"Hands On" Work

When I talk about Hands On work with my clients, I'm referring to a style of in-person work in which the client is first cleansed, then anointed, prayed over and then the Work bound up tightly in that person's spirit. Hands On work is quite potent and relies a great deal on the interaction between two spiritual persons and the Divine Powers that support and uplift them.

The spiritual basis for this kind of work is the gospel injunction of Laying On Hands, in which one individual ministers to the spirit of another through the vehicle of physical touch. Such contact confers the blessings of the prayers sought and invests the one so blessed with the subtle virtues of the spiritual work being done.

There are a couple of basic steps in this process: the client is Cleansed, the client is Anointed, the Work is Performed, and then the Work is Sealed In. Many kinds of Hands On work often includes some follow-up Work as well. Let's look at this process.



Before the Hands On Work

• All Hands On Work must be done for someone who has been spiritually washed, using the techniques of spiritual baths. 
• I usually prescribe a specific bath formula, based on the Work we're doing.
• At the very minimum, this should be done the morning of the Hands On Work itself. 
• In preference, I usually ask my clients to perform that spiritual bathing three or five days in a row previous to the Hands On Work, with the last bathing day being the day of the Work.
• I also usually light a Vigil Light for the work being done, anointing it and praying over it, keeping it lit as we do our work.

Hands On Cleansing

• The exact kind of cleansing used varies with the Work being done.
• I always use either a spraying cleanse, in which the client is sprayed all around from top to bottom with a spiritual formula intended to excise any unwanted or untoward influences; 
• or I'll use a smoking cleanse, in which the client is fumed with burning herbs and/or incenses appropriate to the Work being undertaken;
• or I'll use an egg cleanse, particularly if we're dealing with illness of some sort, in which an egg is swiped over the body of the client in order to "soak up" any illness or malingering sickness;
• I always finish with a spiritual cleanse, in which my hands are anointed with oil and prayers are offered at my altar before running my hands over the client, just above the skin, "wiping away" any unwanted influences with prayer and spiritual power.

Anointing the Client

• The next step is intended to orient both myself and the client, as well as our attendant powers and spirits, to the Work at hand. In order to accomplish this, I anoint the client.
• The Head is anointed first, as this is the birthplace of all intention and purpose; anointing the Head turns thoughts and will to the Work at hand.
• The Heart is anointed next, as this is the center of not just emotion and passion, but also of faith; anointing the Heart brings the passion and faith of the client to the Work at hand.
• Finally, the Hands are anointed, as it is the hands that do the work of the head and heart; anointing the Hands prepares the client for the actions which must accompany any spiritual undertaking.
• Once this is done, I pray aloud over the client, calling in my own spiritual aides and invoking those loving and helpful powers that are part of the client's own spiritual landscape.
• Then, the Work begins!

Performing the Work

• The specifics of this section can vary radically, based on the goal of each specific kind of Hands On Work. A few examples follow:
• If we are doing some healing for the client, I might begin by washing their feet in water and holy oils, and then moving into performing a full Laying On Of Hands, investing the body of the client with the virtue of prayer and spiritual power.
• Another kind of work that we might do is what I call crowning work, in which the client's head is dressed with oil and invested with some kinds of blessing: we might do a Crown of Peace work to soothe troubled thoughts and mental problems; a Crown of Success work to help improve their skills and gain positive notice in the workplace; or a Crown of Wisdom work to help with clarity of thought and focus.
• There is a wide variety of work that might be done using Hands On methods, although not all kinds of conditions can be addressed with such. A great deal of conjure work that involves the client's interactions with the world around them (enemy work, love work, prosperity work) isn't done though Hands On techniques.

Sealing In the Work

• Finally, I like to Seal In the work, closing off the spiritual body that we've opened up through cleansing and Hands On work. 
• I like to think of it as sealing off the Tupperware of someone's spirit - a nice tight seal will keep the blessings nice and fresh longer.
• I prefer to use a technique I call Sealing by Light, in which we use the Vigil Light that has burnt during the entirety of this process. 
• Starting at the head, I pray, while playing the light of the vigil candle over the whole of the client's body. Once I reach the feet, the client turns around and I work my way back up.
• Once that is finished, I'll pray a sealing prayer over them, and remind their attendant spirits and powers of the work at hand.

And there you have it! A Crossroads Joe style Hands On work.