Tag: voodoo spells
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Earthing.
Have you ever heard of “Earthing”? Up until 2 days ago, I had not. I happened to notice a link to an article as I scrolled through my Twitter feed. Turns out, it is basically the practice of connecting with the Earth, and feeling better. Sounds pretty simple, right? Admittedly, when time and weather permit, and I get to spend time in my back yard, sitting on the ground under my favorite tree, I do feel happier, calmer, more relaxed. And naps under said tree, well, they are the best. I got to wondering if there might be any evidence to back up the article I had read, and I did uncover some interesting reading. I tried to provide links to full text articles, so you could read for yourselves if you so desired.
This is a link to a pdf of an introductory article on Earthing co-authored by Dr Oschman.
http://74.63.154.231/here/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/understanding_earthing.pdf The conclusions
”Earthing reduces every measure of stress we have used in our studies.”
’The most important health benefit of Earthing is providing the body with abundant electrons from the Earth. The scientific research and hypotheses related to Earthing point to a major impact on the inflammatory process as a result of this electron transfer.”
“We do not describe Earthing as a "treatment" or a "cure" for any disease or disorder. Instead, it can be said without any equivocation that the human body evolved in contact with the Earth and needs to maintain this natural contact in order to function properly.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3576907/ Links to a study which you can read for free on Pub Med Central that states there “were measurable decreases in cardiovascular risk factors after 2 hours of grounding.” However, for you science minded folks, the sample size for this study was 10.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15650465 “Results indicate that grounding the human body to earth ("earthing") during sleep reduces night-time levels of cortisol and resynchronizes cortisol hormone secretion more in alignment with the natural 24-hour circadian rhythm profile. Changes were most apparent in females. Furthermore, subjective reporting indicates that grounding the human body to earth during sleep improves sleep and reduces pain and stress.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/ A pretty comprehensive review article on the subject, not terribly long and the full text is available for free. The conclusion — “The research done to date supports the concept that grounding or Earthing the human body may be an essential element in the health equation along with sunshine, clean air and water, nutritious food, and physical activity.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21856083 “Earthing generates immediate changes in electroencephalography (EEG), surface electromyography (SEMG), and somato-sensory evoked potentials …..Earthing significantly influences on the electrical activity of the brain. “
I think the statement that struck me most was this:
“the human body evolved in contact with the Earth and needs to maintain this natural contact in order to function properly”
Seems so simple and so true. Naturally, there is a commercial element that has cropped up to help “promote” this practice. Earthing shoes, sheets, chairs, matts, etc. To me, adding more “stuff” seems to defeat the whole idea, which seems pretty simple – Go out and connect with the Earth!
I am glad that I clicked on that link in my Twitter feed J I think I know a little more than I did a couple days ago. And the next time I nap under my favorite tree, I will feel a little less guilty when I wake up.
Love
Sister Bridget
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The Poor, Misunderstood 7-Knob Candle!
Greetings everyone! I hope your week is going great!
A very traditional magickal candle is the 7-knob candle. This candle, in one form or another, has been around for maybe thousands of years! I once saw a documentary about the Egyptian pyramids (well I have seen probably thousands of those LOL), and they found remnants of a "knobby" candle in a burial chamber!
However, I do find that many people get confused on exactly how to use a 7-knob candle and wonder exactly what you can accomplish with it! 😉
Now, technically, this candle is called a "7-knob Wishing Candle" and traditionally has been used to make 7 different wishes towards the same situation. You make the wish, burn that knob. When that knob burns down, you can then make a different wish (or perhaps even the same wish again).
You can also use this candle to work on different aspects of a situation. For instance, let's say that you are doing love spell work and you have a somewhat complicated situation. You could use the 7-knob candle, using each knob of the candle to ask for relief or change in one part of the situation. Let's say you have an intruder to deal with, fear of commitment, the HD has financial problems, his children don't like you, he works too many long hours, etc., etc. Maybe these aren't all huge problems. Maybe some of them are just annoyances. However, you could use, for instance, a red 7-knob candle for a love situation (or even a trio of them if you have a lot of issues within your relationship) and petition for change for a different thing on each knob. Also, as I mentioned above, you could repeat petitions within the same candle, say, doing three knobs on him stopping him from spending time with the intruder, two knobs to make him feel more attracted to you, one knob petitioning for his children to like you, and one knob just to ask for peace in your relationship with him. 🙂
Obviously these candles are not going to replace regular spell work, however, whether you have petty annoyances in your relationship or even more serious complications, these candles can help you in a lot of different ways!
The same goes for other situations such as financial ones: You could use one knob to petition for a raise at work, one knob to help you budget better, and so forth and so on!
So if you are looking at a situation in your life and thinking, "Gee, there are a lot of issues here" – you might be in the market for a 7-knob or two!
Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com -
Stop the Nit-Picking! 😉
Happy Friday, everyone!
It is no surprise to our seasoned clients here at Spellmaker that we are major proponents of recommending that people take as many "real-world" measures as they can to repair their relationships as they do "magickal-world" measures. 🙂So many times clients will tell us that they are fighting all the time with their intended, or they don't see eye-to-eye, or they are conflicts in their relationship that they just don't seem to be able to resolve. I really liked this particular article that I am linking you to because while it technically has to do with tips for a good marriage, I could easily see how this article could be applied in part to a relationship you want to have or even to a non-romantic relationship.
A lot of articles and so-called relationship gurus seem to think that everyone has been born with some semblance of knowledge of how to sustain a relationship. From what Parran Matt and I see everyday, that just isn't so. Some people need to start from square one and rethink how they approach relationships. I see people making the same mistakes over and over again with little insight into their own role in making a happy relationship.
No one article is going to solve someone's relationship problems, but education about what makes a happy relationship can help you in both the real world and the magickal world. 😉 It can help you to know what you want and how to keep it when you get it!
Feel free to comment on the article!
WebMd Guide Article – click here!
Love,light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com -
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.comArticle 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.
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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 -
Back to the “Good Enough” Marriage Article!
Hello everyone! So quite some time back, I did a post regarding this article: The Good Enough Marriage. It is, as it states, an article about the "good enough" marriage and/or relationship. I definitely wondered what you thought about that article – agree, disagree? I was re-reading the comments that people had sent in and thought this was so worth reposting because not only was the article thought-provoking, so were the comments!
It seems that most of you think pretty much the same way I do – there is NO SUCH THING as a "good enough" relationship. I just thought that was ridiculous and was poor advice to give people. Yes, some of the things in the article were good, but just the idea of settling just to be with someone seemed crazy to me. I have told many of you that if your relationship or marriage was "ok" that meant you had a poor relationship or marriage. Now, of course, that is just my opinion, but I could never see spending years of my life with someone who I just thought was "ok" for me!
I did want to share what some of you said and have the chance to comment on it here (my comments are in italics).Well, I read this article awhile back, and then came back to comment on it. The reason is it hit very close to my home. I was in a "good enough" marriage that eventually wasn't good enough. I can look back on when I made the decision to marry my husband, knowing even then I thought I wouldn't get another offer. I "settled" for 13 years. I am not saying all 13 years were bad. There were a few years that were great, a few where I felt I was doing all the work, and a few I felt he did a lot of the work. We lost of sync but I am not really sure we ever had it to begin with. When I met my HD, in a short time with him, I realized all the things I didn't have in my marriage. My husband and I didn't have passion, we didn't have romance, I missed him "being" proud of me sort of showing me off. I missed the physical part for most of those 13 years. Again not to say sex wasn't there, it was, but more of a "routine". I look at different people in my life, Mambo and Parran being just two of them, and you would have to be blind to not see how passionate they are with each other and how happy. Don't settle for someone, life is too short. I have to believe what Mambo has told me over the years and that we have many soulmates. My husband gave me the best things in my life, my two sons, and for that I will always love him. But I know, without a doubt, no matter how hard it is sometimes, that God didn't want us to be alone in this life, and there is someone out there who is looking for us too. Don't settle. There is a difference, I know I have lived it.Mambo I love this article. I think many times women(men too!) believe that there is THE perfect person out there for them. While I do believe there are certain people we are supposed to end up with, I definitly do not think it is going to be a fairy tale ala disney style. I also think some clients come to spellmaker expecting to make their ho hum relationship into a disney classic. Spellwork is not going to do that, nothing will. My HD is not who I thought I would wind up with. I was picturing myself with Enrique Iglesias, yet HD is jewish, covered in tattoos and piercings, dropped out of college, doesn't care about money, doesn't care what kind of car he drives, etc, yet he treated me 1 million times better than any smart,rich pretty boy I thought I would end up with..HD isn't my 'good enough,' he is my imperfect perfect!I had a "good enough" marriage. It wasn't. Something the article does not address is how we change over the years, and how our situations change. In our early 20s, almost everyone our age is available, so there is a huge pool to explore and choose from. In our 40s, not so much. Our experience shows us a far different set of things that are important. Who is to say when we are being realistic and when we are not? Do we have a caste system for potential dates and mates, where we can't marry up or down? Relationships are a lot more complex than a set of criteria to meet. A short article like that can't cover it all, but luckily we have our Mambo and Parran, Sisters and case workers to guide us. 😉>>Yes, "good enough" just isn't and in the end, despite what that article says, there is always a level of dissatisfaction that will emerge with a "good enough" marriage… in my opinion, life will be filled with "what ifs" IF one has a "good enough" relationship. You are so right – realism exists on an individual basis. As far as that "caste system" – trust me, we see it a lot in our work – "I can't be with so and so because s/he isn't my religion…or race….or age, etc., etc." Nevermind that true love exists! Sigh.Wow! This was really interesting! I agree with it up to a certain point- but I feel that the article deemphasizes the love and romance that's important to a relationship way too much. Have we, as “modern-day” and “independent” folks, set our expectations way too high for love? In many cases- yes! It’s important to be realistic and open minded. That being said, we can’t simply take a defeatist attitude and get ourselves a business partner instead of a love. I think that the five guidelines that are set out in the article are essential for a lasting, healthy relationship…but it has to be treated WITH love- not like you’re writing out a legalistic contract. Also- people change. Our loves can change as people and their goals may vary from what they were originally. It’s up to us to decide if we want to remain with them if and when that happens. If you’re just marrying someone due to coinciding goals and interests- what happens when those change? If you’re marrying someone out of real and true love for that person…perhaps you’ll be more likely to say, “okay, this isn’t what I expected- but I love you. Let’s keep going and see where it takes us, baby!” Point being, if you approach things TOO “mechanically” you may be setting yourself up for just as much of a letdown as the person who holds out forever, searching for Prince Charming. For me, while there IS significant wisdom therein, this quote just depicts someone who is desperately trying to rationalize their actions: "If I had to settle for a new Oldsmobile when what I really want is a Porsche, I'll never be satisfied. In truth, the Oldsmobile is new, it's pretty, and it works. Why wouldn't I be satisfied with it?" Dude- you came into the shop telling the dealer that you wanted a Porsche. Maybe you saved a few bucks…but you’re going to be driving that car for a LONG time. But hey- all power to ya. This is just my knee-jerk reaction; I really feel it’s a blend of the two extremes, a tightrope walk. Also, right now I’m young, idealistic, and a total romantic. Who knows what I’ll say come a few years from now. But, hopefully, I’ll be saying it from a Porsche- one with a dang good warranty.
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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 goneMy city of ruins
My city of ruinsNow 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 kneesMy city of ruins
My city of ruinsCome 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 ruinsNow 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 handsCome on rise up!
Come on rise up!
Rise up -
Memorial Day Plans
Hello dear readers!
As Parran Matt and I were doing some errands today, we could not help but notice the amount of campers and cars packed up leaving for the long holiday weekend! If you aren't traveling, Memorial Day… or any time this weekend is a great time to do a ritual for your ancestors, General Ogoun, or even Baron Samedi!
As we honor our fallen heroes, honoring our ancestors, even if they weren't military, is a great way to spend some time this Memorial Day weekend. Of course, doing some ritual for General Ogoun Feraille or Baron Samedi is also a great way to honor our fallen military personnel!
When you do these kinds of services, it isn't the kind of service where you ask for something – it shouldn't be goal-oriented other than your goal being simply to say that you want to honor those who have fallen in the service of their country – even if it isn't the USA. A lot of our dear Spellmaker clients are not in the USA! But more than likely you have a military who has fought to keep your country safe, too! So our Memorial Day can be everyone's Memorial Day as far as I am concerned.
Light a candle and ask General Ogoun or Baron Samedi to send a blessing to these fallen ones. Just say that you want to honor them and send your good energy to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and helped make our freedoms possible.
It just takes a few minutes to do a small service and send out your good vibes and ask for protection for those still serving in our military!
Love to all,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.comAre they dead that yet speak louder than we can speak, and a more universal language? Are they dead that yet act? Are they dead that yet move upon society and inspire the people with nobler motives and more heroic patriotism? ~Henry Ward Beecher
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This Year’s Video Voodoo Convention – Coming Soon!
Hi everyone!
As most of you already know, we are doing our convention this year as an online Video Voodoo Convention!
It is really exciting to get some of the topics together:
- The Church of the Nine Mysteries™ – what is it, who can join, why does it exist, the family history behind it and www.spellmaker.com
- The Lwa Road Less Traveled – we all know the "major arcana" of lwa – but who are the lwa less well known? What can we do for them? What can they do for us?
- Visiting Sacred Places – how do visits to sacred places help us learn the syncretization of lwa to other spiritual beings?
- Making Your Personal Veve - how to do it, what it means, how to use it.
- Voodoo Sacred Object Workshop – making a wand; what does it do, what does it mean, how do you use it (yes, a voodoo wand!)
- The Universal Love of Love Spells – beyond "get Johnny" what more is there to love spell magick?
- Folk Magick Spells – quick, easy spells to enhance day-to-day life
- Thunderstones of Ogoun – what are they, what do they do, what do they mean?
- Sex Magick for Creation – beyond the obvious, what can sex magick do for you?
- Marie Laveau – her history and importance to New Orleans Voodoo
- Healing Techniques of Voodoo
- Lwa Syncretizations
- Voodoo Reading Techniques
- Herbs, lamps, oils, etc.
…………. and MORE – still working on the rest of the list!
If you don't see your favorite subject here, just give me a minute, I am not done yet! LOL. Can't wait to see you all there!
Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com