Poppet Magick in the Caribbean.

A Quick Reminder that all material written on this blog is copyrighted before being published and no part may be reproduced without explicit permission from the Author.

Disclaimer: This is not a Voodoo doll, and those "voodoo dolls" are not even relevant or prominent of real Haitian and Dominican Voodoo, and are not either part of relevant according to High Priestesses from New Orleans Voodoo.

I just moved a couple of months ago and since then I have not stopped working, but it has also been a period of personal exploration to create my own space and fill it with my spirits, always respecting the essence and spirit of the place. I opened a small shop on Etsy to sell my charms (apparently not for all, cuz people continue ordering everything via DM, lol.) and I have had more time to work with my clients, record videos, and create content. These last few weeks I have been creating magical poppets, the way they do there in Trinidad and Venezuela, but people keep calling them "Voodoo dolls" and they think they're one of those cloth pin-stick dolls that only white people sell on the West Coast.

These poppets are a form of sympathetic magic we do in the Caribbean (where I'm from), called simply "muñecos" and made for multiple diverse purposes, especially popular in Trinidad & Tobago, and the borders with Colombia. Although contrary to popular culture and misconceptions of Vodou and Voodoo, we don't use them mostly for "hex people" and cure illness, some modern versions of these dolls are used for this purpose as part of our indigenous practice, poppets are used mostly in our countries to channel guardian spirits as servers and grant them powers to serve our purposes.

Making the Doll

The doll must be made by hand during the full moon or waning moon and later consecrated on the new moon with a handmade blend of very specific herbal and floral oils which represent the nine ways of the soul and the nine steps of the spirit after dying, and then the doll/poppet is activated with three drops of blood from the witch who made it.

The doll is filled with various natural elements including soil from five different corners (a market, a cemetery, a church, a river, and a crossroads), local herbs associated with the land where the doll is created to represent their direct connection with the land, and wildflowers picked at sunset with the last ray of daylight.

One of the characteristics of the predominant modernity in this practice is that in recent years it is common to see a small paper star or a drawing of a pentagram, being added to the interior of the doll to give it greater power. Which even if is effective or not, is not something we see happening around the 90s in this same form of magic.

Purpose and Powers

Each doll is given a purpose and a different variety of powers during a secret magical ritual in the darkest corner of the brujo or sorcerer's house, where the doll sleeps until awakening the next morning when it is taken outside to receive natural light and be presented at the elements.

The powers are granted to the doll using a form of sigils (for lack of a different term to use here) which are made and activated with a special tincture or potion using a witch's blood and the spirit of certain plants which are extracted using the cauldron.

The powers of the doll or poppet are linked to their purpose; for example:

• If you create a doll to find a new lover you grant them the power to perceive intentions and differentiate love and passion from other emotions, you grant them empathy and the ability to learn social skills to inspire you while you are out looking for a lover.
• If you create a doll to protect your home or your magical corner at home, you grant them clairvoyance, owls' sight, and a sense of warning. For example; people can draw the figure of a dog and put it inside the doll to give them the power to call or haunt dogs in your property.
• If you create a doll for healing, remember this is not a "voodoo doll" where you make conjurings over the doll to channel your energy and heal you. The doll is a proper healer to which you grant power and understanding over medicinal herbs, curative flowers, and natural remedies, and the ability to alleviate the pain and understand the root of any illness.

The Sacred/Secret Name

Magickal dolls should have a proper name, a magickal name, which is a total secret between the sorcerer who create the doll, and (in case was made for a client) the name of the person who order to create the doll.

The name should be written down three times on three different papers, one is kept close to the sorcerer, one is inside the doll to make them respond to the sorcerer's order at any moment, and the third one is in the grimoire or spellbook of the sorcerer, so in case the sorcerer dies, when their grimoire is burned in ritual the spirit is liberated from the spell and can turn into energy and elements again in the cycle of life.

Working with the Doll

The poppet works like any other powerful talisman in the witch's repertoire. It is placed in a high place and where it perceives light during the day, commonly next to the altars or their own altar is built. They are offered a glass of water and a cup or bowl full of candies that are replaced occasionally.

Following the spiritist tradition of the Caribbean, they are offered light and smoke (candles, incense, tobacco, etc...) every Monday night, the night and moment of the spirits.

When the witch wishes to send the spirit of the poppet on a special mission, the order is written on paper with the same magical dye and a pen, the request is activated with a drop of blood in each corner and another directly on the wrist, to which is suggested to always carry a set of clean and sterilized needles near the altar.

Elhoim Leafar ©, All Rights Reserved, 2023.

I have custom-made poppets in my shop available here: Etsy.com/UrbanShamanNY

Check my Upcoming Workshop on Moon Magic: A Lunar Year Of Magick

Pre-Order here my Upcoming Book: Dream Witchery