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Crossing
I have seen people say “o just do an uncrossing” or “take an uncrossing bath” but there are some different opinions on what exactly should be the ingredients for an uncrossing formula. For your convenience I will give three variants and (maybe) some inspiration / encouragement to make your own batch.
But first let's look at what exactly a Crossing is.
In Harry Middleton Hyatt's book the following testimony is recorded:
De crossin' of de road is called cross-spirit, an' dey goes dere, if dey think dat yo' is doin' good or goin' at anything good – dis evil-minded somebody will go dere to cross yo'. Den dey has a certain thing dey put in dere. Dey dig a hole yo' know – jes' a ord'n'ry little hole an' drop it.
(What do they put in that hole?)
Dey tells me dat dey drops cayenne peppah – whut's dat othah thing – cayenne peppah an' sulphah an' garlic, yes. It's jes' a ord'n'ry hole dat chew dig wit chure fingah an' cover it ovah quick.
(What else do you do out there? What is that supposed to do?)
Den dey has some dis same wicked graveyard dirt [dirt from a wicked person's grave] wit 'em an' leave dat evil spirit dere tuh cross yo'.
From other accounts on the same topic it seems common to give some type of payment to the spirits as well – a coin – which is either given at the grave in exchange for the dirt, or left at the crossroads.
It reminds of the crucifixion, with Jesus on the cross and Judas being paid the pieces of silver. But that idea might lead you down a rabbithole where you end up thinking that the target of your curse is in fact the saviour. Of course, this would be the correct line of thinking if you suspect yourself to be the target of a curse.
In our times the term “crossing” seems to have become a blanket term for any ill wished upon someone – at least that seems to be the case from where I'm standing – and so an “uncrossing” is a general repelling (through applying a certain oil to yourself and/or a candle) of evil sent to you.
Uncrossing
ingredients given in Judikka Illes Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells:
hyssop
angelica
frankincense
sea salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper
rue
garlic
a piece of a broken chain
She writes that
“.. the crucial ingredients are the hyssop and the chain. Add the other ingredients as desired.”
This is very similar to the list of potential ingredients for an Uncrossing formula given on Luckymojo:
salt
rue leaves
hyssop leaves
a broken chain
cayenne
black pepper
sulphur
sugar
devil's shoe string
Brother Moloch's recipe from Pragmatic Magic:
lavender
rose
bay
verbena
You see that the ingredients given in the Crossing ritual are also mentioned in the first two of the Uncrossing recipes.
So let's look at the individual components and their properties and / or Magickal qualities:
Hyssop
A herb that has been linked to purification and healing since Biblical times, and mentioned in the grimoires as being a part of the bath before an evocation
Psalm 51:9 (50:9 in the Vulgate)
Asperges me hyssopo, et mundabor;
lavabis me, et supernivem dealbabor
More recent studies have shown that it has tremendous medicinal potential, even suggesting that it could kill cancer cells and combat deadly viruses.
Angelica
There are a lot of different varieties of Angelica, with very different powers. It is used in traditional medicine, mostly for its anti-inflammatory properties, to treat various skin diseases, but also known to relieve women's ailments among other things.
Frankincense
The resin of the Boswelia tree is likely the most used type of incense. It is also known under the name olibanum and is the incense used by the Catholic church. In Ceremonial Magick it is burned as a purification and offering.
Probably best to simply use this as incense – apparently the resin requires some additional processing before it would dissolve in oil, although if it's powdered very fine it can not hurt to add it to the other ingredients and leave them in the container to make the oil stronger.
(Sea) Salt
Salt is spoken of in the Bible in a couple of ways, but the relevant use for this type of recipe is the practice of “salting the earth”. Conquered sites were ploughed and sowed with salt. The salt will stop plants from growing and thus make the land uninhabitable. Salt will not dissolve in oils. If you want to include it then use it either for a bath, for Holy Water, or to sprinkle.
Black Pepper
The companion to salt has been used as a treatment for cold, shortness of breath, fever and stomach ache. It is also anti-microbial and is even an anti-depressant. Black pepper reportedly also enhances cognitive functions of the brain and improves memory.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne is an anti-oxidant and maintains the proper functioning of the circulatory system. It strengthens the heart and nerves, and it stimulates the production of saliva – which helps prevent tooth decay and fungal infections that will influence your intake of healthy food.
Rue
The name of the plant comes from the Latin for “dug up”. It has some medical properties, but it has also been used as a protection against black magic. The Hebrew word RDH (“to rule over / to take down / to detach something sticky / to shovel out / to break off and tread upon”) describes its Magickal power just like the Latin.
Garlic
Its smell is probably the main reason for the protective powers of garlic. The bulbs contain sulphur, and once consumed this is gradually released through the skin and breath, which repels mosquitoes. Maybe this is a link to the bloodsucking vampire that it is said to ward off. Applying garlic directly onto the skin can cause irritation though. The Hebrew name for it ShVM might come from Psalm 39:9 (38:4 in the Vulgate)
Ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis erue me:
opprobrium insipienti dedisti me
a piece of a Broken Chain
The idea of course being that shackles are broken and you are free from the chains.
Sulphur
The name apparently can also be translated as “lightning”, and the original old Greek word for it (theion) translates to “divine fire” (maybe for its occurrence in meteorites). It is now used as a fertilizer and fungicide and pesticide, but also as a treatment for skin diseases.
Sugar
Other than its use as a sweetener (for an alternative to a Honey-jar or as part of a powder), the only beneficial use that it seems to have is that it is used as a preservative. But even though sugar prevents micro-organisms from growing, it will attract insects.
Devil's shoe string
There appear to be a couple of plants that share this folk name. Among the reported usages are the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding, prevention of hair loss, and fish-poison. The plants all have in common that they form long tough and stringy roots that are said to “trip up the devil”.
Lavender
The sweet smelling purple flower has a calming effect on humans and is used (in teas or sleeping pillows) to treat insomnia. The scent attracts butterflies and bees but dispels wasps and mosquitoes. Some might experience irritation if applied directly to the skin.
Rose
According to Wikipedia, the protective quality may have come from the Iliad, in which it is written that
with Hector might no dogs deal: nay, the daughter of Zeus, Aphrodite, kept dogs from him by day alike and by night, and with oil anointed she him, rose-sweet, ambrosial, to the end that Achilles might not tear him as he dragged him.
In addition to this, the thorns might be considered; as they protect the flower itself.
Bay
Laurel gets its name from the Greek nymph Daphne. She called on Gaia who changed her into this plant to protect her from Apollo's “love”. In old Latin the plant is called “daphne” and a grove of laurels is called a “daphnon”, but another name for the plant is “laurea”. The names seem to be giving different points of view of the same story. Laurel became the wreath of Apollo and is connected with victory.
Verbena
In Roman times this plant was considered to be linked with iron. Its juice was used on blades with the idea it would make the iron stronger, and on the other hand it was used to treat wounds that were caused by iron weapons. It was also burned as a purification.
So.
Most of these will be readily available to most of youse, and making an oil is never a waste of time. Pick a couple of ingredients that grab your attention and get started! But, some of the things listed (like salt) will not dissolve in oil and are better used in water or as a powder, maybe on a candle. Others (sugar in particular) are not something you want to dust your home with. Apart from the Devil's Shoe String and the Sulphur all could be used to make a tea.
I have seen people say “o just do an uncrossing” or “take an uncrossing bath” but there are some different opinions on what exactly should be the ingredients for an uncrossing formula. For your convenience I will give three variants and (maybe) some inspiration / encouragement to make your own batch.
But first let's look at what exactly a Crossing is.
In Harry Middleton Hyatt's book the following testimony is recorded:
De crossin' of de road is called cross-spirit, an' dey goes dere, if dey think dat yo' is doin' good or goin' at anything good – dis evil-minded somebody will go dere to cross yo'. Den dey has a certain thing dey put in dere. Dey dig a hole yo' know – jes' a ord'n'ry little hole an' drop it.
(What do they put in that hole?)
Dey tells me dat dey drops cayenne peppah – whut's dat othah thing – cayenne peppah an' sulphah an' garlic, yes. It's jes' a ord'n'ry hole dat chew dig wit chure fingah an' cover it ovah quick.
(What else do you do out there? What is that supposed to do?)
Den dey has some dis same wicked graveyard dirt [dirt from a wicked person's grave] wit 'em an' leave dat evil spirit dere tuh cross yo'.
From other accounts on the same topic it seems common to give some type of payment to the spirits as well – a coin – which is either given at the grave in exchange for the dirt, or left at the crossroads.
It reminds of the crucifixion, with Jesus on the cross and Judas being paid the pieces of silver. But that idea might lead you down a rabbithole where you end up thinking that the target of your curse is in fact the saviour. Of course, this would be the correct line of thinking if you suspect yourself to be the target of a curse.
In our times the term “crossing” seems to have become a blanket term for any ill wished upon someone – at least that seems to be the case from where I'm standing – and so an “uncrossing” is a general repelling (through applying a certain oil to yourself and/or a candle) of evil sent to you.
Uncrossing
ingredients given in Judikka Illes Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells:
hyssop
angelica
frankincense
sea salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper
rue
garlic
a piece of a broken chain
She writes that
“.. the crucial ingredients are the hyssop and the chain. Add the other ingredients as desired.”
This is very similar to the list of potential ingredients for an Uncrossing formula given on Luckymojo:
salt
rue leaves
hyssop leaves
a broken chain
cayenne
black pepper
sulphur
sugar
devil's shoe string
Brother Moloch's recipe from Pragmatic Magic:
lavender
rose
bay
verbena
You see that the ingredients given in the Crossing ritual are also mentioned in the first two of the Uncrossing recipes.
So let's look at the individual components and their properties and / or Magickal qualities:
Hyssop
A herb that has been linked to purification and healing since Biblical times, and mentioned in the grimoires as being a part of the bath before an evocation
Psalm 51:9 (50:9 in the Vulgate)
Asperges me hyssopo, et mundabor;
lavabis me, et supernivem dealbabor
More recent studies have shown that it has tremendous medicinal potential, even suggesting that it could kill cancer cells and combat deadly viruses.
Angelica
There are a lot of different varieties of Angelica, with very different powers. It is used in traditional medicine, mostly for its anti-inflammatory properties, to treat various skin diseases, but also known to relieve women's ailments among other things.
Frankincense
The resin of the Boswelia tree is likely the most used type of incense. It is also known under the name olibanum and is the incense used by the Catholic church. In Ceremonial Magick it is burned as a purification and offering.
Probably best to simply use this as incense – apparently the resin requires some additional processing before it would dissolve in oil, although if it's powdered very fine it can not hurt to add it to the other ingredients and leave them in the container to make the oil stronger.
(Sea) Salt
Salt is spoken of in the Bible in a couple of ways, but the relevant use for this type of recipe is the practice of “salting the earth”. Conquered sites were ploughed and sowed with salt. The salt will stop plants from growing and thus make the land uninhabitable. Salt will not dissolve in oils. If you want to include it then use it either for a bath, for Holy Water, or to sprinkle.
Black Pepper
The companion to salt has been used as a treatment for cold, shortness of breath, fever and stomach ache. It is also anti-microbial and is even an anti-depressant. Black pepper reportedly also enhances cognitive functions of the brain and improves memory.
Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne is an anti-oxidant and maintains the proper functioning of the circulatory system. It strengthens the heart and nerves, and it stimulates the production of saliva – which helps prevent tooth decay and fungal infections that will influence your intake of healthy food.
Rue
The name of the plant comes from the Latin for “dug up”. It has some medical properties, but it has also been used as a protection against black magic. The Hebrew word RDH (“to rule over / to take down / to detach something sticky / to shovel out / to break off and tread upon”) describes its Magickal power just like the Latin.
Garlic
Its smell is probably the main reason for the protective powers of garlic. The bulbs contain sulphur, and once consumed this is gradually released through the skin and breath, which repels mosquitoes. Maybe this is a link to the bloodsucking vampire that it is said to ward off. Applying garlic directly onto the skin can cause irritation though. The Hebrew name for it ShVM might come from Psalm 39:9 (38:4 in the Vulgate)
Ab omnibus iniquitatibus meis erue me:
opprobrium insipienti dedisti me
a piece of a Broken Chain
The idea of course being that shackles are broken and you are free from the chains.
Sulphur
The name apparently can also be translated as “lightning”, and the original old Greek word for it (theion) translates to “divine fire” (maybe for its occurrence in meteorites). It is now used as a fertilizer and fungicide and pesticide, but also as a treatment for skin diseases.
Sugar
Other than its use as a sweetener (for an alternative to a Honey-jar or as part of a powder), the only beneficial use that it seems to have is that it is used as a preservative. But even though sugar prevents micro-organisms from growing, it will attract insects.
Devil's shoe string
There appear to be a couple of plants that share this folk name. Among the reported usages are the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding, prevention of hair loss, and fish-poison. The plants all have in common that they form long tough and stringy roots that are said to “trip up the devil”.
Lavender
The sweet smelling purple flower has a calming effect on humans and is used (in teas or sleeping pillows) to treat insomnia. The scent attracts butterflies and bees but dispels wasps and mosquitoes. Some might experience irritation if applied directly to the skin.
Rose
According to Wikipedia, the protective quality may have come from the Iliad, in which it is written that
with Hector might no dogs deal: nay, the daughter of Zeus, Aphrodite, kept dogs from him by day alike and by night, and with oil anointed she him, rose-sweet, ambrosial, to the end that Achilles might not tear him as he dragged him.
In addition to this, the thorns might be considered; as they protect the flower itself.
Bay
Laurel gets its name from the Greek nymph Daphne. She called on Gaia who changed her into this plant to protect her from Apollo's “love”. In old Latin the plant is called “daphne” and a grove of laurels is called a “daphnon”, but another name for the plant is “laurea”. The names seem to be giving different points of view of the same story. Laurel became the wreath of Apollo and is connected with victory.
Verbena
In Roman times this plant was considered to be linked with iron. Its juice was used on blades with the idea it would make the iron stronger, and on the other hand it was used to treat wounds that were caused by iron weapons. It was also burned as a purification.
So.
Most of these will be readily available to most of youse, and making an oil is never a waste of time. Pick a couple of ingredients that grab your attention and get started! But, some of the things listed (like salt) will not dissolve in oil and are better used in water or as a powder, maybe on a candle. Others (sugar in particular) are not something you want to dust your home with. Apart from the Devil's Shoe String and the Sulphur all could be used to make a tea.
