Métodos anticonceptivos

The pendulum is a balanced weight suspended from a piece o f string or a fine chain. A homemade pendulum can be made with rings or steel nuts. Particular care should be taken so that it is as balanced as possible. The authors use professionally made dowser’s pendulums, usually made from machined brass or copper. They are either bullet or onion shaped, some with hollow spaces inside for what, in dowsing, is called “the witness.” This is identical in concept to the magical link.

Urban Voodoo 129 best method to be to have your arm (whichever you normally use to write with) solidly anchored, elbow on a table, or, if you are sitting on the floor in a cross-legged position, on your knee.

The classic method used to “train” the pendulum— or rather to train your mind in the use o f the pendulum— is to give it a little pendulum that a clockwise circle is “yes” and deliberately swing the tool in that direction, repeating the process with “no.”

Most people who try this will get a response that becomes more sure and dependable with practice. A few will be instantly proficient. Others will feel unable to use the pendulum at all. If this happens, put the pendulum away until you feel some later

“urge” to pick it up again. We have found that once the suggestion is planted, some people who demonstrated no ability, will, after some time suddenly find themselves proficient— with no intervening practice.

The test o f any divinatory system is the accuracy o f the information it provides. Until you have confidence in this or any other method the answers should always be tested and not just assumed to be correct.

Another classic method o f using the pendulum is with a kind o f ouija board set up, with the letters o f the alphabet and numbers written in either an arc or a circle with lines drawn from these to the center o f the board. The pendulum is held over this and questions are asked to which words are spelled out in

response. This can be quite time-consuming and a strain on the arm. Occasionally boards like this can be found in stores ready made. Also books on radiesthesia (the name for pendulum dowsing) sometimes contain charts o f this kind that can be copied for use with a pendulum.

T H E O B I

The Obi consist o f four flat objects that can be easily tossed.

There must be a difference between each side— generally one is darker than the other. Traditionally the Obi have been four lobes o f the cola nut, or four pieces o f fresh coconut. A good substitute are the flat glass beads used for floral arrangements; these can be found in large import stores. White circles o f paper can be glued to one side to form the color differentiation (paint tends to flake o ff glass). Alternatively, coins can be used.

A question is asked that can be answered in some positive- negative fashion. This is actually more complex than “yes,” or

“no,” and, if the Obi are thrown several times in succession a rather complex prediction can be achieved.

There are five possible patterns in which the obi can fall in a single throw, each with a title and a meaning:

Generally the Obi are thrown once for any specific question, although a series o f questions may be posed.

There are two exceptions to this: If Alafia (peace) or Etawa (struggle) comes up you must throw a second time to complete the answer. This only applies on a first throw. There are no more than two tosses. You may for example throw Etawa and for the second throw get Alafia. That (struggle becoming peace) is the answer. There are no further throws for that particular question.

The basic process is quite simple: Place yourself in a medita­

tive and serious frame o f mind, and cleanse the room in which you are working. In some Brazilian methods a fine chain or cord is placed in a circle around the area in which the Obi are to be thrown to define the sacred space. In Santeria the Obi are often cleansed in a bowl o f exorcised water to make them pure. After asking the spirits, or a particular spirit to attend to your question, the Obi are tossed and the answer noted. The Obi can also be used in conjunction with the pendulum to gain more detail on the nature o f the answer.

Urban Voodoo 131

THE OBI AND THEIR NAMES

T H E M E A N IN G S O F T H E O D D

The five patterns in which the Obi can land are called the Odu.

The divinatory meanings o f the Odu are:

A L A F IA (Peace). Broadly speaking, this is serenity and balance.

The reader not familiar with the Obi will assume that this is the most auspicious Odu in the group because it consists o f the most

“positive” energy. In fact this is not quite the case since it is considered rather unbalanced. It is quiet and serene, yes, but if there is too much o f it, it is also lassitudinous and unfocused.

Altogether a quiet, good omen, especially when it appears after a

period o f struggle. If Alafia appears on a first throw, the answer is incomplete and the Obi must be tossed again to complete the answer.

ETAWA (Struggle). As the name suggests, E taw a represents conflict. It could be conflict directly with a person or persons or struggle with a difficult situation. Confusion, things not in their proper place. This is a major or minor event depending on the subject o f the question. Like Alafia, it is incomplete if it turns up on the first throw, and a second toss must be made to complete the answer, for conflict always has an outcome.

E J IF E (Balance). This, o f all the Odu, is the one that is considered the most auspicious. It represents the perfect balance o f dark and light forces to create a harmonious, perfectly func­

tioning situation. Please note the difference between this attitude and the Christian or Islamic one.

OKANA (Some good, some bad). This Odu one might consider the omen o f the average day. It means that generally speaking all is (more or less) well. It implies that one element or incident may cause a less than satisfactory flow o f events.

OYEKUN (Darkness). In the translation from the Yoruba this means “Full Twilight” but we have called it Darkness here as, to our minds, it reflects the meaning more clearly. It is the polar compliment to Alafia, being the negative power at its very height. In Santeria tradition, this Odu implies influences o f the very worst kind. It is said that the divination should be aban­

doned at once, and a candle lit asking the protection o f your ancestors. In its most benign sense, it can mean that the question cannot be answered