Tag: Spellmaker.com

  • Venus and the Sun

    So I wanted to talk a bit about a Venus and Sun conjunction we have recently experienced in the sign of Libra.

    First, what does all that astro mumbo jumbo mean? Well…the sun is the sign of the self, your identity. When someone asks you what your "sign" is the answer most people give is the sign that the Sun was astrologically transiting in the heavens on the day they were born. For example, if your birthday is today, October 27, you were born when the sun was in the sign of Scorpio. But the sun, as a rule astrological, translates to the self.

    Venus is the planet that rules love and romantic love especially. Also anything that gives us pleasure-lovely art, delicious food, music, beautiful poetry, falls under the gaze of Venus. And Libra, in the 12 houses of the zodiac, rules the 7th house, or the house of partnerships.

    So this sun and Venus conjunction in Libra on a very universal level, is giving humankind an opportunity to take stock of our personal relationships. What relationships nourish or deplete you? If you are single, what traits do you want to attract ( or avoid) in a potential partner? How do you approach relationships? Is there room for improvement in your own behavior? Do you and your current partner need to make some changes to improve your relationship? 

    These are all things that have been coming to and will continue to be, in the forefront as this conjunction finishes out in the heavens. And don't be afraid to put your intentions out there for the things you want in relationships right now! 

  • Happy National Black Cat Day!

    As a lifelong Halloween lover and cat lover, I am delighted to wish everyone a Happy Black Cat Day 🙂

    I have always, until recently, had a black cat in my brood. Black cats also show up in my life to bring me messages from my ancestors. I don't take this as anything sinister. As a matter if fact, I feel like it is a message for me expressed in a way that I will pay attention, which is pretty darned clever, in my humble opinion!

    Of course, all that black cat nonsense about their being signs of bad luck, etc…well that is just a bunch of nonsense! But legitimately, Black cats tend to be euthanized in animal shelters at a higher rate than felines of other colors. This fact has always been so heartbreaking ro me! 

    I have always found little black cats to be the most magically inclined and loyal! ( Though let's face it…kitties all seem to be rather otherworldly, don't they?)

    Many shelters in the U.S. hold adoptions on black cats during the month of October as an effort to keep them from being harmed. I have noticed recently that most of my friends that have gotten cats or kittens in the past few years have adopted a black cat. Salem from Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Thackery Binx from Hocus Pocus were, I think, good P.R. for black cats everywhere  🙂 And though I have never had one who speaks "human"- I have noticed they tend to be the chatty sort, as far as cats are concerned 😉

    So, in honor of this spooky season, I bid you all Happy Haunting, and may you all be lucky enough to be loved by a little black cat…or many!

     

  • Samhain Incense!

    Samhain-symbols-set-celtic-calendar-concept-samhain-symbols-set-celtic-calendar-concept-wiccan-witchcraft-elements-hand-175737826

    This recipe is for loose incense, but you can adapt it for stick or cone recipes if you like. As you mix and blend your incense, focus on the goal of your work. Do you wish to contact the spirit of a long-dead ancestor? Are you hoping to bring some visions your way in a dream? Or are you maybe looking to enhance your own meditative abilities? Focus your intent as you blend your ingredients.

    You’ll need:

    • 2 parts Cinnamon
    • 1 part ground cloves
    • 1 part Dragon's Blood resin
    • 1 part Hyssop
    • 1 part Patchouli
    • 2 parts Rosemary
    • 1 part Sage
    • A dash of sea salt

    Add your ingredients to your mixing bowl one at a time. Measure carefully, and if the leaves or other items need to be crushed, use your mortar and pestle to do so. As you blend the herbs together, state your intent. You may find it helpful to charge your incense with an incantation. For example, if you were going to use your incense during a seance, you could use this:

    The veil has thinned, the moon is bright
    and I blend this magic on Samhain night.
    Celebrating life and death and rebirth
    with these herbs I've harvested from the earth.
    I send my intent by smoke in the air
    and call on those whose blood I share.
    I ask my ancestors to guide and watch over me,
    As I will, so it shall be.

    Store your incense in a tightly sealed jar. Make sure you label it with its intent and name, as well as the date you created it. Use within three months, so that it remains charged and fresh.

  • Make an Ancestor Altar Cloth!

    Make an Ancestor Altar Cloth

    Ancestor Cloth
     

    An ancestor altar cloth is something you can make any time of the year, although it can come in particularly handy for Samhain/Fet Ghede, when many people choose to perform ancestor-focused rituals. This project can be as simple or as complex as you like, depending on your time constraints, creativity, and crafting skills.

    You’ll need:

    • A plain white or cream-colored tablecloth, or other piece of fabric
    • Fabric pencil
    • Embroidery floss and hoop, or fabric markers
    • A genealogy of your ancestors

    A few notes here, before you get started. There’s no hard and fast rule about how to do this — it’s a craft idea that is very personalized. Do what works best for you. If you’re handy with a needle and thread, you can embroider the cloth – it will definitely last longer that way. If you’re not confident about your stitching abilities, you can use fine-tipped fabric markers (keep in mind that this option may limit your ability to wash the altar cloth if it gets dirty or stained during ritual).

    As to your genealogy, you can keep it simple if you like, or if you’ve never done any genealogy research. You’ll need the names of your parents, of their parents, their grandparents, and so on. If you want to include your children, you can do that too.

    Start by putting yourself in the center, and writing your name carefully with a lightweight fabric pencil — these wash or brush off easily when you’re done. Branch out, including your parents’ names above you, one on each side. Using lines to connect everyone, gradually add the names of your ancestors. You can even include dates of birth and death, or place names if you have the room.

    It’s best to do all of this in pencil first — or better yet, use Post-It Notes, one for each ancestor’s name – to position people around the cloth. If you know the names of lots of ancestors on one side, but only a few on the other, it can start looking lopsided pretty quickly, unless you’re able to rearrange people (this is why sticky notes are great).

    Once you’ve figured out everyone’s placement, add the names in fabric pencil until you’ve included as many people as you like. If you’re going to embroider the names, work from one side to the other, just to keep things simple — you may even want to do different branches of the family, or different generations, in alternating colors. If you opt to use fabric markers for the final work, be careful! Stitches can always be picked out, but markers are permanent.

    Keep in mind that the very act of creation is a magical one, and you can utilize the crafting of this altar cloth as a ritual in and of itself. Particularly if you're stitching, there's a very meditative aspect to the creative process. After you’ve put everyone’s names on the fabric, use it as an altar cloth for rituals involving ancestor work.

  • Chief of the Guardian Angels!

    Barakial

    Barachiel is an archangel known as the angel of blessings and this angel is also the chief of all of the guardian angels. Barachiel (who is also often known as "Barakiel") means "God's blessings." Other spellings include Barchiel, Baraqiel, Barkiel, Barbiel, Barakel, Baraqel, Pachriel, and Varachiel.

    Barachiel intercedes in prayer before God for people in need, asking God to give them blessings in all areas of their lives, from their relationships with family and friends to their work. People ask for Barachiel's help in achieving success in their pursuits. Since Barachiel is also the chief of all guardian angels, people sometimes ask for Barachiel's help delivering a blessing through one of their personal guardian angels. 

    In art, Barachiel is usually depicted scattering rose petals that represent God's sweet blessings showering down on people, or holding a white rose (which also symbolizes blessings) to his chest. However, sometimes images of Barachiel show him holding either a basket that's overflowing with bread or a staff, both of which symbolize the blessings of producing children that God bestows on parents. 

    Barachiel sometimes appears in feminine form in paintings that emphasize Barachiel's nurturing work delivering blessings. Like all archangels, Barachiel doesn't have a specific gender and can manifest as either a male or a female, according to what works best in a given situation.

    Green is the angel color for Barachiel. It represents healing and prosperity and is also associated with Archangel Raphael.

    The Third Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish text, describes archangel Barachiel as one of the angels who serve as great and honored angelic princes in heaven. The text mentions that Barachiel leads 496,000 other angels who work with him. Barachiel is part of the seraphim rank of angels who guard God's throne, as well as the leader of all the guardian angels who work with humans during their earthly lifetimes. 

    Barachiel is an official saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, and he is also venerated as a saint by some members of the Roman Catholic Church. Catholic tradition says that Barachiel is the patron saint of marriage and family life. He may be shown carrying a book representing the Bible and Papal encyclicals that direct the faithful on how to conduct their marital and family life. He also traditionally has dominion over lightning and storms and also sees to the needs of converts.

    Barachiel is one of the few angels that made it into the Lutheran liturgical calendar.

    In astrology, Barachiel rules the planet Jupiter and is linked to the Pisces and Scorpio zodiacal signs. Barachiel is traditionally said to inspire a sense of humor in people who encounter God's blessings through him.

    Barachiel is mentioned in the Almadel of Solomon, a book dating from the Middle Ages on how to contact angels by means of a wax tablet. 

    Source:Learnreligions.com

  • The Archangel of Music!

    Sandalphon

    The Archangel Sandalphon is known as the angel of music. He rules over music in heaven and helps people on Earth use music to communicate with God in prayer. Sandalphon means "co-brother," which refers to Sandalphon's status as the spiritual brother of the archangel Metatron. The ending of -on indicates that he ascended to his position as an angel after first having lived a human life, believed by some to be the prophet Elijah, who ascended to heaven on a horse-drawn chariot of fire and light. Other spellings of his name include Sandalfon and Ophan (Hebrew for "wheel").

    Sandalphon also receives the prayers of people on Earth when they arrive in heaven, and he then weaves the prayers into spiritual flower garlands to present to God, according to the liturgy for the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.

    People sometimes ask for Sandalphon's help to deliver their prayers and songs of praise to God, and to learn how to use their God-given talents to make the world a better place. Sandalphon is said to have lived on Earth as the prophet Elijah before ascending to heaven and becoming an archangel, just as his spiritual brother, Archangel Metatron, lived on Earth as the prophet Enoch before becoming a heavenly archangel. Some people also credit Sandalphon with leading the guardian angels; others say that Archangel Barachiel leads the guardian angels.

     In art, Sandalphon is often depicted playing music, to illustrate his role as the patron angel of music. Sometimes Sandalphon is also shown as an extremely tall figure since Jewish tradition says that the prophet Moses had a vision of heaven in which he saw Sandalphon, whom Moses described as being very tall.  The angel color of red is associated with Archangel Sandalphon. It is also associated with Archangel Uriel.

    Sandalphon rules one of the seven levels of heaven, according to religious texts, but they don't agree on which level. The ancient Jewish and Christian non-canonical Book of Enoch says that Sandalphon rules over the third heaven. The Islamic Hadith says that Sandalphon is in charge of the fourth heaven. The Zohar (a sacred text for Kabbalah) names the seventh heaven as the place where Sandalphon leads other angels. Sandalphon presides over the exit from the spheres of the Kabbalah's Tree of Life.

    Sandalphon is said to join the angelic armies that archangel Michael leads to fight Satan and his evil forces in the spiritual realm. Sandalphon is a leader among the seraphim class of angels, who surround God's throne in heaven.

    In astrology, Sandalphon is the angel in charge of planet Earth. Some people believe that Sandalphon helps differentiate the gender of children before they're born.

    Source: Learnreligios.com Feb. 8, 2021

  • St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day!

    Hello!

    Below is a short video about St. Francis. He is quite near and dear to our hearts hear at Spellmaker, due to our love of animals! The video is short but informative! I hope you enjoy it. 

    Love,

    Sister Bridget

    PS – Did you know St. Francis was canonized just TWO years after his passing? Now you do! 

    Fast Facts: St. Francis of Assisi

    • Known For: Patron saint of animals
    • Also Known As: Francesco (or Giovanni) di Pietro di Bernardone
    • Born: c. 1181 in Assisi, Italy
    • Parents: Pietro di Bernardone, Pica de Bourlemont
    • Died: Oct. 3, 1226 in Assisi, Italy
    • Notable Quote: "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

     

    Prayer to Saint Francis of Assisi, for Our Pets:

    Good St. Francis, you loved all of God's creatures. To you they were your brothers and sisters. Help us to follow your example of treating every living thing with kindness. St. Francis, Patron Saint of animals, watch over my pet and keep my companion safe and healthy. Amen.

     

     

  • Feast of the Guardian Angels October 2nd!

    Feast of the Guardian Angels October 2nd

    From the moment we are born, each and every one of us has an Guardian Angel. Those of you reading this who were at the Albuquerque Voodoo Convention in 2007 each received some extra special knowledge about your guardian angel from Mambo Sam.

    Do something special today to thank your own guardian angel 😉 Bake an angel food cake, or some angel hair pasta, or some angel wing cookies. Acknowledge and thank you guardian angel! They are always on duty, keeping us safe from harm.

    Light and Love
    Sister Bridget

    10_2_guardian3

    Guardian angel prayer
    Guardian angel prayer

     

  • Saint Gabriel the Archangel~

    Saint Gabriel the Archangel~

    Gabriel-1

     

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

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

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

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

    ~

     

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

    ~

     

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

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

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

    ~

     

    Correspondences:

    Gabriel’s colors are white and indigo

    Gabriel guards the day of Monday

    Gabriel is associated with the second (sacral) chakra

    Gabriel’s special number is nine.

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

    Lillies are very special to Gabriel.

     

     

    Prayer to Saint Gabriel

     

    Blessed Saint Gabriel, Archangel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    "If you seek an angel with an open heart…

    You shall always find one."

    – Anonymous

     

     

     

  • Archangel Raphael!

    Archangel Raphael

    Rafael

     

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

    ~

     

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

    ~

     

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    Correspondences:

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

    The Heart Chakra is specifically associated with Raphael.

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

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

    His special number is eight.~

     

    A prayer to Saint Raphael

    Blessed Saint Raphael, Archangel

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

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

    give guidance to young Tobit.

    We humbly seek thine aid and intercession,

    that our souls may be healed,

    our bodies protected from all ills,

    and that through divine grace we may be made fit

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

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

    A prayer to  St. Raphael for  Before A Journey

    Dear Saint Raphael, Angel of travelers,

    be with me and guide me on this journey.

    Protect me from sickness and danger

    and guard those I leave behind.

    Let your wings enfold me

    while I am away and return me

    safely home.

    Amen.

    ~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    Another Prayer to Saint Raphael the  Archangel

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