Inspiring Quote of the Day
From Khouzhan Kat
"Accept and allow. This is the key to living a life full of Love." ~ Chris JohnsonEliminating judgment does not mean you lose your ability to choose what is desirable to you, what you prefer. It's to recognize that you and others are expressions of divine Love. Love is unconditional acceptance. So we allow others and ourself to be as we are, joined in our essence.
Category: Uncategorized
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Inspiring Quote of the Day
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How much is too much?
Hi there-
I came across this very good little commentary and wanted to share! It says so much in a few paragraphs. How much is enough? How much is good for us to tolerate? or not tolerate? I hope you all find this as helpful as I did.
Love
Sister Bridget
Too much Tolerance can be a Bad Thing.
Commentary
By
Robert Pagliarini
(MoneyWatch) You may not know it, but you have a tolerance meter — an internal gauge that tells you when enough is enough. The problem for many is that their tolerance meter is set too high — that they put up with far too much for far too long. We stay at jobs we hate because it is "comfortable enough," and because changing requires so much more energy. We'll endure critical bosses who never have nice things to say about us because we tell ourselves that they're not "that bad." We'll live paycheck to paycheck for years because we fool ourselves into thinking it's the "best we can do."
It is easy to fall into the mental trap of mediocrity. Because it doesn't take much to get by, we grow complacent. We stop growing and seeking challenges. We don't push ourselves to succeed. We cultivate a lifestyle well below our potential, but one that is just good enough that it doesn't require much challenge or action.
Tolerance is critical for survival. It has allowed us to endure horrific conditions by helping us quickly adapt to the situation. Our ability to adapt to our surroundings is both a gift and a curse. There are some life forms that cannot survive unless their conditions are ideal. Vary their environment even a little and they perish. We don't have this problem. We can tolerate, and even flourish, in wild extremes.
But when it comes to our careers, relationships, health, and lives, tolerance and adaptability are also curses. It's amazing how much we can tolerate when our environment changes slowly. Incremental change is our worst enemy. It permits us to gradually accept living standards that we never would have accepted in the beginning.
The best way to determine if you have settled is to take an honest look at your present situation. Are you where you want to be? Have you forgotten once vivid dreams and aspirations? Success has been defined as the progressive realization of a worthy goal. Based on this definition, are you successful?
There is a dark side to not "settling." I'm sure there is at least one person in your life that suffers from the belief that nothing is ever good enough. No matter how successful they become or how much money they make, they are never satisfied with their lives. This mindset is a guaranteed formula for frustration and unhappiness. So while it is healthy and motivating to work for and dream about reaching your goals, it is imperative to be thankful for where you are and what you already have. Regardless of your situation, you have a thousand things for which to give thanks. Do not lose sight of these aspects of your life. Don't lose sight of how far you've come and of what you've already accomplished on your journey in life.
The solution is to demand more from yourself (and often from others!). Draw a line in the sand and make a commitment to progress. Look at your situation with a set of fresh eyes and ask yourself, "How can I do better?" The moment you realize getting by isn't good enough is the moment your life can start to change.
© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc..
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On FB and in a relationship – this is a MUST READ!
Happy Friday!
Do you want this….
or this?
I came across this artlcle last night just before bed, and I had to restrain myself from getting up right then and there and posting the link! Over the past few years, I have seen this exact thing happen over and over — some of you who I have read with will remember me telling you to get off of FB and stop looking at certain people's profiles — For The Good of your Case! I am so glad that there are people looking into this issue of the impact of FB and the whole new level of knowledge or exposure we have about other people in our lives. Being able to look into someone's life this closely was not heard of 10 or 15 years ago – and of course, people were not sharing this much information then either. Balance is everything!
I do hope this article is helpful to some! And have a great weekend everyone!
Love
Sister Bridget
Excessive Facebook use can damage relationships, study finds
Facebook and other social networking web sites have revolutionized the way people create and
maintain relationships. However, new research shows that Facebook use could actually be damaging
to users' romantic relationships. Russell Clayton, a doctoral student in the University of Missouri
School of Journalism, found that individuals who use Facebook excessively are far more likely to
experience Facebook–related conflict with their romantic partners, which then may cause negative
relationship outcomes including emotional and physical cheating, breakup and divorce.
In their study, Clayton, along with Alexander Nagurney, an instructor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo,
and Jessica R. Smith, a doctoral student at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, surveyed Facebook users ages 18 to 82 years old. Participants were asked to describe how often they used Facebook and how much, if any, conflict arose between their current or former partners as a result of Facebook use. The researchers found that high levels of Facebook use among couples significantly predicted Facebook-related conflict, which then significantly predicted negative relationship outcomes such as cheating, breakup, and divorce. "Previous research has shown that the more a person in a romantic relationship uses Facebook, the more likely they are to monitor their partner's Facebook activity more stringently, which can lead to feelings of jealousy," Clayton said. "Facebook-induced jealousy may lead to arguments concerning past partners. Also, our study found that excessive Facebook users are more likely to connect or reconnect with other Facebook users, including previous partners, which may lead to emotional and physical cheating."
Clayton says this trend was particularly apparent in newer relationships.
"These findings held only for couples who had been in relationships of three years or less," Clayton said.
"This suggests that Facebook may be a threat to relationships that are not fully matured. On the other hand, participants who have been in relationships for longer than three years may not use Facebook as often, or may have more matured relationships, and therefore Facebook use may not be a threat or concern."
In order to prevent such conflict from arising, Clayton recommends couples, especially those who have not been together for very long, to limit their own personal Facebook use.
"Although Facebook is a great way to learn about someone, excessive Facebook use may be damaging to
newer romantic relationships," Clayton said. "Cutting back to moderate, healthy levels of Facebook usage could help reduce conflict, particularly for newer couples who are still learning about each other."
This study is forthcoming in the Journal of Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking.
ships. However, new
research shows that Facebook use could actually be damaging to users'
romantic relationships. Russell Clayton, a doctoral student in the
University of Missouri School of Journalism, found that individuals who
use Facebook excessively are far more likely to experience
Facebook–related conflict with their romantic partners, which thRead more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-excessive-facebook-relationships.html#jCp
ships. However, new
research shows that Facebook use could actually be damaging to users'
romantic relationships. Russell Clayton, a doctoral student in the
University of Missouri School of Journalism, found that individuals who
use Facebook excessively are far more likely to experience
Facebook–related conflict with their romantic partners, which thRead more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-excessive-facebook-relationships.html#jCp
ships. However, new
research shows that Facebook use could actually be damaging to users'
romantic relationships. Russell Clayton, a doctoral student in the
University of Missouri School of Journalism, found that individuals who
use Facebook excessively are far more likely to experience
Facebook–related conflict with their romantic partners, which thRead more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-excessive-facebook-relationships.html#jCp
ships. However, new
research shows that Facebook use could actually be damaging to users'
romantic relationships. Russell Clayton, a doctoral student in the
University of Missouri School of Journalism, found that individuals who
use Facebook excessively are far more likely to experience
Facebook–related conflict with their romantic partners, which thRead more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-excessive-facebook-relationships.html#jCp
ships. However, new
research shows that Facebook use could actually be damaging to users'
romantic relationships. Russell Clayton, a doctoral student in the
University of Missouri School of Journalism, found that individuals who
use Facebook excessively are far more likely to experience
Facebook–related conflict with their romantic partners, which thRead more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-excessive-facebook-relationships.html#jCp
ships. However, new
research shows that Facebook use could actually be damaging to users'
romantic relationships. Russell Clayton, a doctoral student in the
University of Missouri School of Journalism, found that individuals who
use Facebook excessively are far more likely to experience
Facebook–related conflict with their romantic partners, which thRead more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-excessive-facebook-relationships.html#jCp
ships. However, new
research shows that Facebook use could actually be damaging to users'
romantic relationships. Russell Clayton, a doctoral student in the
University of Missouri School of Journalism, found that individuals who
use Facebook excessively are far more likely to experience
Facebook–related conflict with their romantic partners, which thRead more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-excessive-facebook-relationships.html#jCp
ships. However, new
research shows that Facebook use could actually be damaging to users'
romantic relationships. Russell Clayton, a doctoral student in the
University of Missouri School of Journalism, found that individuals who
use Facebook excessively are far more likely to experience
Facebook–related conflict with their romantic partners, which thRead more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-excessive-facebook-relationships.html#jCp
Facebook and other
social networking web sites have revolutionized the way people create
and maintain relationships. However, new research shows that Facebook
use could actually be damaging to users' romantic relationships. Russell
Clayton, a doctoral student in the University of Missouri School of
Journalism, found that individuals who use Facebook excessively are far
more likely to experience Facebook–related conflict with their romantic
partners, which then may cause negative relationship outcomes including
emotional and physical cheating, breakup and divorce.Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-excessive-facebook-relationships.html#jCp
Facebook and other
social networking web sites have revolutionized the way people create
and maintain relationships. However, new research shows that Facebook
use could actually be damaging to users' romantic relationships. Russell
Clayton, a doctoral student in the University of Missouri School of
Journalism, found that individuals who use Facebook excessively are far
more likely to experience Facebook–related conflict with their romantic
partners, which then may cause negative relationship outcomes including
emotional and physical cheating, breakup and divorce.Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-excessive-facebook-relationships.html#jCp
Facebook and other
social networking web sites have revolutionized the way people create
and maintain relationships. However, new research shows that Facebook
use could actually be damaging to users' romantic relationships. Russell
Clayton, a doctoral student in the University of Missouri School of
Journalism, found that individuals who use Facebook excessively are far
more likely to experience Facebook–related conflict with their romantic
partners, which then may cause negative relationship outcomes including
emotional and physical cheating, breakup and divorce.Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-06-excessive-facebook-relationships.html#jCp
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On again/off again – frustrating relationships!
Good morning everyone! Hope you are having a great Saturday. Very often we get in our Heart's Desire letters for spellwork information that the relationship has been "on again/off again." These relationships can be SO frustrating, right? In fact, however, sometimes this can be an upward spiral in the relationship as you learn more about each other and learn what to do (and not to do!).
Very often, these kinds of relationships responds extremely well to love spell work! I believe that is because there is something there or there would only be "off" and no "on again" to the relationship! The couple is generally searching for a way to make things better – they keep coming back for more! 🙂
Many times, we get some of our best spell casting results from those people who are in these kinds of relationshps – they know there is something worth fighting for! 🙂
I like this article about on-again/off-again types of relationships! It can help put some things into perspective!
Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com
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Didn’t Mean to Call You That…
Hello my dear readers! I find myself in, yet again, the position of feeling like I need to re-re-post this blog post of mine. This time, though, I would like to also call some attention to the idea of teen dating abuse! I have seen some billboards up in my town with numbers to call if a teenager feels like they are in an abusive dating situation.
I do hope that if you have a teenager, you will have some opportunities to talk with them about this! What a sad situation… I can remember feeling a little bit bullied (a LONG time ago) by a boyfriend. Nothing was ever physical about it, but I do remember how it made me feel to try to please him just to have him get angry with me. Not a great feeling. Apparently, though, there is a lot more going on these days than some mild bullying. My heart goes out to parents of teenagers these days – there just seem to be so much to contend with!
Although this post focused mainly on verbal abuse, abuse of any kind should never, ever be stood for! Please get help if you or someone you love is in an abusive situation.
Anyway, here's the post yet again.
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I feel compelled to revisit a subject that I blogged about awhile back – so I am reposting the blog here. I just want you to think about your self worth and while I use female clients here as an example, it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen to men, too! Self worth knows no gender boundaries!
There is a popular song by "Lit" with these lyrics:
Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk
I didn't mean to call you that
I can't remember what was said or what you threw at me
Please tell me
Please tell me why
My car is in the front yard
And I'm sleeping with my clothes on
I came in through the window last night
And you're goneOkay, so it's a funny song, I actually even like the song! But it is not really funny when you think about it in the context of possible emotional abuse. I am sorry to say that I see a trend of female clients who are being abused but they don't seem to know it. Not every form of abuse leaves you with a black eye or a broken bone. Some of the more insidious forms of abuse include how your partner speaks to you.
I am seeing more and more Heart's Desire letters that go something like this, "I want Fred to stop calling me a b*tch, a c*nt, a worthless, useless,piece of sh*t." This is in HD letters for Leave My Man Alone™ where the person is trying to get their HD to stop this kind of behavior towards them.
I am sorry, but I have to ask myself, why are you putting up with that in the first place? Has that person convinced you that you are worth so little that they have totally destroyed your self esteem and you think you can't do better? Well, let me tell you, YOU CAN DO BETTER than some low life who doesn't have one good thing to say about you.
Look, I am not saying that people don't have a bad day, or, as the song says, do and say things when intoxicated. But if you are with a person who says horrible things to you on a regular basis, YOU ARE BEING EMOTIONALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY ABUSED, and you shouldn't be doing the love trio, you should be doing The Ultimate Revenge Kit™, a Milk of Damballah™ white bath, and then an Attract Love to Me™ spell kit!
I beg you, if you are in an abusive relationship, please get help. A lot of crisis intervention revolves around physical abuse, but emotional abuse can be just as much, or maybe even more damaging in the long run. You may think you have to take emotional abuse for one reason or another, but trust me, you do not. I did a search on the Internet and there are tons of books and articles written on this subject and how to get out of these relationships. Please don't allow yourself to be treated like this.
Granted, sometimes the only person who can truly help you is YOU… like the song says above, "And you're GONE."
Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.comLearn to get help: http://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/emotional-psychological-abuse/emotional-abuse-help-support-and-recovery/
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Who put the work in spell work?
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
— Thomas Edison
Greetings, everyone! Hope you are all ready fo a great weekend! I know we have talked about this before – the work of spellwork! However, I do think the subject can be revisited over and over again and still be of value!
All too often I hear people say that they think things like our spell kits are "just too much work." It is always a sigh-inducing, eye-rolling moment for me because that statement generally comes from someone who just told me they would do ANYTHING to get Jack (or Jill) back into their lives. Of course we offer solo castings with most of our spells (where I do the work for you), and that is a fine choice for those who are truly too busy (lots of folks working two jobs these days!) or do not have the privacy to do spell work.
However, I fear that sometimes people choose the solo casting just because they think doing their own spell work is just too much work! That is troubling because in the category of "doing anything" to get Jack or Jill back in your life could involve some work!
It could involve spell work! It could involve working on yourself. It could involve working on your relationship, but if you aren't invested enough in the relationship to do some work on it, why do you want that relationship in the first place? I dont' have the answer to that – but I do think it is something worth thinking about!
And let's not get confused about you good folks who occasionally need a break from spell work or adjunct work! There are those who just don't want to do another doll session or light another candle… they are just sick of spell work at the moment.
Now that is something different! Sometimes a little break from spell work is a good thing. It gives you time to refresh your spirit,look at the spellwork with fresh eyes, and regain your energy. The best way to take a break from spell work is during the break to assess the break itself; are you feeling good about the break? Are you feeling that this is a time for you to renew yourself and your purpose? The biggest danger in taking a break sometimes comes in the form of not knowing when the break should be over.
I always tell the folks to whom I recommend a break to be on the look out for signs that their break is over. If you are longing for your voodoo doll, or you start to miss the comfort and ritual of your candle magick, or you feel an incredible pull back into the work - those kinds of things are clear signs that your break is over!
Lately I have been literally bombarded with stories of clients and the success of their spellwork! :-) Needless to say, that is always amazingly awesome to hear! As I have mentioned before, I do notice a very common thread in these success stories – these are very often folks who were dedicated to that work, had a real heart for it, and stuck to their guns even in the face of adversity. Their success is inspiring!
So if the spellwork is seeming too much like work, then yes, take a small break, but never take your eye off the prize! 😉 If it is worth having, it is worth working for!
Love,light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com
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The Universal Prayer
Good morning, everyone! I wanted to share one of my favorite poems/prayers with you today! If you aren't familiar with the works of Alexander Pope, it might take a bit of re-reading to get some of his meanings! You know how it with these things written in the 1800's since we just don't talk that way anymore.
I love his interpretations of God! My favorite stanza is the one that starts with "What blessings thy free bounty gives." The idea that God is "paid" when we enjoy the bounties we are given really resonates with me. I also enjoy the references to free will, the idea that we are not alone in the universe, and especially the thought that it is not our job to go around chastising those who have ideas about God that differ from our own. 😉
There is also a sense to me that Mr. Pope saw God beyond the usual Christian beliefs; he interprets him more as a universal energy that sometimes extends beyond our scope. That is also somewhat of our Vodou/Voodoo way of seeing God – not so much the guy sitting in the clouds metting out justice and favors, but rather an overwhelming sense of Beingness with whom we are allowed to forge our own relationship.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this prayer – I love that it is so rich in spirituality without being preachy about religion. Also, it isn't a bad way to start the day!
Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com
The Universal Prayer
BY ALEXANDER POPE
Father of all! in every age,In every clime adored,By saint, by savage, and by sage,Jehovah, Jove, or Lord!Thou Great First Cause, least understood:Who all my sense confinedTo know but this—that thou art good,And that myself am blind:Yet gave me, in this dark estate,To see the good from ill;And binding Nature fast in fate,Left free the human will.What conscience dictates to be done,Or warns me not to do,This, teach me more than Hell to shun,That, more than Heaven pursue.What blessings thy free bounty gives,Let me not cast away;For God is paid when man receives,To enjoy is to obey.Yet not to earth’s contracted span,Thy goodness let me bound,Or think thee Lord alone of man,When thousand worlds are round:Let not this weak, unknowing handPresume thy bolts to throw,And deal damnation round the land,On each I judge thy foe.If I am right, thy grace impart,Still in the right to stay;If I am wrong, oh teach my heartTo find a better way.Save me alike from foolish pride,Or impious discontent,At aught thy wisdom has denied,Or aught thy goodness lent.Teach me to feel another’s woe,To hide the fault I see;That mercy I to others show,That mercy show to me.Mean though I am, not wholly soSince quickened by thy breath;Oh lead me wheresoe’er I go,Through this day’s life or death.This day, be bread and peace my lot:All else beneath the sun,Thou know’st if best bestowed or not,And let thy will be done.To thee, whose temple is all space,Whose altar, earth, sea, skies!One chorus let all being raise!All Nature’s incense rise! -
Cinco de Mayo!
I love this old poster (1901) for Cinco de Mayo!Have a great day if you are celebrating!!
Love,
Mambo Sam
www.spellmaker.com
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May Day, May Day, May Day!
Happy May 1, one and all! I have posted about May Day in the past – see below, with some new additions! 🙂
Ah, May 1! This day has been celebrated in so many ways through so many cultures. The halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, May 1 has elicited many different rituals through the years.
For Wiccans, this is Beltane; many Catholics celebrate the life of the Vigin Mary in some way. Yours truly was once the "May Queen" at her Catholic elementary school – St. Anthony of Padua on Canal Street in New Orleans. Yes, I got to wear the beautiful white outfit and lead the procession into the church and lay the first roses at the foot of the statue of the Virgin Mary. Pretty heady stuff for an 8-year-old girl. (Somehwere I have a picture of this and just have to find it – I am sure some of you will find it a hoot!)
Of course, nevermind the Catholics totally borrowed the holiday from the pagans who celebrated their first fertility rituals of the year on this date. ;-) Children conceived on this date are said to have special magickal powers. Children conceived on Walpurgis (the night before May 1, Beltane Eve) are said to have the ability to communicate with the dead because Walpurgis is, traditionally, one of the days when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is considered most thin and penetrable.
May 1 is often celebrated with different types of floral offerings. In some countries the ladies all wear flowers on this day – if your flower is worn on your right side, you are available; a flower on the left signifies that you are already taken. This is also considered the day to meet a new lover or celebrate an old one. ;-)
The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries.
It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane. Many pagan celebrations were
abandoned or Christianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more
secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In
this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the maypole dance and crowning of the Queen of the May.This day is often associated with new beginnings, planting a new seed, looking towards shedding off the past and looking towards the future with new, hopeful ideation. Not too many of us get the chance to dance around the Maypole these days, but certainly you can do that in your heart and mind. I hope you all have a beautiful May 1 and beyond! Let's look towards new beginnings, new hope, and beautiful outcomes for us all.
Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.comP.S. Despite my title of this post, the distress call "MayDay" has nothing to do with May Day! LOL. It is from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come help me". Of course, we could do some work to ask for help today from a particular lwa, such as Erzulie Freda. ;-) And there is the fact that the distress call MayDay is always said in groups of three. Gee, I can find Voodoo in anything! 🙂