• The Lover’s Path Reading

    Hey There –

    Just wanted to update you all and let you know that I have changed my basic relationship tarot reading to the Lover’s Path spread described below:

    The Lover’s Path Tarot reading is intended for times when a romantic
    relationship requires deep examination. This tarot spread offers
    romantic advice. It studies the relationship on four levels. The
    thirteen cards chosen offers a complex picture of the relationship as
    it is at that moment, providing food for thought.

    This spread has 4 more cards and is more indepth than the spread I was using before. I have been working with this spread for a little while now, and just started offering it to clients. So far, the feedback has been really wonderful!

    If you are interested in a reading, or have any questions, please feel free to email me at bridget@spellmaker.com

    Light and Love

    Sister Bridget

    Lovers

  • Clutter’s Side Effects: How the State of Your Home Affects Your Life

    OK, Gang, here we go with the first article about clutter and how it effects us. I know you are all thinking Im a Im a total slob that my house looks like something from Sanford and Sons  but neither is true. Im not going to be on the cover of BH&G anytime, but …..  I really do believe that our outer enviornment does reflect our inner enviornment. And, I also know that I feel much different when I come home on a Monday to a pretty clean place (after having time to catch up on my housework all weekend) then when I come home on a Friday 😉   I also know when we are feeling punky about our case not going as quick as we like, that the doldrums can sometimes stuff can pile up. Been there. But, what better way to feel better and make your house inviting to your HD than by cleaning up! So, I’ll be quiet now and let you read…..

    Light and Love

    Sister Bridget

    Trash

    Clutter’s Side Effects:
    How the State of Your Home Affects Your Life
    by Stephanie Roberts

    Each area of your home has a symbolic meaning with which you resonate on a subconscious level. Clutter and untidiness within each of these areas causes constriction and inertia in the corresponding aspects of your life.

    CLUTTER IN THE KITCHEN
    The kitchen has been called the "heart of the home," and with good reason. Here we are nourished and provided for, even if we are dining on a frozen entrée zapped in the microwave rather than a homemade meal lovingly presented by Mom. An untidy and disorganized kitchen makes it hard to nourish yourself and others, on both physical and metaphysical levels. How you care for your kitchen is a clue about whether you are giving proper attention to your own nourishment and sources of abundance. Cleaning up and de-cluttering your kitchen opens up space for you to receive the support and comfort that you need in life.

    LIVING AND DINING ROOM CLUTTER
    These are spaces where you mingle with and honor your relationships with family and friends. Here you engage with the world while being at home through watching television, reading the paper, or arguing politics with old friends over dinner. Clutter can turn these social spaces into dens of isolation, especially if the mess is so bad that it has been years since you’ve invited people over. Look around your living and dining rooms to see what they say about your relationship with the rest of the world. Are you hiding your true self from others, burying it in clutter, or putting it on display here?

    CLUTTERED HALLWAYS
    Hallways are the arteries and highways of your home. Think of clutter in your hallways as a traffic jam that prevents important connections between different areas of your home and your life. Look at your hallways to see how you feel about your life’s path: are they well lit and easily navigable, or do they trip you up? If you feel a disconnect between work and family, self and others, what you need and your obligations, it may be time to give your hallways a good clearing out.

    BATHROOM CLUTTER
    Bathing and anointing the body is a preparatory ritual for many religious rites both ancient and contemporary. On a daily basis we use this space to prepare ourselves to meet the world. Clutter in the bathroom can indicate a devaluation of self-worth, a lack of attention to self that goes beyond the physical. A clean, well-decorated bathroom can become a tranquil sanctuary for rejuvenation and self-care. Scented soaps, attractive accessories, and fragrant candles have a place here. Beautifying your bathroom by eliminating clutter and disorder and transforming it into a place of refuge will bring a sense of the sacred into your morning and evening personal-care rituals.

    CLUTTER IN THE BEDROOM
    Adults’ bedrooms are for sleeping and intimacy, and they should function as places of renewal for self and relationships. Clutter in the bedroom is enervating without being restful. If you feel "wired and tired," creating order out of chaos in this most personal space can help you relax and let go of the stress of the day. Then you can get a good night’s sleep or enjoy some special time with your partner.

    CLUTTERED CLOSETS
    Closets represent things that are hidden, unknown, or unrecognized. When we fill our closets with clutter, we stifle our ability to be intuitive and insightful. Cluttered closets can indicate problems that you may not be consciously aware of but which impede your progress through life, work, and relationships nonetheless. Keeping the closet door closed is not an effective solution.

    ATTIC AND BASEMENT CLUTTER
    A cluttered attic creates a feeling of being under pressure. It’s hard to feel optimistic about the future when there’s so much stuff "hanging over your head." Ancestor issues reside up there, along with all those boxes and chests holding the detritus of generations. And the basement and other below-ground storage areas are considered abodes of the subconscious, so watch your step and get that clutter cleaned up!

    CLUTTER IN YOUR GARAGE
    Think of your car as a symbol of your mobility, independence, and ability to be self-directed in life. If there’s so much stuff piled up in your garage that you can barely fit the car in there, you may be hampered or overly cautious moving forward in life as well.

    Stop thinking of clutter-clearing as a tremendous chore, and start thinking of it as one of the most effective self-improvement tactics available to you. Every magazine and piece of paper you recycle, every book you give to the library, every knick-knack and item of clothing you release to a new owner creates space in your life for new insight, energy, joy, and experiences to come in!

    © 2003 Stephanie Roberts

  • CELTIC BLESSING FOR YOU FOR THE NEW YEAR

    CELTIC BLESSING FOR YOU FOR THE NEW YEAR

    May you recognize in your life the presence, power and light of your soul.

    May you realize that you are never alone, that your soul in its brightness and belonging connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe.

    May you have respect for your own individuality and difference.

    May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique, that you have a special destiny here, that behind the façade of your life there is something beautiful, good and eternal happening.

    May you learn to see yourself in the same delight, pride and expectation with which God sees you in every moment.

    Celt

  • Happy New Year!

    Happy 2008 Everyone!

    I hope that 2008 brings each and every one of you your heart’s desire.

    I wanted to pick out a nice quote to start the year off with, but I ended up with three:

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on

    them ourselves. The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.

                ~~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

    Resolve to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years

    you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or

    brightened a small town by your contribution to the fund of general

    enjoyment.

                ~~~~ Sydney Smith

    Your Merry Christmas may depend on what others do for you. But your Happy

    New Year depends on what you do for others.

                ~~~ Anonymous

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Again, Happy New Year to you all. Don’t watch too much football 🙂

    Light and Love

    Sister Bridget

    Happynewyear

  • Buddhist Blessings

    How nice is this blessing to keep in mind for the coming year?

    Buddhist Blessing

    Just as the soft rains fill the streams,
    pour into the rivers and join together in the oceans,
    so may the power of every moment of your goodness
    flow forth to awaken and heal all beings,
    Those here now, those gone before, those yet to come.

    By the power of every moment of your goodness
    May your heart’s wishes be soon fulfilled
    as completely shining as the bright full moon,
    as magically as by a wish-fulfilling gem.

    By the power of every moment of your goodness
    May all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
    May no obstacle come across your way.
    May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.

    For all in whose heart dwells respect,
    who follow the wisdom and compassion, of the Way,
    May your life prosper in the four blessings
    of old age, beauty, happiness and strength.

    Buddha

  • A New Approach to New Year’s Resolutions

    Happy New Year Everyone!

    I don’t know about you, but I really dislike making resolutions. Just the thought of them makes my stomach tighten. Why? Because in the past, I have been, let’s say, somewhat less than successful with them. Sigh. So, I was trying to think of some positive way to address making a resolution – one that wouldn’t make me cringe – and I came across this article. It makes good sense to me, so I am passing it along to you J

    So, I have come up with a couple of process oriented resolutions for myself. I will be blogging about them in the coming weeks, updating you with my progress (and setbacks as well) as they occur.

    The first process is managing my home better. Who wouldn’t want to make things just a little bit neater and a little bit tidier? I came across a great series of articles about clutter, how clutter effects us, and how clearing it away can change not only our homes but our lives as well. Also, some helpful tips on how to make cleaning up very manageable, not overwhelming. I looked a bit further and found some great beginner stuff on Feng Shui. Very interesting stuff! So, look for some interesting info about that energy practice as well.

    The second process I am adopting now is Journaling. I actually started journaling some a few weeks ago, but as of 1/1/08 I am making this a daily practice. It is truly amazing the realizations and insights that are revealed to me while I write in my journal. By getting your thoughts out of your head and putting them down in writing, you gain insights you’d otherwise never see. I have collected a few articles on journaling and getting started and some other neat stuff. Keep an eye out for that!

    I hope all of you have a great and safe New Years and here is to 2008 being the best year ever for all of us!

    Light and Love

    Sister Bridget

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    A New Approach to New Year’s Resolutions
    by Stephanie Roberts

    The New Year is traditionally a time to reflect on where we are in our lives and to think about improvements that we’d like to make. It seems obvious that the first step in choosing appropriate New Year’s Resolutions should be to define specific goals for what we want to achieve in the coming year. I’m a huge fan of goal setting, but I’m no longer convinced it’s the best way to approach this whole resolution thing.

    Focusing on specific goals leads to those oh-so-familiar resolutions such as "Lose 10 pounds by February 1st," "Go to the gym five times a week," "Stop arguing with my [mother/brother/in-laws/your personal nemesis here]," "Get out of debt," "Quit smoking," and so on. These are all admirable and worthy objectives — until we binge on that last box of holiday chocolates, start skipping workouts, let Mom get under our skin (again), succumb to a post-Christmas sale or give in to the craving for a cigarette, and the self-recrimination begins.s

    The purpose of New Year’s Resolutions is to help us focus on positive changes we want to make in our lives. Our intentions are good, but often all that we accomplish is to repeat past failures, undermine our self-worth, and add to our burden of guilt because once again we didn’t follow through on what we said we were going to do.

    A 1998 survey conducted by the University of Washington reported that 63% of the people questioned were still keeping their #1 resolution after two months. That sounds pretty good given how prone we humans are to temptation, but frankly I’m not all that impressed. Two months is a good start, but it’s not much time to make lasting changes and I can’t help but wonder what that study would have revealed three, or six, or twelve months down the road.

    If the prospect of making New Year’s Resolutions triggers feelings of guilt because you’ve been making the same ones year after year — without ever losing that 20 pounds, or exercising more, or quitting smoking, or getting out of debt, or really-truly-this-time-I-mean-it finally getting organized — perhaps it’s time for a new kind of resolution.

    I’ve come to the conclusion that the best resolutions are process-oriented, not goal-oriented. They focus not on achieving a specific goal by a specific date, but on making subtle and important shifts in how we are living in each moment. I’d like to see more of us make resolutions like "Treat everyone I meet with kindness," "Respond to anger with compassion," "Honor and respect my body," "Make better use of my talents and abilities," or "Be a mindful caretaker of my financial assets."

    These kinds of resolutions deliberately break the #1 goal-setting rule: "be specific." Their vagueness is their greatest asset, because instead of setting a concrete milestone (which we then beat ourselves up for not reaching), they provide a gentle guiding light that keeps us headed in the right direction as we make our cautious way forward to becoming better at being who we are.

    Process-oriented resolutions help us avoid the pitfalls of failure and guilt by making it easier to reinvent our lives moment by moment. If we slip up and eat that donut, lose our temper, pull out a credit card or light up and take a deep drag, our resolutions remind us that we can make a different choice next time.

    This does not mean you shouldn’t set goals this year! Goals are terrific, and important, and I definitely recommend creating a specific, written list of your desired achievements. I also, however, suggest separating goal-setting and resolution-making into two distinct tasks.

    This year, instead of defining your New Year’s Resolutions by what you want to achieve, use them to describe something about the type of person you want to be. Think about what you want to accomplish, then make resolutions that provide a foundation of attitudes and behaviors that will support you in achieving the specific goals you’ve added to your list.


    Copyright © 2002 by Stephanie Roberts

    Newyear

  • 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.

  • Marie Laveau House Blessing Kit

    With the New Year approaching, it’s time that many of us think about cleaning out our closets and taking out the trash both physically and spiritually.

    One great way to cleanse the actual space around you is the Marie Laveau House Blessing Kit. This is a one time use kit, which takes a couple of hours or so, depending on how large a space you are blessing.  While most frequently this kit is used on your actual living space, it can also be used on your workspace as well, or on your HD’s living space. If you are unable to do the entire house/office , then the kit can be used just in the room(s) where you spend the most time. This kit is great for areas/locations where much fighting (or crying) has occurred. It’s great to be done if you are moving — both on your old space to help facilitate the sale or renting of the space and it can also be done on the new place you will be living to get off on the right foot and with a clean slate. Its best to do this just before moving in, as you wont have all the furniture and boxes to have to move around (ask me how I figured that one out…. )

    Check out the kit at www.spellmaker.com/cleanseyou.htm ! I always have one on my shelf. I never know when I might get the urge to cleanse 🙂

    Light and Love

    Sister Bridget

    Marie1

  • ~~A Prayer for Forgiveness~~

    I came across this while looking for something else. It so moved me that I have printed it out and put it on my night stand so I can read it before sleep every night. I hope you find it as moving as I have….

    Sister Bridget

    A Prayer for Forgiveness

    Today, Creator, grant me the courage and the will to forgive the people I love the most. Help me to forgive every injustice I feel in my mind, and to love other people unconditionally. I know the only way to heal all the pain in my heart is through forgiveness.

    Today, Creator, strengthen my will to forgive anyone who has hurt me, even if I believe the offense is unforgivable. I know that forgiveness is an act of self-love. Help me to love myself so much that I forgive every offense. Let me choose forgiveness because I don’t want to suffer every time I remember the offense.

    Today, Creator, help me to heal all the guilt in my heart by accepting the forgiveness of everyone I have hurt in my life. Help me to sincerely recognize the mistakes I have made out of ignorance, and give me the wisdom and determination to refrain from making the same mistakes. I know that love and forgiveness will transform every relationship in the most positive way.

    Thank you, Creator, for giving me the capacity to love and forgive. Today I open my heart to love and forgiveness, so that I can share my love without fear. Today I will enjoy a reunion with the people I love most. Amen.

    ~~~don Miguel Ruiz 

    Angelpray

  • 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