Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Blessings in Wait



Once in a while I get the question "How long does it take for this stuff to work?"

They have used a couple of items for a week with no results.

Contrary to popular belief, "magical" items aren't magic and they aren't miracles in bottles. I despise the term "magic" because it insinuates that you will see results as you would with a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Your problems are there and now POOF they're gone!

Nothing does this. There is no miracle diet pill, there is no miracle contraption or potion-there is only us and the vessel we have created. Have we created a strong vessel with thick walls that has been filled and emptied again and again by giving to others? Or have we created one with holes and pits that it sparkling clean from never getting our hands dirty and never bending low to help someone up from the ground? The universe can only fill up what will hold it and we need to first decide if we have earned those blessings.

Why is life so hard? Why are things always going wrong? Well, they aren't, that's our perception. Being human, we perceive ourselves as the center of the universe; everything is about us. If we agree and accept that there is a balance to the universe-light and dark, give and take, full and empty- then how could we ALL be full ALL of the time? How can we ALL be blessed ALL of the time? The truth is while you suffer, one of your brothers or sisters is being blessed because that is balance. And if we were blessed all of the time, WE WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW IT. We don't even know it now most of the time. We don't enjoy the moment we are in or the simple things around us. Rest when it is not your turn to suffer and when it is, be glad that it is your brother or sister's turn to rest.

Items such as candles, oils, incense, etc. are there to help us create a ritual, a new habit, helping us and reminding us to focus on our goal each day. They help create a routine in which we devote time, energy and thought to the changes we want to make in our life.

When we start on a diet or exercise routine, do we expect to lose those 20 lbs in the first week? Then why expect spiritual exercise to be that way? It takes much longer than a week to rid one's self of bad habits and energy and it takes even longer to replace them with healthy ones.

When we work with spiritual items to create a routine, to tempt the Fates to smile fortune upon us, we are asking the entire universe to rearrange it's energy. We ask it to lend us some of the type of energy we want, think we need, or deserve. Pretty selfish huh? Well, it's selfish without offerings, sacrifice, donation, and compassion. If you practice these as PART of your ritual and you will see results. Practice without these and we have a very one-sided, empty, selfish working going on which will only sap our energy and turn the Fates off from blessing us. We must GIVE to GET.

Offerings of our time, necessities, and possessions should be made FIRST-not as a means to get what we want. This takes time though. Lots and lots of time. I have only now reached a point in my life where I help others without ego entering it...and sometimes it still does.

Spells. This is why I don't like "spells" or when people contact me for spells. To me, spells are very one-sided and selfish. They rarely, if ever, any type of offering or donation of goods or time encouraged. The incense, candles, and statues one uses don't count-let's be honest, those are for us not for the spirits. Spells say "hey, I'm going to make this charm or light this candle and charge it with my intentions and I will achieve my goal". Intentions? Intentions are nothing.

Intentions are not enough-ACTION is what matters.

If you want to make more money, look for another job. If you want to receive help, lend help. If you want a new home, help someone who is homeless. If you want a healthy child, visit a sick one.THAT is balance. You have to reach beyond yourself and show good faith. Show that even though you don't have a lot, you are willing to share it or use the resources you DO have to make a better way for yourself and loved ones.

We are not rewarded for sitting on our asses.

If you haven't received the blessings you have asked for from others, the spirits, or deities then ask yourself, "What have I done for THEM lately?"

Or simply say, "It isn't my turn, it's my brother or sister's turn, and I will wait."

So how long does it take? It takes as long as we deserve it to take.





Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Accusations, The Fates, and Fear


I received my first accusatory e-mail week. The first one in 15 years.

About a month ago a person ordered some items from my shop, marking payment as "money order" to be sent to my address. No biggie as I do allow this payment method. The items purchased were confusion items and some love items along with one of my PIF candle petitions. For those of you who don't know, my PIF petitions are a service you can purchase for $1.99 and I will light a petition candle on your behalf. All you have to do is something nice for someone else in return. It wasn't until I received the money order in the mail with a letter that I thought something may be a little "off" with this person.

With the money order I received a two page letter with very specific names (5 of them in order of preference) of who I was to make fall in love with the person and who I was to work against-two services I do NOT perform. Had I known these were the services they would request, I would have refused them from the beginning. I DON'T do that kind of work and that is very clear.

I thought maybe they were just being dramatic, as humans can be, so I did the petition to the best of my ability in the manner I work in. I petitioned to bring them love and protection.

Had I known then what I know now, I would have returned the money order.

Last week I received an e-mail from this person saying that after they used my items a cousin had been killed, a loved one was being abused, a car accident and poverty to fall upon them. They were accusing me of committing these acts via my items. They said they had "confided in an enemy" and accused me of working against them.

I was stunned and even scared for some reason. I felt threatened. I had NEVER DREAMED such accusations could have been made against me-never in 15 years have I even had a poor feedback much less an e-mail accusing me of such vial, violent, horrid acts. I was distraught. Thankfully though, I have a strong mine and can reason my way through emotions.

I dug out the letter, which I realized I had kept for some reason, to see if it was the same person. Indeed, it was. The letter was burned outside in my chiminea immediately. I must say, things have been better, back to normal, since I burned it.

This was completely not my fault. Though I felt terrible for this person's traumatic happenings, they were not due to me or my items. I could list many reasons why their accusations didn't make sense. But I know that when a person is desperate to find someone to blame for the misfortune in their life, they are not in the right place to listen to reason.

I responded to them that I did not do such work and would NEVER work against an innocent person I did not know. I explained this was the only complaint I had ever received in 15 years. I explained that death is up to the gods and that no human controls that. They responded "I am glad you brought up god, because god as my witness, this all happened after I used your products."

I was hoping the 15 years of positive work would jostle their mind into thinking about the actual numbers. If this is the only complaint in 15 years, chances are the complaint doesn't have much to do with me.

After coming back from being upset, I felt despair and pity for this person. How hard it is to be in that point of your life where you only blame others. I have been there and it is a vicious cycle; the more you blame others, the worse things get.

No profession is immune from imbalanced people and, I hate to say this, but I think my profession is one of the worst for it. It seems to others that since I work with unseen forces, than these forces are then responsible for all mishaps and misfortune. It's an easy out. If something unseen is committing these acts against you then you don't have to be responsible for your choices. Clearly it is the unseen forces fault and not yours.

As soon as we accept responsibility for the way our lives are, what is happening to us, the sooner the universe can lend accepting energy. The Fates help those that show they are deserving of help. Those who show they will bless others with the blessings they receive. To repeat the same mistakes is to go back, not forward. It is to use up energy not bless others with it.

When you are presented with a choice, The Fates are giving you an opportunity. We all make mistakes but to blame these mistakes on others is to abuse the gifts of The Fates. It's like crying wolf. After a while, they will not come running as quickly. For me, in my practices, one is rewarded for their compassion, giving, hard work, and trying to make the best decisions for all involved. Working to obtain selflessness, by helping others before one's self, is along the path of receiving blessings.

Working against someone I have never even met goes against ever fiber of my being and personality, every theory and practice of my spirituality. I have never suffered such a complaint or accusation. But I will suffer  for this person and pray that my suffering lends them some liberation from their own thoughts and torment. I know that the bit of fear I felt from reading their e-mail is the fear they live with each day. I am blessed that I am able to choose my fears.

Philippians 2:12 "Work out your own salvation with trembling and fear."









Sunday, August 12, 2012

Conjured Cardea's Healing Items


As most of you know, Etsy has required it's sellers to revise their herbal products that attribute health, or healing properties to them. At first I was not contacted by Etsy, but a couple of days ago I got an e-mail requesting me to also revise my items. Which I did and responded to them that the matter was being taken care of in the immediate.

Why?

Simple; I don't shit where I eat.

Some sellers are fighting this, asking Etsy to list which items must be amended and insisting that a disclaimer should be enough for the protection of Etsy, the shops, and the clients who patron them.

Etsy can not possibly go through each listing and tell us what we need to change as there are millions of listing on Etsy. They need to cover their, and OUR, asses. Also, these regulations prevent people from selling silly and shady items on Etsy claiming "magical healing abilities" that are just bull shit. In the end, my items will look more legitimate by weeding out the crazies. If we want a shop on Etsy, then we must comply with the rules. I would rather take the loss of a couple of people not being able to find my items then lose the ability to help all the clients I have gained over the years.

I have been contacted by several sellers who are ALL worked up. Asking me if I am closing my shop and where I am moving it to. I AM NOT LEAVING and have NO plants to. This seems like an awfully drastic and dramatic view to take and I don't borrow trouble. I never assume the worst and I don't make plans for it to happen. I will not manifest failure.

I am deeply saddened for those shops that exclusively sell herbal medicines and items that will now have to leave Etsy. It must be devastating and I am so sorry for the feelings they must be experiencing of loss, devastation, and anger.

I was lucky and for me, it's a pretty simple fix. I removed the words "health" and "healing" as well as any specific conditions such as "eczema, ring worm, yeast, acne" etc. from my descriptions. Now, this did bother me a bit wit my salves as these have provided a lot of people with relief from such conditions but I know that people will still be able to find these items if they search. I also had to re-name my Blue Healer items...:/ They are now called "Blue Worker" just to prevent any problems. Two items have been removed-my healing bellarmine and Egeszseg oil as they are, well, healing items and I can not adjust their descriptions to other wise.

ALL these items are still available, you only need contact me for them.

If you find yourself having trouble finding one of my items, all you need to do is ask and I will be happy to find it for you or create a listing:)

Many blessings and thanks to all of you who have shown concern and support. I am not goin' anywhere folks:)