Tag: gris gris

1. Any service made with a good heart and pure intention is acceptable.

2. It is not necessary to spend alot of money to make a voudou service. Just a glass of cool water and some lovely words can be a service!

3. The spirits do want to help you! You can speak plainly and not make your requests super formal. Good manners are appreciated, but aside from that, the lwa really are listening.

4. Don't second guess your guidance. If you feel like you got a message or feeling, be confident that you did!

5. The lwa will also send you signs. Songs, animals, flora and fauna, or many other things can seeve as signs that the spirits are working on yoir spells. Believe them!

6. Nothing bad will happen if you make a mistake. The lwa are benevolent beings and not malicious in any way.

7. The lwa love animals, and children. So if your dog eats an offering or your little tyke spills your glass of water or your cat walks right through your altar set up, the spirits understand! I had a little yorkie who went nuts any time I made service to Papa Alegba!

8. Treat the lwa just as you would a friend. Be kind, welcoming and open. The rewards will be many.

9. The lwa love music, so don't shy away from playing them songs, playing music on an instrument or even  singing for them! 

10. Above all, take the pressure off and have fun getting to know the beautiful, magical apirits of voudou. They are here, ready and willing to listen and help! 

 

Recently, I saw a meme on social media that truly resonated with me. It said something to the effect of "almost everything can be fixed if it is unplugged for awhile-even you."

It was a very timely bit of wisdom because due to a sidden health crises I was forced to really cut down to the bare minimum of activities in my life for a while.

Doing this made me stop and think about just how often I chide myself for not doing more, doing "better" or doing it all.

Slowing down also made me painfully aware of how often I try to double and triple task. As if taking the time to be mindful about things is just  a wasted opportunity to get more done.

It brought me back to years ago when I was speaking with a friend who had spent time in a Buddhist Monastery. I recalled him describing how he was tasked once with picking up pine needles in the forest. A futile and never ending job for certain! But the idea was that the process was the task-not the result.

So I am trying, really and truly, to inject more mindfulness into my life. To stay in the here and now and bot be so caught up with being in a rush, beating myself up and giving credence to my inner critic.

It has been difficult, and yet, there is a zen beauty in focusing only on each task at hand. I have to remind myself often to focus, to slow down, to remember that this is what I need to be doing for the good of my physical health.

And you know-I feel like the psychological and spiritual benefits of this slow down might be a latent benefit of this new process-or maybe, just maybe-the true and genuine reason for it.

In Service,

Khouzhan Morgan

So… August. The last real month of summer, the first tawny hints of fall in the sunshine that fades just a bit every day. I see little hints of autumn, like back to school posts on social media, Lughnassadhrolls around with its theme of the first harvest, the golden grains of bread, and even the trees of the forest seem to peak. It is as if the earth knows the wheel is turning, and change is in the air.

August truly is one of my favorite times of year, because the light and breezy relaxation of summer kind of mingles with the busy, bountiful, expectant fall about to emerge. For me, it's like trying to pick a favorite child. I love them both, and they both have a vibrant beauty and an amazing energy. 

What season would you choose? 

In service, 

Khouzhan Morgan

 

So, lately I have been doing some work on myself. I mean-we are always works in progress but I have been working in some particularly deep issues that are super uncomfortable and kind of, well-yucky.

I will likely never be able to express how much my practice if voodoo has heloed and healed me in this lifetime.

And I tend to go all in-I wear stones associated with things I am working on, do energy work, reading, etc.  And one thing I have noticed is that as I delve deeper into looking at things, I tend to want to work deeper into my voodoo practice and try different things and sometimes things that intimidate me a little or ALOT!!

It reminds me of being in certain Wicca circles that worked with darker or more intimidating deities as a 20 something. Sometimes I could not be very effective because, quite frankly, I was a little afraid.

But as I work on myself I notice that the energies I want or even need get deeper. I went from wearing rose quartz, to craving stones with a darker vibration, like apache tear, to rid myself and process through the dark, the onto golden healer as if to lift that vibration up. Until finally I crave the stones from the oldest, most ancient parts of the earth like smoky quartz from the himalayas.

I can only want these stones because I am ready for them. And being ready for them took some time and effort until I was ready. I HAVE TO BE READY.

And so it is, I see this sometimes with cases where an HD seems to be processing slowly, days and weeks may creep by. And it may be some things your HD needs to work through that is slowing up the work a bit.

But I think too we need to look inside and be sure we are ready as well! Maybe you are afraid to be happy because you grew up with parents who stayed unhappily married. Maybe you are afraid that your morning grumpiness, your habit of eating cookies in bed, or even that extra few quarantine pounds is gonna ruin the deal for you and your hd when you finally get together. And sometimes you have to work through an issue so it does not have the power to break you, or the relationship.

So I guess my moral, if I have one is-don't give up on your case just because it is running a little long or slow. Don't give up on your HD just because he or she needs to work through some tough issues in order to be with you. But most importantly, under any circumstances don't give up on yourself. Don't cheat yourself out of opportunities to become better, clearer, stronger and more the YOU that can only be revealed with time and effort. You are so deserving of it!

In service,

Khouzhan Morgan

So I have recently had several discussions with people about what to do with things that are "left over" from doing spellwork.

One thing I often encourage clients to do is to use oils in whatever way they can. Doing love work? Wear some attraction oil as a little perfume, dab it on a plain candle if your HD is coming over, or id you can, put that oil somewhere where he or she will touch it!

Burn a cone of incense from your cosmic voodoo love egg or voodoo deluxe love doll when your HD is stopping by. Doing money work? Put some of that money drawing oil on your wallet, or wear some to work if you are hooing to get that promotion.

A very wise Mambo once said " a little magic is hetter than no magic at all" and these "little" things can add up and really add to your success in any case. Plus-you are using magical things you already have, therefore getting lotsa bang for your buck and you are already familiar with the energy of the product! Try it and see!

In Service,

Khouzhan Morgan

  Why you should never get the Crossroad Blues

 How it feels to chat with Papa Alegba 

Recently I had a conversation with someone about the practice of voodoo. I  answer a lot of questions about my practice of voodoo when people find out about it but this particular time I was faced with advising someone about where to start. So I really could think of no better place than  to put him into the capable hands of Papa legba. If you have ever attended one of our spellmaker. Com free online rituals you may realize that every service begins and ends with Papa because he is the GateKeeper between this world and the realm of the lwa. There is an excellent collection  of information on this site as well about Papa.

One misconception that I have dealt with a lot is the television portrayal of Papa legba. I can assure you that he does not steal the souls of babies or take people to  the underworld. Though he is not at all any kind of a demon or devil, Papa is absolutely associated with the crossroads. This is because he helps us navigate all of the crossroads through life. He helps us make decisions and choices and find the correct path if we are in need of that help. Papa’s presence is big and broad and buoyant. When I first began serving Papa I remember describing it as falling into a gigantic bright happy marshmallow. Papa has been unfailingly benevolent and wise whenever I ask for his intervention. He is not a trickster akin to the Norse god Loki as some writings on the internet have portrayed him but he is jovial and he wants us to keep lightness of heart and the exuberance of a child. Since Papa is always called upon to kick off a voodoo service, which generally involves a lot of dancing, singing and often drumming I suppose his opening line would be something like “laissez le bon temp roulez!” (let the good times roll!)

I know several people who are not practicing voudousaints who have made services to Papa Legba with great results! As Mambo Sam very succinctly put it “Papa definitely crosses party lines.” Truly, it does not matter what religion you are or what your particular belief set is, Papa is there to help!

 One of my favorite things to do with Papa is to drink my coffee with him in the morning. He is always glad to be a loving and kind companion and I find that his guidance then pervades my entire day and I really like that! Yes-Papa loves coffee. He is not particular about how he takes it but I do always sweeten it up for him. In my experience Papa has a little bit of a sweet tooth. He is a simple, gentle soul and yet he can speak every language and can easily transform misunderstandings into open communication. Papa is so humble and yet he is extremely visionary and inventive. Are you in a crowded parking lot and can’t find a parking space? Ask Papa. Are you trying to decide what the best move is for your next semester at college? Ask Papa. You’re having a hard time deciding what color to paint the living room? Again-ask Papa! You really truly cannot go wrong when you are serving Alegba. He will help you find your way and help you have fun doing it.

 Because Papa  is so beloved in the voodoo community spellmaker.com has many products blessed on the point of Papa Alegba. There is even a ritual kit with a dedicated oil, incense, candle and bath devoted to the service of Papa Legba. So, if you are new here-or even if you are not-and you are wondering how to start doing this amazing work on your own I urge you to give Papa Legba a try.  Go ahead and ask Papa to walk with you and guide you as you journey into this new decade. You will make a lifelong friend and amazing confidante in Papa!

 

Choose some path, however narrow or crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence-Henry David Thoreau

 

 In service,

Khouzhan Morgan

 

“ Love is all you need”-The Beatles

Songs to call upon the beautiful Pink Lady of Voudou-Erzulie Freda!

By Khouzhan Morgan

 Hello everyone! In honor of our resident lwa of love, I have compiled a playlist of songs I use when I serve the lovely, powerful, and- contrary to popular belief- extremely helpful and nurturing Erzulie Freda. 

As we always say about her-although she is undeniably the lwa of luxury and all things extravagant, she is all things feminine, warm and gracious as well.

 Her Services need not be expensive! But the more thoughtful and sincere your offerings and petitions to Erzulie Freda, the more benevolent and appreciative she will be. Freda is everything beautiful yet she cries tears for all that is sorrowful as well. She is embodied in the Mater Delarosa, or sorrowful mother. For although she loves the decadence of fragrant flowers, speaking en Francais, champagne, sweets and gilded tokens, she knows the gifts most longed for on our mortal plane are those things that with feel with our hearts.

She has received so much unfair criticism and endured a reputation for being lazy or even spoiled! But the truth is that she wisely shows us that material things can never buy us affection, connection, or love. She weeps in sadness at this harsh reality so we don’t have to. She endures our suffering with us and for us-for what greater gift could she give humankind?

So be honest and open and cry with her, should you need to, and know that her spirit has been through so much heartache that she can sweep your pain away with what seems like effortless aplomb. She is, after all, a lady, so that softness she possesses merely veils inimitable strength. It is not easy to endure suffering-Freda just makes it look like it is! On a more joyful note, here are some great tunes to get that Freda energy rolling…

 

Ave’ Marie-Marie Callas-(Any cradle Catholics will be familiar with this hauntingly reverent hymn!)

Ma Cherie Amour-Stevie Wonder (Leave it to Stevie-so endearing!)

I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl-Nina Simone (every girl deserves a little sweetness in her soul)

Hotel California-The Eagles ( The line about pink champagne on ice gets me every time!)

Gold Dust Woman-Stevie Nicks ( She loves ALL the gold- and what witchy playlist is complete without Stevie Nicks?)

 It’s a Man’s World-Joss Stone ( Freda plucked this from Ogoun’s playlist-listen closely,you’ll understand! Originally by the legendary James Brown!)

Song About a Girl- Eric Paslay (I am not a country music fan per se but this one says it all perfectly!)

It’s Raining Men-The Weather Girls (Pretty self explanatory I think ;))

Kiss From a Rose-Seal (she does ADORE roses)

La Vie en Rose- Edith Piaf ( Most famously a song that brings up images of Paris it translates to “Life in Pink” or seeing the world through rose colored glasses.Michael Buble’ has a great cover of this one.)

I hope you enjoy using some or all of these tunes in your services to Erzulie! Don’t miss out on The Erzulie Freda ritual kit, a pampering Rose de l’amour voudou bath our one of our carefully crafted Voudou Love Doll kits made and consecrated on the point of Erzulie Freda to really get those loving vibes going for Valentine’s Day and every day in between!

 Let us know what songs you like to use in your rituals! I wish you all healing and happiness on your path to love! Ayibobo! 

 

 

Llammas and Puppies and Snakes,oh my!

Animal signs and energies in Voodoo and beyond

So…what’s your sign? Today I would like to talk about the animal energies that surround us and how we can use this as a powerful spiritual tool.

Spirit animals are all the rage nowadays…but this concept isn’t new. Animals spirits have been used by many cultures since ancient times. The Greeks and Norseman, the Celts and the Native American Indians all held beliefs about animal energies and used them as omens, symbols of the divine and personal empowerment tools.

We don’t always think about how many times we reference animal energies. When you read the line “what’s your sign” -what came to mind? Likely an animal from the wheel of western astrology like a fish, like Pisces or a Ram, if you happen to be an Aries. And like astrology, voodoo lwa possess many energies from the animal kingdom. A ram also happens to symbolize Sobo who, with his lightening bound brother Bade,are central to the Spellmaker family’s annual St. Patrick’s day ritual for security and prosperity. (Sobo’s Wealth and Security Ritual can be used any time of year to boost your financial forecast and I highly recommend it!)

But it is not just Sobo-many of the lwa have animal energies that “mesh” with their energies and hold powerful symbolism when we see them in everday life. Pisces the two fish in modern astrology holds domain over psychic abilities and bring to mind our beautiful mermaid LaSirene,who along with her husband Capitain Agwe, graces us not just with guidance in the choppy waters of life and the riches and bountiful harvests of the sea, but also increased prowess in matters of intuition and divination. LaSirenes blue bath is a wonderful way to get to know her and ask her for blessings of wealth,psychic powers or even achievements in music (especially singing.) If you’ve ever attended one of our online rituals led by a handsome man with the voice of an angel, you have seen how La Sirene has blessed Brother Menfro with that very talent.

  Butterflies, those ethereal creatures of change, can mean Ogoun is near, Papa Legba loves dogs and can aid in finding a lost pet of any kind, and Erzulie Freda holds peaceful doves near and dear to her heart. I would also be remiss if I neglected to mention some of the mystical serpent Lwa including  Damballah. He offers us healing of the spirit and regeneration of the highest order with his Milk of Damballah white bath,and his spouse, the gentle Aida Ouido,gifts us with a beautiful rainbow after a cleansing rain. 

Truly, all animals have a lesson to teach us when they appear in our lives.  In Norse mythology, wolves were associated with warrior spirit, and Odin had two loyal wolf companions. ( Shout out to Game Of Thrones House Stark here! ) The Celts believed crows carried messages and even deoarted souls between this world and the spirit world. And owls-oh those lovely feathered familiars made popular by Harry Potter, are symbols of the Greek Goddess Athena, who was a deity of wisdom, learning and independence. Native American lore tells us that llammas-and this one is for our wonderful Mambo-llammas show us that we can bear great burdens with courage, strength and faith. I can think of no finer metaphor to describe the way Mambo Sam works for the betterment of so many individuals as if their goals are her own. Every spellmaker client is important to her and Mambo works hard to get the desired results for each and every one. That is an awful lot of responsibility! But truly, Mambo holds in her hands-and her heart-the hopes and dreams of many and does so with grace, grit and compassion.

Often I have seen a certain animal several times and looked into the meaning of the animal. Once I acknowledged the lesson and embraced what that particular creature had to tell me, my guide would no longer be around…making way for a new lesson. Life is full of learning as we all journey through this human life while striving to be in touch with spirit and allow our souls to bloom and flourish.

What animal is your spiritual guide? What creature great or small stirs your senses and intrigues your mind? What energies do you want to incorporate into your life in the present moment? What new experiences are calling to your heart and spirit? Pay attention-the magic of the non human inhabitants of Mother Earth are everywhere!  All you have to do is open your heart and listen!

Many blessings to all of you as you explore the wonders of the wild! May you gain wisdom, clarity and happiness as you travel your spiritual path. I sincerely wish for all of you that your dreams come true.

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” -Anatole France

In Service,

Khouzhan Morgan

 

  

 

So this weekend we will get to see the full moon in the astrological sign of Aquarius. Sometimes referred to as the Ripe Corn Moon in Cherokee tradition or the Buck Moon by Algonquin tribes as young male deer are fast growing their majestic antlers around this time.

This full moon marks the second official full moon of summertime. But in the spirit of mother nature being beautiful, we bear witness to how she can be harrowing as well. 

The moon may take on an orangle glow due to the misfortune of wildfires in the western US and Canada. I hope and pray that the loss of life is minimized and the forests and human beings affected by these catastrophes receive as much love, support and assistance as possible from the humanitarian Aquarius vibrations that abound. 

My silly little blog post seems an insufficient way to say that I pray for the safety of fire victims and brave rescue personnel, but humbly I do hope that from my lips to God's ears those prayers, and those of the many, are heard. 

In Service, 

Khouzhan Morgan

 

 

 

Lately I seem to be getting lots of questions about how to contact deceased loved ones. For those of you that don't already know, honoring our ancestors is an extremely important part of New Orleans voudou.

To be honest, I wish it was more customary in American culture to acknowledge the presence of our dearly departed loved ones period. Ancestor service is a huge part of life in many places, such as Mexico, where Dios de la Meurtos or Day of the Dead is the norm each November, or Japan, where family shrines dating back centuries, are kept sacred by the each younger generation.

Speaking to your ancestors can be as simple as just talking to them about life, and ackowledging that their spirit is still with you. It can be polishing a table that belonged to your grandmother and now graces your home, leaving flowers on your Aunt Ella's grave, or making your dad's favorite pie recipe.

You can build a little shrine of your own with pictures, mementos, and even foods, beverages or items they enjoyed in life, such as cigars etc. and spend some time remeniscing or asking for your ancestors help or guidance on a particular matter.

There is nothing wrong or bad about doing this. Our loved ones remain beloved for the rest of our lives, ever living in our DNA and our hearts.

So I guess my 2 cents for today is this; If you would like to speak to your dear family members after death, it does not have to be something spooky, creepy or evil. It can be enourmously comforting, immensely helpful and to be certain, truly magical, on your journey through this thing we call life.

"To understand the living, you've gotta commune with the dead." – Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

In Service,

Khouzhan Morgan