spellmakernovitiates

Ceremonial Clothing

On the subway, I travel through the stop under the sports arena. On game nights, quite a few people wear the jersey of the home team. Among the commuters in our dark coats, it's fun to see the splashes of color, people wearing the numbers of their favorite players. When they covered the game on the news later, I could see so many people dressed for the occasion. They do this for every game — what an inspiration it is for the team!

We can do the same when we honor the Lwa. We dress our altars with their colors and symbols, and we dress ourselves as well. Different Lwa have different colors, such as white for Damballah and purple for Baron Samedi. When you intentionally wear a Lwa's colors, you honor them just as much as sports fans honor their team.

Besides colors, we can wear a Lwa's symbols, such as a butterfly print fabric for Ogoun or a heart shaped necklace for Erzulie Freda. For something even more special, Mambo Sam offers beautiful jewelry that is consecrated to various Lwa. Unlike a sports jersey, the jewelry is subtle. These are items people would enjoy wearing whether or not they serve the Lwa. 

Headscarves are the most common item of Voodoo ceremonial clothing. They are often the color for a particular Lwa, or white, and scarves help keep the head clear. Mambo Sam offers beautiful scarf and apron sets. Service aprons are unique to New Orleans Voodoo — an homage to the working class people who served the Lwa before us. Whether you know and serve your Met Tet or if you have a favorite Lwa, the service aprons and scarves are a wonderful thing to have. But beware, you'll want more than one, just like you will want  to serve more than one Lwa.

 

Love, Khouzhan Lucy

www.spellmaker.com

The Serpent and The Rainbow

I just started reading The Serpent and The Rainbow, by Wade Davis, and it opens with a lovely quote:

He knew the story of King Da, the incarnation of the Serpent, which is eternal beginning, never ending, who took his pleasure mystically with a queen who was the Rainbow, patroness of the Waters and of all Bringing Forth.

~A. Carpentier

The Kingdom of This World

 

The Serpent and the Rainbow is available on Amazon, on Mambo Sam's list of recommended Voodoo books.

Love, Khouzhan Lucy

www.spellmaker.com

 

Reconsecration

As a Khouzhan in the Spellmaker™ House I have (of course!) many of our wonderful items in my home. Because our products are so well-made and powerful, most that don't have a specific time frame for use (such as the 9-day spell kits) will last a very long time if you use them even a bit sparingly. Consequently, I often have a few things that have been with me for over a year. Oils, a few herbs, maybe a bit of potion...items that I intend to use, but haven't yet.

While everything made by Spellmaker™  will continue to have benefit, if you have products that you haven't used in a year's time, Mambo Sam has instructions for a reconsecration ritual to invite Baron Samedi - the patron Lwa of our House -  to give them a fresh boost of power.

You can find the ritual here on Mambo Sam's blog.

Much Love!

Khouzhan Veve Fleurette-Beauchamp-Corfield

www.Spellmaker.com

 

Three Kings

I recently did the Three Kings ritual, honoring Simbi Dlo, Simbi Andezo, and Simbi Makaya! It was a very powerful experience...and a lot of fun as well. I greatly enjoyed singing their songs and making up new songs for them. 

 

The bowl in the picture above was a gift to Simbi Andezo! It looked to me like there was a water snake inside. The setup for this ritual is very adaptable and can be very simple. While it is often done during the Mardi Gras season, it can be done at any time. You can learn more about it at Mambo's blog.

Love, 

Khouzhan Menfo
www.spellmaker.com 

 

The Season of Mindfulness

"What are you giving up for Lent?" — that was the question this time of year in the school yard growing up, at least when I was in a Catholic school. Chocolate and soda were popular items to sacrifice during the season, and a more ambitious child might give up all candy. Yikes! And what if you forgot and indulged in the thing you gave up? No forgiveness there, I'd have to think of something else I hadn't yet had and then claim that's what I gave up instead.

The gauntlet was thrown down by a nun in 2nd grade as she tried to explain the point of the sacrifice. It wasn't about just giving up something, but to turn it into a better thing, for example giving to charity the money that would have been spent.

That didn't sit well with mom, seeing as our house already contained candy and soda — it wasn't something we bought out of our allowance. And I can imagine it would be easy for a household to all give up the same thing, so it would be removed from the grocery list for 40 days and there would be no temptation for anyone. Not to mention an extension on a New year's resolution to lose weight.

But that's not what it's about, either. Eventually I realized that giving up something for Lent kept it forward in my mind, and as such supposedly kept my mind on spiritual matters. We all need to take responsibility for our own sacrifices, such as a teenage friend who decided to go vegan, and found herself reading ingredients lists on everything. No whey!

As a college student, I decided to give up gossip for Lent one year. This resulted in many discussions about what did and did not constitute gossip. One friend said it was anything said about another person, not just negative things. The official news of births, marriages and deaths aside, anything else is gossip. It certainly was a lot to think about!

Ultimately I see this as a quiet time of year. The winter celebrations are over and Spring is still weeks away. While the usual routines of life go on, we can see them in new ways. It's a time to try a new behavior and then see if it's something to continue the rest of the year. 

 

Love, Khouzhan Lucy

www.spellmaker.com

 

When Did You Feel Most Beautiful/Handsome?

"I don't believe makeup, cologne or the right hairstyle alone can make a person beautiful. The most RADIANT person in the room is the one full of life and experience." - Sharon Stone

Not my favorite author, but, oh well, nice thought!

My love to all :)

Khouzan Aidan

Mardi Gras!

Here's a recipe for a cocktail to enjoy in celebration of Mardi Gras. Of course, since it's made with rum, you might consider sharing a round with a few of your favorite Lwa!

        Mardi Gras Mojito

• 2 leaves fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon simple syrup
• 2 cubes ice
• 1 1/4 fluid ounces rum
• 1 fluid ounce carbonated water
• 1 sprig fresh mint

In a cocktail glass or small clear glass of your choice, muddle (crush) mint leaves with simple syrup. Add crushed or cubed ice and rum. Top with carbonated water almost to the top of the glass. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and/or lime wedges. 

Much Love!

Khouzhan Veve Fleurette-Beauchamp-Corfield

www.Spellmaker.com

 

My First Happy-Peaceful Day in A Long Time

Khouzhan Buddy here. I had a very interesting weekend. Yesterday, I gave Madame Bridget a hot large black coffee from Dukin Donuts and the Barron got a rum dipped cigar. As I offered it to them, I asked them to watch over me today. They really did. My mom came over for about 2 hours and visited and me and the girls cleaned the apartment. What a beautiful day. Peaceful. My girls went to bed early last night and I thought, "Wow, now would be a good time to do my Milk of Damballah bath!" So that is how I ended the day. Thank you Barron, Madame Bridget, and Damballah for a peaceful happy day. Love, Khouzhan Buddy

Eeek, it's almost Mardi Gras!

In a blog post last year, I talked about Three Kings season, which ends on Mardi Gras. This year it's Tuesday, February 21st. Of the many things I like about Voodoo, one thing is that the Lwa love a party! Whether you decide to try the Three Kings Ritual or share some King Cake with your Met Tet, it's a great day to serve and celebrate all things New Orleans. I'm somewhat north of Louisiana, but I can find King Cake at the local grocery store — and in a pinch I've decorated danish pastry with green, yellow and purple icing. 

Anyway, it's a holiday weekend here in the U.S., so that's a whole extra day to dig out the supplies and serve the Lwa. Ayibobo!

 

Love, Khouzhan Lucy

www.spellmaker.com

Learn from the Past, Love in the Present

I had a wonderful time with Erzulie Freda on Valentine’s Day. I had been very excited to use Spellmaker’s Valentine’s Day ritual pack and spend time with Erzulie! She seemed to be excited as well- I found a perfect altar table that someone had left out on the curb. 

The West African symbol on it was familiar to me- I had seen it at the African Burial Monument. 

It is called a Sankofa, a symbol of the importance of learning from the past. It is derived from the aphorism, “Se wo were fi na wosan kofa a, yenkyi.” This is roughly translated as: “there is nothing wrong with learning from hindsight.”

 It reminds me quite a bit of Erzulie Freda’s veve!  One of my petitions in the Valentine’s Day ritual was for us to let go of things in the past that keep us from living fully in love now.  There was a lot in my own past I had been clinging to. Erzulie was there to help.

 Shortly before Valentine’s Day, my old HD called me and apologized for disrespectful behavior. I have not done spellwork on this person in years and never thought I would speak with them again. It was wonderful to receive that apology. However, it was also important for me to acknowledge the part I played in how events unfolded, to forgive myself and that person.  

 In hindsight, the Sankofa is the perfect “foundation” for my February altar. It gave me the opportunity to return and retrieve important lessons. Be authentic. Be yourself. Don’t make yourself into someone else to please a partner. Be open to life, love and remember that we all are human. Love and respect yourself.

 Light and Love, 

Khouzhan Menfo
www.spellmaker.com

PS: Spellmaker's Erzulie's Bain Rose D'Amour Pink Bath Kit was a wonderful and powerful experience in many ways. As a plus, the soap from the kit has made regular showering a treat!