Tag: revenge spells

  • Marie Laveau-A Voudou Queen of People’s Hearts

                              

     Marie Laveau; A figure of fame, pop culture and the stuff of legend to people who visit New Orleans. Her tomb in St. Louis Cemetary #1 draws thousands of visitors to the Big Easy. She has been immortalized in song, shows and artwork. But who was this woman behind all the mystery?

    Marie Laveau,also known as The Widow Paris, after her first husband departed on a sea voyage but never returned, or Marie Glapion,after she remarried, was in life a woman with an immoveable faith, a charitable soul, and the smarts of a hustler. She was a hairdresser by trade and served as a midwife, healer and also a nurse to yellow fever victims in the French Quarter during outbreaks. Marie was also known to pray long into the night with prisoners condemned to death before their execution.

    But of course her most famous incarnation was that of a voodoo priestess. She led annual rites on June 23rd, or St. John’s Eve on the shores of Lake Ponchartrain and Sunday afternoon services for those of the voodoo faith in Congo Square. Marie would advise clients who needed her counsel and magical intervention in her home on St. Ann St. (Much like our dear Mambo Sam does for spellmaker.com clients!)

    Laveau is still a prominent figure in New Orleans culture,and has a dedicated shrine at the New Orleans Healing Center where people also make requests for the voodoo queen’s intercession for problems. To ask for Marie Laveau’s assistance, it is customary to draw 3 red x’s (red likely being an homage to the red brick dust used to inscribe the wishes on her tomb, which Is no longer allowed) and the X because Laveau was said to sign her name this way),knock 3 times and leave an offering of some sort. Money,flowers,candy or an item of significance to the wisher are all acceptable offerings of thanks when she grants your request. 

    Spellmaker.com offers you a unique way to invite Madame Marie’s help into your home with the Marie Laveau House Blessing kit. If you like there is also a free spell where you can see the actual photograph of Marie Laveau’s final resting place and make a wish on the voodoo queen’s tomb. 

    In researching Marie Laveau for this article, I was inspired not just by her legendary skill as a voodoo practitioner and Spiritual Godmother to her many children. I was also very moved by her great faith (evidenced by the fact that she ministered to the sick with only the Parish Priest of St. Louis Cathedral during epidemics) and strength. Many credit Marie Laveau with the melding of Catholic Saints and the lwa of Haitian voodoo to give us the New Orleans Voodoo practice we have today. To be certain, her legacy and spirit live on today in the hearts of many. I wish you much love and many blessings if you choose to explore her life and legend. I truly hope you feel as touched by her iconic presence as much as I have been! Ayibobo!

     

  • Fear vs Faith

          “ That the birds of worry fly above your head-this you cannot change. But that they build nests in your hair-this you can prevent” -Chinese Proverb

                                            

    Hello there and thanks for allowing me another opportunity to share my thoughts! Oh worry-it has has been one of the most passionate pastimes in my life. So today I’m going to talk to you a little bit about it and some things I hope you will take the heart .I am an intrinsically anxious person. As a lifelong klutz I try to make sure I take every possible precaution to prevent me from falling or cutting myself or creating some other type of havoc (like catching my altar on fire) .Didn’t really see that one coming though. Thankfully I was able to put the fire out with no injury to self or property and I don’t recommend sprinkling Florida water on the open flame of a candle. 

    I have obsessed over everything from finances to my jobs to my love life-and the thing is I realized that throughout the course of my life so many things were not changed by my anxiety or my worry. As a matter of fact I’m certain that I have choked the magic I worked so hard to create many many times through my tendency to obsessively think about it. 

    Now- I really like to fancy myself a person of deep faith. I know there were certain spiritual things I was meant to do in this lifetime and so many circumstances have led me to this path I currently walk. 

    I once heard that faith is the opposite of fear. And what is fear? It is imagining something that has not happened ye or nay never happen.  It is  worrying constantly  that  what I have done  in fact did nothing  and just didn’t . If you look in the spellmaker.com archives there is actually a wonderful article by the late great sister Candelaria about how there are really only two emotions -love and fear. I read this article years ago, but it has always inspired me. I tried to remember in my moments of greatest doubt that I can choose to approach and think about life with either love or fear. Sometimes the fear wins. But sometimes in those shining moments of clarity the love comes out on top and I can let go of a situation and its outcome and let things unfold. I don’t need to micromanage every single thing that seems to be happening to either help or hinder me in the situation. For me this is one of the greatest blessings in life. We are so very fortunate  to have the lwa to assist us. Our spirits and our dedicated spellmaker.com family is another. 

    For me I know that if I’ve done the work and put my petitions out there those spirits will work out a way to help me that in a fashion that is also  meant for my greatest good. 

    So many times situations have worked out after I’ve done a spell. Whether it was due to a nine-day kit, a session with the cosmic voodoo eggs or even a service, so many times problems have worked out in ways that I could never have possibly imagined. Things may not always work out in the way I wanted initially but still events unfold that will allow me  to understand why  things happened and things turned out even better. 

     There is one thing I know for absolute certain; for me, never trying and  not bothering to ask would be my greatest failure. When people lie on their deathbeds they usually regret the things that they didn’t do or the words that they never said. For me that regret would be the greatest tragedy. I came into this world fighting-and I always tell myself that I will only go out that same way. 

    So I guess my point is this,really; You can do the work and you can worry less. Asking for something and trying your best really are two things that are well within your control. As for the rest, we have these wonderful gentle the benevolent  spirits who are willing to listen to our petitions and work on our behalf. And you have our wonderful Mambo Sam, Parran Matt, Sister Bridget and spellmaker family to guide you, support you and root for you every step of the way.

    In service,

    Khouzhan Morgann

     

  • A Musing on Summer Goodies

    So about those berries… 

    Okay hear me out… I know I posted all poetic and stuff about strawberries and I DO love me some fresh summer strawberries. But this year I'm really diggin the blueberries. Oh and the watermelon…. Ok AND the corn. 

    Like alot of you, there are foods that just scream summer to me.  Foods we maybe picked fresh, helped make (champion corn shucker here) or even caught (for all you avid fishermen out there). 

    The organic and slow food movement that is so popular right now makes me grateful for this. I am glad that we are reminded that food does not come from a can, a box, or a freezer bag. Food comes from the ground, the trees and the life that bustles around us. 

    And although I am eternally grateful for convenience there really is something to be said for knowing those tomatoes came from Aunt Doris's garden or that those zucchini were picked by that rosie cheeked old farmer at the outdoor market. 

    Some of these things bring back memories of departed loved ones, or summers spent with childhood friends. 

    Sun tea reminds me of my dear Nan's porch on a warm July evening, instilling the knowledge that the beautiful summer sunshine can brew better than any teapot or kettle. Cucumbers remind me of my Grammy and the rows of empty jars washed until they sparkled in the sunlight, waiting to be used for canning so we would have pickles all winter long. 

    I guess what it boils down to is this- the bounty of summer reminds me that Mother Earth has ancient, nourishing, sacred roots that lovingly nurture our place in this world… and so do I. 

    In Service, 

    Khouzhan Morgan

     

  • Happy Ogoun month!

    Wow I cannot believe it's alread July! Time soon for my annual solar return and more importantly the month we celebrate the wonderful spirit General Ogoun!

    Those of you who have worked with some of our products are likely familiar with this wonderful powerhouse of a lwa. The July 4th holiday, with its theme of Independence, fireworks and American flags lets me feel his presence in everything. 

    Ogoun's love of flags, the color red, and energy of David v Goliath change seems to be everywhere right now. 

    Just a reminder that Ogoun can be called on for immediate protection from physical harm and when you desire great change in a magical situation. That is why you will often see the image of a butterfly around Ogoun altars. He is often referred to as Papillion which is French for butterfly!

    Ogoun is a great strategist and is above most everything else, a military man. So when I think of our brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who keep us safe and keep the banners of freedom flying all around the globe, I always ask Ogoun to be with them❤️🤍💙.

    Happy July, General Ogoun! Ayibobo! 

  • Summer Cinema

    Recently we had a heat wave here in Pa. Having this kind of weather for several days in a row generally reduces my itty bitty little house to a stuffy little sauna/toaster oven.

    The only indoor respite from this kind of weather is to retreat with a cold drink to a dark room with air conditioning and something fun to watch.

    It got me thinking about how many movies and television shows contain magic nowadays. I feel like that wasn't always a thing-I mean-it was always my thing-but a thing for more mainstream stuff? Meh-not so much.

    Besides that, seeing voodoo/hoodoo on screen is even more of a rarity. It is often portrayed in a bad light, or in a very exaggerated manner.

    Still, sometimes the depictions get it right, or somewhat right, and it just makes my heart sing. It makes me happy that this wonderful practice is getting some acknowledgement and exposure. 

    Here are some shows and movies that feature voodoo or voodoo themes, good, bad, or indifferent:

    American Horror Story-Coven

    The Princess and the Frog

    Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

    Angel Heart 

    Skeleton Key

    Criminal Minds-Corazon

    Bones-The Man in the Morgue

    Orange is the New Black-various episodes with Gloria's backstory

    *This is by no means a complete list but just represents shows and movies that I have personally seen. 

    I would love to hear about any other depictions of voodoo on screen at morgan@spellmaker.com

    Happy Viewing! 

    In Service

    Khouzhan Morgan

    Skeleton Key

    Eve's Bayou

    Angel Heart

     

  • Days of Strawberries and Roses

    So today is the last "supermoon" of 2021 and will be at peak fullness at about 2:40 PM EST.

    As a lifelong lover of all things pink, I love that this moon can often have a glow as if viewed through rose colored glasses. 💕🌚🌹What a fitting way to describe that lunar effect on our emotions and the world at large! 🤗

    In fact this moon is known as the strawberry moon, the rose moon, and even the honey mead moon. June always did mean the yummiest berries and the most beautiful and plentiful roses of the year here in the northeast US. 

    In the latest edition of collecting random facts I learned a little something today. Mead, a medieval  fermented beverage brewed from honey, was the celebratory beverage of choice for wedding feasts. And that the aptly named post wedding couples getaway the "honeymoon" may very likely have received that name because June is traditionally the month for weddings.

    It's a great time to charge divination tools, altar accessories and crystals under the glow of the Summer Solstice sun AND the full moon. 

    That being said, I should get to that. All this energy has me kind of inspired. And I suspect I know someone who would love some pretty pink roses😉. 

    In service, 

    Khouzhan Morgan

     

  • Here comes the Rain Again

    At last the glory of summertime is upon us with her long languishing sunny days and her warm nights that brazenly hum with inviting expectation. But today we have cool rain.

    I never lament dreary days in the summer. I love the energy of a thunderstorm, the way the downpour sounds on the roof, and the peaceful stillness it affords. Nature makes sure that everything outside keeps growing, and inside it allows my imagination to blossom in solitude.

    I love to light candles "in case the lights go out" all the while knowing I am just finding an excuse to burn them.

    There is magic there, in the rain, in the isolation, the way water washes over everything and makes it clean.

    The misty fog hovers along our rural roads like the whispers of a spirit, beckoning us to uncover what is unknown or even  frightening to us.

    Indeed, sometimes we are lucky enough to spy a beautiful rainbow, in all her glorious shades, her colors painting the sky in hope and endless possibility.

    I try to "catch" rain water for Ayido Wedo, the rainbow serpent and wife of the great Papa Damballah. I truly believe that these great spirits are like the foundation of the Earth herself. Ever present, solid, and quietly supporting us as we surge- unaware through day to day life. I am so very grateful for them. 

    What about nature nspires you to  be fanciful, grateful or magical? We love to hear your stories at customerservice@spellmaker.com.

    In service and with love and light, 

    Khouzhan Morgan

     

     

     

    What inspires you when Mother Nature showers us with the waters of life? Does it bring out the magic in you? 

  • Tips for beating anxiety.

    Hi!

    I came across this article this morning in my inbox.  Belleruth Naparstek has a wonderful collection of guided imagery recordings on her website Health Journeys. I have been listening to her for many years. She is a pioneer in this area, and also has quite a nice collection of articles and summaries of scientific studies done on the effect of guided imagery on various conditions.  I know many folks (my self included) suffer from anxiety, and I hope you find these suggestions below helpful.

    Love

    Sister Bridget

    Image result for destress cat

     

    BR’s Tips for Beating Anxiety

    Anxiety causes people to lash out, react impulsively and jump into places and relationships they shouldn't. Nine times out of ten, anger and nasty behavior is born of anxiety, looking for a place to get released.

    It's also a huge energy waster and time-sapper, preventing people from getting things done, simply because it sucks up so much time and focus. More often than not, efficient, productive people aren't any more talented or educated than others, but they're people who are unhampered by anxiety, so they get a straight shot at their goals.

    I recall seeing a surprising statistic that 50% of all office visits to the doctor are due to anxiety in one form or another (as opposed to illness).

    So here are a few tips and tricks for anyone who wants to better manage his or her anxiety and get back into the driver's seat, where surely their tush belongs. I doubt any of these will be news to you – but they might serve as a good reminder and punch list. Please add your own suggestions – this is by no means comprehensive. And, of course, if you've got persistent, unrelenting anxiety that is interfering with your life, get some professional help too.

    1. Get Mindful of Your Triggers
      Focus your attention on your innards enough to become mindful of how and when your anxiety gets activated. You're going to need to know this if you want to get ahead of it and short-circuit it, before it develops into full-blown flooding. So this is the key to everything else, unless of course, you want to become a full time meditator, 24/7 – a pretty ambitious alternative.
    2. Learn to Breathe
      Learn to breathe slowly, deeply at will. It's the quickest way to trick the body into thinking it's relaxed, and everything else will follow suit. When we're relaxed, we breathe like sleeping babies – slowly, with the belly rising with the in-breath and emptying with the out-breath. Practice at this and you're halfway there, even if you do nothing else on this list. (You may also want to read Priscilla Warner's book by this very name: Learning to Breathe: My Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life).
    3. Listen to Guided Imagery or Affirmations
      Take a few minutes each day to listen to some soothing guided imagery listen to affirmations in the car while driving. Again, all your'e doing is habituating your mind and body to the habit of relaxation. Then when something happens and you need it, it's right there for you, in your back pocket.
    4. Get Stuff Out of Your Head and onto a List
      Carry around a lightweight notebook, so you can relieve your mind of having to keep track of all the dumb detailed stuff you need to do. Simple, it's true, but you'd be surprised at how unburdening this can be on your mind. Plus, it's a good habit for actually remembering to do them!
    5. Use Physical Exercise to Channel Anxious Energy
      You don't have to run a marathon – just walk briskly or go crazy with the vacuum cleaner. Like learning to breathe, this is a physical way to approach calming your mind, as old as dirt, but very effective.
    6. De-Clutter Your Surroundings
      Studies show that messy, disorganized surroundings subtly but surely feed anxiety (depression, too). This doesn't mean you should become a compulsive neatnik and give yourself one more thing to worry about. But if you can reduce the clutter in the living spaces that you use (or even throw it all in one room you don't use, where you don't have to see it) you can reduce your baseline anxiety levels.
    7. Eat Smart
      You know the drill. Take it easy on the caffeine – coffees, colas, teas and, yes, even chocolate, all stimulate adrenaline, so use them wisely and judiciously. And do lean on the omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B's, and whole grain carbs for regulating serotonin. And big doses of sugar is NOT your friend.
    8. Practice Silence
      Give yourself some quiet. Shut off the radio, take a news fast from the TV, let the phone go to voicemail, get away from chattering colleagues and friends (even the really nice ones) and help yourself to some silence. This includes text messages on your phone and emails on your computer. Mini-retreats taken during the day give your brain a chance to rest and your psyche to sort itself out.
    9. Try Aromatherapy
      You'd be surprised at the relaxing impact of aromatherapy and what certain fragrances can do to make a dent on your anxiety levels. Scents like lavender, sandalwood, pine, chamomile, lemongrass and bergamot can be mixed or matched uniquely to suit you – all it takes is a little experimenting to see what works best. And you can access them through lotions, candles, bath oils, inhalation beads and diffusers – even scented pillows.
    10. Laugh, Play, Smile
      Even if you don't feel like it at first, and even if your anxiety is telling you that you can't possibly afford to take the time for it, a little break with friends or an absorbing, light-hearted movie or just a laugh with a laugher can interrupt anxiety.

     

  • A new look at Ancestor Service.

    As Vodouisants, calling on, feeding, and honoring our ancestors is something we are very familiar with. Our Ancestors are a part of us; they are with us and around us always. Ancestors can be called on as a group, or individually. It is fairly traditional to hold an Ancestor service one a year, but they can be held anytime at all. Just yesterday I was at one of my favorite spots in a local cemetery, and came across this site***

    Partygrave1

      Partygrave2 copy

    The family and friends of this departed little boy had held his tenth birthday party for him. At first, a wave of sadness passed through me. But after a moment, I realized the people at this party were far from sad. I could see them decorating with streamers, laughing and joking, sharing stories about their little one, but also telling stories to him. I am certain there was a cake with candles, balloons, presents (which were left here with him) and punch. He was very much a participant in his own celebration. 

    Even though this young person passed before many of those in his family, he is still of their blood, and thus, now an Ancestor. The openness and joy in this birthday party was, for me, very moving.  It has given me much to consider (or reconsider) about the “routine” my own service has fallen into. I plan on shaking things up a bit next time around! 

    Love

    Sister Bridget

     

    (***Names and dates have been photoshopped out)

     

  • Words of Wisdom from Mambo !

    Hi there-

    As I was hunting through some old files just now, looking for something completely different, I ran across this post by Mambo Sam from back on the old Yahoo! forum! (Remember when….. hee hee) Anyhow, it seemed relevent to a few folks I have spoken to this week, so I decided to dust it off and repost it 🙂

    Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy some warm summer sun!

    Love

    Sister Bridget

     

    Begin post:

    JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS, SELF SABOTAGE, AND MORE
     
    Hello everyone,
    I wanted to post a few words here (which I have done before) about
    certain people immediately jumping to conclusions about their heart's
    desire, self-sabotaging their own work, and not giving spell work its
    due time.
     
    Sorry, (Yahoo! forum name redacted!)  you get to be my guinea pig for this post, but
    believe me you are in excellent company! :-)
     
    So you saw your HD's car at her current boyfriend's house, or his at
    her's or whatever: So the immediate conclusion is that the spells
    aren't working (which are barely finished, by the way), they MUST be
    getting closer, I'm going to tell her off/cut her off from the one
    real contact I have with her (really bad idea), etc., etc. Folks,
    this is so common of a reaction that it isn't even funny anymore.
     
    I have posted many times about how spell work ebbs and flows, how the
    target of the spell work has to come to some conclusions on their
    own, how sometimes the couple you are trying to break up seems to get
    closer - because that is what needs to happen for them to see just
    how bad they are for each other.
     
    When you choose the path of spell work, you are choosing to do
    something proactive in your case. Additionally, you now carry the
    burden of knowledge and patience. YOU know about they spell work,
    THEY don't (hopefully, right?). With this knowledge comes
    responsibility of allowing the process to happen in the way that is
    best for all involved. This is a SPIRITUAL path, most of the rules
    of the PHYSICAL world no longer apply. Yes, I said "most" - because
    obviously some still do apply - we still live in the physical world,
    after all.
     
    However, too many of you are just very willing to shoot yourself in
    the foot! If you are lucky enough to have any kind of cordial
    contact with your heart's desire, why would you want to cut that off?
    Because it is too "painful" for you? Well, obviously it was too
    painful to be without them, thus you have embarked on a spiritual
    path to your goal. This brings the responsibility of being the
    bigger person. Spell work is not without responsibility to the spell
    caster. This means that you have chosen to do both the spiritual
    work and the physical work to try to obtain your goal.
     
    Is there the possibility of failure? Yes, of course. But this is
    true with any worthwhile endeavor - there is always the possibility
    of failure. But failure after having tried your best is no shame;
    with anything, if you have to walk away from it and you tried all you
    knew to do, then you have not really failed at all. You made the
    supreme effort.
     
    Therefore, if you were willing to make the supreme effort, please be
    willing to see it through. There is so much hyseteria over little
    things lately that I wonder what some of you are thinking. I have
    posted over and over again that there are ups and downs, there are
    times when things seem to regress, this is a natural part of the
    progress. Of course, it is normal to be disheartened or to feel
    bad, but some of you seem to allow that to permeate your very soul.
    Negativity is a very strong energy and as human beings, for whatever
    reason, we seem to gravitate to it more readily than we do to
    positive energy.
     
    It's like I have told a couple of you during consultations, humans
    will embrace the least little negative thing: Let's say you have a
    new outfit and go to a party wearing it. 19 people tell you that you
    look great in it; the 20th person you talk to says you look terrible
    in the outfit. You will never wear it again. The 19 peoples' good
    opinions are out the window; the 20th person's bad opinion sticks in
    your head. So, negative energy is easy to embrace and we all do it;
    it is a fight to embrace and stay positive. But, it is something you
    should all strive to do. Quit being so ready to sabotage yourself at
    every turn. Please.
     
    Love,
    Mambo Sam


    END POST!