Tag: ripoff report

  • Re-opening the Forum!

    Happy Tuesday, everyone!

    Happily, we will be re-opening our forum here in the next couple of days. I was going to wait until I was finished with our Spellmaker Community Pages, but we are excited to get the forum re-opened and we don’t want to wait much longer! 🙂


    My darling daughter, Sister Bridget has been working on the reformatting and re-creation of the forum so that it will be a happy, healthy, and productive place!


    The new forum will not be a place for crying, whining, and telling everyone how bad one’s life is! We found that to be extremely counterproductive and while it may have made a few people feel better to get those kinds of things off their chest, it ended up making more people unhappy until it just turned into a ball of negative energy. So, instead, we are making the forum a place of happy updates, tips and suggestions for keeping positive, uplifting quotes and stories, and teaching information about magick, voodoo, the lwa, saints, and angels, and more! 🙂


    My other darling daughter, Sister Candelaria, as well as Sister Bridget, will still have their corners in the forum. Schweety’s Feng Shui corner will still be there! Spellmaker office news and all the information about the lwa that Schweety was kind enough to upload for us will still be there! Plus, there will be lots of new categories. 🙂


    It is our intention for the Spellmaker Spirits forum to be a place of learning, peace, and happiness. It will remain a moderated forum and posts will have to be approved.(Mostly we do that because so many people troll the internet looking for places to post porno and Viagra links! So to keep the forum for the purpose for which it was intended, we will moderate posts.)


    I am really looking forward to opening the forum back up! See you there in a few days!


    Love, light, and peace,

    Mambo Samantha Corfield

    www.spellmaker.com

  • The LaPlace’s of Our House

    It has taken me a little bit of time to get my thoughts together for blogging. One thing that I thought my be interesting is to write a little bit about the role of the “LaPlace” in our New Orleans Voodoo House.


    At our convention last year we had the great experience of appointing the two gentlemen who are now the LaPlace’s of our House. They did a great job and we look forward to the many years we are sure to have together.


    We didn’t have a lot of time to explain to everyone the exact role of the LaPlace. The LaPlace’s are still learning and will continue to do so as their service continues. But basically, the LaPlace’s, along with the father of the house (that’s me), are the guardians and protectors of the house.


    So first and foremost, the role of the LaPlace is to protect The House in every way possible. Historically this role was much more arduous than it is today. Literally, the LaPlaces physically guarded The House. The LaPlace was armed and ready to kill to protect The House. Rival “flag boys” as they were called (as they protected the flag of the house) were known to battle in elaborate rituals and fights. Each of our LaPlace’s was given a bell at the Convention. The bell of the LaPlace at one time was used to alert the members of the house of danger or threat so that they could get away.


    The bell was/is also the link between the different LaPlace’s of the House and the Father of the House. The Father of the House is the guardian over the LaPlace’s and, in turn, the LaPlace’s are the guardian of the father. The bell of the LaPlace is used to call for the father of the house if needed and is a spiritual link as well. The ringing of the bell when danger is not present signifies that the LaPlace needs the protection or guidance of the father of the house.


    The LaPlace also uses his bell to communicate in secret with the other LaPlaces of his house (and with the father of the house). Houses have elaborate “bell codes” that the LaPlaces can use during ceremonies or every day life to communicate with each other and the father of the house. This is often done in ritual so as to not interrupt the ritual with talking but rather soft bell ringing which has meaning and is a way of communicating without talking. This is also done to alert each other of some kind of danger or inappropriate behavior that might just be starting and the LaPlace’s want to alert each other and the father, but not necessarily alarm the congregation. (The LaPlaces and the father of the house determine these codes.)


    Today LaPlaces tend to have the duties of keeping rituals flowing properly, attending to the congregation, all while keeping the peace and watching out for any kinds of inappropriate behavior. LaPlaces also bring to the attention of the father of the house anyone or anything that could be considered a threat to the peace, reputation, or progress of the house.


    We are very lucky to have our two wonderful LaPlaces, both of whom will learn much, much more about their roles as time passes.


    TAke care all, Parran Matt

  • Don’t Forget to Have Fun!!

    Happy Saturday one and all!

    Do you remember fun??? 😉 I had fun yesterday! I was cooking gumbo for some friends, talked to two dear friends online, and enjoyed the company of my husband in the evening. I worked, too, but it was one of those days when I remembered to have some fun within the work!! I don’t always remember, do you?


    I found this great list about having fun by author Keith Varnum. Enjoy. Well, have fun with it! LOL. (I love #6 especially – we could all learn something from that.)
    Love,

    Mambo Sam


    1. Practice random acts of connection.


    Really. It works. Wave to a firefighter. Smile at a cop. Salute a soldier. Hang with a kid. Have a friendly conversation with the cashier. Leave an outrageously generous tip. Drop in a shelter. Volunteer at a literacy program. Show up at a community fund-raising event.


    Serve others. When you give, you feel more connected to other people.


    And if you’re not naturally motivated to reach out to others, think selfishly: any altruistic gesture—from buying someone a coffee to letting another driver in front of you—puts you on the fast track to feeling good.


    2. Make at least one just-for-fun phone call a day.


    Water your field of dreams—your energy field! Call a friend who is consistently fun to talk to. Just for the heaven of it! … not for business or to have any other need met. Simply ring someone up for a sociable hello without any agenda or expectation.


    3. Look upon life as a Mystery School.


    Welcome serendipity. Invite surprise. Cultivate spontaneity. Notice synchronicity. Know that the whole of your life—events, situations and people—has been secretly structured by your soul in order to bring you the experiences you want to have this lifetime. Approach life as if the whole of creation is conspiring to bring you goodness …because it is! Realize that unpleasant people and situations are deliberately placed in your path as a challenge to help you grow big enough to embrace even them.


    4. Have an exciting destination.


    Seek wonder. Go toward joy, ease and adventure—not simply away from boredom, pain, struggle and fear. Don’t dwell on the old. Focus on your destination—move towards a fun future.


    5. Rejoice each step of the way.


    To keep from being overwhelmed—yet still make headway—break your larger goals down into more manageable steps. It’s easy to become discouraged if each step looms large and requires a major expenditure of time. Take at least one action a day—no matter how minor. Then you can make some progress only if you have a few minutes. It may be something as little as gathering or setting out the materials for the next stage.


    As you take small steps, check them off as achieved. Give yourself a pat on the back for your progress. Always focus on the advancement you’ve made as being just as important as the distance you have yet to go.


    6. Strive for success—not for perfection.


    Give up perfectionism! Perfectionism goes hand in hand with fear of success and failure. We feel in order to succeed we must be perfect. As perfectionists, we insure that we will never be satisfied with who we are. Giving up perfectionism means seeing the good in our lives rather than the faults, focusing on what is working rather than what is not working.


    Celebrate success in one aspect of your life each day. Look for the positive. Ask, ”What did I do that was on the mark? Which parts of my day went well? What am I happy about?” This approach and attitude helps take the sting out of the aspects of your life that seem lacking.


    7. Take a daily mini-vacation.


    Take 15 minutes each day to do . . . nothing! Nothing of any significance whatsoever. We need time each day to not race against the clock or be productive. As we slow down, our spirit is free to be restored and creative. Go on a walk. Listen to music. Sit on the couch. Dance, run, jog, skip or stretch. Write, paint or sketch. Pet an animal or plant. Listen to the wind. Take yourself on a date. Do something that is alive and energizing for you.


    The point is to relax. No multi-tasking. Don’t live in your daily planner.


    And take a break from technology for a while. Turn off your phone, fax and pager. Our modern conveniences have made us more accessible and vulnerable to other’s agendas and demands.


    8. Just say “No.”


    Consider everything you habitually say “Yes” to each day. Community involvement. Errands for family. Favors for friends. Daily calls. Regular visits. Take time to consult with your spirit. Ask, “Is this activity at this time, in this way, really serving me? Is this the wisest use of my time and energy for all concerned in the long run? Is this activity giving me more energy than it is ultimately taking?


    If the answer to these questions is “No,” then your answer to the activity should be “No.”


    In saying “No” to the people and events that aren’t intuitively right for you, you are actually saying “Yes” to yourself—and to the people and values that mean the most to you. If you allow yourself to be tied up with disharmonious, non-aligned situations, you can’t be available to share your true gifts with your family, friends and the world at large.


    9. Give yourself a place lift.


    Do you long for more expanse, efficiency, easy flow and elbow room in your life? By intuitively re-arranging the elements of your daily life, you can create the space to nurture the fun, freedom, opportunities and effectiveness you desire. By clearing out the old, dead elements of your life, you create a natural vacuum and an unblocked channel for fresh, new energy and ideas to come into your private and professional life.


    10. Share your life experience.


    Keep in mind that not everyone knows what you know. Your personal experiences can be valuable to others. You might be surprised by what some people don’t know about life! I always am.


    We thrive when we feel we are valued and have left the world a better place at the end of each day. Leave a grand legacy.


    Happiness comes from sharing happiness. There are few joys that are as complete as bringing joy to another human being.


    Joy defies the laws of economics in that it’s not something that we have less of when we give it away. Joy is something that grows greater for the giver as it is given. The more you give, the more you have.

  • Coincidence?

    Greetings everyone!

    As you might guess, I don’t have a lot of time to watch TV. One show that Matt and I do make time for is “House.” I like the whole “medical mystery” type of genre and the show (IMHO)is terribly clever.


    This week’s episode revolved around a sick priest. The priest quoted Einstein with a quote that I had long ago loved to use but had forgotten over the years:

    “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.”


    So many times I get a letter from people saying things like, “I saw my boyfriend and he said the exact things I petitioned for in my spellwork, what a COINCIDENCE!”

    Needless to say, this drives me crazy! 😉 Now it isn’t just that I get tired of people thinking that the results from their spellwork are a “coincidence” – I actually get worried about people negating the results of their spellwork! Obviously, if you are sort of backwardly negating your spellwork by tossing it off as a “coincidence” you run the risk of long term damage to your spellwork.


    Another thing that I get a lot of is, “All the things I asked for in my spellwork came to pass, do you think it was the lwa helping me?” Huh? Well, yes. You did ASK them to help you. 😉


    While “God” (or whatever you want to call the Supreme Being) is sort of an unwritten power in our spell work, that doesn’t mean we ignore God. Generally speaking, Vodouisants consider God too lofty or too busy to be concerned with our day-to-day needs. Therefore, we call upon the Vodou Spirits (Les Lois – the lwa) to assist us and be our intermediaries and help our spellwork in many ways. But the spellcaster’s energy, the power of the Supreme Being, and the lwa all work together.


    So if you are a person who is chalking things up to “coincidence” I am going to gently suggest that you stop! I don’t want you to stop getting results because you didn’t believe in what was happening right before your own eyes. 🙂


    Love,light, and peace,

    Mambo Samantha Corfield

  • Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!

    Hello everyone,
    Happy Valentine’s Day one and all! We are getting ready for the ritual that we will be doing later on and in reading over everyone’s letters it is so heartwarming to see how many of you had requests for OTHER people’s happiness besides your own!


    It is just so nice to see how many caring and loving individuals are out there and hoping for the best for themselves while also hoping for the best for the important people in their lives and even for people they don’t know. Many of you asked in your letters for all those participating in the ritual to be blessed with love and happiness. Thank you all for that.


    Even though really Valentine’s Day is “just another day” there is so much concentration on giving and receiving love that it is really a great day to work on love spell work, love candle magick, etc., to tap into the love energy floating around out there!


    If you are doing any kind of magickal work today, remember to take a moment to call in all the loving energy that people are expressing towards each other and put that into your own work. Maybe you a person who is not personally receiving loving wishes today. But still you can call upon the universal love energy of this day and ask that you receive those loving vibrations into your heart and put that into your work.


    We are excited to get your ritual going this afternoon and look forward to feeling the love from each and every one of you. We send it back to you and hope you feel those universal hugs we are sending you all!!!!


    Much love,

    Mambo Samantha Corfield


    Heartkiss

  • Do Something Nice for Someone!

    Happy Friday, everyone! I know that some of you are going to be alone for Valentine’s day tomorrow. Understandably it is a rough time of year with signs of love all around. I would like to encourage all of you to do something nice for someone tomorrow, someone you know will be alone or needs cheering up. It might be someone with a broken heart, but it might also be someone lonely, sick, afraid.


    If there is some way for you to give from your heart tomorrow, it will be appreciated and your heart will be filled with love and contentment from bringing joy into someone else’s life.


    This doesn’t have to be something grand or something that costs money. E-cards are free and can brighten up someone’s day! Writing a real letter or bringing someone a card (the dollar store here has cards 2/$1.00!!) is a great way to show someone you care. Just sit and have a conversation with someone who needs the company!


    Open your hearts to someone, somewhere out there! Don’t sit in bitterness and tears because another Hallmark holiday is passing you by. Now, of course, we hope that you are joining us for our Erzulie’s Valentine’s Day Ritual. That obviously isn’t going to take up your whole day! So I encourage you to make plans! If you plans can include brightening someone else’s day, it will be a great day for you both!


    St. Valentine’s Day is about giving, sharing love, remembering the meaning of love in all of its forms. I copied in below a little bit of the folklore about St. Valentine from goodworksonearth.org. I have heard a few different versions of the St. Valentine story, but this is a nice one and captures the idea of what different kinds of love exist for all of us to embrace. Whether the story is folklore or fact, it is still a reminder of the love that lives in all of our hearts, Valentine’s or not!


    I wish for love of all kinds for all of you!


    Love,

    Mambo Samantha Corfield


    ST. VALENTINE’S DAY – How It All Began


    The story of Valentine’s Day begins in the third century with an
    oppressive Roman emperor and a humble Christian martyr. The
    emperor was Claudius II Gothicus. The Christian was Valentinus.


    Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship the state religion’s
    idols, and he had made it a crime punishable by death to associate
    with Christians.


    But Valentinus was dedicated to the ideals of Christ, and not even
    the threat of death could keep him from practicing his beliefs.
    During the last weeks of Valentinus’s life a remarkable thing
    happened. One day a jailer for the Emperor of Rome knocked at
    Valentinus’s door clutching his blind daughter in his arms. He had
    learned of Valentinus’s medical and spiritual healing abilities, and
    appealed to Valentinus to treat his daughter’s blindness. She had
    been blind since birth.


    Valentinus knew her condition would be difficult to treat but he gave
    the manhis word he would do his best. The little girl was examined,
    given an ointment for her eyes and a series of re-visits were scheduled.


    Seeing that he was a man of learning, the jailer asked whether his
    daughter, Julia, might also be brought to Valentinus for lessons.
    Julia was a pretty young girl with a quick mind. Valentinus read
    stories of Rome’s history to her. He described the world of nature
    to her. He taught her arithmetic and told her about God. She saw
    the world through his eyes, trusted in his wisdom, and found
    comfort in his quiet strength.


    ‘Valentinus, does God really hear our prayers?’ Julia said one day.


    ‘Yes, my child, He hears each one, ‘he replied.


    ‘Do you know what I pray for every morning and every night?
    I pray that I might see. I want so much to see everything you’ve
    told me about!’


    ‘God does what is best for us if we will believe in Him,’ Valentinus
    said.


    ‘Oh, Valentinus, I do believe,’ Julia said intensely. ‘I do.’ She
    knelt and grasped his hand. They sat quietly together, each praying.


    Several weeks passed and the girl’s sight was not restored. Yet the
    man and his daughter never wavered in their faith and returned each
    week.


    Then one day, Valentinus received a visit from Roman soldiers who
    arrested him, destroyed his medicines and admonished him for his
    religious beliefs. When the little girl’s father learned of his arrest
    and
    imprisonment, he wanted to intervene but there was nothing he could do.


    On the eve of his death, Valentinus wrote a last note to Julia –
    knowing his execution was imminent. Valentinus asked the jailer
    for a paper, pen and ink. He quickly jotted a farewell note and
    handed it to the jailer to give to his blind daughter. He urged her
    to stay close to God, and he signed it ‘From Your Valentine.’ His
    sentence was carried out the next day, February 14, 270 AD, near
    a gate that was later named Porta Valentini in his memory.


    When the jailer went home, he was greeted by his little girl. The
    little girl opened the note and discovered a yellow crocus inside.
    The message said, ‘From your Valentine.’ As the little girl looked
    down upon the crocus that spilled into her palm she saw brilliant
    colors for the first time in her life! The girl’s eyesight was restored!
    A miracle!


    He was buried at what is now the Church of Praxedes in Rome. It
    is said that Julia herself planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near
    his grave.


    Today, the almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and
    friendship. In 496 Pope Gelasius I named February 14 as Saint
    Valentine’s Day. On each Valentine’s Day, messages of affection,
    love and devotion are still exchanged around the world.

  • Papa Alegba Kits Gets Rave Reviews!

    Greetings one and all! Happy Thursday! 🙂 So have you used the Papa Alegba Knock-Knock Ritual Pack or Papa Alegba’s Open Door Red and White Bath??


    We were so happy to be able to launch these products a few weeks ago and many of you have already used them and reported back to us! I just wanted to share a few of the comments with you that people have written:


    “I feel like I have been waiting a long time for something like this. Never did I feel so much at peace and free as I did after using the ritual and bath. I did the bath after the ritual and went right to sleep. I don’t sleep well and could not believe when I woke up and it was morning. I usually wake up three to five times a night. I woke up feeling like I could conquer the world.”


    “Mambo Sam thank you so much for this Papa kit. I opened my package and smelled everything and started to cry. It felt like I was home and everything would be okay.”


    “Tell me about the smell in this bath! I was so comforted and felt so good after I did it. I had been sick for three weeks with a cold or something. The next morning I was well and felt ready for anything that was coming my way.”


    “Knock knock! I love that name and I love you and this ritual pack. I feel like I wasn’t just knocking on the door but knocking the door down. Awesome!”


    “I have never felt so connected to Papa. He has been my best friend for a long time but this has made it so much better.”


    Those are just a few of the rave reviews! I was especially elated to hear how much people felt like they could conquer the world or meet whatever was coming next! I really enjoyed hearing about the confidence factor that these products elicited!


    Have you used your kit and/or bath yet?? Let us hear from you!! I would love to hear from you all about it. Just click on the comments below and let us hear from you.


    Love,light,and peace,

    Mambo Sam

  • Oceanside Rituals and Cowrie Shell Readings by Sister Candelaria!

    Dear Friends,

    We are very excited to offer to all of you an extremely unique service. Our very own Sister Candelaria is now offering Oceanside Rituals to Agwe and LaSiren as well as cowrie shell readings!


    Sister Candelaria is, of course, a New Orleans Voodoo initiate, child of myself and Parran Matt. She is a priestess of Agwe and therefore is able to do work with him and his beautiful wife, LaSirene, on your behalf.


    If you are not familiar with cowrie shell readings, I think you are going to really love them! Cowrie shell readings are an extremely unique type of reading during which the priestess ritualistically throws the shells and asks questions on your behalf of the powerful lwa couple, Agwe and LaSiren. It is important for you to know that, generally speaking, cowrie shell readings are not considered psychic nor even prophetic types of readings. Cowrie shell readings are meant to give you direct guidance from the lwa through their priestess. These readings are generally done in the spirit of you wanting to know what to do next about a specific situation in your life, which path to take in a certain situation, etc. Cowrie shell readings traditionally are meant to clear up confusion, ask direct questions about a situation, etc. Cowrie shell readings are a spiritual experience between you, the priestess, and the lwa. Often times the priestess will be compelled to tell you things that do not even have to do with the subject at hand. The priestess is bound by oath to tell you whatever the lwa want you to hear.


    Equally exciting are the Oceanside Rituals that Sister Candelaria is now offering. These sanctified rituals begin at Sister Candelaria’s altar and end with her actually going to the ocean on your behalf where she will make your offerings and petitions to LaSirene and Agwe! She will then send you pictures, a ritual item, and a full report on your ritual. This is not the type of ritual that you can get just anywhere and especially not in the detail that she will provide to you with the pictures and guidance.


    Each ritual is customized to your requests to meet your goals. While the rituals do not replace regular spell work, they certainly are an extraordinary form of adjunct work! For instance, for love work, she will be calling upon the power of the love between Agwe and LaSiren to help your case. For money work, she will be calling on them to share their riches. For the Spiritual Power ritual, she will be calling on them to help you open up your spiritual centers, intuition, psychic centers and pathways, etc. You will discuss your needs with Sister Candelaria prior to the ritual. When your ritual is performed, she will send you a digital picture of your ritual set up as well as mailing you some of the materials used in the ritual with instructions for what you are to do with them.


    Please visit Sister Candelaria’s Page at www.spellmaker.com/candelaria.htm. If you have questions, please email Sister directly at candelaria@spellmaker.com


    Now some of you were lucky enough to have a reading with Sister Candelaria at the convention and/or have already had your Oceanside Ritual because you were at the convention and ordered there! We would love to hear your feedback! Just comment at the comment link below!


    Love, light, and peace,

    Mambo Samantha Corfield

  • Customer On Line Chat Service Changes

    Hello everyone,
    Just a quick note to let you know that over the next two weeks we will be making some changes and upgrading our online chat software. This will make chat unavailable for a few days off and on over the next two weeks.

    Please remember that the online chat is not the only way to contact us and certainly is not the only way to get technical support, put in an order, or talk to your caseworker. Many people have been using the chat this way, but we actually have many other options for that which have been outlined to you in your order confirmation and are included with your products. 😉

    So please, at least during this upcoming time period, please:

    • Write directly to your caseworker rather than waiting for him/her to show up on chat. (If you have forgotten your caseworker's email address, please write directly to Sister Bridget at bridget@spellmaker.com and ask her to put you in touch with your caseoworker.)
    • If you need tech support, please write to techsupport@spellmaker.com and include your tech support passcode.
    • If you are a new customer and need recommendations, either write to mycase@spellmaker.com or call our office at 505-962-2525, Monday-Thursday, 9am-3pm mountain standard time.
    • For all other office matters, please write to office@spellmaker.com or call us as per above.

    We look forward to introducing the new, upgraded chat software ASAP. 🙂

    Love,
    Mambo Samantha Corfield