• On the death of a Beloved.

    Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for Sister Candelaria.  To me, these past few weeks seem quite surreal. I am very grateful that Sister's suffering is no more, and that she is in the arms of other departed loved ones. Still, the hole left is a great one. Words are very difficult at this time. I feel the poem below begins to say a bit how things are feeling now. In the days to come, there will be celebrations of Sister's life and tears for her loss. For now, rest well, Sweet Sister.

    Love

    Sister Bridget

     

    On the Loss of a Beloved by John O'Donoghue

    Though we need to weep your loss,
    You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,
    Where no storm or might or pain can reach you.

    Your love was like the dawn
    Brightening over our lives
    Awakening beneath the dark
    A further adventure of colour.

    The sound of your voice
    Found for us
    A new music
    That brightened everything.

    Whatever you enfolded in your gaze
    Quickened in the joy of its being;
    You placed smiles like flowers
    On the altar of the heart.
    Your mind always sparkled
    With wonder at things.

    Though your days here were brief,
    Your spirit was live, awake, complete.

    We look towards each other no longer
    From the old distance of our names;
    Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,
    As close to us as we are to ourselves.

    Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,
    We know our soul's gaze is upon your face,
    Smiling back at us from within everything
    To which we bring our best refinement.

    Let us not look for you only in memory,
    Where we would grow lonely without you.
    You would want us to find you in presence,
    Beside us when beauty brightens,
    When kindness glows
    And music echoes eternal tones.

    When orchids brighten the earth,
    Darkest winter has turned to spring;
    May this dark grief flower with hope
    In every heart that loves you.

    May you continue to inspire us:

    To enter each day with a generous heart.
    To serve the call of courage and love
    Until we see your beautiful face again
    In that land where there is no more separation,
    Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,
    And where we will never lose you again.

  • Voodoo and Rock & Roll.

    Hello!

    I hope you all are doing well, and are enjoying the last few weeks of summer! I spent a truly perfect, late summer evening recently at a Bruce Springsteen concert. The weather was perfect, the show was awesome! Really, truly a night to remember.

    During the show, Bruce spent a few minutes remembering band members who were no longer with him, but were very present in Spirit. During the introduction to “My City of Ruin” he explained how he wrote this song with Ghosts in mind. Bruce talked about how, when we are young, we are made to be afraid of ghosts. That ghosts are about unknown and frightening things. Things we feared in the dark, and wished would go away. Now, as we are older, we find the ghosts that walk with us to be comforting, familiar, and a rememberance of good times, love, and how precious every moment of life is. How we welcome the ghosts of our past, and welcome them to walk along side us.

    I hope you enjoy this video of Bruce singing City of Ruins.

    Love

    Sister Bridget

     

     

     

    Lyrics – My City of Ruins

    There’s a blood red circle

    on the cold dark ground

    and the rain is falling down

    The church doors blown open

    I can hear the organ’s song

    But the congregation’s gone

    My city of ruins

    My city of ruins

    Now the sweet veils of mercy

    drift through the evening trees

    Young men on the corner

    like scattered leaves

    The boarded up windows

    The hustlers and thieves

    While my brother’s down on his knees

    My city of ruins

    My city of ruins

    Come on rise up!

    Come on rise up!

    Now there’s tears on the pillow

    darling where we slept

    and you took my heart when you left

    without your sweet kiss

    my soul is lost, my friend

    Now tell me how do I begin again?

    My city’s in ruins

    My city’s in ruins

    Now with these hands

    I pray Lord

    with these hands

    for the strength Lord

    with these hands

    for the faith Lord

    with these hands

    I pray Lord

    with these hands

    for the strength Lord

    with these hands

    for the faith Lord

    with these hands

    Come on rise up!

    Come on rise up!

    Rise up

  • Happy Father’s Day! 2012

    Happy Father's Day to fathers near and far! Here is hoping your day is full of family and happiness 🙂

    I would like to take a moment here to make a big shout out to Parran Matt, our Spiritual Father! Parran works tirelessly, day in and day out, to keep the wheels of Spellmaker and our House turning. He is a great hero to us all, and we love him!!!! Happy Father's Day, Parran!

    On another note, this is the first Father's Day I am spending with my familial father in spirit. I found this poem below, and would like to share it with others, who might be feeling the same.

    Best to all.

    Love

    Sister Bridget

    You Never
    You never said I'm leaving
    You never said goodbye
    You were gone before I knew it,
    And only God knew why
    A million times I needed you,
    A million times I cried
    If Love alone could have saved you,
    You never would have died
    In Life I loved you dearly
    In death I love you still
    In my heart you hold a place,
    That no one could ever fill
    It broke my heart to lose you,
    But you didn't go alone
    For part of me went with you,
    The day God took you home.
    Author Unknown

  • Coconut Fun!

    LampsJune12 014

    Hi There!

    With all of the Spellmaker Family  Papa Legba Festivities going on this month, I have been looking for some new and different Coconut items that Papa might enjoy. On my last trip out, I came across these three.

    Trader Joe's Toasted Coconut Cookie Thins — these cookies smell divine! They look incredibly scruptious!

    Coconut Water with Pulp — I found this at the local health food store for less than $1! It has real pieces of coconut in the bottle. I always seem a bit clumsy when I try and cut open a fresh coconut myself, so I think this is a neater option for me 🙂

    Voorman's Coconut Cookies — found these at the dollar store! It is a rather large bag, and these cookies are chock full of coconut and also smell heavenly.

    These are just some examples of new coconut items I thought Papa might like. He also like Mounds bars, rum, coffee, all of the usual suspects! We have a bit more information about Papa here, in our Information Board. Remember, anything offered with a grateful heart is fanstastic 🙂

    For more information about the monthlong rituals to Papa Legba, please see www.spellmaker.com/legba.htm 

    Also, our Spiritual Power Magick Prayer Group is focusing on Papa as well this month! Please join us on June 27th!

    Enjoy!

    Love

    Sister Bridget

  • Memorial Day.

    Hi There!
    With Memorial Day here this weekend, it got me to thinking about the real meaning of the holiday. I mean, where I live Memorial Day for alot of folks its the big summer kick off weekend, have a picnic, do some yard work, go to the local parade. If anyone is interested in a nice summary of the real history of Memorial Day, I found this site : www.usmemorialday.org 

    Memorial Day is about honoring the dead (not something unfamiliar to Voodooisants!) The fallen that have given their lives so that every day  our lives can be better ones.

    There are lots of things someone can do to honor these fallen heroes. It can be as simple as going to a local cemetery and placing an American Flag on a veteran's grave. The Memorial Day Foundation
    will do this for people (for a small fee) that cant get out and do it themselves. The bouquets are very nice and quite reasonable.   Going to the local VFW or American Legion ceremonies that will be happening this Monday is something else we can do to show our support.  Very often at these ceremonies, "Taps" is played.

    These are the words to "Taps." Often, a shorter version, shown here in italics, is played:

    Fading light dims the sight,
                And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.
                From afar drawing nigh. Falls the night.
    Day is done, gone the sun,
                From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.
                All is well, safely rest. God is nigh.
                Then good night, peaceful night,
                Till the light of the dawn shineth bright,
                God is near, do not fear. Friend, good night.

    ~~~~~~

    So, I encourage you all to get out and do something to honor our fallen Heroes this weekend. Also, a nod to our own wonderful General Ogoun could be in order!

    Imagess

     

    Thanks for reading this far! I will leave you with this prayer:

    Each year we give this tribute
    Out of thankfulness and love
    For your loyalty and courage
    Virtues that set you above.

    We’ll never forget you gave your all
    That others can be free
    You paid the ultimate earthly price
    Immortal you will ever be.

    We walk the byways, streets of towns
    Country lanes, through parks
    At ease, at peace, possible because
    Of missions upon which you embarked.

    When there is no setting sun
    And tides stretch out o'er all the land
    No birds to fly, no songs to sing
    Then we'll come and take your hand. 

    For now we won't forget
    An emptiness your parting left
    You gave your life in freedom's call
    In God’s eyes you're ever blessed.


    Have a safe and wonderful holiday!

    Light and love
    Sister Bridget

    Images

  • Products for Money and Luck!

    Hi there!

    Happy Spring! Spring to me always means projects at home, and planning for summer vacation 🙂 Maybe your tax refund was less than you expected, or your had some unexpected car repairs, or  maybe you are tired of waiting to take that dream vacation…whatever your reason, Spellmaker.com has a large selection of products to assist you with Money, Luck, and Career issues. Right now, our Big Money Spell kit and casting services are on sale! Take a look today!

    Love

    Sister Bridget

    1661481

  • Spellmaker Spiritual Power Group Ritual May 24th 9pm EST.

    Be there for this very special Spiritual Power Group Ritual to our dear Gran Bwa!

    May 24th at 9pm EST — it will be a very powerful time!

    Love,

    Sister Bridget

     

    ABQ102010 125

    Sleeping In The Forest
    ~~~~~by Mary Oliver
    I thought the earth remembered me,
    she took me back so tenderly,
    arranging her dark skirts, her pockets
    full of lichens and seeds.
    I slept as never before, a stone on the river bed,
    nothing between me and the white fire of the stars
    but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths
    among the branches of the perfect trees.
    All night I heard the small kingdoms
    breathing around me, the insects,
    and the birds who do their work in the darkness.
    All night I rose and fell, as if in water,
    grappling with a luminous doom. By morning
    I had vanished at least a dozen times
    into something better.

     

     

     

  • Poem for today…..

    Go in and in by Danna Faulds

    Go in and in

            Be the space

    between two cells,

            the vast, resounding

    silence in which

            spirit dwells.

    Be sugar dissolving

            on the tongue of life.

    Dive in and in,

            as deep as you can dive.

    Be infinite, ecstatic truth.

            Be love conceived and born in union.

    Be exactly what you seek,

            the Beloved, singing Yes,

    Tasting Yes, embracing Yes,

            until there is only essence;

    the All of Everything

            expressing through you

    as you.  Go in and in

            and turn away from

    nothing that you find.

     

    -from Go In and In (2002) by Danna Faulds

  • Mambo’s Magickal Music Fun! Marie Laveau!

    Hi there!

    I am sure some of you fair readers (Khouzhan's included…) have seen dear Mambo's blog posts about Magickal Music. I am posting here the lyrics to one of my favorite songs, Marie Laveau by Bobby Bare. While not historically accurate, it certainly is a fun song! And, one I often get as a sign when working 🙂
    Hope you enjoy, and I look forward to other's posting their favorites as well.

    Love

    Sister Bridget

    Artist: Bobby Bare
    Song Title: Marie Laveau
    Marie Laveau

    The most famous of the voodoo queens that ever existed
    Is Marie Laveau, down in Louisiana
    There's a lot of weird, ungodly tales about Marie,
    She's supposed to have a lot of magic potions, spells and curses….

    Down in Louisiana, where the black trees grow
    Lives a voodoo lady named Marie Laveau
    Got a black cat's tooth and a Mojo bone
    And anyone who wouldn't leave her alone
    She'd go (growl) another man done gone.

    She lives in a swamp in a hollow log
    With a one-eyed snake and a three-legged dog
    She's got a bent, bony body and stringy hair
    If she ever seen y'all messin' 'round there
    She'd go (growl) another man done gone.

    And then one night when the moon was black
    Into the swamp come handsome Jack
    A no good man like you all know
    (TALK) He was lookin' around for Marie Laveau.

    He said Marie Laveau, you handsome witch
    Gimme a little a little charm that'll make me rich
    Gimme a million dollars and I tell you what I'll do
    This very night, I'm gonna marry you
    Then It'll be (growl) another man done gone.

    So Marie done some magic, and she shook a little sand
    Made a million dollars and she put it in his hand
    Then she giggled and she wiggled, and she said Hey, Hey
    I'm gettin' ready for my weddin' day.

    But old handsome Jack he said goodbye Marie
    You're too damned ugly for a rich man like me
    Then Marie started mumblin', her fangs started gnashin'
    Her body started tremblin', and her eyes started flashin'
    And she went (growl) another man done gone.

    So if you ever git down where the black trees grow
    And meet a voodoo lady named Marie Laveau
    If she ever asks you to make her your wife
    Man, you better stay with her for the rest of your life
    Or it'll be (growl) another man done gone.

    Marie_Laveau

  • Quote for today…….

    We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.

    ~~~~Gibran
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