Mambo Samantha Corfield

Love and Anger revisited.

Hello!

As I find myself busy with thoughts of the holidays, I somehow keep coming back upon this article I wrote a couple years back. That means someone, out there right now needs to see this! So, as I am off to peel some potatoes,  I offer you this read :-)

Love

Mambo

 

Are You in Love and Angry?

Greetings everyone!  As you all know, of course, working with clients who are doing our love spells gives me a great opportunity to be privileged enough to see the inner workings of many, many relationships. One thing that I see a LOT of are people who are actually very angry with the person upon whom they are doing love spell work!!  :-)

Now believe me I am not saying that their anger is unwarranted!  Quite often they have been dumped in a very unceremonious way, getting hurt, remaining hurt, feeling no resolution for their hurt.  Of course they are angry!  Many times they are in contact with this person and still get hurt by them and thus the anger grows.  But here they are trying to do love spell work which by its very nature requires that you approach it from a standpoint of unconditional and pure love!   How on earth does one resolve that?

Many people have chosen to do white candle magick kits and the Milk of Damballah(tm) white bath to help them release and remove the anger so that they may continue on with their love spell work feeling cleansed of that anger.  But what about that underlying, I-have-tried-and-I-just-can't-get-rid-of-this anger? You probably know and feel deep down inside that the anger your are feeling towards the person you are doing love spell work on is somehow degrading that very work!  In fact, sometimes it gets so bad in people that they get on an endless cycle of being angry with their HD (Heart's Desire) and then being angry with themselves for being angry with their HD and then being angry that they are angry! 

Sometimes this can just go on and on especially if they are in contact with the HD who continues to needle them with either a new relationship, or continued criticism, or other negative behaviors.  Just because you love them doesn't mean you are not affected by their negative behaviors!  Your resentment of these behaviors can have a definite negative effect on your love spell work!

If you feel you are in this situation then I do encourage you to acknowledge what is happening and then take as many measures as necessary to help alleviate as much of the anger as you can.  Look, we are human, and most of us are not Mother Teresa, so you can only do the best you can!  The abovementioned white candle magick and Milk of Damballah white bath are definitely the standard tools for removing negativity and certainly do work for quite a number of people.  The Pink Bubble Meditation is helpful to use to release that anger and send it away from you!

Another choice is doing the Baron's Purple Bath. One of the many uses of the Baron's Purple Bath is to take negative things away and bury them!  Along with that, you can ask that your own love for this person be resurrected to its full feeling once that anger is taken and buried away. In this way, you will again have the FULL POWER of your love to put into your spell work.  Remember, the great and powerful Baron Samedi is not just the lwa of death, but of life - burying and resurrecting are his forte'.  Asking him to bury your anger, hurt, and resentment and replace them with fresh and invigorated love, forgiveness, and positivity is sure to not only make you feel better, but to strengthen the power of your love spell work!

Love, Mambo Sam

 

A Thankful Time.

Hello Dear Ones,

I would like to take a moment this morning, before we each get caught up in holiday prep chaos,  to say how thankful I am for all of my wonderful friends who make my days a true joy!  I am grateful for each and every one of you! Please enjoy your holiday, and your time with friends and loved ones.  Take time to savor the small things about the big holiday. Those are the things great memories are made of.

Much Love,

Mambo Sam

The Thanksgivings

  by Harriet Maxwell Converse
Translated from a traditional Iroquois prayer

We who are here present thank the Great Spirit that we are here

          to praise Him.

We thank Him that He has created men and women, and ordered

          that these beings shall always be living to multiply the earth.

We thank Him for making the earth and giving these beings its products

          to live on.

We thank Him for the water that comes out of the earth and runs

          for our lands.

We thank Him for all the animals on the earth.

We thank Him for certain timbers that grow and have fluids coming

          from them for us all.

We thank Him for the branches of the trees that grow shadows

          for our shelter.

We thank Him for the beings that come from the west, the thunder

          and lightning that water the earth.

We thank Him for the light which we call our oldest brother, the sun

          that works for our good.

We thank Him for all the fruits that grow on the trees and vines.

We thank Him for his goodness in making the forests, and thank

          all its trees.

We thank Him for the darkness that gives us rest, and for the kind Being

          of the darkness that gives us light, the moon.

We thank Him for the bright spots in the skies that give us signs,

          the stars.

We give Him thanks for our supporters, who had charge of our harvests.

We give thanks that the voice of the Great Spirit can still be heard

          through the words of Ga-ne-o-di-o.

We thank the Great Spirit that we have the privilege of this pleasant

          occasion.

We give thanks for the persons who can sing the Great Spirit's music,

          and hope they will be privileged to continue in his faith.

We thank the Great Spirit for all the persons who perform the ceremonies

          on this occasion.

 

 

Take a Break

We are always so serious when we petition Papa Legba. We ask him to 'open the path', 'help me communicate with...', etc.  Why not take just one session with Papa and ask him to bring you some roll-around-on-the-floor, knee-slapping, laugh-until-you-can't-breathe FUN?  What a great stress reliever that is!

Love and Light - and Fun,

Khouzhan Echo

What Do You Think About You?

Happy Day one and all!

I know that we have talked about self-esteem issues before, but it is a subject that I doubt we can talk too much about!  :-)   Your self esteem can be the difference between success and failure of your spell work!  If you don't think you really deserve to be happy, then what kind of message are sending about your spell work..especially love spell work??

Every day one or more clients tell me how stupid they are,or how clumsy they are, or how they keep making bad decision, etc., etc.  No matter how much I tell them that they are good people, not stupid, and can learn to make better decisions, they don't quite seem to hear me.  Why is that? Because they don't believe it for themselves.  Because of that, they really do run the risk of harming their own spell work - how can we expect someone else to think positively of us when we think so negatively of ourselves?  The good news is that you CAN change that!!

Below, I have pasted part of an article from this website: http://www.athealth.com/Consumer/disorders/self-esteem.html - do feel free to check out the rest of the website.  There are some really good exercises and articles to help you believe in you! 

Hey, I think you are wonderful, now you have to believe it for yourself!

Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com

Article Excerpt:

Changing Negative Thoughts About Yourself To Positive Ones

You may be giving yourself negative messages about yourself. Many people do. These are messages that you learned when you were young. You learned from many different sources including other children, your teachers, family members, caregivers, even from the media, and from prejudice and stigma in our society.

Once you have learned them, you may have repeated these negative messages over and over to yourself, especially when you were not feeling well or when you were having a hard time. You may have come to believe them. You may have even worsened the problem by making up some negative messages or thoughts of your own. These negative thoughts or messages make you feel bad about yourself and lower your self-esteem.

Some examples of common negative messages that people repeat over and over to themselves include: "I am a jerk," "I am a loser," "I never do anything right," "No one would ever like me," "I am a klutz." Most people believe these messages, no matter how untrue or unreal they are. They come up immediately in the right circumstance, for instance if you get a wrong answer you think "I am so stupid." They may include words like should, ought, or must. The messages tend to imagine the worst in everything, especially you, and they are hard to turn off or unlearn.

You may think these thoughts or give yourself these negative messages so often that you are hardly aware of them. Pay attention to them. Carry a small pad with you as you go about your daily routine for several days and jot down negative thoughts about yourself whenever you notice them. Some people say they notice more negative thinking when they are tired, sick, or dealing with a lot of stress. As you become aware of your negative thoughts, you may notice more and more of them.

It helps to take a closer look at your negative thought patterns to check out whether or not they are true. You may want a close friend or counselor to help you with this. When you are in a good mood and when you have a positive attitude about yourself, ask yourself the following questions about each negative thought you have noticed:

• Is this message really true?
  
  
• Would a person say this to another person? If not, why am I saying it to myself?
  
  
• What do I get out of thinking this thought? If it makes me feel badly about myself, why not stop thinking it?

You could also ask someone else—someone who likes you and who you trust—if you should believe this thought about yourself. Often, just looking at a thought or situation in a new light helps.

The next step in this process is to develop positive statements you can say to yourself to replace these negative thoughts whenever you notice yourself thinking them. You can't think two thoughts at the same time. When you are thinking a positive thought about yourself, you can't be thinking a negative one. In developing these thoughts, use positive words like happy, peaceful, loving, enthusiastic, warm.

Avoid using negative words such as worried, frightened, upset, tired, bored, not, never, can't. Don't make a statement like "I am not going to worry any more." Instead say "I focus on the positive" or whatever feels right to you. Substitute "it would be nice if" for "should." Always use the present tense, e.g., "I am healthy," "I am well," "I am happy," "I have a good job," as if the condition already exists. Use I, me, or your own name.

You can do this by folding a piece of paper in half the long way to make two columns. In one column write your negative thought and in the other column write a positive thought that contradicts the negative thought as shown on the next page.

You can work on changing your negative thoughts to positive ones by —

• Replacing the negative thought with the positive one every time you realize you are thinking the negative thought.
  
  
• Repeating your positive thought over and over to yourself, out loud whenever you get a chance and even sharing them with another person if possible.
  
  
• Writing them over and over.
  
  
• Making signs that say the positive thought, hanging them in places where you would see them often - like on your refrigerator door or on the mirror in your bathroom - and repeating the thought to yourself several times when you see it.

 

Negative Thought I am not worth anything. I have never accomplished anything. I always make mistakes. I am a jerk. I don't deserve a good life. I am stupid. Positive Thought I am a valuable person. I have accomplished many things. I do many things well. I am a great person. I deserve to be happy and healthy. I am smart.

It helps to reinforce the positive thought if you repeat if over and over to yourself when you are deeply relaxed, like when you are doing a deep-breathing or relaxation exercise, or when you are just falling asleep or waking up.

Changing the negative thoughts you have about yourself to positive ones takes time and persistence. If you use the following techniques consistently for four to six weeks, you will notice that you don't think these negative thoughts about yourself as much. If they recur at some other time, you can repeat these activities. Don't give up. You deserve to think good thoughts about yourself.

Staying the Course.

Greetings everyone!  Recently I was talking to a long-term client of mine who felt like she was confused about her goal in spell work.  She has been working a long time towards a particular goal and while the goal has often seemed in reach, and there has been good progress in her case, she just hasn't quite achieved full results.  She noticed that she recently has become confused about what her true goal is in doing her spell work.

We talked for awhile about "way back when" when she first came to me and what she wanted then.  It was interesting to see how that goal has shifted and evolved over the years.  However, when we talked about it, even though there are some differences now in the goal, the core goal remains the same. It struck me as really important that she stay the course on her core goal even with the realization that even though there are differences in the goal, the main purpose of the work remains the same.

This isn't the first time that someone has come to me who seems to have lost sight of why they started working magickally in the first place!  Sometimes the work itself takes on a life of itself and we can mistake the work for the goal! :-)

My recommendation to her was to use a Cosmic Voodoo Destiny Egg in order to help her remember and get back on track with her goal.  Also, if the goal has truly drastically changed, working with this Egg kit will also help with knowing and understanding that.  There is nothing wrong with a goal changing, growing, evolving over time; the only danger lies in not recognizing that change for what it is! Using the Egg to ask for guidance as to "where am I going next" or "where should I be doing next" and listening to that guidance is a really great tool!

She has reported back to me that after even the very first session she felt re-focused and re-energized on her goal.  She has re-worked her path to her goal in such a way that everything now seems more realistic and true to her.  :-)  Now she no longer feels like she is working towards some nebulous goal that is no longer germane to today's life!   She realized that while the circumstances around her goal have changed, the actual goal has not.  Now she is able to work on those circumstance to uncloud her goal and make it a clear reach for her again!

Like I said, she certainly isn't the first person to lose sight of her original goal so I thought it would be good to share with you how she used the Destiny Egg to help her out of her own magickal woods!

Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield

 www.spellmaker.com

Setting Goals

Hello everyone!  The article below by Kevin Kearns is actually an article outlining a way to reach business goals.  I could not help but notice the parallel between success in business and success in spell work!  Although I did have to laugh at the "No Magic" clause below.  ;-)

Now that we are more than halfway through our 20th anniversary year, we, too, are looking at our own goals for the next 20 years! 

The article is based on the time-honored tradition of being S.M.A.R.T. about goal setting.  Of course it isn't all germane to spell work, but certainly it can help you get organized and think about your spell work goals in an attainable way.

Enjoy!

Love, Mambo Sam

www.spellmaker.com

Top 7 Tips for Reaching Your Goals

By Kevin Kearns

Setting goals comes with the terrain for most leaders. You set goals for yourself, work with your team on setting their goals, and some of you, I know, work with your kids on setting goals. After all, in one form or another, goal setting is the practice of successful people. Unfortunately, the act of goal setting by itself does not guarantee goal achievement. Along with your determination, these seven tips can turn your goal setting into goal getting.

1. Be S.M.A.R.T.: Set S.M.A.R.T. goals. This goal setting acronym approach has been around for a long time and it still works! You increase your odds of reaching your goal if you answer yes to all of these as you set it:
   
   · Specific – have I described details rather than general ideas of the goal?
   
   · Measurable – can someone else measure and see that I reached my goal?
   
   · Attainable – is this goal actually reachable?
   
   · Realistic – even if it is reachable, is it realistic that I am willing to do what it takes to reach it.
   
   · Timeline – do I have a deadline for reaching this goal?
2. Document: If it’s not documented, it’s not going to happen. Most leaders learn quickly (often the hard way,) if it isn’t documented it didn’t happen. Goal setting is similar, it must be documented. The act of writing your goal down creates a sense of commitment and also allows you to read it. Reading your goal gives your mind more confidence that achieving it is possible. We tend to believe what we read, that is why magazines like The Globe can sell stories about aliens abducting Bigfoot. Write your goals down and look at them frequently.
3. Why Me!?: Why is the goal important to you? Think about what benefits the goal offers you. What rewards are associated with reaching this goal? Do you want those rewards? If not, you are not going to stay committed to reaching the goal. The bigger the why, the greater chance of success. If your why is big enough, you will usually figure out the how. It is up to you to discover a why that makes you want to achieve the goal.
4. No Magic: Resist magically turning excuses into reasons. I have witnessed people magically turn what appeared to be an excuse into a perfectly justifiable reason for not achieving a goal. This powerful magic trick can only be reversed by the magician who performed it. We are all amateur magicians in that sense. We are all guilty of accepting situations as final and giving up on goals. If we want to reach goals (especially those worthwhile difficult goals) we must fight the urge to perform and leave the magic to Penn & Teller.
5. Habit Forming: Make goal setting a regular part of your life. Much like a successful diet, goal setting works best when it becomes part of the fabric of your life. Yo-yo dieting is a huge issue in the United States. People get motivated to lose weight, so they start the latest fad diet. After a few weeks (or even hours in some cases) we find ourselves on the downward spin of the yo-yo. The people that have had the most success with losing weight long-term are the ones who have made a healthy diet permanent part of their life - not a temporary prison sentence they are waiting to get paroled from. The same can be seen with goal setting. The more a part of your life it is, the easier it becomes and the greater your success.
6. Get Help: Have a coach help you through the process. If you are pursuing a large or long-term goal, you may benefit from the support of a coach. Depending on the importance of the goal, this can be a professional coach or even a trusted co-worker or friend. A good coach will support you, while at the same time holding you accountable to do your best. In most cases, it is wise to not share your goal with everyone. Many people love to pick goals apart and you may find yourself using your energy to defend your ability to reach your goal instead of using it to achieve your goal. A safe, trusted advisor may be just what you need to reach your goal, but choose wisely.
7. Impress Yourself: Set goals that impress you. When we start to walk as small children, every step is applauded. This constant positive reinforcement is used to encourage our desire and persistence to walk. Eventually, they stop clapping. This is because you have moved beyond walking and onto more difficult physical challenges. As a leader, you have likely achieved a level of success at work. In order to stay sharp and continue to grow, your goals must progress beyond your current status. It is more important that your goals impress you, than impress others. Michael Jordan did not become the “Michael Jordan” by limiting himself to what impressed others.
   
   Take the wisdom in these tips and strengthen your goal setting techniques. Improved goal setting will lead you to great achievements. How great? Well, that is up to you. The funny thing about goals is, the more goals you get, the more goals you want to get.

It's STILL too much trouble!

Hello everyone,

I had to go back and look because I swore I had posted about this before, and I was right. So here it is again!  The constant,ongoing theme of being told "I would do anything to get him/her back" and telling that person, "well, here are some things you can do" only to be told how much trouble it is (or some version thereof), still reigns on in my top three aggravating things that people say to me!  LOL  And, yes, that was a big ol' run-on sentence.  

Someone recently told me that they didn't have 30 minutes a day to devote to getting their love back. So I asked them if the HD wanted 30 minutes a day of their time,  could they do it? Oh, yes, of course... well, duh! 

Here is my old post!

That Looks Like a Lot of Trouble!

Happy Sunday, everyone!
Parran Matt and I had some guests for dinner a couple of weeks ago. He had run into an old friend that he had not seen in many years and it was a great reunion! Now this friend doesn't care for spicy food (which most of you already know is my passion in the kitchen). What's a poor cooking Mambo to do? ;-)

Well, easy enough, right? I decide that we will grill up some barbequed chicken and ribs, with some baby red potatos, and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce. Now, let me digress for a moment here: Who in the heck can afford asparagus right now, right? Well, as luck would have it, my darling mother-in-law Eileen, who many of you have met at our conventions, found wild asparagus growing near her property a few years ago. The property is public property owned by the Nature Conservancy here, but if it borders your property, you have water rights, etc., to it. SO, Eileen, bless her heart, transplanted the wild asparagus beds onto her property and they took off like wildfire. (This is the lady who "accidently" grew cantaloupes last year by throwing the seeds and rinds into her garden for mulch and off they took into a cantaloupe vine yielding big, beautiful cantaloupes. LOL.)

So, bless her heart, in addition to her usual victory garden that she grows every year, we have fresh-picked asparagus this time of year. Well, as far as I am concerned I never met a grilled asparagus I loved more than with fresh Hollandaise sauce on it. ;-)

Now Hollandaise sauce is best served fresh so I make it right before putting everything on the table to serve. As I was cooking it, our friend kept saying that it "looked like a lot of trouble." I don't think it is, for me it only takes a few minutes to make and is so worth it. The same with whipped cream, I always whip it fresh if we are having it. It just takes a couple of minutes and it is so much better, but I usually get the same response of "wow, that looks like a lot of trouble."

It made me think of how many times people have told me the same thing about spell casting, especially after exclaiming that they would "do anything" to get Jack (or Jill) back into their life. However, when presented with recommendations of what they should do to make this happen, I often get, "that sounds like a lot of trouble."

For those folks, sadly, I usually expect them to get a poor outcome from their spell work. Right away they are setting themselves up into a negative state of mind of how much trouble they are going through for their HD; how much work it is; how much time it takes, etc., etc., etc.

But spell work, like good Hollandaise sauce, IS worth the effort. So if you are thinking your spell work is too much trouble - stop putting that into your mind. Consider calling that trouble "effort" instead of trouble. Consider calling it "being proactive." Because if you are thinking this is all too much trouble, you couldn't be thinking in a more negative manner!

Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com

Mambo Sam's Hollandaise Sauce
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika (or just regular paprika;you can also use cayenne
) Pinch of salt

Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thick and approximately doubles in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler if you have one.) The simmering water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Mix your cream and butter together gently and slowly drizzle in the mixture. and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in paprika and salt. Keep warm until ready to use. If you are making this ahead of time and it thickens up too much, you can whisk in warm water a tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency - thick, but still pourable.

 

 

Friggatriskaidekaphobia - BOO! Again!

This is an oldie but had to repost considering the day! ;-)

--------------

Happy Friday everyone!  And certainly Happy Friday the 13th!  :-)  Ah, the stuff from which movies are made.

I actually remembering seeing the first of the Friday the 13th movies.  At that time, it was a pretty ground-breaking movie!  In my particular part of the country, New Orleans at that time, there was a very lively audience.  People were actually running screaming out of the theatre!  I don't think that happens too much anymore - too many things have happened to jade us about being afraid like that. However, at the time, a particular group of ladies of a certain age (who knows why the heck they were at that movie anyway) were sitting behind us in the theatre.  They were the first to go - knocking over other patrons seated near them and bounding down the theatre aisles, screaming, "Oh Lord, Oh God, get me out of here."  ;-)  No, I am not even kidding.

Anyway, a few days ago I posted something about living in fear and how I don't want you to do that to yourself!  However, there is also the realization that we are all afraid of SOMETHING!  Me, not too fond of heights or close places.  I am not sure if I am afraid of clowns or just don't like them, but they do absolutely creep me out.  I love the Cirque du Soleil shows that Matt and I have seen in Las Vegas, and it seems that sophisticated clowns do not creep me out.  LOL. 

Then, of course, there are more soul-trembling fears, those things that go beyond just creepy-crawly fears; there is the fear that the world will never come to peace again, fear that children will always be starving, fear that some people will never "get it", fear that someone will always be mistreating a pet, fear of America's disrespect for their elderly, fear that our educational system will never improve, and so forth and so on.

What do you fear?  Do you think your fears are irrational, but you have them just the same?  Or do you think that your fears are pretty well grounded?  Do you know the root of your fear or is it something that just seemed to "pop up?"  (That's me with my "fear" of clowns, I swear I don't know why!)

Enjoy your Friday the 13th! 

Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com

 

 

A Year and a Day.

Hello beautiful readers!

Today, 9/9/2013 marks a year and a day since our beloved Sister Candelaria passed over to the other side.  I certainly wish I could say that I miss her less, or that the pain is better... but those things would not be true.

I do take comfort in the fact that she is now risen in the Vodou religion.  She is a learned soul, our dear and wonderful helper again.  I do feel her - I feel her anxious and ready to hear from you.  I feel her having missed serving and helping.  I feel her reaching out to us.  I know some of you felt it, too, and expressed it!

As of this day you may formally ask for her help!  If she was special to you, guided you, or even if you didn't know her, but wish you did, she is here for you.

She blogged once about one of her favorite poems: http://voodooboutique.typepad.com/candelaria/2010/04/still-i-rise.html - it seems so personal and beautiful right now.

If you want to call on her, ask for her help and guidance, or just honor her, you are all free to do so at this time.  

Let me tell you some things about her:  She loves people.  She loves helping, nurturing, caring, shaping, molding, problem solving.  She doesn't eat seafood, so don't offer it to her!  She does love Mexican food and most spicy food... haha, most food - she loved to cook.  She loves a good cocktail and could make a mean martini.  She was funny.  She loved to laugh.  She was talented - could sing, dance, act, and publicly speak.  She was accomplished.  She wasn't perfect, nor would she want to be.  She knew the value in being real, in being beautifully flawed, and in learning from mistakes.  And she loves a good party!  So be happy in calling on her! 

She is a Priestess of Agwe.  Anything that you would do to serve Agwe and/or LaSirene is appropriate for Sister C - blue candles, silver anything, mirrors, sea shells, etc.   Just light a blue candle, put out a glass of water, and talk to her.  She is listening.

Still she rises.

Love you all,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

Sister Candelaria

 

Speaking of September Rituals!

Hello friends and family!

Thank goodness Khouzhan Lucy's post reminded me of  The Chinese Harvest Moon Festival!  This fun festival is easily celebrated by a party of one (or more) and ties right in with love spell work!

I made  a  page about it several years ago:

 http://voodooboutique.typepad.com/mambosam/chineseharvestmoon.html

It gives you all the history of the festival, how it relates to finding the love of your life (or petitioning if you have someone in mind!), and just the general beauty and tradition of this day.

I think it is a great celebration whether you are involved in a love case or not! We all need more love in this life, this world! So petitioning for love and good wishes for yourself and others is a great thing.

I would love to see any pictures you take, especially if you incorporate any love spell work with it!

Love,

Mambo Sam, www.spellmaker.com

 

'Tis the Season!

Hello good folks!

Seasoned Spellmaker friends and family know the season of which I speak:  Love Potion #9 making season!

Remember, Love Potion #9 is made starting 9:00 a.m. on 9/9 - every year! So the time is coming soon!

This potion IS a drinkable potion.  It is meant to slip a little bit into your intended's drink or food.  It is a classic love potion. There are some other lesser known usages that I will also blog about later.

But what, if you say, you do not have an "intended" or you don't have access?  Take heart, make the potion anyway.  I feel like making this potion is a great affirmation stating that you will get your intended (or someone better!).  Besides, the potion making process is pretty wonderful, soothing, magickal!

The recipe for the potion is located on the Spellmaker website, right where it has been for years and years:

http://www.spellmaker.com/potion9.htm

Khouzhan Lucy posted on the Spellmaker Novitate blog about it, too! :)

So get to planning, get to making! Oh, and as we found out in 9/9/9 - it cans really well! If you are into canning or can boil some water and use a canning jar, it seals up nicely and when we opened one to check it three years later  - still perfect!  

Love, Mambo Sam

www.spellmaker.com

 

Less than Perfect?

Hello everyone!  Some recent events have made me think about a subject that often comes up - the perfect man  or woman!  Many clients have searched and searched for the perfect person and found that they came up short.  Upon speaking with them I find that their list of desires for a mate is quite extensive and detailed.  I don't really object to that; you want what you want!  However, the flaw in it is that I see how a lot of great potential mates could be overlooked.

Also, what about time, age, illness, etc.?  What happens when Mr. or Ms. Perfect isn't so perfect anymore?  It reminded me of a post from Parran Matt a few years ago and I wanted to repost it here!

"Hi everyone! Mambo and I watched a movie the other night titled, "Defiance."  Have you seen this movie?  It is a powerful film about the human spirit, survival, and love.  It is also a true story.  If you have not seen it, I highly recommend it.

One thing among many that really struck me was the love story component to this story.  I don't really want to give the story away, but love grew in probably the most adverse conditions that one could experience.  It would seem that love, romantic love, would have been the last thing on peoples' minds in these conditions.  But it existed.  Not only did the love exist, it grew, thrived, and lasted for many years between some of the couples.

It got me to thinking - are some people lazy about love?  If everything isn't perfect, the perfect man or woman, the perfect restaurant date, the perfect flowers and gifts, then does it mean the love is lessened?  I think a good question to ask is can you love under adverse conditions?  What happens when the "perfect" man or woman becomes less than perfect due to some terrible circumstance?  Do you walk away, or do you still see the perfection under the circumstance?

So much emphasis is put on what someone you love has to be - what he or she has to do, give, become - that I cannot help but wonder if some people are just soft and lazy where love is concerned. To watch this movie and see these people falling in love under horrific circumstances was just mind blowing. On the other hand, I suppose that under horrific circumstances would be a great place to bond, share the fear and horror with someone.

Anyway, if you want to see what I am talking about, watch the film!"

I have to say it was a great movie!  And everyone should ask themselves the question Parran asked above, "Can you love under adverse conditions?"

Love, Mambo Samantha Corfield

www.spellmaker.com

 

LaSirene and Capitaine Agwe This Thursday

Please join us for Spellmaker.com's next online Spellmaker Spiritual Power Group Ritual. We will be honoring LaSirene and Capitaine Agwe as our August lwa power couple! The ritual will be held on Thursday, August 29, 2013 9 PM Eastern time, 8 PM Central, 7 PM Mountain, 6 PM Pacific. For more information please visit http://www.spellmaker.com/prayer.htm

via voodooboutique.typepad.com

Don't miss this one!!! It is sure to be awesome!

Inspiring Quote of the Day

Inspiring Quote of the Day

From Khouzhan Kat "Accept and allow. This is the key to living a life full of Love." ~ Chris Johnson

Eliminating judgment does not mean you lose your ability to choose what is desirable to you, what you prefer. It's to recognize that you and others are expressions of divine Love. Love is unconditional acceptance. So we allow others and ourself to be as we are, joined in our essence.

via voodooboutique.typepad.com

Sad to See it End!

Happy Monday, everyone!  I cannot believe that Papa Legba Month is coming to end here at www.spellmaker.com! Of course, we honor, serve, and call upon Papa throughout the year, but his month is always so special to us all. :-)

But luckily, it isn't over yet!  There is still plenty of time to participate. :-)

We are still accepting petitions for our two last events:

1.  Our online Papa Legba ritual will take place on June 27, 9 pm Eastern time (that is 8 pm Central time, 7 pm Mountain time, and 6 pm Pacific time).  To join in or to send in a petition, please see the informational page at www.spellmaker.com/prayer.htm

2.  Our last in-house ritual to Papa will take place on St. Peter's Feast Day, June 29.  This is a ritual that we do in house and you are welcome to send in a petition.  For information, please see the page at www.spellmaker.com/legba.htm

Remember,  Papa is the great communicator, the translator of all languages, the opening of door, and the clearer of paths!  He is so much more, but those are the main things for which we know him.

He is also known as one of the kindest, most understanding lwa - he wants to help you with your problems! 

So, please, feel free to join us as we wind up this great month!

 

Love,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com 

 

Related articles

Coffee with Papa Legba

Papa Alegba Month is Almost Here!

Papa Legba & Saint Lazarus

Thank you, Papa Legba and Saint Anthony!

A Word About Betrayal.

DON'T.

Seriously.  Life will be much easier on you.

Love,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

Are you missing someone?

Hello everyone,

Hope your Monday has been going well!  Lately I have been missing folks!  Some of them are gone from this earthly realm and I miss them in very particular ways.  But most of them are still here with me in the physical sense!  I try to always tell them that I miss them, want to see them, etc.  Today I was feeling particularly like I was missing some folks in my life and it made me remember a post I wrote some time back.  

I thought I would repost it for two reasons:  

1.  If you are missing someone and you cannot see them for some reason, but you can talk - let them know you miss them!

2.  If you are missing someone, like a person you have been doing spell work on, and you cannot tell them outright that you miss them - read the post below! ;-)

--------------------------

Hello everyone!
Happy Sunday! I hope each and every one of you does something lovely for yourself today.

So what about, "I miss you!" I was looking over some correspondence from an old friend yesterday and throughout it, she kept saying, "I miss you!" It made me think, does anyone ever say that when they are petitioning for someone to return to them? Just plain old, "I miss you."

When I was re-reading some of these old letters, I realized that I really got a little pang in my heart as my friend repeated that she missed me. I missed her, too. Even though I already realized it, her verbalization of it made me realize it even more.

I certainly believe that if you are using something such as a love doll, which makes for a direct link to the person you are working on, telling them that you miss them, you miss their touch, you miss the times when you_______________(whatever you want to say), has the potential for having a great impact on them!

First off, everyone wants to feel as if they are missed when they are away. Even if you have no contact with your love (or maybe especially if you have no contact with your love), reminding them that you MISS them, you miss your time together, you miss his/her voice, etc., just has to have positive effect on them. Second, I think this is something we might often forget to say. We get so wrapped up in doing love spell work and sending and receiving love energy, that something as simple as, "I miss you" might elude us. ;-)

So try it! For those of you whom I haven't seen in awhile - I miss you! Never forget that! I really, truly do. I wish we were together more often. :-)

Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com

 

Maybe it is You?

Happy Friday, everyone!  Hope your week went well!  Mine seemed to fly by! :-)  That isn't a bad thing, right?

As one might suspect, I spend a great deal of time asking for and receiving guidance from our great Vodou Spirits (the lwa, les lois).  In the instances where I am asking and receiving, it is very clear cut to me who needs what (since I am the one doing the asking  - LOL).  However, there are instances when I am sent on somewhat of a treasure hunt - someone needs something... what is it?  Where is it? ;-)

This time the guidance and the search took a rather circuitous route with me looking up different things for Papa Legba. (It is, after his month here at Spellmaker!)  The search for Papa goodies led me to a very powerful post that Khouzhan Menfo' had done some time back regarding a visit he made to a particular monument.

When I ran across that post the guidance that followed was one of those "no guessing" guidances... chills, smiles, tears, butterflies in my stomach.. all that good stuff!  That post was what I was looking for..someone, somewhere needs to see that post!  I don't know who.  I don't know where.  I don't even know if we here at Spellmaker even know the person - all I know is this - Papa says that it will be life-altering for someone.  It will set them on their path.   Maybe it isn't just one person?? That part of the guidance was shielded from me (and that happens, by the way, when the guidance is something that I am just a part of - that I am just a part of of something bigger than just me and what I do). 

I am sure that whomever is supposed to see this post will!   I hope that they will join in on one or more of the Papa Legba free rituals this month, too! :-)

So, anyway, you will see me posting this post just about everywhere that I post things (how many times can I say a version of "post" in a sentence?). 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE POST BY KHOUZHAN MENFO'

I feel assured that this will reach the folks that it is supposed to!  Happy to be merely the guide who leads you to it!

I would love it if Khouzhan Menfo's post inspires you in some way and you leave us a comment! It would be great to hear what feelings it brought to you!

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

 

Making Me the Superstar of My Life

I know many of you remember our wonderful past office manager, Berkeley. I left her blog up after she left because she had a lot of wisdom up there! Still does! I wanted to share this blog of hers with you all because it is just wonderful!

Love, Mambo Sam

P.S.  By the way, Berkeley is doing GREAT!  :-)  I am so very proud of all that she has accomplished!

----------------------------------

Here is the blog post from Berkeley:

I have a tendency to obsess. 
I obsess about everything, but it is the external that I cant control that I obsess over most. During spellwork this obsession is heightened. I (and no one) can control how someone processes spellwork, or how fast it will work. 
Info about this is all over the spellmaker website, and I tell people over the phone every day how to deal with the effects, but the bottom line is that spellwork (especially for love related issues) is hard. Spellwork creates this emotional rollercoaster that can truly be rough. 

For the long haul it is worthwhile for the person initiating the spell and the person being cast upon. If you have a tendency to obsess, like I do, then the entire situation becomes really hard! 
Obsessing can be bad for you and your spellwork. It causes undue stress on you, and it tends to choke your spellwork – no matter what you are working towards. If you constantly think about and dwell on your spells, and pine for the person or the situation to come to fruition then you probably are doing exactly what I am doing - accidentally making the results take longer. I choke my spellwork all the time, because I cant stop obsessing. 

After an ill advised conversation with my own HD starting with the words "what do you want in the future...?" I realized that I am not a high enough priority in my world. My mom made my dad and her kids the center of her universe. She gave all of herself to us, and now that we are grown and the rents are retired she is a little bitter about what she did and didn’t give to herself.

I appreciate the sacrifices my mom made for us, but I don’t want to repeat her mistakes regarding what she didn’t hold back for herself

I realized that I need to put my love related work on the back burner and become the star of my life. A lot of people, especially women, tend to make the person they are working on the star of their life. We all generally want to become a high priority in the lives of our HD (hearts desire - or recipient of love spellwork), but the trouble is we are not being a high priority in our own lives.

After talking to Sister Candelaria about it (yes, caseworkers casework each other) I let everything digest. I need to be the star of my life. I need to become the most important person to me. Sister Candelaria had some great suggestions that I am going to share because I know I am not the only one in this position. First is the Lady Samantha’s Hex Removal Spell kit. This kit will of course get rid of curses and anything someone has done to you, but it will also get rid of the things you do to your self! A lot of people tend to doubt themselves all the time, harbor insecurity, and hold on to the bad. Sometimes we just accidentally curse ourselves. This holds true for anyone regardless of spellwork. If you have not done spellwork, but some of this is ringing true for you then try this kit, it can help! 

The other things that Sister Candelaria and I talked about were the spell Attract Love To Me  and theErzulie's Bain Rose D'Amour™ Pink Bath Kit.   Now dont get me wrong, I don’t want to attract someone else’s love - I want to attract my own. I need to learn to put myself first, and be a little more selfish.  I dont know how to do this, and the Attract Love to Me and the Pink bath can help that.  

Thanks for reading

Berkeley

www.spellmaker.com

What the Funk?

Hi everyone!

I don't know what is in the air, the water, or the oscillating energy textile vibrations of the Mars connection (okay, I made that last one up)!  Seriously, what is going on out there?  So many folks that I know are in a huge funk right now - is it the economy?  Is it some sort of global funkittude (yep, made that one up, too). Is it the political atmosphere? Disillusionment? What is causing this funk? (But, just think - if we get rid of that "k" then it turns into "fun!")

Well, if only it were that easy - I can drop that "k" and get FUN!  Truth is, it usually takes a lot more than dropping a letter to get us out of a funk!

Not even the best of good articles will completely do the trick - though this one is pretty great!

http://www.highexistence.com/choose-happiness-5-ways-to-get-out-of-a-funk

I do believe understanding our funk is key!  Facing that situation head-on, although frightening, is going to help us much more than trying to hide from it.  Are you grieving?  Are you broke? Are you broken-hearted? Have you stopped believing in yourself? Do you just not give a damn right now?

Guess what?  You are not alone.  You might feel isolated, but truthfully a few trips around the Internet will let you see that you have a lot of company. Heck, a trip around your friends and family might let you see that you have a lot of company!  I truly believe that reaching out in some way to someone is key to helping shed that funk!  Someone who will listen to you rant, rave, and probably finally break down in tears is invaluable. I have found that sometimes just verbalizing my feelings, out loud (not in an email or text) can be so helpful. When I am done, it seems that I can, somehow, face those challenges that were dragging me down.

So I am going to say step one is talk to someone! All the self help tips in the world won't help you much if you don't feel like you have someone to talk to! Find that one person you can blather all the crap out to - hopefully someone who will just sit and listen - and then take a deep breath and figure out what, amongst all the self help stuff, can help you.  The article I reference above truly is a good one - it makes a lot of sense.  But, if you read the article, you will see that the gentleman who wrote it, first had sort of a "breakdown" to someone he loved! THEN he was able to go on to his self-help techniques!

Of course, at Spellmaker, we sell lots of stuff for helping with negative energy - white candles, baths, etc. And I do recommend them, obviously! Sometimes you have to keep working with things - white candles are a good example of that.  Using the white male or female image candles on yourself can sometimes be an ongoing thing!  It just depends on how much stress you have in your life!  There isn't anything wrong with feeling like you need to spark up your candle every so often and burn off that negative energy!

But most of all, I want you to talk with someone you trust!  Just for a minute, wallow in and embrace that funk! Tell them what you are feeling, tell them if you feel you are at the end of your rope... you might even tell them that you aren't looking for advice - you just want to vent! ;-)  Then, look for the things that will help you with the situations at hand! 

I know that things seem insurmountable sometimes; I have a pile of stuff going on right now that seems exactly that!  I know that I will get through it.  But I share in your funk!  Maybe we can share in getting rid of it, too! :-)  Oh, and I almost forgot  - take it easy on yourself!!!!!  Not everything is your fault - I swear!

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

On again/off again - frustrating relationships!

Good morning everyone!  Hope you are having a great Saturday.  Very often we get in our Heart's Desire letters for spellwork information that the relationship has been "on again/off again."  These relationships can be SO frustrating, right?  In fact, however, sometimes this can be an upward spiral in the relationship as you learn more about each other and learn what to do (and not to do!).  

Very often, these kinds of relationships responds extremely well to love spell work!  I believe that is because there is something there or there would only be "off" and no "on again" to the relationship!  The couple is generally searching for a way to make things better - they keep coming back for more! :-)

Many times, we get some of our best spell casting results from those people who are in these kinds of relationshps - they know there is something worth fighting for! :-)

I like this article about on-again/off-again types of relationships! It can help put some things into perspective!

 

http://www.sheknows.com/love-and-sex/articles/816541/on-again-off-again-relationships-not-always-bad-1

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield

www.spellmaker.com

Have a Great Weekend!

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield

www.spellmaker.com

Papa Alegba Month is Almost Here!

Happy Day-Before-Friday, everyone!

I cannot believe that it is almost Papa Alegba Month here at Spellmaker! Every year we dedicate June to Papa Alegba since he has THREE feast days in June (13, 21, and 29)! 

This is the month where we do three free rituals here in the Spellmaker office and you can send in your petitions to be included in all three of the rituals.  If you care to do some work on your own, we also have great products for Papa Alegba on his page on the Spellmaker website!

On that same page is lots of information about Papa, how to serve him, what his offerings are, etc.

One thing I wanted to talk about is why keys are so important to Papa!  No self-respecting Vodouisant would ever throw away old keys! Nope, those go right on Papa's altar!  Remember, he is the gatekeeper, the mediary between our world and the world of the lwa - no work gets done without his permission!  We must always ask his permission to travel to and from (and to allow the lwa to travel to and from) our different worlds.

A little trick that I use, and I know have talked about this before, but I feel like it is worth repeating - is to designate certain old keys for certain things.  For instance, I have three keys that I use with money work.  I have 7 old keys that I use for luck work - I think you get the idea!  When I start any of that type of work for myself and Parran Matt, those keys go on whatever altar I am working from. Those particular keys have been dedicated to Papa, by me, for those specific purposes. In this way, I feel like I get a little extra "oomph" from my work by having particular keys for him for the things for which I am asking!

If nothing else, just throw all your old keys in a bowl and just keep them around.  (Warning:  People will start to think you collect keys and you will find keys showing up everywhere!  LOL)  Dedicate them to Papa Legba and put that bowl of keys on whatever altar you are using for work.  Believe me, he will love them and it will help unlock many doors for you!  ;-)

Love, light, and peace, Mambo Samantha Corfield

www.spellmaker.com

 

Didn't Mean to Call You That...

Hello my dear readers!  I find myself in, yet again, the position of feeling like I need to re-re-post this blog post of mine.  This time, though, I would like to also call some attention to the idea of teen dating abuse!  I have seen some billboards up in my town with numbers to call if a teenager feels like they are in an abusive dating situation.

I do hope that if you have a teenager, you will have some opportunities to talk with them about this!  What a sad situation... I can remember feeling a little bit bullied (a LONG time ago) by a boyfriend.  Nothing was ever physical about it, but I do remember how it made me feel to try to please him just to have him get angry with me.  Not a great feeling.  Apparently, though, there is a lot more going on these days than some mild bullying.  My heart goes out to parents of teenagers these days - there just seem to be so much to contend with!

Although this post focused mainly on verbal abuse, abuse of any kind should never, ever be stood for!  Please get help if you or someone you love is in an abusive situation.

Anyway, here's the post yet again.

------------------------------

 I feel compelled to revisit a subject that I blogged about awhile back - so I am reposting the blog here.  I just want you to think about your self worth and while I use female clients here as an example, it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen to men, too!  Self worth knows no gender boundaries!

There is a popular song by "Lit" with these lyrics:
Can we forget about the things I said when I was drunk
I didn't mean to call you that
I can't remember what was said or what you threw at me
Please tell me
Please tell me why
My car is in the front yard
And I'm sleeping with my clothes on
I came in through the window last night
And you're gone

Okay, so it's a funny song, I actually even like the song!  But it is not really funny when you think about it in the context of possible emotional abuse. I am sorry to say that I see a trend of female clients who are being abused but they don't seem to know it. Not every form of abuse leaves you with a black eye or a broken bone. Some of the more insidious forms of abuse include how your partner speaks to you.

I am seeing more and more Heart's Desire letters that go something like this, "I want Fred to stop calling me a b*tch, a c*nt, a worthless, useless,piece of sh*t." This is in HD letters for Leave My Man Alone™ where the person is trying to get their HD to stop this kind of behavior towards them.

I am sorry, but I have to ask myself, why are you putting up with that in the first place? Has that person convinced you that you are worth so little that they have totally destroyed your self esteem and you think you can't do better? Well, let me tell you, YOU CAN DO BETTER than some low life who doesn't have one good thing to say about you.

Look, I am not saying that people don't have a bad day, or, as the song says, do and say things when intoxicated. But if you are with a person who says horrible things to you on a regular basis, YOU ARE BEING EMOTIONALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY ABUSED, and you shouldn't be doing the love trio, you should be doing The Ultimate Revenge Kit™, a Milk of Damballah™ white bath, and then an Attract Love to Me™ spell kit!

I beg you, if you are in an abusive relationship, please get help. A lot of crisis intervention revolves around physical abuse, but emotional abuse can be just as much, or maybe even more damaging in the long run. You may think you have to take emotional abuse for one reason or another, but trust me, you do not. I did a search on the Internet and there are tons of books and articles written on this subject and how to get out of these relationships. Please don't allow yourself to be treated like this.

Granted, sometimes the only person who can truly help you is YOU... like the song says above, "And you're GONE."

Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com

Learn to get help: http://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/emotional-psychological-abuse/emotional-abuse-help-support-and-recovery/

Aunt Churadas

Happy Friday, my dear readers!  Some folks have the idea that coming from Louisiana all we eat is Louisiana-style food!  LOL  Well, that isn't true - we eat lots of different foods and if you ever take a look at Louisiana restaurant listings you will see what I mean - the whole world rainbow of food is served there!

Hence, the title of my blog post!  Growing up, my cousins and I loved my aunt's  enchiladas - they were amazing.  To this day, I don't think I am able to duplicate them - maybe close, but not the same. God bless her, she took the secret to her grave!  (R.I.P. Aunt Mamie "Churada")

One of my cousins never heard the word "enchiladas" correctly!  He always called them "aunt churadas."  We always laughed and he didn't understand why and we laughed harder. We took to calling Aunt Mamie "Aunt Churada."  Anyway, I swear that boy was full grown before he remembered that and figured it out!  ;-)

But my point isn't exactly about aunt churadas (even though I am making them for dinner)!  My point is about hearing what is said to you in a reading!  Haha - gotcha!  Made you think I was going to give you the secret to my aunt churadas - heck no, I am not!  But if you come over and cook with me, I will! ;-)  Ask T.R., C.K., D&T, and Sister Bridget - they will tell you -  I will!!!

I digressed again!  Anyway, after many years of doing readings, I am still amazed at the good, well-meaning, lovely folks that come back to me later and say, "You said such and such."  And I say, "No, I said so and so."  Enchiladas/aunt churadas - ah, there it is!

I think some of the issue might be that so much information is given that it is just too much to assimilate and remember (which is why I am a huge fan of chatroom readings so you can have a copy of what exactly was said). It is really important to listen in a reading, take notes if you need to, or even record it if you have that kind of app on your phone (always remember if you are recording someone, you have to notify them). When I (or Sister Bridget, or any reader, for that matter) gives you information it is meant to help you, to guide you, to assist you in a matter that was important enough to you to pay good money to speak to someone about! 

So, don't be nervous, don't be shy - ask me/us to repeat, clarify, or rephrase something that you didn't understand!  We aren't going to be angry or put off - no one (at least from Spellmaker and Friends) is going to bite your head off - we want you to clearly understand our guidance so that you get the best possible understanding.  Also, listen to words like if, maybe, possibly, probably, about, potentially, etc. - these words can make a world of difference to what the guidance means.  "Possibly you will hear from him in two weeks" is NOT "You will hear from him in two weeks."  It means that we have some guidance that the situation may be right to hear from someone in about two weeks.

So I beg you, listen up in a reading! Grab a notebook or take notes on your computer while we are talking!  Ask questions, get clarification.  Oh, and most of all, if I, or anyone else, uses a word that you don't know the definition of, please ASK.  Don't be embarrassed if you don't know what it means - there are a bazillion (technical term) words out there that someone might not understand.  Stop us - ask us.  We would never think you were stupid or dumb!  Who cares if you don't know the meaning of a word?  Just ask! :-)  (This just happened with a slang word in a reading with someone I was reading for whose first language isn't English - she was miffed at first because it turns out that it is a derogatory word in another language!  Ack.)  So just ask! ;-)

Meanwhile, have a great weekend and I look forward to reading for you sometime! :-)

www.spellmaker.com/readings.htm

Love to all,

Mambo Sam, www.spellmaker.com

 

 

Back to the "Good Enough" Marriage Article!

Hello everyone!  So quite some time back, I did a post regarding this article:  The Good Enough Marriage.  It is, as it states,  an article about the "good enough" marriage and/or relationship.  I definitely wondered what you thought about that article - agree, disagree? I was re-reading the comments that people had sent in and thought this was so worth reposting because not only was the article thought-provoking, so were the comments!

It seems that most of you think pretty much the same way I do - there is NO SUCH THING as a "good enough" relationship.  I just thought that was ridiculous and was poor advice to give people.  Yes, some of the things in the article were good, but just the idea of settling just to be with someone seemed crazy to me.  I have told many of you that if your relationship or marriage was "ok" that meant you had a poor relationship or marriage.  Now, of course, that is just my opinion, but I could never see spending years of my life with someone who I just thought was "ok" for me!

I did want to share what some of you said and have the chance to comment on it here (my comments are in italics).

 

schweety said:

Well, I read this article awhile back, and then came back to comment on it. The reason is it hit very close to my home. I was in a "good enough" marriage that eventually wasn't good enough. I can look back on when I made the decision to marry my husband, knowing even then I thought I wouldn't get another offer. I "settled" for 13 years. I am not saying all 13 years were bad. There were a few years that were great, a few where I felt I was doing all the work, and a few I felt he did a lot of the work. We lost of sync but I am not really sure we ever had it to begin with. When I met my HD, in a short time with him, I realized all the things I didn't have in my marriage. My husband and I didn't have passion, we didn't have romance, I missed him "being" proud of me sort of showing me off. I missed the physical part for most of those 13 years. Again not to say sex wasn't there, it was, but more of a "routine". I look at different people in my life, Mambo and Parran being just two of them, and you would have to be blind to not see how passionate they are with each other and how happy. Don't settle for someone, life is too short. I have to believe what Mambo has told me over the years and that we have many soulmates. My husband gave me the best things in my life, my two sons, and for that I will always love him. But I know, without a doubt, no matter how hard it is sometimes, that God didn't want us to be alone in this life, and there is someone out there who is looking for us too. Don't settle. There is a difference, I know I have lived it.

 

>>Right!! This happens to a lot of people - they get married because they think they won't get another offer.  This especially happens to women who are taught that they must get married, have children, and fit into a certain mold. But, on the other hand, as you say, you got your beautiful children from this union!  That is where a lot of questioning comes in - sure the marriage turned out not to be wonderful, but the children are!  Of course, you were supposed to have those wonderful children!  But yes, we want to live and love with someone who truly adores us and each and every one of us should have that in our lives if we truly want it.  Thank you, Schweety, for using Parran Matt and me as an example!  We are very lucky in our happiness.  :-)  We wish the same for all of you!

 

amanda said:

Mambo I love this article. I think many times women(men too!) believe that there is THE perfect person out there for them. While I do believe there are certain people we are supposed to end up with, I definitly do not think it is going to be a fairy tale ala disney style. I also think some clients come to spellmaker expecting to make their ho hum relationship into a disney classic. Spellwork is not going to do that, nothing will. My HD is not who I thought I would wind up with. I was picturing myself with Enrique Iglesias, yet HD is jewish, covered in tattoos and piercings, dropped out of college, doesn't care about money, doesn't care what kind of car he drives, etc, yet he treated me 1 million times better than any smart,rich pretty boy I thought I would end up with..HD isn't my 'good enough,' he is my imperfect perfect!

 

 >>Oh yes, the "illogical" choice, I love that!  Since Parran Matt and I are kind of the voodoo Demi and Ashton, one could think on the surface that we were the "illogical" choice for each other.  However, if you are around us for even a short period of time, you see it makes perfect sense.  The fairy tale has many possible endings.  ;-)

  

Simone Greene said:

I had a "good enough" marriage. It wasn't. Something the article does not address is how we change over the years, and how our situations change. In our early 20s, almost everyone our age is available, so there is a huge pool to explore and choose from. In our 40s, not so much. Our experience shows us a far different set of things that are important. Who is to say when we are being realistic and when we are not? Do we have a caste system for potential dates and mates, where we can't marry up or down? Relationships are a lot more complex than a set of criteria to meet. A short article like that can't cover it all, but luckily we have our Mambo and Parran, Sisters and case workers to guide us. ;-)

 

>>Yes, "good enough" just isn't and in the end, despite what that article says, there is always a level of dissatisfaction that will emerge with a "good enough" marriage... in my opinion, life will be filled with "what ifs" IF one has a "good enough" relationship.  You are so right - realism exists on an individual basis.  As far as that "caste system" - trust me, we see it a lot in our work - "I can't be with so and so because s/he isn't my religion...or race....or age, etc., etc."  Nevermind that true love exists!  Sigh.

 

phantodrac said:

Wow! This was really interesting! I agree with it up to a certain point- but I feel that the article deemphasizes the love and romance that's important to a relationship way too much. Have we, as “modern-day” and “independent” folks, set our expectations way too high for love? In many cases- yes! It’s important to be realistic and open minded. That being said, we can’t simply take a defeatist attitude and get ourselves a business partner instead of a love. I think that the five guidelines that are set out in the article are essential for a lasting, healthy relationship…but it has to be treated WITH love- not like you’re writing out a legalistic contract. Also- people change. Our loves can change as people and their goals may vary from what they were originally. It’s up to us to decide if we want to remain with them if and when that happens. If you’re just marrying someone due to coinciding goals and interests- what happens when those change? If you’re marrying someone out of real and true love for that person…perhaps you’ll be more likely to say, “okay, this isn’t what I expected- but I love you. Let’s keep going and see where it takes us, baby!” Point being, if you approach things TOO “mechanically” you may be setting yourself up for just as much of a letdown as the person who holds out forever, searching for Prince Charming. For me, while there IS significant wisdom therein, this quote just depicts someone who is desperately trying to rationalize their actions: "If I had to settle for a new Oldsmobile when what I really want is a Porsche, I'll never be satisfied. In truth, the Oldsmobile is new, it's pretty, and it works. Why wouldn't I be satisfied with it?" Dude- you came into the shop telling the dealer that you wanted a Porsche. Maybe you saved a few bucks…but you’re going to be driving that car for a LONG time. But hey- all power to ya. This is just my knee-jerk reaction; I really feel it’s a blend of the two extremes, a tightrope walk. Also, right now I’m young, idealistic, and a total romantic. Who knows what I’ll say come a few years from now. But, hopefully, I’ll be saying it from a Porsche- one with a dang good warranty. 

>> As I highlighted above, this is exactly true.  There has to be some balance in the approach of looking for and sustaining a relationship.  I love your twist on the car analogy!  ;-) You are right, there is no easy answer, but here's hoping for that Porsche! 

  

Love to all, Mambo

www.spellmaker.com

 

Who put the work in spell work?

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

— Thomas Edison

Greetings, everyone!  Hope you are all ready fo a great weekend!  I know we have talked about this before - the work of spellwork!  However, I do think the subject can be revisited over and over again and still be of value!

All too often I hear people say that they think things like our spell kits are "just too much work." It is always a sigh-inducing, eye-rolling moment for me because that statement generally comes from someone who just told me they would do ANYTHING to get Jack (or Jill) back into their lives.  Of course we offer solo castings with most of our spells (where I do the work for you), and that is a fine choice for those who are truly too busy (lots of folks working two jobs these days!)  or do not have the privacy to do spell work.

 However, I fear that sometimes people choose the solo casting just because they think doing their own spell work is just too much work!  That is troubling because in the category of "doing anything" to get Jack or Jill back in  your life could involve some work!

It could involve spell work!  It could involve working on yourself.  It could involve working on your relationship, but if you aren't invested enough in the relationship to do some work on it, why do you want that relationship in the first place?  I dont' have the answer to that - but I do think it is something worth thinking about!

And let's not get confused about you good folks who occasionally need a break from spell work or adjunct work!   There are those who just don't want to do another doll session or light another candle... they are just sick of spell work at the moment. 

Now that is something different!  Sometimes a little break from spell work is a good thing.  It gives you time to refresh your spirit,look at the spellwork with fresh eyes, and regain your energy.  The best way to take a break from spell work is during the break to assess the break itself; are you feeling good about the break?  Are you feeling that this is a time for you to renew yourself and your purpose? The biggest danger in taking a break sometimes comes in the form of not knowing when the break should be over.

I always tell the folks to whom I recommend a break to be on the look out for signs that their break is over.  If you are longing for your voodoo doll, or you start to miss the comfort and ritual of your candle magick, or you feel an incredible pull back into the work - those kinds of things are clear signs that your break is over!

Lately I have been literally bombarded with stories of clients and the success of their spellwork!  :-)  Needless to say, that is always amazingly awesome to hear!  As I have mentioned before, I do notice a very common thread in these success stories - these are very often folks who were dedicated to that work, had a real heart for it, and stuck to their guns even in the face of adversity.  Their success is inspiring!

So if the spellwork is seeming too much like work, then yes, take a small break, but never take your eye off the prize! ;-)  If it is worth having, it is worth working for!

Love,light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com

The Universal Prayer

Good morning, everyone!  I wanted to share one of my favorite poems/prayers with you today!  If you aren't familiar with the works of Alexander Pope, it might take a bit of re-reading to get some of his meanings! You know how it with these things written in the 1800's since we just don't talk that way anymore.

I love his interpretations of God! My favorite stanza is the one that starts with "What blessings thy free bounty gives."  The idea that God is "paid" when we enjoy the bounties we are given really resonates with me.  I also enjoy the references to free will, the idea that we are not alone in the universe, and especially the thought that it is not our job to go around chastising those who have ideas about God that differ from our own. ;-)

There is also a sense to me that Mr. Pope saw God beyond the usual Christian beliefs; he interprets him more as a universal energy that sometimes extends beyond our scope. That is also somewhat of our Vodou/Voodoo way of seeing God - not so much the guy sitting in the clouds metting out justice and favors, but rather an overwhelming sense of Beingness with whom we are allowed to forge our own relationship.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this prayer - I love that it is so rich in spirituality without being preachy about religion.  Also, it isn't a bad way to start the day!

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com 

The Universal Prayer

BY ALEXANDER POPE

Father of all! in every age,

    In every clime adored,

By saint, by savage, and by sage,

    Jehovah, Jove, or Lord!

Thou Great First Cause, least understood:

    Who all my sense confined

To know but this—that thou art good,

    And that myself am blind:

Yet gave me, in this dark estate,

    To see the good from ill;

And binding Nature fast in fate,

    Left free the human will.

What conscience dictates to be done,

    Or warns me not to do,

This, teach me more than Hell to shun,

    That, more than Heaven pursue.

What blessings thy free bounty gives,

    Let me not cast away;

For God is paid when man receives,

    To enjoy is to obey.

Yet not to earth’s contracted span,

    Thy goodness let me bound,

Or think thee Lord alone of man,

    When thousand worlds are round:

Let not this weak, unknowing hand

    Presume thy bolts to throw,

And deal damnation round the land,

    On each I judge thy foe.

If I am right, thy grace impart,

    Still in the right to stay;

If I am wrong, oh teach my heart

    To find a better way.

Save me alike from foolish pride,

    Or impious discontent,

At aught thy wisdom has denied,

    Or aught thy goodness lent.

Teach me to feel another’s woe,

    To hide the fault I see;

That mercy I to others show,

    That mercy show to me.

Mean though I am, not wholly so

    Since quickened by thy breath;

Oh lead me wheresoe’er I go,

    Through this day’s life or death.

This day, be bread and peace my lot:

    All else beneath the sun,

Thou know’st if best bestowed or not,

    And let thy will be done.

To thee, whose temple is all space,

    Whose altar, earth, sea, skies!

One chorus let all being raise!

    All Nature’s incense rise!

Cinco de Mayo!

I love this old poster (1901) for Cinco de Mayo!

Have a great day if you are celebrating!!

Love,

Mambo Sam

www.spellmaker.com

Doing a Quick Service.

Hello everyone!  Happy Friday!  Some of you may remember awhile back in another blog post I answered a question about what to do about service the lwa (Vodou Spirits) when you just don’t have a lot of time (or money, or energy, etc.).  While in a perfect world we would all have lots of time to devote to our spiritual lives, realistically this just may not be true!

I developed this quick service and have found it to be very well received by the lwa.  Since I posted this a couple of years back (I think!), quite a few people have given me feedback that this service has helped them tremendously and they, too, felt it was very well received!

Many Vodouisants have problems with keeping up with service to their ancestors, the lwa, etc. Most of this stems from the idea that every service has to be a big deal with lots of food, tons of candles, music, and lots of time spent.  This just isn't true.

 Smaller, more frequent services are going to be much more well received than that once a year "guilt service" that many tend to do - that is when they go all out and put on a big spread for their ancestors and the lwa.  Now, that is great - and that will be well received.  However, if you want to really build a relationship with someone, is taking them out for a big dinner and night on the town once a year or every six months really going to do that?  Nope!  The same is true spiritually - a little bit of time spent frequently will move your spiritual progress along much faster than waiting until you have a ton of time to do what you think is a "proper service."  ALL service done with a good heart is proper service! :-)

Here is a repost of that particular blog:

Hello everyone!

People tell me all the time  they would do more service/ritual to the Lwa (Vodou Spirits) but they “just don’t have the time.”  Now I realize that we could go back at them saying that they should or could “make the time.”  However, in today’s world, that sometimes is not as easy as it sounds!   But almost anyone can find five minutes in a day to do my quickie service below. 

The service does assume that you have a few things on hand and have some basic knowledge of ritual:  Candles (keeping a few white candles on hand is great because you can use them for any lwa or your ancestors), a glass of water or other beverage, and a small food offering that would be appropriate for almost any lwa (something simple such as a cookie or even a piece of bread).

You can do this quick service almost anywhere!  (Please note this can be configured for the lwa and/or your ancestors.)

1.  Put your candle with a glass of water or other beverage on a counter or table.

2.  As you light the candle, ask Papa Legba to “please open the gate for me and allow ___________ (which ever lwa or ancestor you are honoring) to pass over.” (You can also, alternatively, ask Papa to just open the gate and not ask for anyone in particular. If you are doing it that way, then you are making a general offering to the lwa and/or your ancestors.)

3.  “Present” the glass of water by holding it out to the East, West, North, and South.  Say, “For you __________________ (which ever lwa you are honoring).”

4.  Place the water back down near the candle.

5.   “Present” the food offering as per #3 above.  Place it down next to the water and candle.

6.  Take one or two minutes to talk with the lwa you have asked to come over to you.  You might have a request or perhaps you are just wanting to honor that particular lwa.

7.   Thank the lwa and Papa Legba for their time and help.

8.  If you can, leave the candle burning (safely) for a little while longer while you do other things.  This is a great little service to do while you are getting ready for the day.   You can start it up, get showered and dressed, and then end the service.  If you need to close out the service more quickly, then just proceed to Step #9.

9.  Extinguish your candle and ask Papa Legba to “close the gate when it pleases you.”  You can leave the food and water  for disposal until later or even the next day.  If you need to get rid of it more quickly it is great if you can pour the water outside and leave the cookie/food outside somewhere.  If you cannot, then just dispose of the water down the sink and wrap the cookie/food up in brown paper (such as just a brown paper bag) and throw it away.

There you did a little service in five minutes!  And yes, it counts.  Yes, it can help.  Yes, it is pleasing to the lwa.  Folks have a tendency to think that the lwa will only respond to big, elaborate  
service.  That just isn’t true.  Every service that is well intended is well received!

Please continue to have a great and safe weekend!

Love,
Mambo Sam
www.spellmaker.com

Painting by Saundra Elise Ziyatdinov

May Day, May Day, May Day!

Happy May 1, one and all!  I have posted about May Day in the past - see below, with some new additions! :-)

Ah, May 1! This day has been celebrated in so many ways through so many cultures. The halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice,  May 1 has elicited many different rituals through the years.

For Wiccans, this is Beltane; many Catholics celebrate the life of the Vigin Mary in some way.  Yours truly was once the "May Queen" at her Catholic elementary school - St. Anthony of Padua on Canal Street in New Orleans.  Yes, I got to wear the beautiful white outfit and lead the procession into the church and lay the first roses at the foot of the statue of the Virgin Mary.  Pretty heady stuff for an 8-year-old girl. (Somehwere I have a picture of this and just have to find it - I am sure some of you will find it a hoot!)

Of course, nevermind the Catholics totally borrowed the holiday from the pagans who celebrated their first fertility rituals of the year on this date.  ;-)  Children conceived on this date are said to have special magickal powers.  Children conceived on Walpurgis (the night before May 1, Beltane Eve) are said to have the ability to communicate with the dead because Walpurgis is, traditionally, one of the days when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is considered most thin and penetrable.

May 1 is often celebrated with different types of floral offerings.  In some countries the ladies all wear flowers on this day - if your flower is worn on your right side, you are available; a flower on the left signifies that you are already taken.   This is also considered the day to meet a new lover or celebrate an old one.  ;-) 

The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries.
It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane. Many pagan celebrations were
abandoned or Christianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more
secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In
this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the maypole dance and crowning of the Queen of the May.

This day is often associated with new beginnings, planting a new seed, looking towards shedding off the past and looking towards the future with new, hopeful ideation.  Not too many of us get the chance to dance around the Maypole these days, but certainly you can do that in your heart and mind.  I hope you all have a beautiful May 1 and beyond!  Let's look towards new beginnings, new hope, and beautiful outcomes for us all.

Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com

 P.S. Despite my title of this post, the distress call "MayDay" has nothing to do with May Day! LOL.  It is from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come help me".  Of course, we could do some work to ask for help today from a particular lwa, such as Erzulie Freda.  ;-)  And there is the fact that the distress call MayDay is always said in groups of three.  Gee, I can find Voodoo in anything! :-)

 

Ceremonial Clothing

Happy Tuesday, one and all!  :-)  I am reposting this blog about ceremonial clothing because for awhile my mother-in-law, the talented and wonderful Eileen, was unable to do the apron and scarf sets because she had a double knee replacement.  She is all healed and back in the garden and at the sewing machine! ;-)  So for those of you who have been waiting to order, she is available again for your orders.

via voodooboutique.typepad.com

Today's Magickal Music

Happy Friday!!!  :-)  I hope you are planning a wonderful weekend! 

Our first magickal music musing was about Heart's "Magic Man."  Thanks to those of you who posted some replies and thoughts about who/what the sound reminded you of magickally!  Everyone's ideas were right on! There is, of course, no right or wrong answer - the right answer is the one that is right for you.

For me personally that song always reminds me of Papa Legba because  to me he IS the magic man... for without him, no magic gets done!  I also like the little implication of the trickster, but in a good way - like he mesmerizes you and you love it!  ;-)  However, certainly the thoughts of other male lwa easily come to mind - Ogoun, the Baron (also with his slick, sexy ways), etc.  So good answers one and all!

Today's song for discussion is "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf!  I had a lot of fun putting my thoughts together on this one regarding what and whom this song brought to mind for me!  I will share them after I hear from all of you!  Can't wait to hear what lwa, product, or spell this brings to your mind! :-)

Lyrics:

I like to dream yes, yes, right between my sound machine
On a cloud of sound I drift in the night
Any place it goes is right
Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here

Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride
You don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes girl, look inside girl
Let the sound take you away

Last night I held Aladdin's lamp
And so I wished that I could stay
Before the thing could answer me
Someone came and took the lamp away
I looked around, a lousy candle's all I found

Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride
Well, you don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes girl, look inside girl
Let the sound take you away

Don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride
You don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes girl, look inside girl
Let the sound take you away

Love, light, and peace,
Mambo Samantha Corfield
www.spellmaker.com

Fun with magickal music! :-)

Greetings everyone!   I thought it might be fun to do a little project over the next several days to look at some popular music where lyrics refer to magick, witchcraft, etc., in some way.

Obviously, there are a lot of songs that refer to magickal happenings in different ways. However, I would like for us to discuss how we feel the songs that I will post here over the next couple of weeks, remind us of certain lwa (our voodoo spirits).  Tell us what lwa the song reminds you of and why!  It is okay if the song reminds you of more than one lwa, or even about a particular spell kit or product that you have used!  Let's hear it what it is/was! :-)

I am excited to see what you all think! 

We will start with an old favorite:  Heart's ever classic "Magic Man" 

Here are the lyrics:

Cold late night so long ago
When I was not so strong you know
A pretty man came to me
Never seen eyes so blue
I could not run away
It seemed we'd seen each other in a dream
It seemed like he knew me
He looked right through me
"Come on home, girl" he said with a smile
"You don't have to love me yet
Let's get high awhile
But try to understand
Try to understand
Try try try to understand
I'm a magic man."

Winter nights we sang in tune
Played inside the months of moon
Never think of never
Let this spell last forever
Summer over passed to fall
Tried to realized it all
Mama says she's a worried
Growing up in a hurry

"Come on home, girl" mama cried on the phone
"Too soon to lose my baby yet my girl should be at home!"
"But try to understand, try to understand
Try try try to understand
He's a magic man, mama
He's a magic man"

"Come on home, girl" he said with a smile
"I cast my spell of love on you a woman from a child!
But try to understand, try to understand
I'm a magic man!"

 

So what lwa came to mind for you? Or was it more than one lwa? ;-)

Love to all,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

Tonight at 9pm Eastern Time, we will be having a ritual to Damballah..you are welcome to participate, It will be the first live, on line ritual, so it is quite exciting... and if you cannot
participate in the ritual tonight on line, set aside some time for yourself on a Thursday and prepare your own ritual and petitions for Damballah. www.spellmaker.com

Imbolc, Maman Brigitte, and St. Brigid - Oh My!

Greetings one and all!

As many of you may already know - tomorrow, February 2, is St. Brigid's day, Imbolc, Candlemas,
and the Feast of St. Brigid.  To Vodouisants, Catholics, Pagans, and more, this is a wonderful day anticipating spring, looking for new love, and being ready to shed off the cold of winter.

A popular prayer for this day is:

"Blessed be the earth, and all who dwell upon it.

We give thanks for the season now departing from us,
For the blessings it has bestowed upon us,
And upon those with whom we share this world.

Blessed be the new season.
We pray that it will be a time filled with peace,
With abundance, with prosperity,
With wisdom,
With love."

For Vodouisants, tonight, the eve of  St. Brigid's Day, is when we put a piece of clothing outside for Maman Brigitte to bless with her healing powers.  Take any piece of clothing, or even a scarf to tie your head with, and put it outside tonight.  Ask Maman Brigitte to walk your way tonight and bless that piece of clothing.  Light a small fire outside for a little while, even if you just burn a candle. Before you go to bed, burn the veve of Maman Brigitte in the fire. Then put that fire or candle out.  Make sure the wax is smoothed down  or that the ashes are smoothed down if you lit a small fire.  Any kind of mark or disturbance of the wax or ashes the next day is considered a sign that Maman was there and blessed your piece of clothing!

Now you can wear that piece of clothing any time you aren't feeling well or you doing healing work or healing prayers for someone else.

Veve for Maman Brigitte

 

There is a LOT more to this holiday/feast day!  It is well worth looking up more information.

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield

www.spellmaker.com

 

 

Prayer Dilemma.

Hello everyone!  Prayer is, naturally, a huge part of my life. You could almost say that I "pray for a living."  Spellwork is an organized, done-with-props, form of prayer.  So, needless to say, I consider myself somewhat of an expert on prayer.

However, every once in awhile, I find myself overwhelmed with a situation to the point of not knowing where to begin with praying.  The famine in Somalia is one of those situations (along with so many other world-wide situations).  As  I learned of this horrible situation, my first reaction, of course, was to pray for those in need.  As  I started to say prayers, I found myself feeling overwhelmed and confused on where to even start.  The situation is so desperate and so huge that I found myself stumbling over the prayers - praying for relief, praying for those who died, praying for those children who are suffering and dying, praying for the parents of those children, praying that whatever needed to be done would be done.... the list just seemed so huge to me that I felt completely insignificant in my prayers.

I had to regroup within myself several times, each time feeling a little bit stronger, offering individual prayers for each segment of this seemingly hopeless situation and then overall prayers for just the situation in general.  Usually when I am finished with my prayers, I feel satisfied and enriched by the experience.  I cannot say this was true when I finished praying for this particular event. At first, I felt drained and still ended up feeling helpless.

As  I have continued on praying for Somalia, I feel that my praying has improved.  I asked Papa Legba to help me - to help me interpret my prayers and put them into understandable words and thoughts rather than my incoherent ramblings! I asked him to open  up my mind to accept that while this is, indeed, a seemingly impossible situation, that still I would find the words to pray.

If you find yourself feeling this way, that a situation is just so huge that you feel that your prayers are insignificant, I encourage you to push through that feeling and just continue on.  Don't give up because you feel like your tiny prayers can't possibly make a difference!  I had to keep reminding myself that I am not the only person praying for this and that as the Universal Mind we can and do have an impact on these tragedies!  Know that you are not alone in these prayers!  Don't give up because you feel that you are just a tiny voice.  We are all a tiny voice, but we can make a big noise when we do it together. Ask Papa Legba!

Please pray for the people of Somalia and all those who are in need around the world.  Be proactive in your prayers and in giving whatever help you can.  Donations to reputable charities are wonderful, obviously, but even if you cannot donate (times are hard!), think about perhaps organizing a prayer group of your own, or donating your time to a reputable charity. There are lots of ways to give even if you don't have money to give!  The gifts of your time and prayers are invaluable.  Don't ever think they aren't!

Join the Spellmaker Prayer Group tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern time and add your voice!

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

 

Making Healthy Decisions - Part 9

Hello everyone!  Getting back to our series on Making Healthy Decisions - the next question we want to ask ourselves is:

Who Has Some Guidance for Me Right Now?

Generally speaking, I am not a fan of asking everyone in the world what you should do next! :-)  Some of my own very dear friends will do that and, in the end, are more confused than when they started! 

However, sometimes it is a very good thing to get some help from someone else.  Perhaps you know someone who has experienced what you are experiencing.  That is not to say that any two people may have the same outcome, but sometimes it helps to get the perspective of someone you trust.

When you need help from another person, trust your inner knowing to tell who this is. Sit and do some slow, deep breathing for two or three minutes to clear your mind.  Feel yourself go into a state of receptivity, ready to hear an answer. Then ask, "Who has the right guidance for me?"

You may see a face or hear a name immediately in your mind.  You may suddenly think of someone that is not the person you want to get guidance from, but perhaps they remind you of why you want to get guidance from someone else.  Thought processes can be funny like that! ;-)

While I am always a proponent of making your own decisions, a little helpful guidance from someone you trust may be very helpful in making your final decision.  Don't be afraid to ask!  I cannot stress the "someone you trust" part enough.  I have seen too many times where friends and clients asked advice from someone who really did not have their best interest at heart.  Choose wisely when getting counsel on an issue that is important to you.

Just remember, no matter how much you trust the person, the decision still rests with you and it has to sit well in  your soul!  :-)

 Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

 

Oslo, Norway

Hello everyone,

It has taken me a few days to be able to speak clearly about the tragedy in Oslo, Norway.  My first order of business was to try to check up on our friends and clients that live there.  Thankfully, I believe that we have been able to determine that everyone we know there is fine.  Sadly, of course, not everyone is so lucky to have been personally untouched.

These kinds of events not only leave us sad, angry, and frustrated, but often wondering how one person, looking so normal, can do something so heinous.  It is always a mystery to me when I look into the pictures of these people; why, what, how did you get to be that person?  Of course, there is no easy answer.  Maybe there is no answer, easy or otherwise.

I will not relate the details of his crimes here, but they are chilling right down to the bone.  The crimes involve things that nearly none of us could even stand to see in a fictional setting let alone know that somewhere in the world these acts happened to innocent people.  The feeling is of incredible sadness and yet still laced with wondering how this kind of person gets shaped in life.

When we are faced with the tragedies of natural disasters, we are horrified that nature can be such an awesome force to take anyone and anything down. I have heard reporters say that we are sometimes at war with nature and nature will eventually win.  But when it comes down to one human being causing such death and destruction, where do we look?   Upon whom do we lay blame? Surely we cannot blame Mother Nature here.

There are no easy answers to any of this.  Most of the time we end up just feeling helpless and frustrated, not knowing how to direct our energies to most help.  One way to help is to join with us here at Spellmaker in praying for whatever peace and help can be given to those affected by this tragedy in Norway.  The Spellmaker Prayer Group will be devoting a portion of the prayer meeting on Thursday, July 28 to praying for those victims and families in Norway.  Please join them if you can - even if you cannot join in on the meeting, praying at the same time they meeting is going on will combine our collective energies. 

Also, remember, the prayer group takes requests for your prayer needs, too!  Our prayer group offers prayers for all that we know about, it is very easy for you to be included.   Just follow the link above for instructions.

Take care of yourselves and each other!  Have a safe, blessed, and peaceful week.

Love, Mambo Sam, www.spellmaker.com

 

Making Healthy Decisions - Part 8

Hello everyone,Continuing on with our series on Making Healthy Decisions the question of today is:

What Would Make Me Genuinely Happy?

On the surface, this sounds like a no-brainer.  For some, getting a relationship back together is number one on their list!  For others, a new home, more money, better job, etc. is on their list.  For some, getting into a relationship is on their list.

However, I am going to encourage you to rework that list!  I am not saying that all of those things above might not make you happy.  But is that what it would take to make you genuinely happy?  I guess a question within a question is "What is happy?"  That is a subject too big to tackle right here! Generally speaking, I do think it is a question to consider within the question of what would make you genuinely happy.

I see so many folks working towards a relationship that they are sure is going to solve all their problems and,as they ride off into the sunset, they will be immediately happy.  Looking beyond that initial sunset, to see what that life would REALLY be like with that person is something that I often see overlooked.

But in a broader sense of the subject of seeing what would make you genuinely happy, it's good old list time!  :-)  I highly encourage everyone to make that list!  If it is  just a one-word list that says, "Johnny" then you need to look beyond that, seriously.  What other things will make you happy?  How can you attain them?  If you are unhappy with your present circumstances and want them to change, what are you willing to do to change them?  How big of a role are you willing to take in your own happiness... your genuine happiness?  Will you listen to and/or take advice?  Will you explore all your options? How are you willing to try?

Don't forget the small things, too!  Include them on your list! How many of these happy-makers did you do yesterday, last week, this year? Which ones can you indulge in today? When you're facing a challenge, ask what would make you happy in this situation.

Cast a wide net!  You may have "buying a new car" on your list, but if you also remember that "dinner with friends"  and "playing with my dog" are great for you, you get to be happy every day--and that's important. What would make you happy now (that wouldn't make you unhappy later)? Do that!

Then, take the decision you are trying to make and see what about it will or will not make you genuinely happy!

Love, Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

 

Making Healthy Decisions - Part 7

Hello everyone!  Continuing on with our series about Making Healthy Decisions!  (I will do a wrap up of this when it is all done - so you will have the list of questions all in one place!

Today's question to ask yourself in your decision making process is:

 Should I be acting or should I be stepping back? 

Okay, so this can be a tough one.  Do we wait and "see what happens" or do we jump in take that bull by the horns, wrestle it to the ground, and show it who's boss?  :-)   Living in this microwave-instant message-tweet-email-Facebook status updating-seeminglyinstant gratification world can be detrimental to our decision-making process.  We are beginning to feel that everything needs an instant action!  That just isn't true!  Some things are best left alone, left to marinate, left to give a chance to breathe and perhaps evolve into something else. 

Countless times we've all acted too soon or without sufficient information, or we've stepped in where our input wasn't needed (or wanted - what is up with that - it seems that I can hardly even go to the grocery store without someone commenting on what I should be doing/buying, etc. - so strange... anyway...) and muddied circumstances that were already working themselves out.

When you ask yourself, quietly and confidently, what your part is in a given situation, and where to wait (or exit entirely), you'll get a clear idea of your role. If you ask the question and still want to act against the advice of your internal coach, remind yourself that, although life is a series of little dramas, none of them needs a drama queen (or king).

Of course, as with other decision-making processes, it takes some thought to decide when to act and when to step back and see what happens.  Putting these question together with the other questions, however, lets you see that this is just part of a whole process.  Putting the process together will make much more sense in the end!  :-)

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

 

Making Healthy Decisions - Part 6

Good morning everyone!  As we continue on with our series on making healthy decisions, I wanted to stop for a moment and clarify what this series is all about.  Many of my readers are those engaged in more esoteric studies - spells, spiritual growth, magickal endeavors, etc.  Those readers are tending to put this exercise in that category.  While it can be used in that way to some degree, this is meant to be about every day decision making.  Some of the information may be useful in spell casting, but really it would be more useful deciding when or if to do spell casting, not so much to assist you with the actual process. :-)

Our next question to ask ourselves when making a decison is: 

What Really Matters?

This can be extremely beneficial.  Taking the time to figure out what really matters to you is crucial to making a good decision.  For some of us, we think that everything matters equally - we are passionate about every little thing. On the surface, this can seem admirable; when you look a little deeper you will see that this means that we treat all things equally.  It is very difficult to live successfully in this way.  Prioritzing things in your life will make you more organized, let you know when to pick your battles (and not everything is worth a battle - really, it isn't), and allow you to let go of certain things in order to accomplish other, more important, things.

For most people,  beings with emotional capabilities will come first - children, spouses, parents, friends, pets, etc. For some, they themselves will come first.  After those obvious choices, what really  matters after that?  Understanding what your priorities are and how your decision impacts them will allow you to weed out things that don't matter and leave you with a clearer understanding of what your decision needs to be.

For instance, is your job the means by which you take care of the things that are most important (money) or is there another way that you care for those things (emotionally, perhaps)?  If you say yes to the former, then job decisions are going to be weighed against the impact on others. If you say yes to the latter, then job decisions may be based entirely on other criteria.

Therefore, deciding what really matters to you will help you in making a healthy  decision.  :-)

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

 

Making Healthy Decisions - Part 4

PLEASE NOTE: Sorry, I accidently got these out of order! So after this will actually come Part 6 since Part 5 was already published. Sorry for the confusion!

Greetings, everyone! As we continue on with our series about making healthy decisions, we move on to our next question to ask ourselves:

What Am I Not Seeing?

We have a tendency to sometimes protect ourselves in difficult situations by not being willing to seek out what we are not wanting to see about a situation. It is something we all do - we can have a tendency to gloss over the details that are unpleasant to us. Naturally this can lead to some disasters in decision making!

Often, what we're not seeing is what we don't want to see. While it may be difficult, or sometimes even painful, force yourself to look at what you don't want to see. Hiding details from yourself is truly not helping you. Trying to force an objective, dispassionate view of the situation can be tricky and take some practice, but try it! It is very difficult for a human being to try to remove emotion from a decision. Sometimes we can trick ourselves into it by pretending that the situation actually belongs to someone else - what would we tell them that we can see?

Looking at the situation from the outside looking in can often really help us in seeing what we think might not be there! Taking off our blinders and searching for clues might be difficult, however, the end reward is completely worth it!

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

Healthy Decision Making - Part 5

Hello everyone! We are at the half way point in our series on making healthy decisions! I forgot to mention in the beginning that these things should be done in order! Ask the questions in the order in which they are presented. For instance, today's question:

What Would my Grandmother

(or mother, father, Jesus, Buddha, the Lwa, whomever's philosophy your admire) Do?

Thinking of a role model, whether a great spiritual teacher, admired friend or family member, spiritual person, etc., is like having a mentor on-call. Ask yourself what this person would do if facing the same situation. You should use someone whose philosophies are well known to you and are admired by you. This is not to offset your own opinion or philosophy but rather to put things in perspective by looking at another point of view, one you have admired.

This is not to go get another opinion, this is more to see what your decision would like if shaped around an admired philosophy. The decision might not be exactly right for you configured within those parameters, however, it will give you another perspective to consider. This question should be asked after you have established the prior points in this exercise. You must first consider your own feelings and thoughts before putting someone else's spin on your decision! :-)

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

Making Healthy Decisions - Part 3

Hello everyone!

Today we are continuing our series on methods to use for helping make healthy decisions. Today's question to ask yourself is:

What Are My Values?

While some values might be considered universal and subjective, each of us have our own set of values germane to only us. In order for your decision to please you long term, you are going to have to make it happen within the parameters of your own set of values. At this point in the decision-making process, it is our values that come into play, leaving alone what others might think (we will get to that later).

First we must decide how our decision impacts our core values. For some, honesty might come first; for others stretching the truth might seem perfectly acceptable. Those two people are going to come to their decisions differently and most likely with a different outcome. There is no judgment here as to right or wrong, you must decide what is acceptable within your value set.

Most all of us know what is okay with us and what is absolutely not okay with us. Looking to this set of values will help you make the decision so it falls in accordance with sitting well with you later on! If the decision is going to lead you down a path heretofore unacceptable to you then either you are experiencing a drastic change in values or you are making the wrong decision! Most like, it will be the latter.

If you don't have a stable set of core values, you may want to look to establishing that for yourself. Most people already have, but every once in awhile I have a client tell me that they are unsure what is okay or not okay with them. While it is great to be flexible, there should be a basic set of values keeping you strong! :-)

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

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
 

You Cannot Please Everyone and...

you should stop trying!  :-)  Now I realize that it pretty easy to say and not so easy to put into practice.  Howeve, as a person who spends a great deal of time trying to please everyone it has been a harsh lesson to me.  No matter how hard I try, someone, somewhere will be displeased with what I do. Of course, my business, www.spellmaker.com, is a service business!  Try as I might over the years, there are still folks who end up displeased with me.  :-(  To this day, I take it very personally!

However, on a day-to-day basis, too many of us try too hard to please too many people.  Most of 
know what the result of that is!  To that end, here is one of my favorite Aesop's Fables:

A Man and his son were once going with their Donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a countryman passed them and said: “You fools, what is a Donkey for but to ride upon?”

So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way.  But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: “See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.”

So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. But they hadn’t gone far when they passed two women, one of whom said to the other: “Shame on that lazy lout to let his poor little son trudge along.”

Well, the Man didn’t know what to do, but at last he took his Boy up before him on the Donkey.  By this time they had come to the town, and the passers-by began to jeer and point at them.  The Man stopped and asked what they were scoffing at.  The men said: “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey with you and your hulking son?”

The Man and Boy got off and tried to think what to do.  They thought and they thought, till at last they cut down a pole, tied the donkey’s feet to it, and raised the pole and the donkey to their shoulders.  They went along amid the laughter of all who met them till they came to Market Bridge, when the Donkey, getting one of his feet loose, kicked out and caused the Boy to drop his end of the pole.  In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and his fore-feet being tied together he was drowned.

“That will teach you,” said an old man who had followed them: “Please all, and you will please none.”

------End of Story

Here's to keeping your donkey dry!  :-)

Love, light, and peace,

Mambo Samantha Corfield, www.spellmaker.com