Feeling jinxed?

In my line of work, it is quite common for someone to bring up the subject of feeling jinxed. People will write in, call or ask me in person about this subject. They are just hit with such bad and poor luck that they feel they have a hex or the evil eye upon them.

There are many reasons why this can occur. People can be jealous or envious of something that someone has or has going for them.

There are many spells that can be done to 'undue' this situation but it is always good to know where the problem lies or who has cast the 'negative' spell upon you.

If you should know who is casting the negativity upon you, you can do the Mirror Spell. I would highly recommend this spell, but YOU MUST KNOW WHO is wishing the harm upon you. As with all spells and all intentions, Lady Karma and Ms. Divine Justice is watching. Remember the law/rule/creed of Karma and threefold.

As I stated above, the Mirror Spell can be used when you KNOW someone is directing bad or negative energies/words/deeds your way. It is a very strong way to work the 'return to sender' magic. You can use any mirror to do this, but you must make sure that it is facing in the direction of the persons house or their place of work while you recite the spell (it doesn't need to be compass point or latitude/longitude perfect).  First, you must ensure the mirror has been cleansed and blessed. **Do not use the mirror of your choosing for the spell for any other purpose afterwards until you thoroughly cleanse and bless it again.**


You can always strengthen this spell by adding other devices to it-like a black candle for protection, dragon's blood incense or oil for protection and help amplify against negativity, use crystals such as amythest, black obsidian, tigers eye (blue or red), jasper, citrine -  many to choose from. Wear the color black to cast the 'return to' spell since this is the color of protection and hold or wear your pentagram and decorate your altar, if you can.

Here is how the spell SHOULD read: (Start with a plain mirror-no writing upon it)

This mirror I place before my name,
Returning negativity from whence it came,

This mirror protects me from words and deeds
Returning the hate to where it breeds.

(Name of person) take heed in the words I speak
Lest you get harmed by what you wreak.
As is my will, I ask you now
Bestow the charm that I have sown.
So Mote It Be!!

You can adjust this spell to suit your own purpose and needs to make it more personal, but remember you need to know from which direction the harm is coming from.

**As with any spell, do not dabble unless you know what you are doing. It's not a game, its a way of life. Repurcussions can and may happen. Be sure to do your spell in the correct moon phase. Always protect yourself. Once spell is over, let it go. Mother Universe will do her work at her will. ***

What is the 'Evil Eye?' How do I know if it's upon me?

Everyone at one time or another will have a run of 'bad luck' here and there. It don't matter who you are. At one time or another, we will all experience some negative things in this lifetime. It's a learning lesson and if you do not heed and learn from it the first time, it will keep repeating until you do learn from it...so heed it, recognize it and break the habit so it will not repeat.

There are instances where a run of sheer poor luck/bad luck could be caused via a curse/hex. Sometimes, you can just feel it, yet at other times, you are in the lurch wondering. For those of you wondering, there is an easy way to find out....
The Evil Eye is an ancient belief in many parts of the world and is commonly thought to be caused by envy. It is believed that some people have the power (even within their eyes) to cause harm to another through jealousy or hatred. What I mean by 'within their eyes' is that some people can look at a person or a picture of a person and cast the evil eye upon the person. In some cases, a curse can and will be involved as well. There are many ways to combat the Evil Eye but first of all you need to know whether it has been put on you.
Diagnosing the Evil Eye:


You will need:
1). A bottle of spring water/ moon water
2). Olive Oil
Pour room temperature water into a bowl. Put 3 drops of olive oil slowly into the water. If the drops merge together then the Evil Eye is present, if they stay separate then you are clear. This is based on the knowledge that separate drops of oil will stay isolated when placed in water - should they merge then there is something amiss.
****Do not perform a removal of the Evil Eye without performing this test first. As with all things magickal, the echoes will return to you if the spell is not necessary.***   People who are highly vibratory or in tune with themselves can use any way to determine this. Some use crystals or meditation. I find that most highly sensitive people are just annoyed or amused by this and have their own methods of dealing with. Some people are protected by their 'force field' so they are not affected by any of this and tend to send a warning back stating - Do not do this again....   Removing the Evil Eye

So, once you have diagnosed the Evil Eye as being present, there are a number of things you can do to remove it. A very simple way is a talisman to protect yourself such as the Evil Eye bead/disc (which was usually blue or green-but now comes in many colors) which is believed to 'outstare' the Evil Eye itself, protecting the wearer from the harm that has been directed to them. I find this is better used as an instrument of protection AGAINST having the Evil Eye put on you in the first place. If you do not have that, here is another way to remove it:

You will need:
1). A lemon
2). 9 Iron nails-must be iron-do not substitute

Take the lemon and visualize the lemon as the eye itself. Drive the 9 nails deeply into the lemon, visualizing the nails piercing an eyeball and put to one side. **Be careful that you do not visualize a specific person's eye.  Whether you think it's them or not, this can have disasterous consequences for both you and that person.**

The lemon should have started to decay after 3 days which shows that the removal has worked. If the lemon is still fresh after 3 days, you will need to repeat this using a fresh lemon. By doing this, you are externalizing the evil eye, thus placing it away from you so as not to cause harm to yourself.

Once the lemon has started to decay, you will need to bury it in mother earth, preferably far away from you. The nine nails represent the power of 3x3, and iron itself is considered a magickal metal of protection and luck which is why iron nails are used.

Blessed Be and brightest blessings to all.   As with any spell or writing posted, I am not liable for any action you take in reference to anything posted.

Clearing a space by smudging.

In recent weeks, I have had many people write in to ask about smudging. Smudging is a simple but potent way to clear a space from negativity.
A smudge stick is a dried bundle of sage or white sage. At times lavender, rosemary or cedar will be included in the bundle. The smoke from a smudge stick can cleanse anything that is holding negativity from crystals to houses/workplaces or work spaces. There are times when I would recommend a saging for a new item that you purchase especially if it comes from an antique store, wiccan/witch store, a new tarot deck, jewelry and the list goes on. It's always good to clear a new tarot deck before you start to season it and the same with other items. You want to clear all negativity from it before you wear or use it. Even if an item is blessed, you never know-the mail carrier could have had a bad day the negative vibes could rub off on item if it's not protected well.

If you do not have a sage stick/wand, you can use sage leaves-as long as they are dried out first.

You will need:

1). A smudge stick (bought ones are fine)
2). A large feather/implement to 'waft' the smoke, ie. fan
3). A cauldron/bowl to catch ash and embers.
Light one end of your smudge stick and allow any flames to die down or blow the flame out so it is just smoking like an incense would do. Then you can walk around with it in your hand or place it in your bowl or cauldron so it is easier to carry.
Smudge your house or workspace by walking in and around each room, wafting the smoke with the feather, making sure you get the smoke into all the corners and over the upholstery. As you do so, recite some wording to cleanse the space. (Something like - negativity beware, here comes the cleansing spirits of Earth and Air (air for the smoke, earth for the herbs). I cleanse this space so negativity make haste, away with bad, in with good. Peace, comfort and calm will return and remain, this space is cleansed like an invisable rain. Light and love, blessed from above, as I will it, so mote it be, Blessed Be)! I am sure you get the gist of it. Make up your own wording and walk through the rooms/area and bless each one. 

If you work with a specific deity, you can ask the Spirit element (deity) you choose to ask for help or simply replace with 'Goddess'.
To smudge an object, simply hold the particular object in the smoke of your smudge stick and say similar words to those above - as with all spellwork, you can create your own words to say or simply adapt the words I used above and revise them for your particular need. You can also light the smudge stick, place it in your cauldron on a heat proof surface and leave it smoking for a while to allow the smoke to dissipate around the space. This works well also.

You should try to do this every month or you can repeat as needed or as often as you feel neccessary.

Sukkot Celebration & Festivities

The Feast of Tabernacles (Feast of Sukkot or Feast of Booths) is a celebration - Christian festival (the Season of our Joy) about the establishment of the 1000 year messianic kingdom to be set up at the second coming of Yeshua the Messiah (Christ). It is one of the three pilgrimage festivals God gave the children of Israel in the Bible (Leviticus 23). It was during these festivals that the Israelites would bring their offerings and firstlings to the Temple in Jerusalem and enjoy a feast!

Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles ) is not a "Jewish festival", but rather a "Hebrew" festival, for it was given to all the Israelite tribes, not just Judah. Today, it would be observed by all of God's people since ". . . if ye be Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal 3:29).

To learn more about Sukkot like it's origins, laws and prayers, please check out the following website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot

Brightest blessings to all.
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The Jewish Feast of the Tabernacle, Sukkot, begins at sundown on Sept. 30, 2012, and ends at nightfall on Oct. 7. The Festival of Booths, as Sukkot is also known, is observed from the 15th to the 21st of the Tishrei in the Jewish year of 5773.

For the eight days and seven nights of Sukkot, Jews traditionally eat and sleep in a sukkah, a temporary dwelling with a thatched roof, from which the holiday gets its name. Two other components of the holiday are inviting guests, or ushpizin, and waving the four species, known as the lulav and etrog.

Sukkot is one of three biblically mandated holidays for which the ancient tribes made a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. The holiday is based on the verse: "Every resident among the Israelites shall live in booths, in order that your [ensuing] generations should know that I had the children of Israel live in booths when I took them out of the land of Egypt" (Leviticus 23:42-43). The sukkah is a physical remembrance of the "clouds of glory" that surrounded and protected the Israelites as they wandered the desert after escaping from Egypt.

The commandment regarding the "four species" -- the lulav (palm, willow and myrtle) and etrog (citron) -- also comes from chapter 23 of Leviticus: "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day [of Sukkot], the fruit of the hadar tree [myrtle], date palm fronds, a branch of a braided tree, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for a seven day period" (23:40). The lulav and etrog are held together and, after reciting a blessing, waved in six directions -- forward, backward, left, right, up and down -- in acknowledgment of God's dominion over all creation.

Another important aspect of Sukkot is welcoming of guests (ushpizin in Aramaic) into the sukkah. While people actually invite friends, family and strangers into their hand-built temporary homes, on each night of Sukkot a different ancestral guest, leading the entire group of "holy shepherds," is said to enter the sukkah, and Jewish teachings are invoked in their names. The ushpizin -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David -- embody seven different spiritual paths that, together, bring humanity and all of creation to a more perfected state: Abraham is lovingkindness, Isaac is strength, Jacob represents harmony, Moses is eternality through Torah, Aaron is divine splendor, Joseph is spiritual foundation and David embodies sovereignty.

Do you believe in dreams? If not.....why?

I have touched on this subject a few times in the past. Do people dream? Do they remember dreaming? Why do some people think that they don’t dream? Why do some believe that dreams are just fluff? Can we really learn from our dreams?


Actually, dreams are really important. It can tell you how to deal with and all about a problem you will face and how to overcome that problem. But only if you listen and pay attention. These are the ways in which your own higher guidance or ‘spirit’ communicates with you through the dream realm. Some people believe that you are communicating with God, himself, through the messages of dreams or His angels, which are also considered your angels. God also has many names, Buddha, Allah, Great Spirit in the sky, etc. No matter who you believe in and what you call Him, remember we are all in His hands and he does communicate with us.

In my other articles, I have touched on the different parts of dreaming. Just in case, I’ll explain it again, there is the beginning, which can give you the time, place and people involved. There is the presentation, which is basically the appearance of the dreams problem coming to light. Then, there is the climax. This is where the transformation has taken place and the situation or catastrophe is unveiled. And, finally, there is the conclusion or the closing phase of the dream. Are you starting to understand what I’m talking about?

I do have some customers who do believe in power of dreams and the interpretation of them. For some, they wake up and jot it down. For others, in order for them to get the full benefit, they find it helpful to keep a dream journal. Either way, it all works out. However, the longer we wait to write down our dreams, the more apt we are to omit details or just forget about them altogether. Even if you just write down a few key details, it helps to trigger the memory at a later time when you are writing or typing them out to have interpreted. I keep a journal for dreams so I can refer back to it and if I don’t understand the lesson, I will at a later time when I am presented with the situation. This way, I am able to keep using the lesson and knowledge throughout my lifetime. Another way to look at the dream journal is that by keeping one, we are sending a message to God that we hear Him and that we take what He says seriously. Many people actively ask God to speak to them through dreams. For those of you who do not believe in the power of dreams, then the information may not generally be volunteered to you. It may or it may not - it all depends on you and your open mindedness to it. It’s there for the taking, but if you do not heed it, then it may disappear until you ask for it.

The details of a dream are important, no matter how minute and small you think it is because it would not be put in the dream if it wasn’t significant in one form or another. If we don’t pay attention to these small details, we’ll miss the valuable information and messages to be received. Dreams are like a puzzle and the pieces need to be put together in order to solve the mind mystery and understand and unlock the message that is meant for us. Dreams don't always mean what you think they do. Dream meanings are not the same as waking meanings. For example, if you die in a dream, it is not foretelling that you or someone will depart this earthly realm. Or if your teeth are falling out, it doesn't signify that you have a periodontal problem. The same holds true for dreaming that you are at an AA or NA meeting-it doesn't mean that you will suffer the effects of being addicted to drugs or alcohol. I have studied dream interpretation for over a decade and have much professional experience with the subject and giving guidance. I can’t stress the point enough that you should be careful and not assume that you know the interpretation of the dream through your own personal and natural way of thinking. By trying to do that, you run a risk of having a marred and unclear version of what God wants to speak to you about, especially if you end up taking the details of your dream literally, and using your natural and personal way of thinking to figure it out. Instead, you must consider trying to understand their symbolic nature. Because dreams are usually symbolic, what they look like on the surface is often not at all really what they are about or what the point trying to get across is.

Drawing the interpretation of our dreams solely from dream books is another mistake to be avoided. Dream books can be useful and do have an advantage, however, your dreams are highly personal, and meanings of details and purpose in them are often tailored fit to you specifically. Dream books list what certain items have meant commonly to many people, or may fall in a category but it does not necessarily follow that an object must mean this or that or even what the dream book says it represents.

If and when you are ready for some insight, please don’t hesitate to check me out. This is one of my unique gifts. I have much experience with this wisdom and guidance.

Remember, we are all in God's, Allah, Great Spirit, Buddha, God/dess hands. Brightest blessings!

(Article written by L.A. 3/08: reposted 9/12 - any duplication of article is prohibited without authors consent)

Tools of the witch.

In the past few weeks, many have wrote in to me asking questions about certain tools that are used by witches, High Priestess', etc. and the role these tools play when doing rituals and prayers. So, let me touch on a bit of that. Below you will find a list of items and hopefully this will anwser some of those questions.

Tools of the Craft - Bell

The bell can be used to represent male and female. The Outer shell of the bell would represent the female while the hammer/clapper represents the male. Bells can be used to mark the time, to purify the air of unwanted influences,  aid in the calling of spirits or help create an altered state of consciousness.

Bell Folklore

In Europe, the bell is used to announce a death and even as a means of protection.

In Italy, bells are often attached to livestock to help prevent them from getting the Evil Eye. They are also attached to household pets to protect them from baneful spirits. (Taken from Pagan Lore)

Don't have a bell, that's okay, a singing bowl can be used instead of a bell. This is a metal bowl that 'sings' when a wooden stick is drawn along the edge of the bowl. The sound and vibration is said to clear the air of any negativity before doing altar work or to draw spirits near when doing seance work.
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Tools of the Craft - Altar Pentacle

The pentagram has existed for thousands of years. For some people the word “pentagram” may associate with worshiping the devil, but the fact is that in the past, it was used as a protection sign from evil and was even used by the Catholic church. Today it is a Wiccan symbol of faith.

A pentagram is a five-pointed star. The pentagram is known as the endless knot because it’s possible to draw it with a continuous motion, without lifting your pencil or writing utensil.

A pentacle is a pentagram inside of a circle. It can be made of wood, stone, metal or clay. It is a very powerful protection symbol and Wiccans usually put it on an altar. Pentacles and pentagrams can take material form or be completely abstract-whatever your preference. If you should draw a pentagram in the air above a certain object, it will be just as protected as if you had put a material pentacle on it or next to it. Pentacles and pentagrams have always been associated with mystery, magic and protection from evil.

A little history: The pentagram became first associated with evil during the Inquisition in the form of Baphomet, a goat creature, which was considered a demon and a personification of the devil. It was believed that the pentagram represents the devil‘s goat head. If you should turn it upside down, that is the symbol that is used and most associated with devil worship.

The corners of a pentagram represent the Akasha (or Spirit Self) and the four elements, the substances which are responsible for all living things. Some pentagrams have colored corners, when each color is associated with a specific element (water – blue, fire – red, air – yellow, earth – green, spirit – white or purple). Some witches believe that the pentagram is a personification of the trinity of the Goddess (Maiden, Mother and Crone) and the dual-unity of the God (light and dark). Yet in some other traditions, the corners of the pentagram represent the four elements and the magical intention. Spirit is at the heart of the pentagram and is connected directly with each of the corners.

For more on the pentagram, see my other blog specifically about the pentagram by clicking here.
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Tools of the Craft - Boline

The boline is a white handled knife and usually has a curved blade, like that of a crescent moon. It is used for more practical uses than the athame. Examples of using the boline would be harvesting and cutting herbs, inscribing candles with symbols, sigils or even cutting ritual cords. Unlike the athame, the boline is used in the physical process of magical works (like ritual cutting as an example). The boline serves for the physical plane while the athame serves for work in the spiritual/astral plane.
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Tools of the Craft - Chalice

Ah, the chalice or otherwise known as the cup, is used on the altar to represent the Female principle of Water. Another chalice (or cauldron or bowl) is or can sometimes be placed in the West as well.

Chalices can be of any material. Many use silver or pewter. (WARNING-be careful with untreated metals especially when serving wine). Ceramic ones are now becoming quite popular and are very readily obtainable and available. Some Witches prefer to have many different kinds for using in the variety and many different types of rituals. Practitioners will tend to avoid real "lead" crystal because of the Saturn energy influence plus it's ill affects should you drink from it. So be sure to read and understand what your chalice is made up of and made out of by checking the label or box it comes in. And as with any tool used in ritual, always cleanse and bless it before using.

The chalice is sometimes passed around the circle in a coven so each participant may take a sip from the cup. This is a bonding experience and often the words "May you never thirst!" are passed throughout the circle with the chalice. Libations of wine or water are often then poured outside to honor the Old Ones and "sabbat" cakes are also offered back to the Source in a similar manner. This pays honor/homage and respect to the Source.

The chalice is symbolic of the womb of the Goddess and is associated with fertility. It is used for drinking and for the offering of libations to the gods. It is believed that to drink from the cup is to drink of life.

Something to think about.

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.


Retreating to the farmyard, The mouse proclaimed this warning: "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The chicken clucked and scratched,raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it." The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers." The mouse turned to the cow and said,"There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose." So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap. ....Alone....

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it. It was a venomous snake whose tail was caught in the trap. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital. When she returned home she still had a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup. So the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient, chicken.

But his wife's sickness continued. Friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. But, alas, the farmer's wife did not get well...She died. So many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them for the funeral luncheon.

And the mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness. So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and you think it doesn't concern you, remember --- When one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY. OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON. One of the best things to hold onto in this world is a FRIEND. Blessed be and Amen!