Smite the Patriarchy Oil - Limited Edition
Smite the Patriarchy oil has been several years in the making, in part because it took this long to gather the materials and in part because my life has been something of a mess. In a number of ways, it was a sort of concentrated microcosm replete with themes that the United States as a whole is experiencing right now. It featured gaslighting and unpredictable tantrums, whataboutism and firehose of fallacies as default rhetorical strategies, and being commanded to not just accept but to actually be grateful for the abuse.
It basically took me this long to find the place to stand from which I could do the proper Work to create this oil.
On the (comparatively) mundane side, this meant brainstorming with other practitioners on ingredients and development, and its formulation has definitely been a group effort, with contributions coming in from far and wide. These include coppermouth bones, a black widow spider, hammerhead worms, devil's shoestring, a red velvet ant, orb-weaver web, wild allium, couch grass, and poppy seed, among other ingredients.
Less visible is the discernment, divination, and ritual development this has involved. I'm working on a blog post that goes into more detail, but the ritual work for this oil involved several weeks of daily, pre-dawn invocation of the fixed star Algol. It enlists the talismanic power of Medusa and dives deep into the mythology of Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of sexuality and war. The ritual concluded on May 17, 2025 when Uranus and the Sun were conjunct Algol - for the last time in Uranus' 84-year cycle. This period coincided in the Vedic calendar with the festival of Baghalamukhi, a goddess with three eyes who paralyzes and silences her enemies and is called upon for victory in legal battles.
(Algol is often prominent in the birth charts of tyrants and dictators. Interestingly, the 45th/47th POTUS has Algol on his Midheaven.)
Most are at least broadly familiar with Medusa, but that isn't the case with Inanna, the Sumerian goddess who stirs confusion and chaos against those who offend her. Hymns to Inanna describe her as clothed in radiance and glittering with bladed weapons, performing a deadly dance on the battlefield, serving her enemies the food and milk of death. She was invoked in ancient curse tablets to destroy potency (aka male nature, in hoodoo terms) and martial prowess.
This is not warm and maternal feminine energy. This is righteous fury saying enough is enough. Entering into this current is a warrior's path. If you're reading this, chances are good that something's already set you on this path - plenty of things can do that when you live in a patriarchal culture. The truth of the matter is that simply existing in patriarchy is enough to put a target on your back. Resisting definitely increases the friction and potential for reprisal. The reprisal unfolds every day in public streets and in private spaces.
Anyone of any gender can use this oil. Patriarchy is toxic for everybody, not just women, after all. Just be aware that in using this oil, you are pretty much signing up for shadow work. You should expect to have to face any areas in which you might be unconsciously colluding with your oppressors or are benefitting from a more privileged position within our current social structures.
You will want to keep this oil out of direct sunlight and wear gloves if you use your hands to dress candles or other items with it. You don't want these ingredients in contact with your skin. And you should pay close attention to spiritual hygiene when working with it - spiritual bathing and cleansing of work spaces should be considered part of the ritual.