THE SOUL....LIFE AFTER DEATH

                                                                                                        

There are those that believe in reincarnation and others that believe that when a person dies, they go to heaven or hell and only live the one life they were given. What about seeing spirits? If someone has passed over to the other side, does their ghost or spirit come down to roam the earth or visit from time to time? If that’s true, and there is reincarnation, how can their spirit still be here among us? On the other hand, if the person has gone to heaven or hell, how can their spirit be here? There are so many questions and so much confusion.

Have you ever thought that the soul has two parts? If you think about it….it makes sense. In Vodou, it is believed that the soul does indeed have two parts, the Gwo Bon Anj and the Ti Bon Anj. Upon birth, the Magic Mirror (the reflective surface of the Waters, reveals this soul double to the individual. The reflective soul lives with us throughout our lives. It is the life force that is within our consciousness and creativity. It flows through our blood and breath and is the energy in our bodies. The Gwo Bon Anj isn’t our breath or the blood itself but it’s the life force that motivates these functions and gives our bodies the will to live. The Gwo Bon Anj is contained within our body during life.

The Ti Bon determines the moral choices made by a person and is the conscience that distinguishes between good and evil, right and wrong.  It is your personality and ego. Through your Ti Bon Anj, you experience emotional responses to your moral behavior. The Ti Bon Anj mirrors the presence of the Gwo Bon Anj into a physical manifestation of tears or laughter when you are expressing sadness or happiness. The two parts of the soul mirror each other and create harmony with one another.

Upon death, the parts of the soul separate. The Ti Bon Anj is exhaled with your last breath. It rises above the dead shell of the body. The body then returns to the earth, where it dissolves back into water and clay. It waits there to receive the will of God or Bondye, to be reanimated as a new body. The Ti Bon Anj stands before Bondye, but loses its personal individuality and it has no further influence upon the living. The Gwo Bon Anj lingers by the grave for nine days after someone’s death.  The death rites separate the soul from the body. The Gwo Bon Anj returns to the immortal Waters of Ginen where it joins the other ancestral dead. After one year and one day, reincarnation rites call the Gwo Bon Anj back into the community of the living. There, it offers help and guidance from its new body, formed of a specially made earthenware jar, called a govi jar. The Gwo Bon Anj can become a Lwa eventually or can be reincarnated in the form of succeeding family generations.

Vodou believes that death is part of the cycle of life and it is a process that leads to further rhythms and there is nothing to be afraid of. Life is magical and so is death.

My products are sold at Hex - 1219 Decatur St. in New Orleans, Hex - 246 Essex St. - Salem, Mass., and Island of Salvation Botanica at 2372 St. Claude - New Orleans, La.

WHAT IS KARMA?

What is Karma? We hear about it so much today, but do we really know what it means?

 The word Karma was first initiated in the Hindu belief.  It actually means deed or act. Karma is present in this life and in any past or future lives. The Buddhists also believe in the Karmic laws of Cause and Effect. The theory is that whatever actions we do, good or bad, go instantly to our own karma and will follow us into our next life and returned to us in some way. 

We are probably working out our old karmas now. It’s always best to think first before you act or speak. Once that thought is put into action or that word is spoken, it is automatically recorded in our auras and added to our list of karmic debts. What goes around does come around and you do reap what you sow. We should always try our very best to think and act positive so that any karma returning to us will come back positive also.

 There are many times that we hurt someone without intending to. If you have harmed someone without the intent of doing so, that is different than trying to hurt someone intentionally. Be prepared for that bad energy to come back to you. Whatever actions we do in this life to try to cause dismay, heartache or harm to another person, will follow us from this life to the next.  Everyone has their own karma. We do not take on anyone else’s, they have there own karma to work out.

 If you have ever done something to someone with a positive intention in mind, but it backfired and didn’t turn out as you had planned….no worries on that being bad karma. You didn’t intend to cause harm or hurt.  I personally don’t look as karma as a thing that we should feel guilty about all the time. You shouldn’t worry about having a “dark karma cloud” hanging over you all the time. Believe me, having come from a life where I felt guilty about things all the time, I don’t want something else to impose the feeling of guilt on me just when I am doing so much better about releasing the guilt I’ve had in my life. None of us are perfect and we all do things to others without meaning to from time to time. It is when we purposely hurt others that bad karma is produced.

  The reason I am posting this is to bring this information front and foremost in our minds. It is my hope that we will all concentrate on treating others with the utmost respect. If someone has been rude to you or lashed out at you, they are only doing it because they are upset with themselves.  Just move on…..don’t allow them to create a circumstance where you give the same response back in return. They are the ones creating bad karma for themselves. If you walk away or say or do something kind in return, you have done the right thing. Good karma will come back to you. This is easier said than done most of the time and something that each of us has to work on consistently. We are each responsible for our own actions.

 This is even more of a reason that I would never use Vodou to cause hurt to anyone. There are people that practice such things, doing hexes and spells to cause harm to people and taking matters into their own hands by using Black Magic. The internet is full of them and you can always find someone who practices this dark evil magic. Vodou, in the Hollywood version, is usually portrayed in such a manner. That is one of the things that has given Vodou a bad name and made it the most misunderstood religions in the world. Real Vodou practicioners do no believe in doing harm to anyone. We also believe in karma and that whatever good or bad we do will come back to us.

 Just remember…….if you have done something good or bad for someone, it will return to you ten fold…..either in this life or the next.

My products are sold at Hex - 1219 Decatur St. in New Orleans, Hex - 246 Essex St. - Salem, Mass., and Island of Salvation Botanica at 2372 St. Claude - New Orleans, La.

Peace and Blessings,

Gypsy V

CANDLE MEDITATION

HOW TO DO CANDLE MEDITATION

                                                                                                                                                      
Before you light a candle for your meditation, take a minute to prepare the space in which you will meditate. Turn down the lights or draw your window shades closed. You'll find this meditation much easier to do in a room that's not too bright and you'll avoid eyestrain too, so make sure the room you are in is dimly lit and at a comfortable temperature.

Now light a candle and position it at eye level, or slightly below. It’s OK to look down at the candle slightly, but make sure that your head is not tilted too far forward and that your body is not slumping.

It’s important that you are able to maintain a comfortable upright posture that feels natural to you. Take a seat in your favorite chair, or sit cross legged on the floor, and make sure that your candle is at least 50cm away from you otherwise it may appear too bright.

Now simply stare at the candle and allow the image of the flame to occupy your mind.

At first, your mind will probably wander about and your eyes will resist your efforts to keep them still. This is normal and it will gradually ease as the meditation progresses, so don’t be too concerned if this happens to you.

You may also find that you eyes water a little. Again, this is normal and it usually dissipates quite quickly. If distractions like these arise, simply return your attention to the candle flame and let them go.

A great way to deepen a candle meditation is to imagine that you are breathing the light of the candle in and out of yourself. You don’t need to perform a complex visualization exercise to do this, just keep your eyes fixed on the candle flame, and allow your natural breathing rhythm to fill your awareness.

Casually sense that the light of the candle is flowing into you as you breathe in and out. Feel a sense of purity and clarity infusing with your body and mind as you absorb yourself in this meditation.

Something rather you’ll recognize it when it happens to you...
special happens whenever you go deep into a candle meditation. I’ll describe it so that The reason that you are able to see is because your brain processes the signals that are sent to it via the optic nerves in your eyes. What happens as this meditation progresses is that your brain begins to stop processing these signals. That might sound dramatic, but it’s actually perfectly natural, perfectly safe and a profoundly serene experience. Let me explain what this looks and feels like...

Your eyes are firmly fixed on the image of the flame in front of you and because your eyes are not moving, they are not providing your brain with any new information to process. You then find that some areas of your peripheral vision start to fade from your vision completely...

Gradually, more and more of your peripheral vision fades away until you have no visual aware

ness of anything but the candle flame.

This is a profound experience. Your eyes are open, but you are actually not seeing anything but the small flame in front of you. As a result it feels as though there is no distance between yourself and the flame. In essence, you have become one with the flame.

To achieve this requires both mental stillness and the physical stillness of your eyes. As soon as you move your eyes around, your brain is flooded with new sensory input and you will instantly be able to see the room around you again. Remain still and focused on the candle, and you will slip back into this state of profoundly deep meditation quite quickly.

It may take some practice to really stabilize this experience, but it's well worth it!

At the completion of your candle meditation, close your eyes and lie down for at least five minutes as you let your body and mind come back down to earth.

BOX OF CRAYONS

 

                                                                                       BOX OF CRAYONS                

 Have you ever not liked someone because of what you have heard about them from other people? Have you ever felt that someone must be a bad person because they had tattoos or piercings?  Do you judge people by the clothes they wear?

There are so many reasons not to like someone….and believe me, here in the French Quarter of New Orleans, we could judge a lot of people by their outward appearance!

There are so many times in life that we have not gotten to know someone because of what other people have said about that person and because they lack what we deem as “acceptable” behavior.

How about stepping out of your comfort zone and giving that person a chance? You may find out that they are one of the nicest, most sincere, genuine people that you have ever met.

In this world that we live in, we are all different. We should all be like crayons. Some are pretty, some not as pretty, some are sharp, and some are dull. Some are bright, some aren’t. Some have weird names and some normal. They are all different colors, yet they have all learned to live together in the same box.  Why can’t we do the same?

Peace, Love and Blessings!

Gypsy V

                                                                                      

CUSTOMER LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

                                                                                                   

I am honored to post several letters that customers have sent about the dolls that they have received.

It is a privelege to create dolls that help others in some way....whether spiritually, emotionally or physically.

 My items are sold at Hex - 1219 Decatur St. in New Orleans, Hex - 246 Essex St. - Salem, Mass., and Island of Salvation Botanica at 2372 St. Claude - New Orleans, La.

Dear Gypsy V,
What an incredible blessing it was for me to receive one of your beautiful dolls! When I received it, I was at a time in my life when I felt a little lost, unfocused. It seemed as though nothing was going my way at all. I put the doll on a table next to some treasured photographs and objects that are very sentimental to me, where I could see it and feel the energy from it every day. It wasn't long before everything in my life began to turn around. I found a good job and a nice place to live, got caught up financially abest of all, found someone who cares for me in a way I had never thought possible -- someone who respects me for who I am and doesn't want to change me! I have always known that you were a gifted intuitive and emotional healer and being able to call you my friend is worth more than words can say. Thank you for sharing your magic with me!
Love you my Gypsy Sister,
Christine

To Whom It May Concern,

Over a year ago I purchased my very own doll from Gypsy V.  It has a place of prominence in my rocking chair in my bedroom.  I smile at her every day and am certain it  is responsible for helping me make my wishes come true! 

I also purchased two other Voodoo Dolls from Gypsy V.  One was for health protection and the other for the welfare of myself and those close to me and employment.  I had major surgery 2 years ago in February and as a result of the continuing testing, and the drugs I was given for them, I started experiencing a really serious problem with my kidneys and was swelling up horribly from it.  My kidney specialist had told me if they couldn't control this very soon that I could possibly be looking at total kidney failure and dialysis.  Gypsy V made the doll for me and I know a lot of prayers and concern go into each of these special dolls.  Within a matter of days of receiving it I suddenly started loosing the swelling and by the time I went back to the kidney specialist, just a few weeks later, everything was totally back to normal - all my tests - and the doctor said my readings were even better than normal and she had no explanation for why this had happened.  But I do! 

I have also invoked the other doll to help my loved ones with employment and they have all succeeded and even gotten positions that seemed to come out of nowhere and that were unexpected.   

Lucia Ward  (from Dallas, Texas)

 Gypsy V,

It was great meeting you while we were in New Orleans.  I wanted to drop you a note to let you know that the "girls"  (dolls), made it to their new home safely.  The care you put into making each one is obvious.  Seems that everytime I look at them I notice a new detail.  The dolls truly embody the spirit of New Orleans and each one has their own "personality". You can be sure that I'll be getting another one real soon.

Thanks again,

Sandy (from Maryland)

 Dear Gypsy V,

I visited New Orleans a few years back and came upon you selling these beautiful dolls.

Now laugh at me if you will, but as I passed one of the dolls I felt like she was speaking to me. Not in a scary way, but in a very important way. I had to turn around and went straight for the doll that was calling me.

As soon as I picked her up, I knew I had to have her. I am a grown woman with grown children. My doll will never grow up or leave me. She now lives with me in my Georgia home and when I need something I hold her and hug her and she helps me with my needs. She is a love that will always be with me and now will help to keep me strong. Just seeing her makes me smile. She is hand made and I feel the love that was put into making her. The love continues on through everyday.

Thank you Gypsy Vodou!

Pauline Herring  (from Georgia)

RED BRICK DUST

      

                                                                                                              

Red Brick dust is a powerful magical remedy that will protect you and your home from enemies.

It is an old New Orleans tradition to “clean” your front stoop with red brick dust to protect the entrance to your home and to keep bad energy and negativity away. Locals here have been passing this tradition on for generations.

It got it's beginning in an abandoned brick yard on

Dumaine Street

in New Orleans. This was a place for Vodou Queens to gather and hold rituals. Repeated police raids on the brickyard drove the practitioners to Bayou St. John and Lake Pontchartrain to hold their ceremonies.

Red brick dust is famous in Hoodoo and Vodou Communities for its protective properties. New Orleans is a haven for Hoodoo and Vodou practitioners and you can still go into many stores and homes here and cross over a line of red brick dust. To use, simply lay a line across the doorways and entrances to your home or business. No one who wants to cause you harm can enter. If you really want to be thorough you can run a line of red brick dust completely around your home or business.

It has been used by Hoodooists for centuries to scrub their front stoop in order to ward off curses, evil, and bad juju. Adding the dust to chamber lye (urine), ammonia, or vinegar is called "reddening" and used along with blueing, produces a very powerful effect with cleansing and protecting a home.

To lay red brick dust around your home will keep those who wish to steal, or do any other harm from crossing your door or coming onto your property. Allegedly, evil can not step over the line of dust. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, get up before dawn without speaking to anyone and wash your doorstep with your own urine and water. When it dries, sprinkle this dust across the doorstep. To make the wash stronger, write the name of the Captain of Police on paper, burn the paper to ashes and add the ashes to your scrub water.

 I will be offering red brick dust on my website soon. I use only the dust that I have made with the use of slave-labor bricks from here in New Orleans.
This dust has mystical energy and spirit than any other brick dust made from regular, newer brick due to all of the paranormal activity here.  There are certain prayers and rituals that I must do prior to the dust being bottled. After I collect the bricks, they are smudged with sage to help remove any negativity from them and then placed around an altar in my home where they recieve empowerment and blessings from the Lwa. After this is done, I then grind the bricks by hand into dust so that I can bottle it for your use.
Please keep the website watched. I will give you an update when I have it to offer.

Peace, Love and Blessings!

Gypsy V

P.S. My products are sold at Hex - 1219 Decatur St. in New Orleans, Hex - 246 Essex St. - Salem, Mass., and Island of Salvation Botanica at 2372 St. Claude - New Orleans, La.

CHEROKEE INDIANS....MY PEOPLE

       

                                                               CHEROKEE INDIANS       
I am truly honored to have Cherokee blood running through my veins. I am a member of the United Lumbee Nation. My maternal an Grandmothers and my paternal Great-Grandfather were all part Cherokee. I missed out on many stories and important information about my lineage when I was growing up. I became more interested in my background as I got older, but then those grandparents were gone and I couldn’t ask them the details that I wanted to know. I hope you will embrace your heritage. Ask questions, find out about the things that make you who you are.
The origin and meaning of the name Cherokee, which they pronounce Tsaragi or Tsalagi, are unknown. They commonly call themselves Yûñwiya (“real people”).
The history of the Cherokees begins with De Soto, who passed within their territory in 1540. In 1684 they made their first treaty with the English of Carolina, with whom thereafter they maintained friendly relations throughout the Colonial period, except in the Yamasee war in 1715-1716, and in a war waged on their own account in 1759-1761. They took sides also with the English against the Americans during the Revolution, but made a treaty of peace with the United States in 1785, although the border fighting went on some years longer. In 1821 Sequoya, a mixed blood of the tribe, invented a syllabic alphabet for the language which has been an immense factor in their progress toward civilization. In 1827 they adopted a regular form of government modelled upon that of the United States, but after long controversy with the State of Georgia, which claimed jurisdiction over most of their territory not already ceded, a treaty was forced upon them in 1835 by which they bound themselves to remove to their present home in Oklahoma. The removal was accomplished in 1839, and their tribal existence continued under the style of the “Cherokee Nation“, until dissolved for American citizenship in 1906. As already noted, a small body remained behind in the old home in the East. The tribe at present numbers altogether about 20,000 persons of pure and mixed blood, exclusive of several thousand names carried upon the rolls, but repudiated by the Indians.
The Cherokees were a sedentary and agricultural people, with hunting and fishing as subordinate occupations. The women were expert potters and basket weavers, and the men skilful carvers of stone and wood. They had no central government, each town being independent in its action. They had a system of seven clans, with descent in the female line. In religion they were pantheists, holding in special reverence the Sun, Fire and Water. Their great religious ceremony was the Green Corn dance, a thanksgiving for the new crops, and their chief athletic amusement was a ball game which is the original of our lacrosse. They buried their dead in caves or under piles of stones.
    As a tribute to my Cherokee Indian heritage, I leave this post with a Cherokee prayer.          

                     

           A Cherokee Prayer Blessing

  “May the warm winds of heaven blow softly upon your house,
   May the Great Spirit bless all who enter there,
May your moccasins make happy tracks in many snows,
    And may the rainbow always touch your shoulder.”