Tag: new orleans

  • 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? 

  • 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

     

  • To my soulmate…..

    Hello,

    I came across this article just yesterday online. It addresses something which Mambo Sam has said, well, forever, which is this more than one person (some call it soul mates) for each of us.  I believe many of us have experienced that strong moment of recognition of another person that is almost indescribable. You feel as if you know them, I mean really know them, and yet how can that logically be when your first glimpse of him/her was just a moment ago?

    Imagine if there were truly only one person we were supposed to meet up with while here on Earth. How long would the odds be that first, we would actually find them… it is a big planet, after all. And then if we do find them, that they are available? And that we are also available? And then that there is no cultural or economic or other issue which is not getting in the way? See where this is going?

    With that in mind, it makes sense to me that we have multiple opportunities to love in this life. Because, as the author sums up so well…

    "It is powerful to acknowledge these soulmates and thank them for the small reminder that in this massive, swallowing world we are never without the possibility of love."

    Hope you enjoy the article!

    Love,

    Sister Bridget

     

    Begin article:

    To my Soulmate which I choose not to love

    by Janne Robinson

    I have a theory that we have multiple “ones.”

    That there is not just one soul reserved for us to love, learn and go deep with.

    This was a hard lesson to learn, meeting my first soulmate, one—what have you, and realizing I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life with him.

    I remember grieving the day he got engaged, because in a hopeful, stubborn way part of my heart had refused—until that moment—to believe he wasn’t my forever person.

    He was on the wishful back burner of my heart.

    I called my mother, in tears and she told me that he still was my person. He still was a one. He was still my soul mate.

    I realized that just because he wasn’t my forever didn’t invalidate his importance in my life and our connection.

    Our connection has remained something incredibly significant, something I fall back upon in my heart when I need to.

    When I need to remember exactly what I want in a partner, I remember what a staggering soul he is—and I wait.

    I want to talk today about the other “ones,” the soulmates we may meet while we are single or in a relationship that we don’t end up with.

    That we have a sure fire connection with, real as any—but because of timing we don’t always go deep with.

    I think it is incredibly mature to, without shame, acknowledge that in our lifespan we will bump into handfuls of succulent souls we want to take a bite out of.

    Whether we are single, in a relationship, engaged or married we will run into other ones.

    I also don’t think acknowledging these connections means we love our partners or want to be in our relationship less—it just means there’s a f*ck ton of souls/lovers on this planet we could dance with/learn from.

    They are the ones we meet in a coffee line-up, the one beside us in our yoga class, the guy at the bbq who’s engaged.

    It’s the ones we meet and feel an undeniably powerful connection.

    A connection that leaves us wanting to know more.

    I think we make a choice, whether we engage in these connections.

    These words are for the ones we meet and don’t explore. 

    The ones we love fully but don’t spend the rest of our lives with.

    Those we run into at the grocery store and never see again.

    The lovers we never take apart with our lips.

    The partners we don’t open to and go deep with.

    The people we don’t have a chance to have a first soul dip with.

    The soul mates we skip coffee with, and look over our shoulder—for just a slight moment and wonder about.

    The connections that exist that are missed, by choice.

    Because we are involved, because they are unavailable, because one is simply not ready for love.

    These ones are just as important as the forever–for we are here to connect, and what a gift to know that there are endless humans to open our hearts to and dance with.

    What a treat to grow with multiple souls in a lifespan, or to simply know there are others out there who want to grow with us.

    It is powerful to acknowledge these soulmates and thank them for the small reminder that in this massive, swallowing world we are never without the possibility of love.

     

  • Relationship advice from the Harvard Business School!

    Well, sort of! I found  this short article published by the Harvard Business School which talks about how to avoid those pesky knee-jerk reactions we can have in tough situations or during tough conversations. And while we try really hard not to get into these tough conversations in the immediate post-casting period, sometimes, well, stuff happens! And sure, we are not in a "business" relationship with our HDs, we are still in a relationship and this advice seems very applicable. The actual HBR tips are at the bottom of this post. These 3 here have been modified for our particular situations:

    1 – Know yourself! Take some time and look back at how you have reacted in the past in difficult situations and how other people reacted. This can be the hardest thing of all to do! But we can not change what we are not aware of (Sorry for the Dr. Phil reference!) so even though it can be tough, spend some time in reflection on this topic.

    2- Have a plan! It is infinitely easier to come up with a plan when you are NOT in the heat of the moment. If things have been tense with your HD and there is a chance things might go sideways, thing ahead and have plan incase they do. If you are having trouble coming up with a plan, ask your caseworker.

    3- Its OK to say No! (Sometimes…) so this one I have  to put a caveat. Certainly, if you are feeling super emotional or sad or angry then for sure, it may not be the best time to see HD that day. Why set yourself (and your spellwork) up for failure? If you are just maybe in a snit because HD did not return your text fast enough, then sorry – Suck it up, Buttercup! Take the high road, be nice, polite and responsive 🙂 This one is a little tricky, and again, if you have any questions or need any guidance, by all means ask your caseworker. Oh – and avoid sarcasm. Trust me! When tensions are high, it is *always* misinterpreted!

    Strive for this –                   

    not this –

    Love

    Sister Bridget

     

    Override Your Default Reactions in a Tough Conversation (From Harvard Business Review 7/3/14)

     
    In a difficult conversation, our default reactions can lead to unproductive outcomes. You’ll perform better in those tough moments if you’re conscious of how you want to react. Here’s how:

    • Know your defaults. Make a list of daily interpersonal situations, like meetings, conversations, negotiations, and conflicts. Then identify your default behaviors — interrupting, becoming aggressive, micromanaging, or jumping to conclusions.
    • Plan your overrides. Before these challenging moments arise, envision how you’d ideally like to respond. For instance, if you want to overcome your tendency to interrupt, rehearse being a more active, engaged listener.
    • Design your days. Self-control varies across a day and a workweek. Why schedule high-conflict conversations before lunch or at the end of the day? If your morning becomes unexpectedly difficult, reshuffle your afternoon to avoid letting a snide comment or criticism slip.

  • Happy Summer Solstice 2014!

    Hey all!

    Wishing each of you a very happy Summer Solstice today! It is the longest day of the year (and the shortest night!)  I hope each of you get to enjoy it in your own, unique way. There are many different things you can do to honor the day. If you do not have alot of time today, your celebration does not have to be elaborate. Or you can work it in to your already busy schedule! You can sit in the grass and meditate for a few minutes, or read a book in the sun, or have a cook out, go for a swim, water your plants, wash your car. You get the idea!  Get outside and feel the warmth of the sun on your face and breathe in the fresh air! Whether it is for a few moments or a few hours, enjoy the warmth and energy of this special day!

    I will be posting some pictures of the Spellmaker Solstice fun later on! Stay tuned!

    Love

    Sister Bridget

    Lionsun

  • Stubborn Intruder? Read This!

    Hello!

    Recently, I have had a few clients write me about an intruder who just was being stubborn about going away. Things get close…OH SO CLOSE! … but then, nope, they do not go. As I was drifting off to sleep last night, I remembered these special candle magick instructions I received from Mambo Sam several years back. So, I would like to share them with you here. These instructions are great for those stubborn intruders, but also if your HD has one of those BFFs who just keeps running you down, saying negative things to your HD about you, or maybe is jealous and interfering in some way. Those of you who are unfortunate enough to have exeperienced this know what I mean!

    What you need: 1 brown image candle magick kit to represent your HD. 1 brown image candle magick kit to represent the person who is interfering. 1 Famous Black Mummy Candle kit. A fire proof surface.

    What to do:

    Stubborntowards

    The Black Mummy is going to be in the middle of the two different brown candles, one that you use to represent your HD, one that you use to represent the intruder. Have the two candles face each other.The candles should be prepped as per the instructions that came with the candles (I just pulled some candles off the stock room shelf to take this picture – prep yours as you would normally)

    Get the two brown candles going with their ritual (again see Candle Magick Kit instructions that came with candles), your petition is that there is fighting, distaste, discord, repugnance, whatever you would like to happen between these two people. Then get your Black Mummy candle going (again, as per the specific instructions for that candle!) 

    Now, turn the brown candles so that they are facing AWAY from each other. Do your Black Mummy petitions that they will turn away from each other now and forever never to look back! 

    Stobbornaway

    Let the candles burn for however long you would like to do the session (9 – 33 minutes). IMPORTANT –  at NO TIME do you mention yourself or put yourself into the petiton in any way – no “leave Susie and come to me, Judy” – just “leave Susie”  or "turn away from so and so" or whatever your petition is. Petition for HD to come to you in some other work. This work is simply to drive apart someone interfering with you  and your HD.  Also, at NO TIME are you angry or upset with your HD! You are simply using this candle to get him/her away from this intruder.

    Hope you find this helpful! Any questions, just ask!!!

    Love

    Sister Bridget