Coventry Creations Articles

BEST OF JACKI -Jacki’s most liked and read articles back to reread or enjoy for the first time! Building an Ancestor Altar by Jacki Smith Note: this article was for the Autumn time, although August is a little early to be talking about Halloween, it really is just around the corner and an Ancestor Altar is good for all year round!   All Saint Day, Halloween, Day of the Dead is a time when we assume ghosts abound, but what or who makes up those ghosts; our ancestors do. IT’s not that they come through the veil to scare you, but they come in to bring blessings, share love and allow you to connect with them on a deeper level.   Modern Witch tradition makes Halloween spooky, but the longer standing history is that this is a day of celebration with the loved ones who have helped shape you into the...

The Ghosts are Back in Town!   It is that time of year again and that means that the fun Autumn special pours are available again.  Starting off the season would be the Ghost Candle line.  These 4 candles are only made once a year and they go very quickly!  The ghost candles are made for the time of year when the veil is at its thinnest between our world and beyond. They not only deal with issues of the spirit world but also in the past energies and emotions people can leave behind in a location or even on you!   Here are the 4 candles available in the ghost special pour:   Home Clear and Bless-Clear out the past energy from your house be it spirits or former tenants. Clear the air and make room for your well being.   Night Terror-Soothe your nightmares by calling for protection and...

BEST OF JACKI -Jacki’s most liked and read articles back to reread or enjoy for the first time!   Ten Ways to Spiritually Prepare for Your Future By Jacki Smith   The talk of resolutions and new beginnings paint that future picture in a way that seems achievable.  It paints it with the innocence of a new day, week or change of season, before the reality of the day to day grind changes and muddies the images of your own future that you hold. Why not grab onto the spiritual energy that is a new beginning  and magically prepare for your future, bringing it not only closer, but into your immediate grasp.   These 10 tools are nothing new; they are the basics of creating change in your life.   1 – Talk out your future with a trusted colleague. Talk and trust are the key words here.   If you keep all...

When your love life isn’t so sweet – put a little honey in it! By Jacki Smith   Sometimes we don’t know what we want in a love life, we just want something!  Or maybe you keep going for the same thing over and over again and that brand of love does not work so well for you.   With the holiday of love, literally right around the corner – latch onto that energy and use it to bring more honey into your life.   One of the tricks with and good conjure that will change your life (for the better), you need to clear away the junk that is blocking the success of your work.   Make your clearing specific to the work you are doing and your success is almost guaranteed.      Honey Mine – Love Jar Spell   Ingredients: Lemon Uncrossing Motor City Hoo Doo Candle Unlined paper Clear glass...

It’s summer!!  For many (sadly not all of us) will be heading somewhere whether it be a long far away destination or a long weekend with friends in a nearby camp ground.  Travelling can take a lot out of your physically and emotionally.  I have never been so relaxed and exhausted at the same time while travelling. According to the US travel Association (ustravel.org) we are now travelling more without our children and 79% of us will be going by car.  The average leisure traveller will be older, 55% of travellers are over 45 years old.  We are also changing the way we are planning our trips. “Trip planning sources have shifted over the last several years, with social media and mobile devices being used more often. In 2012, nearly one-quarter (23%) of domestic leisure travelers relied on friends and relatives to plan their trips, while three in ten (31%) utilized...

  A Conjure Lamp Enchantment by Chas Bogan Chas is an artist, writer, and craftsman, and spends much of his time producing a variety of artistic creations for Carnivalia, his online presence centered on the tools of spiritualism, the occult, Hoodoo, and the tradition of carnivale. His spiritual background is varied, including Charismatic Christian, Spiritualist, and Pagan. He currently works with a variety of different spiritual currents, most notably Conjure, Angelic, Ancestral, and Reiki healing. He is one of the founders of the Mystic Dream Academy and one of the owners of The Mystic Dream. Chas is currently teaching his best selling class, Modern Conjure and preparing for his summer tour.     Electric lighting all but killed the use of oil lamps, however the tradition of using them for magical purposes remains. While there are many forms and fuels that an oil lamp may take, we will focus on the...

  PROTECTIVE MEASURES by Dorothy Morrison. Well known author of books as the author of Lucinda's Web, Everyday Magic, The Craft, Utterly Wicked and many other books. A native Texan, she is  a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. Dorothy currently ensconced in studies of the RavenMyst Circle Tradition, and enjoys membership in the Coven of the Raven.   Anyone who performs hexes and curses would be a fool not to go the extra mile to protect themselves against the same.  Thus, the following protection simples are provided for your convenience.   Against the Evil Eye: Hang dill weed over all windows and doorways in the home. Wear a blue eye bead for constant personal protection. Hang one from the rearview mirror of your...

  The Art of Setting Lights: Candle Spells in Conjure Tradition by Storm Faerywolf Storm Faerywolf is a teacher, artist, poet, warlock, priest, and initiate of the Faery tradition, a lineage of American Traditional Witchcraft. With nearly thirty years experience practicing the Craft and teaching for more than twenty, Storm has lead open circles, given lectures, and taught both public and private classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the U.S. He holds the Black Wand and is the founder of BlueRose, his own school and lineage within the Faery Tradition. He is also an initiate in several other traditions of witchcraft, spirituality, and energy healing. Storm is a regular contributor to Modern Witch and has been interviewed on several other podcasts including Elemental Castings and Hex Education. Along with his husband he owns and operates The Mystic Dream, a metaphysical and occult retail store and learning center in...

  Awakening the Blood: Calling, Contacting and Communicating with Our Ancestors by Susan Diamond   Susan Diamond is the owner/ operator of Serpent’s Kiss Magic Shop and Crossroads Community Space in Santa Cruz, Ca. (serpents-kiss.com) She Creates many of the items found at her shop. She is a practicing Witch, Initiated Palera, Shamanic Practitioner, Astrologer, Spiritual Consultant/Coach, Reader & Rootworker. Susan teaches classes and is co-owner of Conjure Craft (conjurecraft.us) along with Orion Foxwood and a founding member  of Conjure Crossroads (folkmagicfestival.com) along with Starr Casas, Sindy Todo, Shimmering Wolf, & Orion Foxwood (conjurecon.com) You can connect with her on FB or listen to Conjure Crossroads on Blog Talk Radio (blogtalkradio.com/conjurecrossroads)   Ancestor work is the most important, potent, and immediately (as well as long term) gratifying work as anything you could ever do. Open that door and the future and its opportunities are limitless. Our Ancestors blood is within us....

Home Work with St. Joseph By Sindy Todo.Born and raised on the Texas-Louisiana gulf coast and a true Southern Rootworker, her Cajun/Louisiana ancestral gumbo is fully reflected in my conjure and is representative of the blend of cultures found there She is a conjurer, spiritual coach, energy worker, healer, intuitive, and card & bone reader.  Sindy also serves as a spiritual bridge between realms.  Her gifts are ancestral and passed down to me from her Cajun and Lebanese grandmothers. Sindy  resides in Seattle Washington with her beloved husband of 28 years and two beautiful Shih Tzu’s who are her constant companions that energetically watch over and guard all her work!     When I began practicing rootwork or conjure, one of the first divinities that clearly spoke to me regarding prosperity work was Saint Joseph. He has been my patron Saint, my spiritual benefactor and my support.  Many have experienced his...

  Entering a rapture: Trance in American Root-Doctoring and Conjure Practices By Orion FoxwoodFoxwood is a witch, conjure-man and faery seer; and, the author of “The  Faery Teachings” (RJ Stewart Books), “The Tree of Enchantment” and “The  Candle and the Crossroads” and "The Flame in the Cauldron" (Weiser Books).. Orion is the founder, and primary teacher, of the House of Brigh Faery Seership Institute, a multi-year teaching program in the "Tree of Enchantment" Seerhship lore, practices, traditions and skills; and a co-founder of Conjure Crossroads (CC), which is a collaboration between five (5)  seasoned root-workers and witches focused on preserving and promoting the healing and helping benefits of southern root-work, witchcraft and other folk traditions. CC hosts the annual Folk Magic Festival in New Orleans, Conjure-Craft in Santa Cruz, CA and an ongoing blog show. He is the Founding Elder of Foxwood Temple, a coven dedicated to passing on the traditional...

PINS AND NEEDLES by Dorothy Morrison. Well known author of books as the author of Lucinda's Web, Everyday Magic, The Craft, Utterly Wicked and many other books. A native Texan, she is  a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. Dorothy currently ensconced in studies of the RavenMyst Circle Tradition, and enjoys membership in the Coven of the Raven.   Poppets have a made a magical comeback in the last few years, and there’s plenty of related information to be found in both books and on the internet today.  What you won’t find, though, is information on the correct pin and needle insertion points to cause the desired effect.  Of course, if the intent is to cause illness, locating the proper insertion point is just...

  Olive Oil in Conjure By Caterina O’Sullivan Caterina is owner of La Buona vita.  She is an Ama Deus and Reiki Master as well as a skilled Rootworker. Taking into consideration the day of the week, the time of day, and the phase of the moon, Caterinas products are hand crafted for the specific needs of clients. La Buona Vitas aim is to Craft the very best and most powerful product to help everyone “Live the Good Life”.  For more information about Caterina, please visit her website http://labuonavitausa.com/   A family tradition From soaps to sauces, and cures of many ailments, Olive oil is well known all over the world. I grew up with no other oil in the house; it was sacred to my mother’s family. I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of my youth in Italy and I can attest for its many wonderful properties and...

  Mama Izzy’s Hoodoo by Nicki Mcdermott (Izzy McDermott) As far back as I can remember the faith that is so deeply entwined with Conjure work has always been a part of my family and my life. When I was young I would be at my grandmother’s house and it was busy. Lot’s of people, lot’s of noise. My Grandma Bowers would be cooking in her cast iron skillet, Great Granny Wilson would be at the kitchen table singing bible hymns and gramps and Uncle Izzy, my great uncle, would be sitting around having a Budweiser talking about this or that. It was crazy and chaotic, but it was my family. Things were always done the “old way”. My Granny Wilson lived in a tiny house next to my grandma’s and she would hold Sunday school for us. It was always a lesson taken right out of the bible and you...

The Syncretic Worlds of Kabbalah and Conjure By Storm Cestavani   Storm Cestavani is a kabbalist, astrologer, and practices transformational magic.  He is the co-host of the popular metaphysical podcast “Keep It Magic” with Jacki Smith and the creator of “Your Daily Dose™” a daily astrology column.  You can follow his work on Facebook or Twitter.   Have you ever seen the movie “Practical Magic”?   It’s a lovely film about witches starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, and Stockard Channing.  The film centers around two sisters that are born into a mysterious witch family, in which one of the ancestors was heartbroken and cast a spell where she would never fall in love again.  According to the prologue of the movie, the spell turned into a curse and any man who fell in love with a witch woman born into this family, would die.  Of course, like any movie, the two...

  COFFIN NAILS by Dorothy Morrison. Well known author of books as the author of Lucinda's Web, Everyday Magic, The Craft, Utterly Wicked and many other books. A native Texan, she is  a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. Dorothy currently ensconced in studies of the RavenMyst Circle Tradition, and enjoys membership in the Coven of the Raven.   While coffin nails used to be plentiful and easy to come by, such is not the case anymore.  Of course, there are still many occult supply stores that offer them for sale, but the problem with obtaining those is clear:  There’s no way to know whether the nails you’ve bought are truly the real thing, or just regular nails that can be purchased at half...

  Mother Mary By Momma Starr Casas   For over 35 years, veteran Rootworker and Traditional Conjure Woman, Starr Casas, has been helping folks through her ancestral heritage of Old Style Conjure. She is the best-selling author of THE CONJURE WORKBOOK VOL. 1: WORKING THE ROOT published through Pendraig Publishing. She is also the author of many bestselling self-published titles on Old Style Conjure such as WORKING WITH BLACKHAWK & THE HOODOO MONEY CONJURE WORKBOOK. For more information, you can visit her site http://www.oldstyleconjure.com/   As a child I was taught how important Mary was because she was Jesus’s mama. The Virgin Mary is also known as the Heavenly Queen. She is wonderful to petition for anything dealings with males or the family. Any mother that is worth a grain of salt is going to protect her children. Mother Mary is very good when it comes to protection.   You can...

    Louisiana Conjure: Faith, Remedies and Roots by Denise Alvarado   Denise Alvarado  is a New Orleans-born, native Creole raised in the rich culture of New Orleans, Louisiana. She has studied indigenous healing traditions from a personal, professional and academic perspective for over four decades. She is the author of numerous books about southern conjure, including the The Conjurer's Guide to St. Expedite, The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook, the Hoodoo Almanacs, Workin' in da Boneyard, Hoodoo and Conjure New Orleans, Crossroads Mamas 2015 Spiritual Baths for Every Occasion, the Voodoo Doll Spellbook, Voodoo Dolls in Magick and Ritual and more. Her provocative artwork has been featured on several television shows including National Geographic's Taboo, The Originals, and Blue Bloods, as well as in several books by other authors. She is a rootworker in the Louisiana Hoodoo tradition, a spiritual artist, and teacher of southern conjure at Crossroads University,www.crossroadsuniversity.com. Visit her websites:http://www.creolemoon.com...

  A Conjure with No Name By Bryon Ballard   H. Byron Ballard, BA, MFA, is a ritualist, teacher, speaker  and writer. She has served as a featured speaker and teacher at Sacred Space Conference, Pagan Unity Festival, Pagan Spirit Gathering, Southeast Wise Women’s Herbal Conference, Glastonbury Goddess Conference, FaerieFest and other gatherings. She serves as elder priestess at Mother Grove Goddess Temple, a church devoted to the many faces of the Divine Feminine, where she teaches religious education and leads rituals. Her essays are featured in several anthologies, and She blogs as “Asheville’s Village Witch” (myvillagewitch.wordpress.com) and as The Village Witch for Witches andPagans Magazine (witchesandpagans.com/The-Village-Witch), where she is also a regular columnist.   Her pamphlet “Back to the Garden: a Handbook for New Pagans“ has been widely distributed and her first book “Staubs and Ditchwater: an Introduction to Hillfolks Hoodoo” (Silver Rings Press)  debuted in June 2012.  Byron is...

GATHERING GRAVEYARD DIRT by Dorothy Morrison. Well known author of books as the author of Lucinda's Web, Everyday Magic, The Craft, Utterly Wicked and many other books. A native Texan, she is  a Third Degree Wiccan High Priestess of the Georgian Tradition, founded the Coven of the Crystal Garden in 1986, and spent many years teaching the Craft to students in eight states and in Australia. Dorothy currently ensconced in studies of the RavenMyst Circle Tradition, and enjoys membership in the Coven of the Raven.   There are probably as many theories on how to gather graveyard dirt as there are graves on the planet.  And the truth of the matter is that the exact procedure just depends upon who you ask.  For that reason, you’ll only find my personal protocol listed in the guidelines below.     Timing:  It’s said that for good works, graveyard dirt should be taken within the...