Sometime you have to go the wrong place to get to the right place; or at least go through what seems like the wrong place and end up where you are supposed to be. My recent summer trip to see a new customer is my case in point.

GETTING READY

Usually I am the one who organizes the trip down to what snacks are in which pocket. My typical trip plan includes a binder with maps for every 2 hour leg of the journey. I highlight hotel options and become familiar with the secondary roads in case of construction. My inner Virgo loves to plan for trips because it involves check lists, boxes and a highly efficient packing method. This trip was an exception to every one of my personal travel rules.

Usually I run around second guessing the amount of product I am bringing, make sure I have all my literature and then want to create a poster or display last minute to wow the crowd. This time I did nothing. Dorothy Morrison (friend and co-creator of the Wicked Witch Mojo Products) was the instigator of this trip and she picked the product and gave me a date and address to show up on. It was such a supposed simple process, I almost forgot to pack. My 14 year old daughter was packed and organized before I was, this is unheard of!

Going against my norm, I left it all for the last minute. In my defense, I was not watching the stories and eating cream puffs, I was working very diligently to manufacture a new interactive display that I launched at the previous month’s trade show(see above statement on wanting to create a new display to wow the crowd). I was delivering several copies to Dorothy for a free workshop she was presenting during this trip. I had everything ready to go, I just hadn’t printed them yet. The plan was to print them Thursday and leave 6am on Friday after going to the factory and loading up my car with all the products. This was a sound plan considering the outrageous heat prevented me from wanting the candles in my car all night.

One thing about a lack of a plan is that you have no back-up. When the copier stopped working at 4pm on Thursday before I started printing my Oracle cards, I was feeling that this trip was not starting off on the right foot. I few frantic phone calls later, my copier repair hero talked me through re-setting the printer. I felt like a genius!!!! Well, I felt like a genius at 7:30 that evening when I finished packaging the oracle cards and dragged myself home to start packing for a 6am departure.

ON THE ROAD

My daughter, Rebecca is a great traveling companion, except at 6am. Well, 7am, 8am and midnight are not great times for us either, but we were dealing with 6am and my desire to leave her at home. Thank goodness that was the lowest point for our relationship during this trip of she would still be walking home as I type this. 6:30am, loaded car, Dunkin Donuts iced coffee, 98 degrees and 110% humidity and I was ready to travel south! Wait – what? I am traveling south, to where the humidity and temperature rises? Who agreed to this trip? Oh yah, I did, in the cold month of March. Because I was missing Dorothy and any excuse would do. Chalk another one up to “It seemed like a good idea at the time”. It got so hot on this trip that leaning against the window caused second degree burns.

Reviewing my many pages of printed Google maps with my yellow highlighter and detailed insets of every interchange that I could possible get lost on, I decided to program my sister’s Magellan GPS for back up. Never once did I assume that they would send me on two different routes. I just saw that both directional devices (low and high tech) had me arriving in 11 hours. Excellent, with the clip I usually travel at I think I can do it in 9.5 – 10 hours.

Who knew that Google Maps got more efficient in their travel estimations? Who knew that one set of directions sent me around Washington DC and one Set sent me through DC? Who knew that there would be so much construction that I got confused into traveling through DC? Normally I would know because I would look up the transit authorities and locate all construction on my route. Not this time. This time my good clip got me to the northern outskirts of DC by 3pm and to the southern outskirts by 7 adding at least three hours onto my travel time.

It may not have taken me that long, but the DC detour was not in my Google map printout with highlighted secondary roads. I tried to get Magellan to reroute me, but all rerouted roads were under construction causing me to continually back track to the freeway, usually one entrance back from where I exited. These exercises in futility were not laughed away by my favorite sister and usual traveling companion. These exercises were groused at by my loving daughter who was tired of driving. Eventually we got laughing – after I discovered a hidden well of Motherly love – and we put on a new audio book that referenced small potatoes frequently. Small Potatoes became out call out that weekend every time there was a moment of frustration. “Small Potatoes” was used over and over again.

Ever notice that eating during a 14 hour car ride becomes a contest to see how much junk you can eat before you feel sick? Every time I plan a long car trip, I pack carrots and trail mix and fruit – I usually come home with the same back of healthy snacks – only it is way less appetizing on the way home. Food is still a part of my reward system and my rewards for driving an obnoxious length of time involves peppermint patties, suckers, Twizzlers, chips, and lots of good coffee with cream. This trip I restrained myself, some, and got in a salad or two. Thank goodness for that because once we landed, the restaurants were closing and we were picking from the bottom of the barrel.

WE ARRIVE

8:30 pm landed us in Norfolk, VA – and we pulled into the hotel right next to Mystic Moon (our final destination) where I thought I made a reservation for three nights. Apparently there are two Econo-Lodges on Military Highway and I booked into the one about 4 miles away. I was ready to head out to the other location when I spied that the store was still open and Dorothy’s car was out front. Thank the Lord, Ladies, the elves and all the keepers of good fortune!!!

What a sight for tired eyes my dear Dorothy was to me. I am sure I was just a tired sight to her eyes, but her good southern manners prevented her from mentioning it. I got to meet Sabrina the Ink Witch and Debbie the owner of Mystic Moon. We got a good laugh at my hotel faux pas because it was more like a divine intervention as that Econo-lodge is known as hooker central.

The consensus is that the next one, 4 miles away is much better. I went with that hope, let everyone head home and traveled south for a few more mile. Rebecca and I finally got hungry after our 10 hours of junk food snacking, but at 9pm there is very little open not to mention very few choices. Boston Market seemed our best bet and we both declared that if we don’t get some vegetables in us we will never poop again!

Walking into a Boston Market at closing time is very sad. It is like being late to the family Thanksgiving and they didn’t save you a plate. We got the last of the green beans, the last wilted salad and the last slices of turkey; literally the last piece of cooked meat in the place. They gave us a bunch of half sides and a discount. We could not eat it there because they were closing and we wanted to get to the hotel and relax to eat.

DO WE STAY OR DO WE GO

Boston Market just smells good when you get it into the car. Even the bottom of the pan that we ended up with smelled delicious and just made us that much more hungry. We decided to be civilized and wait till we get into the room to eat. This decision of course was influenced by my daughter who is becoming a very proper young lady and developing patience. I have no idea where she is getting it from, but certainly not from me.

We pull into an Econo-Lodge that looks identical to the one we left behind and pray that this one would be better. If I hadn’t already given them my Credit Card number to guarantee a room upon our late arrival, I may have kept going. I was tired, they were going to take my money anyway and neither the Super 8 nor the Motel 6 next door looked any better… so we went in.

There is a disconnect that happens sometimes when you are tired, there is too much going on and you just go through the motions. I think I actually felt the pop of the disconnect when I walked into the lobby of the Econo-Lodge. Calling it a lobby is a stretch. It was more like the visiting room of a prison. The three inch thick plexi-glass separating me from the attendant was the first sign that I may be in the wrong place. There was one gentleman in front of me working out a cash payment for the room and that should have been my second sign that I was in the wrong place. While he was fumbling for his money and trying to talk me into donating to his charity and signing up for his multi-level marketing at the same time, I gave my name and my card to the hotel clerk. Did I say hotel, I meant no-tell Motel.

As I was scraping this guy’s psychic crud off of me, the attendant gave me a key card, my receipt and room number. What? What just happened here? I was contemplating canceling the reservation and taking my chances elsewhere, but my card was charged already and I was tired. The voice in my head told me it would be OK and reminded me that I was waiting on an incense delivery the next day, so Rebecca and I went to our room. Second floor, on the end, across from the party store where there were about 10 youths hanging out, talking loud and talking smack. The kid and I schlepped our goods up to the room, all of it – leaving NOTHING in the car. On my last trip up Rebecca pointed out that the only working light was in the bathroom and that she didn’t like what it illuminated. To top it off, the TV didn’t work and there was no remote. Damn, I was still hungry and my food was getting cold. So we locked the door, and ventured back down to the lobby/prison interrogation room to get our next room assignment.

From second floor in the back to first floor, room 101 we schlepped out gear back to the car and back into a room. I made sure the lights work, the bathroom was clean and we had a TV remote. Dinner was only moments away. We got everything into the room and I turned to lock the door, only to find that the upper latch was no longer on the door. Well for tonight a table, chair and my luggage would be my early warning system.

While consuming my cold Boston Market I got on my laptop and scouted out the other hotels in the area. $50 – 100 more per night made this room “not so bad”. Since I was already at $80 a night and this was a not a money making trip I was on a budget that kept me at the no-tell. Rebecca and I put on our big girl panties and decided to stick it out. The next morning however brought a new set of problems.

We got ready to get to work ad Mystic Moon and packed the car up with our entire cache of valuables (I was not leaving anything, not even my shoes or makeup). I felt a little like Steve Martin in The Jerk – All I need is this suitcase, these shoes and this laptop… and this bag of makeup... and this phone book.

The only merchandise that was not in my car was the incense that I prepared to package once it arrived from our incense supplier at the hotel we were staying at. Another last minute issue, but I had it under control… until I discovered that the incense had not arrived yet. The clerk, whom I quickly found out was the manager was the sweetest person. She took my number and said she would call me either way after the mail came today. In my greatest thanks, I gave her a couple of the candle samples I had with me. This started up a brand new conversation.

WHEN YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE

I don’t go out to make people cry, it just happens sometimes when I give them the exact thing they need. This happened to the manager. I gave her a few candles and she said this is exactly what she was praying for. I stood there for a good 40 minutes talking to her and guiding her on what her next spiritual step is. I helped her figure out what another psychic told her mother and discovered she is a regular customer to Mystic Moon. I heard clearly that this is why I was here. This. Moment. Right. Now. Everything else past this was extra. Not often does a person see and feel the change they make in the world but I saw that one. She even gave me her family name “Butterfly” to call her when I phoned later.

She called when the incense arrived, she watched out for me and my daughter and I changed her world for the better – it was more than a fair exchange for me. We got all the incense packaged and the Oracle cards ready for the Workshops Dorothy was doing. We weathered the heat and met some beautiful people inside and out that weekend. I got to visit with my dear friend and made another in Sabrina. We had a successful weekend that had nothing to do with money and everything to do with letting myself be guided. I think if I wasn’t so tired I would have come to me senses and gotten the hell out of dodge.

Sometimes you need to travel the journey, see where it takes you and trust that your intuition will keep you out of harm’s way. We made it there and made it back in one piece. At the end of the trip, my intuition told me NOT to extend my trip my a day as I was invited to, just to discover there was a severe storm and tornadoes in the area – including where we were staying.

I love my job, my candles and my ability to change the world for the better. It makes every struggle fruitful on more than just the financial level.

Living with Moon Energy

By Patty Shaw

Full Moon on August 13 is in the sign of Aquarius. Free, Free, Free I just gotta be free! This is the call of the Aquarian moon. To scratch that itch you’ll need to make a change and get out of that rut by thinking some new thoughts. Put some lube on that rusty brain of yours and see what you come up with. During this full moon your hopes and dreams will get some play… it’s all up to you.

New Moon on August 28 is in Leo. I love it when the new moon is in Leo. We fall in love with life all over again and wish joy, happiness and freedom for others. Ok, what’s in the water and who put it there? Seriously folks, if you’re feeling magnanimous, blame it on the moon, the Leo moon and enjoy yourself for a few days. Since its August and the weekend, I think it’s appropriate to throw a party.

Oh just some testing

You don’t have to have visions of world domination to benefit from High John. This Hoo Doo candle and oil was created for us regular folks who are just trying to get an edge, be noticed and given a shot at the brass ring. No smoke and mirrors here, High John is a root from a plant that is said, when carried, to give you a silver tongue and the charisma to back it up.

The legend of High John goes all the way back to Africa and its powerful magic is used by both men and women. Men look to High John to increase their virility and sweet talk the ladies. Since magic goes where it’s directed, there are stories where High John has helped people trick and cheat and get them out of any jam they found themselves in. Women have been known to use High John to become very influential over others, especially their men.

Next time you need to charm your way into or out of a situation, remember your High John root and by no coincidence at all our Hoo Doo candles and oils contains a little HJ root in each of them. So if you have a job interview coming up, sales appointment, night on the town, dab a little Coventry Creations HJ oil behind each ear, don you best attire and show ‘em what you got.

Get Powerful results from mixing it up

Combining Hoo Doo products is a great way to direct your magical intentions for a specific outcome. Put High John oil on your Crown of Glory candle and light it before a presentation and you will amaze even yourself. Wear High John, Come to Me and Follow Me oils the next time you mingle with the singles and you fill that little black book before the night is over. Use HJ with 4 Winds of Protection and you will be slippery than a greased pig when trouble comes to call.

Never write your newsletter while watching The Twilight Saga

Since I royally screwed up the moons for July (my birth month and all) I am
sending out a special blog to remedy the situation.

The New moon on July 1st is in Cancer and it’s all about you this new moon.
Relax into it and get to know yourself on a deeper level. What makes you
tick? Express what you learn through your own personal environment. Do you
need to do some redecorating or closet cleaning at home and office? Throw
yourself a party and invite your favorite people and fill the table with
your favorite foods. Take all month to fully realize yourself.

A Full Moon in Capricorn and money and business is what this moon does
naturally. There is always something you can do to make your job/business
run smoother. This full moon will help you see what that is. Stop avoiding
and tackle those projects and keep your eye open when looking at the
bookkeeping.

Another New moon in Cancer this month. Whew! It's like bookends with this
cancer moon and why not, it's summer and the best time of the year to take
care of home and family. If the beginning of the month had you screaming
about finances, use this second new moon to stop reacting and work the plan
you created two weeks ago when the full moon was in Capricorn.

Ok, got the sparkly vampires out of my head. Next months moons will not have
an identity crisis, I promise.

Patty Shaw

New moon on July 4st is in Cancer. It’s all about you this new moon. Relax
into it and get to know yourself on a deeper level. What makes you
tick? Express
what you learn through your own personal environment. Do you need to do
some redecorating or closet cleaning at home and office? Throw yourself a
party and invite your favorite people and fill the table with your favorite
foods.

Full moon on July 30th is in Cancer too. What is cool about the full and
new moon in the same zodiac sign is that what you started in the new moon
will naturally complete in the full moon without you feeling like you had to
change course in the middle. Since it’s all about you and your comfort zone
this month, continue to feather your nest, hang with your favorite people
and really let your light shine.

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The seeds of magic are found in your imagination and planted in your
deeds.

Patty Shaw
Co-Owner, Coventry Creations, and The Candle Wick Shoppe
Visit www.coventrycreations.com for your bit of magic.
Author, The Healers Almanac, Wisdom of the 21st Century Goddesses
www.healersalmanac.com, www.amazon.com
www.facebook.com/pattyshawpage
www.myspace.com/healersalmanac

As I was reaching to turn off the TV this morning I was polluted by Regis and Kelly. They were talking about a letter for a contest (who knows what insanity the contest was for) from a woman who was describing her amazing husband. He rubs her feet, he plays with the kid, he cooks, he cleans, he has a job; but yet she said he does not have a romantic bone in his body. I take issue with this. I take issue that this woman is so self centered that she thinks the only form of romance is the kind that comes with flowers, candy and a night out. Romance is so much more than the trappings of a Harlequin novel. Romance is the expression of love and respect that you have for someone. Romance is a loving relationship with another, romantic action brings about feelings of love and affection. Really, what in that letter was not a romantic loving action from the husband to the wife? Now, I know intentions can change the definition of the action but I am wondering if they really know what romance is.

I have to admit that early on in my marriage I had a similar view of my husband. I thought the only way to express love and respect was though the traditional methods of romance until one day during a psychic reading it was explained to me that my husband and I speak different languages and we needed to learn each other’s language so we would get along better. Eureka! I started really thinking about this concept that my language of love may not be the only one out there.

It took a while but I finally found the perfect moment and the right non-confrontational words to ask him just that; what is his language of romance? My question to him was; “I know that you love me and I know that you show me that you love me, I just don’t understand when you do. Can you explain to me how you show that you love me?” That was not an easy question to ask or hear and we talked about how we speak different languages in the affection department before he completely understood what I was asking. Eventually we got down to it.

He said that he shows me how much he loves and respects me (aka Romance) by taking as much stress and pressure off of me that he can. He will arrange a weekend away, he will build a website, he will manage the household bills and today he ran speaker cables from the computer to the tuner to the bathroom so I can listen to my music as I am getting ready for the day. That is some serious romance! I also have to accept his romantic gestures; I may not have chosen that vacation as my first choice, I may have to write new content to fill the site, I may not totally understand his bill paying method but the bills get paid. I have to let go of my definition of romance, accept his love and revel in the knowledge that he thinks about me in a loving way.

Before you go off on how your partner isn’t romantic, ask that question; “How do you show me that you love and respect me?” Ask yourself that question, “How do you show love and respect to your partner and do they understand that you are doing it?” Make sure you are giving them their version of romance so you can open the door to asking for what you want in the romance category. Not everyone is psychic and we can get tied up in our own drama so a little gentle loving request may be called for.

Energy is stagnant, inert, until intention is placed in it. Even your own energy is rudderless until you give it a direction. Your intention is the spark, the ashe’, the chi, the magic that takes energy from raw material and begins the transformation. Your intention is the movement within your own life to become what it is you wish to become.

Whenever I have a client that wants just a general reading or just wants a spell to make their life better I see someone who has no direction and a distinct lack of personal power. I see a tarot or psychic reading as the insight needed to direct your own course and create the life you desire. If you are happy with everything you don’t need a reading or a candle or a spell. When you seek out spiritual guidance or assistance is when you are ready for change. When you are ready for change you must first start with your intention.

Intentions are simple; it’s what you want deep inside. It’s that dream you are hesitant to share, the one that you are afraid to try for because it might fail. Intentions are simple and you can make them easy by declaring them honestly. Your true intention is your own hidden agenda, maybe hidden from you too? It’s interesting how we put on the intention we think is spiritually correct, yet we immediately sabotage it because it’s not really what we want.

You may put out the intention to get that job you saw online. You have the experience, its ok pay, it’s only a 45 minute commute, and it’s a reasonable intention. But what if you hate what you do? What if that 45 minute commute is too far away from your kids? If deep down, you don’t want that job you will sabotage it. It’s time to get real with what you want – even if what you want needs a bit of healing.

That energy of what you really want will remain stagnant until you put intention and force of will behind it. Until you acknowledge and honor what you really want, you will remain rudderless. Creating magic or personal evolution you must ask those questions. Dig a bit deeper into your true intentions by questioning it. Write down your intention and ask yourself if this is what you really want. Ask yourself what you don’t like about this intention. Ask yourself if there is anything missing from your intention. Ask yourself for the truth of your soul.

Next time you sit down for a reading and don’t feel like you have a specific question ask, “What am I not seeing” or “What am I hiding from myself” and you will get a whole new perspective on your own life.

I want to push a few buttons today and I may just be pushing yours. Naturally we focus in on our days, hunker down on our to-do lists and become single minded on our goals. Naturally we become consumed by what it is we do when we are doing it day in and day out and get trapped in the microcosm that is our lives. I have seen it happen time and again, I have even experienced it myself that there is so much to deal with and accomplish in our little world that we forget that there is a bigger world out there that influences us.

Keeping your days filled with that single thing, thinking or mission can really skew your view of how life really works. Personally I have been so focused on making candles that I forget what the customer is really looking for. I have homeschooling friends that get so focused on the kids they forget how to deal with adults. Don’t forget readers (tarot, psychic, etc) that are inundated with petty problems and think that the entire world thinks that way. It is so easy to get stuck in the microcosm and turn it into how you relate to the world – into your macrocosm. The world is much bigger than that.

Your personal subculture fits into the bigger world, and is only a tiny sampling of what is happening out in the vast sea of opinions, personalities and global happenings. As a reader make sure you clear yourself after your readings to ensure that you don’t get stuck in the drama brought to you by your clients. You also are good to remember that your clients will never represent the whole of humanity, only a tiny cross section. Expanding your circle of friends, influences and associates beyond your tight sphere will give you a broader understanding of how people think and react to life – making you a better reader in the long run.

Deciding to drive 20 hours to the Denver International New Age Trade Show instead of shipping our displays and flying our bodies was a purely financial decision made by the $1000 difference in cost of travel methods. This being a purely financial decision was not necessarily a popular decision. It’s not just the 20 hour drive there; it is also the 20 hour drive back after three intensive days on our feet, selling, schmoozing, smiling till our teeth hurt and the intense process of setting up and tearing down our booth. We are not 20 anymore and our bodies remind us of that at every turn.

Patty and I love what we do, no question to that, and we really enjoy everyone in our industry, it’s just that we are tired at the end of the trip that got us cringing about the 20 hour drive both ways. With the inevitable drive in front of us, my sister and I decided to make an adventure of it – notice the use of the word adventure. Patty coined us and the road trip cowgirls without cows – we brought along our boots and hats to make the trip complete.

The drive to Denver did start off strangely for us, our typical road trips start at the crack of dawn or in the middle of the night – this trip started at 2pm. We had to finish making the product, pack the car, print the price sheets and get an oil change before we hit the road. The plan was to break up the drive into segments with our arrival time in Denver on Friday, just in time to set up our booth and fall in bed for a good night’s sleep. Saturday is the start of the tradeshow, and is the start of being up beat and perky for three days, one is required to have good night’s sleep to do that.

Before we put the turtle shell that will hold our luggage on top of the car, I get an oil change. I am right on time for it and I knew that my car was in great running shape, having just gotten it a checkup at the dealership weeks prior to the trip. My last oil change had caused my air filter hose to come loose, but the dealership caught that issue and my confidence was high about the viability of my car on this trip. The oil change place on the other hand felt suspect and was making me nervous. I kept getting flashes of the car stopping in the highway because of an oil change. I checked that the oil was there, found my confidence again and got packing.

Three hours into the trip the check engine light went on. Shit. Damn. Son-of-a-bitch. I knew it.

We are right by an exit, pull off and immediately into a gas station where they quickly hand me a card for a 24 hour repair place, thanks be that it is only 5:45pm. We call, get directions and within a mile we are at the garage. I have to say these are nice guys, quick to diagnose the problem and can get the part for us first thing in the morning…… RE – in the morning. In the Morning!!!!! Not tonight to get us back on the road, but in the morning. We smile, thank them profusely for putting us at the top of the list and ask for a ride to the hotel. If all goes as planned, we will have our car back on the road by noon Thursday. If my math is right we need to drive for 13-14 hours tomorrow to make up for lost time.

Patty and I decided that we didn’t want an adventure anymore – we want a nice pleasant drive. We are no longer cowgirls with no cows – we are renaming ourselves Deee-troit cowgirls with horsepower! (once we get the car back).

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The Seed of Magic are found in your imagination and planted in your deeds.
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