Spells and Curses?? Poof!! by Heatherleigh Navarre

"Never say never" has always been one of the mottoes I like to profess, but I'll be honest, there are some things I really did think would fall into the "never" category for me. And two of those are listed in this blog entry's title.

I have said more than once over my years of doing psychic readings, "I don't traffic in spells and curses". And I didn't, at least not knowingly. But I've always thought that a "spell" was quite similar to a blessing or a prayer.....a way of speaking out your intention and desires, and asking for assistance with attaining them. Regardless of your particular faith tradition or family upbringing, most of us do this in one form or another, and often the only thing that differentiates one from the other is the first line of it, in which we name the deity, saint, element, or guide from whom we are requesting assistance. So why get hung up on what we call this? Why not choose instead to focus on the similarities of these ancient customs, and what that common ground has to say about how we are all linked in both our wish to create a better life for ourselves and our loved ones, as well as in our innate understanding of the fact that there is something bigger than us, whether we choose to call that something God, Buddha, Allah, Goddess, or Gaia, or even simply universal force (personally, my favorite word for the divine has always been Providence).

With that openness of heart and mind, I decided to explore the teachings of some amazing practitioners of folk magic, who meet every year in November down in New Orleans. It was an opportunity to expand my knowledge of these areas, and hey, who doesn't love a week in New Orleans, right?? (Well, actually, I have a friend, Daniel, who's not a big fan of the Big Easy, but hey, there's no accounting for taste sometimes). I was heading down there with my friend and colleague, Jacki Smith, who had been the year before and loved the experience. This time around, her new book, Coventry Magic with Candles, Oils, and Herbs had just come out, and the trip was part of her book tour. By the way, I'm mentioned in her book (three times, if you count the index, which of course, I do!). Anyway, great book, such a fun read, and so we packed our bags and headed down. Boy, was I in for it.

By the end of the week I was wrapping a pair of panties around a jar of herbs for a spell called "Sugar in your panties, and spice in your britches", taught to us by Mama Sindy Todo (y'all should Google her, because she is a hoot, and super smart, to boot. Then you should have seen me scribbling notes in the workshop on curses and how to cleanse them! I just adore what Orion Foxwood, the presenter, said about curses and whether we believe in them or not: "A curse don't CARE whether you believe in it or not!" That about cracked me up. The brilliant thing here was that darling wise Orion was talking about the "curses" we all carry, often they show up in as part of a family legacy - for instance, in my family we have a lot of love, but HUGE communication issues, which can sometime make things crazy, chaotic, and seemingly very UN-loving. This has been a "curse" in my family for at least the past four generations. So, there are these ancestral curses, there are the energetic curses that land on us as a result of the negativity of others in our sphere, and well, there's more, but I don't want to bore you by going off on a ramble....

Point is, this girl who for so many years had no truck with such things, is now sitting down with clients and helping them craft their very own love spell, or prosperity spell, or helping them release old patterns of negativity and pain that have cursed them, often for years. These days, I'm not saying I pull out the chicken foot nearly as often as my tarot cards, but I will admit that I'm glad I never said never, because in this line of work, when you open your heart and mind to spirit, more WILL indeed, be revealed.

How it all began.....

           

Boston Tea Room

After the bustling holiday shopping season of 1981, the young owners of a small, relatively new restaurant in Wyandotte called “The Nibbler,” encountered the January business blues and post holiday decline that inevitably follows the holiday shopping exuberance of the preceding couple of months.  Their small restaurant was still experiencing the growing pangs of a new business, so a prolonged slow-down could spell disaster.  The couple put their heads together to come up with a strategy to re-invigorate their flagging sales; and hit on a novel solution. 

            The man’s mother, Rita, had spent many years entertaining her co-workers, family, and friends by giving them Tea Leaf Readings.  The couple seized on this off-beat activity as just the thing to appeal to their clientele.  On the following Friday, that is just what they did. Every customer that expressed an interest was given a free reading after their meal.

            Diners were delighted with this unexpected bonus, and whether they were just interested or merely psy-curious, word traveled through town like wildfire. The following Friday, business nearly doubled—on the Friday after that, business was better yet.  Part of the success was Rita herself.  In her mid-sixties, her snow white hair was pulled back into a soft French twist, her fair skin and rosy cheeks seemed to make her glow.  Her blue eyes truly seemed to twinkle.  With her Boston accent and grand-motherly figure, she inspired confidence and her warm personality said “fun.”

Her matter-of-fact readings were often accompanied with direct and earthy advice.  The combination was irresistible.

            The owners of the Nibbler realized they had a hit on their hands.  But the logistics of running a restaurant and providing readings at the same time were too unwieldy; the answer was a separate and distinct location for a Tea Room.  Within a few months a location was secured, the space was painted and prepared.  Additional readers were interviewed and the best ones were hired.  By spring of 1982 the Boston Tea Room opened its doors for the first time.  From concept to opening was a mere three months.

            Rita and the other five newly hired readers were an immediate success.

            In 1996, after a career change, the original owner sold the Tea Room to her cousin.  The Tea Room has remained a family business since it began.  The current owner is Carole Navarre, whose two daughters, Heatherleigh and Vanessa, help manage with her.

            The management team has sought to expand the vision, services, and strengthen the standard of customer service.

            In our 29+ years in business, the Boston Tea Room has endured economic good times and bad times as well, but riding the waves and vagaries of economic times, changing popular culture,  and learning to adapt has helped us stay afloat, while we have seen similar businesses come and go.

            Recognizing the elements of excellence in customer service and delivering it time after time is our goal.  Our staff is encouraged to continue learning and mentoring others—to realize that there is always something new to learn and to always honor the client and the gift they share.

            We continue to grow, evolve, and find joy in a business that entertains, surprises, enlightens, and stimulates spiritual growth.

            Thanks to the first owners for their original inspiration which continues to motivate the current management team.  Together we will celebrate our 30^th anniversary  in the spring.  And thanks to our many clients for their continued support on this marvelous journey.

Looking for Lady luck? Well, how about Lady Joy, instead!

 We are pleased to announce that Lady Joy has joined the Boston Tea Room family. Some of you may know her from her work at The Alhambra Institute, a Dearborn shop that closed a few years ago, others may have heard her featured on channel 95.5 MOJO in the morning radio show, where she often did live, on-air readings for Mojo's listeners. She has been reading professionally for over 20 years. She specializes in numerology, playing cards, and works with the tarot and her guides in her intuitive counseling sessions. Call the Ferndale location for an appointment today, and be sure to look for her "Money and Luck" workshop, coming soon.

Facing Your Karma

By Barbara Y. Martin and Dimitri Moraitis

It is so important to face your karma. We all come to this Earth with unfinished business. Your soul incarnates in physical form to learn what it has either neglected to learn in past lives or to learn lessons that still are a part of its framework and evolutionary climb.

Your experiences in this life are but one chapter in your book of life. You simply cannot judge or see the whole picture of your life history from the viewpoint of a single lifetime, not matter what that life is like. There will always be good karma that you bring in and karma that you need to redeem. Whatever the karmic slate is, you cannot outrun your karma. Facing and resolving karma is one of the most effective ways to quicken your spiritual development. And avoiding and delaying learning the lessons our karma presents, can slow down your spiritual progress no matter how effective you are in other areas of your life.

What exactly is karma? The word karma has become so commonplace one runs the risk of trivializing one the most sacred and essential laws of life. It’s amazing to think that not that long ago the term was virtually unknown in the west and now there are coffee shops that bear its name!

The word karma is derived from the Sanskrit root kr meaning “to do, to make.” It has also been defined as “deed or act” or “volition.” So karma is related to action in any form: physical, mental, or emotional. Karma is always followed by its fruit. As the term has become more popularized, the entire principle of action and its effect all fall under the single term karma.

Karma is the balancer of life—the harmonizer. The natural condition of life is harmony. God is harmony. When you act in a destructive manner, you unbalance that natural state. Your destructive actions will create a ripple effect against the fabric of life bouncing back as you have put it out. Once this discordant energy has been set into motion, the painful tuning process then begins until harmony is restored.

When you initiate a creative, constructive act, the same law of karma applies but the results are completely different. When you do something that is in harmony with the natural laws of life, this action also reverberates through the fabric of life but instead of throwing off the natural harmony, this “good” energy expands and enhances the ever expanding, creative cosmic process. You are adding to the divine life and this blessing will reverberate back to you multiplied!

Karma is generated with your every thought, word, emotion, act and deed. It can reach into any aspect of your life.  You can have karma related to family, money, health, relationships. And there are many different types of karma. There is personal karma, soul karma, mental karma, emotional karma, national karma, race karma and world karma. That’s a lot of cause and effect going on!

            Karma is essential to your well-being.  When you break a spiritual law, knowingly or unknowingly, you face natural consequences.  By repeatedly breaking these laws, you slowly begin to understand how they work from first hand experience. The law of karma is designed in love to make you a greater being and realize the great goal you have. Karma is designed always to help build you up not tear you down or punish you.  Without the laws of karma you could not grow and reach spiritual mastery.

It takes courage to look at your faults and face your karma. There can be a natural inclination is to avoid anything that is unpleasant. One of the hardest things is to realize that as an evolving soul you have done it all. Through your many incarnations, you have done great and noble things and you have done not so great thing things. It’s all part of the growing process and all these things play a role in the karmic pattern of your life.

If you were too passive in a past life, you will have to develop a dynamic will in this life. If you were cruel in a past marriage, you will have to show kindness now. If you were impatient before, you will have to learn patience now and so on. You will find the character traits you express now are as a result of your accumulated past lifetimes of experience.

Fortunately God gives you the strength to face any challenge. There is no sin past forgiveness and no difficulty so great that you cannot surmount them. After all, God brought you to Earth to succeed. Whatever challenges you’re meant to encounter, the divine gives you the spiritual tools to succeed. If you have difficult family karma to work out of, maybe you are given extra power to express exceptional patience or a great talent to help you rise above that difficulty. If you have financial karma, maybe you’re given added power to demonstrate a bright keen mind to help you think of ways to bring money in. Whatever it is, you will be given the tools to enhance your natural talents and abilities to work out any difficulty.

You rise above every situation by your attitude. You will not always be in control of the conditions in your life, but you are always in control of how you react and handle those conditions. Spiritually speaking, it’s not what happens to you that matters as much as how you handle what happens. And this is the key to handling any type of karma no matter how severe.

Ultimately, regardless of present conditions, you are earmarked for greatness. You have a glorious destiny. Although you may not fully see the great plan of life, nevertheless you are part of that plan. Let hope live in your heart. Tough times may come but they will also pass and your true destiny will come shining through.

Barbara Y. Martin is an internationally renowned clairvoyant, author, and spiritual teacher. Dimitri Moraitis is an author and executive director of Spiritual Arts Institute. Their award-winning books are in 30 countries and have been endorsed by C. Norman Shealy and Dr. Richard Gerber. www.spiritualarts.org.  Copyright © 2011 Barbara Y. Martin, Dimitri Moraitis

                                                                                                              Barbara and Dimitri will be presenting the event:                                            Karma and Reincarnation

Thursday, September 15th, 7-9pm
$40, includes a copy of Karma and Reincarnation book!
Join us for the celebration book launch workshop! Now for the first time comes Barbara Y. Martin's firsthand account of the intricate world of spiritual rebirth. Martin, along with Dimitri Moraitis reveals the ins and outs of the karmic cycle, and how reincarnation works, based on their new book, Karma and Reincarnation. Discover:
The many types of karma, including money, relationships, career, family, and health
How to face and resolve karmic challenges, and how to build on good karma.
How reincarnation and karma are part of your spiritual growth.
Includes a demonstration of clairvoyant past life readings!
For more information about Barbara and Dimitri, visit spiritualarts.org
This event is being held at our Ferndale location. Call 248-547-2987 to register.
Pre-registration is required - class size is limited.

Finding Neverland....Again

I got an email the other day from a dear friend down in my second hometown of Athens, Georgia. This friend is a former roommate that I lived with for years, and he wanted to ask a question about life here in the big bad Dee-troit. It seems that the rest of the country has an interesting perspective on who we are and what life must be like in up here in the rust belt. And apparently, the fact that I seem pretty damn happy, healthy, and well, un-suicidal, is in direct contradiction with how HORRIBLE things supposedly are around here. His question gave me pause, and made me think about how much of our sense of well-being comes from internal versus external sources. 

When I moved to Athens years ago, I found a magical town where people dressed in costume to go to the grocery store, wore tiaras and opera gloves while waiting on you at the Waffle House, built elaborate sculptures out of bicycle parts and driftwood in their front yards, and threw parties every day of the week, "just because". Naturally, I loved it. When I came back to Detroit, I worried that I wouldn't find that same sense of whimsy and magic that had become such a big part of my life. Boy, was I wrong.

For the most part, the yards around here are a little more manicured, and I haven't spotted any tiaras on waitresses at the local Coney Island, but the spirit and the hearts of the locals around here are just as filled with optimism and a sense of magic as in that quirky southern town. No matter where we are, or what surrounds us, we all find ways to let our inner kids go out and play, even here in the big bad ole' D.

Here’s part of our conversation:

From Mike:
You live in what is reputed to be one the dirtiest, most financially depressed, dilapidated, dangerous, crime ridden, cold, blustery, snowy, cities in the country...BUT SOMEHOW, contrary to all of this, you manage to beam happiness and positivity. In person it exudes from your very existence and presence.
How do you manage this when surrounded by that kind of adversity...? Doesn't it get to you? If you could name one main source (internal or external) that creates that sort of resilience and positivity, what would it be?
Peace Out

My response:

One thing I learned living in and travelling around the gothic south, is that there is beauty in decay.....there is grace in the death of the old....and that a community that caves in on itself is ripe for evolution and re-creation.

That was true of the Athens I found in the late 80s, where a tumbleweed could've blown down Clayton street most days, but just look at Athens now. In some ways I miss the sleepiness of that time/place, and Detroit has a certain sleepy quality, as though the grownups have gone, and all us teenagers are just waking up and making it our playground. 20-somethings are buying property and opening weird and wonderful little business....artists and performers take over entire neighborhoods of empty houses and build stages for live impromptu shows, or a ferris wheel, or some other random act of whimsy.

The Detroit you see is not real, or at least not entirely. The city I live in pulses with a million heartbeats, and sometimes I think I can feel them all beating at once.

So to answer your question, my "one main source" would have to be connection. I try not to isolate, though I do like some alone time. Mostly, though, I am recharged by spending quality time with others, whether through sharing emotional intimacy or physical intimacy. Small talk doesn't work, though it is sometimes crucial to laying the groundwork for deeper connections, and its part of my job. But the deeper I can communicate with someone whose company I truly enjoy, the happier I am.

Yes, I am ridiculously upbeat, which I know annoys some people, but I still have my moments of angst and sarcasm, and occasional schadenfreud. I'm no Pollyanna, but I do keep falling head over heels in love with life and many of the people in it. I have a huge appetite for that kind of thing. Don't get me wrong, I miss the Neverland that is Athens, but there is also a kind of magic up here. After all, we each carry our magic with us.........everything else is just geography, right?

And I'm going to make that my mantra: After all, we each carry our magic with us.........everything else is just geography, right? I may even put that on a tshirt.

How to avoid Psychic Fraud

This is an article that was written by my mom, Carole, years ago, and every once in a while I have a conversation with someone who has recently been victimized, and so I like to re-post this as a reminder. Hope it helps.
-Heatherleigh

Protect yourself from 'psychics' who are more interested in your bank account than your well being. Be wary of practitioners who:

Hesitate to give prices over the phone or don't have a printed price list
Encourage frequent visits such as daily or weekly (they just want more money).
Tell you not to tell any one else about your readings (they're afraid you might be talked out of spending your money).
Try to collect more than the price originally quoted. Never, never, never pay more than the price originally quoted.
Guarantee results--offer 'money back' guarantees.
(Once they have your money, you'll never see it again).
Tell you there is an evil curse on you--and that only they can help you. (It's just not true).
Say they are 99 or 100% accurate (no one is 100% accurate).
Offer to pray for you (light candles, build altars, etc.) for a price. Your prayers and the prayers of family and friends are far more effective.

Such tactics are employed by the unscrupulous. Getting caught in their snares can be costly and emotionally devastating. Protect yourself and others!! The best thing to do is let others know so they won't be taken in by the scammer(s).

1. First, report unscrupulous psychics to local authorities. Call the police, the mayor--whatever it takes to convince the authorities that there is a threat to the public.
2. If there is a local business association or Chamber of Commerce, lodge a complaint with them.
3. Call the Better Business Bureau too.
4. Tell your friends.
5. Be as specific as possible in your complaints. Have names, addresses and dates if possible.

Unscrupulous psychics and con artists of all types count on your feelings of foolishness to protect them. They hope you'll be too embarassed to cause them any trouble. Show them that they are wrong.

Wisdom within the wreckage - Dabbling with divinity in a tea cup

~By Colette Gehr

“Tea is instant wisdom - just add water!”
--- Astrid Alauda

“There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in
a chest of tea.”
--- Ralph Waldo Emerson

One often wonders what secrets could be revealed
within the sodden wreckage of tea leaves left at the
bottom of a ceramic cup and that mystery can be
easily solved with a visit to a spiritualist experienced
in the ancient art of tealeaf reading.

Since my early teens, I have fond memories of
my mother initiating me in this particular tradition,
and I looked forward to the twice-yearly readings she
would bestow upon me. The routine may have always
been the same, with a selection of a special teapot and
cups and certain customs to follow, but the tale of the
cup would be heartwarming and different each and
every time. With great purpose, she would remove
her glasses and peer intently into the remains, taking
immeasurable care to gather the messages left behind
and voice them to me.

Reading for family and friends, she carried on a
practice, passed down from her mother, that was, at
times, chillingly accurate. In one case, she had read
for one of her best friends and not only told her she
was pregnant, but also she was carrying twins. The
woman was astounded as she hadn’t even told her
husband yet and went on to deliver two babies many
months later.

For others as well, a reading can lead to a
restorative journey along with their soothing brew.
“There are people who come to the tea room down
and out and then have a reading after which they
completely turn their life around in a positive way,”
says Carole Navarre, current owner (along with
daughter, Heatherleigh) of the Boston Tea Room in
Wyandotte. “They often return with good news and
thank us for our assistance.”

What initially began as a way to encourage
business for The Nibbler Restaurant, the Boston Tea
Room was created by then-owners Gerre and Phil
Moisson, in the spring of 1982, to accommodate
the growing demand for readings by Massachusetts
native, Rita Moisson. “After dinner, they began
holding Friday night readings. They became so
popular that people began to come in just for readings
and nothing else,” adds Heatherleigh. “Because of
this, they created a special area on the second floor of
the building and named it the Boston Tea Room for
readings of all variations.”

At the time, it was illegal to charge for divination
services so they conjured up a small lunch to
harmonize with the readings. “Things have come
a long way since then, when a lunch and a reading
was only five dollars,” remembers Carole. “To this
day, I still have people commenting on the delicious
chicken salad while reminiscing of the exceptional
readings Aunt Rita gifted them with.”

While the location has moved several times, its
reputation has endured the passage of years and
maintains an eclectic clientele that includes doctors
as well as FBI agents. Readings are generally most
popular with women but currently the numbers of
young adults and men coming through the door are
increasing rapidly. “Interestingly enough, we are
also seeing a trend of couples on a date coming in
for a reading together,” says Heatherleigh.

Awarded many honors along the way, the
Boston Tea Room has been named “Best of
Detroit” by readers of Metro Times, the Free
Press, and Hour Detroit magazine, and is
one of the few establishments statewide to offer
this type of service along with many other benefits
inside its relaxing walls. Due to its popularity, a new
location has recently opened in Ferndale.

Ensconced within an intimate setting in a private
room, clients immediately feel at ease in a happy
bubble of coziness that would lead even the wariest
clients to be open to the surprises that await them.
“I have found that everyone’s reading is unique. I
am often amazed at how diverse the readings can be
with the small canvas you are looking at, and how
much detail you can get from such a small cup,” adds
Heatherleigh. “The most common reaction is surprise
all the way across the board, that in this little brown
mess left in a common cup are secrets about your life
and the world around us.”

Officially known as tasseography, this creative
ritual, which relies on interpreting patterns or
symbols lingering from tea leaves in a cup, may not
be as well known as other divination practices (such
as palm or tarot card readings), but can often be a
deeply insightful experience. While the traditional
practice has maintained certain procedures, the nature
of the method has been modernized in these changing
times. Reading for over 10 years, Rhonda Morgan
of the Boston Tea Room feels the new way is much
more specific. “As long as there are tea leaves, it is
more about the texture than the type of tea,” says
Morgan. “And the modern version requires so much
more psychic talent along with an imaginative mind
in which you can receive much more information in a
reading.”

Beginning with placement of a small amount
of loose tea in a china cup filled slightly with hot
water, the client is asked to swirl the remains as
she wishes and pour the excess liquid out when she
desires. When done with the draining, the cup is
placed upside down on the saucer by the reader for
the client to rotate three complete turns clockwise.
The reader then picks up the cup and articulates the
meanings behind the images she sees and the time
frame (usually within the year) associated with them,
ending the session with any questions the client may
have.

As one of the readers at the tea room, Heatherleigh
comments, “You really have a small window you
are looking into and you have to go beyond that
and connect with the spirit, and find symbols with
meaning to that particular person’s life, and rely more
on intuition. It really takes focus, and connection with
your intuition, to meaningfully read tea leaves.”

However, in performing readings on your own, it
is not recommended that you cut open tea bags and
attempt to read those contents, nor to completely rely
on symbol dictionaries for psychic intervention. “I
feel that you should use caution when using symbol
books as they don’t deal with the modern world,”
says Morgan. “Limit those cheating guidelines and
read from the true images before you.”

Going back as far as ancient Greece, when they
read sediments left in their wine, the practice has
been used for centuries by those seeking remedies
to problems they are encountering --- whether they
are of a physical or spiritual nature. Often passed
down from family to family, the tradition is generally
attributed to Gypsy fortunetellers. In fact, tea leaf
reading has roots within the Middle East, Asia, and
Ireland. “I have a real connection to people who come
from European or Middle Eastern heritages, who are
drawn to an esoteric or more mysterious divinity,”
adds Heatherleigh.

For visitors who question if they, too, have the
same gift to read the contents of a cup, the answer
lies not only within themselves, but can involve class
work as well. “I feel all people have psychic abilities
and whether or not you develop it is up to you. Some
people have stronger intuitiveness than others. Some
are great and some only have an enough talent to
keep them afloat,” adds Morgan, who also teaches
a class in tasseography at the Boston Tea Room.
“Anyone can learn it and if they work at it, they can
become very good. For my classes, to truly be good,
one must practice it. I can only teach a person so
much…the rest has to come from you.”

Tealeaf reading can be a fun and inspiring way
to take note of the messages we may not otherwise
discover. “There is a resurgence of this type of
divination because it is more uniquely specialized,”
says Heatherleigh. “Now people seem to be
embracing it and requesting this type of reading more
often.”

For more information on the Boston Tea Room
and the services they provide, call (734) 281-
2244 in Wyandotte. The phone number for the new
Ferndale location is 248-547-2987.

Colette Gehr is a freelance writer based in
Holland, Michigan. Her poetry was featured in the
Fall 2008 issue of The Crazy Wisdom Journal.