Crossroad Conjure Craft Part Two

The crossroads, a place of power where Conjure Craft begins...

The most common form of a crossroad is the intersection of two, preferably dirt, roads forming an equal armed cross.  In Appalachian folklore The Man at the Crossroads, also known also as the Black Rider, orchestrates power at this location.  Medieval witches were known to 'Meet with the Devil' at crossroads by venturing to these unattended places in order to sell their soul for power.  The Dark Rider is not the devil, that's another religion's boogeyman.  Traveling to the crossroads is a form of self-initiation showing one's commitment to 'the work' in order to create a 'link'; selling one's soul is neither necessary nor part of this practice.

The Dark Rider

If you're interested in learning the art of conjure it's advised that you travel to the nearest crossroads where the Dark Rider rules the realm of communication between mortals and the Higher Powers, it's here that you can ask His aid.

Dark Rider Offerings

He appreciates a gift or two and has a fondness for rum, candy, palm oil, cigars, sweet black coffee, and/or sweet potatoes, and while you're at it, bring some humility with you, His power is much greater than yours will ever be, so lower your self-importance accordingly.

Crossroads' Keys

Keys have been used to symbolize the unknown, secrets and the sacred for centuries.  Hekate carries keys to the Gates to the Underworld. They clink gently as they hang from her hip.  She fondles them with a familiarity we could all imitate when it comes to entering mysterious places.  Keys unlock the qualities of the upper realms which consist of the practitioner's mind, body and spirit. Unlocking the potential of the crossroads is possible wherever you carry a skeleton key, that is, once you perform the rest of the rite. 

What to Bring

Bring two skeleton keys, as similar in design as possible that you have cleansed of mundane connections; a small bottle or jar or rum, a cigar and matches. Travel to the crossroads on a Monday, Thursday or Saturday night around midnight.

Upon arrival, pour some rum in the center of the crossroads, light the cigar and place it respectively on the ground.  Begin to sing or hum a tune that you know well or compose one on the spot as creatively is always appreciated. Understandably, this may take some time.  You know what they say about conjure craft; it's a 'practice'. 

"Listen', my teacher says, 'and with time you'll become aware of the sound of hooves on the night air pierced by the bay of a hound; with time it'll change, you'll hear 'em right on the road comin' up behind ya.  Wait.  Breathe.  Don't be tempted to turn around, it's rude and inadvisable. Now, when their approach ceases you'll feel His presence right behind ya, along with the snort and whinny of His mount.  The still night air will ring in your ears makin' ya deaf to all but your heartbeat.  Don't be surprised if the hair on the back of ya neck prickles an' ya stomach tightens....it's then ya'll know the times' upon ya." 

I can tell you this...take a long deep breath, then with clarity and strength of purpose ask Him to grant you a little Mojo for your talisman; ask that 'it' be imbued into the object you've brought with you to house that purpose. 

It's best to continue to stand quite still; seconds, even minutes, pass so very slowly at this point.  You've gotta 'sense' the Dark Rider's answer in your heart because He won't speak directly to you.  He weighs your request quite carefully and likes to sum up the situation in order to understand what it is you really desire; that hidden, unspoken intention down deep in the subconscious where it shields things so calculatedly.

Where does your desire come from?  Perhaps your ego?  Hmmmm, maybe.  What do you really want to accomplish? And is what you want good over all, or only good for you? Do you think that this 'self-initiation' protects you from the greater powers that affect your life?  It won't and He'll read you like a dime store novel, so fess up and be honest about this little exploration for power before you venture out on the road at night.

The Dark Rider's wise; He's a teacher who smiles and chuckles; He knows that you'll be taught a thing or two whether you like it or not.  That being said, most times the answer to this particular request of Him is 'yes.'  Be prepared for your hand to sweat as He permeates your talisman with a bit of His Mojo. Its okay to hold the keys in a death grip, that's all the better really, it'll mix a little of 'you' into them.  After you return home it's up to you; doing the work that is.  Strengthen your craft and build on what's been bestowed.  Conjure Craft is about 'doing,' not about asking for something and expecting it will be done for you.  That won't happen.  Be prepared to kneel in muck sometimes, get your hands dirty in a heady and visceral way.  There's no 'figuratively speaking' with this arte. 

Okay, now it's time to snuff out what's left of that cigar and skedaddle home.

On the next new moon finish what you started, or what The Dark Rider has started for you; it's waiting for you and remains to be done.

On that day, take a little olive oil; coat your keys with it letting your fingers feel their every detail.  Using a length of red yarn, measure from your left wrist to your heart while extending your left arm completely;  cut the yarn to length; carefully wind the it around the middle of the keys binding them together so that they're held together 'as one'.

Within this time-honored practice it's customary to wind some of your own hair in with the yarn, anointing them with a bodily fluid such as spittle, which is a powerful ingredient, also deepens the connection to you and them, making you partners.  Carry the key bundle on your person for one full cycle of the moon; let the magic build as the moon builds.  Personally, I like the idea of having them with me in this fashion for three turns of the lunar cycle; three is a magical number that I work with often with fruitful results.  Sleep with them; have them beside you when you eat your meals; handle them as often as possible, but always out of sight of questioning eyes.  When the time is right, and you'll 'know', revisit the crossroads on a full moon.

Bring with you:  a good sharp blade, your key bundle, some rum and a shovel or trowel. 

Do this after midnight, say around 3 am.  Upon reaching the center of the crossroad dig a hole where the roads intersect. Dig it down as deep as you can. Using the blade you've brought, cut the keys free of one another, save a short length of yarn, (enough to wind around one key about three times). Have one key and a bit of yarn in your left hand and drop the other key with the remaining yarn that once bound them together, with your right, into the hole.  Still using your right hand, fill in the hole using a tool and stamping on the surface to flatten and smooth it over as best you can. 

Now, take the small length of yarn that you've saved, and wind it 'round the center of the key you've retained, firmly tying it off.  This is your personal 'key to the crossroads', you will always be connected to this place because its twin rests secretly at its center.  Finally, close your eyes and thank the Dark Rider for His aid.  When you perform magic wear your key.

Your journey to the crossroads has been a moment of truth and the 'solo initiation of your intent' as a practitioner.  You'll return to the crossroads in the future as part of your practice.  The seed has been planted; but remember, the success of your conjure is up to you.

Another type of crossroads, often overlooked, is formed by a bridge crossing swift running water and this, like the crossroads, is a catalyst of otherworldly connection.  Through prayer, while facing the water, let the water carry to you what you desire, with your back to the flow, release that which no longer serves. 

Speaking to your ancestors while standing on a bridge can create a potent connection to them and their ability to send you aid in the form of dreams.

When need arises, you can create a crossroads in your home by simply casting a circle of power or compass 'round.  Using sea salt, mark the center with an X.  The X can be creatively changed using dots resembling a #5 gambling die pattern instead.

This quincunx symbol is used quite often in magical work. A cast circle symbolizes the microcosm; the space outside the circle, the macrocosm, where these two realms overlap ignites a magical current where change can take place in the physical realm.  Place your talisman in the center while you work.

Disposal of Tricks

Practitioners of the old ways tend to end up with bits of ash, candle stubs, charred paper, honey jar contents and other magical remnants from time to time from various spells and petitions.  Considered unwise and extremely unlucky to throw these bits and bobs into the trash, the crossroads become a perfect magical waste bin where the energies are separated by the four directions, and returned and to the elements of their creation.  When doing healing magic, the illness that you remove can be disposed of at the crossroads in order to keep it from returning to the client. 

The crossroads is a place where the frequency of travel, either on foot or in vehicles, is said to 'keep the mojo movin'.