It was a true joy and pleasure to have on mi Maestro de brujería, Alex Búho, for an episode on Mexican spirituality and the duendes. The first of, in time, many future appearances, this episode delved into his writing on dealing with duendes, as well his lifelong training in Mexican brujería, hechicería, and the various folk magical traditions of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas. Maestro Alex is a true font of wisdom and knowledge and I am deeply honoured to be training under him, especially as an outsider to these traditions. Our late night talks on the fascinating similarities between the folk magical traditions we know, comparing Mexican and Serbian techniques, have been a continual source of inspiration over the past two years.
It is through his encouragement and tutelage that I share these charms, in offering of San Ramon Nonato, in the vein of some of the tapa boca style workings done with him in the RGV: A Bite of Iron. The taste of iron in both blood and metal, these are kits comprised of two parts—a padlock enchanted in the name of the saint, with five strips of ribbon attached to its handle for their owners to tie knots and petitions into, as well as a matching bolsita filled with materia associated with San Ramon, tied to his saint medal and the key that is the lock’s mate.
St. Raymond’s veneration within the Hispanophone world is especially profound. His name is derived from his peculiar birth, having been taken from the womb of his dead mother. He is especially venerated as a patron of childbirth, newborns, pregnant women, midwives, obstetricians, and caesarean sections, being a steadfast ally to parteras across Mexico. A member of the Mercedarian Order, he worked tirelessly to free Christian slaves via ransom and even surrendering himself into Moorish captivity in exchange for the freedom of captive Christians. The famous legend goes that during his capture, while he awaited his brothers to raise enough funds to free him, Raymond preached so fearlessly that the Moors bored a hole through his lips with a hot iron poker and padlocked them. His fellow prisoners fed him through the sides of his mouth while he awaited his freedom. In this way, San Ramon came to also patron the art of tapa boca workings, whether to stop idle gossip and rumours or to shut up an enemy who slanders you.
My relationship with the saint is a nascent one, guided largely through the continual conversations, pláticas, and study with both Maestro Alex and Tata Apokan (Jesse Hathaway Diaz), to whom I am both deeply grateful for their sharing of this incredible saint’s traditions. The vast majority of my veneration and workings with saints derives from the Eastern Orthodox traditions of the Balkans, through which I have a core grouping I turn to for all my needs regardless of their patronage—simply because it is they who have responded to the prayers of me and my family, and they whom we know to turn to when in need. Over the past year, San Ramon has entered this fold as a deeply cherished spirit and teacher, especially in protecting the vulnerable, the falsely accused, and the expectant mothers in my own life. While a far newer relationship, it is one I am dedicated to growing under the tutelage of mentors and through deeper enculturation and study. I am especially grateful for Mestro Alex’s encouragement and advice in making these not only for myself, but available for others who might be in need of his intercession against the lies others tell of us—and tell themselves to justify slander as truth.
The charges of these charms were consecrated on the 31st of August, being the feast of the saint. Red carnations, coconut cookies, and chocolate biscuits were offered in addition to alcohol, incense, and vintage clove chewing gum—a favourite of practitioners in the RGV to chew while supplicating the saint, later attaching onto his statues at church. This gum, along with the similar liquorice gum which is also favoured, is harder to find nowadays, but I was able to pick up an entire box in a stroke of luck and consecrate them for this use on his feast. I also anointed each of the saint medals collected for San Ramon with a Tapa Boca oil I created through Maestro Alex’s instructions, and prayed over them, along with the charm cores, to silence any unjust, slanderous speech and envious projection spoken against them, no matter how convinced their speakers are of their veracity. Additionally, I petitioned the saint with knotted prayer to empower these charms so that when wielded, even gossip spread in truth and without malice, should it be disadvantageous to the reputation of their owners, are similarly put to rest.
Each core was then wrapped in red cloth, having previously been placed around the saint to cover him as a cloak, and anointed in the same Tapa Boca oil. They were bound to the keys of their padlocks along with the medals, and further consecrated under his gaze. Their padlock mates, similarly anointed and prayed over, were tied to five red ribbons affixed with oil, candle wax, and prayer. Any petitions made via this charm may be prayed over into these ribbons, which can be individually knotted in odd numbers to anchor your desires. Write the matching petition out over the face of the person who slanders you, punching a hole through the mouth so that it may lock directly into the padlock. Up to five individuals may be knotted into the ribbons and affixed through the lock in this manner. Alternatively, write a general petition encompassing any possibilities you might be dealing with, and knot all five ribbons together for an enduring form of social protection.
Each lock and key charm will also come with one pack of vintage clove gum, which may be chewed in the mouth while your petitions are being uttered. Squeeze all the saliva out through your teeth and affix petitions and faces when you feel called to. This is not necessary to work the charm itself, but it is included as a nod to some of the traditions surrounding the saint. Let spirit guide you in this work.
Keep on a main working table locked over a general petition or a specific foe, anointing with Tapa Boca oil (see Maestro Alex’s offering here if you’d like one of your own) or any other domination oils that suit the work. Burn a red candle directly beside or on the lock when making the petition, locking and unlocking it with the key and stamping it through whatever it is you need done. In time, additional ribbons may be affixed depending on your needs and as spirit guides you. Allow the charms to become the tools of your spirits, such that the heat of this protection may be taken off them directly, and their hands freed to do what is even more important in enhancing your career, reputation, and creativity.
Fourteen charms were consecrated on San Ramon’s feast this year. All charms will be shipped within seven business days of purchase. If you are waiting on any charms from Key, these will be bundled together as we are now shipping from the same home base.
My gratitude goes out to my teachers and to all those who came to learn how to protect themselves at this beautiful saint’s hands before me.
With Cunning & Command 