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Despite what religion you are, I think you will enjoy this video I was sent. Hopefully it will come through for each of you to see..I wanted to share it will all my Khouzhan family,and especially with Sister Candelaria and her water rituals.
It is absolutely miraculous and quite a creation. Hope it is ok to send for all to enjoy.
The web site is: .
www.andiesisle.com/creation/.magnificient.html
KHOUZHAN SUNSHINE
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If you've looked around the Spellmaker web page, you've probably come across the section on free stuff . An annual tradition is the making of Love Potion #9, to be made on the 9th day of the 9th month at the 9th hour.
That's September 9, and it's coming up! There are a few odd ingredients, so it helps to plan ahead. I remember the first year I made it, running around like crazy looking for some things! So here are a few tips:
- Read through the recipe and instructions ahead of time so you'll know what to set up or find.
- The 9th hour is 9 a.m. The 9th is a Thursday this year, so if you work a 9 to 5 job be sure to let them know you'll be a little bit late due to that "appointment" you have first thing in the morning. ;-) I can get the potion done in about an hour, with the cooling time taking a while.
- Basil leaves and rose petals: Often there are fresh herbs available at the grocery store. Check around near the tomatoes or lettuce. Most groceries have a floral department these days, often selling single roses. If they only have them in dozens, the rest of the bunch will look beautiful on Erzulie's altar.
- Strawberry juice: strawberries tend to be available year-round these days; I still find them in September. Cut or mash a strawberry and squeeze it. Juice! No fresh strawberries? How about frozen? Be sure to thaw one or two so you can us the juice.
- Apple seeds and juice: apples are definitely available in September. I get nine seeds from one apple, but I always buy two just in case. Since I only need 9 drops of juice, I slice into the apple and let the juice drip off the end of the knife into the pot.
- Ginseng root can be found at Asian groceries or tea shops. I was only able to find it as a boxed amount and a bit expensive, but now I have enough for a few decades. No Asian grocery near you? Check around on the internet and mail order. The recipe says you can also use ginseng capsules in a pinch.
- Pink Votive Candles: they're all over the place near Valentine's day, but not so much in September. Specialty candle shops should still have something in pink. I found some recently at a party store, in the baby department. Dollar stores sometimes have them, too.
Love & light,
Khouzhan Lucy
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Sometimes when you look back on a situation- you then realize it wasn't all you thought it was.
Khouzhan Sunshine
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I typically don't watch news, as most is plagued by bad things going on and I don't want to have that energy hanging over my life. But tonight, as I was flipping through the channels, I came across the Emmy's and was watching George Clooney win the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his efforts in Darfur, Hurricanes Katrina and Haiti as well as September 11.
I caught the tale end of his speech and I am going to copy and paste it, as it is important to remember. He hoped there were others who could step in and "help find a way to keep the spotlight burning on these heart-breaking situations that continue to be heartbreaking long after the cameras go away. Don't forget. It's embarrassing because you don't want to be awarded for doing what you're supposed to do."
I have to admit, I did forget. :( I am not proud that I did, and I was so caught up in my life that I didn't step back and look at the world in general.
I went researching what all has happened since the Earthquake and it was very sad to read up about. To think this earthquake destroyed so much of Haiti 7 months ago. I read and watched videos for about an hour regarding what all has happened. More than 230,000 people died in that Earthquake. I was also sad to find out that a lot of the charities and organizations that promised funds haven't delivered.
After further research I have a list of organizations that are valid and are helping with the efforts in Haiti.
* American Red Cross
* Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund
* Catholic Relief Services
* Mercy Corps
* Unicef
* Food For the Hungry
* The Salvation Army
* Doctors without borders
* Partners in Health
* World Food Programme
* Americares
*Samaritan's Purse
* Hope for Haiti
ABC had the most recent updates of organizations and what they provide to Haiti that I could find. Please feel free to look at this link
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/haiti-earthquake-donate-money-charities/story?id=11462585&page=1
It got me thinking what more can I do, especially with Haiti, as it is the origin place of our Voodoo. I had donated shortly after the event helped and after being reminded by George Clooney tonight I know all of us have something we can give. I realize that this economy is still tough, and if you can't give anything monetary, there is something that you can give that is free: a simple prayer.
I know that is what I am going to do after posting this. Pray for the people of Haiti and I am also sending a prayer of gratitude to George Clooney for helping me remember!
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Khouzhan Avery here again :)
Music is such an important part of my life. I enjoy various beats and have a multitude of favorites on my ipod. I am glad that I have a variety of genres that I enjoy. I can usually tell you what hooks me about a song, whether it be the musical beats themselves, the flow, but most of the time it is the Lyrics.
I stumbled across this song actually by accident, and it moved me. There are many times that I feel like I have a lot on my shoulders and I am sort of "faking it to make it" and at times I feel like it is too much and that I am alone. Then I listen to this song and know....all I have to do is Breathe and let God, my ancestors and the Lwa "take the weight of my shoulders and put it on them."
Enjoy!
Breathe
by Ryan Star
She's fine, most of the time
She takes her days with a smile
She moves like dancing in light
Spinning around to the sound
But sometimes she falls down
Breathe, just breathe
Take the world off your shoulders
And put it on me
Breathe, just breathe
Let the life that you lead
Be all that you need
She likes New York at night
She dreams of running away
Shine on, bright like the sun
When even the sky turns grey
I need you to hear me say
I need you to hear me say
Breathe, just breathe
Take the world off your shoulders
And put it on me
Breathe, just breathe
Let the life that you lead
Be all that you need
Let go of the fear
Let go of the time
Let go of the ones
Who try to put you down
You're gonna be fine
Don't hold it inside
If you hurt right now
Then let it all come out
Breathe, just breathe
Take the world off your shoulders
And put it on me
Breathe, just breathe
Let the life that you lead
Be all that you need
Breathe, just breathe
Take the world off your shoulders
And put it on me
Breathe, just breathe
Let the life that you lead
Be all that you need
Let go of the fear
Let go of the time
Take the world off your shoulders
And put it on me
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I came across this cartoon recently and it made me chuckle for a variety of reasons. I can't tell you how many times I have had conversations with with my HD on things that I have petitioned for before, and he is almost saying things word for word, and then he will make an off comment about it, just when I am thinking YES YES YES!
think Having said that, I know Mambo and Parran quite well, as most anyone else who have been fortunate to have met them. I can't think of two individuals that have put so much of themselves both personally and professionally into their business, to assist people like me and the countless other clients. The long hours, the round the clock spellwork (yes it happens), the time finding the right materials, candle makers, their Sheer Goddess product line. It is all for us, and the most important thing is....they do it with pure intention and love.
I can say hands down that our products are not worthless. I have been able to spend time with both Mambo and Parran and know they work on ideas constently for us, as well as them trying to live a normal life. I can say that some situations I have worked on have come to be resolved rather quickly, some not yet complete, and some that sometimes have to have quirks worked out. Along with my caseworker, and Mambo and Parran, I know they share in the positives that have happened, and they are there for me when I hit brick walls. I also know that some things I have to figure out for myselfs, because it is also my free will that makes some decisions.
Spellmaker products have improved all areas of my life, and I know that if something arises, all I have to do is ask for help. And to think I am just one of many.
Thanks Mambo and Parran!
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I subscribe to this Native American Newsletter. Each day there is a meditation by the elders. The meditative message for today really resonated with me and I felt compelled to share with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I.
Love & Light, Khouzhan Joi
Elder's Meditation of the Day August 29 |
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| "The devastated earth, the air, water, the extinct species of mankind, animalkind, and plantkind, the drugs, suicides, family separations - these are all the result of false ceremonies." |  |
| --Barney Bush, SHAWNEE | |
| All life is a ceremony. Every act is a ceremony creating a result in our lives. Every ceremony we do always brings results to our lives. If we do bad medicine to others, we do bad medicine to ourselves. If we keep on doing bad ceremonies, we will eventually destroy ourselves. Any time we live our lives out of harmony, we are doing bad ceremonies. Any time we treat anything with disrespect whether it is another human being or a plant or an animal, we are performing bad ceremonies. These ceremonies not only have an effect on ourselves but will simultaneously affect everything. We need to use our power well, only do good ceremonies. | |
My Creator, teach me only good ceremonies. Teach me ceremonies that accomplish good for all the people.
Good ceremonies cause good results. Teach me ceremonies that are helpful.
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In past year's, Mambo Sam, Parran Matt, and the Sisters and the rest of the Spellmaker family have hosted the conference in Albuquerque, and they were amazing, spiritually uplifting, and so much fun. This year, it will be entirely an interactive, online video experience! You can participate from the comfort of your own home, or join other Spellmaker novitiates in your local area and make it a group thing.
To participate in the interactive online video conference, you will need a computer, and ideally a web cam and microphone (so that others can see and talk to you, too, if you desire). Whether you choose to be seen and/or heard is up to you, and you will be able to participate fully in the online video conference either way.
We have made the most incredible friendships here at Spellmaker, and part of that bonding experience is really getting to know each other and become friends. We are fun, interesting, and slightly goofy peeps - find out by joining us!
But the real reasons to attend this conference is to benefit from some of Mambo Sam's and Parran Matt's incredible wisdom and spiritual leadership. We Khouzhans just can't say enough good things about Mambo, Parran, and the Sisters, and you will learn some amazing, mind-blowing things from them. The conference will provide two full days of prayer and blessing sessions, presentations, demonstrations, lectures, hands-on workshops, and more! (Maybe even a cocktail hour) ;-)We do expect a really great turnout for this video event, so please register to join us at the 2010 Voodoo Online Video Conference right now, and reserve your "seat" in the conference!
Love and light,
Khouzhan Athena
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I’ve never been able to figure out if it’s the artist in me, or the analytical scientist (that darn Sagittarian dualism!), but I’ve always had a keen eye for patterns. Common elements, no matter how subtle, seem to catch my eye, whether the items being compared are musical pieces, financial analyses, or human personalities. It’s a trait which helps fuel my interest in Voodoo; being a religion that tends to recognize parallels in other faiths and adopt or absorb them, rather than opposing them or trying to explain them away, this path has proven a perfect fit for someone like me. Further, my eye for equivalence has made it easy for me to incorporate Voodoo into my daily life.
The major component of the Voodoo religion is honoring one’s Ancestors and Les Lois. There are ceremonies, feasts, and offerings appropriate for each, and times which are most suitable for these activities. In rituals, each is honored at the proper time, and generally alone (one particular Loa at a time, the Ancestors collectively with their own altar and ceremony separate from that of Les Lois). However, as one learns more about these spirits and deepens one’s relationship with them, one starts to find ways to honor both categories of spirits in everyday life. Here, outside the confines of formal ceremony, the restrictions are much looser… whoever you choose to honor, and however you choose to honor them, what matters most is that whatever one does comes from the heart. It’s here, in the little things I do here and there to honor my Ancestors and Lois, that my eye for similarities becomes useful.
My father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and witnessed many important battles in the Pacific. Although he chose not to continue his military career after the war, he used to share stories, photos, and souvenirs from that time with me. I always found it fascinating, especially since I had come along much later than my siblings and this was distant history to me. When Dad passed away in 2001, he was interred in a mausoleum in the veterans' section of the cemetery, among other soldiers and sailors of his and other generations.
It wasn't until years after Dad's passing that I discovered the Voodoo religion. Some of my first experiences with Les Lois, after my introduction to Papa Legba, involved the great warrior Ogoun, and some of the first signs I received were from this spirit. As my involvement with Voodoo deepened, I began to reflect upon what my late father would have thought about this path and Les Lois. Dad found other cultures interesting, and was pretty open-minded about religion, so I feel that he would have found these spirits fascinating. And with my tendency to notice common themes and elements, I began to realize that in the world of Les Invisibles, Dad and Ogoun are probably good friends who are watching over me together.
Like Ogoun, Dad was unafraid of war: he was barely out of high school when the bombing of Pearl Harbor prompted him to enlist in the Navy, and he realistically faced the fact that he might not return. Like Ogoun, Dad was a strategist: after the capture of the Tachibana Maru (a Japanese hospital ship which was attempting to smuggle weapons and troops across the Pacific), he noticed that the captured Japanese soldiers were riveted with fear, having been instilled with the belief that Americans were brutal monsters who would torture them; suspecting that one of the soldiers understood some English, he arranged for this soldier to visit an injured fellow captive being cared for in the hospital to see that the “brutal monsters” they’d been taught to fight were actually compassionate humans. And – even though Dad didn’t drink after being diagnosed with diabetes in his mid-40s – like Ogoun, Dad liked rum: card parties with my aunts and uncles usually involved delicious frozen lime daiquiris, and our family has a funny story about one night when some half-empty glasses were unintentionally left within reach of little three-year-old me! Naturally, these parallels have made it easy for me to honor both Dad and Ogoun in my everyday life. My father’s bayonet hangs on the wall of the room where I perform many of my rituals, a means of honoring them both – even when I am just watching television in that room, I can gaze at the wall and know that both of them are guiding and guarding me.
Since the cemetery in which my father was laid to rest is very close to my home, I am able to visit whenever I wish, changing the floral arrangements in his vase to fit the holidays and seasons. And because of common elements which I have noticed and recorded in my mental files, I often use these visits as an opportunity to not just attend to Dad’s grave and honor him, but also to honor some of the Lois as well. I may take along some coins to place at the gate for Baron Samedi… after all, it’s his house that I am entering! On occasion, when I stop along the way to purchase flowers, I pick up a cup of good strong coffee for Maman Brigitte, the Baron’s bride (with whom I also have a special relationship)… after my visit with Dad, I stop at a peaceful group of trees and pour out the coffee against a tree trunk for Maman. As I stroll among the graves of the veterans, I have a chat with Ogoun, remembering some of Dad’s war stories and imagining how he must enjoy sharing them with Ogoun. The flowers I place in Dad’s vase, whether real or silk, usually contain both red and purple – purple is my favorite color, and Dad knew this well and joked about it with me; red was the color of the dress my mother was wearing when my parents first met. Besides honoring my father, though, these colors also offer a tip of the hat to the Baron and Brigitte (purple) and Ogoun (red). And, since all these spirits like rum, I sometimes bring a flask along, pouring out a drink for each before I depart!
So, you see, Voodoo is not simply composed of elaborate rituals for which you must find – or make – the time… it’s also made up of little things you can do here and there to honor your Ancestors and the Lois. Looking for little parallels and patterns can help you turn a simple errand or task, such as shopping or gardening or freshening the flowers on a parent’s grave, into an act of love and respect for these wise and noble spirits. Did your grandmother share Erzulie Freda’s love of flowers? You could reflect on this and talk to both while tending your rose bushes… do a little digging to plant some new ones, and you could honor Azacca as well. Do you have fond memories of your father taking you to the beach when you were a child? Then your next trip to the seashore can also be an opportunity to honor Agwe and La Sirene (as it certainly will be for me – can’t forget that Navy link!). To me, just noticing and pondering these little connections helps me to feel closer to both my Ancestors and Les Lois… and the closer you feel to your spirits, the more open you are to the valuable help and guidance they offer.
Ayibobo!
Khouzhan Phoenix ♥
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