Bring in Abundance this New Years that will last all year!

 Good Afternoon,

This is the time of the year when people make New Year's resolutions and promises for the upcoming year. A simple way to do this is with sympathetic magick.  Sympathetic magick is having something mimic what will happen in real life, even if metaphorically.

In this instance, on New Year's Day make sure your wallet or bill fold has money in it.  A good amount like $50 or $100 will see that your wallet has money in it all year.  That's the idea of it. Cleaning the house, throwing out broken and unwanted things will allow for the upcoming year to be free of clutter and discord.

Having symbolic abundance around you and in your house will translate into more this year, for instance, have fresh bread in the house. Fill up the salt shakers (salt and bread had been used for currency in ancient times) make sure the front doorway is clear of clutter and swept clean.

Get rid of old wrapping paper and unused boxes, bring in fresh flowers and fruits and vegetables. Even having a decadent dessert for New Year's Eve can translate into abundance for the coming year.

Some cultures make a big pot of soup or stew for the New Year's dinner, making sure there is plenty for everyone and leftovers as well. All of these things can help you to magickally manifest abundance in your life for the upcoming year.

Have a Safe, Happy and Healthy New Year's!


Peace and Happiness




© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Mistletoe as part of the Christmas/Yuletide festivities

 Good Afternoon,

The small, unassuming mistletoe has a vast history that goes back to the first century A.D. when the Celtic Druids would harvest it from old oak trees. There is a legend that the druids would hold a  white cloth underneath an oak tree while one would climb the tree and cut the mistletoe with little gold knives. The mistletoe would drop into the cloth, thus never touching the ground. It was then used as a cure all for all sorts of illnesses and maladies. It was a plant from 'between the worlds' which made it sacred.

By being 'between the worlds' means it was an air plant. It didn't need sol to grow. It grew on branches of the Oak tree, deriving it's nutrients from the tree and from the air around it. Thus being an 'in-between' being. The druids felt anything in-between was sacred. Such as ice. It's water, but it's a solid. Mist or fog, also water but it acts as air. The time of day which is midnight. That stroke of midnight isn't today, nor is it quite tomorrow. All of these things were considered 'between the worlds'.

Mistletoe also had the ability to bloom in the dead of winter, showing an evergreen, living ability when surrounded by the cold, harsh, death of winter. This made it extra special for the druids. 

Some time in the Middle Ages, mistletoe was brought into the Christmas holiday festivities. At first it was used by the servant classes and used to procure a kiss from an unsuspecting female who happened to be standing directly underneath a sprig of mistletoe. It was considered bad luck to refuse the kiss. After a kiss was had, a white berry was removed from the sprig. This kept on until all the white berries were removed then a new sprig had to be used.  Soon mistletoe moved into the upper classes and remains to this day a part of this holiday's festivities.

Be careful if you use mistletoe as it is poisonous to pets and people alike.

Happy Yuletide and Merry Christmas to you!!


Peace and Happiness





© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Yuletide Blessings

Season's Greetings!

A recent debate has come to light in the past few years. How to extend holiday wishes to others. Some want, nay demand! Merry Christmas! Others want to hear Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings. Me? Haha, I am happy to extend to you the greeting you desire. I find it easier to respond in kind when someone extends me holiday greetings. If someone says "Merry Christmas" I say it back to them.

It makes people happy and avoids holiday discord. I mean, really? Does it matter? Truly? I'm just happy to receive a smile and a greeting from another person. If they say Happy Holidays, I'll say it back. Some people say, it was always Christmas, so Christmas it remains. Well .   .   .  to be historically accurate .   .   .  it was originally Yule or Yuletide.

You see the Ancients celebrated the middle of winter, Yule, (The winter solstice December 20-24th) by bringing into the house evergreens, which spoke of life during the cold, bitter, snowy 'death' of winter. The reds and greens were colors favored by the Celts.  There was a feast day, as is customary for a Sabbat, and gift giving became popular over the centuries as people remembered one another during this festive time.

The May pole decorated during the May Day festival became the Yule Log which was burned in the village center to bring in the light, during this dark time of the year. The darkest, as the winter solstice marks the longest night, shortest day of the year. Right after the solstice, the days start to become just a little bit longer, although imperceptibly so to begin with.  Traditionally a bit of unburned Yule log is saved from the previous year to light the fire for this year's Yule log. This is done year after year, magickally keeping the energies of the Yuletide celebrations ongoing.

A witch celebrates this holiday much as everyone else does. We have Yule trees and wreaths. We bake cookies and cakes. We have feasts or dinners with everyone's favorite foods. It's a form of sympathetic magick to have a table full of abundance. Fancy foods, sweets, delicacies which then represent the abundance to be had during the coming year.

It's a good thing to clean your house before the holiday, get rid of accumulated trash and unwanted items, bringing in fresh foods, new items and a show of abundance with presents under the tree and plenty of special items. Sweets, delicacies and special items you normally wouldn't have, bring in during the holiday. It will reflect back on you during the year with abundance and plenty coming your way.

I wish you a beautiful holiday season!  Ms. Faith 

© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

How to charge, consecrate or bless magickal items

The Earth's Magic Circle - The Northern Lights. A picture taken by NASA from space of the Northern Lights on Earth

Good Afternoon,

Do you have a new athame, wand, talisman or amulet you'd like to consecrate? Just about any tool used in magick can be cleansed, consecrated, charged or blessed so it has just the energies you want in it. There are several ways to do this and some are more challenging than others.

One way is to cast a circle and while inside the circle take your item and run it through the incense smoke, then sprinkle some blessed water on it then touch it briefly to the candle flame.  Another method is to take your item and place it on the altar pentacle and let it sit there for a few minutes. That's all you need to do.

Some traditional methods of consecrating a tool is to place it under the full moon for an hour or so. In my research, to do this be sure to do it outside, as the energies of the sun or moon through window glass loses much of it's magickal energy.  You may also place your item under the full sun for an hour or so. Holding the item in a running stream of natural water is also good, though a bit more challenging to accomplish without losing the item.

A way suggested to me from a magickal friend recently was to place the items on the floor, along the magick circle you cast. Such as magickal stones and such. Place them along the line where your boundary of the magick circle would be and conduct your ritual. Pick them up after you finish the ritual and they will be charged and very strongly emanate the energies from the circle.

These are some methods for charging your tools and items to be used in magickal practice. I am also careful of using anything that has been owned previously. Some items may have a good energy in them, some may not. If you wish to use an older, previously owned item, hold it and sit with it for  few moments and get a sense of it's energy. If it feels good to you, use it and consecrate it as described above. If the energy doesn't feel right, don't try to change it, just put the item aside and don't bring it home. It's not meant for you.

I hope these magickal tips prove helpful to you as your journey along your magickal path.


Peace and Happiness


 © 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Offerings to Deity and Santa's Milk and Cookies

Good Afternoon,

Often in the practice of the Wiccan religion we have a practice of making an "offering". I've been asked to explain this. First an offering is something 'given' in thanks to the Gods or Deity. An offering can be a piece of bread or cake, a chalice of wine or drink. Of course the actual offering isn't consumed but the 'essence' of the gift is considered received by the Gods/Goddess in thanks for their being in our lives.

You can burn a candle as an offering, offer up a gift made of natural materials, such as a wreath or spray of flowers. Giving thanks with an offering is a centuries old tradition, such as with votive candles (the squat chunky candles), the name comes from a votive offering which means offered or consecrated in fulfillment of a vow.

The lighting of candles at one time were done to thank the Gods/Goddesses/Saints for their involvement in our lives. Then lighting candles to pray for a person became popular.

A tradition at Christmas that is more secular than religious today is the offering of cookies and milk to Santa Claus who at one time was known as Father Christmas or St. Nicholas. Many still do this holiday tradition without realizing they are participating in a centuries old tradition.

I wish everyone a magickal, happy and healthy Thanksgiving Holiday.


Peace and Happiness







© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Journey to the Center of the Earth Meditation

Good Afternoon,

The following is a meditation that I wrote and  I read to my students. It's designed to help you meet your spirit guide. To best use this meditation, have someone read it to you while meditating, or read it into a tape recorder and play it back to you.

To begin, sit in a comfortable chair, legs uncrossed and hands at your sides. Breathe in slowly through your nose and exhale slowly through your mouth. Keeping your eyes closed allow yourself to see the images in your mind's eye as you hear the meditation being read to you. Be sure you are comfortable and then begin.

Journey to the Center of the Earth Meditation

Imagine you are standing outside a large stone, medieval castle. The walls looms above you. It's a huge and ancient fortress. There is a door set into the wall in front of you. Walk through the doorway into the coolness of the castle. You see before you a staircase descending into the depths of the castle. Start walking down the stairs, still remembering to breathe through your nose and mouth, slowly and gently as you descend lower and lower into the belly of the castle.

You go down step after step, feeling more and more relaxed, your whole body is getting lighter and lighter. You keep walking down the stairs, going deeper and deeper, lower and lower, getting lighter and lighter. Still breathing gently in, gently out. Lower, deeper, lighter. Lower, deeper, lighter.

You've descended many, many floors down into the belly of the castle, you continue to go lower knowing you must be in the caves that run beneath the castle. You start to hear dripping water and the air smells dank and moist.

You continue down and notice the walls are slimy and covered with green algae. The stairs are wet and just as you are afraid of your footing, the stairs end and you walk out through an archway that opens into a cave that has a beautiful, deep blue-green lake in the middle.

You see a boat bobbing up and down along the edge of the lake, then you walk over to the boat and get in. It is a magickal boat, as soon as you settle yourself and get comfortable the boat begins to move on it's own. It starts to glide gently across the water to the other side of this sub-terrarium lake. It reaches the other side and gently bumps up against the far shore. You now get out of the boat to continue on your quest.  You look along the walls of the cavern and you see an opening. Go to the opening and duck your head as you enter a narrow passageway. Walk along the passageway and notice it gets darker and ever more narrow as you walk along.

Trail your right hand along the wall until you feel a slight opening in the rock. It's a crack in the rock and it magickally opens so it is just big enough for you to fit through. Squeeze through and find yourself in a small cave. It seems lit with a phosphorescence that allows you to see perfectly well, this far below the earth. Look around the cave. What is there?

Do you see the ancient pirates chest sitting on a soft bed of white sand? It's right up against the farthest wall of the cave. See it there?  Inside is something that is meant for you. Go to the chest and open it, see a large bunch of fabric piled on top. Pull this fabric up and see that it is a cloak. Get to your feet and bring the cloak with you. Put the cloak on, swinging it over your shoulders. Now notice along the far wall of the cave there is another opening. Much larger than the last one that you squeezed into the get into this cave. Do you see it? There is someone waiting for you inside. It will be a spirit guide. It may come to you in human form, animal form or creature form. Now with your cloak wrapped around you, lift high your head and go through the opening into the larger cave.

See as you enter a cave far larger and more glorious than you could have imagined. See how this cave glitters on all walls with gold pyrite, veins of real gold and silver, the walls studded with diamonds, crystal, amethysts, emeralds, sapphires and rubies. Crystal stalactites and stalagmites flow up from the floor and hang down from the roof of the cave. The whole cave is lit with a mysterious luminescence allowing you to see everything clearly.

It is truly an underground palace of earthly treasures. Look around and see two thrones, one of silver and one of gold. Now notice a being seated in one of the thrones. You may walk over and be seated in the other throne. Introduce yourself and ask your spirit guide it's name.  (give a few moments pause for this exchange)

You may have a brief conversation with this spirit guide. Ask what you need to ask and listen for it's answer. (Also pause at this time for a few moments for this conversation to happen)

At this time you must continue your quest, say farewell to your spirit guide and thank it for it's time. Know that you can visit your spirit guide through meditation at anytime in the future should you wish to.

After you have taken leave of your spirit guide, go back through the opening of the smaller cave. Remember the pirates chest? Find it again and go over to it. Sink down upon the soft white sand and open the chest. Push back the top and look inside. There inside, underneath where your cloak was, is a gift to you from your spirit guide. Take it out. Look at it carefully and rise. Be sure to take the item with you.

Go back through the narrow opening and squeeze back through. You will turn left out of the cave to go back from whence you came. Go back along the dark, narrow passageway using your hand as a guide until you get back to the lake with the boat. See it waiting for you. Settle back into the boat and feel it gently start to glide along to bring you back to the far shore where you started your journey.  After the boat bumps to a halt, get out, remember to bring your gift back with you.

Look for the archway to the staircase and start to climb the stairs. You are walking up the stairs going higher and higher. You feel relaxed, happy and excited. Continue up and notice the walls becoming drier, grayer and the stone is cold and rough to the touch. Continue up the stairs feeling the air becoming drier and lighter.  You continue up feeling very happy, relaxed and looking forward to the sunshine and the feel of soft breezes on your face. You are almost at the top of the stairs, remember what your spirit guide spoke with you about.

Walk out of the castle and see the beautiful blue skies and feel the soft summer breeze on your face. The grass is green, sweet and soft. Find a place to sit in the grass, look at the item you brought back with you. Lay back, close your eyes and when you are ready, open your eyes and be back in the current time.

The meditation is over.

Try this meditation to meet your spirit guide. I wrote this myself and my students have had very good results with it. Enjoy!


Peace and Happiness


 

© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

How a Witch prepares for Winter

Good Afternoon,

Well, Samhain/ Halloween is behind us and Winter beckons. There are things that need to be done to prepare for the upcoming dark half of the year.

It's time to cut and dry any last herbs and medicinal/magickal plants you might still have left in your garden. hang them in a dark (out of the sunlight) spot and let them dry for a week or two before puttig them away in jars for the winter.

Gather all of your used candles and have them ready to use for rituals and spellcasting, trying to use them up before Imbolc in February when we replace all of our old candles with new ones.

Take the ribbons off of your Maypole and burn them, if you haven't already done this at Samhain. Then replace them with ribbons colored silver, purple and black to honor the winter months.

Trim down garden grasses, ornamentals, and discard the cuttings or place at the edge of a wood line so birds can use the grasses for nest building and repair. Also place outside, in small clumps, dryer lint so birds can line their nests for the upcoming cold winter.

Get your bird feeders and seed ready for winter. If you have a bird bath you can put a small heater in it, the kind made for bird baths, to keep the water liquid during cold snaps.

These are just a few of the things a witch needs to do to properly prepare for the upcoming winter. The winter is a time of rest, rejuvenation and renewal. Getting ready for winter before the snow flies will give you a sense of accomplishment and make you ready both physically and spiritually.

Peace and Happiness





© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Some traditional dishes to serve this Samhain ( Halloween)

Good Afternoon,

Yes, it's that spooky time of year again. Halloween or what we Celtic Druid's call Samhain, pronounced (Sow-en). I've gone over the history of Halloween with you before and shared spooky stories of hauntings and spirits, so today I'm going to talk with you about the feasts of Samhain and what they encompass.  

The ancient Druid's consumed the sacred Swine, or pig meat for their Sabbat feasts.  A nice pork roast served with apples is a traditional harvest dish. I, as a matter of fact, just had a wonderful pork roast dinner the other night with loved ones and it really was delicious.  Root vegetables are predominant during harvest season so serving potatoes, turnips, beets, as well as cabbages and brussel sprouts are also tasty and timely.

Cooking potatoes with cabbage (Colcannon) is  traditional Celtic-Irish dish served with lots of sweet butter. Roasting root vegetables is a wonderful way of bringing out the Autumnal flavors of the season. Remember to serve all meals with bread as the harvest Sabbats are reminiscent of harvesting the grains from the fields and bread was a primary staple for the ancients when they had a bountiful harvest.

One type of traditional feast was called the Dumb Supper. Samhain is a 'Memorial Day' for us, a day of the dead if you will, remembering those who have passed on. One way of remembering those loved ones is by serving an entire dinner with all of the guests refraining from speaking at all. Everything, from serving the food, consuming it and cleaning up afterwards was done in total silence. This is to honor those who can no longer speak with us on this side of the veil.

A less somber way of honoring those who have passed on is to serve a dinner, talking allowed, and have a single plate set aside for those who have passed on. Be sure to place on the plate a sampling of the foods available along with a drink. No one is to touch the plate or chalice of drink as the dinner or party progresses. They are there for the spirits to partake of. Now, of course, they don't actually eat or drink the offerings, but it is believed that they intake of the essence of the food and drink. After the dinner is over the food and drink can be discarded, but not eaten by the living.

A delightful dish for the dessert portion of the feast can be an apple pie or cups of homemade applesauce with dollops of whipped creme' on them. Having something sweet brings the importance of living life fully to the forefront.

I hope you have a delightfully spooky Halloween/Samhain. Celebrate, honor those who have passed on and live life to the fullest.  This is my Samhain wish for you!


Peace and Happiness





© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

See Ms. Faith this Halloween season all around Manchester!

Good Afternoon,

My Goddess is October a busy month for a witch in New England! I just finished a lecture and PowerPoint presentation for the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, CT  last Friday night. We had a good turn out and it was a lovely evening all around. My presentation was "Witchcraft- Yesterday and Today".  There were many good questions asked and the audience seemed very interested in the subject matter.  The director of the Mark Twain House and Museum even asked me to do my presentation again in 2015 and wants to arrange a night where I go through the Mark Twain house and see what kind of spirits are lurking about! Sounds like fun to me. I'll let you know more when we get closer to doing something like that.

In the meantime, you can see me and watch another of my presentations this Friday night, October 24th at Manchester Community College at 6 pm. My presentation is "The History of Halloween". My wonderful assistant Ms. Laurel and I put on a  little play depicting the witches from Macbeth which shows how people have perceived witches throughout the history of witchcraft and then afterwards I present a PowerPoint presentation showing the real history and talk about what witches are like today.   I would love for you to attend this show, there are still a few seats available.

To attend you only need to call this number 860-512-3232 and have the course number #CRN31768 and pay the fee of $20 with a credit card. The program will be held in the Great Path Academy GP138 from 6 - 8 pm on Friday. I hope to see you there!





© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Even More Autumn Magicks to be Found in our Gardens!

Good Afternoon,

We finish up today talking about the magicks to be found in our Autumn gardens.  It's important to note that I have touched upon just a few of the plants, vegetables and fruits that hold magick for us, in the past few weeks of our discussion. Today we discuss some of the season's favorites.

Pumpkins

The pumpkin holds a magick that will help you find a way into a man's heart. The recipe for pumpkin pie, for instance is actually a love spell that you can eat. Pumpkin's magickal property is love. Add sugar for sweetness, spices for lust and passion and voila' you have a tasty love spell that no man can resist. The pumpkin as a gourd also holds protection as a magickal property also. Carve a pumpkin into a scary face and place on your doorstep with a lit candle inside to keep evil and frightening forces from your home.

Gourds

Gourds magickal property as mentioned above with the pumpkin is protection. It's important to not eat any gourds that are not sold as food, as many of them are poisonous. Placing gourds around your front doorstep helps keep evil from your home. also tying them into a long string or rope of gourds and draping them over your doorway also repels negative spirits. Drying the gourds and using them as shakers with the seeds inside makes them good for magickal rituals when singing and dancing takes place.


Apples

Apples can be used in love spells also. In this case any dish made from apples, sweetened with sugar and spiced up can be a love spell, much like the pumpkin, but this time it's most effective on the woman. The apple also has healing energies in it. A new witch is often taught that to cut the apple in half horizontally will allow one to see the seed pod within, in the shape of a star or pentagram. The pentagram is a protective symbol for witches.  Apples are also consumed on Samhain (Halloween) as they are considered a food of the dead.


There is so much magick around us, to be found in the natural world. To be used, appreciated and blessed. I hope you are enjoying this Atumn season and the wondrous gifts of the Autumn garden.



Peace and Happiness

 

© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

More Autumn Magick to be found in our gardens

 Good Afternoon,

Today we will discuss the magickal properties of more gifts from our Autumn gardens. Today I focus on vegetables rather than flowers, as the magickal vegetable garden is giving us the last of Summer's abundant produce right now.

Corn-

Magickal properties are protection, luck, divination and money or prosperity. Hang a bunch of corn cobs or a wreath with corn cobs interspersed throughout for protection of the home. Hanging corn in bedrooms will protect the sleepers during the night. Blue corn is scattered as an offering to the Gods and Goddesses.

Tomato

The lovely tomato is abundant this time of year, giving us the tastiest and largest choices of the year. There is nothing as wonderful as a late summer tomato. The magickal properties of the tomato is prosperity, protection and love. Give a dish of tomatoes to one you love and the love will be returned. A tasty dish of tomatoes that we make every year around this time is called fried tomatoes. It's more like a tomato soup and very delicious. Here's the recipe:

Fried Tomatoes

Use several large fresh tomatoes right from the garden, rinsed and green stem removed. Then quarter or chunk tomatoes and put in a fry pan over medium heat. Let cook for several minutes until tomatoes have broken down and have made a soup. Chunks of tomato are O.K. Bring to a soft boil. Take off the heat and place several small pats of butter in the hot tomatoes and allow to melt. Stir to mix the melted butter throughout and serve with bread on the side. That's all there is to it! And it's a very tasty way to enjoy fresh tomatoes.

Cabbage-

The cabbage brings luck to a new marriage or relationship. Plant, grow and eat cabbage for luck and good fortune in life. The cabbage is ruled by the moon, it's element is water and it's gender is feminine. Cabbage is very good this time of year in an Irish dish called Colcannon. Here's how you make it.

Colcannon

Heat in a large heavy pan, several boiling potatoes with or without skins. Place into water quarters of cabbage with center stem removed. Bring all to a boil and let boil until potatoes and cabbage are cooked and tender. Place all in a colander and drain of all water. Then place in a large mixing bowl, add plenty of butter, milk and salt to taste and mashed together until all is incorporated.  The cabbage gives the potatoes a sweet taste and the butter makes it a rich and savory dish. No need to wait until St. Patrick's Day to enjoy a dish of Irish Colcannon.

Enjoy!


Peace and Happiness




© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

The Magick to be Found in our Autumn Gardens

 Good Afternoon,

The gardens are looking so lovely right now. I love the Autumn gardens with their late season blooms and fragrances. Let me tell you a little about the magick they hold this time of year.

 Asters - These beautiful blooms are rampant in the Autumn gardens now. They come in colors from white, to purple to pink. Many times they grow from seeds dropped by birds and some will weed them out of the garden early thinking they are simply weeds. But I always wait to see and I'm often surprised with beautiful fun, happy asters blooming in my garden. The magickal property of asters is love. It's gender is feminine, and it's deity is Venus. The ancient Greeks would use asters for love rituals and for all activities pertaining to love. You can use them in spells for love and burn dried asters on charcoal briquettes for love spells.

Another beautiful flower in the garden this Fall is the Chrysanthemum or simply mums.

The mum's magickal property is protection. I like to put mums out in front of my doorsteps and near entrances to the house or building. Beautiful and protective all at once! It's gender is male and it's element is fire. Be careful not to eat or drink anything with mum in it as it's labelled poisonous. But it can be worn to keep evil spirits away and bouquets of mums in the house help repel negative energies.

Also blooming this time of year is the Daisy.

The daisy's magickal property is lust and love. It's gender is feminine and it's element is water. Use in love spells and wear to attract love to you. In bouquets, daisies represent the fresh new spirit of young love and beginning romances. Pick the first daisy of the season to have romantic admirers follow you and become besotted with you.

These are just some of the magickal, beautiful flowers blooming in your garden now. I'll discuss more Autumnal blooms in the coming weeks of this discussion. I hope you are having a happy Fall!



Peace and Happiness






© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

My Magickal Train Ride this Week

Good Evening,

I just returned home from a lovely trip to upstate Vermont this week. I go up yearly to see family and it was a wonderful trip this year.  While on vacation we decided to take a train ride to the top of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, a part of the White Mountains. 

While the day we went up the mountain proved to be overcast, foggy and rainy and we couldn't see the fabled hundreds of miles, we did have an interesting train ride up and back down the mountain.

I saw Balsam fir trees only  a foot or so high, but which were hundreds of years old. The elevation, the summit is 6,288 feet,  and conditions cause the trees and other plants to grow stunted.  I saw other plants, small sedums with vibrant tiny flowers, grasses, tiny white birch trees and boulders and stones heavily covered with lichen.

One of the best sights we saw was a brilliant red fox bounding in the grasses at the lower elevations and then he stopped and just looked at us as the train lumbered by going a respectable 6 miles per hour.  As we went up and then down (each trip was an hour in duration) I scanned the darkened woods looking for wild life. Except for the fox we didn't see any on this trip, but the witch in me could feel the eyes of many creatures as they watched us go by.

The weather was a quick dose of winter with the temperatures in the low 30's on top of the mountain and the wind speeds at 25 miles an hour. A chilly experience to be sure.

We were glad to come back down to lower elevations and higher temperatures after our afternoon excursion.

I enjoyed the day, the flora and fauna and the magickal feel that always overcomes me when I'm surrounded by nature.

I hope you are enjoying your fall. 








© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Come See Me at the Mark Twain House and Museum on October 17th!

Good Afternoon,

It's getting closer to Halloween! Yes, I know, Summer has raced by this year. Yet, the Fall is enticing and I know so many people enjoy the Fall here in Southern New England.

Want to hang with the Witches this Autumnal season? Come and see me on Friday night, October 17th at 7 pm at the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, CT. The Mark Twain House and Museum is conducting a four month long season dedicated to Spiritualism and will be holding talks, lectures, seances, all wrapped up around witchy, spooky topics. 

My lecture, complete with a PowerPoint Presentation is called Witchcraft - Yesterday and Today. I will go over the ancient history of the witch and witchcraft, the Burning Times and persecution of witches throughout the ages and then talk about witchcraft today and what witches do.

The lecture and presentation will last about an hour and a half with time for questions and answers and costs only $15.00 per person. Want to go? Then call this number (860) 280-3130 or visit MarkTwainHouse.org to get tickets.

I would love to see you there! Ms. Faith





© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

There Were Terrible Happenings that Awful Summer of 1692, and The Story of Giles Corey

Good Afternoon,

This upcoming Sunday, September 7th, 2014, I will be conducting our annual trip to Salem, Mass and giving a lecture on the witch trials of 1692. For those who cannot make the trip let me tell you a few things about that hot, terrible summer.

From June through September of 1692, hundreds of innocents were accused, jailed and 19 were condemned and put to death by hanging on Gallow's Hill. One man, Giles Corey, was crushed to death under torture when he refused to speak after being accused.

Giless' story is interesting, for when you were accused of a crime in this era, you were expected to say that you were either innocent or guilty. By stating so, regardless of which, your lands, money and any assets could be taken by the local government. Giles knew this, he also knew that by refusing to speak, his assets could not be touched! So he said nothing. The Sheriff at the time, Sheriff Corwin, laid Giles out in the street and placed a big, heavy door upon him. Then he had men pile up stones upon the wooden door, making the weight and pressure of the stones lay heavy on Giless' chest.

After a while, Sheriff Corwin clambered atop the pile of stones and stood with his full weight on Giles and asked Giles "What say you? Innocent or guilty?" Giless' tongue protruded out of his mouth, and the Sheriff took his walking stick and pushed his tongue back in and asked again "What say you, Giles Corey? Are you innocent or guilty of the charges against you?" and in reply Giles said only two words "More weight".

In frustration, the Sheriff jumped down and had the men place even more stones upon Giles and then  finally the weight of the door and the stones did their evil deed and crushed Giles Corey's chest, killing the man.

Giles Corey is considered one of the 20 people put to death during the Salem Witch Trias of the Summer of 1692. There were a few that died in prison and also two or three dogs also hung at Gallow's hill.
You see dogs, at that time, were considered to be consorts of the witches and it was believed they would do evil deeds for their witch masters, so the witch hunters accused and hung some dogs also.

It was a Summer of hysteria, paranoia and panic. Hundreds were imprisoned under cruel, harsh conditions and many were affected for decades after that awful Summer.

Come with us and meet us at noon in Salem at the 1692 Victim's Memorial to hear a longer, more complete story of the Witch Trials of the Summer of 1692 and participate in a memorial service for those who lost their lives that year. Then tour the city of the Witches with me, Ms. Faith, and the rest of the Witches of Enchantments. I look forward to seeing you there!




© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

A Visit by a Spirit and Our Annual Trip to Salem Mass

 Good Afternoon,

As a witch I have dealt with spirits before. Usually on my terms. We have spirits at Enchantments that will visit at times and a friendly woman spirit that will say "hello" to the customer's, occasionally. But the other night I was sleeping soundly and dreaming when I turned over and half awake I heard a mans voice say "Hello Faith".  I said "Hello" and realized what was happening and I opened my eyes and thought I could see a tall, thin man standing in my bedroom. I blinked a few times, then turned on my bedside lamp. The tall, thin shape I made out was my china cabinet. I know I could have been dreaming, but my dreams had nothing to do with a man, and I know I heard his voice clearly. It woke me up. Instead of being scared or freaked out, I just thought about his voice and realized it was friendly. Well, friendly is good for me. I turned out the light and went back to sleep. I know we don't have any spirits that inhabit my house, so it must have been passing through. Spirits will do that at times. I don't know why he stopped by, but maybe it was just for a brief visit!

We are about to  embark on our next annual trip to Salem, Mass. Every year the Witches of Enchantments caravan to Salem, Mass to enjoy a day in the Witch capital of the world. If you want to go, you're invited. This year we will be going on Sunday, September 7th and you can meet us in Salem, at the 1692 Victim's Memorial at Noon. I will conduct a lecture about the 1692 witch trials and after that we hold a Memorial service where we will place roses on the stone memorials for all 20 victims of the witch trials. Afterwards we all go to a fun eatery where we have lunch together, then we travel around Salem, visiting the witch shops run by witches, for witches. I don't bring you to any of the 'touristy' spots, but to the real witches Salem.

If you'd like to go I suggest you head up to Salem to meet us at the victim's memorial at Noon. There is a visitor's center where you can get a nifty brochure/map showing all of the attractions of Salem. The Visitor's Center is located at 2 New Liberty Street, Salem, Mass. I would put this into my GPS and plan about a two hour drive from the Greater Hartford, CT area.  There is no charge for my tour of Salem, and everybody's welcome.

Just for your information. So many people ask me if I go to Salem, Mass in October. The answer is no, I do not. The reason .  .  .   well 20 years ago I started to go to with friends to Salem, annually. At that time the Salem Chamber of Commerce told me they received approximately 40,000 tourists a year in Salem. I checked in with them about 10 years ago and the numbers are now, approximately 400,000 people visit Salem in the month of October alone! That, my witchy friends, is NOT a typo. Yes almost a half million people in one month! It makes it hard to get into any stores, the lines reach down the block. Impossible to get a table at a restaurant, let alone trying to find a place to park. I recommend early September. There's less people, you can still get the flavor and feel for the witch city without the massive throngs of people. There are those who love to go in October and to them I wish the very best of experiences. But for this witch, I go when I can really enjoy the city, not have to wait to be seated in a restaurant and can find a parking place in the parking garage.

It would be great if you decided to come with us this year. I hope you do. Ms. Faith








© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Having gratitude in the face of everyday stress

Good Afternoon,

In this day and age we can all say we know stress. Or that we know of stress. From the daily news to stressful things happening within our own family and friend group, stress makes itself known and felt to everyone it seems.

To me, this makes it all the more important to combat stress with gratitude and love.  Can we stop stressful things from happening? Most of the time, no, we can't. But we can change how we react to stress and what we do in relation to it.

Today, for instance, I received stressful news concerning three friends of mine, all within a couple of hours of each other. I, in turn, spoke with some friends who always make me feel better when I share stressful news with them. I recommend that, in fact. When you have, or hear something upsetting, share it with someone you care about. Someone who loves you. Together you become stronger in face of the stressful news. Leaning on each other, being there for the other. Be grateful for friends like that in your life.

I am also going to burn a candle for the people involved in the stressful situations I mentioned. This way I can speak to the Goddess and ask her to give her help and blessings to those involved. 

When things seem overwhelming, I stop and consciously start to list the things, people and circumstances in my life that I am grateful for. It's easy to see and think of the negative things. Bring back to the surface those things which make your life worth living. It will make a difference.

Be grateful for something, everyday. Even if it's one thing, or one person. Do this consciously everyday and you will begin to see a difference for the better, start to occur in your life. The stressful things will not stop or go away, they just get filed in their proper place and you will be able to deal with them in a better way.

Now, I'm going outside to sit under my tree and commune with nature and this beautiful August day!


Peace and Happiness








© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

The Goddesses at Enchantments

 Good Afternoon,

For those who have had the opportunity to sit in my tarot reading room, they will recognize the following Goddesses that grace the walls of my reading room. I wanted to share them with you and tell you a little about them. They are all paintings (prints of paintings) from famous masters.

 This painting is done by John Collier and is called "Priestess of Delphi" (1891) also known as "The Pythia". The Pythia was also known as the Oracle of Delphi and she sat in the temple of Apollo in Greece and gave those that came to her a glimpse into their futures. Apollo was a Greek god known as the God of prophecy. I like that she graces the wall in my tarot card reading room where I also try to give people a glimpse into their futures. She, the Oracle of Delphi, was not just one woman, but it was a title held by many women, as young as 12 over the centuries. She would chew on raw bay laurel (which is a narcotic and can make you sick, so please don't do this!!!!) as well as hen bane (poisonous) and would then speak in tongues. The Priests would interpret her words and tell the person what she had said. If you can see in this painting John Collier has included natural gasses emanating up from a natural crack in the ground.  Archaeologists have just recently, in the past 20 years, proven that such a fault exists under the temple of Apollo and does release odorless and invisible gasses, that would have affected the Pythia as she was stationed inside the temple.

Another painting I have is called "Circe Invidosa" by John William Waterhouse (1892). He along with John Collier were known as occult artists and their paintings reflected certain elements of magick. This one, Circe shows a Goddess scorned by her lover who she stands upon and appears as a serpent in the water. She is poisoning him with the liquid she is pouring into the water. I believe this shows the time when women and witches were considered dangerous and evil. Deep into the burning times when so much rumor and legend had colored peoples images of the magickal woman.

This next painting is also by John William Waterhouse and is a personal favorite. "The Magic Circle" (1886)

This shows a witch at work. I often ask my students, is she opening a circle or casting a circle? Those that are familiar with circle casting can tell at a glance. She is opening a circle after having done her work. John William Waterhouse also incorporated symbols into his paintings. In this one, he has included ravens. The raven is a bird of magick and he has painted one standing upon a skull in the far left hand side of the painting.

These three paintings are on the walls of my tarot reading room and I see them everyday. I love the feel they give to the room and the sense of the Goddess being close by. I hope you can see my reading room some day.  Now, as it is a glorious August day here in Southern New England I am going to go outside, water some flowers and sit beneath my Maple tree and watch the garden bloom.


Peace and Happiness






© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Working with the Goddess

 Good Afternoon,


I often meet people who want to stat working with witchcraft but aren't sure how to get started or what to do. I often recommend they get a good starter book, start reading and then start practicing. You can work on casting a circle, and having a ritual with many steps and components. But one of my favorite ways of working magick is simply working with the Goddess and one lone candle.

I light a candle and ask the Goddess for help in a particular situation. She always comes through for me. I don't worry about whether I said it right, did the right thing in the right order, etc. I just leave it up to her. I do spend some time speaking with her and visualizing the end result I am looking for. Your visualization is still a key part of the work to be done.

Don't get too complicated either. Have a clear end result that you can visualize and focus on. Not on all the steps it will take to get there, leave that up to her. Once you've spent the time, a few minutes, focusing on your end result and speaking with the Goddess you can leave the candle burning and go about your day.

When speaking with the Goddess, speak as if you are having a conversation with someone. You don't need to use arcane language or get to fussy with your words. Speak clearly and put into words what your problem is and what you would like as an end result. Then as your day or week carries on, do the things that present themselves to you to get the job done. You might find the work already completed and nothing further required on your part, or you might have to do a few things to ensure the work gets done. Time will tell you what you need to do.

Working with the Goddess can be a very intimate experience. You don't need to pick a specific Goddess, general Goddess energy is fine to work with. So get your candle, sit comfortably and start your conversation. 

Peace and Happiness 





© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Our Pagan Thanksgiving is coming up soon, Happy Lughnasadh!

 Good Afternoon,

Yes, Thanksgiving! You see, the American Thanksgiving, is held late in November due to some political fanageling, when a past President wanted to help boost Christmas retail sales in the stores, so they placed Thanksgiving where it is now, the last Thursday in November. And then, some people feel that Thanksgiving is an American holiday due to the story of the Pilgrim's first year, the help of the native people bringing them food and such.

In truth, many cultures have a time of Thanksgiving. It usually falls around the first harvest. This is August 1st for modern day Pagans. This is the time the first fruits, vegetables and grains are harvested from the fields. Next Saturday, August 2nd, at Enchantments, we will be celebrating our Pagan Thanksgiving, or Lughnasadh as it is called in the ancient Celtic language. This stands for Assembly of Lugh. Lugh being an ancient Celtic God of the harvest.

We will hold a Lughnasadh ritual first, giving thanks to the Goddess and God for all the blessings we are harvesting from our lives at the present time and then celebrating and socializing with each other. Traditional Thanksgiving foods are what you would expect. A roast turkey or chicken, pork or beef is often cooked. Vegetables from the garden, bread from the grains of the fields, fruit from the trees. So salads, vegetable side dishes, corn dishes, loaves of bread and pies are common and delicious Thanksgiving foods to be found on our feast tables.

Traditionally we eat our Thanksgiving feast out doors surrounded by nature on long tables.  This year we will be inviting a very special guest speaker to our Thanksgiving celebration. Grand Master Joel Waldron will attend and speak of some of the concepts to be found in the 'Conversations with God' series of books by Neale Donald Walsh. The celebration starts at 10 am, and there is no charge. If you wish to attend, please bring a dish to share with others for the feast.

We are also holding a non perishable food drive for the less fortunate in the Greater Manchester area. Please come to the Lughnasadh celebration and bring with you a non perishable food item. These items will be brought to the food pantry in Manchester to be distributed to those in need.

There is also one additional thing I want to talk about today. There is a little boy, six years old, who lives in Foxboro Mass, and he has inoperable brain cancer. He has had to drop out of kindergarten because of his illness and gets lonely sometimes. Today, July 25th, 2014 is his birthday and he has said all he wants for his birthday is a birthday card. He has received over 15,000 cards already and I'm sending mine out to him today. This was reported on Channel 3 news last night, July 24th, 2014. If you'd like to send one his information is: Danny Nickerson, P.O. Box 212, Foxboro, Mass 02035.

Remember to thank God, Goddess or the Universe for all of your blessings, love and the happiness you find in your life. Not everyone has it as good.  


Peace and Happiness







© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Raven Grimassi's workshop is coming up!

Good Afternoon,

Raven and Stephanie Grimassi are going to be coming to Enchantments at the end of August. They will be conducting a wonderful workshop and there are a few tickets left for the event! Here is a descripton of the workshop:

THE CORD OF GREENWOOD MAGIC & WORKING WITH PLANT SPIRITS

The lore about witches has long included tales of secret knowledge related to the plants of witchcraft.  Join authors Raven Grimassi and Stephanie Taylor for a workshop on Plant Spirits as you journey to the Cavern of Old Magic.  Learn what Plant Spirits are, how to connect with them, and how they aid in ritual and magical work.  Included in this workshop is the construction and use of ‘The Cord of Greenwood Magic’ – a shamanic tool for tapping into the Greenwood Realm and the Organic Memory of the Earth.   Each person will work with the art of knotting cords, a magical process for connecting to the Realm of Plant Spirits.    Attendees of the workshop will be given a cord to work with and take home.  Come and learn about the ways of witchcraft that are ever ancient and ever new!

This workshop will be held Friday August 29th from 5 to 7 pm. The cost is $35.00 per person.  There is limited space available, if you want a seat, stop by Enchantments and pay for your ticket. That's the only way you can reserve a seat.

I look forward to seeing you there! Ms. Faith


Peace and Happiness


© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

The Real Work of the Witch

Good Afternoon,

I come across people all of the time that want to 'pick up the broomstick' and become a witch.  That's just fine, anyone, in my opinion, can be a witch. That is, if they do the work of the witch.  Now, I don't mean making herbal blends, carving candles or making potions. I don't even mean having rituals and casting spells by the moon.

What I mean when I say, the work of the witch, is the internal work that must be done. Many feel that if they read the books and dress with witchy jewelry they are doing the work. Again, no. It is the work of changing who you are. Why do you need to change? Well, you don't necessarily need to, but then why would you be looking to become a witch. People find they want to change the fundamental basis of their lives, and that's what becoming a witch is, changing in a major way, because they are not happy with what they have at the time.  I mean, if you were really happy with everything in your life, why change?

So, you've decided you want to change. Great! Now look at the character traits you embody and see which ones benefit you, and which ones are a detriment. Are you a happy person? That's a benefit. Are you a negative person? Detriment. See where I'm going? Make a list of the qualities syou wish to change for the better and sit with it for a while.

I will tell you a Universal Mystery.  It's not others that need to change. It's you. It's NEVER others that need to change. It's ALWAYS you. If you can take that concept and work with it, you are on your way to becoming a witch. If not, then I wish you well on your path and I hope you find what you're looking for.

There are many ways to start changing the negative qualities you wish to change. Meditation can help. Also being aware of the words that come from your mouth. Most negativity is reflected in the words we use and the way we verbally look at the world. Hear your words and start to change them. Start by saying positive things, even if they feel foreign to you.

Try interacting with others in a positive way and not allowing others to drag you into their drama and negative outlook on things. It takes one day at a time and one step at a time. But during this work, be sure to play with the fun witchy stuff. Make sure you use Goddess help to help you change, by doing your rituals and casting your circles. Hang out with other positive witchy people. Work with your herbs, candles, potions and spells. It's all a process, a wonderful one, but it will take time. Good luck on your path!


Peace and Happiness






© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Enjoying Mother Nature's Weather

Good Afternoon,


We find ourselves, at the time of this discussion, in the midst of a hot and steamy July in Southern New England. I've been listening to people complaining of the heat just as I hear people complain of the cold in the winter time.

From this witch's perspective, I try too enjoy all Mother Nature gives us. In the heat of Summer, I try to dress lightly and do most of my vigorous work in the early mornings or in the evenings. During the day I work at the store but find the time to just sit and read and relax in the heat of the day.

Other cultures have incorporated a 'siesta' time in the middle of their day, with good reason. Sometimes it can be too hot to do much except relax. But I find that complaining about the heat adds an extra element that makes the heat even more difficult. Our attitude about things really does make things easier or more difficult for us.

Yes, it's hot. That's what Summer is all about. This time of the year I do a couple of things to help me enjoy myself in the heat. I already mentioned I try to dress lightly. I also make sure I have fans around. Over head fans and table fans that move the air around. Air conditioning is nice but I find it makes me cold, where I am more comfortable enjoying the heat with a nice breeze blowing on me. The one thing I DO NOT do is complain about the heat. That puts me in a negative mood, makes me cranky and that just makes the whole situation worse.

I really do believe that your attitude can make a huge difference. It's Summer, Summer is hot, try to find the enjoyment in it. At best, when you're really hot and miserable remember my three word mantra "January, February, March" !! This also has a way of putting me in a better frame of mind.

Magick is within you, you have the ability to make things better or worse, simply by the way you perceive them. Make this a better day!


Peace and Happiness






© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Gardening by the Moon

Good Evening,

I was recently interviewed on a local Regional Farm and Food radio program. The topic was gardening by the moon phases. I wanted to share this information with you.

There are two phases of the moon where one can garden by.   The light of the moon and the dark of the moon. The light of the moon is the two week period of time from the new moon as it waxes towards full.  The dark of the moon is the two week period of time from the day after the full moon to the day before the new moon.

The gardening to be done during the light of the moon is planting any fruits or vegetables that grow above the ground, like pumpkins, strawberries, cucumbers and tomatoes. Gardening to be done during the dark of the moon is for any flowering bulbs and vegetables that grow underground like potatoes, carrots and turnips.

It's important to note you can garden during the day, gardening by the moon does not have to be done during the nighttime hours. Anytime within the two week window for the moon phase is acceptable.

The moon in regards to gardening simply has to do with water. When the moon is waxing towards full it has filled up things in nature with water. When it's waning towards new it has taken the water away. This is the natural ebb and flow to be found in nature, in all things.

Besides gardening, there are other areas in farming where the light and dark of the moon make a difference. For instance, rail fences cut during the waning, dry moon will stay straighter as will wooden shingles and shakes.
Crabbing, shrimping ad clamming should be done when the moon is full, whereas the best days for fishing is between the new moon and full moon.

These are just a few things to be done by the phases of the moon. For more information consult the 'Old Farmer's Almanac' as this is the resource I referenced for this article today. Happy Gardening!

Peace and Happiness







© 2010-2014 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 be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.