• New Customer Service Options Coming!

    Hello everyone!  Happy Sunday! 

    As you know, we try to offer the best possible customer service that we can.  We are challenged sometimes by the fact that we are a small group of people trying to take care of all of our clients the best we can! 

    In order to serve you better, we are currently working on installing a new and improved live chat feature on the website.  Additionally, we are installing the ability to "request a call" from us on the website and also will be offering you the ability to "submit a ticket" for asking tech support and other questions.  All of these features will help us get you the assistance you need much faster and, hopefully, in a more organized fashion.

    Of course, as with the installation of all new systems I suspect that we will experience some growing pains, but once the details are ironed out I believe this will be an improved way to communicate your needs to us.

    In service, Mambo Sam

  • Raja Yoga

    Greetings everyone!   I did hear from several of you that you tried The Pink Bubble meditation!   I am so glad that you did.  It is easy to use and something you can use in conjunction with your love spell work or any other spell work. 

    Now I wanted to share some things with you about Raja Yoga meditation.  This is a little more complex but it can still be so very useful to you if you give it some time and try it.  Many times during our spell work, we have a tendency to get frustrated, negative, and just start to feel like nothing is going our way.  Well, as you know, just feeling that way has a tendency to bring a negative spin to your spell work and can cause ill effects!  So then we are in this vicious cycle of not feeling good because things aren’t happening for us and things aren’t happening for us because we are not feeling good about them! 

    On our forum and in our blogs we discuss many different ways to cope with these feelings.  Meditation is another coping mechanism that can help you clear out the negativity and make a peaceful path to getting your goals!

    In a recent post on Sister Bridget’s Blog there was a discussion about "relinquishing control."  Meditation is also a great way to achieve that goal.  When we truly  meditate and set ourselves free, even if it is just for a few minutes, we set the stage for positive energy flow and stop trying to control every little thing in our lives. 

    Peace and Joy!  Mambo Sam

    Raja Yoga Meditation

    Confucius_meditate_levitate_sm_clr

    Daily mental exercises. The act of Raja Yoga meditation for at least 15 minutes in the early morning will have a positive effect during the entire day.

    Upon waking have the thought; I am a peaceful soul, my aim today is to radiate peace to every person that I come into contact with.

    These meditations have been taken from the knowledge as taught by the Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga meditation organization. The organization is unique because the main administrators are women. Dadi Prakashmani, Dadi Janki and Dadi Gulzar are the spiritual leaders whom create an atmosphere of spiritual love and humility. They are the embodiment of what they teach, shinning lights of love and peace.

    Raja Yoga meditation

    Try to experience the stillness of mind of being a peaceful soul as other thoughts emerge in the mind do not judge or focus on them but repeat ………… I am a peaceful soul …………. I am a peaceful soul ………… My mind is filled with peace ………….. I radiate peace to the world …………… I feel the gentle waves of peace flowing across my mind ……….. As these peaceful thoughts emerge in my mind I feel the stillness and silence envelopes my mind …………….. I am the peaceful soul …… I am a peaceful loving soul ………… My mind feels light and free from worries ……….. I realize my real nature is peace ………. Peaceful thoughts flow through the mind and I feel the self becoming light …………………. I am a being of light shining like a star ………………….. I radiate peace and light to the world …………………. The light and peace envelopes me and the waves of peace and light shine like a lighthouse……………………………………… This is the wonderful journey of self discovery.

    Raja Yoga Meditation philosophy

    The basis for attaining an experience in raja yoga meditation in to understand the self and the mind. The human mind is the most creative, powerful and wonderful "instrument" we possess. Using this energy called mind we have been able to search the deepest oceans, send humans to the moon and scan the molecular fabric of the building blocks of nature. But have we found our true self? We have become the most educated and civilized society in our history, but are we civil towards each other?

    The soul has three main faculties; the mind or consciousness, the intellect and the subconscious.

    Thoughts flow from the sub conscious mind to the conscious mind. Feelings and emotions form in accordance with the montage of thoughts flowing in the mind. Therefore our state of mind at any given moment is determined by the thoughts in our consciousness, and also with the feelings that we associate with those thoughts. Since our sub consciousness contains all our previous thoughts and experiences, it is necessary to selectively control the flow of thoughts that emerges from the sub conscious mind.

    The intellect is the controller which is used to discriminate so that only positive and benevolent thoughts flow into our mind. With meditation or deep contemplation, the individual is able to strengthen and sharpen the intellect. The end result is a constant state of well being. If we are able to understand the self as the source of energy that creates our feelings, then the following will become our aims.

    Become aware of our state of mind and of the thoughts that flows into the mind from our subconscious.
    Strengthen the intellect so that the individual can discriminate and thereby only allow positive and peaceful thoughts to flow into the mind.
    Through this process of self development the individual develops more control over the mind.

    Dadi Prakashmani, Dadi Janki and Dadi Gulzar are the spiritual leaders of the Raja Yoga meditation organization. They are the embodiment of soul consciousness, filled with love, light and happiness.

    These meditations have been taken from the knowledge as taught by the Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga meditation organization. Raja Yoga meditation organization

    More on Raja Yoga

  • Erzulie Freda Packages

    Good morning, everyone.  A number of you have asked about the Valentine’s Packages that were done on the point of Erzulie Freda.  Because of so many requests, we have decided to continue offering these packages on a regular basis.  For now, you can still purchase them on the Erzulie Freda Page.  We will be reworking this page so that it doesn’t just reflect Valentine’s Day!  It will contain the products dedicated to Erzulie Freda as well as more information on service to our favorite Love Goddess!

    If you haven’t looked at my post on The Pink Bubble Meditation, please have a look.  It is a great meditation to use when working with Erzulie Freda. 

    Love, Mambo Sam

  • The Pink Bubble Meditation

    Hello everyone!  Have you attempted meditation?  Meditation has been around for centuries and is used for many different manifestations of life:  health, love, anger management, relaxation, etc.  There are literally thousands of ways to meditate and assist in the manifestation of your goals. 

    In spell work we are often trying to attain a particular goal:  It may be love, money, a job, etc.  Whatever our reason for doing the spell work, adding in some creative meditations can certainly be a way of assisting your situation.

    Over the upcoming weeks, I would like to share with you some of my favorite meditation techniques. I hope you enjoy them!  The meditation technique below, the "Pink Bubble Meditation", is a wonderful meditation to use if you are working with our favorite love lwa, Erzulie Freda or working with pink candle magick or any other love magick.  🙂

    Love, Mambo Sam

    Pink Bubble Meditation Technique

    This meditation is simple and wonderfully effective.
    Exercise:

    • Sit or lie down comfortably, close your eyes and breathe deeply, slowly, and naturally. Gradually relax and feel this meditation taking you deeper and deeper.
    • Imagine something that you would like to manifest. Imagine that is already happened.
    • Picture it as clearly as possibly in your mind. Now in your mind’s eye surround your fantasy with a pink bubble; put your goal inside the bubble. Pink is the color associated with the heart, and if this color vibrations surrounds whatever you visualize, it bring to you only that which is in perfect affinity with your being.
    • The third step is to let go of your bubble and imagine it floating off into the universe, still containing your vision. This symbolizes that you are emotionally ‘letting go” of it.
    • Now it’s free to float around the universe, attracting and gathering energy for it’s manifestation.

    Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain 1978

  • Online Teaching to Resume Soon

    Good morning everyone!  I wanted to let you all know that we will resume the online teaching classes soon!  I have worked up a new format that I think will be much more effective in getting the information to you all AND allowing for both some social time and discussion time.  🙂

    There seemed to be a general idea that when I suspended classes that I was angry because of the way class was going.  That isn’t quite true.  More than anything I was frustrated with the format that I was using that didn’t allow me to get as much information to you as I hoped.  I felt that I was turning into a "sit down and shut up" teacher and that is not what I want for you all!!   You aren’t in kindergarten and no one is going to have to clean erasers after class! 

    However, I did start to feel the frustrations of some of the students and myself.  Therefore, I have set about to build a better mousetrap.  Just a bit more tweaking and I will introduce the new format, probably in about two weeks.

    I miss the classes!!  I miss the interaction with all of you.  We will be back at it soon.  (And if you aren’t registered for class, why not????  LOL.  Email Berkeley at office@spellmaker.com and get instructions for signing up.)

    Love, Mambo Sam

    Witch6

  • 2008 Voodoo Convention Planning and Faith!

    Greetings, everyone!   I am really excited to be getting into high gear planning the 2008 Voodoo Convention here in Albuquerque. 

    For the 2008 Convention we will be studying a lot more about Haitian and African Vodou.  During the 2007 we spent more time with our New Orleans Voodoo heritage.  We will, of course, be studying more about New Orleans Voodoo, but our primary focus will be on Vodou.

    Planning the classes is really getting to be fun and I cannot wait to teach you all!  We will be learning Vodou songs, part of the Priye Guinea (the long African prayer that is recited before most Vodou rituals, deep service to the lwa, and much more. 

    In thinking about the convention, I cannot help but remember my own visits to and Vodou initiation in Haiti.  It is definitely a place to remember.  The people in Jacmel, Haiti are colorful, bright, smart, friendly, and serve the lwa with both dignity and passion.  There are many lessons to be learned from these people because they continue to serve the lwa with faith and confidence even in the most trying of circumstances.  Frankly, most of us would fold up under the conditions in which these people live.

    Yet, they serve the lwa daily.  They continue to dedicate their lives to the practice of Vodou regardless of outcome of their hopes and dreams and petitions to the lwa.  They do not waver in their service nor in their dedication.  They are not practitioners of fairweather faith; in fact, the worse the weather, the stronger their faith.  Taking a page from their book would do us all a world of good.

    Most of us are petitioning for a better job, a partner to come into our lives, or an enemy to go away.  Most of us are not wondering where our next meal is coming from or if we will have money to send our children to school (no public schools in Haiti) or if we have the basic necessities of life.  However, time and time again I hear that we are "losing faith" in our spell work!  We don’t "see results" right away and are ready to throw away our spell work, our faith, and our dedication to the lwa at the drop of a hat!  Indeed, looking to our Haitian brothers and sisters for a shining example of faith can do us all a world of good.

    Probably the most uplifting thing is the JOY that these people derive from their service to the lwa.  The picture below is one I took in Jacmel during a Vodou celebration.  Feel the joy!

    Love, Mambo Sam

    1rara 

  • More Help with Setting Goals for the New Year

    Hello everyone!  I wanted to share with you an article I ran across.  Since we have been talking about how to set realistic and sustainable goals for the new year I thought you might enjoy some of these tips from Anne Walsh, a life coach.  I wanted to definitely call to your attention the idea of making the goals realistic and making them YOURS!  🙂  Too many times we are making goals because they fit the profile of someone else’s idea of us or what we feel someone else wants us to become.   Truly successful goals will be yours and yours alone!   Enjoy the article.

    Love, Mambo Sam

    Article by Anne Walsh

    We’ve all been there. How many of you have set up new year’s resolutions only to discover that you have slipped after the first week or been to a workshop and sworn that this time you are really going to achieve those dreams you have had at the back of your mind? The following article gives you five keys on setting goals that will keep you motivated.

    Key One: Make them realistic, make them yours.
    Key Two: Write them down.
    Key Three: See them every day.
    Key Four: Make it easy, set up strong support structures.
    Key Five: Acknowledge and review regularly.

    Key One — Make Them Realistic, Make Them Yours

    Jung described a parent’s unrealized dreams as the most powerful influence in a child’s life. When you choose your goals, make sure they are your goals not anyone else’s. Also, make sure that the goals are realistic. For example, you may not be able to make the Olympics gymnastic team, but you could walk a marathon next year or work towards a high standard in yoga. Be honest with yourself about it and when the “yeah, but” tape starts playing remind yourself that you are not given a dream without the capacity to make it true. This is particularly true if you find that you have a recurring desire about something.

    Key Two -– Write Them Down

    There’s something about the human brain that doesn’t seem to see things as real until they are visible or written down. Pick 3 – 5 goals that you want to achieve for the coming year and write them down. Make sure that they are measurable. Writing down “I will save money” is a goal, but writing down “I will have saved €4000 in the next 12 months” is more powerful.

    Key Three -– See Them Every Day

    Write your goals on ten of small 3” X 5” index cards and have them visible everywhere to you. Another powerful exercise is to take time to visualize what your life would be like with those goals. If you can make the experience as vivid as possible, it gets the brain going on ways to achieve them…in ways you could never imagine at the beginning!

    Key Four -– Make It Easy, Set Up Strong Support Structures

    Don’t rely on your own willpower to carry you through because it probably won’t. (But you know that already, don’t you?) In Ireland, there is a proverb, “ ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine” which means that we live in each other’s shadows, we are interdependent. Put systems and supports in place that will sustain you when your energy is low. For example, if you plan to save money, set up an automated direct debit to do it. If you want to exercise more, find something you enjoy and buddy up with someone to go with. Build in a practice of daily silence/meditation/prayer to help you keep in touch with your deeper, truer self. Get a coach to help create structures and keep you accountable. Remind yourself on a daily basis of the benefits of achieving this goal.

    Key Five – Acknowledge and Review Regularly

    Set aside time every week to quickly review your goals, acknowledge progress, and simply note where you have slipped. Slippage is inevitable. Don’t beat yourself up, note what caused it and begin again! Adopt a gentle curiosity with yourself as to what caused you to slip and then begin again.

  • What does the New Year hold for you?

    Happy day after Christmas everyone!  I hope you all had a peaceful and safe day.  So another Christmas – good, bad, or indifferent  – is behind us!  Now it is time to look forward to brand new year.  2008 is upon us!  Now is the time to decide what you want in 2008 and what steps you will take to insure that you get it.

    Obviously this is the time of year that we all make those "New Year’s Resolutions."  But I would urge you to take that a step further and make a list of what you want to happen in this New Year.  This is not so much a matter of "I am going to go on a diet and stick to it" or "I will stop smoking."  Those are "resolutions" that put a burden on you and then if you fail at them, you end up feeling guilty, depressed, and about two or three months into the year you can start to feel like this is another year that is a bust for you.

    What I am talking about is making yourself a mini Life Plan for the year.  Let’s say you want to purchase a new car in 2008, lose weight, and move into a better apartment.   Don’t just make yourself meaningless resolutions!   Instead, start to make an actual plan.  Do it on your computer or in a notebook; use something in which you can keep a record of your progress.   Start with your first goal.  Let’s say "Get a New Car in 2008."  Then list underneath that goal the things surrounding that goal:  The price range, the type of vehicle you need, makes and models you are interested in.   Can you afford it?  Will you do extra work or get a part time job to pay for it if necessary?  Cover all the details of this goal and HOW you can manifest it for yourself.  You can even decide if you will use magick to help you!!  Will you use some green candle magick kits or other money/luck magick products to help yourself out with the money needed to make this happen?   Set a schedule of what you will do when!  When you are satisfied with the plan for that goal – go on to the next one. 

    Once you are finished, the true resolution you need to make to yourself is to refer to your plan often.  See where you are with each goal.  If you feel you are not attaining those goals, see what you need to do to perhaps rework your plan or even change your goal slightly.  When you have a true plan for getting a goal, you really don’t need to constrain yourself completely in a timeline.  Using the getting a new car example, let’s say that you chose June 2008 as the time you wanted to have the new car by.  June rolls around and you are looking through your goal planning book, and you find that new car isn’t manifesting itself yet.  However, you see that you have saved $1,000.00 towards the goal and you are still working towards it.  That’s fine!!  Don’t give up just because you didn’t get the car by June!  Keep at it, keep working your plan.  Maybe you need to change the plan a little bit:  Maybe you need a different make or model or price range.   Give yourself a break by being a little bit flexible on that goal.

    Hey, no one’s plan is perfect!  You may or may not reach all the goals by the end of 2008.  But even if you don’t, you can easily carry your plan over until you do reach those goals!!

    So get out those pens and papers or word processing programs and start to plan a great 2008 for yourself!

    Love, Mambo Sam

  • Happy Holidays to Everyone!

    Christmasletter Hello everyone,

    Let me please take this opportunity to wish you all a safe and peaceful holiday season.  I apologize that I have not been able to keep up with my blogging as well as I would like to.  However, I will begin to do so in 2008.  🙂

    In the meantime, let me take this opportunity to thank you all for being in my life.  I really appreciate the feedback and friendships developed this year!    Look for even more exciting events and teachings coming in the new year! 

    Much love, Mambo Sam

  • My Grandsons!

    Hello everyone!  Most of you know that I have three grandsons.  I just wanted to share this picture with you.  They are such sweeties!!

    Theboyz2

    In the middle is Brandon the oldest, the one with his arms around Brandon is Devon, and the littlest fellow is Preston.  Preston is the one I am holding in the picture on my bio page.  He has grown a lot since then!

    These boys are such a blessing in my life.  Brandon is strong and athletic, quick with a joke and quick to help anyone who needs it.  Devon is smart, funny, and full of life.  Preston is our little clown – singing, dancing, and entertaining us all the time.  Needless to say, they are all devastatingly handsome! They are a remarkable trio!

    Thanks for listening to Nana brag!