This is a series of articles about my spiritual experiences in New Orleans in April 2011, when I traveled to make a pilgrimage to the statue of St. Expedite, who resides in the Chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on Rampart Street.

The day began very humid and was rapidly becoming warm. My first stop was the Chapel to place my clients’ petitions at the base of St. Expedite, however, the church shop where I was to purchase the candle was not open. I decided to return later in the morning and made my way to the St. Louis Cemetery #1, just a few short blocks away. I was ‘glistening’ with the effects of the humidity, reported to be at 88% on the morning news, and my hair bacame a puff ball as a result of it. I decided the best way to control it was to keep it clipped in a bun.

It was a short but warm stroll from the Church to the Cemetery. The cemetery gates were locked as I arrived just a few minutes before 9 am but within a couple of minutes, a gentleman came up to us (I was with my husband) and began to exchange pleasantries with us. The gates were opened by the NOLA city staff as the gentleman introduces himself as Walter Ross, cemetery historian and guide. He then proceeds to take us on a tour of the cemetery, along with two more couples who joined us at the gate.

Walter, articulate and very knowledgeable, tells us of the origins of the cemetery, whose dirt base was from dredging  Lake Pontchartrain, bringing the dirt from there and containing many tiny seashells. He explained the reason those who are buried here are in vaults above the ground, as the water table for New Orleans is within 2 feet of the ground we were standing on and that in times of flooding, if the coffins were not encased in concrete, they would shift in the soft earth and relocate themselves elsewhere – including outside of the cemetery walls! He also explained the original wall, which resembles a row of brick pizza ovens, are used sometimes as temporary ‘housing’ for the recently passed, until they are able to open the family plot and inter them there. In the St. Louis Cemetery #1, the plot of land, with it’s upright tomb, is considered family-owned, and that more than one family member can be buried there. Walter explained that some of the tombs can hold up to 75 family members, sans coffins, in one place. There are many beautiful monuments, and there are still spaces this very day for families who want to be buried there.

There were many interesting tombs to see. Walter explained the origins of the tips of the iron gates that encase some of the burial plots. traditions holds that if the iron pillars were tipped with a spike, then the family was Spanish, as the belief was that the points would keeps away bad spirits. The French families were more hospitable, using pineapples, a popular symbol of hospitality and welcome, on the top of their iron fences. There were beautiful pauper’s grave sites from the societies of the French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese families in New Orleans, who care for those countrymen who cannot afford a funeral. There were some new additions to the cemetery like the one that Nicholas Cage had built for his upcoming third installment of “National Treasure” by Disney Studios.

Walter took us by the original Marie LaVeau grave, the ‘other’ Marie Laveau (her granddaughter) grave and the famous Doctor John DuPre, who taught the original Marie LaVeau herbal knowledge and healing wisdom. Legend has it that Marie, a hairdresser by trade, began to pray and light candles for them when hearing of the troubles her ladies were having in their lives. Marie’s success in prayer and candle work spread, so much so that she began to see the gentlemen of some of the same ladies that were asking her for spiritual help with! Marie, along with a good friend named Ann, became spiritual workers in their own right, but both owe their botanical education to Dr. John, a Haitian voodoo priest.

Now, for most who visit the cemetery, right beyond the gates, one sees a tomb for the Laveau and Paris families. This is the site of the second Marie Laveau, who is the granddaughter of the original Marie. Marie had many daughters, each named Marie, but to distinguish one from another, each had a different middle name, so one might have been named Marie Suzanne and another Marie Blanche, for example. When visitors who tour the grounds without the aid of a historian like Walter Ross, one would assume that this is the grave site of the original Marie Laveau, the one who started it all.

Not so, as this is the second Marie’s grave:

 

This is the tomb of famous Voudoun priest, “Dr. John” DuPre:

 

 

Above, pictured is the tomb of Marie LaVeau the first

It is said that is you wish the spirit of these famous spiritual workers to assist in a problem you need work on, you are to mark three X’s like this X X X on the tomb when making an offering of your choice, whether it be flowers, tobacco, liquor or some of the other smaller items such as a coin, seashell or rock. It is said that if the spirit assist you and the situation is a success, that you must make a trip back to the cemetery to make a circle around your X X X marking to shoe that it was complete. There are signs around the area that state violations regarding tomb desecration, and Walter and I chuckled about the difference about religious belief and governmental law and how it can misconstrued, depending on your purpose. Walter told us that the Catholic Church in New Orleans turns the other way in regards to Voodoo, as it is a belief system that has been in place with certain societies for too long to attempt to suppress it.

Walter took us around and showed us a few areas where parts of the movie,“Easy Rider” were filmed, including the infamous Peter Fonda/Karen Black lovemaking scene. He has quite an interesting story about the reaction of the Catholic Church with that scene and how many Italians were so upset about another scene that the sent ‘dignitaries’ out to California to visit the filmmaker to ‘encourage’ them to cut the scene.

If you get to visit the cemetery, look for Walter Ross, a wiry older African-American man who rides up on a bicycle at 9 am at the gates of St. Louis Cemetery #1 and has a lanyard full of badges. Make sure you tuck a few dollars into his hand a the end of the tour and maybe he will take you back to a special place where you can see inside an unknown tomb, one whose faceplate blew off during Hurricane Katrina and is currently being researched for restoration.

 

I am writing this in defense of root workers, spiritualists and other persons who do conjure or work for others’ benefit. There are times when the client gets far too involved or demanding for what was agreed upon, and this is a continuance of the blog post right before this one in many respects.

I recently took a call from someone who had been working with a spiritual worker, but for some reason the worker did not want to continue the work with her. The caller was perplexed, as she thought that things were going fair to middlin’ with the situation that she was paying for services. I told her that many times, the demand for work could be too much or the worker is getting other outside messages regarding the work involved. I also told her that the case may be far too ‘messed up’ to continue with, because the worker could see that there was not going to be a positive end in sight for the client. I could not second guess the other workers actions, but reassured the caller that I , too, will refuse to continue work for someone for certain reasons.

There are times that one wants to ‘check in’ with the root worker for an update on what is going on; while that is good, too much texting and leaving messages can be a bit too much. This fall into the category of “obsessing” over the outcome and can be an indication that either there is not any Trust in the work or the client felt that she was ‘burned’ in the past by someone.

Case in point. Someone sent in a donation for candles to be burned, with no specific amount designated by me, for the good of all petitions on the altar. This is to cover the cost of the general white candle that is burned once a week for all petitions that come in. After receiving said donation notice, the sender wanted a petition placed on the altar, of which I am happy to do. I did so and send a photo I captured by my cell phone to her, letting her know that the candle was burning.

She then sent in another donation, now changing her wording in her e-mails and now calls, that she wanted candles burned specifically for her situation – another section of my website. I again obliged, thinking that she may have limited computer access. I lit a new candle and sent a photo.

Soon thereafter, I began to get multiple calls and texts regarding her candle and requests of a daily report on how it was doing. I called her once, telling her that it was not feasible to do so, but also spending 30 minutes of time on the phone with her discussing her sons’ situation with a girl, of which she had not even told me about, but I had picked up on while staring at the candle burning. This particular white candle had turned a butter yellow, indicating to my it was a love relationship he was snared in with the girl. I ended my phone conversation with the client, the mother of the son, and thought that was the end of it.

Within a few hours, I was getting multiple text messages regarding the candle – again. I took some time to answer but then eventually I refunded her back the amount of one candle and told her I could not service her anymore as her incessant obsessing over a candle spell was not in her best interest and was not in the service agreement for a candle service.

Hah! Well, that really changed the situation! As soon as she received my text and refund, she began a tirade of calls and messages about the refund and subsequent rejection of all future services, and she then threatened me – long distance and in a text message. I had no other resort than to file a police report on her for harassment.

My message is this – be concerned and inquire about your candle service work but don’t be a pest. I work more than one client at a time, and more have different spells going on than yours, and there is only one of me. I carry out my agreement with you and back it up with initial and end result photos, but fixating and obsessing over your candle spell is one of the No-Nos of another three part article I wrote called, “Free Candle Spells | Why Your Love Candle Spell Isn’t Working – Pt.1″,
Free Candle Spells | Why Your Love Candle Spell Isn’t Working – Pt. 2″, and again Free Candle Spells | Why Your Love Candle Spell Isn’t Working – Pt. 3

 

I am not sure why, but I get calls from time to time for people who have waited 6 months or longer to try to get their lover back. I hear about nasty breaks ups with clothing flying out the front door, sometimes for seemingly small things, but sometimes for larger things – like unknown children. I often wonder why it took someone so long to figure out that they finally want to ‘move’ on some candle or spell work in attempts to get the one-who-left back. Was it because the one-who-did-the-throwing-out figured that there was better catches ‘out there’? Were they so blown away by the incident that got them in this position so devastating that they were in recovery for a long time? Is it that they are finally feeling lonely and guess ol’ Fred wasn’t so bad as once thought?

I am seriously concerned with the state of behavior and choices that callers have when I speak with them. One example, I had a young woman call me last month, asking questions about candle spells. So, while talking with her, she revealed that the person she was considering to do the spell on had left last fall, and had recently announced his upcoming nuptials around Easter time.

I asked what caused the break up, and it was a secret life that happened before she had met the man; and there was some lingering situations to take care of with the old relationship. When my caller heard about the past-life, she said unkind things and the man left her, going back to that long lost flame from years ago. He was described to me as wanting a chance again with the old relationship, had somehow my caller knew about the wedding-to-be.

So why does this caller want to get back with the man – especially since he left her over what she said about his past life?

More importantly – I was being asked on the effectiveness or percentage thereof of a candle spell to bring him back to her. I had to reiterate as I have done before – there is no guarantees in candle magic or any other kind of magic as well.

Why?

Because this type of spell is dealing with another person who may be headstrong and may not want to come back to you even if you were the last human (male or female) on Earth. Spite, anger and all those other nasty feelings might overshadow the ‘good times’ so much so that you will never break though to the knucklehead. I try to tell the caller that the longer you let them be ‘out there’, the longer (and harder) it is to get your love back. Burning Lover Come Back candles will be a long process and the longer you have waited to come to the realization you want them back, the longer it is to bring them back and sometimes it will not work. There is no guarantees in candle spell work or any kind of magickal work. Period.

Sometimes, like the caller, it might be best to let it be. After all, the man has announced his betrothed to another and still, even if they were to get back together, the issue that broke them up still exists and will need to be dealt with accordingly.

This segment of The Hansen Files aired on Dateline on January 06, 2011

Dear Readers,

Here is the rest of the conversation regarding overpriced spiritual work and scam artists, which came in a couple of days later after posting the first conversation. To Read the first part of this conversation, please click here to go to “Tarot by Jacqueline | “So I get this e-mail…” Pt. 1 – A Commentary.

We pick it up from the last thread….

DK says:

Thank you Jacqueline, this is very helpful.

Dear Readers,

Here is a copy of a conversation I had via e-mail in regards to authentic psychics, readers and workers – and a few incidences that I shared to sport them.

Enjoy!

J.

Incoming e-mail from D.K. -

HI there,

I recently had a card reading, and the reader told me that I need something to be done to clean out the negative energy that includes an altar to be set up at her church which would have 12 five foot candles, a huge crystal, and human form in the likeness of me.  She quoted me $20,000 for the service of cleaning out the negative energy over time, an that it could take 6 mos – 12 mos.  I told her this was way over the top in terms of budget.  Today she came back with $5,000 – $6,000 by utilizing less expensive materials.  In between she has given me simple candles, a crystal, a bath, and other recommendations that make sense, and I’m feeling very positive so far.  I just can’t assess whether I’m being scammed or not.

Can you give me your opinion?

thx

My out going answer -

HI,

WAAAYYY too much money!

Read about clearing negativity on my other site:

http://www.free-candle-spells.com

Go to right side in the categories side and look under Hoodoo Products.

Now, there is sometimes a couple hundred of dollars may be recommended, but I give you options and ways to approach the problem, then let you decide, depending on your income level.

You gotta eat, after all, right?

Jacqueline

D.K.’s second incoming e-mail -

how do you suggest I find someone that is credible in my area?

thanks for your feedback – I told the other woman no.

My second outgoing e-mail –

I have no idea where you are but there are still signs that she needs money from you.

Here is what I do.

First, I write a lot of my stuff on www.free-candle-spells.com

Could I not share it and be stingy and charge people up the ying-yang? Sure, but then I would be no better than gypsy-type scam artists (which this sounds like it is)

When I do a reading, I tell clients to take notes and I will tell them specifically what to buy and how much it costs. Why? Because I have a conscience I have to address every night before sleep. I am in this for helping – not getting rich. Besides I have another wonderful career that sustains me, but because of the Universal Law of exchange, I charge less than others and I am blessed.

Another clue, depends on where you find them but scammy artists people will probably not place their face out on the Internet. they don’t want to be found. I would also be aware of those who run psychic shops that have a little bit of everything. There are many in my town – they have Feng Shui, Wiccan, cheap Mexican spiritual products that look like watered down poster paint, etc. They can do palms, psychic, tarot, stand on their head – anything to get your money. Why? They have RENT to pay on the RETAIL LOCATION. They probably don’t have another job, and I would bet they have some sort of public assistance going on in the background.

I had a client once that came to me after going to one of these storefront places. He was hitting a bad luck streak and my reading told me so as well. The lady told him that the person that gave him his watch (apparently a nice one with diamonds) wanted to see him dead. He said how could it be; the gift was from his wife. She said she had to get rid of it in a ritual to save his life.

I asked him, “Did she take a hammer out and smash it right there in front of your eyes?” He said no, but she had to bury it on a mountain top in a ritual and had also to make a life size candle of him to burn off the bad luck. He left her the watch but it was unclear if he paid her.

I told him, “She ‘buried’ it at the pawn shop.” – ’nuff said!

One day, I dressed differently and went to this same ‘psychic shop’. She was having a $10.00 palm session. Before 5 minutes was up, she told me I was “surrounded by negativity” and that she could do a “cleansing” for only $75.00 since I came  in today and got the palm reading, or else it was $150.00 any other day.

(cue the sound of brakes screeching)

Real workers will charge you the same amount each and every time – none of this  ’get it today on special or pay full price tomorrow’ s**t, if you know what I mean.

From time to time, this woman will get people to call me and harass me, telling me that I am ‘not real’. I have more credibility than she does and the documents to boot. Unfortunately, she feels competition, has said so in phone conversation, and her mild threats do not bother me. God takes care of that for me.

So, I do not know where you are, but I gave you some insight and ‘signs’ to look for in a worker. I hope it helps.

Jacqueline

And with this post, I send it out to warn you of scam artists. there are real and authentic workers that have practiced for many years, but be careful and question – always!

The New Year is an excellent time to set up an Altar, be it to energize your new resolutions you have made or to deepen your connection with Spirituality. Here are some things to consider when setting up an Altar.

What is an Altar and what purpose do they serve?

An altar is a physical space to come to when the world seems too chaotic and you need to step out of it and take a break. In the books of the Old Testament , specific woods, gems, metals and even dimensions were written to be used in the construction of an altar. An altar not only provides a physical space, such as a table top, china hutch or dresser bureau, but also its’ sacred elements, deems so by you, create a psychic space in which you can open up to the Divine and seek comfort. What you use for your altar, be it driftwood from the ocean or a folding table with silks draped over it, the most important element in altar construction is what you deem sacred and spiritual and the placement and enjoyment you garner from the ritual of the construction.

Many Altars, Many Reasons

A good question to ask yourself  is this: Why are you drawn to create an altar? Some have one because they have received or collected small images of deities and want to display them. Some create an altar for a place, such as the ocean or the forest, because the individual connects or is devoted to that region on Earth. Some create an altar of relatives who have passed, like on a dining room hutch or the fireplace mantle. Do not be surprised that even people who are interested in a favorite rock or pop star or an actor will have a rudimentary altar constructed for them with framed photos, concert tickets, snapshots and maybe even the drink cup from the venue, all to memorialize the function in which the fan attended.

Other altars are created to “do” something, like draw money, work for court cases, humanity or to keep the family members safe. Some set small altars with a white candle near a bedside table when someone is ill, along with prayers and hope for them to return to full health. Whatever the reason is, there is no time limit or amount of items needed to create this sacred space, and you might find that you move things around or change out items until you feel that it is “just right”. This is your Sprit guiding you, and there is no ‘wrong’ way to create an altar.

Basic Altar Construction Tips

First, you must choose the best location for your altar. Some are set in accordance with the compass points, as in Feng Shui, Native American belief systems, or have various other meanings to place an altar where you want. Ideally, it should be a quieter part of the house, away from the hustle and bustle of the family entering into the home or the activities of living, although my large All Saints Altar sits in the Family Section of the Feng Shui bagua as it is placed in my home and give a sense of calm to the whole house. If your belief system is one that would not be understood by everyone who comes to visit, lessen the chance of scrutiny and curiosity by moving your altar to a more discreet location.

Next, make sure your area near and around the altar is free from clutter and unnecessary objects. Remember that pleasure and peace is what we want to experience when you enter your sacred space. Try to not upset the tranquility by having boxes, magazines and stacks of dry cleaning near your altar, all harbingers of negative energy. To further increase positivity and the removal of stagnant energy, use white sage, frankincense, myrrh or any of the other traditional herbs used for space clearing.

You can define the area with a mat or throw rug of a different texture or color that the rest of the room or area or if in front of an alcove or window, some silken drapes or gossamer tulle will heighten the sanctity of the area. You may use a color that connects with your Deity or Element that you are honoring with this altar, like shades of blue for the Virgin Mary, Yemaya, or the Spirit of the Ocean. The textures and colors you choose will help you prepare for meditation and will define the sacred space.

Use a solid wood table or shelf – natural products here – in the form of a cabinet, hutch, shelving or dresser as your base for your altar. You may layer your altar, choosing to use the table top for candles and offerings, but suspend your Deity image or statue on a shelf placed on the wall directly above the table. Again, use rich, silken fabrics to cover your table – no polyester for the Saints! You may want to also add candles and fresh flowers to your altar, to please the senses and the Spirits.

Now that you have your basic altar, gather items that represent your Energy, Element or Deity you are honoring. Shells, driftwood, images of dolphins, seagulls and the like would be a natural decoration for any Goddess of the Sea and for the Ocean in itself. If Beings of the Forest is to your liking, photographs of mountains, a small living tree in a planter, earthy colors and lots of green would be in store. For entities of the Air, wispy fabrics, pictures of clouds, the Sun and Fairies might be some things to consider. You might incorporate all the elements like in Feng Shui, to honor all of them in the Universe.

Make sure you keep your altar as what it is intended. Do not place things like lotion bottles, brushes and car keys on the corner as a quick place to keep them. Keep this space sacred. Likewise, when you are ready to sit before your altar, make sure you are in clean, comfortable clothes. If you had a bad day at the office, a 5 minute shower will wash away all those cares, leaving you clean for spiritual meditation and reflection. Also, make sure when dust settles on your altar cloths or candle wax drips on them, take time to break down your altar, cleaning out the dust bunnies that may have gathered under the tables. Wash everything and replace as needed.

By creating your altar, it becomes a personal representation of what you consider sacred. It is never ‘wrong’, so do not let others influence your items, offering and the like. This is one reason you might want to consider a space bedroom or rarely used room for your altar. It is YOUR space, your devotion, your way. By creating a sacred space, you will begin to see the sacredness in all sections of your life, as the puzzle pieces of your life will come together as One.

For more information on altars, go to: www.free-candle-spells.com

January is a pivotal month for many.

The children going back to school and the holidays may have strained the pocketbook. Cold weather means additional purchases of clothing and getting the car in good working order. These are just some of the many challenges of the season that will be a concern to us.

I am declaring the month of January as the month of Prosperity!!

It is a time for harvest and thankfulness – of the blessings we have already received through the years so far and a time to concentrate on having a successful end of the year 2010 and a bright and prosperous 2011.

I invite you to join me in a very special experiment
only open to 30 clients and readers of Free-Candle-Spells.

I am asking for a donation of $35.00 per person to cover the costs of materials,
candles I will be burning on your behalf, etc.

I want you to make a commitment to gather with others just like you who want to raise the vibrations of their wealth and prosperity talents and partake in a daily walk to prosperity with me.

If you partake of this experiment, you will receive:

• A Daily Prosperity Inspirational Meditation to think upon throughout your day as a mantra or chant to encourage you to seek out all and every money making opportunity.
• I will be praying over 5 anointed and blessed candles (one lit for you every 6 days) for each person throughout the entire 30 days.
• An Inspirational CD of music and meditations to listen while driving to work or while in the privacy of your sacred space.
• A FREE downloadable book that was the inspiration for the author of “The Secret”

This is what I am going to to do for you throughout the 30 days :

~~A weekly report on each of the 5 candles I am burning for you.

~~A photograph of each candle to show that your candle is on the Money Altar.

~~Your candles will be prayed over by me once in the morning and once at night throughout the 30-day experiment.

~~A special time set aside once a week where we will all be in prayer at the same time.

~~A daily e-mail with a devotional meditation for you and I to focus on throughout the day.

Click to order your Prosperity Experiment today!

$ $ $ I am Prosperity. I will Prosper. $ $ $

Click the banner ad above to go to my other site, Free Candle Spells to read about New Moon candle spells and what is in store for you for the next two weeks.