蕾克丝的舞会

article written about Lexa in China Press by Kaiyu Sun

蕾克丝的舞会 【纽约】图/文 孙恺愉 　　蕾克丝 　　第一次见到蕾克丝，是在纽约每月一次的盛大探戈舞会上。那时候我还是个探戈新生，平常练习都颠颠簸簸，到了正式舞会更是全身僵硬，直冒冷汗。那晚完全是因为看到海报上说舞会里有占星师算命，为了满足好奇心才前往的。 　　我买了门票进场后就四处寻找那位占星师，好像跳舞根本不是主题。围着舞池边缘绕了一圈，才发现一块神秘的“地盘”。小圆桌上摆有一台笔记本电脑，旁边有个牌子写着“塔罗占卜”。 　　连塔罗都改电脑了？真是连巫师都不落伍。小圆桌旁坐着一位女士，我在她面前走来走去，犹豫半天，和自己斗争了很久，才上前小声地说：“请问这塔罗算命是免费的吗？”我以为，这是包括在门票里的额外服务。 　　“不，是要钱的。”蕾克丝回答。我突然觉得很不好意思，说声：“谢谢”就赶紧跑开了。 　　那天蕾克丝的衣着很普通，没有特地为跳舞做精致高雅的打扮，我完全不知道她是个杰出的舞者。而且她戴眼镜的样子很严肃，令我问过那个困窘的问题之后便紧张地离开了，不敢再和她说话。 　　记不起那天晚上究竟有没有跳舞，倒是这一窘事记忆犹新。 　　一晃就是两年，我开始穿梭于纽约大小探戈舞会，成了舞迷们说的，擅长夜间活动的“吸血鬼”。偶然瞥见蕾克丝，差点认不出来。我惊叹着哪里来的潇洒女子，领舞领得这般好。 　　蕾克丝如果是以舞者而不是占星师的身份参加舞会，定会西装笔挺，整整齐齐，从手帕领带到鞋，每个细节都不马虎。我从来不主动和她说话，也从来没有人介绍我们认识。于是，我遥望她遥望了两年，没想到过了两年半，我和蕾克丝成为了朋友。 　　前段日子，我和S君去观看纽约主办的第二届美国探戈大赛。蕾克丝一箭双雕，拿下社交组第三和表演组冠军。爱拍照的S君在颁奖后抢着和蕾克丝合影，顺便递给她餐馆的名片。不久后，蕾克丝就在S君的餐馆里办起舞会来，由她教授入门课，给大家讲解舞蹈音乐。 　　开幕那天，中秋节刚过两天，大家“马后炮”似的一起吃月饼。两个礼拜后是犹太新年第二天，大家又“马后炮”似的一起吃蜂蜜苹果片（犹太人的传统，象征“甜甜的一年”）。因为这种特别的气氛，使蕾克丝的舞会总是和别的地方不同。 　 　蕾克丝是个千面女郎，只见她一次是很难看出她的多样性的。第一次接触她时，觉得她很冷酷，有点高傲，甚至令人有些害怕。后来在一些细节中，逐渐认识到她 体贴的一面，了解到原来她懂得为别人着想。开幕那晚，她因为怕领舞的人不够，有些女孩会干坐一晚没人请，特地邀几个男生来帮忙。曾经有人怂恿蕾克丝把奖杯 带到舞会宣传一下，她没有这样做，因为有个帮忙陪舞的朋友连续两年和蕾克丝参加同一个比赛，却连连没有入围，蕾克丝不想让他心里难受。 　　蕾克丝既有阴柔之美，又有阳钢之俊，容貌无论如何打扮都潇洒，而且满腹文章，知识丰富，气质独特，真所谓“秀外慧中”。 　　逐渐认识蕾克丝后，才把她的精彩生活统统挖掘出来。除了做舞迷和探戈老师之外，她还是塔罗专家、作家、诗人和演员。 　 　蕾克丝的第一份工作是个蛇舞女郎，外号“蛇女诗人”（SnakePoet）。美国知名艺术家安迪·沃荷 （Andy Warhol, 1928-1987）在这个时期曾为蕾克丝摄影。蕾克丝曾经在中央公园，吊在Delacort剧院对面的一棵树上朗读爱伦 坡、莎士比亚、劳伦斯、柯尔律治，以及她自己的诗。1982年，纽约警察用枪口对着这位女诗人和她13英尺的宠物蟒蛇“莉莉”，把她们逐出公园，迫使蕾克 丝不得不在后来的几年间找一份“实在的”工作。 　　蕾克丝开始学习魔术和超自然艺术。这些年间，她传授占星术、塔罗占卜、犹太教的卡巴拉等 等，并且自己做占星师。她的著作有《超市女魔法师》（The Supermarket Sorceress）、《超市女巫的迷人夜 晚》（The Supermarket Sorceress's Enchanted Evenings）、《魔术烹调原料大 全》（The Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients）等等。她还为若干杂志写星座专栏。 　　蕾克丝写的几部话剧，包括《囚徒》（The Prisoner）、《游泳》（The Swim）等等，都曾在WOW咖啡屋上演。蕾克丝也在La Mama剧场、Dixon Place、PS122等地方演出她自己的作品。 　　蕾克丝的才华多得让人数不清，除了探戈，她还曾经学过爵士舞、芭蕾舞、踢踏舞。去年，她是第一位正式应邀参加布宜诺斯艾利斯Mundial探戈比赛的女性领舞者。 　　蕾克丝年长我许多，她年轻的时候，女性地位不高，挣扎了很久才获得今天较为稳定的生活。其实占卜只是类似心理辅导的工作，近来美国经济不景气，她笑说，她的生意倒是好了，大家都来找她。 　　蕾克丝从来不叫好朋友让她占卜，我们见面总是聊天跳舞，把工作抛在脑后。原来所谓女巫师，也只是比较有趣的凡人。现在早已没有烧女巫的做法和对巫术迷信的态度了。蕾克丝只是比别人有更细致的感受力和坚强的信念。这是艺术家需要的品质，难怪她拥有那么优美的舞姿。 下一篇4

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2008 年 12 月 10 日　星期 三

放大 缩小 默认

Check in with your Psychic!

---

November 23, 2008

Love, Jobs & 401(k)s

By RUTH LA FERLA

ON a good day last summer, Thomas Taccetta, a stock trader, might have checked his financial charts before plotting the day’s investments. Today he is likely to check in with his psychic as well. “I’ll play the broadest index, the S.&P. 500,” Mr. Taccetta said, “and if she tells me she is getting a negative view, I will sell.”

Since September, when the Dow collapsed, Mr. Taccetta, who trades for his own portfolio in Boca Raton, Fla., has talked with his psychic about once a month, roughly twice as often as a year ago. “There is no rhyme or reason to the way the market is trading,” he said. “When conditions are this volatile, consulting a psychic can be as good a strategy as any other.”

In an era when even Henry M. Paulson Jr., the Treasury secretary, changes his mind weekly about how to rescue the United States economy, Mr. Taccetta’s decision to seek the advice of a psychic may not seem all that irrational. With Washington flinging pieces of the $700 billion bailout package around, dithering about whom to rescue — homeowners? automakers? cousin Fred? — a good set of tarot cards might come in handy.

“Your mortgage agents, your realtors, your bankers, you can’t go to these people anymore,” said Tori Hartman, a psychic in Los Angeles. “They’re just reading a script — at least that’s how my clients feel. People are sensing that the traditional avenues have not worked, that all of a sudden this so-called security that they’ve built up isn’t there anymore. They come to a psychic for a different perspective.”

Psychics say their business is robust, as do astrologers and people who channel spirits, read palms and otherwise predict the future (albeit not the winning lottery numbers). Their clients, who include a growing number of men, are often professional advice-givers themselves, in fields like real estate and investments, and they typically hand over anywhere from $75 to $1,000 an hour for this form of insight.

“My Web traffic is up and up and up,” said Aurora Tower, a New Yorker who constructs spidery star charts for her growing clientele. “People will entertain the irrational when what they consider rational collapses.”

Quackery? Whatever. But after all, the nation’s supposed experts on the economy, from pundits on the networks to billionaire investment bankers, have not been exactly reliable. And spiritual readings, as they are known, appear to be one of the few growth sectors in a contracting economy.

“My phone is ringing off the hook,” said Roxanne Usleman, a psychic in Manhattan.

Ms. Usleman, who says she channels angels to advise her clients on interpersonal and financial matters, reported both a spike in traffic on her Web site and a significant surge in private consultations. She used to see comfortably 15 to 20 clients a week, she said. Now she meets with more than twice that number. “I’m having trouble squeezing in appointments,” she said.

Dawn Carr, a psychic in Boston, said her holiday bookings jumped as much as 70 percent this year over last, fueled in part by corporate bookings for holiday parties. “These people are looking for someone not just to entertain them, but to enlighten them,” she said.

Although most of us would settle for just enough telepathy to read our spouse’s mind, some people crave more.

“When you don’t know what to expect of a job interview or a business partnership,” said Gita V. Johar, a professor of at the Columbia University Business School, “that is when you’re most likely to turn to a psychic.”

Professor Johar, whose specialty is studying the effects of superstition on consumer behavior, suggested that when your portfolio is shrinking or your business is tanking, talking to a soothsayer may be “one way of feeling in control.” She needed no crystal ball herself to predict that “given the uncertainty of the economy, psychics are going to see an increase in business.”

The steep prices charged by practitioners of divination do not seem to have deterred many of the financially fretful. Ms. Hartman, the Los Angeles psychic, said her Internet traffic has picked up substantially, from about 30 visitors a day to more than 200. She charges from $150 for a 30-minute telephone reading to $500 for 90 minutes of “intuitive counseling.” In what is perhaps a sign of the times, the $70 moss-scented prosperity candle offered on her Web site has become her best seller, she said.

Many more men have joined the ranks of seekers. “In the old days men would turn to their wives and ask, ‘What did that goofball say, honey?’ ” said Michael Lutins, a New York writer and astrologer. “Now they are raising their heads, interested in matters that were once considered women’s stuff.” Mr. Lutin has lectured about astrology at such male-dominated institutions as the Harvard Business School Club of New York.

Ms. Usleman said that her once predominantly female clientele has also expanded. Men — among them lawyers, doctors, chief executives and insurance brokers — now make up about 50 percent of her business. They approach her, she said, with highly targeted questions, as if they were grilling an investment counselor. “Before agreeing to a reading, they will ask: ‘What is your accuracy rate? Can you guarantee your readings? How do you get your information and can I depend on it?’ ”

Aside from storefront readers, psychics rarely hang out a shingle, making their earnings hard to track. But one person who has attempted to quantify the rising popularity of psychics is Robert LoCasio, the chief executive of LivePerson.com, a site offering telephone consultations with experts in fields from finance to fly fishing.

When he bought his company a year ago, Mr. LoCasio checked the Consumer Sentiment Index, which is published by the University of Michigan and charts consumer confidence, from 2005 through September of this year. He then compared the data with records from his own company, and drew the conclusion that when the economy is down, consultations with psychics spike noticeably.

Live Person earned revenues of $30 million this year, about 70 percent derived from spiritual readers, Mr. LoCasio said. “In this day and age, a spiritual guide is an everyday therapist — that’s what the business has become,” he said.

In more ordinary economic cycles, psychics tend to offer guidance on romance and relationships. These days, they are besieged with questions about whether a pink slip is in the cards, whether a condo will sell, or whether a company will continue to prosper.

Alicia Bowling, who runs a sports bar in Manhattan, consulted a psychic when friction with a business partner seemed about to imperil her livelihood. “I used to go to my psychic about twice a year, but in the past year, yikes, I may have talked to her a dozen times,” said Ms. Bowling, 49. “I used to ask more about love, or will I ever be married, but with all these hard times, I wonder, ‘What’s going to happen to my bar and will I survive?’ ”

Sergei Pamukh, a New York stock trader, considers himself a skeptic about supernatural matters, but softened his stance after consulting Ms. Usleman, the Manhattan psychic. When his business was flailing earlier this fall, she suggested that he travel to Moscow to meet with a billionaire mogul. “In two or three weeks I am going,” he said.

Ms. Usleman said she typically fields questions these days like, “Should I go back and live with my parents?” and “Is it O.K. to take my children out of private school?” In the past, she added, “they would ask, ‘Should I have a baby?’ But now they have put that on hold.

“Basically, what people want to know in a troubled economy,” she said, “is what can they do to reinvent themselves.”

Fahrusha, a Madame Blavatsky from Manhattan, said that clients have been pressing her with highly focused queries. “They might want to know about investing in a particular security, or ask how the euro will fare against the dollar,” she said. In flusher times, they might have consulted a financial expert, she said, “but some of these people are experts themselves.”

Maria Napoli, a Manhattan astrologer whose clientele includes a growing circle of the rich and famous in the worlds of fashion, art and finance, observed that many of her clients were fretting about a global picture, not just their careers. “They are asking: ‘Where are we headed as a country? Are we entering a depression?’ I get a lot of Republicans wondering where their party is going.”

Mostly they are after a little peace of mind.

“It pays to cover all your bets,” said Stuart McFaul, who runs a marketing and public relations company in San Francisco.

Mr. McFaul checks in with his psychic when he is stumped for answers about where his business, and his competition, might be headed. “I’m a big believer that you really don’t dismiss any opinion,” he said.

Ms. Bowling, the bar owner, is grateful for the slightest shred of insight. “In times that are this nerve-racking, all it takes is one word that kind of helps you get through your day,” she said.

Magick in Taiwan

塔羅女巫 Lexa Rosean

Lexa Rosean不但是個靈媒，還是個現代女巫，她用占星和塔羅為客人解答疑難雜症。身在猶太家族中的她，15歲時因為身為同性戀而被逐出教會，之後來到紐約並加入Wicca巫術教會，學習塔羅占星、葯草學和巫術，並於Enchantments巫術店工作7年。

用 塔羅和占星術算命後，Lexa Rosean談談做女巫的好處：「發現問題，我還可以教客戶用魔咒來心想事成。」許多人對魔咒質疑，Lexa Rosean表示，魔咒是種祈禱、也能保持能量和磁場：「在魔咒中用最多的是芬香治療，就跟香水廣告一樣，如果我們使用葯草泡魔術浴、或是塗上愛情靈藥， 這會讓我們的靈氣充滿更迷人的氣息，也可以打開我們的潛意識。」

網址：http://www.lexarosean.com

Click here for full story

New Moon Rituals

hello Lexa,

How are you doing? I have a quick question, some of the spells in your book ask that you do it on a new moon. Do I have to do it exactly the time it turns new moon, what is the time frame?

Thank you.

Cat

Hi Cat
it is best to wait 12 to 24 hours after the exact time of the new moon or until you see the first sliver of light in the night sky.
blessed be
Lexa

An update--a baby girl!...

Dear Lexa,

Thank you.

Months ago, I wrote to you asking for help.

I was pregnant, and my man had left me, screaming obcenities
and threats at me as he went. I was scared that he would make good
on his threat to take my baby; I was scared that I wouldn't be able
to get through the pregnancy and the hard winter alone, and I was
just very sad.

You wrote a kind post, and told me about the Goddess Durga,
and instructed me to perform a chant in her honour, requesting her
aid.

I did as you told me to, and things are much better than
they were. I credit your help and the assistance of Durga with the
improvements in my condition. Thank you.

My beautiful baby girl, Anna Clotilde, is almost two months
old now. She was born on May 29th, at seven thirty in the evening.
She was born healthy and strong.

I got through the hard winter, and my midwives told me that
all the walking I did (I have no car and funds were too tight to
take the bus most of the time-- good food for the baby was my
priority), all the snow shoveling, all the housework and swimming
and yoga, all of that kept Anna moving around in the amniotic
fluid, helping her develop the wonderful muscle tone she was born
with.

Anna takes such pleasure in her own physicality-- it makes
me happy to see my heavy-bodied lonely struggling transformed into
such a good thing. Every one remarks on how strong and solid and
lively she is. Devi the student midwife called her "Superbaby".

I gave birth to Anna at my mother's house. Anna
was born in her grandmother's bathtub. I ran a bath for myself and
had her there just instinctually. My Mum cut the cord, so three
generations of our family's female line were involved in that act.
This was powerful and healing.

My man did not come. Instead, my friend Cass, who provided me
with consistent love and friendship (and a supply of juicy gossip)
through the whole pregnancy was there. While we waited, we watched
movies and took walks and baked and made art and wrote and sewed
things. It was great.

Coming with me to my hometown to stay at my Mum's until the
baby came was the first time Cass had ever left the States. She
said that her month at Mum's fufilled a "seven year dream" she had
had for a real holiday with no work, but one where she wasn't
spending her savings on accomodations or food.

Despite all the trouble my man and my broken heart were
giving me, being pregnant was a tender and powerful time in my
life. Giving birth to Anna was the strongest and best thing I have
ever done. I love my daughter and I love being her mother.

Thank you and Goddess Durga for helping me to appreciate my
power and strength at a time when all I felt was abandoned and
vulnerable and fearful for the well being of my baby.

Anna and I had a powerful birth-- my membranes were ruptured
for three days, then I had over thirty hours of early labour,
through which I gardened and prepared food for the midwives and
organized the birth room, and then five hours of active labour,
well supported by my excellent midwife and her student. I did not
need drugs, and I moved around and made noise as I saw fit. It was
amazing.

E--- told me that he will not try to take Anna from me, and
as that was at the heart of my fears when I consulted you, I thank
you again for helping me to protect my daughter.

He has visted twice, the second time with his parents. Those
visits have been intense and both good and terrible. His Dad got
drunk and refered to me by the name of E---'s ex-girlfriend all
through dinner with my whole family, but hey.

E--- loves his daughter-- he was shocked by his love for her-
- - and he loves me, too, in a twisted up way that hurts me-- and
clearly also him, his family, and my family-- to be near.

I feel an odd and powerful mix of anger and compassion when I
think of him, and I don't know where things will go. He is
volitile, so the situation still seems dangerous, but I am stronger
and clearer more powerful than he is, and Anna was born safely and
she is strong, too. We are a good pair.

His mother has decided that she and her husband need to seek
counseling, which is a good thing, and she is at last urging E---
to seek help as well. She said that Anna "melted her heart", which
is a powerful image. Thank you and Goddess Durga for that shift in
her.

I hadn't realized that in the American South you can say
anything about anyone as long as you tack the phrase "bless his (or
her) little heart" onto the end of what you said.

For example: E---'s mother was shocked that all the gardens
in my mother's neighbourhood were different from one another, as
they have rules against that in her gated community.

She handled my mother's lesbianism better this time, as they
discovered that they both like quilting and other women's
handicrafts-- it was funny to watch them bond-- but she could not
get over the fact that Mum's neighbour, who is a surgeon, has a
clothes line for his laundry.

She's too narrow minded to understand a surgeon with a clothes
line, bless her little heart.

See! It works! I love the "bless his little heart" trick. It is
magic. You get to say what you need to say without being full of
scorn or rage yourself, and you disarm the anger your comment or
opinion might otherwise be greeted with.

E---'s father is a raging drunk, bless his little heart.

It makes you feel good instead of bad--magic. Jesus said to
bless those who curse you, and there are probably many other
sources of this same information-- it does seem to make things flow
in a better direction if you add a blessing.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

As I am trying to figure out how to be a self-supporting
single mother of a newborn, and how I'm going to either convince
school to give me back my scholarship or find a new avenue to go
down to reach my goals, I am short on cash money funds.

All I can give you right now is my gratitude and my
testemonial.

I will do my best to share what I know and can do as generously
as you share your wisdom and skills with those in need.

At some point, I will have enough saved to pay you for a
reading for my new daughter-- as her mother, I would like to know
how to support and help her to do what she needs to do in this
life.

Here, too, are some pictures of my Anna.

Thank you, Lexa Rosean.

Sasha

Dear Sasha
I have not been inspired to post on this blog in months and your heartfelt email has broken the dry spell. So pleased and honored to be of assistance and thrilled with the outcome!

Anna is some looker! (Sorry readers, I don't post pics of newborns on the blog.) And you've given her one of the most powerful and oldest of the goddess names :) She is also born one day after me and as a Gemini, I'm sure she will be creative and a natural born psychic and channeler. I am sending you Anna's astrological chart as a gift (under separate cover) because I am so moved by your letter and life. I hope the charts and interpretations will give you insight into her soul.

It's great to hear about how you are acknowledging and dealing with your anger toward the ones you love. It sounds like right now there is more to hate about E (and his family) than there is to love about him. So it's good you are not together. Hopefully the magic of therapy will turn that around and he'll become a good dad and maybe even great husband. But for now, it sounds like you and Anna are in a great place and I wish you many blessings and continued protection from the Durga.
blessed be
Lexa

Greetings Lexa,

Thank you for taking the time to read this as I know you get many questions. Here is my situation. I am a peaceful quiet person and I live above two people in my apartment building who fight constantly and when I say fight I mean they throw things, slam doors and scream at each other. I usually just ignore it but it escalated over the past few months when they started slipping notes through my door accusing ME of being loud I got mad. I have a one and a half month old daughter who is a calm, quiet little girl. She doesn't run and when she starts to I tell her to slow down, she only screams occasionally as children will do sometimes. She is a blessing. They recently told me in yet another note that she is to loud, runs way to much and screams to much. They themselves have a 7 month old child and they are saying my daughter is effecting his sleep, I question that when she is quiet and they have weekly screaming matches right in front of him? To add insult to injury they recently started lying to the landlord making up complaints about us. We already talked to the landlord about this and he is on our side as he knows of their loud fighting and what not, but my question is this. Is there a spell I can preform to get them to move? I thought about a binding spell to stop them from attacking us anymore but I want them gone, I put up with their disturbances and fighting but the last straw is when someone accuses my child of being loud when I have taught her to be quiet and when someone makes up lies about me. If there is any advice you can offer for my situation I would be so so grateful.

Blessed Be,

Stressed To The Limit

Dear STTL

Your situation sounds pretty explosive and I would suggest that you immediately burn or sprinkle sage and lavender around the apartment to neutralize all the negativity and calm down this stressful and aggressive situation. Although I would not recommend a binding spell you might want to put their names in an ice cube tray filled with water and place in the freezer. This would 'freeze' them from taking any more negative action toward you with the landlord. I also suggest you try the Noise Spell. It is under the Fool section in my book Tarot Power. I also have several spells that would apply to your situation in my first book The Supermarket Sorceress. This book has recently gone out of print but you can find used copies on Amazon.

blessed be
Lexa

Love on Course

Hi Lexa,
Back in 2006 I made a love overture to this guy. I was unaware of the void moon of course. Two years down the road, I realized that when I made my overture the moon was void of course and all of the times we got together fell during a moon void of course. The last time we met was 5 months ago, we kissed and he told me he loves me but that was it. It was weird our relationship didn't move forward.

Is there a spell I can do to correct this? I also want to know what spell I can do to help me make me look strong and confident when we meet again. I like him so much but I tend to act nervous in front of him.

I dont know the year he was born but I know he's a Gemini and I'm a Libra.

Hope to hear from you.

Cat

Dear Cat
Thank you for your question. Before I give your answer, I just want to explain to my readers the meaning of void of course moon. This is when the moon is traveling between two astrological signs and so basically the moon becomes directionless during this short period. You can locate the void of course moons by using a good astrological calendar. The one I recommmend is Jim Manard's Celestial Influences.
In order to correct this problem, I suggest you make your next contact on a New Moon. The next one coming up will be on June 3rd and it is in Gemini which is great for communication.

As for the second part to your question, eating cherries is great for boosting the confidence. I would also suggest eating avocados for beauty and taking a bath in fresh mint leaves and orange peel to infuse your aura with strong sexy vibes. Please keep me posted on how it goes.
May Venus the Goddess of Love bestow you with her blessings
Lexa

Beltane Celebration

On Saturday May 10th, Lexa will be giving a free lecture on Tarot and celebrating the May with Nancy Venus and the Copper Cauldron Coven in Wantaugh Park, Long Island. This is their 15th Maypole Event. For complete details click here.
Blessed Beltane!

How many times do I have to repeat myself!!??

Hi Lexa!

Do you have any foolproof spells to either get a certain person to call or to generally increase emails, phone calls, and such in one's life?

Thanks!

Erin

Erin
You need to READ MY BOOKS!!! I have written spells for this very matter in several of my books. The easiest to find would be in Easy Enchantments. Check it out!!!
-Lexa

Ghost at School

It's me, Erma and my friend taslim. Wow! We're 11 and we're allready super into seances and witchcraft! Any spells to rveal ghosts or something? I have reason to believe that there's a ghost at my school. I saw the reflection of a orb on some metal. My email's not working properly so could you please post the answers on your site.

Thank You,

Erma and Taslim

Dear E & T
it sounds like you are aspiring ghostbusters - so the first thing you need to know is to be polite and respectful when dealing with ghosts and spirits. Most likely they are souls in distress and going through a hard enough time as it is. If there is a ghost in your school, you will want to burn a white candle and encourage the ghost to go to the light. Tell this spirit not to be afraid but to move toward the light. If this does not work, you will want to try to contact the spirit to see why he/she is not able/willing to move on. In this case, be sure to protect yourselves before conducting a seance. You can do this by anointing with holy water and/or consecrating the room and yourselves with the four sacred elements. Earth, air, fire, and water. Use salt to represent the earth element, incense for the air, a white candle for fire, and holy water or spring water. Since you are only 11, you should also ask for an adult to supervise your occult activities just incase you run into more than you can handle.
my blessings
Witch Dr Lex

Friendship Spell

C writes:

Is there a spell to help gain new friends? I don't know why making friends doesn't come easy to me. I'm trying so hard to win new friends. I'm very friendly, nice and kind but It's like nobody's interested to hook up with me. Nobody's asking me to go out. I'm so lonely. Please help.

Dear C
Spells for friendship are similar to spells for love. It is best to petition Venus. You can offer her pink roses on an altar and/or burn pink candles anointed with rose oil. Attraction powder is another good formula to work with. You can dust your hands with the talc or you can make in a perfume form and wear to attract friendship into your life. You may also use the herbal formula and add to the bath water. Soak for minimum of 10 minutes while visualizing wonderful friends coming into your life. The ingredients are: Patchouli leaves or oil, Lemon Verbena leaves or oil, Cinnamon oil or powder, Vetavert root or oil.
best of luck
Lexa
p.s. also check out April issue of CosmoGirl! for a spell on how to heal a friendship!

Riding the Broom

Want some good info on Love Spells? Check out this fim by Hansi Oppenheimer.
Featuring Lady Venus (yours truly), Laurie Cabot, and some of the old coven members back in the days of Enchantments.

Undergroundfilm.com - Independent Movie Distribution

Feb 8 2008
Hi Lexa,
I used the 'Win Your Ex Back' spell from The Supermarket Sorceress's Sexy Hexes on my ex, recently, and I've been really happy with the progress so far. But I was kinda worried about what I should do with the spell ingredients if he comes back? Cause I remember reading that if you take it apart or throw it away, that the magic might backfire.
Also there's been a lot of ants in my house lately, so what do I do if any ants get into it, or my little brother messes with it? Is there anyway to protect it from things like that without making it backfire?

Thanks,
- Worried

Feb 14

Sorry about sending you another email... But I used the Win Your Ex Back spell, and it seems to be working a little too good... I'm scared it's hurting him, and I never really wanted to hurt him... Is there anyway that I can reverse the spell without making him hate me, or getting him out of my life completely? Or maybe at least tone down the spell and protect him? Cause I really miss him, but I feel really bad, and I can't stand to see him like this because of me....

Thanks, and blessed be

- Still worried

Hi Worried
I'm worried too. Why would this spell be hurting him? Are you working the Win Back your Ex or the Hex your Ex Spell?! At any rate, if you want to undo either spell without harm, soak all the ingredients in salt water for 3 days and then dispose of. If you are working the Win Back your Ex, dispose of the ingredients once the spell has worked. (ie: he has come back to you.)As far as the ants, if you want to continue working the spell, place the ingredients in a ziplock bag to protect them and keep the ants away. Best of luck on Valentines Day!
blessed be
Lexa

Calling KaliMa

Hello Lexa
I am in trouble. I am pregnant, and I love being pregnant and I love my new little baby, who kicks and talks to me in my dreams. This child also kicks for my cats, who snuggle up against my belly and purr to it. I am desperate to be a good mother. I love this child so much already.

The child’s father, my erstwhile boyfriend and self described fiancee, has turned into a dangerous, frightening force in my life. (We are living far apart from one another, so actual immediate danger is unlikely.) He has called me a c--t. He has called me a b---h. He has threatened to serve me with papers to start our custody battle while I am in labour with our child. He is angry, because I do not want to be around him when he is drinking and I do not like his alcoholic friends or family members. He also told me that if I loved him, I was going to have to “choose between him and the truth.” I don’t want to be sworn at, belittled, threatened, abandoned, and hated. He is scared, but why is it manifesting this way? I feel like a stupid, stupid fool. I miss the man I loved. Once upon a time, we each wished for the other. I miss how loved he used to make me feel, and I miss my happy loving thoughts of him. I swing back and forth, thinking about how to love him and get him to treat me with love one minute, and how to get him out of my life the next. Sometimes I am so sad that he is missing all the fun, and missing me at the most beautiful and lovely I have ever been; I am all soft and watery, and yearn for him. Other times, I feel parched and hot and angry, and were it not for this child in my womb, I would feel like a wasteland, barren and bleak, and I wish one or both of us was dead. (I’m pulled back from those thoughts by our baby, who needs and loves us both. What can I do?)

I don’t think I can control his actions or thoughts. I would like to have some guidance about how to stay focused on what I need to do. I’m scattered, depressed, ashamed, and frightened. I feel alone. I need to make money (I REALLY need to make money) and be financially ready for this baby, and possibly for a court fight. I need to have work that fits with pregnancy and new motherhood, and some of mine does not. I need to build support networks and nurture the community I have. I need to confess and confide in people I love that I’ve messed up with this relationship, even if that is embarrassing. I need to figure out what my truest instincts about this man ARE, never mind learning to follow them. I need to be able to live with the grief and loss I feel, and to do the work I’m supposed to do in this life, whatever that is. I need to confront and deal with my own mistakes and patterns and the things that will hamper my ability to mother well. I need to keep myself and my baby safe and healthy.

How do I get him out of my head and find the discipline and grace to accomplish what I need to accomplish to prepare for the birth of this little one? Are their spells for women who love their babies, but who are caught like a deer in headlights, afraid of their own lives and afraid of their man? This post is too long, but I cannot be the only woman in this situation. What can we do?

Thank you, and Blessed Be

Sasha

Dear Sasha

I feel for you deeply and I understand why you feel like a deer caught in the headlights because there are so many issues here. Often people feel overwhelmed because there are so many problems that need to be solved. Magick, like anything else, is best worked one step at a time. Let's begin with the most important of issues - You and the child in your womb. Believe it or not, you are in a position of great power although I understand that right now you feel helpless and hopeless. In the Wicca, and ancient Matriarchal paths, it is the Mother Goddess who rules the earth and you must turn to Her for Her power, protection, and prosperity. You must also allow Her to empower you as you already embody Her greatest attribute - that of Child Bearer.

I would instruct you to turn to the Durga and chant Her powerful mantra. Durga is the Mother aspect of the great and fierce triple goddess Kali. The Durga is depicted as an Amazon warrior who rides a tiger into battle. She defeats demons and defends her children. According to Barbara Walker in the Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets: "Durga stood for the basic animal instincts of maternity, for which the adult male is no longer significant, and only her offspring claims a mother's attention."
photo credit

I instruct you to chant Her mantra 108 times at night on the 5th of February. Durga has the power to exorcise the demons that have possessed your man. She has the power to return him to his senses as a loving and supportive husband and father. She also has the power to destroy him should he choose to cause harm to you or your child. Durga can help you with all legal matters concerning custody. She can bring you strength and sustenance, both spiritual and material and She can guide you toward others who can give you real support. She can heal your heart and clear your head of all confusion. Trust in the Great Mother to lead you and your child one step at a time toward safety, health, and prosperity. Here is the mantra:

Saith Isvara:
I shall tell thee the hundred names of Durga.
By the grace of this hymn the chaste Duga is satisfied.
Listen, then, thereto.

OM.
Chaste one.
Virtuous one.
Beloved of Bhava.
Spouse of Bhava.
The Manifested Brahman.
Liberatrix from the world of births and deaths.
Destructress of distress.
Victorious one.
Primordial one.
Three-eyed,
Holder of the spear.
Spouse of Him who holds the pinaka Bow.
Wonderful one.
Whose bell sounds fearfully.
Of great austerities.
Manas.
Buddhi.
Ahamkara.
In the form of citta.
Funeral pyre.
Knowledge.
Whose substance is all mantras.
Reality.
Whose nature is true bliss.
Endless one.
In whom are the three dispositions.
Accessible by devotion.
Auspicious.
Pervading all things.
Spouse of S'ambu.
Mother of Devas.
Contemplation.
Fond of gems.
All knowledge.
Daughter of Daksa.
Destroyer of Daksa's sacrifice.
Who eat not even a leaf during Thy austerities.
Of various colour.
Red.
Having a red colour.
Clad in silken garment.
Pleased with sweet-sounding anklets.
Of unbounded power.
Terrifying.
Beautiful.
House lady.
Forest Durga.
Daughter of Matanga.
Worshipped by the sage Matanga.
Spouse of Brahma.
Great Ruler.
Aindri.
Kaumari.
Vaisnavi.
Camunda.
Varahi.
Laksmi.
In the form of the Purusa.
Pure one.
Essence of all.
Knowledge.
Action.
The Supreme one.
Giver of buddhi.
Who art all.
Whose love is unbounded.
Mounted on a bull.
Destructress of Sumbha and Nisumbha.
Slayer of the Asura Mahisa.
Slayer of Madhu and Kaitaba.
Destructress of Canda and Munda.
And of all Asuras.
And of all Danavas.
Whose substance is all S'astra.
Existence.
Holder of all weapons.
In whose hands are various weapons.
Holder of many weapons.
Virgin.
Maiden.
Kaisori.
Youthful.
Ascetic one.
Apraudha.
Praudha.
Old mother.
Giver of strength.

For the one who daily reads these 108 names of Durga
There is nothing impossible in the three worlds.
This person obtains wealth, crops, sons, spouse, horses, and elephants;
This person accomplishes the caturvar ga,
And gains lasting liberation.

Having worshipped the Devi Kumari,
And meditated upon Suresvari,
The devotee should worship,
And then read with devotion the 108 names of Durga.
O Devi ! such an one gains the fruition which Devas have;
Kings become this persons servants,
And this one obtains a kingdom and all prosperity.

You, who, versed in the sastric injunctions
In accordance, therewith, writes this mantra
With saffron mixed with cows' pigment, red lac,
camphor, and the three sweets, (ghee, honey, and sugar)
And then wears it, becomes Purari.

Whoever writes and then reads this humn
On a Tuesday in the dark moon,
At night, when the moon is in the twentyfourth mansion containing a hundred stars
Attains all wealth and prosperity.*
*from Hymns to the Goddess and Hymn to Kali by Sir John Woodroffe

and here the 108 names of Durga:

Name	Meaning
Durga	The Inaccessible
Devi	The Diety
Tribhuvaneshwari	Goddess of The Three Worlds
Yashodagarba Sambhoota	Emerging From Yashoda's Womb
Narayanavarapriya	Fond of Narayana's Boons
Nandagopakulajata	Daughter Of The Nandagopa Race
Mangalya	Auspicious
Kulavardhini	Developer Of The Race
Kamsavidravanakari	Threatened Kamsa
Asurakshayamkari	Reducer Of The Number Of Demons
Shilathata Vinikshibda	At Birth,Slammed By Kamsa
Akashagamini	Flew In The Sky
Vasudevabhagini	Sister Of Vasudeva
Divamalya Vibhooshita	Adorned With Beautiful Garlands
Divyambaradhara	Beautifully Robed
Khadgaketaka Dharini	Holder Of Sword And Shield
Shiva	Auspicious
Papadharini	Bearer Of Others' Sins
Varada	Granter Of Boons
Krishna	Sister Of Krishna
Kumari	Young Girl
Brahmacharini	Seeker Of Brahman
Balarkasadrushakara	Like The Rising Sun
Purnachandra Nibhanana	Beautiful Like The Full Moon
Chaturbhuja	Four-Armed
Chaturvakttra	Four-Faced
Peenashroni Payodhara	Large Bosomed
Mayoora Pichhavalaya	Wearer Of Peacock-Feathered Bangles
Keyurangadadharini	Bejewelled With Armlets And Bracelets
Krishnachhavisama	Like Krishna's Radiance
Krishna	Dark-Complexioned
Sankarshanasamanana	Equal To Sankarshana
Indradhwaja Samabahudharini	With Shoulders Like Indra's Flag
Patradharini	Vessel-Holder
Pankajadharini	Lotus-Holder
Kanttadhara	Holder of Shiva's Neck
Pashadharini	Holder Of Rope
Dhanurdharini	Holder Of Bow
Mahachakradharini	Holder Of Chakra
Vividayudhadhara	Bearer Of Various Weapons
Kundalapurnakarna Vibhooshita	Wearer Of Earrings Covering The Ears
Chandravispardimukha	Beautiful Like The Moon
Mukutavirajita	Shining With Crown Adorned
Shikhipichhadwaja Virajita	Having Peacock-Feathered Flag
Kaumaravratadhara	Observer Of Fasts Like Young Girls Do
Tridivabhavayirtri	Goddess Of The Three Worlds
Tridashapujita	The Goddess Of The Celestials
Trailokyarakshini	Protector Of The Three Worlds
Mahishasuranashini	Destroyer Of Mahisha
Prasanna	Cheerful
Surashreshtta	Supreme Among The Celestials
Shiva	Shiva's Half
Jaya	Victorious
Vijaya	Conqueror
Sangramajayaprada	Granter Of Victory In The War
Varada	Bestower
Vindhyavasini`	Resident Of The Vindhyas
Kali	Dark-Complexioned
Kali	Goddess Of Death
Mahakali	Wife Of Mahakala
Seedupriya	Fond Of Drinks
Mamsapriya	Fond Of Flesh
Pashupriya	Fond Of All Beings
Bhootanushruta	Well-Wisher Of Bhootaganas
Varada	Bestower
Kamacharini	Acting On One's Own Accord
Papaharini	Destroyer Of Sins
Kirti	Famed
Shree	Auspicious
Dhruti	Valiant
Siddhi	Successful
Hri	Holy Chant Of Hymns
Vidhya	Wisdom
Santati	Granter Of Issues
Mati	Wise
Sandhya	Twilight
Ratri	Night
Prabha	Dawn
Nitya	Eternal
Jyotsana	Radiant Like Flames
Kantha	Radiant
Khama	Embodiment Of Forgiveness
Daya	Compassionate
Bandhananashini	Detacher Of Attachments
Mohanashini	Destroyer Of Desires
Putrapamrityunashini	Sustainer Of Son's Untimely Death
Dhanakshayanashini	Controller Of Wealth Decrease
Vyadhinashini	Vanquisher Of Ailments
Mruthyunashini	Destroyer Of Death
Bhayanashini	Remover Of Fear
Padmapatrakshi	Eyes Like The Lotus Leaf
Durga	Remover Of Distress
Sharanya	Granter Of Refuge
Bhaktavatsala	Lover Of Devotees
Saukhyada	Bestower Of Well-Being
Arogyada	Granter Of Good Health
Rajyada	Bestower Of Kingdom
Ayurda	Granter Of Longevity
Vapurda	Granter Of Beautiful Appearance
Sutada	Granter Of Issues
Pravasarakshika	Protector Of Travellers
Nagararakshika	Protector Of Land
Sangramarakshika	Protector Of Wars
Shatrusankata Rakshika	Protector From Distress Caused By Foes
Ataviduhkhandhara Rakshika	Protector From Ignorance And Distress
Sagaragirirakshika	Protector Of Seas And Hills
Sarvakaryasiddhi Pradayika	Granter Of Success In All Attempts
Durga	Deity Durga

May Goddess comfort and protect you and keep me posted.
blessed be
Lady Venus

Renewal and Quick Cash

Hi Lexa
I have bought one of your power spells book which has a renewal spell and it say about 10 eggs that you take your bath with and once we have finished do you throw the eggs in the garbage or throw it in the river or what to do with it.

I also need some emergency money how do I go about with that.I need $3500.00 by the 20th of this month which spell shall I do to get that money,Please help me I have few payments behind.

Please e-mail me as soon as possible.

Thank you

Asmeen

Dear Asmeen

After you leave the bath, let all the water drain from the tub. Then gather the 10 eggs carefully without breaking them and place them in a paper and then a plastic bag. Take them outside your dwelling and throw them in the trash. As for your second request, I have the ingredients for a fast luck money bath up on my website. It works wonders so check it out!

Blessed Be
Lexa

Freeze the Enemy Within

Dear Lexa,

Hi. My name is Amy, I have a question concerning a Freezer Spell. I respect your wisdom, I have a copy of the Supermarket Sorceress and it has helped me many times, to balance and achieve some peace in my life. What I wanted to know is if its possible to do a freezer spell on myself? This may sound odd, but if it can work on those that wish to make you miserable or on an enemy I thought I would apply this logic to me because sometimes I stand in the way of my own happiness- if that makes any sense. I don't physically hurt myself but I want to rid myself of alot of negativity and pain that I have carried for so long, I have talked about this in therapy and tried to rid myself of feeling bad but its still nagging me a little and I would really like to be free of it once and for all. Do you think this is possible, and if so can things be added to the water, such as honey or sugar to maybe help my attitude or an herb for clarity? I really appreciate your time and consideration on this and any advice you could share I would be grateful for. Sincerely-Amy

Dear Amy
believe it or not, you are not the first to ask this question of me. Yes, I suppose it is possible to use the freezer spell to "freeze" or put on hold negative traits within yourself. The problem lies in the fact that using this spell (instead of a good banishing spell) will only put these issues at bay and not truly banish or heal them.
Since you have the Supermarket Sorceress book, please check out the Spell to Break a Bad Habit, Obstacle Remover, and Spell to Banish Negativity as they are more suited to your situation.
blessed be
Lexa