Mamma Hen at it again+new freebie!

Couple of quick announcements before you all check out for the weekend: If you have funk in your space then clean it up already! The first step to clearing out the bad vibes and ushering in good juju is to physically and spiritually clean the space in which you live and love.  Momma Hen has made some truly awesome floor wash! The 16 oz bottles are chock full of organic cleansers and spiritually cleansing and blessing herbs from momma hen's very own garden. You can buy the floor wash here or at our Etsy store. And, there is a new freebie page up at Milagro Roots-a handy reference guide for some commonly seen symbols and what they represent.

Making Magic Happen-The Magician in the Tarot

The following article is reposted here from my monthly newsletter! Want to learn more awesome stuff and get some freebies while you are at it? Check out the newsletter and sign up!

When I was a cheerleader we did a yell that reminds me of the Magician card-it went like this: "Action, action, we want action! A-C-T-I-O-N!!!" This was accompanied by a lot of spirit fingers and spasmatic arm motions that I think we are all better off forgetting. But the yell was used when our team was flagging in energy and strength and needed to do something magical and miraculous to get the game back on our terms and this idea is not too far from the Magician.

When we look at the card we notice a somewhat androgynous looking male figure dressed in red and white. The lemniscate or infinity symbol is floating above his head, his right arm is raised to the sky, his right hand holds a double ended wand and his left hand points down to the earth. Above his head is a swag of roses, around his feet and legs we find more roses and white lilies. An altar is in front of him with 4 items precisely arranged: cup, gold coin or pentacle, dagger, and wand. In ceremonial magical traditions and some Wiccan traditions the knife and cup may be referred to as an athame and chalice respectively. And of course I am referring to the card as we find it in the Rider Waite Smith deck. The background of the Magician is bright yellow-the exact same shade we find as the backdrop for the Fool card and this indicates to us that in some way the Magician is an extension or an outgrowth of the Fool. But of course, there are also differences. For starters, the Magician is much more organized and orderly than the Fool--there are no ripped clothes or barking dogs in this card! There is intention, energy, and ritual purpose in the place of the fool's abandon, wild faith, and courage/foolhardiness. The Magician has channeled the Fool's raw enthusiasm (deriving from the Greek words en Theos meaning "filled with God) and is going to DO something with it.

The tools of his trade are arrayed in front of him indicating that he has all of the resources he requires to do the work he needs to do right at his fingertips. His arms and hands are the most stylized aspect of the card and also the most symbolic--one points up with a double ended wand to heaven--as if summoning or pulling down divine and heavenly energy. The second hand points down towards the earth, as if pulling up the earthly energy of manifestation. These two apparent opposites meet within the core of the magician's body, instilling him with the power to create real change. The center of the lemniscate rests directly above the Magician's head and reminds us of the Word logos descending upon the head of Christ in the form of a sacred dove so that the Word could be made Flesh. The Magician stands at the center of the infinity symbol, able to see what has come before, what comes after, and where his specific place is within the mystery and magic of life. The wise Magician accepts his position and does his work for the greater good of all and for the Truth. The unwise Magician refuses to accept his place, jostles for power, prestige, and control.

Then we have the color play in the card. Our mage is cloaked in red and white and this theme is echoed in the roses and lilies around his feet and legs. The color red is strongly associated the the feminine since ancient times and white is just as strongly associated with men. Roses are associated with the ladies and lilies are associated with men-specifically again Jesus Christ. The colors and the masculine and feminine attributes that they symbolize call our attention to 2 other pairs of opposites we find in the card-heaven and earth, transcendence and immanence. This indicates that the Magician is able to take aspects, energies, and elements that are in some ways naturally in opposition to one another and blend them, creating unity from division. And that in turn brings us to another important feature of the card, the number. In all traditional decks the Magician is assigned the first position, card number one. Unity and unification are the themes behind this numeral. The number one  points to a sense of something higher, eternal, and unified going beyond the apparent duality we see in the world and symbolized by the infinity symbol above the Magician's head.

To recap: The Magician deals with magic and the magical process of transformation. He stands in a unique position where he can view what has come before, what comes after and where his place within this cycle stands. The inner character of the Magician determines how he works with and uses this knowledge--is it for his own personal gain or to be of service to others. He is unique in his ability to unify apparent opposites and he is resourceful and intent upon his work. Connected to both the heavens and the earthly realm, the Magician stands as a Christ figure-suspended between the 2 and serving both.

In divination the Magician card can indicate any combination or all of the following:
--someone involved in the querant's situation may be working in a magical or ritual context to either help or harm the querant
--the querant may do well to seek out the aid of a professional who does perform magical+ritual work
--the querant has magical ability themselves that could be developed
--the querant needs to be aware of someone who is creating an illusion or using their ability to sell illusions to put the querant in a difficult situation (for instance, a con artist could be represented by the Magician card in some readings)
--the querant or someone that the querant is asking about may be leaning too far in one direction and needs to harness the opposite forces in their lives in order to get the picture, book, deal, (fill in the blank with your project here) manifested and solidly real.
Remember in divination that the Magician is ALWAYS an alchemist. His work is to take one thing and through the power of nature and the power of his intellect and will transform it into something else. In some cases this is an improvement, in other cases it is not, but transformation is key.

Money+Prosperity+Abundance-Make some space in your place!

OK-so often one of the first things that I ask people when we get on the subject of making money, keeping cash, and letting the good times roll--is--what is on your prosperity altar? And often the reply is some version of "huh?" I work and teach is several different magic and ritual traditions-and creating space in your place for prosperity and abundance is advised in all of them! Because if you can't be bothered to dedicate a tiny bit of space to keeping the abundant good things in life flowing then you have already shut so many doors to your potential growth. So…for those of you who want a step by step, play by play of how to do this, sit back, get a cup of tea, and enjoy the ride!

Choose your space-it can be a room, a corner of a room, a window ledge. When we do prosperity and abundance ritual work we are usually hoping and praying to increase our abundance, our earning potential, the size of our wallets so I like to place these types of altars in the East. In some traditions East is associated with the season Spring-when all plants are beginning to sprout and grow and become, you guessed it, abundant! In other traditions East is associated with the strengthening of the sun (which of course rises in the East)-as the sun rises and gains in strength so may our fortunes. If you don't have a place in the east where you can dedicate space then choose the North-that direction is associated with the element of Earth and also auspicious for money making.

Dedicate your space--I am not talking about performing some fancy ritual-I am talking about dedicating your space in order to set it apart. Since you are working on the ideas of abundance/cash/money/security/and wealth you want to set this space apart with items that resonate to those themes. Material or items that are green are an obvious choice. I like to use living plants in my personal abundance altar. Gold coins, cash money, toads and frogs (which are associated with financial flow in China, parts of South American, and in certain Native American tribes) might appeal to you. If you are not overwhelmed with a million ideas its ok-put down a piece of green or gold material, place a candle in the center, and consider your options. Altar building is an art.

Gather your materials--Are you going to pray, burn candles, recite a specific mantra, or work with a lodestone or prosperity box? What is your ritual? If you are not sure what types of rituals are appropriate or speak to you start with something simple-maybe an incense stick burning as you consider a new way to bring wealth+abundance into your life. You can also get some ideas about your attitudes regarding wealth and abundance during an intuitive counseling session-so if you are really stuck on this, consider that. Traditionally these are some of the items you might find on a prosperity altar:
--green or gold candles
--incense
--cash and coins
--oils to draw money and abundance
--herbs and roots to draw money and abundance
--matches
--figures of Deities/icons/ancestors that support you in your desire for an abundant life
--journals/books/magazines that assist you with planning and creating abundance

Summon your allies--In pretty much every religious tradition there are Saints, Gods, Goddesses, or Holy Figures that are associated with drawing wealth on every possible level (material, intellectual, spiritual, etc). Consider your tradition and the tradition(s) that resonate with you. Is there a figure that you believe might assist you in your endeavors to create more prosperity in your life? What about icons from history or popular culture? Anyone that just screams WEALTH! to you? And finally, consider your background and ancestors. With a little digging you are sure to uncover some truly remarkable individual who had financial savvy.

Bless your projects--What are you working on? What project or idea or craft are you dedicated to that just thrills you? What amount of money would you like to be making? What forms of abundance do you most need in your life right now? An altar is not just a conversation piece or a pretty decoration. An altar is where you bring your hopes, dreams, fears, successes, and failures. It is where we go to seek blessings and to acknowledge and bless ourselves. Show up to your altar-work at it and use it on a daily basis-consistent and meaningful ritual practice will begin to create magnificent and positive prosperity for you almost immediately-try it!

Divination in a secular age

The other day I was noodling on the net and came across a blog post by a well-respected colleague. This individual was commenting on the difference between a predictive approach to divination versus a more philosophical approach. In concrete terms any reader or intuitive counselor will recognize this in the 2 different types of clients that we experience--there is one type of client who wants a nuts to bolts description of what will happen next in their lives as opposed to the client who wants an overarching reading that will most likely give them insight into their spiritual gifts and/or purpose. The former is the predictive case and the latter the philosophical (or probably in more correct terminology, the metaphysical). I have read similar articles in the past stating the same dichotomy and experienced how from this dichotomy springs another idea which is gaining currency--that working with an oracular system (whether its tarot, runes, tea leaves or what have you) for the purposes of prediction is "low" or less-than while working with the same system for meditative or contemplative purposes is "high" and the mark of an enlightened soul. So. This is wrong. But let's talk about why its wrong.

There are 2 issues at hand--the first is that the split between a predictive approach to divination and a metaphysical approach to divination rests on a false dichotomy. The greater spiritual questions are essential to correct prediction and correct prediction touches upon the greater spiritual questions. The false dichotomy comes out of the enlightenment period of history and the subsequent age of secularism that the enlightenment ushered in. Divination is one of the oldest arts and professions. One need look no further than the ancient texts that both encourage and prohibit certain forms of divination to understand that it has been around, in one form or another for a long, long, time. And of course it has! One of the most fundamental questions that we humans ask is…what's next? What will happen if…What will happen if I don't…voila the need for divination and diviners is born!

Because divination is such an ancient art we know it was practiced when our sense of the world and our place in the world was a different animal than it is now. Please note: I do not actually think much changes about our experiences-but I do think that our perception and explanation of why we experience what we do has changed, and not necessarily for the better always. To continue, I often explain to my students and clients that when we work with my preferred system of divination-the tarot--we need to place ourselves in what I refer to, somewhat incorrectly, as a "middle-age" mind set. Tarot cards have been documented as arriving in Europe in the early 1400's--although I and many other readers suspect the cards were worked with much earlier but unless my client is a history scholar (of which I do have a few!) they mostly know what I am talking about. I am using the example of tarot here because it is the system of divination that I work with, but the same thing applies to any system of divination that has ancient roots as well as the general art of divination itself. When I ask a client to enter the medieval mind set I am asking them to envision a world where the day is bracketed by rituals celebrating what is divine, unseen, and mysterious. We can say a lot of negative things about this period of history-the social and economic structures, the role of women and minorities, etc, etc, BUT one thing that the pre-Enlightenment folks had over us moderns hands down is a deep sense of the sacred. This sense was communal and participated in by the greater community. Belief in things that cannot be seen and touched-only felt or intuited did not mark you out as insane or weird or woo-woo-it was something that you most likely shared with your friends and neighbors. The sense of the sacred-of God, of the Divine was a part of daily life. A sense of wonder at the mystery of nature and the world was ingrained in individuals. So it is with any system of divination. For you see, divination is a system, as well as an art, and like all art and systems it does rest on certain presuppositions. For instance, if you are a fatalist it doesn't really make sense for you to have your cards read as the whole point of divination is to learn what is most likely to happen--and then if need be, take actions to encourage or stop certain events from taking place to the best of your ability. And among these presuppositions is the belief that our daily lives, thoughts, actions, and behaviors are touched and influenced in every possible way by our sense of the sacred, the world and our place in it, the questions that really matter--in short, our philosophy. Wonder-at ourselves, at the grandness of the word, the greatness of the Divine, the mystery of it all--undergirded our sense of philosophy until the Enlightenment. Now, don't get me wrong--we needed the Enlightenment to happen. It brought us physics, the scientific method, vaccines, and all kinds of goodies that make modern life possible. BUT one thing that gave way in the onslaught of this new approach to wisdom was that sense of wonder. No more would nature hide her secrets from us-brave and strong men were going to come, ravish her, and empty her skirts of any remaining mysteries.  (Thats not a fancy analogy by the way-that is Sir Francis Bacon, the father of the Enlightenment who says it more elegantly: "My only earthly wish is... to stretch the deplorably narrow limits of man's dominion over the universe to their promised bounds... nature will be bound into service, hounded in her wanderings and put on the rack and tortured for her secrets.")

Yes--its the knowledge that in some way led to the machine that I am typing this on right now-yet there was a price, and it was steep. We can see it in many areas but the area I am interested in is divination. As we lost our sense of wonder and the sacred we also started to buy into the false dichotomy I mentioned earlier and a schism grew between the art of prediction and an individual's philosophy. And so we have today the situation of clients and readers who think of these aspects as separate in the best case and at odds with one another in the worst case. In theory philosophy is for the academy and divination is for woo-woo mystics or wannabes. In practice, as any reader knows, its much more complicated and people from ALL walks of life seek divination now just as they always have. And any truly useful+insightful divination is going to place prediction and philosophy in relationship to one another--because what you think about yourself and the world around you influences the direction your life goes in today as it always has. Or to put it more plainly--whether or not you and your boyfriend are going to take it to the next level has everything to do with "big questions" like how you think about yourself, commitment, relationships, faithfulness, honesty, and hard work. If we want answers we gotta delve into your philosophy--its the way that we get clarity! I was talking to my husband about this idea this morning and he reminded me that the same principle can be seen in the Chinese character of the Tao (which of course translates to Way or in some translations "way-making" to capture the progressive sense of the idea). Originally this character was understood to be an eye with legs--because you have to both see (understand) where you are headed and have the practical ability to go there. That is what we strive for in divination-as client or reader-you shouldn't settle for less.

World's Biggest Summit

I woke up this morning, stumbled into my kitchen where my handsomely disheveled husband handed me a cup of strong coffee and I sat down to my email inbox where there is always something new. BUT this morning I had an especially auspicious email from Goddess Leonie inviting me to teach at the World's Biggest Summit! I am totally excited because I love Goddess Leonie's work and the teachers at the World's Biggest Summit are all pretty incredible. I am totally honored to be among them. Perhaps even more exciting for all of YOU--tickets to the summit are absolutely 100% FREE! Just think--tons of great information on topics ranging from business to prosperity to spirituality and creativity--why wouldn't you want to be there?! And now I will be teaching as well! So go on y'all--get your tickets and buckle in for an awesome October ride!

Shop Talk

Alright-the Milagro Roots webstore has FINALLY been updated. Teaser: there will be a new+vastly improved web shopping experience coming soon to Milagro Roots--sign up for my newsletter to learn more! In the meantime…I have both Break Up and Court Case spell kits in stock as well as Marriage, Hot Foot, and Queen Elizabeth oils! Ladies: QE oil is one of my faces for promoting love but also overall women's health and vigor!  Also, while we are on the subject of spiffy merchandise do not forget that for this month ONLY Archangel Michael Home Protection Packets are 10% off at my Etsy store and I am happy to announce a NEW offering as well: Prosperity Boxes!

I was taught how to make prosperity mirror boxes--to mirror good fortune and lotsa money throughout your life--YEARS ago but it wasn't until a couple of months ago when one of my face clients asked me about it that I realized I could go ahead and start making them again! So, if you want a gorgeous altar piece to play with and make money with order yours today!

A Blessing Wash

Sometimes we feel low, lacking spirit and vitality, unlucky, and just generally blah. You can bathe when you are down or have a candle lit, but I also recommend going around and counting your blessings and wishing blessings on others. The law of attraction is a real thing-we do reap what we sow. That is not to say that life is always fair or that even if we are good all the time we won't experience hardship--but our attitude in dealing with both pleasure and struggle define our character and contribute in large part to our ability to either hold up under the struggle or collapse. I call the act of counting blessings and sending blessings out to others a Blessing Wash--and really, this is a great little ritual to do ANYTIME! Here is mine:

I am blessed with loving family members who are willing and delighted to watch over my child while I work--may others be blessed with trusted and good child care options.

I am blessed with work that satisfies me spiritually, intellectually and creatively--may others be blessed with work that satisfies them in all of their parts.

I am blessed with bright faith, strong hope, and deep love--may others be blessed with ideas to believe in, dreams to hope for, and many people to love deeply.

I am blessed with abundant income that allows me to support myself and my family--may others be blessed and always have more than enough of the good stuff in life, may those in need be blessed with succor.

I am blessed with clients that I truly care for, whose stories move my heart, and whose lives I am invested in--may others be blessed with at least one person who, though maybe having never met you face to face, care for you deeply nonetheless.

I am blessed with a beautiful child and a wonderful partner--may others be blessed in their family and home lives-with loving partners and miraculous children.

I am blessed with a strong body that can walk, run, swim, hike, laugh, and sing--may others be blessed with health and vitality.

I am blessed with a chronic illness that keeps me real and humble--may others be blessed with a challenge that turns into a blessing.

I am blessed with a great mom and sister. May others be blessed with family that loves and supports them.

I am blessed with wise mentors. May others find guides to walk with them on their paths.

I am blessed with friends who love me no matter what. Period. May others be blessed with unconditional friendship.

I am blessed with fears and insecurities that inspire me to reach deeper into myself, to love myself more fiercely, to serve with a passionately open heart--may others be blessed to find that their fears may be their greatest allies.

And today we in San Antonio are blessed with RAIN! May others be blessed with nourishment that enriches their land, their spirit, their work, and their lives.

Quick Cues on Not Being Taken for a Sucker!

So…you have decided to consult with a psychic, a spiritual advisor, someone who is willing to advise you and help you achieve your goals…for a price. So far, so good. But as my longtime readers know, I get stories on a weekly basis from people who have been SORELY taken advantage of. Here are some quick tips on how to make sure that you are working with someone who is ethical, legitimate, and honest:

1.) Check their testimonials+website--how long has the site been around? How many testimonials do they have? If you ask them to speak to one of the people who left a testimonial will they hook you up or leave you hanging?

2.) Do they belong to any professional clubs or organizations that guarantee an ethical approach? I am a founding member of the Association of Readers and Rootworkers because our field needed an ethical watchdog--AIRR is it.

3.) Is it clear to you what you are signing up for and what you are getting in return? Is there a contract you can sign? How much contact can you expect from the individual and will they agree to a set number of contacts in writing? If not, its a big sign that something might be amiss.

4.) Are they guaranteeing their results? This is mystery and magic not math--every situation/perspective/person is different and there are a million extenuating circumstances-someone who is guaranteeing results to you is someone to look at very carefully.

5.) Can you verify that they actually are delivering on their promises? Are you getting reports and analysis, photographs, contact--or are you getting vague promises and excuses?

6.) USE common sense! For most of the tragic stories I hear, the teller begins with "I should have known better when…" and then they tell me something that definitely should have (and in many cases did) set of warning bells. Hey! Pay attention to those bells. There are lots of spiritual advisors out there. You don't have to settle for the first one that you try. (This is not an encouragement to go and knock on every spiritual worker's door either though--be honest with your current worker about past experiences.) If you do not feel comfortable working with someone after giving them a fair shot then move on! Not every person will be satisfied by any one worker.

May you be smart, savvy, and satisfied!

Love Letters to Me :-)

Calling all clients who love me! Chances are you have already sent me a super sweet email (or 20!) telling me how I rocked your world and for that I thank you--I love waking up to warm+fuzzies in my inbox. Howeva--my ace web designer and I are going to be revamping the website and I am going to have categorized testimonials--that's right-I have so many that they need their own categories! So…if you would love to help a gal out send me your testimonial via email LABELED with one of the following categories so that I can file it easily--cause ya know I have a full plate and a baby! Yes! You can say nice things about me for more than one category! No! I will not use your full name unless you give me written permission to do so! I will use your initials and location-it will look like this: BH-San Antonio, Texas OR BH, Texas. Yes! If you want to leave me your full name and website I will link to it from mine! OK--are you excited? Start your engines and here are the categories:

vigil candles and custom vigil candles
custom ritual work
mojo hands
archangel michael packets
intuitive counseling (used to be "readings")
magical coaching
ancestor reading
general
Just pick your cat-copy+paste it right into the email subject heading line and let the love flow!
Vroom, vroom! Start your wordsmith engines and THANK YOU!!! in advance.

Quick Reminders

I still have a few packs left of Fields of Gold herbal mix for Wealth-Prosperity-Abundance as well as Snap the Whip! Compelling Love Herb Mix. Also, my September Pay What You Can Day still have one spot open! If you need an intuitive counseling session and you cannot afford my regular prices this is a once a month opportunity to get lots of insight for little dough!

An open letter of love and support:

To you, the ones who are hurting, keening, baffled, shocked, bruised, and broken,

I can't tell you that it will always be ok-because sometimes it won't.
I won't tell you that it will always work out the way you hope-because sometimes it doesn't.
I can't tell you that it won't hurt, or that it will only sting a bit-because sometimes pain does last a good, long, while.
But I can tell you that its not forever, that every night is followed by a new day and that there is something of wisdom in every experience-it's yours for the taking, don't ignore it.

I am holding you each in my heart-talk to someone who loves you tonight-may you each be blessed.

Archangel Michael's Feast Day-Sale!

In honor of Archangel Michael's Feast Day at the end of the month, my Archangel Michael home protection packets are 10% off at my etsy store ONLY for all of this month! Stock up--they make great gifts and every house needs at least one!

Happy Birthday Mom!

It is my mom, momma hen's, birthday today. She is up in Canada panning for gold and having an awesome time in the gorgeous mountains (and fantastic weather). Mom taught me so much of what I know and continues to teach me every day. Love you mom-and hope you have a really awesome birthday :-)

September Newsletter is Out!

Read it here and sign up!
Among the exciting announcements is my latest Pay What You Can Day-scheduled for 9/29!
Four sessions available-grab while you can!