Tag: spells

Making Healthy Decisions – Part 2

Hello everyone! As promised, we are moving on with our series about Making Healthy Decisions. 🙂

Today's question to ask yourself when making a decision is:

What Does My Body Have to Say About This?

We hear a lot about "gut" decisions. Really, that is no joke! 40 trillion cells can't be wrong! :-) When you are working on a decision, take some quiet time and just sit and listen to what your body is telling you. Even if you want something badly, how are you feeling physically? Does your heart get aflutter with anticipation? Do you feel sick to your stomach? Are your limbs tingling? Does your decision make you smile, cry, laugh?

Take some time to note the feelings you get from your body about your decision. If your decision fills you with dread, you might want to take some time to try altering the decision in your mind and then noting how your body feels about it! If your body doesn't feel good about the decision, try reworking it until you notice feelings of relief, smiles, even laughter! :-)

You are hard-wired with instinct and abilities to help yourself make a decision. Most of us have been taught to ignore those very things that were given to us! Try starting out by just listening to and feeling your body in different states of emotion – how does it feel when something is good for you? What are the sensations within your body? How does it feel when something is bad for you? What physical manifestations do you get? Learning to discern what your body is telling you is the first step to receiving your body's own physical guidance for you! Learning to then TRUST that guidance will be the next step. That will only come with practice!

Practice can be simple or complex. One very easy way to practice is to watch movies or TV shows! Watch a movie that is funny, inspirational, or in some way positive to you. Pay attention to how your body feels – note each part of your body and the sensations that are there. Continue on with a movie or show that is sad or makes you angry or feels in some way negative to you (not that being sad is always negative). Again, pay attention to what your body's reactions are. Make note of these sensations so that you will recognize them when it comes to decision making.

Try it! 🙂

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

June 21, 2011
Making Healthy Decisions – Part One

Happy Monday, everyone!

So often good people ask me about the decisions they are trying to make in their life. Certainly getting advice from someone can be invaluable – especially if they are a professional or have your best interest at heart (even better if they are both!). 🙂

Of course, we don't want to have to consult someone for every decision we make! Having the ability to make your own healthy decisions is a skill well worth having and/or developing. Today we start a series of exercises and thoughts to help us develop our decision-making process.

The very first question to ask yourself when making any decision is:

Is this good for me?

You must first absolutely decide whether or not something is good for you! And not just now – what about later? We all have cravings, desires, needs, and wants. However, are they all good for you now and later? How will this decision impact you now, next week, next year, in 10 years?

While it is understandable that you might take into consideration how your decision impacts family, friends, co-workers, etc., you must FIRST take into consideration whether "it" is good for you! Once you decide that, you can then take into consideration other people.

Now you have a place to start: Is this good for me? Start practicing asking yourself that during situations where it might not matter as much so when it comes time for big decision making you will already have a place to start!

Start today! What will you wear to work tomorrow? Is it good for you? Where are you going to eat lunch? Is it good for you? Where are you going to park at the mall? Is it good for you? What's am I watching on TV tonight? Is it good for you?

Remember, "good for you" doesn't just mean eat your vegetables and don't watch too much TV – what satisfies your soul? What makes you feel good about yourself? Once you figure out what is good for you, you will be on your way to making great decisions!

Bookmark or save this post! (It is good for you!) ;-) I will be adding more information over the next few days about how to make healthy decisions and set your life in the right direction!

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

June 20, 2011
Arizona/New Mexico Wildfires

Hello everyone,

I am sure that many of you are aware of the raging wildfires in Arizona and New Mexico. It has caused devasting losses of property across both states (mostly Arizona at this point). I would ask that you all please pray for those who are fighting these fires, that they will be kept safe. Also, please pray for those who have lost their homes or have otherwise been displaced by this awful fire.

Air quality here even here in the Albuquerque area has been pretty awful. The destructive power and long-term effects of a fire this size are pretty devastating. If you can spare a moment, please pray for those involved.

For those in the affected areas – please stay safe! Evacuate when you are told and don't stay and try to "ride it out." Fire has no mercy!

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

June 16, 2011
And so it begins!

Papa Legba Month – 2011 🙂

Happy Monday everyone! A very special day today! Of course we begin our amazing triple rituals to Papa Legba today AND a very happy birthday to my son, Ira. :-) I just don't know how the heck he got to be 39 when I am only 35! LOL LOL LOL Seriously, a wonderful day all around.

I hope you have all sent in your letters to be included in the free rituals. If not, it is not too late, just visit the Papa Alegba Page and visit the link to send in your letter.

Now we all know that Papa is there to open doors for us, smooth the path, and in general make things easier. Remember though that you can be quite creative in what you are asking. Papa is the great interpreter. He speaks and understands all languages. A very good petition to him is to make yourself and your intentions understood. This might be in a love case, but it could be for anything. Perhaps you are having trouble understanding your teenage children and they you. Remember Papa works BOTH ways – to help you be understood, but also to help you understand.

Many times during spell work we forget to ask for ourselves to understand what is happening and why. Most often we forget to try to understand what role we play or played in what is happening to us! Without self-awareness most things are doomed to failure. Ask Papa to help you understand what your role is in whatever situation you find yourself in. I am not saying that you should assign the "blame" for things onto yourself. However, we can easily get wrapped up in what we want someone else to do and forget that there are things that we, too, need to do to improve the situation.

Many times people visualize Papa has their grandfather or trusted uncle or elder male confidante. I think all of these are wonderful visualizations. Talk to him! Have a cup of coffee and a little treat with him (yes, a little treat for you, too!). Ask him for the awareness that you need to truly see your situation and to understand and be understood. Most all situations are a two-way street, though we generally tend to get wrapped up in only one way – the way that gets us what we want. Or so we think! Learning both sides of the street is a sure path to success.

Have a great day everyone!

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

Picture is COPYRIGHT! © Erzulie Red Eyes Art and Spirit 2010-2011 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

June 13, 2011
Voodoo Wares- Gran Bwa Apron!

Hello there-

Last week I posted a few pictures of my lovely Ogoun apron made by Mambo Sam and her mother in law Eileen. Today I would like to share with you some pictures of the apron I have gotten for working with Gran Bwa. This fabric is gorgeous! I hope you enjoy the photos. For more information on the Aprons, please see www.spellmaker.com/voodoowares.htm

Light and Love

Sister Bridget

June 11, 2011
Is it worth it?

Hello everyone! I know we have talked about this subject before, but I thought it was worth revisiting. All the time in readings I get asked the question, "Is s/he worth me doing (or continuing to do) love spell work on?"

Generally speaking, I don't have an answer for that because I think that only you can tell if someone is worth your time, trouble, money, and energy. That is what I usually tell you – "You tell me if s/he is worth it!" Some of you laugh, some of you get angry with me, and some of you find your thoughts provoked!

In all fairness, some things that I can tell you is whether or not I think the person you are working on or considering working on is an inherently bad or good person. (And, yes, I think some people ARE inherently bad and no amount of healing or goodie-two-shoes work on them is going to make them a good person!) I can tell you if I feel any love for you there. I can tell you if there intentions are good or bad towards you. However, even knowing those things from me, only you can tell me if it is worth it.

But what factors might come into figuring out if it is worth it? Here is an excerpt from an article by Daniel Harken:

"You're having problems in your relationship, and while you love your partner, you simply aren't sure as to whether it's worth saving. The vast majority of relationships can be saved – the question is, should you? This article will help you answer that question.

The first question if you're deciding if your relationship is worth saving is if there is abuse involved. Whether this is physical or emotional abuse, it doesn't matter. If there is any kind of abuse going on, you need to get out of that relationship – if you have kids, this is especially imperative. No relationship is worth saving when there's abuse involved – it will only escalate over time.

If there's no abuse, you then have to look at whether you enjoy being around this person or not. Are they one of your favorite people to simply hang around with? If not, you need to figure out if you can regain the good times or not. This requires some objectivity, but it's the simplest thing in the world – if you don't enjoy being around them at all, things need to change.

If there's infidelity involved, you have to figure out how that's going to affect the rest of your marriage or relationship. If you can't trust them, or they can't trust you, is this going to become more of a problem over time, or less? Infidelity always has a profound effect on relationships, and, while it can be often-times be worked through, it can't always.

Another question is: are your needs being met? Do you feel like you're being listened to, are you appreciated? If the answer to either of those are, there's a very fundamental problem in your relationship. It's nothing that can't be fixed – and in fact, changing your own behaviors can often lead to your partner changing theirs. You have to figure out if the potential is there, though in order to know evaluate if the relationship is actually worth saving.

Figuring out your own behaviors is actually one of the absolute most critical steps here. You have to objectively look at what you are doing – are you belittling them? Are you constantly nagging at them, or making them feel inadequate or unappreciated? If so, or if you are doing other negative behaviors, are you truly willing to change?

You have to assume that turning your relationship around will have to begin with you – are you willing to educate yourself and actually commit yourself to making changes? This is no small matter. That commitment will take a lot of effort, and a lot of learning. You have to retrain yourself to not be defensive anymore, and to be less critical and learn to show your appreciation of your partner, or your relationship will not be worth saving.

After you evaluate all these factors, you need to sit down and really look at the situation. Are you willing to make the changes, do you think the potential is there for your partner to? Is marriage or couples therapy an option? Get out there and study up on more relationship information – the more you have, the better equipped you will be able to decide if it's worth saving, and the better you'll be if you actually try to save your relationship."

End of Article

So, as we can see, there are a lot of factors in the decision of whether a relationship is worth continuing or pursuing. But I do want to bring up one last thing that I feel is of the utmost importance – you must always feel right about what you are doing. Listen to your inner voice, your gut, whatever you want to call it. No matter what anyone else says, if you feel right about the relationship, and you are being safe, then no one should be able to talk you out of going forward (or not) but you! :-) Your friends, family, myself, and anyone else you talk to may have a valuable opinion. However, in the end, your happiness in your life, and the pursuit thereof is your choice to make. Other people in your life may not see what you see in a person – that is fine, as long as you are true to yourself about what you see.

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

June 10, 2011
Reiki and its benefits.

For those who partake in alternative medicine, Reiki is a powerful compliment to all therapies whether traditional or non-traditional. Whatever the case may be Reiki is a practice that can bring body, mind, and spirit into balance.

What is Reiki?

In 1922 a Buddhist monk named Mikao Usui meditated for 21 days atop Mount Kurama, Japan. It is said that during his retreat that the concept of Reiki healing was given to him through divine inspiration. Later that year he established the Usui Reiki Healing Society in Tokyo.

The name Reiki itself is made up two Japanese words. When combined these words literally translate to "guided spiritual life force energy". The energy generated by the practitioner is said to come from the divine and not the practitioner themselves.

This would mean that the energy is pure and inexhaustible. The energy transmitted during the session is also deemed "intelligent" and travels to the precise area in need of healing, even without the practitioner or recipient being aware of it.

How does Reiki work?

Reiki can be performed over the whole body or over a specific area. The practitioner can use a touching or non-touching technique, where the hands hover over the recipient's body by a few centimeters. In either case the goal is for the flow of energy to be released through the hands of the practitioner and penetrate the body of the recipient.

The length of a Reiki session lasts from 45 to 90 minutes. The practitioner's hands stay over each area of the recipient's body for 3 to 5 minutes. Reiki can either be performed traditionally with set hand positions or informally where the format is more open.

There is a second level of Reiki that allows for healing over a distance. This is accomplished by using three special symbols that aid the practitioner to connect with the recipient. This means that healing may be performed no matter the location.

Can I perform Reiki on myself?

The energy involved when performing Reiki makes it an excellent candidate for self-healing. In fact it is said that when a practitioner generates energy for a healing it enters through their crown Chakra in turn providing them with healing while healing the recipient.

The Reiki technique is simple and powerful. Practitioners attest that the concepts surrounding Reiki are so wholesome and safe that even children can learn to heal. Reiki has no side effects and can be used on anyone one in any social setting, even on plants and animals.

How can Reiki help?

Reiki is used for many types of ailments both physical and psychological. The flow of divine energy creates a chain reaction in the body that promotes healing at all levels. Reiki is a holistic approach to healing and deals with the human body, mind, and spirit as a complete system. Therefore it is effective in all arenas of healing and compliments modern medical treatments. Reiki is not promoted to replace other forms of therapies but encouraged as part of a comprehensive health strategy.

June 9, 2011
Meditating with Trees.

Hi there!

Now that it is officially warm here in the Northeast, I have been able to spend some periods of time outdoors with the trees, one of my favorite things to do. I have a brief, rather unofficial ritual I do when I sitting with a tree. I find sitting quietly with a tree is a very powerful way for me to connect with the enviornment and also feel closer to Gran Bwa. There is no real right or wrong way to do this- I present these steps as a general guide that works well for me 🙂

Go for a walk in the woods or a park, or even your own yard. Be sure this is someplace you feel safe and *are* safe. Look at the different trees, quiet your mind, tune into them. You will find that different trees have different personalities! Some will feel warm and inviting, others may not be receptive to having company that day 🙂 Some may feel strong, some happy and upbeat, others not so much.

When you feel attracted to a tree, move in towards it. Spend a few minutes getting to know the tree- look at its shape, its foliage, the shape and texture of the bark, the roots. Unfocus your eyes and look for the tree's aura. Using the palm of your nondominant hand, sweep around the tree and see if you can feel how far it's energy extends. Make an energetic connection with the tree. How does it feel? Take a bit of foliage, feel it's texture, notice it's scent, temperature, shape and size.

Open your mind and your heart, and ask the tree if you can sit with it for a while. I very rarely have a tree say "No" but it is always polite to ask permission! If the answer is "Yes", walk around the tree once and pick a comfortable place to sit. Before sitting down, place your hands on the trunk and take three deep breaths. You may feel guided to give the tree a hug! Go right ahead 🙂 Take a few moments and strengthen your connection with your new friend.

When you are ready, sit down in your comfortable spot with your back up against the trunk of the tree. Clear your mind and just be with the tree. Open yourself to guidance from the tree. Be relaxed, breathe slowly and deeply. Be present. Feel the trunk of the tree against your back. Feel the warmth of the soil beneath you. If some intrusive thoughts pop into your mind, place them in a cloud and let them float away. Remain quiet and peaceful for as long as you like. Be with the tree.

When you are feeling ready, "talk" with the tree. If you have questions about the tree or the land, ask, sit quietly and wait for a response! If you have an issue or concern that you need guidance on, pose a question and again, sit quietly and see what comes to you.

When you feel you are ready to close, stand back up and place your hands on the trunk as you did before sitting. Again, if you feel guided to hug the tree, please do! Thank the tree from your heart for its time and attention, for any guidance it may have relayed, and for its contribution to the environment.

Light and Love

Sister Bridget

June 6, 2011
Voodoo Wares- Ogoun Apron!

Hello there!

Recently, Mambo Sam, in conjunction with her mother in law Eileen, began offering traditional Voodoo aprons. This collaborative effort produces wonderfully hand crafted, made to order aprons that are one of a kind. You can read about the details here: www.spellmaker.com/voodoowares.htm Below are some pictures of the first apron I ordered, this one is for Ogoun! It is simply beautiful! I will be posting pictures of my other aprons as we go along. I guess you can say Im a bit addicted to them 🙂 Anyway- check out the Aprons, you will be glad that you did.

Light and Love

Sister Bridget

June 4, 2011
Quote for today…..

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness, that most frightens us….. Nelson Mandela 1994

June 3, 2011