spiritualism. This can lead to misunderstandings about others practices and more ritualistic traditions. Where mixes of people came together, the type of influences recieved in the mix varied a bit, as some retained a more Vodou current from the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in working with and serving the Lwa... whereas other focus these spirits as soley representatives, the dead emissaroes or messanger dead of the Loases and Orishas. We certainly work the Lwa but recognize the influence of messangers and primarily are spiritualist in our group in dealing alot with the dead and due to our shared congo influences.

Colors & the panuelos or bandanas in Sanse & Espiritismo

White:all elevated spirits, the dead, cooler older rada Lwa, main color of clothing and mesa blanca the boveda ancestral altar, tableau espiritual if you hold it for guides, and the divisional altar for the Lwa. I have another blog entry that talks about white in relation to purity, spirit/bone and the shells, cascarilla chalk.

You can watch my youtube video below where I talk more about the fabrics.

:

                                         The Vodou Altar: 7 panels

Vodou
Misterios, Chief Lwa
7 color: & chief Lwa of Sanse
Papa Legba: white and red
Candelo: red and white or red and black
Beli Belcan: red and green
Ogun Balendjo: red and blue
Tindjo Alawe: green or pink and green, blue for Indio river spirits
Ghede Limbo: purple and white
Metresili: Pink and white, some use light blue

Some of the Lwa under them, or these Lwa color can change depending on point, or vuelta, turn f the spirit or different path of the spirit.

Orange: female Lwa of sweet waters
Red: generally Petro and Congo, and warrior spirits
Yellow: Cachita Tumbo, Anaisa, Oshun depending on path of the spirit, female Metressas of sweet waters, river, Gran Solier
Blue: Marine spirits, Indio of river, Ocean Spirits like La Sirene and Agwe

Espiritismo

The white table, boveda ancestral altar and tableau espirituale uses 9 panels.

Blue is the color of the waters, astral, mental realm, and the healthy energy bodies together are a white or blue color.

The muertos
9 color: the dead, emissaries, ancestors and guides, or multicolor
7 color for 7 african powers: 1 color for each tribal spirit of the dead, celestial number
Their color can also be the mysterio or elements they work with
red: congo
red/black: gypsy but any color they desire, patterns polka dots
africanas/madamas: under the misterio they are with such as blue: yemaya/olokun, red:chango, yellow:Oshun etc

orange: asian spirits

marigolds: flowers of the dead, flor de muerto

yellow, white: spiritualists, priests, nuns

green: indians, arabians with black

blue:mariners

Hope Faith Charity: yellow/green, blue, red/pink the primary color as the 3 powers/potencias

or the 3 races, potencias as well as red, black, white

Cordon & flowers colors

white: peace, calm, purity: daisy, lily, carnation, rose etc

red: passion, energy, strength, faith, power and belief, for those who suffer

pink: :salvation and help for souls rose, carnation etc, charity with heart

orange:humility and bulgarian rose

yellow: strong yellow: light elevation for incarnated souls and ascension for ancestors, difuntos (dead) sunflower, daffodils, rose etc
light yellow: love, fraternity, friendship. charity

green: hope with the anchor

blue: calm, union, reunion, communication, against division, faith with the cross

purple: forgiveness, pardon, grief
multicolor: reunion of souls, against division of people, and division internally or within your house

Reference: El espiritismo de cordon by Martinez & Sablon (2000)

The flowers also have symbolism, not only in their scent and effects, for example: lily feminine and purity.