Blog — Musings

8/3/2022 Hey there, m'Dears. After giving the matter a lot of thought, I've decided to discontinue the Orisha magical perfume oils from our Cobalt Druid line. As we learn more and know better we must also endeavor to do better. I want to "walk my talk" and be better in my efforts toward equity, inclusion, and anti-bigotry. That means acknowledging that as a white person, it is harmful that I make money and imply authority/expertise through work that is rooted in spiritual traditions of African cultures. Nui Cobalt will be taking the following oils down from our website after midnight...

I've come to realize that several of my friends and readers are as of yet unfamiliar with Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.  This is an omission I feel compelled to remedy at once. Theirs is an art of humor, sophistication and mystery. It truly is a thinking person's perfumery. Recently, the virtuosic minds of BPAL conjured a series of scents based on Jim Jarmusch’s film and soundtrack, Only Lovers Left Alive.  I indulged rather wildly in this limited collection as it is, even considering my long-time love of The Lab, among the finest I have ever experienced.  Here are my personal impressions...

Among the simplest and most effective methods for engaging magickal assistance is to carry a well-prepared mojo bag.  Other names for these charms include nation sack, mojo hand, gris gris, conjure bag and toby.  The practice is most commonly attributed to American Hoodoo and Rootwork, but has also gained much popularity in contemporary New Age and Shamanic circles.  While opinions differ greatly among various traditions as to the "correct" method of construction, here are a couple of ways I've found to create these helpful personal amulets. Simply select a cloth bag whose color resonates with your intention.  Ready-made pouches are...

"Poverty consciousness" is one of those New Age-y terms that gets thrown around just frequently enough to be widely misunderstood.  When we hear these words, we tend to conjure images of hungry and destitute human beings struggling to make ends meet because we lack the vision or fortitude to achieve more.  We think that poverty consciousness keeps so many of us caught in a loop of barely getting by due to some deeply rooted fear of success.  We think that if we could just shake the delusion of being undeserving, we could build sufficient self-esteem and tap into the ever-present...