Please Read my Latest! The Rag and Bottle Shop!

Greetings Magickal Readers, 

I have missed you! But I have been busy pondering, teaching, mixing potions, mastering new spells and writing! Yes, writing a New Blog!! 'The Rag and Bottle Shop' is a fictional, fantasy world where a witch owns a curious type of thrift shop, antique store, magickal shop. She has two cats Balthasar and Abramelin and a mouse Sir Pip, all whom she understands fluently. They help her run the shop and the adventures that happen border on the magickal and the societal. Catsandra does her best to walk the fine line of being compassionate and understanding while trying not to turn hateful, cruel people into toads! But, can she succeed in not being drawn to the dark side? Or is the light and dark found in all of us? Grab a cup of tea and sit down for the installments of the Rag and Bottle Shop. 

The installments will be published, in the manner, that Charles Dickens did, back in the 18th century. Weekly installments were published and printed and passed about. Commentary was sent in and he even changed the storyline according to how his readers related to the plot line and the characters.  Check out the first installment here: 

https://theragandbottleshop.blogspot.com/2020/02/a-kinder-gentler-world-first-blog-post.html

I do have a few installments already written but any feedback, commentary and suggestions as to the path you might wish to see Catsanndra take would be welcome. If you enjoy her adventures please share the link with a friend. All comments will be moderated before publication. Please be kind, and supportive. 

Any hateful, cruel or offensive comments will be deleted and blessings will be sent to you! 

© 2010-2023 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. and know you can find my link to my blog on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google Blogspot. It will no longer be emailed as we are moving forward and this allows you to choose to receive notifications, and follow as you choose! June 2020 NOTE ON COMMENTS: Due to various time restraints on my part I find I have little time to response to comments, as much as I appreciate them. If my work causes one to further wish to do their own research that is wonderful. I am glad I could introduce a story, fable or my own experience to you. Yet I was born long before anyone had the ability to reach out online to a stranger and connect, thus we were forced to make due on our own to follow the paths various authors pointed out to us. As a traditional, ancient witch we are notoriously hard to find. For this reason I do not have the function to comment available, I hope you continue to read, enjoy and explore the world of the mysterious on your own. Blessings, Ms. Faith

Introducing The Rag and Bottle Shop Blog! Coming Soon!

Greetings My Witchy Readers, 

Those that wander down the paths of words, find themselves taken to all sorts of places. From fields of reality, to meadows of fantasy to oceans of discovery and adventure! The written word has enchanted, enlightened, educated and entertained for thousands of years. I had taken a time of rest from this blog, to dedicate more time to study and teaching my students of Enchantments over the past couple of years. With the Pandemic I have had to 'work my magick' in varying degrees of creativity as well as ingenuity to teach effectively, yet also safely and remotely using digital technology. My goodness!! Apparently an ancient witch can always learn new things!  

But I really yearn to write. But this blog, dedicated to the teachings of magick, witchcraft and the like has approximately 520 articles, lessons, discussions and dare I say the occasional rant! Haha, yes, indeed. But have no fear, as I am writing yet another blog. But .  .  .  this one is different, very different and will be published, it's first 'piece' shortly. 

The blog is titled "The Rag and Bottle Shop" by Faith McCann. It will consist of short stories or even novellas all around a curious shop. This shop, called a Rag and Bottle shop, is what was once the forerunner of the modern thrift shop. Run by a witch named Catsandra who along with her two cats Balthasar and Abremelin, and a mouse Sir Pip run the shop. She accepts items scavenged by the poor and destitute in her town and she pays them for their items, cleans them and sells them along with potions, spells, charms and other necessary items. But occasionally Catsandra is required to travel about via her crystal ball to help wield justice in her community. 

The adventures Catsandra and her magical friends find themselves involved in seem to have no end. Of course!!! There is no association with any persons living or dead and ALL stories related are completely fictional and all of my imagination!! I mean cats and mice don't really talk, now do they? . . .  

I'll be posting the link to the new blog here before Yule, keep aa lookout, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other places people like to read!  Stay tuned, the stories from the Rag and Bottle Shop are coming your way soon.  Thank you, for being such loyal readers, Faith 

© 2010-2021 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. and know you can find my link to my blog on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google Blogspot. It will no longer be emailed as we are moving forward and this allows you to choose to receive notifications, and follow as you choose! June 2020 NOTE ON COMMENTS: Due to various time restraints on my part I find I have little time to response to comments, as much as I appreciate them. If my work causes one to further wish to do their own research that is wonderful. I am glad I could introduce a story, fable or my own experience to you. Yet I was born long before anyone had the ability to reach out online to a stranger and connect, thus we were forced to make due on our own to follow the paths various authors pointed out to us. As a traditional, ancient witch we are notoriously hard to find. For this reason I do not have the function to comment available, I hope you continue to read, enjoy and explore the world of the mysterious on your own. Blessings, Ms. Faith

Having that Psychic Sight - the "Knowing"

Greetings, 

There are times when simply during day to day activities, going about ones day you will get a 'vision' of things to come. It can be a difficult to discern these from daydreams, hopes, desires, fears, worries and other intrusive personal thoughts. Are they really psychic visions? 

My First Vision 

I can remember the first time I was aware of this happening to me. I was about 13 years old, sitting on the front steps of my home and reading a book. I grew up in the country, surrounded by woods, fields, farms and nature all around. I was always lost in a book all through my teens. I am a very visual reader so I visualize vividly when I read so it would have needed to be a strong image to break into my concentration. I suddenly saw a good friend walking down the long, dirt driveway that bordered the front lawn in front of me. I looked up, and was a little disappointed when I didn't see her. All I saw were fluttering leaves, bushes and swaying trees. It was a warm summer day. The kind that stretches on forever. I put the vision aside as it was only my imagination, but was caught up thinking at how clear and sharp the image was.  Yet she wasn't expected so I wasn't too disappointed. The image had flashed unbidden into my mind. Unrelated to the story I was reading, completely out of the blue. And sharp and strong enough to stop my mind from it's current work. Almost like a slap. I attempted to settle back into my story, every now and then glancing toward the drive. A strange feeling, like tingling going down my neck and spine. 

About 10 minutes later I heard a "hello!" and looked up. I saw my friend, and what was very cool, was she was dressed in the exact clothing I had seen her in, just 10 minutes before in my vision. I don't believe I ever said anything to my friend about this instance, as I normally didn't share these things with people at this stage in my life.  

The Lost Cell Phone 

Another time, as an adult a few years ago,  I needed to drop off some papers to a business associate. I had tried to call his cell but I couldn't get through. I finally made contact on the office phone. It was a filing deadline so it was time sensitive I get the paperwork to him in time. 

Do not text and drive!! 

When I got through he told me he had misplaced his cell. He was convinced he left it at a restaurant the day before at a business lunch. I immediately saw his phone deep in the seat crease of the car, driver's seat. That is how specific it was. I told him I saw it in his car seat, but he said he was pretty sure it was at the restaurant. I could tell he thought it was a mere suggestion. I had 'seen' it, an actual visual image in my mind's eye. 'Visions' can be visual, auditory, tactile where you feel something that doesn't appear to be there. You may smell something that isn't a smell that anyone else can smell, and at times a whole body experience can happen. 

 I made plans to meet him at his office and when I got there I called from the parking lot, as I was running late. He came down and I asked if he had found his phone. He said he hadn't had time to drive to the restaurant yet. I told him, "Just humor me. Where is your car?" He pointed across the lot. I said "Would you just go, please, check in the driver's seat of your car. Down in the crease of the seat. Just check, okay?" He gave me a look I have become used to. A look that says "humor the crazy lady, keep her calm." haha 

He went over to his car, opened the door and started to reach into the seat cushion. He reached deep and it seemed to take 5 minutes or more. Then with a flourish of his hand he raised it high in the air and he held his lost cell phone. 

I had already passed off the papers needed to file so with a wave I drove off and headed back to work. 

All of these instances have the same feeling. A sense of what I have come to term "knowing". No one needs to tell you when you are cold and uncomfortable, or too warm or have had enough to eat and are full. You simply know this, from paying attention to your body, your senses, your feelings.

Well one might say. . .  hunger, cold, too warm are physiological! Ha! Gotcha there. Easy to determine the cause of such. Yes. but what about emotions? We ask one another how they are feeling. We 'know' if we are happy, sad, feeling 'blah', bored, impatient, anxious, scared, etc.  It's a 'knowing' even if we are sitting there completely still and no expression, that another can determine. We alone 'know' how we are feeling within. 

This is the same as 'knowing' and feeling these things that will happen. The only difference? Is that for decades if not centuries we have been encouraged to 'listen to our feelings!". "Your feelings are valid and important."  We have an entire branch of medicine dedicated to our emotional, psychological well being. 

Yet, one layer deeper. It's just that subtle. One simple layer. The deeper feelings of 'knowing' something is about to happen, feeling, seeing, smelling, hearing, sensing something that is not there in the sense that anyone else can determine and Oh My! It must be your imagination, you must be out of your mind! 

Well, I answer skeptics with this response. Magick and the magickal realm and all it encompasses has been around as long as humans have. Nothing that does not work sticks around that long if it is not credible, in some respects. It just needs to be understood. 

A Sad Farewell (I write this at the request of my best friend who wanted to share this story) 

My best friend's father was in hospice and was in his last days in the hospital. He had been there for a number of days and the family was gathered with him, and as I did not wish to intrude I had not spoken with my friend, so I really did not know the status of his condition. One day during the week, I closed up the store  bit early. It seemed important that I close early. I called across town to a favorite Italian restaurant and ordered a couple of dinners for take out. I picked them up and went to the hospital. 

I wasn't really thinking except that whomever was keeping vigil would have a decent meal after the days of hospital food. But, it's important to note, it popped into my mind and I followed through. No going back and forth, should I, shouldn't I? I simply allowed the thought to manifest and followed through. 

It took a bit of time to get to the hospital, with traffic, then finding the room, and after getting a bit turned around I came to the correct floor, and found the nurses desk. The nurse showed me to the door, which was partially closed. When someone came to the door, it was my friend and she was shocked! I hadn't told her I was coming. 

I handed her the food and she told me that her father had, sadly, just passed. The family had just finished prayers and were getting ready to leave. She was going to go home with her mother. The food was just what they needed at such a time.  

The above examples are what I call "knowing". Having a sense of vision (seeing) hearing, smelling, feeling, in some fashion getting a sense of knowing something is going to happen before it does. And it does. 

The key is to recognize these 'visions', for a true vision. These happen suddenly, no extreme emotions involved. These are different from fears that might spontaneously pop up, or something you deeply desire and hope for and keep thinking you will get for a gift! 

I mentioned above one other type of psychic experience, a whole body vision or psychic experience that usually only lasts for a few moments. 

Foggy London

Sometimes, when many, many strings of vibrational energy 'twang' at just the right vibration, rhythm and speed it seems that it can create what some call synchronicity. This happened to me a few years ago. 

We had our old asphalt driveway removed and I had a trap rock drive put in. I feel it is better for the environment. The trap rock reminds me a bit of cobblestone when walking on it. The back of my house is stone and I have a large brass sun wall decoration hanging on the back. It will move in a bit of wind and make a clanging sound against the stone. 

One early evening I came home and walked out of the outer garage to walk across the drive to the house. It was twilight, and foggy. I remember my boot heels making a sharp rap on the ground, while the rest of the sounds seemed muffled. I stopped because I no longer wore boots, but flat shoes with no heels. I looked down and saw old grey cobblestones. 

As I stopped, I heard church bells, big, brass, old, heavy bells dong, dong, dong and first thought it was the large sun hanging on the back of the house. That had a higher clanging sound, these were the dong, dong of old brass bell clappers. I realized all of this within a few seconds. I was wearing a cloak and I hadn't worn one of my old cloaks in a few years. I had on short, black kid leather boots. I suddenly looked up! The sun seemed lower, trying to burn through the fog, but the twilight was descending and it seemed to be getting darker. 

There were tall walls around me, old dark, the air smelled acrid and sour. I knew I was in London, but hundreds of years ago, then another sound, a bird screeched and I was back in my driveway ready to take the next step. I had dropped one of the bags I was carrying and reached down to pick it up. The area opened up as my back driveway is open and spacious. The sky lightened. I was wearing the dress and shawl I had had on moments earlier. My little flat shoes were back on my feet, soundless. I straightened up, adjusted my bags and took a deep breath. 

I felt a bit different, yet I still knew it was a moment of 'knowing' whereas another might be tempted to brush it away as imagination or a day dream. It actually happened and is a memory as special today as the day it occurred. It has never re-occurred, not yet 

Without missing a step I continued into the house, put my packages away and prepared to make dinner. This is the first I believe I have mentioned that instance. Yes, such is the life of a witch. 

There are veils between the worlds, and there are times we find we can slip between them. Using that knowledge can help us in our day to day lives. 

These are some of the unusual, fun and interesting F Files I wish to share with you this week. I hope you enjoyed reading about them.  

Have a Magickal Week!! 

© 2010-2020 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. and know you can find my link to my blog on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google Blogspot. It will no longer be emailed as we are moving forward and this allows you to choose to receive notifications, and follow as you choose!

 June 2020 NOTE ON COMMENTS: Due to various time restraints on my part I find I have little time to response to comments, as much as I appreciate them. If my work causes one to further wish to do their own research that is wonderful. I am glad I could introduce a story, fable or my own experience to you. Yet I was born long before anyone had the ability to reach out online to a stranger and connect, thus we were forced to make due on our own to follow the paths various authors pointed out to us. As a traditional, ancient witch we are notoriously hard to find. For this reason I do not have the function to comment available, I hope you continue to read, enjoy and explore the world of the mysterious on your own. Blessings, Ms. Faith

When The Angels Came

Greetings,  

I have worked with the Arch Angels in small ways over the years, but over the last couple of years of working with them, my work has become daily and more personal, most especially the Judaic angels. A brief synopsis if one is not familiar: the original intent of the angels is they are the intermediaries. The watchers. It was an ancient belief that the world was a layer of three worlds, and each layer was three layers. Without getting too deeply into another lecture about ancient philosophical spiritual beliefs, suffice to say the angels were the middle layer between the layer of human prayer and faith and the ultimate highest layer of divinity that is not reachable by human conception. 

The angels, Arch Angels precisely, are intermediaries, the conduits and the watchers. As watchers, they will watch and stand by silently, non judgmental, only interceding if asked by humans. Again, the history of mankind, the church and prayer explains why mankind has in many areas forgotten how to pray using the Arch Angels, and again that is another lecture. I started working very closely with the angels. Micha' ël, Rapha'ël and Gavri'ël and Chamu'ël are the four that came to visit during this story. 

Micha'ël is the Arch Angel that can grant protection, power, the touch of the holy of the holiest,to keep harm away.  Rapha'ël has the ability to heal, bring good and strong health, to keep one healthy, to keep harm and injury and sickness away. Rapha'ël also is one who will go on a trip or use travel to aid one, in some way.  Gavri'ël is the angel of communication, who aids one in messages that will benefit one and also bring aid using the voice and sound.  Chamu'ël is the angel of love, who aids with all over loving energy that encompasses all. 

This is the story of how they came and visited and warned me. I am convinced if they had not, I would not be writing this story. I would not be alive to tell this story. They not only came to warn me, they came again after everything was over, to reaffirm their presence. 

The omen came on a Thursday afternoon. While working in the kitchen ritual space of Enchantments I had been alone in the shop all day. It was later in the afternoon and I had looked up and saw on the threshold of the door leading back into the retail space of the store a yellow feather. Simply lying there. 

I had been finishing up writing a very special poem, one that had deep meaning for me. It referred to the history of the destruction of an ancient temple and the imagining it restored in the future. I saw the feather, and knew as it was bright yellow, laying in a very significant place, it was an important omen. A threshold is a special place where omens are often delivered. 

I needed to make sure. I did some quick research and verified that feathers were indeed strong omens, yes, yes .  .  .  on the thresholds, even more important.  .  .  oh my goodness! Yellow!! The Most Important, PAY ATTENTION NOW!! Omen you can get! I admit I sat there in the kitchen, and thought "Oh crap! What fresh hell is coming my way?" 

I took a picture. 

What I found most interesting is I had been in the kitchen and back and forth in the store all day, and never once went near the feather display. They are tightly fixed in a container, and for it to appear where it did, not having been there before, well this has never happened in 16 years. I knew right away something was telling me something. Only what? 

I was certainly diligent the rest of the day. Nothing untoward happened. Yet I knew, to be on guard and pay close attention to anything that happened, no mattered how innocuous that it may seem. To look out for anything out of the ordinary. 

The next day nothing unusual happened, only my friend, J, called to chat a bit. Not a typical thing as we normally see each other and spend time in person. She had a question about flowers for a visit to her father's grave as he had passed the year before and it was his birthday. She asked if they should be red or white. The wording 'red or white flowers' would come back to me later, as I went over the events that were to unfold as the night went on. At the time I suggested white flowers, we chatted a bit more, hung up and I got ready to leave for home. 

I closed up the shop, checked on the cats of Enchantments, topped off their dry kibble and water and put the trash in the dumpster. All was closed up, and I put my bags in my vehicle. I started to drive down the drive of the shop and when I got to the end, I stopped. Ever since I had hung up from talking to my friend, I had been getting a feeling, almost an uneasiness that had been slowly building. I had initially felt it was an urgency to get home as it was Friday night and I had had a long week. I had not stayed longer at work as I was apt to typically do, and had closed right at 5 pm. Yet, as I paused at the end of the drive, instead of turning left to go home, I kept my foot on the brake and called home. 

I told my husband I was going to my friend's, J's,  house. The one who had called earlier. Just like that! I told him she and I were going to order take out and watch a movie. Then I called her and asked if she wanted company. She was excited for the unexpected visit. The funny thing is, I tend to be a person who is more planned out than spontaneous. Yet that night I simply could not turn left at the end of the drive. I had to turn right, and drive to her house. I had to. It was a compulsion  at this point. This was Friday night, January 17th. 

Yet, after all of the years I have lived a magickal life, I don't fight or try to rationalize when I get these feelings, as more of these stories will demonstrate. I simply follow the way which feels right. So, I called my friend, we ordered Chinese and I turned right out of the drive and headed to her house. 

We had the start of a nice evening eating dinner, chatting about many things and watching some television. It's important to interject at this point that as a creature of habit, especially in the winter time, every evening by 7 - 7:30 pm my husband and I are having dinner, sitting on the sofa watching TV and relaxing. Our two cats are also there with us, enjoying our company. This is my regular evening easily 95% of the year, yes I know, such an exciting witch I am!! 

So, we were talking, enjoying our evening, I had forgotten about my uneasy feeling as everything was good with my friend. My phone rang around 7:40. My husband called. He was coughing a bit, and almost laughing, I know now with shock. I asked if everything was okay? 

He told me that the plaster ceiling in our living room had just fallen down! The entire ceiling! In one fell swoop. I was at first, disbelieving, how could that possibly be!? Had something hit the house? We live in a brick ranch house. He said no, he had been in his office watching TV and on the computer. He was okay, but coughing from the air thick with dust. I quickly asked about the cats and they were okay also. He had gone into the immediate wreckage before he called me, to try to reach underneath tons of slabs of plaster laying on top of the leather sofa for our kitten.  She had started a new habit of sleeping there while waiting for me to come home after work but  she had been downstairs with our other cat. Thankfully! 

I went home, doubly thankful that I had not been there when it happened. I appreciated having time to prepare myself and brace for what I would walk into. This happened in mid January, so holiday decor was still up, we had just started taking down the tree. 

I admit even now the war zone I walked into when I came home looked as I imagine a bomb going off would look. The most shocking was the heavy slab of concrete like plaster inches thick laying over the sofa where we would have been sitting had I been home. No one would have survived being in that room. I found myself riveted to the doorway of the room for long minutes just looking, and looking that night and over the course of the next weeks. 

What was amazing, besides the fact no one was injured.  .  .   at all. Was that nothing besides the ceiling collapse was damaged. The TV, glass candle sticks, small decorations, the china cabinet, all the antique china within, the Grandfather clock, the furniture, nothing was seriously damaged. 

We called our home improvement guy, who showed up right away the next day and work started with the clean up and restoration. I overhead the workmen talking when they were doing the demolition work. It took a bit of work for them to break up and remove the slab laying on the sofa where we normally sit. They said no one would have survived had they been in the room when the ceiling came down. I felt a shudder go down my spine. 

Our living room measures appx 12' x 24' and was built in 1950. The plaster in those days is more like cement than the white chalky material we think of in art class as plaster. This was several tons of a deadly cave in. A small piece less than a foot square was startlingly heavy. 

There was a bit of stress when the insurance company initially told us that after decades of paying premiums it would not be a covered claim. Somehow, no matter how upsetting that could have been, I knew everything would be alright. I just knew. No matter how messy, how unsettling, how disruptive, everything would be okay. 

I also knew by this time that the Arch Angels I have been working with had warned me. Thinking back over the events leading up to the ceiling collapse, I remember my friend asking about "red or white flowers" and remembered how that was always a sign that my closest angels were communicating with me. Some people find pennies, others see various signs, like certain birds and one of mine are red and white flowers in any fashion. That was one. 

The yellow feather was another strong "Hey! Pay attention, Beware!" omen and I did.  

This is what we survived. What the angels warned me of: 

One can see the heavy slab on the sofa where we would have been sitting. Where we would have been is not even visible in this picture. 

But .  .  .  the end of this story is the best part!  

I carved a special candle with many symbols, anointed it with Spikenard Oil, charged it during the correct planetary hour for complete healing for the room and then had a special discussion with four Arch Angels. Rapha'ël to allow for total and complete healing of the room and all the damage that had been created seen and unseen. Gavri'ël for the energies of communication to flow forth and be heard by any of those who were involved with the claim and needed to hear and be understanding that we only were asking to be made whole and asking for nothing extra. Micha'ël, the most powerful of all the angels to oversee any workings you do for added protection, power and to surround you with Divine energy. Then Chamu'ël for Love, as that is the foundation and the glue for all spiritual, magickal workings. It is the spark and helps direct things quickly past obstacles. 

That is how the angels work.  Simply ask aloud for their help. Place before them your needs and requests and they will assist you in achieving your desires. 

They will not intercede though if you do not ask for their help.  I did give it great thought as I do not do magick or work with the angels lightly. Yet, I am not of the mind that they should only be asked or worked with during the most dire of life's circumstances. Indeed, prayer, magick, like any skill or muscle becomes stronger with practice, weaker with lack thereof. 

I asked for direct action to help the insurance company and anyone that may need to deal with our claim to do so with an open heart, an open mind, and understanding and knowledge of the right thing to do, as justice and right decree. I was not manipulating or asking for anything not deserving. At times though people tend to get caught up in things and may not give every case, or project on their desk the full attention it is due. My magick simply made sure a bright light was shone on our claim so the right eyes would see it and what ever was determined to be just and right would come through. The final prayers were answered and my angelic messages came to me. 

What is really crazy is the day before, Thursday February 13, I received a call from the insurance adjuster and he said the claim was not covered. There were still some reports to review but so sorry. I still, did not feel this was true. Then, the angels came to me on Friday February 14th, a full month after the ceiling collapse, another Friday, another end of the day. I also found it significant that they visited on the most famous day of love. This was their last, most obvious visit concerning this situation. 

I was leaving the shop and as I got in my vehicle I checked my emails. I had received one from the insurance company, saying the claim was paid for completely! Well, that was a turn around! Great! All would be reimbursed and covered. I could feel a sense of relief and calm settle over me. 

I sat in the parking lot and said out loud 'I thank the angels for listening and helping me. Thank you Micha'ël for the protection and success, Rapha'ël for healing the house completely, Gavri'ël for allowing the communication to flow freely. and always Chamu'ël for Love." Thank you Arch Angels for working with me. Blessings."  

I slipped my phone into the slot in the visor above and tapped the YouTube video button to listen to my rotating playlist of music as I made my way home. 

I put the vehicle into drive and pulled down the drive. I needed to pause at the driveways end to wait for traffic to clear and as I waited I realized I was listening to a song that was really beautiful, and it caught my ear. I hadn't heard it before and as I was sitting waiting for traffic to clear, I had the opportunity to look up to see the name of the song. What I saw made me stop. My breath caught, my thoughts stopped, my body froze. 

I saw the YouTube channel, and it was named  'MICHA' ËL', and the profile picture circle was of the Arch Angel Micha'ël holding his sword.  This was not a song I had in my playlist, I had never heard it before and had never seen this channel before! 

Ah, mmmm. . . . I put the vehicle into park. I sat there for several moments. After having just verbally said thank you to the arch angels, and then, less than 60 seconds later, looking up and seeing the Chief Arch Angels name, spelled correctly along with an image of him, to me .  .  .  was the same as if my phone rang through and he said "Hey Faith, Micha'ël here. Yes, heard your thanks, you are welcome. Got your back. No worries"   That is exactly how it felt and still feels. 

It started with a yellow feather on a threshold, ended with a YouTube channel, that by the way I can't find again.  In the middle I was given a greater appreciation for life! 

That, is one of the stories of when the Angels came to visit! 

I hope you find the magickal today! 

© 2010-2020 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. and know you can find my link to my blog on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google Blogspot. It will no longer be emailed as we are moving forward and this allows you to choose to receive notifications, and follow as you choose! 

 June 2020 NOTE ON COMMENTS: Due to various time restraints on my part I find I have little time to response to comments, as much as I appreciate them. If my work causes one to further wish to do their own research that is wonderful. I am glad I could introduce a story, fable or my own experience to you. Yet I was born long before anyone had the ability to reach out online to a stranger and connect, thus we were forced to make due on our own to follow the paths various authors pointed out to us. As a traditional, ancient witch we are notoriously hard to find. For this reason I do not have the function to comment available, I hope you continue to read, enjoy and explore the world of the mysterious on your own. Blessings, Ms. Faith

When I need Magick Right Then and There!!

Ms. Faith 

Greetings! 

It's so nice to be back! I have so many interesting stories to share. The ones from history are ones I find fascinating and then some, like this following one, are stories that I personally have experienced. 

People often ask if, as a witch, if we can do magick at will? Like a magician at a kid's party. The answer is normally no. Magickal manifestation normally takes time, work, focus, timing and a number of elements that when mixed together like a gourmet recipe, given time to bake,  will manifest into the desired outcome you need. 

Yet.  .  .  after 30 plus years of working the science of magick on a daily basis, things can be sped up. This is not 'instant magick'. No, it is a deeper understanding of quantum theory and understanding that the strings of the universal matrix that we pull at any given time can be pulled faster or slower, yet we must have what I call a knowing. Absolute knowing. No allowance for doubt or any uncertainty at all. Let me give an example of a recent time I used this concept. 

Last year, late summer, I was at my store, a small witch shop and gift shop with gardens surrounding. I had closed for the day and had been working in the garden for a couple of hours. I was tired, exhausted is more accurate a description. I cleaned up, and drove to the small local food market a few minutes away from my store and house. 

I was looking forward to getting home and having dinner. I knew once I was home, I would be done for the day! I shopped for an hour, and when finally I had picked up everything I needed I approached the line of cashiers. I had only been paying attention to my shopping so I failed to notice all the customers had moved to the outside of the store. They were lined up in front of the automatic cash dispensing machine outside the store. 

The cashier I approached, a young lady, asked me "Excuse me ma'am. How will you be paying for your groceries?" I thought 'what an unusual question!' "With my credit card." She said "I'm sorry, the system is down. We can only accept checks and cash." she smiled apologetically and indicated her manager who was standing near-by, her phone to her ear, apparently on the phone with the credit card machine company.  I have a credit card machine at my store so I know that systems go down. 

I don't carry cash, nor checks. I only had a credit card, not even an atm card. I did not have the energy nor inclination to go home, without my groceries, not with all of my groceries already chosen, ready to come home with me. My dinner was there waiting for me to bring it home! Oh no, this was going to go a different way. 

I politely smiled and said to the young clerk, "I understand, but could you just run my groceries through, please. Just run them through. It will be fine, no worries." I laugh now, thinking of her face as she looked at her manager, eyes wide, as she didn't quite understand why I wasn't following suit, as the other customers and herding out to wait in line at the atm machine. I was smiling, looking perfectly relaxed as if everything was completely normal. 

The manager, I think, to avoid a scene, told her to just run my groceries through. Perhaps she felt that after they were rung up and I had no way to pay that they would put them aside as I ran home or somewhere to get payment. I'm not sure, but I didn't even give it a thought. That's key to working magick such as this.  It never crossed my mind that my card would not work.  

I knew. Without a doubt. I was walking out of there, with my groceries paid for, in a matter of minutes. The manager and clerk stood as my groceries were tallied up, and when it came time to pay, I calmly slipped my card into the credit card machine and probably because I was so tired and feeling a bit silly by now, I looked at them both, said "I've got this, no problem" and waved my hand over the credit card machine! Haha I swear I did! The look on their faces was priceless! They were silently thinking, this woman has lost her mind, right here in the market! 

I knew before I waved my hand the transaction was going to go through. I simply knew it. There was no question in my mind. Once you can get your mind into that space, it can seem magickal what is possible. Yes, as you may have already guessed,  the machine flashed 'approved' and I took my card out. 

The clerk gasped loudly, looked excitedly at her manager and both said at the same time, "The system's up!!" The look they both gave me was one I have become used to in my over 30 years of being a practicing witch.  It is a look,  a mix of slight confusion along with surprise as if I had pulled a rabbit out of a hat, and a bit of nervousness.  I said as I took my receipt "I am so sorry, I did not mean to cause any trouble, I simply did not have time to bother with going home and coming back again. Thank you so much. I really appreciate everything."

The store employee who helped me to the car with my groceries, this is a pretty awesome market, commented on what I had done. I told him I owned the local witch shop. He said "really? Seriously?" I said, "Yes, send all your friends to Enchantments for all your magickal needs!" I was giggling by now. I was looking forward to going home, cleaning up and relaxing with a nice dinner. 

When one is a bystander, Magick can seem like a flash and bang if one is not aware of the strings of the Matrix with which are being pulled. It is a science, an art and a practice that is a lifetime one lives. It is not only what one does, but who one is, and the inner knowing of when one can pull certain strings, then knowing which strings to pull. These 'strings' I speak of are invisible, strings of vibration very much like the strings of a musical instrument, except the magickal practitioner works with the vibration that comes from the strings. It takes time and practice to become adept at this work. 

I am very certain that I was born a witch. My mother told me once, that when I was little, running around the house as she and my grandmother would watch me while they were sitting visiting and drinking coffee. She said one day, one of them, I am not sure which now, asked the other "Where did Faith come from?" my mother said because even at the youngest of age I was always different from all my other siblings and cousins, of which there are many. 

Everyone in my family was born with blond hair, blue eyes, and I was born with black hair and green eyes. They have since changed to hazel so they change from green to brown depending on what I am doing, apparently. I have been told. My hair lightened to auburn like my father's, but most definitely a throw back to some ancient ancestor of mine. I'm not sure who, but maybe she was magickal also!  

Thank you for reading my story! I will have another quite soon!! 

Have a safe and magickal rest of your week! 

© 2010-2020 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. and know you can find my link to my blog on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google Blogspot. It will no longer be emailed as we are moving forward and this allows you to choose to receive notifications, and follow as you choose! 

June 2020 NOTE ON COMMENTS:  Due to various time restraints on my part I find I have little time to response to comments, as much as I appreciate them. If my work causes one to further wish to do their own research that is wonderful. I am glad I could introduce a story, fable or my own experience to you. Yet I was born long before anyone had the ability to reach out online to a stranger and connect, thus we were forced to make due on our own to follow the paths various authors pointed out to us. As a traditional, ancient witch we are notoriously hard to find.  For this reason I do not have the function to comment available, I hope you continue to read, enjoy and explore the world of the mysterious on your own. Blessings, Ms. Faith 

Ghosts, Spirits and Energies we Find Among US

Greetings! 

I am glad that you found your way here! Welcome to the F files! The name, which stands for Faith, my name, references the diaries of stories and experiences I have had over the years. The unusual, paranormal, the occult and the simply unexplained phenomenon I have experience, researched and heard about that can be verified. 

I am a witch, and have been one for close to forty years. Those who have read my earlier blog, The Life and Times of a Contemporary New England Witch will see that the name has been slightly changed as well as the font size for ease of reading and to easily discern it from the earlier blog of over 500 articles discussing the basics of the practice of witchcraft for beginners. 

I had taken a over a year and a half off to work on so many other wonderful projects, and to bend and shape and become the next metamorphosis of who I am! After taking plenty of time, and touching on many different writing projects some I have finished, some still in their formative stages, I decided to write about what I find exciting, fun, interesting and mind expanding! Some call it the Paranormal, a word originating in 1905 but because that was a time of the great Spiritualism craze, many associate that word with ghostly things exclusively. Some call it the Occult, which covers more spooky topics and this word originating in 1530 still elicits feelings of fear of the unknown. Some may say magical, mysterious, spooky, weird? 

What do I call it? That is a very good question. Perhaps by the time I am finished writing this next series, The F Files, for you,  I can determine what word best describes my experiences and the research I have done. 

This first article focuses on the areas of 'spirit manifestation' and the conclusions I have come to. Firstly it is important to understand, whereas I am a witch I do not identify with the new age movement. I have no issue with anyone that does, I simply believe that as the ancient alchemists, what we do is a science, the most ancient of sciences. I have a deep respect for science both it's ancient origins and the modern areas it has evolved into. 

Let's discuss. In this discussion I am focusing on three types of spirit phenomenon. There are other known and many more unknown variants but for now, we will start with three.  

Loved Ones who have passed on. Their spirits stay close to those they loved, who loved them and there have been instances where even an ancestor who had never met a younger descendant will be around to watch over. There are scholars who have studied the concept of the blood or DNA having a recall that can reach back, and that seems to touch upon this concept. 

This is where the term a person being 'haunted' comes into play. But it is never a malevolent being. It is a loving energy and only a loving or familial connection can bring it to you. 

For those who had bad experiences, trauma, violence, the spirit is not haunting you, tormenting you or in anyway harming you. We have free will and they cannot cross that barrier. The thoughts, nightmares, night paralysis, is psychological and does have an actual physiological reason.  The hauntings one sees in movies or reads about in literature is purely fiction, as entertaining a it may be. 

Though I have met many who are not ready to hear that and insist they are being visited by a demon or entity and I can tell you that it says a lot when they tell me this and I ask them if they wish to rid themselves of this trouble. When they back away from doing anything to change their situation then for whatever reason this 'trouble' benefits them. Or why else not get rid of it? 

Also when one smudges or cleanses a room, loved ones do not leave. They come and go as they need to. But are not always visible, to you. Love is a connection that keeps us connected. For those who have a religious belief, do not think if they are here with you, that they are not in 'Heaven', they are easily in more places than one. The soul is infinite and not bound by earthly limitations. 

"Recordings" 

Recordings are the word I give this phenomenon. I practice psychometry.  This is a practice of holding or touching a tangible non-living object and simply by touching it you can tell about where it has been, who has owned it, what experiences it has been witness to. This is very effective with jewelry as it is so often worn for long periods of time, over long periods of time and much energy from a single person is deposited on it. 

I am most effective when it comes to using psychometry on buildings. I can touch an old building, even to the stone ruins of a foundation no matter how old and suddenly hear, see, smell all sorts of events that had happened in and around that building in it's day. 

These recordings happen with the human energy of living that goes on in and around the building. Especially repetitive or intense high energy activity. For instance, if there is a monastery and a monk wakes every morning, at the same time daily, walks to the wash basin, does his morning ablutions, performs his prayers walks to the east window to look out and performs this same process daily. For years. After he passes away, another monk happens to pass the monks empty bedchamber at the exact time in the morning when he would normally be performing his morning routine, and sees a figure going about the same process. 

As the younger monks scurries away, fearful he has just seen the older monks ghost, he hadn't. The wood, stone and materials the monastery is built with has absorbed the vibrations of the recording of the older monks ritual movements every day for decades and it  was simply being released at the time the younger monk passed by. And many times this will also happen if a horrific event happened, a war battle, a tragedy, church bells ringing at a set time heralding an auspicious event, ghostly hoof beats from horses passing by that no one can see. There are no ghostly riders, no invisible  bells actually ringing. Just the recording of the vibrations coming through the veils that separate the worlds. 

These encounters, these experiences have occurred to tens of thousands of people over thousands of years. They are folklore they have happened to often over time. In every country, every culture, to believers and non-believers alike.  

In my experience this is very much the primary experience people encounter. But then again .  .  .  there is the third type of spirit phenomenon.

Thought forms. These may indeed be the most horrific of them all. 

When humans are killed suddenly, murdered violently, die accidentally, an image of their spirit, a layer of their energy seems to get stuck, as if a recording of the sudden release of energy that took their lives lingers on, and they can at times seem stuck to the place their bodies left the earth. The place of their death. Yet this does not happen to all. Actually very few. 

But thought forms are a bit different. A human created spirit manifested thought form, is a little understood yet I believe real form of 'haunting'. Understanding quantum energy and theory explains much of what people sense, see and even hear more than loved ones who have passed coming back. 

Take castle Leap in Ireland for instance, it is considered the most haunted castle in Ireland. There is controversy as to whether this castle was built in 1250 or whether it was built in the 1500's, but it is accepted that Leap castle was built upon the earlier settlement that dated back to the Iron Age, which for those not up on their middle school Social Studies, falls between the years 1200 b.c.e. and 600 b.c.e depending on the region of the earth. Which means humans have been living on this plot of land for up too 3,220 years. 

Castle Leap Ireland 

To be considered the most haunted place, as one would expect, this castle has a horrific history of cruelty, murder, betrayal and treachery! All the ingredients needed to manifest a thick putrescent energy mass of misery. The longer humans have violently inhabited an area, the stronger the energy left behind. 

The history of castle Leap consists of one barbarous warrior clan the O'Carroll's. They overtook the castle from the original owners by force, then became known for hosting feasts of great renown. The Chieftain would invite his rivals, those he perceived as threat or those he wanted to betray. Once his enemies were within his walls he would seize them and throw them into the castle's murder pits. 

These murder pits  were constructed when the castle was built and were an engineering feat of Medieval torture and cruelty. This pit was designed as a long necked shaft that a body was thrown down and the end opened into a large rounded pit where the skeletons and rotting corpses of other dead bodies festered. Some murder pits were outfitted with spikes on the bottom to add injury to the body, if the fall did not immediately kill the victim. 

Murder pit shaft which the bodies of the enemies of the Chieftain would be thrown down 

Diary accounts from some ancient castles wrote of these pits being cleverly engineered to be placed precisely within the castle so that the aroma of foods being cooked in the kitchens and eaten in the great hall would waft into air slits placed so the victims, starving and thirsting, injured and betrayed would suffer as great a torment as possible before also succumbing to death on the piles of bodies that had perished before. 

Repair work on the castle in 1922 found the pit and though the total number of bodies was never determined, three carts of human skeletal remains were removed. 

To have such intense pain, suffering and torment along with horrific murder of so many people over hundreds of years is thought to have caused the energy to coalesce into a mass of misery that some believe to have seen as an actual entity within the castle walls.  Some have said "it", as they refer to the entity, has a foul odor, is a small being. No more than a foot to a foot and a half tall, hairy, filthy creature, no facial features apparent, and seen often in the shadows on the stairways. It does nothing but move on it's way and leaves one with a feeling of horror and apprehension. 

Truly, after such a long history of misery, the very best to do to release such an energy is to have allowed the castle, when it fell to ruins to have removed the ruins or left them there to allow the elements to over time release the contained energy. By rebuilding and containing the energy once again, it is again recording, reliving and the energy of so much human suffering remains. 

For those of us who are proponents of history, I also believe teaching what has happened in the past is important so we can remember and hopefully avoid reliving the mistakes of history. But keeping the buildings of torture, pain, misery, agony? I see no benefit to keep abandoned insane asylums, abandoned prisons, concentration camps, slave quarters, as the anguish has become tangible. Human emotions are not simply invisible ether. Museums near the areas detailing the history could be appropriate, and modern structures that never housed such human misery would be less likely to contain it. On a metaphysical level. 

 It is places such as these, where thought forms of pain and misery gather together and take shape. Ghosts? No, not as we understand the term traditionally. These are not specters of those who once walked the earth. I believe they go on, and many wonderful things may happen to the soul after the pain of their existence burns off. Yet if that energy is strong enough some can be left behind, still active in some way. 

These are actual energies that can be felt as strongly as the energy of millions who worship and touch a sacred stone altar or building in reverence and that energy can be felt hundreds, thousands of years later.  

I have countless stories and avenues throughout history I will share with you in this newest version of my blog. I hope you enjoy the Contemporary New England Witch''s F Files!!

Have a Mysterious Moment this week! 

 

© 2010-2020 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. and know you can find my link to my blog on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google Blogspot. It will no longer be emailed as we are moving forward and this allows you to choose to receive notifications, and follow as you choose! 

June 2020 NOTE ON COMMENTS:  Due to various time restraints on my part I find I have little time to response to comments, as much as I appreciate them. If my work causes one to further wish to do their own research that is wonderful. I am glad I could introduce a story, fable or my own experience to you. Yet I was born long before anyone had the ability to reach out online to a stranger and connect, thus we were forced to make due on our own to follow the paths various authors pointed out to us. As a traditional, ancient witch we are notoriously hard to find.  For this reason I do not have the function to comment available, I hope you continue to read, enjoy and explore the world of the mysterious on your own. Blessings, Ms. Faith 

Contemporary New England Witch's Last Post

Greetings My Witchy Readers,

As many of you have taken notice of, I have set aside writing on this blog about a year and a half ago, in October of 2018. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, it started back in 2010 as a blog to introduce the lay person to the world of the witch. To introduce what we do and some of the behind the scenes peeks at our world. I have published as of this post over 500 discussions.

I hope you take the time to read and re-read them. I have decided to work on perhaps another blog, maybe even a podcast and other really exciting projects that take up so much of my time. The best advice I can give you is read, then set aside all you have read and start practicing and delve into the life of a witch if this is who you are. One who reads lots and lots of books is simply a well read person. What can you do, how do you use your magick?

Also, you will find I have taken away the ability for any further comments to be allowed on my blog. I simply don't have the time to moderate the comments and most go into a 'holding phase' before they are automatically deleted by my system without being read. I do appreciate all of the lovely and thoughtful comments and beautiful wishes so many of you have sent my way.

I want to thank you all for your support, encouragement and readership over the past decade. Blessings and light! Ms. Faith McCann




© 2010-2020 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to receive the link to the most current weekly blog post send me an e mail with your email address. You will receive a new blog post weekly. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.