• A Thankful Time.

    Hello Dear Ones,

    I would like to take a moment this morning, before we each get caught up in holiday prep chaos,  to say how thankful I am for all of my wonderful friends who make my days a true joy!  I am grateful for each and every one of you! Please enjoy your holiday, and your time with friends and loved ones.  Take time to savor the small things about the big holiday. Those are the things great memories are made of.

    Much Love,

    Mambo Sam

    The Thanksgivings

      by Harriet Maxwell Converse
    Translated from a traditional Iroquois prayer

    We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we are here

              to praise Him.

    We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered

              that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth.

    We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products

              to live on.

    We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth and runs

              for our lands.

    We thank Him for all the animals on the earth.

    We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have fluids coming

              from them for us all.

    We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow shadows

              for our shelter.

    We thank Him for the beings that come from the west, the thunder

              and lightning that water the earth.

    We thank Him for the light which we call our oldest brother, the sun

              that works for our good.

    We thank Him for all the fruits that grow on the trees and vines.

    We thank Him for his goodness in making the forests, and thank

              all its trees.

    We thank Him for the darkness that gives us rest, and for the kind Being

              of the darkness that gives us light, the moon.

    We thank Him for the bright spots in the skies that give us signs,

              the stars.

    We give Him thanks for our supporters, who had charge of our harvests.

    We give thanks that the voice of the Great Spirit can still be heard

              through the words of Ga-ne-o-di-o.

    We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of this pleasant

              occasion.

    We give thanks for the persons who can sing the Great Spirit's music,

              and hope they will be privileged to continue in his faith.

    We thank the Great Spirit for all the persons who perform the ceremonies

              on this occasion.

     

     

     

  • Take a Break

    We are always so serious when we petition Papa Legba. We ask him to 'open the path', 'help me communicate with…', etc.  Why not take just one session with Papa and ask him to bring you some roll-around-on-the-floor, knee-slapping, laugh-until-you-can't-breathe FUN?  What a great stress reliever that is!

    Love and Light – and Fun,

    Khouzhan Echo

  • Follow Mambo Sam and I on Instagram!

    Morning!

    With so many social media outlets available these days, sometimes I get a little overwhelmed.  One outlet that I still find really fun and easy is Instagram 🙂

    Both Mambo Sam and I use Instagram. We post pictures not just of our magickal life, but of all of our life – family, friends, pets, nature, etc. Things we find cool!  It is a way you can get to know us better, or just enjoy some neat pictures!

    Follow Mambo Sam on Instagram -  @samanthacorfield

    Follow me on Instagram – @sisterbridgetcorfield

    Check out some of my rosaries – @griffonageboutique

    Love

    Sister Bridget

     

     

     

     

  • What Do You Think About You?

    Happy Day one and all!

    I know that we have talked about self-esteem issues before, but it is a subject that I doubt we can talk too much about!  :-)   Your self esteem can be the difference between success and failure of your spell work!  If you don't think you really deserve to be happy, then what kind of message are sending about your spell work..especially love spell work??

    Every day one or more clients tell me how stupid they are,or how clumsy they are, or how they keep making bad decision, etc., etc.  No matter how much I tell them that they are good people, not stupid, and can learn to make better decisions, they don't quite seem to hear me.  Why is that? Because they don't believe it for themselves.  Because of that, they really do run the risk of harming their own spell work – how can we expect someone else to think positively of us when we think so negatively of ourselves?  The good news is that you CAN change that!!

    Below, I have pasted part of an article from this website: http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/self-esteem.html - do feel free to check out the rest of the website.  There are some really good exercises and articles to help you believe in you! 

    Hey, I think you are wonderful, now you have to believe it for yourself!

    Love, light, and peace,
    Mambo Samantha Corfield
    www.spellmaker.com

    Article Excerpt:

    Changing Negative Thoughts About Yourself To Positive Ones

    You may be giving yourself negative messages about yourself. Many people do. These are messages that you learned when you were young. You learned from many different sources including other children, your teachers, family members, caregivers, even from the media, and from prejudice and stigma in our society.

    Once you have learned them, you may have repeated these negative messages over and over to yourself, especially when you were not feeling well or when you were having a hard time. You may have come to believe them. You may have even worsened the problem by making up some negative messages or thoughts of your own. These negative thoughts or messages make you feel bad about yourself and lower your self-esteem.

    Some examples of common negative messages that people repeat over and over to themselves include: "I am a jerk," "I am a loser," "I never do anything right," "No one would ever like me," "I am a klutz." Most people believe these messages, no matter how untrue or unreal they are. They come up immediately in the right circumstance, for instance if you get a wrong answer you think "I am so stupid." They may include words like should, ought, or must. The messages tend to imagine the worst in everything, especially you, and they are hard to turn off or unlearn.

    You may think these thoughts or give yourself these negative messages so often that you are hardly aware of them. Pay attention to them. Carry a small pad with you as you go about your daily routine for several days and jot down negative thoughts about yourself whenever you notice them. Some people say they notice more negative thinking when they are tired, sick, or dealing with a lot of stress. As you become aware of your negative thoughts, you may notice more and more of them.

    It helps to take a closer look at your negative thought patterns to check out whether or not they are true. You may want a close friend or counselor to help you with this. When you are in a good mood and when you have a positive attitude about yourself, ask yourself the following questions about each negative thought you have noticed:

    • Is this message really true?

    • Would a person say this to another person? If not, why am I saying it to myself?

    • What do I get out of thinking this thought? If it makes me feel badly about myself, why not stop thinking it?

    You could also ask someone else—someone who likes you and who you trust—if you should believe this thought about yourself. Often, just looking at a thought or situation in a new light helps.

    The next step in this process is to develop positive statements you can say to yourself to replace these negative thoughts whenever you notice yourself thinking them. You can't think two thoughts at the same time. When you are thinking a positive thought about yourself, you can't be thinking a negative one. In developing these thoughts, use positive words like happy, peaceful, loving, enthusiastic, warm.

    Avoid using negative words such as worried, frightened, upset, tired, bored, not, never, can't. Don't make a statement like "I am not going to worry any more." Instead say "I focus on the positive" or whatever feels right to you. Substitute "it would be nice if" for "should." Always use the present tense, e.g., "I am healthy," "I am well," "I am happy," "I have a good job," as if the condition already exists. Use I, me, or your own name.

    You can do this by folding a piece of paper in half the long way to make two columns. In one column write your negative thought and in the other column write a positive thought that contradicts the negative thought as shown on the next page.

    You can work on changing your negative thoughts to positive ones by —

    • Replacing the negative thought with the positive one every time you realize you are thinking the negative thought.

    • Repeating your positive thought over and over to yourself, out loud whenever you get a chance and even sharing them with another person if possible.

    • Writing them over and over.

    • Making signs that say the positive thought, hanging them in places where you would see them often – like on your refrigerator door or on the mirror in your bathroom – and repeating the thought to yourself several times when you see it.

     

    Negative Thought


    I am not worth anything.
    I have never accomplished anything.
    I always make mistakes.
    I am a jerk.
    I don't deserve a good life.
    I am stupid.
    Positive Thought


    I am a valuable person.
    I have accomplished many things.
    I do many things well.
    I am a great person.
    I deserve to be happy and healthy.
    I am smart.

    It helps to reinforce the positive thought if you repeat if over and over to yourself when you are deeply relaxed, like when you are doing a deep-breathing or relaxation exercise, or when you are just falling asleep or waking up.

    Changing the negative thoughts you have about yourself to positive ones takes time and persistence. If you use the following techniques consistently for four to six weeks, you will notice that you don't think these negative thoughts about yourself as much. If they recur at some other time, you can repeat these activities. Don't give up. You deserve to think good thoughts about yourself.

  • Staying the Course.

    Greetings everyone!  Recently I was talking to a long-term client of mine who felt like she was confused about her goal in spell work.  She has been working a long time towards a particular goal and while the goal has often seemed in reach, and there has been good progress in her case, she just hasn't quite achieved full results.  She noticed that she recently has become confused about what her true goal is in doing her spell work.

    We talked for awhile about "way back when" when she first came to me and what she wanted then.  It was interesting to see how that goal has shifted and evolved over the years.  However, when we talked about it, even though there are some differences now in the goal, the core goal remains the same. It struck me as really important that she stay the course on her core goal even with the realization that even though there are differences in the goal, the main purpose of the work remains the same.

    This isn't the first time that someone has come to me who seems to have lost sight of why they started working magickally in the first place!  Sometimes the work itself takes on a life of itself and we can mistake the work for the goal! 🙂

    My recommendation to her was to use a Cosmic Voodoo Destiny Egg in order to help her remember and get back on track with her goal.  Also, if the goal has truly drastically changed, working with this Egg kit will also help with knowing and understanding that.  There is nothing wrong with a goal changing, growing, evolving over time; the only danger lies in not recognizing that change for what it is! Using the Egg to ask for guidance as to "where am I going next" or "where should I be doing next" and listening to that guidance is a really great tool!

    She has reported back to me that after even the very first session she felt re-focused and re-energized on her goal.  She has re-worked her path to her goal in such a way that everything now seems more realistic and true to her.  :-)  Now she no longer feels like she is working towards some nebulous goal that is no longer germane to today's life!   She realized that while the circumstances around her goal have changed, the actual goal has not.  Now she is able to work on those circumstance to uncloud her goal and make it a clear reach for her again!

    Like I said, she certainly isn't the first person to lose sight of her original goal so I thought it would be good to share with you how she used the Destiny Egg to help her out of her own magickal woods!

    Love, light, and peace,
    Mambo Samantha Corfield

     www.spellmaker.com

  • Coconut Sweet Potatoes.

    Hey there!

    Every once in a while I come across a recipe that just screams PAPA LEGBA to me 😉 And since we are coming into the season where sweet potatoes are everywhere,  I have a feeling this might be something that he would enjoy. Actually, I think just about anyone would enjoy this, it is just yummy! I made a batch using uncanned sweet potatoes, and it was quite delicious.  I just baked it a little bit longer than what is listed below. Warm, southern style comfort food. If you try it, post a comment here on my blog and let us know what you think 😉

    Light and Love

    Sister Bridget

    Coconut Sweet Potatoes.

    • 3 (16-ounce) cans sweet potatoes, drained
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 1/4 cup milk
    • 2 Tablespoons butter
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
    • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
    • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
    • 3 Tablespoons flour
    • 3 Tablespoons melted butter

    TO PREPARE:

    Combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, milk, 2 Tablespoons butter, eggs and vanilla in a bowl.  Mash until blended. Spoon into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Combine the coconut, pecans, brown sugar and flour in a bowl and mix well.  Stir in 3 Tablespoons melted butter. Spread over the sweet potatoes. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until light brown and bubbly.

     

    Images4

  • Setting Goals

    Hello everyone!  The article below by Kevin Kearns is actually an article outlining a way to reach business goals.  I could not help but notice the parallel between success in business and success in spell work!  Although I did have to laugh at the "No Magic" clause below.  😉

    Now that we are more than halfway through our 20th anniversary year, we, too, are looking at our own goals for the next 20 years! 

    The article is based on the time-honored tradition of being S.M.A.R.T. about goal setting.  Of course it isn't all germane to spell work, but certainly it can help you get organized and think about your spell work goals in an attainable way.

    Enjoy!

    Love, Mambo Sam

    www.spellmaker.com

    Top 7 Tips for Reaching Your Goals

    By Kevin Kearns

    Setting goals comes with the terrain for most leaders. You set goals for yourself, work with your team on setting their goals, and some of you, I know, work with your kids on setting goals. After all, in one form or another, goal setting is the practice of successful people. Unfortunately, the act of goal setting by itself does not guarantee goal achievement. Along with your determination, these seven tips can turn your goal setting into goal getting.

    1. Be S.M.A.R.T.: Set S.M.A.R.T. goals. This goal setting acronym approach has been around for a long time and it still works! You increase your odds of reaching your goal if you answer yes to all of these as you set it:

      · Specific – have I described details rather than general ideas of the goal?

      · Measurable – can someone else measure and see that I reached my goal?

      · Attainable – is this goal actually reachable?

      · Realistic – even if it is reachable, is it realistic that I am willing to do what it takes to reach it.

      · Timeline – do I have a deadline for reaching this goal?

    2. Document: If it’s not documented, it’s not going to happen. Most leaders learn quickly (often the hard way,) if it isn’t documented it didn’t happen. Goal setting is similar, it must be documented. The act of writing your goal down creates a sense of commitment and also allows you to read it. Reading your goal gives your mind more confidence that achieving it is possible. We tend to believe what we read, that is why magazines like The Globe can sell stories about aliens abducting Bigfoot. Write your goals down and look at them frequently.
    3. Why Me!?: Why is the goal important to you? Think about what benefits the goal offers you. What rewards are associated with reaching this goal? Do you want those rewards? If not, you are not going to stay committed to reaching the goal. The bigger the why, the greater chance of success. If your why is big enough, you will usually figure out the how. It is up to you to discover a why that makes you want to achieve the goal.
    4. No Magic: Resist magically turning excuses into reasons. I have witnessed people magically turn what appeared to be an excuse into a perfectly justifiable reason for not achieving a goal. This powerful magic trick can only be reversed by the magician who performed it. We are all amateur magicians in that sense. We are all guilty of accepting situations as final and giving up on goals. If we want to reach goals (especially those worthwhile difficult goals) we must fight the urge to perform and leave the magic to Penn & Teller.
    5. Habit Forming: Make goal setting a regular part of your life. Much like a successful diet, goal setting works best when it becomes part of the fabric of your life. Yo-yo dieting is a huge issue in the United States. People get motivated to lose weight, so they start the latest fad diet. After a few weeks (or even hours in some cases) we find ourselves on the downward spin of the yo-yo. The people that have had the most success with losing weight long-term are the ones who have made a healthy diet permanent part of their life – not a temporary prison sentence they are waiting to get paroled from. The same can be seen with goal setting. The more a part of your life it is, the easier it becomes and the greater your success.
    6. Get Help: Have a coach help you through the process. If you are pursuing a large or long-term goal, you may benefit from the support of a coach. Depending on the importance of the goal, this can be a professional coach or even a trusted co-worker or friend. A good coach will support you, while at the same time holding you accountable to do your best. In most cases, it is wise to not share your goal with everyone. Many people love to pick goals apart and you may find yourself using your energy to defend your ability to reach your goal instead of using it to achieve your goal. A safe, trusted advisor may be just what you need to reach your goal, but choose wisely.
    7. Impress Yourself: Set goals that impress you. When we start to walk as small children, every step is applauded. This constant positive reinforcement is used to encourage our desire and persistence to walk. Eventually, they stop clapping. This is because you have moved beyond walking and onto more difficult physical challenges. As a leader, you have likely achieved a level of success at work. In order to stay sharp and continue to grow, your goals must progress beyond your current status. It is more important that your goals impress you, than impress others. Michael Jordan did not become the “Michael Jordan” by limiting himself to what impressed others.

      Take the wisdom in these tips and strengthen your goal setting techniques. Improved goal setting will lead you to great achievements. How great? Well, that is up to you. The funny thing about goals is, the more goals you get, the more goals you want to get.

    20thanniversary

  • New Orleans Red Witch Candle

    Hi!

     

    I am taking today to say a few words here about one of my FAVORITE candles – The New Orleans Red Witch!

     

    A little background first.

     

    The New Orleans Red Witch love candle is something that is used to acquire either new love or help rekindle an old love. It is a milder candle that is based on what was once known as "crimson witch magick." The Crimson Witch was supposedly once a real person (early 1800's) who did witchcraft to save marriages, get those girls or guys
    who had no real prospects a relationship, etc. She was purported to be a kind old lady interested in bringing happiness to others. Interestingly enough, the legend goes that she never married having lost her own true love to some kind of accident.

     

    This candle can be used for a variety of things. For a new case, a case in progress, any love situation where you want to lend a slightly softer, loving energy too. Not a power or control candle (along the lines of the Famous Red Mummy) the feelings from this candle are softer and  sweeter. Use the candle with one of your Gris Gris bags from any of the love spells. After beginning your session, chant a bit with your Gris Gris bag, then chat a bit or concentrate on what you are hoping to achieve.

     

    This candle is a lunker! A bit bigger and heavier than the Famous Red Mummy candle. What does that mean? It means you can get MANY MANY sessions from just one candle. The Red Witch candle does come in a three pack for Mind Body Spirit, just like all our other candles. The three pack includes a bigger bottle of oil, bigger bag of herbs, a bag of 30 cones of incense and an incense burner! A three pack of Red Witches can keep you in good stead to do alot of candlework and send alot of sweet energy to your case for a long time 🙂

     

    You can see the Red Witch here at www.spellmaker.com/witch.htm 

     

    Tell her I said HI!

     

  • Saint Gabriel the Archangel

    Saint Gabriel the Archangel~

     

    Gabriel’s name means “God is my strength”.

    ~

     

    Gabriel helps people whose life purpose involves communication, including teachers, writers, actors, photographers, speakers, etc.

    ~

     

    This archangel is a messenger who whispers in our ear of coming events, changes, and opportunities for new experiences. Gabriel always brings good news !

    ~

     

    He restores life and light into stagnant areas of your life such as relationships, businesses, households, etc. Ask Gabriel to resurrect any blocked areas of your life and fill you with the remembrance of your divine purpose and destiny. You will receive creative ideas and opportunities to help you get moving again.

    ~

     

    Call on Gabriel for assistance with a career or a problem that involves putting forth your ideas and perceptions to others. Definitely ask Gabriel to be with you when you are going on a job interview or asking for a raise or promotion at work.

    ~

     

    Because of Gabriel's role as a communicator and mediator between Heaven and Earth, Catholics hold the Archangel to be a Patron Saint of broadcasters, telecommunications workers, diplomats, messengers, postal workers, and stamp collectors.

    ~

     

    Because Gabriel helped the prophet Daniel interpret his dreams, those seeking similar aid with their own dream work may petition the Archangel for help.

    ~

    Mentally call for Gabriel by saying, “Beloved Gabriel, please come to me now and help me express myself in the best Light. Thank you.”

    ~

     

    Correspondences:

    Gabriel’s colors are white and indigo

    Gabriel guards the day of Monday

    Gabriel is associated with the second (sacral) chakra

    Gabriel’s special number is nine.

    Crystals associated with Gabriel are Orange Calcite, Topaz, Moonstone, and pearls.

    Lillies are very special to Gabriel.

     

     

    Prayer to Saint Gabriel

     

    Blessed Saint Gabriel, Archangel

    We beseech thee to intercede for us at the throne of divine mercy:

    As thou didst announce to Mary the mystery of the Incarnation,

    so through thy prayers may we receive strength of faith and courage of spirit,

    and thus find favor with God and redemption through Christ Our Lord.

    May we sing the praise of God our Savior with the angels and saints in heaven forever and ever. Amen

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

     

     

     

    When a divine spirit grants your wish, it is customary, to give an offering of some kind in return. Because Archangel Gabriel, the Messenger of God, is generally depicted with white lilies or a trumpet horn, it is considered appropriate to make an offering of white flowers or to play music before an altar a thank-offering.

     

     

     

     

    "If you seek an angel with an open heart…

    You shall always find one."

     

    – Anonymous

     

     

     

    Ganriel1 Gabriel2

  • Archangel Raphael

    Archangel Raphael

     

    Raphael’s name means “God heals” or “God has healed” which tells us a lot about his responsibilities to Earth and her inhabitants. Raphael is a very powerful healer of both humans and animals. Raphael is very connected to all animals, both domestic and wild. He can be called to help find lost pets.

    ~

     

    Ask Raphael for help when you are in any kind of pain, whether it be physical, emotional romantic, intellectual or spiritual. He will somehow inspire you with sudden ideas and thoughts giving you just the right information to help the healing. Pay attention to and then follow these angelic answers to your prayers.

    ~

     

    You can call on Raphael on behalf of someone else who is in need of healing. He is also associated with the healing of addictions. The person must want the help, and be accepting of it for it to occur. Angels can not interfere with a person’s free will.

    ~

     

    When asked for healing assistance, Raphael surrounds and nurtures people with the emerald green light of his halo. Green is the color of healing and clairvoyant people may see emerald green sparkles when Raphael is around. 

    ~

     

    Raphael is connected to eyesight – both physical and non-physical. If you or a friend are going in for eye surgery, ask Raphael to oversee things. If you are needing help connecting with your intuition, he can help with that as well.

    ~

     

    Raphael oversees travelers, helping them arrive at their destination safely. Infact, he is the patron saint of travelers.

    ~

     

    Raphael is also very connected to doctors, nurses, and other health care workers.

    ~

     

    Raphael's loving personality outshines his physical characteristics; he is often described as being friendly, amusing, gentle and kind. These qualities also make him the Archangel best suited to overseeing the host of guardian angels.

    ~

     

    Correspondences:

    Green Aventurine is very special to him. Carry a small piece of this crystal in your pocket and hold it in your hand when you need to call on him. . Also other crystals such as emerald, jade and rose quartz are special to him.

    The Heart Chakra is specifically associated with Raphael.

    People often see flashes or sparkles of emerald-green light when calling on him.

    His colors are emerald green and deep pink – both colors of the heart.

    His special number is eight.

    ~

     

    A prayer to Saint Raphael

    Blessed Saint Raphael, Archangel

    We beseech thee to help us in all our needs and trials of this life,

    as thou, through the power of God, didst restore sight and

    give guidance to young Tobit.

    We humbly seek thine aid and intercession,

    that our souls may be healed,

    our bodies protected from all ills,

    and that through divine grace we may be made fit

    to dwell in the eternal Glory of God in heaven. Amen.

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

     

     

     

    A prayer to  St. Raphael for  Before A Journey

    Dear Saint Raphael, Angel of travelers,

    be with me and guide me on this journey.

    Protect me from sickness and danger

    and guard those I leave behind.

    Let your wings enfold me

    while I am away and return me

    safely home.

    Amen.

    ~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    Another Prayer to Saint Raphael the  Archangel

    Glorious Archangel Saint Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his travels. Because you are the "medicine of God," I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities of my soul and the ills that afflict my body. I especially ask of you the favor {mention your petition} and the great grace of purity of prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     

     

     

     

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