Tag: vodou
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Fet Ghede/Ancestor service!
If anyone would like to share images of their Fet Ghede/Ancestor service, we would love to see them! We may even share them (with permission and anonymity, of course!) in our next newsletter! If you would like to share, please send to Faith at customerservice@spellmaker.com
Ayibobo! -
Crafting with Mambo! Apple Garland!
Welcome to
Crafting with Mambo!
An apple garland is really easy to make. You can make it any length you wish, and it makes your house smell good in the process – and magical apples are everywhere by the time Fet Ghede rolls around. You'll need several large apples of any color, lemon juice, dried bay leaves, scraps of fabric, some pine cones, cinnamon sticks, raffia, and florist's wire.
Start by peeling and coring the apples, and then slicing them horizontally into circles about 3/8" thick. Fill a bowl with the lemon juice, and place your apple slices in it. Allow them to soak for about ten minutes – this prevents them from turning brown and discolored. Remove the apple slices from the bowl and pat them dry with a paper towel. Bake your apples for about six hours at 200 degrees. If you like, before baking you can dust them with a mixture of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Once your apples are completely dried out, the fun really begins. Using the florist's wire, begin stringing the apples. The wire should go straight through the apples, but if you have trouble, make a hole with a toothpick. Between every few apple slices, string some bay, and add a pine cone here and there. You can also alternate the apples and bay leaves with bows made from your fabric scraps.
Make your garland as long or as short as you like – or until your kids get bored – and then knot each end around a cinnamon stick. Tie a piece of raffia around the ends as well, and then drape your garland on your wall, across your mantel, or over your front door.
Another variation on the apple garland is to make a smaller length and then bend it into a circle, forming an apple wreath. Tie a piece of fabric – or bend a leftover bit of florist's wire – to the top so you can hang it on a nail or hook.
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Fet Ghede and the Fiery Power of the Phoenix!
Fet Ghede and the Fiery Power of the Phoenix
By: Khouzhan Morgan“The fire is a symbol of transformation, burning away the old and making way for the new.” ~Unknown
Hi there readers and welcome to the Fet Ghede issue of the Universal Messenger!As we celebrate Halloween, Samhain and the Voodoo New Year, we can take the time to reflect on this last 365 day trip around the sun.
You may wish to look back on this past year; what goals have you achieved? What projects have you gotten underway or completed? If you did not meet some goals, how can you increase your chances of success?
These undertakings can be big or small; the most important thing is that we have an awareness that we can change, grow, and evolve. Take a few moments to reflect on this and realize what an amazing human you truly are! Adulting is hard, but ya know what? Magic can make it better!
If you burn a cauldron, bonfire, or heck even have a fireplace, it is a great time to write things down on a small paper or leaves and burn them, offering prayers of thanks for all the spiritual help you have received towards your undertakings. It is also a great time to decide on some goals for the next leg of the journey and request guidance and assistance in achieving them!
The element of fire both destroys and creates and is such profound symbolism as we light up the night and enter the dark half of the year.
Take out some pictures of friends and family members (of the human and animal variety) and spend some time chatting with those folks. This is a great time of year for divination, and an excellent time for receiving guidance from our deceased loved ones. Pay attention to little “flashes”- like the scent of perfume or a certain food, a familiar sound or song, or even a word or phrase that enters your mind, as that is often our beloved ancestors reaching out to us from beyond the veil. The ancestors are most often more than happy to help us as we continue to navigate our day to day workings. And now, when the veil between worlds is thinnest, it helps us hear those messages from beyond loud and clear.
It is also a great time to honor our passed loved ones with things they enjoyed in life, such as a certain beverage or snack, or whatever treats brought them joy here on earth.
This can be as elaborate as an entire table filled with goodies or just a simple cup of tea with a deceased loved one. Remember it is about connection not perfection!
Just be sure to include some cool fresh water for the spirits to travel through, light a candle in their honor and you are all set! (And yes it sure can be the light if your jack o lantern if you like!)
Remember, Mambo Sam and Sister Bridget are both available for readings to help clarify any questions you might have along your magical or mundane journey! I cannot count the number of times my ancestors chimed in during a reading with one of those amazing ladies!
As always, honoring our lineage is the most important thing we can do in the practice of voodoo. We honor who we are and who we will become by honoring where we have come from. We show gratitude for our roots and in turn, we branch out and grow so we can to reach to new heights! And les Lois, our wonderful and benevolent voodoo spirits, are here for it!!
Baron Samedi and his consort Maman Brigitte will be here to escort us when we make the final transition to the other side, and this season is their party! They love offerings of coffee, hot peppers and rum. And although Baron and Maman preside over the cemeteries and departed souls, and can sometimes be a bit rowdy, they are also wise beyond measure and can be counted on for assistance in all things- especially healing, legal and financial matters.
No need to be afraid! Baron and Maman cross easily between life and death. And through so many “deaths” that we experience- of jobs, relationships, and yes, sometimes, those we love-they can then guide us to resurrection.In truth, the most potent lesson I have received from Baron Samedi and Maman Brigitte is that although I would experience many deaths, I would also be given graciously many opportunities for rebirth. And like the Phoenix who rises from the ashes, so we too can continue to regenerate our lives and allow our own little lights to shine.
At this sacred and wonderful new beginning we wish you all a fantastic Fet Ghede, a Happy Halloween and Samhain blessings and look forward to helping your inner fire burn bright in the coming new year!Ayibobo!
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Happy Halloween!
Hope you all had a Wicked good Halloween!
Love,
Mambo Sam and Parran Matt
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Readings during castings.
Hey there!
Below are some very wise words from our dear, dear late Sister Candelaria. This is a topic we see come up from time to time, and every once in a while, I think it bears repeating. This is not directed at any one in particular (as Sister says below). But it is important information everyone should know 🙂
***Begin post****
The reason why we ask you not to have readings while you are casting,
is quite simple. When you are actually casting a spell on someone or
having one cast for you, the energy surrounding that person and the
entire situation is all stirred up. Any time you read the energy
around spellwork, during the casting process, you will get a turmoil
of emotion. Spellwork stirs the pot, so to speak, and shakes things
up. That's what it's crafted to do! Because of this, any time you
get a reading during spellwork the reading will not be accurate.
It's just a simple fact. I have had some people tell me recently
(I'm not pointing fingers, I've heard this more than once.) that they
got a reading during spellwork and it was accurate because they were
told what they expected to hear, such as "your HD is blocking"
or "your HD has no emotion toward you." Even though you were willing
to take that as an accurate answer, I'm here to tell you that it was
NOT AN ACCURATE ANSWER, because that person was in the midst of
receiving your spellwork, thus their emotions were all twisted and
turned around!! Now, those are pretty mild for a reading during
spellwork. Other examples of readings during spellwork are "your HD
doesn't like you," or "your HD wants you to just go away and leave
him alone,"or even "I don't think you and your HD will be together."
THOSE ARE NOT ACCURATE READINGS EITHER, yet if someone tells you that
about your HD, you are going to believe it!! So you would take that
information, thinking it was correct, and you would process it over
and over again in your heart and in your mind and you would start to
have negative (hurt) feelings about your HD and it would basically
break your heart. This in turn will cause real damage to your case,
simply because you are putting negative energy toward it. But here's
the kicker…THAT INFORMATION WAS NOT TRUE, YET YOU TOOK IT TO HEART,
AND YOUR SPELLWORK IS NOT EVEN FINISHED YET!!! You've taken a step
toward destroying something that you have not even completed yet.
That's not constructive, my friends! In fact, that's destructive and
I have seen it hurt cases that could have had a swift and successful
end.
So basically what I'm saying is, that even though it sounds like a
good idea, GETTING A PSYCHIC READING DURING SPELLWORK IS NEVER AN
OPTION. It's not fair to you, it's not fair to your HD, and it's not
fair to your case. It's destructive, and it really can do serious
damage to your case. Mambo has set down these rules to help you. I
know it's hard, but I can tell you that if you play by the rules
Mambo has set forth, you have much greater chance of getting your
Heart's Desire, and isn't that why you are here in the first place.:-)
So, as far as getting psychic readings during spellwork…Please
DON'T DO IT!! We want you all to get your HD! Help us, help you.
***End Post***
Love
Sister Bridget
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Candle Magick 101!
Hello All!
I came across this post written by Mambo Sam from waaaaaay back in the day when Yahoo! groups were new 🙂 It is an awesome post (of course!) about candle magick, how it differs from but is complementary to NOV, and so much more. I am sure you will enjoy it!
Love
Sister Bridget
***** Begin post****
Hello! There has been much discussion on the list about our candle magick kits1 I just wanted to elaborate a bit and help to alleviate some of the confusion surrounding our candle magick kits.
And to head off the obvious question of where they are located on the spellmaker.com website, you can find them here: www.spellmaker.com/witch.htm 🙂
(edit note – as most of you know, Spellmaker now offers candle burning services which can be viewed here – www.spellmaker.com/candleburn.htm )
HISTORY: A little bit about the candle magick kits: The candle magick kits are based on my tradition of Old New Orleans Witchcraft. This is a separate entity from my tradition of New Orleans Voodoo, BUT I find they work hand-in-hand very well. There is certainly NO contraindication to using our New Orleans Voodoo products with our New Orleans Witchcraft products. They simply strengthen each other. New Orleans Witchcraft is a much more loosely-constructed practice than New Orleans Voodoo. This doesn't mean one is more desirable than the other, but New Orleans Witchcraft is not a religion. New Orleans Witchcraft is more based simply on trying to achieve a goal. As most of you know, New Orleans Voodoo works on that premise as well, BUT (as many of you have experienced), you get many benefits
from the New Orleans voodoo spiritually. New Orleans Witchcraft can bring you to a spiritual place, but New Orleans Voodoo picks up from there in spiritual practice.
The candle magick kits are not a substitute for doing regular spell kits for your situation. However, in cases where there is difficulty, extreme stubborness on the part of your goal, extreme damage that has been done to a relationship, etc. – candle magick kits are an excellent way to put some extra effort into your goal.
USAGE OF CANDLE MAGICK KITS: One very popular usage that I have recommended to people and, thusly, Sister Bridget and caseworkers have been recommending, is the use of three white male or female candle magick kits. This type of usage is very powerful if you feel that your heart's desire is a very stubborn type of person, or if you have been told (or know) that they are somehow spiritually damaged, or if they are the type of person who has been through extreme trauma in their life, or if your relationship with them was exceedingly damaged through negative influence either outside or inside the relationship. The three candle magick kits are used on Body, Mind, and Spirit, one candle for each of these.
What you are petitioning for (and this assumes you are going to do or have done regular and/or deluxe spell kits) is that these problems/challenges/influences be removed from the Body, the Mind, and the Spirit of the person you are working on. That this person be healed of that negative damage, that they become whole again, that they have the ability to accept your spell work. Usage of the candles in this way is truly an act of healing. In essence, you aren't asking for them to come back to you, you aren't asking for any benefit to yourself EXCEPT that they have the ability to "hear" you through your spell work. Some clients have had great success using our St. Louis Cemetery #1 Black Banishing(tm) incense at the same time. Remember, you are using it to banish the negativity, and word your petition accordingly.
This same method can be used to try to facilitate true physical healing of a person who is sick, a person who is under the influence of drugs, a person who is depressed, and so on.
The same tact can be used when using pink or red male/female image candles to enhance the romance/love part of the relationship. In this case, the difference, of course, is that now you are asking them to accept your love, feel your love, and return your love. Again, Body, Mind, Spirit. This usage is appropriate having done spell work and feeling like the relationship still needs an extra "power boost." This, of course, has a lot to do with the status of the relationship, and how bad things are/were before, during, and after spell work.
Other methods to using the candle magick kits are if you have gris- gris bags from your spell work, put them near the candle magick kits when using them. Hold them and petition much the same as you did with the spell work. Also, using one of our incenses appropriate to the situation along with the candle magick kit boosts the strength as well. Of course, I think everyone doing spell work should own a High John the Conqueror root bag — it strengthens ALL magick. If you have a love doll (deluxe or regular, doesn't matter, OR if you have dolls from a deluxe love spell) that you are using for your heart's desire, you can also put your love doll near the candle(s) and send more energy that way, too. (Just don't do the whole love doll ritual at this time, just use the doll itself.) Again, usage of all these things depends on your perception of how difficult the situation is! Not all situations warrant extra work and truthfully only you can be the real judge of that. Naturally, your caseworker or Sister Bridget can help you with that decision, but when you get right down to it, no one knows your situation better than you.
Many of you have asked about usage of the Famous Red Mummy Power candle magick kit. This kit is used particularly to help gain control over a situation. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean trying to control the person in question. However, PROPERLY DIRECTED control can be very useful. This candle is especially useful if you are feeling helpless and out of communication in your situation. This candle can be used to help facilitate contact with your heart's desire, i.e., "controlling" the situation so that you run into each other, or that s/he suddenly thinks of a reason why s/he needs to contact you. It can also be used to help control an interfering party to get out of the situation.
The Famous Black Mummy candle should only be used on an interfering party if they have KNOWINGLY interfered in your relationship, job, etc., and have done evil to you that was through no fault of your own. Again, this is a "control" candle — interfering with their life in the way they have interfered in yours and to send them out of your life. This is when you need a leg up on a situation that has gotten out of control due to the influence of someone who knew about you, went out of their way to harm you, and basically has no conscience about what they did to you.
The New Orleans Red Witch love candle is something that is used to acquire either new love or help rekindle an old love. It is a milder candle that is based on what was once known as "crimson witch magick." The Crimson Witch was supposedly once a real person (early 1800's) who did witchcraft to save marriages, get those girls or guys who had no real prospects a relationship, etc. She was purported to be a kind old lady interested in bringing happiness to others. Interestingly enough, the legend goes that she never married having lost her own true love to some kind of accident.
The 7 knob wishing candles are just what they say – candles for wishes. A wish is made on each knob of the candle, whether it be for spirituality, love, money, etc. You can make a different wish on each knob, or the same one on each knob.
There has also been some talk here that using one of our potions on your candles make them much stronger. The potions ARE much stronger than the regular oils. The potions are based on very strong magickal principles. As to HOW much stronger (four times, ten times, fifty times stronger), I don't really think there is any way to know that. But obvious wisdom says that if you use a product that is naturally stronger, you are upping the strength of the candle. Again, usage is based on your perception of your situation – unless you are advised to do so by Sister B or your caseworker. When they recommend a strategy such as this, they have a good reason for it – they are either being guided, or have seen a good result in a similar situation. Many times, we recommend to other clients what we have seen work for a client in a similar situation. Certainly we want everyone to benefit from everyone else's success!
I hope this is helpful to you all.
Love,
Mambo Sam