Your dead are not lost
they have just moved on,
like night slips to daylight
each morning, at dawn.

Cry for your sadness.
Cry for your pain.
Of course you miss faces
you wont see again.

Build a boat
to harbor your grief.
Send it off, with a candle
to lend to Release.

Like a light in the dark,
like a glimmer of hope,
know Death is not terrible,
its a blessing, invoked.

Death gets a bad rap
from the ones left behind.
But those who opt in
embrace beauty, refined.

Death is no thief,
it's a lottery win.
Regardless of your faith,
it's the yang to the yin.

Life is the challenge.
Surviving is work.
Big whoop,
you can do this;
life is a perk!

Life takes up the space
between darkness and light.
It the star on the edge
of each day's coming night.

Its the promise in breath.
Its the hope in a smile.
Its the courage to birth
the next phenomenal child.

So honor your Dead,
your loves who've moved on.
but don't tell me they're lost, they exist,
like the essence of a song.

**May the Dark Blessings
of this harvest season
find you guided in your faith
to LIVE your life fully**

©Spellbinding Sherry

The season's shift is swiftly approaching,
and in the doing,
the mighty Sun will diminish
(from our perspective).

The days will become shorter,
as He gives way to the nurturing Darkness of the Mother.

I build a Wicker Man,
in preparation for this time,
keeping my attention, my prayer,
on what role the God plays in my life.
I see this concept of Deity as a witness to all I do,
a motivating initiator to shine Light upon my heart.

You might see Him differently.

Because I am eclectic in my rites,
I find many layers to the God.
In addition to the Above and Beyond me,
I feel his presence upon my skin,
and in my life.

During the building of my Wicker Man
I have known the God as the Harvest King,
the One, who with his own permission,
is cut down by his community
to die in service to those he loves.

I have seen in his arms,
the arms of the eternal Father.

I have found in him the blessed Consort of the Maiden.

I also have heard his whispers as the Son.

After building his effigy of natural findings in my dooryard,
such as corn stalks when I had a garden in Vermont,
and now the branches of oak and palm here in Florida,
he stands watch upon my doings for a few days.
We See one another, He and I.

During this time I will gather the finest offerings of the season
to place at his feet, or in his body,
in the form of flowers, fruit and vegetables.

I will give him all I am ready to be done with,
as this is the greatest release of the year, for me.

One year I gave him my Broken Heart.
Another year I asked him to take my Poverty.

I also ask him to carry my Hope and Intent with him,
to deliver to the Sacred Mother,
who will incubate them in her Earthly womb.
In doing this, I have faith in their sprouting in the spring.

On Mabon,
which is also known as the Feast of the Second Harvest,
the Vernal, or Autumnal Equinox,
and the beginning of the fall
(which I find very appropriate...the fall of the God in this form),
I stand before him in prayer,
and set him on fire.

I have known tears to fall down my face in this prayer.
I have cried in renewed mourning
of all which is lost to me.
I have also found the eternal smile of Hope as
I have seen the smoke lift my prayers to the heavens,
and the God turn to ash,
as He lay safely upon the breast of the Goddess Mother.

I am able to do this ritual in confidence
that the seasons of the year, and of life,
serve a purpose.
It is up to me
to utilize the turning of this wheel
to the greatest of my ability.

I know many of my prayerful friends
would be well served in this rite,
but live in places where building and burning their own
life sized Wicker Man is simply not practical, at best,
and punishable, at worst.
Some folks, even without threat,
are concerned about the scrutiny of neighbors.
For these reasons I have built wee Wicker Men this year.

When the full moon was in Pisces
I prayed these effigies into form
using jasmine vines, hemp cording
and the smoke of burning sage, to bless them.
They spent the night charging beneath that moon.

I prayerfully painted fabric to drape on them.
Colors evoke the season,
in yellow, orange and red.
The red also represents the blood of sacrifice.
Those who choose to do so,
will inscribe what they are ready to let go of in prayers upon this fabric,
drape it upon the poppet, and know He will carry with him.

I also rolled little scrolls of parchment paper
to serve as the prayerful seeds (more like the plantings of bulbs) of incubation.
Upon these one would write their prayers of hope,
the details of what they are working on, even in the coming time of stillness.

All of the Wicker Men, drapings and scrolls
have been prayed with, blessed and consecrated
over a three day period.

They are ready for you to purchase
to help you in your prayerful release and incubation work.
If you live locally, you'll get a break on your price,
since I'll be saving the cost of shipping.
Prices range from $30 to $50 dollars.
The smallest is 12 inches tall.
The largest is 19 inches tall.
(you will find them posted in their own photo album)

May the turning of the Wheel find you
blessed in the workings of the Sacred.

©Spellbinding Sherry

In teaching a loved one about the power of words,
an inspiring lesson revealed itself.
This was something to which I was witness,
meaning, I was there,
and pointed it out
as it occurred:

We were at the store, she and I,
grocery shopping.
As she approached the discount rack
she said, "I hope there's some bread."
I laughed to myself.
Bread filled four or five shelves.
I mean, it was practically the ONLY item there.

Next she stated, "I dont want rolls or big loaves."
I noted to myself that
nearly all of them were just that;
rolls and bakery loaves.
Still scanning the rack, I say to her,
"Now we know what you don't want.
Tell me what you ARE looking for."

She understood my emphasis,
and said, "ah hah, I am looking for SLICED (bakery) bread."

Our eyes dropped from shelf to shelf.

There it was: ONE loaf of SLICED bakery bread
at the very bottom of the display.
ONE of about 50 loaves of bread,
was exactly what she stated.

She bought it
and I pointed out
how amazing her capability is
when she minds her mind
and states her intention clearly.

Keep minding the mind.
You'll be amazed at how these wee small prayers are answered.

If you need help doing so
make an appointment with me.
This is exactly the sort of thing
many of my clients learn
to help them be more aware,
have a more capable prayer,
and thereby a more empowered life.

©Spellbinding Sherry

I deliver messages
for the Blessed Dead.
I call these Dead Deliveries.

Most often the Living
approach me for the service.
Occasionally it is the Dead who seek me out,
and there are certainly times
when I just "check in"
on those I know who have made an exit.

When a Living person
asks to schedule a Dead Delivery
they give me different reasons for doing so.
Some want to make sure they did the right thing
before, or as, the Dead was was dying.
Others want to assuage some sense of grief
which they had been unable to process.
Some are just checking in on loved ones,
and others have been sent by the Dead, via dreams.

Once an appointment is scheduled
I like to make offerings for the Dead
for three days prior to the Delivery.
It's not always the case,
but usually.
During these offerings I honor them in prayer
and extend and invitation to join us.

I would do not promise a Delivery.
It's not up to me.
It's entirely up to the Dead;
whether they want to be heard, or not.

Before a client arrives for the scheduled appointment,
I clear and bless the space we work in,
as I do any time I open a person's heart.
Again, I also make offerings to the Dead.
If you've read Guido's story (here in the blog/notes)
you know that the Dead can experience challenge
in the concept of a Dead Delivery.
Since making the offerings is more present to my practice now,
I have been blessed with only successful Deliveries.

Some folks get the benefit of a song,
often as we complete the brief meditation we share.
If I hear something, whether it makes sense to me, or not,
I share it with my client.
If I have to sing a few bars, so be it.
I've watched these occasional songs
break the tension of a client,
add a smile/laugh to the mix
as the message then rolls along with great ease.

The client takes active notes.
The Dead will speak to them
through the tool I use
(mostly cards, occasionally henna,
and as I write, I'm being told
I would be able to do so with dolls,
which I haven't done yet).
If, after the Dead are done
saying what they have to say,
the client has questions,
I allow them to be asked.
Often though, everything on the mind of the Living
has already been addressed by the Dead.

I love delivering messages for the Dead.
I love seeing the healing within the Living
when they submit to the process of Understanding.
It is a blessing, to me, to see the hearts grow lighter
and the shoulders ease in the burden they've carried.

I have some clients who like
to check in on their Dead periodically.
Sometimes the Dead are up for it,
and want to speak of great new Awareness
they have experienced,
while other times they've told me
to "tell the Living to get on with Living
and that nothing's different with me.
This has been akin to "tell them to DO what I TOLD them!"
Yes, the Dead can scold sometimes.

When the Dead come to me before their Living,
it is a little more challenging.
Dead Stephanie was 15 when she died in her sleep.
(she has a blog or two here too on my page)
I let her spend the entire morning with me in my studio.
She had me paint a candle to give her mom,
and asked me to write a note too.
The thing is, I had no background with Dead Steph's Mom!
I carried the gifts to the funeral
and planned to leave it at that,
but was moved, as in I BLURTED to Mom,
"I spent all morning with your daughter."
Fortunately, Mom was receptive
and was in my studio for a Delivery in no time.

There are others among the Dead
who have contacted me,
and whose Living I've approached,
(but who dont know me)
who harbor a skeptical view,
especially when they learn
that the service is not a free gift.
(though, if a friend of theirs were to cover the cost,
I wonder if they'd have a different opinion).
Just as I cannot cause the Dead to Deliver,
I cannot cause the Living to Listen.

I've also had a Dead guy on my porch once
who I had not detected,
but my neighbor's security camera
witnessed him digitally.
All who viewed the camera's imaging
saw the same thing:
a bodiless Being, who swept down
form the upper right corner of the screen
(reminding me of Casper the Friendly Ghost's uncles)
to become upright before my front door.
As I watched I felt it as a male energy.
It felt nervous, unsure, a little confused.
It paced, in shadow form, back and forth across my porch,
as if to consider whether to, or maybe how, to knock on my door.
The is turned, almost with a despondent feeling to me,
and walked down the steps to the ground and whooshed away.
My neighbor, prior to this, had no idea what I do.
He was kinda weirded out.
I went home and let the Porch Guy know I was listening,
and I asked him what was up.
He wanted to speak to his Living.
I put up a blog on myspace,
figuring someone must know this guy.
Several folks inquired as to whether
he was "their" Dead Guy.
Each time, I'd ask him, and many times I responded to them, "no".
Then one woman wrote to tell me it was time.
She said the Porch Guy blog nudged her,
but her interest was not specifically about him.
She just felt a need to come to me.
Since she wasn't responding TO the Porch Guy,
I didn't ask him if this was his Living.
During her Delivery for her own Dead,
I saw a LOT of similarities to the Porch Guy.
After the client had left, I asked Porch Guy
if that had been his person I'd worked with.
It was.

Another delivery snuck up on me and the Dead's Living.
Dead man had made an exit many years ago.
His Living friend had written him a song.
It is many years old and she was singing it to me
and I was filled with his need to be heard.
I had no cards with me.
He encouraged me to use the henna,
because the cards still freaked him out a bit,
and because it was there.
It was strange, in some ways,
but the Living who Heard and Wore his message
of love upon her hand in henna,
said it was dead on (nice pun, eh?).

All I know about what comes after we leave these bodies
I have learned from the Blessed Dead.
They have much to teach those who Listen.

If you have an interest in such a service,
we can make an appointment.

Remember please,
though I prefer to work in person,
we can also do this over the phone.

Blessed Be,
© Spellbinding Sherry
 

I know you've worked very hard.
You have undertaken the exercises
to intentionally let go of what no longer serves
the highest vibration of your Being .

Have you found
that some things you had to release
like a grudge you don't even recall the seed of,
were able to be let go of easily,
while other aspects of it
like the pain incurred by a death
were more challenging?

Have faith in your prayer.

The work you do is necessary.

Sometimes release work
which can be akin to weeding out one's garden,
can feel complete.
You know those days,
when you look at everything you're growing
and can honestly say
that you've weeded out every undesirable aspect
(while you've prayed with gratitude and appreciation
for the ripeness of all you are working on)
Those are the days it's obvious, the work you are undertaking.
But there is a balance to these days too.

Sometimes even a well tended garden,
and the person who is adept at The Work,
will come to find
new sprouts of uninvited things pop up.
Sometimes they resemble what we've already let go of,
what we've already worked so hard to remove.
The presence of new versions of the same
are not necessarily due to neglect,
so much, as a new exposure of another generation
of the need to continue weeding.

Move THROUGH these days too,
and know that
even when it seems futile,
that your diligence serves a purpose.

It is not one day's work,
to propagate a garden;
it is a process
to be attentive to while enjoying its every aspect,
from preparation,
to breakthrough growth,
the harvesting of intent
and the tending of what has passed.
And still, at every phase of the cycle,
there is release work to be done.
So it is with life.

Have faith in your continued journey
and keep doing what you must do
to clear the way for your empowered prayer,
and watch how your life, your garden, is affected!

© Spellbinding Sherry

Some of my clients live in places

far away from my studio.

We have become close over the miles,

because these prayerful things we do together

are not at all encumbered by distance.

 

Our work together is done

within the shared space of the open heart, the prayerful soul,

and these exist far beyond our physical forms.

 

Phone readings are intimate.

While it's not the same

as the two of us working knee-to-knee,

we still work heart-to-heart,

so it all works out.

 

I've been asked by many of you

how we go about a reading over the phone,

so I invite you to wander through this, here.

 

Like all of my appointments,

we'll schedule a time which is open ended.

I prefer weekday mornings, but have the flexibility

to submit to reading times outside of that ideal.

 

(toss me a date and time; I'll check my calendar

and see how it looks for availability).

 

Once the appointment is secured,

you'll be directed as to how to prepare for your reading.

I have the following guidelines:

 

We will "meet" at your kitchen or dining room table

to the best of your ability.

This is a place where, hopefully, you nourish your body.

I think its appropriate to nourish your soul here too.

Dining chairs too, usually support an attentive posture.

(as opposed to say, lounge chairs, where one is kicked back and comfy)

You'll want to be attentive.

This stuff is important! YOU are important!

 

At the table I ask you to have

a free flowing writing implement

for your ACTIVE note taking,

and plenty of space to write said notes.

(many ongoing clients have composition books

in which they record notes of ONLY their readings).

 

I encourage also that you have there

a vessel of WATER to drink

and tissues, in case your eyes leak.

There are times that neither of these are needed,

but when we DO need them, its best to have them right there.

 

I prefer (and you will to) your reading be done when you are alone.

Your reading is between you, me and the One to whom you pray.

Your focus is tantamount to your lessons' understanding.

If you have pets, please care for them before the reading

by making sure they are fed, have "gone out," etc.

If you have children, scheduling at nap time may work for you,

or better yet, scheduling when the kids are at school/camp/friends/away

is the BEST option.

 

If you have an ear piece for your phone I suggest you use it.

If you do not have one, that's alright,

it's just so beneficial to have the freedom of your arm,

mostly for reasons of comfort.

 

I will place the call to you at our scheduled time.

Your feet will touch the floor while your head rises to the heavens

as we journey through a brief meditation

which will help us to relieve ourselves of any distractions or expectations

while we simultaneously open our hearts to the shared universal energy of breath.

(it is as we being the meditation,

that I engage the stopwatch to monitor and record our time).

 

After the meditation is behind us

you may sit more comfortably,

and I'll cue you to date your notes.

Keep your pen/pencil in your hand for the entire readings,

as you'll be using it constantly.

 

We'll speak about the first card I turn over,

just to make sure you recognize yourself in the metaphysical mirror there.

If you do not, I'll start shuffling the cards again.

When you do see yourself in the card,

we'll move forward, or opt out.

(I'll give it three rounds, and if you don’t see yourself,

then we'll reschedule and we may tweak some other details.

I've heard folks tell me there were construction workers outside).

There's no point in doing this if it's not happening with clarity.

 

Most folks DO see themselves in that first card though.

When they do so,

I lay out the rest of the cards.

It is my prayer to address

the MOST IMPORTANT things you need to know

at the time of the reading.

This is not for you, or for me, to decide.

We are shown and told what is of importance.

 

Our time together is a two-way conversation.

If you have a need for me to slow down.

because you're not quite up to speed on your notes,

just let me know.

Otherwise, I tend to keep a rather swift pace,

so as not to drag these things on as the clock hands spin.

If something rattles for you,

which is off topic to the current subject matter,

I'll ask you to take a note,

to remind you to ask later.

 

There will be alot of note taking.

Where you need clarification, ask.

Where it resonates SO true, it's nice if you let me know.

Nonetheless, there are occasional times

when neither of us "gets" what  of we are speaking.

You'll still take notes on these details,

and often will be gifted an awareness of those things later.

 

After the full spread has been addressed,

and you know better how to proceed

for your own soul's empowerment

through your amplified prayer,

I will ask you if you have other questions

(this is where you check those "off topic" notes).

 

If you do, I will address them directly.

Sometimes the answers are given.

and sometimes

we are told

"I told you what's important,

tend to that first!"

Again, it's not up to me or you,

what we will be shown.

 

Usually I will give specific homework

to help you on your journey.

Sometimes it will be recommended reading,

other times it will be outsourcing you to another professional of some sort,

or outlining specific prayerful exercises

to create a more capable

a more constant, fluid relationship

with what is Sacred in your life.

 

When you have assured me that you have no further questions,

that you have scanned your notes,

and know what you have to work on,

I will again tend to the stopwatch.

We then will note the time which has passed,

and the correlating fee which has been incurred

at my rate of $80 per prorated hour.

 

You will send me a payment

via paypal for the service of my work.

Most clients tip generously.

Honestly though, tipping entirely up to you.

I honor your heart, and place you in my prayers, regardless.

 

May your day be as fulfilled as your heart is ready.

 

Blessed Be,

© Spellbinding Sherry

http://www.tampabay.com/news/religion/article10157...

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This is an article printed in the St Petersburg Times, here in Florida. There are a few errors, but mostly, it's a nice piece and I appreciate the kind exposure.

Do you get those nudges
from within your heart,
telling you to do something
you had not planned on doing?

I do.

Do you pay attention and follow their directives?

I do, now.

I believe the Sacred it within me.
Call it whatever you want, the voice of Deity/Spirit/God/Goddess/Creator,
I call it Divine Awareness
and believe following these directives, matters.

I did not enter into this lifetime
following directions with ease.
The skill of doing so has been nurtured, practiced.
For nearly a decade now, I have been
consciously patting myself on the back when I DO pay attention
and I've been caught laughing too, when I have not done so.
"You got me there, I'm paying attention now!"
(I've also had my butt kicked, metaphorically and literally,
when I have ignored these directives)

My experience is that it's not a matter
of something good happening or something bad being avoided.
It's really just about following the directions, so that when I am needed
to play a role for The One, I am ready, listening, and taking action.

I have two vivid examples
which illustrate the sort of situations to which I am referring:

One of them was three years ago
as I drove through town, towards my home.
By rote, my vehicle follows a routine path.
That day, it did not.
As soon as I realized I had turned left, rather than right,
I prayed, "I see I'm on a path which is not only mine.
May I travel in awareness, to see whatever you want of me,
and have the courage to take action."

Within moments something caught my eye in the river
along which I was driving.
I looked more carefully.
I knew the movement.
Manatee!
I pulled over safely, to better observe.
Not one, but FIVE manatee were in the water there,
doing barrel rolls as they swam leisurely upstream.
I have never seen more than one at a time in the Cotee River, prior to this.

I offered a prayer of gratitude
as I watched them play.
I pondered the characteristics of the creatures:
subtle tons of patience.
(since I was only blocks from home,
I even was able to get my camera and take photos downtown,
as they passed beneath the bridge)
It was definitely a smiley day,
and a gentle nudge to remind me
that I am doing this work for a purpose,
and that sometimes it gets to feel really wonderful.

I would have missed the opportunity
had I traveled home on my routine path. 
I would have missed that gift
had I allowed reason to overrule my intuition.

Another example of paying attention came differently:
I had been painting in my studio,
and returned home to an empty, dark house.
I'm like the darkness, so I have no concern there, normally.

This night, as I approached my back door,
a wave of fear washed over me.
I don't know how to explain it,
except to say that the emotion did not feel like my own.
I was not afraid, but I felt it coursing though me.
I fumbled with my keys.
The first, was the wrong one for the lock.
Next, as I fit the correct one into the hole,
I realized I hadn't locked the door.
Noting this, I considered the series of delays to my entry.

Opening the door,
the room went immediately, from a quiet blackness,
to a flashing set red of numbers on the stove clock.
My brain reasoned that perhaps the power had gone out.
Then an alarm loudly sounded.
I felt the fear again. GO!
Brain engaged again, with reason, and I considered
whether I might be wise to grab my purse,
with my license in it.
That's when the microwave started to join the ruckus,
with it's own flashing lights and alarm.
GO!

I did, right then, without the purse.

As I walked to the truck, I prayed,
"I dont know whose fear this is.
I do not know whether I am heading towards something
or away from something,
but this is me, following directions.
May I be aware. May I have courage.
May I be where you want me to be."

I drove past a friends place.
Her home felt at ease.
There was no need to stop there.

My mom called, and, though it is not my practice
to talk on the phone while driving, I did so.
As I drove, when I reached a certain corner,
and while still talking with Mom, the vehicle nearly went home.
I breathed deeply, remembered my prayer,
and turned the wheel in the direction
opposite from my house.

A few blocks down the road
there were two small boys blocking my lane,
waving their arms, jumping and hollering, "CALL 911! CALL 911!"
My mom heard them.

I figured this is what I was sent out for.

Hanging up my phone, I pulled over and
instinctively surrounded us in a protective energy.
The boys ran to my window and told me that
their uncle had stabbed their father
and hurt their mother.
They were scared.
I phoned the police
and waited with the children, talking with them,
listening to them, until help arrived.
They were five and eleven years old;
about five minutes prior,
the elder one had wrestled a knife from his uncle.
The fear I felt earlier, was his.

As I drove away, I continued my prayer.

I offered up gratitude for my Awareness and Action,
and for allowing me to serve the Sacred
in a way which was so vital to those children.
I prayed for the family.

The police called me later,
to tell me the uncle was arrested,
and that those who had been hurt
had received treatment.

I placed out offerings when I got home,
in appreciation to The One(s) to whom I pray
for gifting me this life,
for gifting me such awareness, and the courage to take action,
even when I have no idea what I am doing.

I share these stories as a reminder.
Pay attention.

Many folks pray,
and await the voice of their Sacred, to offer guidance.
Few of them follow the directives when they come!
I believe that those of us who do so are practicing.
We are  nurturing a skill
and honoring the Sacred, when we follow the directions.

Pay attention folks.

As for you who are Listening, Paying Attention, and Taking Action:
GOOD JOB!
It may seem like little, but in the long run,
I swear, it does matter.

I can teach you how to heed the Sacred Reminders
more fluidly in your life.
If you are interested, let's set up an appointment to do so.

© Spellbinding Sherry
June 22, 2009

 

I have been a little surprised
to find more than one person
who have come to me recently
feels they are not worth their own prayer.

They have a concept of the Divine.
They believe prayer is beneficial.
When I ask them, though,
for what they pray FOR THEMSELVES,
they stumble.

One woman needed to say it herself;
I had asked why she did not pray for herSelf.
She stated that she didn't think her little concerns were important enough.
I dont think she realized what she felt
until the words fell on the table,
followed by the tears that were released.

Another, this time a man,
believed fully in the value of his prayer.
I've heard him pray for the sake of others.
That's an easy thing for him.
What's more challenging is to pray for himself.
He had concerns on his mind as we spoke
and asked me if it would be appropriate to pray,
as if he needed permission,
to ask the Divine to address his concerns.

Why wouldn't you pray for yourSelf?
That is MY question?

Both had clearly been believing that
someone else needs their prayers answered
more than their own "little things" needed taking care of.

It's as if they felt, perhaps,
that their humble needs were somehow
less important to the Divine
than those traumatic concerns of others,
so they held back their own prayer.

This baffles me.

Look folks, there is no Prayer Vessel
which will get too full if we ALL pour into it at once.

In fact, dears,
when you pray for yourself,
and get your own life empowered with your prayer,
I believe you become much more capable
to enjoy life AND to help others.

Praying for one's Self is not selfish.
It is like tending to one's garden.
If I were to spend all my time help the neighbors
to break their ground, till in their compost,
seed and weed it all,
what would become of MY garden?

(I appreciate a helping hand,
but not at the expense of one's own detriment.
I mean, there are times it's appropriate,
just not as an ongoing habit)

If I tend to my OWN garden
as well as helping the others in need of assistance
to the best of my ability,
then we will ALL have gardens
from which to reap and feed ourselves and others.

Their garden is not more worthy of my attention
than my own.
Mine is not more worthy of their attention
than their own, either.

Both gardens are valuable,
and we all have lessons to learn
about sharing the work, perhaps;
we also have lessons to learn
about tending to one's own responsibilities.

I nourish my garden by seeding my Faith.
I pray in gratitude, daily.
I pray my devotion and dedication.
I pray that others find their Faith in intimate ways.
And when I need help, I pray for that too.

Listen people,
you ARE valued.
You ARE worthy.

Pray for your own self, for the sake of all of us.
A community of pray-ers can support you,
but take responsibility too,
and seed your OWN valued, capable,
and absolutely divine garden of Faith.

I mean, really people,
you ARE worth it.

Your dreams and concerns
are every bit as important
as that other persons.
It is not as if your active prayer
will deplete the prayers answered for others.
Your neighbor's prayer is not taxed
at the investment of you own.

It's true, it's a terrible and sad thing,
what that other person is undergoing,
and it's well worth sending out a prayer for them,
to support THEIR prayer for themselves,
BUT their pain and suffering
in no way depletes the value
of your OWN challenges.

I think it's silly to measure ones needs
against the needs of someone else.

I have another client who worked with the destitute for years.
She identified herself with them.
She'd been living on the skids, herself, a long time, too.
She was thankful to have work
and happy to help others
with whom she could commiserate.

Potential knocked on her door one day
and she nearly sent it away.
"How can I grab up Possibility and Prosperity
while all these clients of mine are so Poor?
It's not fair."
What I did my best to explain
was that she was, in no way,
helping her clients to move beyond poverty
by circumventing her own Success.
In fact, once she learned to get comfortable embracing it,
she'd serve as an example to them;
perhaps she could even inspire some of her clients
to use similar methods to leave their distress behind
and to embrace their own Capability.

Pray for yourSelf, by God, by Goddess, by whomever you pray,
but DO IT.

You are worth it.

Build your Faith
by TRUSTING in the Divine
and letting the One(s) to whom you pray know
that you know
that you are invested,
and you are also worth the investment.

I believe your prayers become more capable
when you you learn that you have worthy,
capable prayers to offer.
(does that make sense?)

I am praying for my sacred Self,
and then,
praying for your Faith too.

Need help learning?
Schedule an appointment with me.

You are WORTH it.

© Spellbinding Sherry


  

With this season of celebration upon us
(I write this amidst graduation festivities)
I have had several questions about
whether, or not, I "do parties".

The answer is no, and yes.

No I dont bring my sacred work to parties
where the focus is on the buzz and the nonsense.
Yes, I DO come work with groups of people
who get together to focus on the growth of their Spirit;
I call them Spellbinding Gatherings.

I have guidelines though,
and I ask that ALL of the guidelines be respected
if I am coming to work with you.

A Spellbinding Gathering looks like this:
a group of friends who are intimate enough
to trust one anothers' heartspace,
who will offer loving support to on another.

We all converge on one person's home
or a vacation condo that has more than one room.
The entire space is free of cigarette smoke.

I work in my own room, away from the others.

I suggest that everyone brings a plate or bowl of delicacies.
Stuffed mushrooms, fresh vegetables,
nice cheeses and whatnot,
lend and air of "specialness" to the event.
(bags of potato chips and cans of dip
just dont carry the same energy as food
which has been lovingly prepared for the group).
Having everyone bring food takes the pressure of a host,
and creates an environment, in which all present are invested.

I have a few groups which like to concoct a sangria.
This is fine, but one may only drink AFTER their reading.

It is my preference that all guests
are there for the entire time
(the energy shifts when people come and go)
to the best of their ability.

Parents leave their children elsewhere,
unless the kids are old enough to be participating.
This is because parents of young children
always have an ear out for their offspring,
and I need ALL of their attention for the work.
Animals, for the most part, are absent as well,
because the elevated energy of the environment
will kinda tweak out some of them,
and others will simply NOT leave me alone.

Ambient music is nice as a backdrop to the environment,
while television is not.
Friends deserve the attention of one another, fully.

I take guests, one at a time,
to the separate space where I'm reading.
The usual rates apply and tipping is welcome.*

Here is the phenomenal part:
as each guest emerges from our session,
they are enveloped in a loving environment
where they might choose to share their experience
(some, even their notes),
get feedback from their friends,
and support through any challenges that come up.

I like to get these things rolling by noon,
as the readings are open-ended in time
and I prefer to do them when I'm at my higher energy levels.

There is a minimum of FIVE guests.
I have not yet encountered a need for a maximum.

For the groups which do this repeatedly
(some do, annually, others, for certain celebrations)
I have been honored to watch their intimacies grow,
their friendships strengthened,
and their investment in themselves, rewarded.

If you would like to experience a Spellbinding Gathering,
keep all of this in mind, and send me a message.
*The host receives their reading for free.

Though this is the environment I prefer,
there are also exceptions (like sober gatherings with another focus)
which I will work, given certain situations.

Ask me, I might.

First off, know this,
I amped up my own prayer
a few years ago,
to only draw in clients
who are heavy hitters,
and , for the most part,
good and ready to embark
 on their version of spiritual empowerment.
(or they've been walking it a LONG time already
and are fluid to the work this Path takes)
If you're coming to me,
you probably resonate with one of the above groups.
Just so you know;
have some faith in yourself..

All you'll be doing
is stepping up to the Sacred.

You'll come,
I'll sage you down outside my studio
to relieve you of the energetic hitchhikers.

You will come in,
ooo and ahhh my art,
most of which is for sale,
and let yourself feel
the gentle vibration of the room.

You'll sit.

I'll point out where the tissues are,
as well as your mug of water.

I'll take us both through a brief meditation,
bascially, to get both our heads disengaged
and to open our hearts to prayer.

I'll pick up the cards.
You'll pick up the pen and paper I provide,
place the date at the top
and get ready.

I'll put out one card to validate your reflection.
I will explain it's lesson.
If you see how it applies to your life, overall,
we'll move right along into the reading.

The most important area of your life
will be what comes forward.

You'll be instructed
where best to place your energy
to get the most umph of each breathe.

After all of the specifics
of what is Most Important
have become Witnessed in your own handwriting,
I'll pick up the cards,
shuffle them, and
ask you if you have any additional questions.

The length of the reading is not up to me or you.
It is up to the flow of recognition,
of the Lessons, as they come.

To the best of my ability,
I use a stopwatch.
I push Start at the beginning of the meditation
and Stop after we're done.

You understand,
if find ourselves at the heart of a breakthrough,
we would want to freedom to explore.

I had a first time client last week
who was present to everything she needed to address
in fifty six minutes.

That's pretty remarkable.

An hour and a half is common
for new clients.

Once in a blue moon
folks go for two hours.

That's uncommon, too.
It's too much to most new folks.

When we are through,
we will speak of the time and fee.
I will happily accept your cash, check or paypal
(the latter, if we have doing a phone reading).
You may choose to tip.
Some do.
You may not.
It it up to you.

When you leave
you will carry with you
the notes you took
of our shared time.
Keep them near
to remind you
to be present
to what it is
you were directed to do.

Some folks keep their ongoing notes
in a chronological order,
to track their Journey of Awareness.

My rates are $80 per prorated hour for your reading.

Art prices are varied,
if you really like something,
let me know.
(most of my art is supportive to the prayer)
You may want to take something home with you
to support what you will be working on at home.

Mind my mind.
Mind my mind.
This is me
minding my mind:

I am well.
I am worthy.
I am capable.
I am courageous.
I am prosperous.
I love.
I am loved.
I Believe.
I have Faith.
I am real.
I am sincere.
I am blessed.
I give my life fully to all The Sacred asks of me.

Mind my mind.
Mind my mind.
This is me minding my mind:

(grrrrrrumble, grouch, complain)

Come here Mind.
That's no place for you.
It's dangerous there.
I know.
I've been there.
Come on love, come on back.
(inhale, exhale) oh yeah...
I am well.
I am capable.
I am Changing.
I am breathing.
All I need is provided with ease.
I pay attention.
I take action.
I am well.

I hear the suggestion to mind your mind
come out of my mouth regularly these days
as I work with sooo many of my clients.
No kidding, check your notes.
Is it there?
Did you circle it?
Are you DOING it?

Mind your mind.

You probably were nudged to write,
MIND MY MIND in big letters.

Letting the detrimental mind have full reign
has been dangerous in my life.
I'll get to a couple of examples, later.

For those of you struggling to break the cycle,
the addiction, the habit of that mind
which keeps running off to play in
what I have come to call
"that broken glass, where danger and pain
are so easily found, and increased,"
have courage.
Habits can be altered.

Some of you say things to me, like,
"I know I'm an idiot, I keep on doing it."
Honestly, that's a pretty hard way to change things.
If someone were calling your little kid an idiot,
do you think it would help empower the child
to do what needs to be done?

Think about it for a second.

Let's go back to the broken glass scene.
I see busted panes (pains?) of plate glass windows.
(former ways to look at things?)
Lets say your kid was wandering into it.
(I mean, come on, there's some validation there:
It's familiar territory, old ways and old shards of one's Self)

It is dangerous!
Do you scream at the child to
GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE YOU IDIOT!
HAVEN'T I TOLD YOU?
WHY DONT YOU LISTEN?
BLAH BLAH BLAH!
(one very vocal mom told me yes,
she probably would say something like that,
without the word idiot put on the kid)

When people scream at me, I shut down.
I have a history of not listening
when I'm told what to do
in ways that are overbearing.

What about you?

Now let's make that kid someone else's child,
and only about two years old.
It's a fresh start-baby!
You'd probably be kinder to it.
"Come here honey, that's dangerous.
Let's find somewhere nicer to play."

Right? Can you see yourself doing that?
Do you think the kid might listen, and react,
to your kind voice
which directs them find something else;
something that's probably more interesting anyway?

What if that kid is you?
I mean, lets face it,
breaking a long-used habit
like playing in dangerous areas of the mind
can take us down to our most juvenile behaviors, right?
It's not such a big jump.

Be gentle with your Self.

Maybe you are accustomed to being hard on yourself
because you were were admonished so much by another,
or because you've come to identify your Self by it's pain.
("but the broken glass is my home!")
Big deal.
Get through it.
This is YOU we're talking about.
Mind your mind.
Step away from the glass.
(or live there fully, and step away from me)

If you notice you're saying things like,
"another day, another pile of poop"
then NOTICING is your eyeopener.
Now reach back and pat your own back, for taking notice.
Good job!
(I knew you were up to the work)

This is me, minding my my mind:
Another day, another opportunity to change.
Another day, another breath.
I am changing with every breath.
I am courageous.
I am stepping away from my past.
I am in the present.
I am creating my wonder filled future.

Baby steps, slow and easy.
This is a new skill.
Nurture it.
Practice it.
Do it.

Take responsibility for your mind
and your life will follow you right out
of that dangerous neighborhood.

Perhaps you think I oversimplify.

You are welcome to your belief, as always,
but really, I'll give you some examples
to illustrate just how simple it is,
once you get the hang of it.

I believe that we all manifest our present situations,
and that of our future, with every thought.

When  we keep our thoughts focused
on what we Believe is Becoming,
on what we Know we Can,
on what we are Engaged in Being,
it's energy invested in our Doing:
our literal Creating of Self.

Does this make sense to you?

Let me talk a little about me now.
Forewarning, it's going to be frank and graphic,
so only continue if you are okay with such things.

I had a child with a man I loved
who was a wonderful guy,
most of the time;
if he was sober.
Unfortunately, he indulged in alcohol more than he abstained.
When he was drunk he would regress
into psychotic behaviors nurtured in a war zone.
Long story short, there were guns, knives,
physical fights, trip wires, booby traps and more.
He died in my arms due to internal bleeding.
His death certificate states, "long history of alcohol abuse."

I had a child with another man.
He too, an alcoholic, was vile in his drinking.
His chosen abuse was words.
He was very skilled at his shredding of a soul.

There was a brief relationship with a guy
who nearly threw me down the stairs.
He was out the next day.
I felt empowered.
I was NO LONGER putting up with that crap.

Then there was the one who drank profusely,
spent my rent money on drugs,
and stalked my family for nine months
after he had moved out.

I was pretty much over them all, I thought.
Fuck men! Who needs them?

Blessedly, I got the answer to that prayer
via a gentle sweet lover who was never my boyfriend.
He reminded me that men had attributes
which were worth the effort
(this lent me a sense of otherwise absent hope in partnering).

I walked around, for years, all full of myself.
I liked playing with men, you know, smooching and all,
but could not be bothered with taking them home to bed them.
I knew such things only led to one place,
and I'd found that place held little interest for me.
I was building me and I would not be distracted.

My priority was my children.
My intent was to grow them up well.

"I've got a left and a right hand. Why would I need you?"
became my standard response to serious invitations from men.

I was reading cards, more fluently than ever, by this time.
I had developed what seemed to be a new modality
of reading (henna) and changed my vocation.
I was investing more fully in the Sacred Work.
I repeatedly saw that my Partner was coming.
This continued to show up in my readings for three years.

One evening, I was chilling with a friend.
He'd just shared all his intentions
of what his future wife would be.
He looked at me, when he was done, and asked,
"So, what are YOU waiting for?"

I fired away, in a knee-jerk response:
"I'll tell you what he's NOT gonna be!
He's NOT gonna be a drinker.
He's NOT gonna be a druggie.
He's NOT gonna be an abuser.
He's NOT gonna be an ASSHOLE.
Blah blinking blah"

I went on that way for a bit.

He listened closely, then he said,
"I didn't ask you what you don't want.
I asked you what you are waiting for."

Holy Crap.

What?

The dawn broke, for me, right then
(as in, I woke up, in the middle of my pile of broken glass).

Here I was, a person who knew all that stuff about
the law of attraction, positive thinking and all that jazz.
Here I was, actually doing EXACTLY what I
would admonish clients for doing.

I cried.
I mean, I bawled my eyes out.
I Saw what had been my pattern,
not in men, but in my energy to draw them to me:
the drunken, druggers, abusers:
(including, my statement:"I am no longer putting up with that crap")
different faces and different forms of the same sort.

Are you beginning to understand?

It took me weeks to place the first attribute on paper.
This first step was much more difficult than I imagined it to be.
It caused me to take action for my Self, in my own writing:

Intellectual.

There it was.

I'd never said that before when I spoke about what I wanted,
and here it was, right in front of me, on paper.
You know, I'm smart.
I was ready to have a smart partner
who could discuss a variety of topics.

Heck yeah!

And you know, I thought,
my partner is smart enough to teach me things
and humble enough to learn from me.

I wrote that down too.

Within a few days I added
that my partner has a generous sense of humor.
I like to laugh, you know.

(You'll note that I wrote in present tense,
as it was important to me that the coming Mate,
BE all these things, already,
when they were revealed to me)

The details came in smooth sequences.
The more I minded my mind
the more I opened up to what I really desired,
to what I would like my approaching partner to be.

The intention grew. My love would be:

Respectful of and to me, and my kids.
Have a strong sense family values.
Have a prosperous source of income for themselves.
Be secure in who they are.
Trust me.
Love me in a healthy way.
Be a fabulous kisser.
Have a great tongue.
Honor my every curve.
Worship me.
Support me in every way.
Be open to my witchiness.
Zero offspring.
Zero wives. (that one almost counted me out!)

I reread, adjusted,
and thought about my Partner
for three years.
I was patient.
I was going with the flow, with much greater ease.

Three years after I Awakened to my words,
I went to my twentieth high school reunion.
On the way out the door the first night's event,
I encountered a man I've known since I was twelve.
We yammered for six hours in the parking lot that night.
Honestly, we SPOKE about topics as broad as
politics, religion, schooling and shared memories.
I didn't really see him again for most of two weeks,
but when I did, there was a date, and a kiss.

It was then that I knew, it was Him.

He embraces and exhibits all I mentioned above,
and we will be jumping the broom very soon.

While I had fleshed out my Partner's aspects on paper,
I concurrently had been working on the intentions for my next abode.
I had sensed a move.
I knew the Next Place would be all I asked for.

I live there now.

I could have upped the ante
if I had also placed on my Mate list,
"be an ecclectic Pagan Witch",
but I didnt.
I'm not trading him in, to get that now.
I also could have changed the
"strong sense of family values"
to include something like
"which is at ease with distance."
Perhaps, then we'd be living in Vermont,
instead of Florida, where his family lives.
Meh.
You see, I am still learning too!

I could have upped the ante on the house,
by having the clean walls already painted in colors I love
(they are white, and I'm still working to develop my plan there).
I manifested a full wall of the exact shelving I wanted,
but did not mention my desire for immediate access to it.
Laughably, the wall of shelves is my son's room!
I will get to use that feature when son is grown and moves away.
I'm happy to wait a few years.

If I told you all I manifested
in the home, specifically, you would laugh.
Trust me though,when I tell you
it was, exactly, what it is.

One last personal example for you
(I know, you're getting tired, but it's pertinent).
I remember when I was in constant prayer
asking for, "just enough to get by,"
and I am here to tell you
that "just enough to get by" is EXACTLY what I received.
Finances were a huge struggle back then.
What else could they have been?
My prayers are always answered!

When I realized this,
I flipped the prayer over to something like:
I am capable of prosperity
and welcome it fully into my life.
I am financially free.

I'm still praying that one,
but let me assure you,
there are more digits
to the left of the decimal point
in my bank account now!

I tell you this, less out of a vain recognition,
and more to serve as an example
of how one CAN awaken themselves
to minding their mind,
empowering their Selves to create what
and how they want their life to be, starting now.

Mind you, there's more to Change
and Minding my Mind, than all this,
there is the work of blessed release of what no longer serves growth
(like that pile of broken glass-habit)
and a time of allowing mySelf to embrace being empty too,
to give space for The Work to be done.

A dear client
who recently found herself
knee deep in the lesson of minding her mind
wrote the following note to illustrate her work to me
(thanks for letting me print this here honey!):


"I let a bunch of shit go. Even some shit I didn't realize I was holding onto. Then, I sat down and made my list. I made it so specific, it's comical. He just started knocking, and I'm checking an insane amount of things off that list. It's frightening, actually. But I'm not running...

I made the list down to what sign I wanted, ethnicity, I even asked
for perfect teeth that get flossed daily. He told me he's glad I
brought up flossing because he flosses after every meal, no exceptions,
and women think he's nuts. I did mention ONE thing I did NOT
particularly want, and that was an overly-muscular man. I have to
laugh, because including what you don't want doesn't work. The universe
hears, "overly-muscular." He's a fucking body builder. I laughed so
hard. I definitely ain't turning it down...

*faint"




I'm not implying that minding your mind is easy,
but honestly, I've noticed examples over and over again
of how absolutely spectacular, amazing and courageous my clients are.

Therefore, I can only believe
that you, having read this far,
have the courage
to lovingly and gently,
awaken to the awareness of where your broken glass is,
and, in so doing, take action.

It's all up to you.

I can help you with some of these lessons,
but you must do your own work,
just as I have, and I continue, to do mine.

If you are ready for your next
session of empowering reflection,
I'm here:
www.myspace.com/spellbindingsherry
spellbindingsherry@yahoo.com

© Spellbinding Sherry


 

It is common that folks will write one another
requesting a prayer for their loved ones
who are experiencing difficulties.

I always offer one (or two) in the doings
because I believe fully
that through prayer all things are possible.

I do not pray for outcomes.
I do not pray for healing or strength.

I pray that those who are undergoing challenges,
whatever the sort,
will have COURAGE
and that they will find comfort in their Faith.

If someone has died,
I pray those who are mourning
find pleasure in their memories.

Strength, I learned from stories told me
by a holy man in an inipi,
only call us to experience
more to be strong for.
When going through trauma,
few of us would like to pile more challenges up
with which build strength.

This is why I pray for courage.

Courage comes in many forms,
from allowing the Sacred to guide us,
to accepting the current situation
and, for some, simply getting up each day.

A myspace friend recently called out
for some spiritual support.
She harbored great concern for her loved ones
who were sad beyond speaking.
I shared my following thoughts with her,
which she wrote to tell me
that she appreciated,
and asked me to please post this as a blog:


"yep...
remember, your sadness for them
does nothing for them...
it just makes your heart heavy.

We each have our own lessons...
our own karma to process.

LIVE for each BREATH!
CELEBRATE EVERYTHING!!!!

yes, friend,
yes...

Life is a wonderful gift.

Go play with some kids
and keep praying for your friend's courage."

So here you go, J,
I appreciate your appreciation
and find humbling in your request.

Mitakuye Oyasin
(we are all related)

© Spellbinding Sherry

Please accept my humble gratitude
for honoring me in your query.

You tell me that readers have said
that you are too powerful to read.
Perhaps this is true, but then, please let me say this:
I have not had any person, in the past,
who has come for a reading,
with an open and trusting heart,
who has not been able to be read.

That said, there HAVE been a few times
when the reading felt scrambled
like a tv show who's signal was weak...
with static and interference.
Once it was the environment that was weird,
so we rescheduled for time alone in my studio,
and all went well
(though if she hadn't come to me at the studio,
I suppose that would have been counted as a non-reading).
I can think of two times
when a reading was rather oddly aloof
was when the client was not fully present.
I dont think they WANTED to know the Truths,
even though they came to the table.
No blame, a person's heart opens
when a person's heart opens.
I had one person, once who accused me of lacking skill.
I can only say that perhaps we didnt connect.
No excuses.
(and let me note too,
that on occasion everyone has an off moment,
so it could have been me)
There was also one situation when a Blessed Dead man,
though he called his family to me, feared the cards,
and gave us a run for our money...
(his name is Guido and his story is in my blogs).
It turned out well, but we needed to all be patient.

I have remedied what may have been part of the difficulties in the above situations
by now regularly including a brief meditation in readings
and, for Dead Deliveries, I now prepare by making offerings
to those Blessed Dead we will invite.
At one time I did not charge for the meditation,
but now it's truly a part of the process
and seems to more capably open the source of the Sacred
within the heart/soul of the client.
This also gives me a chance to pray concurrently.
Sometimes the meditation is as brief as two minutes
and other times as long as five.
We do this until we reach the tingly stage on my side
and the calm/at ease stage on the client's behalf.
It's amped the readings amazingly.

I charge $80 per hour these days, pro-rated.
I do not babysit the clock.
I use a stopwatch, which I turn on just before the meditation.
I do not address it again until the client feels
they have reached their ending point
and have taken on all they came for
to the best of their ability.
By pro-rated I mean, if we were to run, say
90 minutes that I would charge $120 for that reading,
(first timers often DO run this long
perhaps because they are still not intimate with the process...
subsequent readings often get shorter in length
as the client's trust in their prayer increases.
There is no rule here, it's simply observation)
as opposed to charging an additional full hour.
Likewise, if we were only 55 minutes,
I'd wobble between 70 and 75 dollars.
Most tip, but not all.
I play fair, and expect the same from my wonderful clients.

My method is to take the client through the meditation
and then lay cards out on them
(for long distance readings, of course it cant be henna).
I trust the Sacred to illuminate
that which is the most important
for the client to address.
(which is not necessarily what the client thought they came for)
If, when we get to the end of the spread
there are still unanswered questions of interest
then we address those, briefly.
Sometimes we're given answers
and sometimes we are told
that the earlier mentioned details must be addressed
before the later ones will be illuminated.

Sometimes there are tears.
Sometimes there is laughter.
Sometimes there is vulgar language.
Always there is Truth.

I prefer to read for those who take it seriously.
This is not entertainment (though it can be amusing at times).
I do this to empower and enrich personal prayers,
through which every person can be more in-touch
with The One(s) to whom they pray;
however they do so.

I suspect you are readable at this time,
or you would not have come to my page
asking these questions in the first place.

Oh, and, I entirely require clients
to take NOTES :) so that they will have
something on which to tangibly reflect.
These are also good to look back at later
to note the phenomenal growth one has made
since the time of that particular reading.
(some clients have one book they keep their notes in
from every reading they've had...
where they can literally read the unfolding growth
as the years go by)

If this appeals to you, dear,
then let me know.

Again, I honor the Sacred and the Sacred within both of us...
with immense gratitude and hope.

Blessed Be,
Sherry
myspace.com/spellbindingsherry
myspace.com/spellbindingartwork
spellbindingsherry@yahoo.com