SPIRIT DOLLS

Spirit Dolls are dolls which act as vessels for beings of powerful spirits who can be petitioned for a wide-variety of purposes. These spirits can be the spirits of the dead, familiar-spirits, Divine-beings, a spirit-of-divination, and even spiritual entities which have never had an earthly incarnation. These types of dolls are often found on altars where they are objects of devotion. They are often petitioned with offerings such as water, candy, cigarettes, coffee, etc....to invoke their power in the life of the individual. Spirit Dolls can be made out of virtually any material such as cloth, paper, plastic, wood, etc… and come in an array of shapes and sizes. Some people have been known to purchase pre-made dolls sold as toys such as Ken and Barbie © and embellish them with paint, clothes, glitter, bead-work, etc…; in some cases their heads and/or limbs may be removed and used to make an entirely new doll. In other cases, Spirit Dolls can be made entirely from scratch in the same manner as a poppet or Voodoo Doll. Often spirit dolls are made and then a ritual is performed to invite a spirit to take up residence in the doll. Rituals vary but usually consist of burning candles and incense/herbs as well as making offerings to entice the spirit into the doll. Prayers are often offered up to the Godhead (or a powerful spirit known for assigning familiars). To begin, you will need a doll to act as the vessel for the spirit. This can be a store-bought doll, or one that you have made. You will also need to know if the doll will be dedicated to a specific goal or area of life such as love, prosperity, health, etc... or for general use. For the purposes of this blog, I will be using a Barbie Doll whose spirit will assist me in the area of love, romance and sex. Once you have your doll and know for which purposes you will be working with its spirit, you will have to cleanse it of any previous psychic connections. Fill a small basin with water, add an infusion of herbs known for their cleansings and love drawing properties. Bath the doll in the infusion just as you would bath yourself when performing a spiritual bath, beginning at the head and washing down and way from the body to remove negative conditions. Then, beginning at the feet wash up and towards the body to draw in the spirit. As you wash the doll, you may say an extemporaneous prayer or a bible verse.

When you have finished bathing the doll, set it aside on a clean towel to dry. When the doll is dried, smoke the doll in incense while praying for the spirit to enter. It is important that as you pray you focus on the type of spirit that you desire to work with and ask God (or your higher power) to send you only a benevolent spirit who agrees to work with you. Later, you will dispose of the bath water at a crossroads or a tree by throwing it over your left shoulder towards the east and walking away without looking back. Continue to pray for the spirit to enter the doll. Keep in mind that this may or may not occur. In some cases it may occur and you will not realize till later. Look at the photo above, do you see the figure just above the doll's head looking down on the doll? When the spirit enters the doll (see image above), redress the doll Since many mass produced dolls often look exactly alike, many people will personalize the doll by giving it beaded necklaces, making special clothes, or pining jewelry to the doll in order to make it stand out from other dolls and give it its own personality.

Once you have personalized the doll, anoint it with oil. and place it on the altar. It should then be given offerings such as candles, food, candy, money---whatever you feel appropriate to the doll or what the doll communicates to you that it desires. Once the spirit is attached to the doll, the process of bonding begins. I often keep my dolls near me the first few weeks. They sit with me while I am watching television, they will be next to me while I am at the computer, they will watch me cook in the kitchen, and they will sleep on a pillow beside me at night. I often talk to my dolls as if they were a flesh-and-blood individual and they will talk back.

Spirit Dolls will communicate to you in various ways. They may enter your dreams, they may speak through your intuition, you may hear them with your physical ears, or they may place strong signs in your path, they may even speak to you through your divination tool. Everyone has their own way of working with the dolls. I have heard one worker say to rub its chest or belly and look the doll in the eyes while making your special request or communicating your need. This process can be enhanced by the burning of candles or incense, playing mood music, etc… Now with that being said, it is very important to remember that your Spirit doll is a helper, it is not a slave and it is not a genie. Just like we require certain things to operate in this world, they need certain things as well. It is important to treat them with respect, and show your gratitude for their assistance by making regular offering to them. Offerings vary from doll to doll but can consist of candles, incense, candies, powdered herbs, liquor, water, etc…the doll will often communicate to you any special offerings that it favors. Sometimes you will work with a doll for many, many years, in other instances a doll will only work with you for a certain amount of time having the belief that it has nothing more to teach you or offer you. The spirit may leave the vessel and move on to another worker, or you may even be directed to give the doll to another individual. In some cases when the spirit departs, the doll will disappear as well or it may simply exit the vessel leaving the doll behind as a keepsake. Working with Spirit Dolls requires a genuine commitment on your part. If you do right by your doll it will do right by you as well. However, if you abuse the doll or fail to live up to your promises, it will not work for you and may even leave you.