Clearing Up Some Popular Magickal Misconceptions Part 2

Good Evening My Witchy Reader,

As promised we will continue discussing some additional popular magickal misconceptions concerning some magickal areas.  Tonight I want to talk a little bit about magickal misconceptions concerning Mercury Retrograde, spirits and hauntings and the number phenomenon 11:11.

Mercury Retrograde:

It is a well known phenomenon that when Mercury goes into Retrograde it can cause a bit of havoc in one's life.  Knowing exactly what Mercury influences can help you determine what Retrograde will affect.The planet Mercury affects short trips or travel, communication, which in today's world is often done by computers. As well as intellect, awareness, eloquence of speech and jobs using these abilities such as attorney's and the subtle intricacies of the practice of law will be affected, as well as the jobs of teaching and  any jobs requiring one to communicate over the phone such as a receptionist or someone who coordinates appointments.  One can expect misunderstandings, missed appointments, scheduling confusion and travel delays.

In regards to the misconceptions that people come up with, Mercury Retrograde cannot be held responsible for every little thing that goes wrong in your life during this period of time.  If you are dropping things or mechanical things break down in your home, someone passes away, a building catches fire these are not influenced by Mercury Retrograde. Also Mercury Retrograde does not and should not paralyze a person and make them unable to function in their day to day life. It can be annoying and should be considered by taking some extra time and having a heightened awareness that people may misunderstand your words and perhaps emails might not make their destination, or your car may need to be up on it's maintenance before a retrograde phase.

So when a Mercury Retrograde phase comes along, realize it's shadow phase will start to affect things a week or so before and also a week or so afterwards and read up on the areas Mercury might influence and try to do some preparation is advance and deep breath through the rest. Check the Internet to see when the phases for the upcoming year are planned, as each year has at least three or four Mercury Retrograde phases that last a few weeks to a month or more each.

Spirits and Hauntings:

There are probably more misconceptions regarding ghosts, spirits and hauntings than any other area of metaphysics, simply because ghosts have been a part of the human condition as long as humans have been around. That is a few millions years so far.

Primarily the biggest misconceptions regarding spirit activity is human misunderstanding. Many times, if we can't see it, but we know it is there, either by sound or movement, it tends to freak us out. Spirits often try to get our attention, and just think of how many times you or others you might know have wondered how a loved one who has passed is doing on the other side, if they were just able to contact them one more time, or just say I love you? When the spirit tried to make that communication, the connection desired is forgotten and people get weirded out, rather than realize they are just getting the communication they desired.

Noises in the middle of the night can be frightening but many times they have nothing to do with spirits, because spirits do not know of day or night. There is no time in their world. We all have spirits around us, and they are the loved ones who have passed on. Our ancestors, grandparents, parents, friends and people who cared for us. They look out for us and are able to keep harmful spirits from getting close. Many people will refer to them as their angels and that is a good way to look at them.

Hauntings of spirit's that are 'stuck' here for some reason seem to primarily haunt places. Buildings, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, residential homes and places the spirit had happy memories or many times their place of death. Roadways where accidents have happened are also places where spirits are encountered. "Stuck" spirits tend to haunt places, whereas spirits that are here among us tend to stay close to their loved ones.

As far as spirits or ghosts hurting us? That just does not happen. If it did, we would see many, many instances and the few I have come across with people claiming that spirits have scratched them or marked them somehow at night were most likely self inflicted and possibly done for attention and dramatic affect to convince others.

Of course, there are many instances of ghostly legend and lore that go back millenia and who is to really know? But I have personally worked with spirits for many years and have not encountered any evil or malevolent entities. On an interesting side note, I have met a few ghost hunters and one who specifically claimed to have encountered many evil ghostly energies eventually was found to have been a pretty evil guy himself and now sits in prison for many years. So I have to think of the credo "What you send out returns back to you" and I see this manifest time and time again.  I do not think all ghost hunters are bad, most I have met are very nice and normal people. But I think, in this area of study, one needs to be careful what they go "hunting" for, because they may become the hunted.

The best advice I can give in regards to spirit activity, is in the clear, sober light of day, record any spirit activity the very best of your recall. Then cross out any assumptions or personal opinions e.g. if you wrote a sentence "the light switch clicked and the lights came on with on one touching the switch and I felt creeped out" cross out the part "I felt creeped out".  Look at just what you know to be true with no added drama. Then read everything over and it will most likely seem a lot less scary and maybe just some simple phenomenon that is interesting but that is it.

11:11 Phenomenon 

Numbers have always held a special attraction for humans, just look at gambling which is all about numbers, from bingo, to lottery, to card games etc. Our ages are significant at certain stages and celebrating the years as they change from one number to another, either with birthdays or New Year's, we are always celebrating new numbers.

I find numbers, numerology and using numbers magickally a useful and effective tool in many ways. When it comes to the time of the day, which the phenomenon 11:11 is a reference to on a digital clock, historically the magickal times of the day have been the stroke of midnight, long known as the Witching Hour. Also Noon, then 4 o'clock early morning or late afternoon as that is a natural low point in energy and people who are sick and ready to pass on, can do so more easily at 4 a.m. or p.m.

Other times that have been significant throughout history is dawn and twilight/dusk when it is not quite daylight but not yet night.  Though these times of the early morning and early evenings is more due to the quality of the lighting rather than a specific time, as the time would be variable throughout the year.

Many people nowadays have attributed some sort of angelic phenomenon to the digital time 11:11 when it comes up on the clock, but that is up to you. I don't find anything special about that particular time simply because before digital clocks it did not exist as a magickal numeric phenomenon.  If it works for you, causes you to slow down and take a moment to count your blessings then it is magickal for you.

I suppose my entire point for this discussion and the first part posted a few days ago is simply, before you attribute magickal phenomenon to something, think it through and determine if it is indeed magickal and if so enjoy and bask in the glory of the divine energies and if not be aware of it too.  It is lovely to live a magickal life, but when one lives in the extreme it can affect how people perceive you and how seriously they take you. It is a fine line and a balance to be achieved while living the magickal life.


Live, Laugh and Always Love, Ms. Faith

© 2010-2017 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.

Clearing Up Some Popular 'Magickal' Misconceptions Part 1

Good Evening My Witchy Reader,

Tonight I want to address some common misunderstandings when it comes to the world of the magickal and our lives as we go through our day to day experiences. Many people come into my shop and bring their problems and concerns and come looking for a magickal solution for their issue or perhaps for their friends.

The first thing I need to do is to determine exactly what the issue is, and make a determination if a magickal solution is best, which is not always the case. Yes!, I know, that might surprise some people. I do know there are those out in the magickal world who will sell a person something, anything, regardless if it will really help or not. Sometimes, it is most beneficial to simply explain to a person what they are dealing with, as many times, someone looking at things from a distance has a better, more clear view.

For example: Recently a woman came into the shop wanting help for a friend who she said was having a really tough time with things the past several months. Since that could cover a whole range of things I asked for specifics. I was told that her friend had lost a number of people in her life to death, which can be difficult and also her husband was abusive and violent.

I gently explained that firstly, the people who have passed on, in this woman's life, though sad and distressing to her, had nothing to do with her. There is no magickal potion or stone to prevent someone you love from passing on. I like to explain to people it is like this; consider that the person who is passing away or who has passed on, has work to do on the other side.  As much as you miss them, love them and would do anything to keep them here, you cannot personalize their passing as 'bad luck' for you, or something bad or a curse or anything that has 'happened to you' except that you will miss them. It is not about you. It is their path and they are simply moving along it.

Secondly, her abusive husband. Again, perhaps a stone to help her with courage, may help her pick up the phone and call the police to arrest his sorry butt, and help her leave him, but again it is NOT about her. An abusive partner is all about the damage that person has in dealing with others with anger and violence. Yes, she needs to get away from him before he hurts or kills her, but to think a magickal solution will keep her safe or make him a nice guy over night is not realistic and can be dangerous.  I did not see that she had any issues needing magickal assistance, but she did need to sit down and take stock of her life.

Now, once awareness is in affect and she accepts that a person dying has nothing to do with her, then a crystal or stone can help her balance her grief and depression. A candle can help with memories and love and helping get in touch with spirit, all positive and helpful. But the initial request was to somehow prevent future deaths from occurring, and that is never possible.  Also, should she leave the abusive husband, smudge, crystals, candles, essentials oils, circle casting and many things can help cleanse the space and eliminate the negative, harmful energies that are left behind or that she brought with her.

It is a common theme I often see when there is a natural phenomenon such as a hurricane, or tornado, or wild fire or some such natural event, when afterwards someone tries to get media attention by claiming it happened because God was displeased, or it is some kind of punishment for man's sins or some such nonsense. The fact that anyone believes this foolishness never fails to amaze me. These events happened long before human kind found itself on this planet and will continue long after our species is extinct. It is simply Mother Earth shrugging her shoulders and natural elemental energies frolicking and having fun. Just because it upsets us doesn't matter to the elements, at all.  Talk about being narcissistic!!  To say a hurricane or a tornado is all about us and a result of our behavior? Wow, how arrogant of some humans, but thankfully not most.

Another common misconception is when things happen to us that we do not like, rather than looking at basic karma, that the energies that we sent out a day or two before, that may not have been so nice to another have come to revisit us .  .  .  people want to jump to "someone has put a curse on me!"

I'll tell you a universal magickal mystery. There is only one person who can curse you, and that is you. With your actions and behaviors towards others. What we send out returns to us. If you are having a crappy life, look towards yourself, no one else.

Yes, the more you learn about true magick and the magickal path you will realize you can't blame others and point fingers and push all the uncomfortable stuff off on another. We create our reality on many levels. Spiritually, mentally, emotionally, astrally, physically and so forth.

So, when starting on a magickal path, especially in the beginning, it is so easy to see everything that happens as magickal, and that can be wonderful. But it can be taken to extremes. So it is important to look carefully at things in your life and make common sense determinations if they are magickal or everyday.

My next discussion will be in just a day or so and we will talk about misconceptions with Mercury Retrograde and spirit hauntings.


Live, Laugh and Always Love, Ms. Faith

© 2010-2017 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.

Visualizing Banishment in Your Life For Full Moon Magick

Good Evening,

Many of my witchy readers who have followed my discussions for the past several years understand how to conduct an esbat, or moon ritual and how to practice banishment of unwanted things in your lives.  You ritual can be complex and full of high ritual aspects and tools and supplies, or it can be simple and consist of a lone candle, some oil and a few words to the Goddess.

However you conduct your ritual, it will be effective, as long as your visualization is clear and precise. For a new moon and invoking or drawing in, "seeing' or visualizing the new, desired thing in your life can be easy. For an example, you are casting abundance spells during new moon phases to make enough money to buy a new car. Firstly it is not there, then you conduct your ritual and visualize your new car being in your life. You imagine seeing it in the drive every day, driving it, having it in your garage, or bringing it through the car wash, or picking up friends to go out to dinner, it is easy to see. Visualizing what you wish to manifest to appear in your life is easier. Easier than visualizing the opposite.

Banishment. When you wish for something to leave your life, to be gone, to vacate, to no longer exist, it is not quite as easy to clearly visualize the absence of something.  This is one of the reasons people seem to have an easier time bringing in that new job, or promotion, or new person, friend or lover, but have a much harder time leaving the unwanted behind.

So if you are spell casting to rid your life of an unwanted 'thing' be sure you sit down and work out the visual carefully. And, to remind long time readers, and for new readers, No! We do NOT banish people! Hahaha, as much as we would like. If you would like someone out of your life, then take matters into your own hands, use your mouth and tell them so. Magick can not be used to do the work you need to do yourself. No, the magickal realm is not the place for the cowardly, so be strong and use magick when necessary and set strong boundaries in other parts of your life. Yet, having said that, we can use the energy of the full moon to help banish the residual feelings and negative energies, anger, resentment, jealousy or whatever remains. Ideally, what will remain will only be the happy memories or you will simply put that part of your past behind you.

Yet, how does the concept of banishment look in your life? I'll tell you. Rather than struggling to visualize the absence of something, remember, nothing in the world or magick ever exists in a vacuum so when you have banished something, it does not leave a hole, but something comes in to take it's place. If you are banishing unhappiness, see yourself being happy! If you are banishing debt and lack of abundance, visualize the material things you desire and being happy and not stressed worrying about money. Or visualize the numbers in your checking account slowly growing. Be careful not to visualize the numbers suddenly being a staggering amount. The magick will seldom ever work that way. It comes in steady and to address a need.

If you are banishing ill health, see yourself happy, healthy, strong and calm. You might have picked up a subtle key word throughout, happiness. If your life is going as you desire, and you have what you need and want, and have eliminated what you no longer want around you, ideally you would be happy.  So, even if you are unsure of what to visualize with your banishment spell, simply see yourself happy and you will come closer to your magickal goal, than not.

Also realize an important truth. Everything that is in your life, is there because on some level you wish it to be there. Whether it is spiritually, emotionally, mentally for whatever reason, and if the time comes when it n longer serves you, then you can set it aside and continue on. But the choice is yours.

The energy of the full moon works for three days before, the day of and three days after the full moon, so every month you have 7 days to do full moon magick, The same holds true for the New Moon. So think about what you wish to invoke for the upcoming New Moon, and prepare accordingly. The Next full moon phase is almost a month from now. Pre-planning makes magickal spell casting much more effective.


Live, Laugh and Always Love, Ms. Faith

© 2010-2017 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.

Designing Altars To Use At Work

Ms. Faith's Personal Love and Happiness Altar 

Happy New Year's,


Greetings on this snowy, cold day my witchy readers. This is a perfect time to design or re-design and consider the aspects of your personal altars. Yes, I used plural, altars. A witch or magickal person may choose to have one altar, but we seldom, today, find ourselves in only one place throughout our day.  The three places we find ourselves spending the most time, is at home, at work and in our vehicle. Today's discussion will focus on work altars with a brief discussion on bringing altar energy into your vehicle. At home our ritual altars are used for casting circles, creating magickal manifestation and more formal religious/spiritual practice. Our work altars are used a bit differently as we will discuss below.

Altar Energy For Your Vehicle:

I would not recommend creating a dashboard altar as anything that appears special or valuable can be an incentive for someone to try to break into your vehicle and steal your objects. But you can carry the energy of your altar by hanging a crystal from your rear view mirror. Not just any crystal, but one that you have charged by placing it on your home or work altar, and letting it sit for a few days, allowing it to absorb the energies of the altar and the energies of the Divine. Then hang this crystal, and it needn't be a large, ostentatious crystal, not at all. A small, inconspicuous crystal is just as effective, and when you see it or touch it, it will continue to connect you to the energy of your altar.

Work Altars:

Wealth and Abundance: 

Our work environment can be a bit tricky as we often work with others in and around our work space. Of course not all work spaces are conducive to a work altar, but if you have your own office or even your own cubicle or office space that is just yours, you can make a work space altar to keep the energy of the spiritual and the Divine with you.

Of course, a work altar would look and function much differently than a home, ritual altar.  There is no need to have an athame or wand, an altar pentacle or salt and incense. Those are objects and supplies needed for a ritual altar, and many of these items such as the burning incense and sharp double edged knife may raise some eyebrows and cause problems with management. Also, PLEASE, no nonsense regarding religious freedom and such. When you are at work, you are on your boss's time and on his dime, you are there to do your job and you have all the time in the day or night to practice your religion at home. No one works 24/7, so religious practice, for Wicca, is possible during many hours when you are not working.

But what you can use your work altar for and how it functions, is it can help you focus on your work, which brings abundance into your life by the way of a pay check, more business, more clients, or jobs that bring you wealth and material abundance. A work altar may consist of money and wealth aspects, primarily, as you are in your work environment.  Things that are beneficial to have on a work, wealth altar are living plants in the immediate area,  and no, fake ones will not do. If you cannot have living plants, having fresh flowers that are replaced weekly can substitute.  Colors that can be used are of course green, gold, silver and surprisingly purple.

Stones, crystals, tarot cards depicting pentacles, coins, or other items that represent wealth can be helpful. Candles in the colors of green, gold and silver. Bric a Brac made from gold or silver. Is your friends and family worth more than gold in your life? Are they the true wealth and abundance you work for and enjoy? Pictures of special loved ones, or significant items from them, are also appropriate in this area.  A small cauldron or metal container,that you throw loose change in will ensure your wealth and abundance continue to grow. Finally if possible, placing these items, this work altar in your South/ East corner of your office or building, will bring wealth drawing Feng Shui properties to bear.

These are some suggestions, and not all of these things need to be present. Do what you can, and decorate in such a way that it does bring undue attention, as it is just for you to focus on.

Love Altars: 

Perhaps you are comfortable enough with money, your bills are paid and you have enough money where you are not worrying about having enough. Maybe you are desirous of more love and happiness in your life. You can make a love altar at work also.  The Feng Shui direction for romance, love and beneficial relationships is the opposite of wealth, it is in the South /West corner of your office/ or building.

The colors can be pink, red, brown and yellow. We know of the colors for love and romance as pinks and reds, but for beneficial relationships, with work or social relationships, brown and yellow are very helpful. Fresh flowers work well, or dried flowers such as roses. But if you use dried flowers they should be replaced every year. Crystals and stones associated with love, items from significant others and special friends are important. Pictures of loved ones are also very strong with love energies.  Candles of red, pink, yellow and white are useful. Small heart shaped objects also draw loving happy energies to your area.

Your work altars can be as complex or as simple as you desire. It needs to speak to you, and you alone and needs not be explained to any other. Now if you have a boss or other co-workers you may not wish to see your special altar, a nifty way of having one and keeping it from sight is to assemble it within an empty desk drawer.  This way you can have it open when you wish to work with it or look at it, and close it when you wish to hide it.

For those who are not allowed or are too hesitant too have an altar at work, there are other ways. You can craft and wear a witches necklace which also has the aspects of the ritual altar within it.

A witches necklace has a pentacle which has the energy of the altar's pentacle and Divine energy in it. The crystal enhances and combines all the energies of the necklace. The Amber is God energy representing the sun, the dark stone, usually jet, is Goddess energy representing the moon. Making a necklace like this and of course, you may add additional charms and stones if desired, charge it on your altar and  you can wear it around your neck underneath your clothes and always have the energy of the ritual altar with you.

Witches have over a thousand years of being able to hide their magick from others so that they may use it themselves when they need it most.

So think about your work area, and how you might enhance the space with a little bit of magick, just for you, that will aid you throughout your work day.




Live, Laugh and Always Love,  Ms. Faith

© 2010-2017 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.