Which elements are you?

 Good Afternoon,

We all, well most of us, know the element we are associated with due to our Sun sign. Such as Virgo is an earth sign, Aquarius is an air sign and so forth. But could you have more than one element within you? I think so. And, I've come up with a mini quiz to help you determine which elements you have the most of within you. Take my quiz and then check below to see the qualities that make up a part of you.

What element are you?

To determine the element you most sync up with circle only one option for each question.

1.     When working in the garden what item would you never wear ?

a.                 gloves

b.                 hat

c.                  shoes

d.                 sun glasses

2.     Do you use an umbrella when it rains?

  

a.                 sometimes

b.                 most of the time

c.                  always

d.                 never

3.     What would bother you the most?

a.                 Being in a large, crowded, noisy & excited place

b.                 Being in the dark

c.                  Being in a dark, musty, damp cave or basement

d.                 Being alone

4.     Imagine that you are upset about a situation and you were told that if you sat or lay down beneath one of 4 trees, you would feel better. Which tree would you choose?

a.                 oak

b.                 soft fir

c.                  sugar maple

d.                 willow

5.     What would you most like to do on a perfect day off?

a.                 go shopping

b.                 take a hot air balloon ride

c.                  go on a roller coaster

d.                 travel down a gently flowing stream in a very comfortable boat.

6.     If you could design the front yard which represents you the best what would it contain? Pick the one which is the most important for you to have in your front yard.

a.                 privacy hedge

b.                 a manicured or wild grass garden

c.                  bright, beautiful fragrant flowers

d.                 a fountain

7.     Which creature are you most “in sync” with?

a.                 bird

b.                 dragonfly

c.                  bee

d.                 butterfly

8.     What would be your ideal vacation from the 4 below?

a.                 Dude Ranch

b.                 Skiing

c.                  Tropical island

d.                 Cruise

9.     What creature would you most likely pick up?

a.                 Toad

b.                 Spider

c.                  Salamander

d.                 Snake

10.                        Which pet are you most likely to have?

a.                 cat/dog

b.                 bird

c.                  reptile

d.                 fish

11.                        Which one of the four color combos is most pleasing to you?

a.                 brown-green

b.                 yellow-red

c.                  red-black

d.                 blue-green

12.                        Which of the following is the most abhorrent to you ?

a.                 Falling a great distance

b.                 Being buried alive

c.                  Drowning

d.                 Being burned

13.                        What element is your astrological sign?

a.                 earth

b.                 air

c.                  fire

d.                 water

Astrological Signs:

Fire Signs - 

Aries (3/21-4/20)
Leo   (7/23 - 8/23) 
Sagittarius (11/23- 12/21) 

Air Signs: 

Aquarius (1/21) -2/18) 
Gemini    (5/22 - 6/21) 
Libra       (9/23 - 10/23) 

Water Signs: 

Pisces  (2/19 - 3/20) 
Cancer ( 6/22 - 7/22)
Scorpio (10/24 - 11/22) 

Earth Signs: 

Virgo (8/24 - 9/22) 
Taurus ( 4/21 - 5/21) 
Capricorn (12/22 - 1/20) 

 To score yourself apply the following:

Count up number of A’s, B’s, C’s, & D’. The majority of one letter is the dominant element within you. Many people have traces of all the elements in them, and many more have two strong elements within. How did you score?  a - earth, b- air, c- fire, d- water 

Now that you've scored yourself and found out your elements, lets discuss a bit about each element and what type of personal qualities each has. 

Earth - an earth sign or someone with a lot of earth within them are usually steadfast, loyal, true and devoted. They fall in love strongly and for keeps. They are usually good with organizational tasks and give good advice to those closest to them.  Don't cross them though, as they can be true life long friends, betraying them will cause them to turn their backs on you and they never look back. 

Air - Those with a lot of air within are often in their heads. They are intellectual, trustworthy and very smart. They work well with others and can be great friends. They love with all their hearts but be sure not to treat their love lightly as they will tend to look elsewhere for the love, respect and admiration they desire. 

Fire- Those who have a dominant fire element within can be passionate, energetic, effervescent and fun to be around. They are passionate lovers and are hard workers. They tend to be truthful, sometimes this can be hurtful to others they tell their truth to! They make good friends and a fire element can be surrounded by many who wish to be with them. 

Water- Those who have an abundance of water within are caring, compassionate and loving. They can be moody with their emotions and at times just wish to be by themselves until they feel more sociable. They can be creative, artistic and are very consistent with their likes and dislikes. 


This is my mini quiz on how the elements may work within you. The ancient philosophers felt that the four elements, earth, air, fire and water along with spirit (the fifth element) were to be found in some combination within all things found on earth. I feel the same applies for us. I hope you enjoy the quiz!



Peace and Happiness

© 2010-2013 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.

'Practical Magick' My new re-vamped class at Manchester Community College

Good Afternoon,

I am getting ready to teach a new class at Manchester Community College this semester. It's called 'Practical Magick' and it's designed to teach the beginner student, the ways of the witch. Over the last decade I have taught hundreds of students and countless classes at Manchester Community College, as well as at my own school for the magickal arts, Enchantments in Manchester, CT.  I've taken these lessons, re-vamped them, and paired them with a jazzy PowerPoint presentation to develop a new program that teaches moon magick, candle magick, potions, as well as having some fun quizzes designed to help the student find out more about their magickal selves.

So,  have you ever wondered about witches or pagans and their magickal belief systems? Maybe you have marveled at the full moon and wished that you could do something to honor it, or to celebrate in some special way the solstices, equinoxes and the four seasons. This course will guide you on your way!  Learn the Wheel of the Year, Moon Magick, Candle Magick and many more magickal topics. The final class will be a magickal potions workshop held at Enchantments, 349 East Center Street, Manchester, CT during which time students will make and bring home their own potion.  There is a $10 materials fee due at the first class, payable to instructor.

So, if this sounds fun to you, come and take class with me as I show you how to live and practice as a witch.

This course costs $65 payable to Manchester Community College. To sign up for classes and you MUST reserve your class in advance please call 860-512-3232 Your course number is CRN20729 and the classroom, this class will be held in, is GPA (Great Path Academy building on the MCC Campus) GP143

This class will be offered again during the fall semester at MCC and again in the spring of 2014. 

I look forward to seeing you there! Ms. Faith


 Peace and Happiness!




© 2010-2013 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.

Magickal Gardening and Magick when Tragedy Strikes

 Good Afternoon,

This past week, in magickal studies class, we did some magickal gardening.  My students and I prepared, planted and then blessed our garden in front of Enchantments.

We learned that to plant plants properly, we pull apart, just slightly, the root structure of the plant and breath on it gently to infuse the plant with our life's energy thus giving it a stronger head start in the garden.

We planted Petunias which has the magickal property to soothe and calm a person. It also has the magickal properties of joy and happiness.We also planted Alyssum which has the magickal property to protect one against 'fascination' or being bewitched if hung up in the home. It also is able to rid a person of anger if worn upon the body. The third plant we planted was Geranium. Geraniums magickal properties are fertility, health, love and protection. There is an old saying "snakes will not go, where geranium grow" indicating a snack repelling quality to the plant.

We concluded our planting session by casting a circle,  holding hands, and sending out loving, growing energy to the garden. We smudged the garden and blessed it with blessed water.  This is what the garden looks like today: 

With the hard work of one particular student, Susan, the altar and surrounding area has been cleared of overgrown grasses and weeds. Doesn't it look amazing!? Ms. Eileen, Susan and myself planted the flowers and the entire front garden is truly a show piece! Thanks to the lovely ladies, three witches we, that have blessed Enchantments gardens with their special magick!

On a sadder note, let's discuss in brief, the terrible tragedy of the Tornadoes which have wrecked havoc on Oklahoma this past week. When a disaster such as this strikes, we all feel so helpless and it feels that there is truly little we can do.  But we can do something. Burn a candle. I know, it sounds simple and it is. But that doesn't make it less powerful or effective. For centuries candles have been burned at vigils and to help during the darkest of times and their special magickal energy is still effective today. You see everything, as I'm often saying, is made up of vibrational energy.  A candle has a special vibrational energy that with a bit of magickal effort on your part, syncs up with the energy of the situation in which you're trying to create change. Hold the candle in your hands, close your eyes and see in this case, people - happy, healthy, in touch with loved ones, in homes surrounded by warmth, light, good food and loved ones. After a few moments of visualization, open your eyes, light the candle and place it in a holder.

Allow the candle to burn completely down and know your loving, caring energies are making their way to a place and to people who will use that energy when it gets there. It can make you feel less helpless and more in control of being able to do something. It might also come to you to donate money, goods or services also, and if it does and this is something you can do, by all means do so. But don't dismiss burning a candle as trivial, for the magick that it brings is often quite powerful.

Our Blessings and prayers go out to all of those affected by the tornadoes in Oklahoma.

Peace and Happiness




© 2010-2013 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.

Earthing . . . a new concept for a better well being

 Good Afternoon,

Today I want to discuss a new concept I just came across called 'earthing'.  Now it's really not so new. In fact as children we, most of us, did it all the time. That is to walk barefoot on the bare earth and grass.

Proponents of earthing claim that by walking, laying on or getting your hands into the earth (as in gardening) without gloves or shoes, you connect with the vibrational energy of the earth and it combines with your personal energy and wonderful things can come of this vibrational connection.

Now quantum physicists will tell you that everything is made up of vibrational energy. Everything vibrates. Some things like rocks have a slower vibration where as electricity is faster. Humans, animals, plants, even manufactured items like a desk or a chair has a vibrational energy to it.

We all fall somewhere on the scale of vibrational energy. Animals and plants have a different level than humans for instance. All humans fall within a window but we are at different places within that window. That's why some people you meet you dislike or want nothing to do with, for no reason really. You might even have said "we're just not in sync" and you'd be right. Your vibrational energies don't sync up,  but for some people like a loved one, significant other or best friend you're absolutely in sync. This means your vibrational levels are very, very similar to one another.

I have taught students about vibrational energies for several years being a firm believer in the energetic world of vibration. Now along comes 'earthing' and I'm loving it! Why not!? It makes perfect sense, I'm surprised it hasn't been around longer, but then again .  .  .  maybe it has. Remember the 'tree huggers' of the seventies, the hippies 'peace love and joy man' of the sixties? They were all getting into, and getting off on, the energy of nature and the natural world around them.

So now we have a concept that has been coined 'earthing.' Today, it is believed by those who are following this concept that earthing can bring about a wellness of being, as well as increased good physical health. Now, I caution against those who develop a medical problem, that wish to avoid the doctor and just go walking around their front lawns. If you have a medical issue please seek out competent medical care but by all means enhance it with getting out in the sun, walking barefoot on the grass or along a beach and every now and then plant a flower or green plant and use your hands. Ditch the shoes and gloves which prevent you from absorbing the natural energies from the earth. See how you feel after doing a bit of earthing!


Peace and Happiness







© 2010-2013 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.

Let me clear up some things about me as a witch and about being Wiccan

Good Afternoon,

Recently I had someone come into Enchantments, he is a ghost-hunter, and ask me some questions about a place he's investigating that's haunted.  He was told by someone that the place in question had been inhabited by a woman, now dead, who was believed to be a Wiccan. Now that she's passed on, all sorts of paranormal activity has been going on.

He started to tell me some things, her magickal items. they had found in the place when I stopped him cold. He had said they found all sorts of bones from animals, mostly birds. I told him pointblank "She wasn't a Wiccan." I know this because we don't use animal remains, bones or blood in our practice. Not under any circumstances. This falls under the 'an' it harm none category'.

He had  come to me to see exactly what he was dealing with, and while I can say she wasn't Wiccan, at least not an educated in our ways, Wiccan witch way, I wasn't really able to help him other than to say she wasn't practicing Wicca.  He wanted to know if I could do a house cleansing. I do house blessings and cleansings of unwanted energies but I draw the line at homes under the influence of ghostly presences. I have ghosts at Enchantments and I can communicate with spirits but by my own definition I am not a medium, nor do I wish to be one.  The elimination of ghostly spirits I leave to those who enjoy that work. Not every witch is a medium. Besides I like the spirits that inhabit Enchantments and have no wish to see them go.

Also, Wiccans believe in God. Now, take a moment for that to settle in. While we may choose to worship the female aspect of the Godhead, Goddess, that doesn't mean we don't believe in God. Quite the contrary. I have had more people that will start off a conversation or make a remark similar to: 'Even if you don't believe in God, I respect you and your beliefs .  .   .  " Wait! What? Somewhere along the line just because we are not Christian in our beliefs people think that we've thrown out everything religious or spiritual in the process. That's just not true. Actually, if you want to be picky about it, I worship two Gods! The Goddess and the God, both aspects of one divine, amazing, all encompassing force but I stop and take recognition of the female aspect and again with the male aspect.  Just because I don't follow the Bible or practice Christian theology does not mean I am without God.

Finally for today, not every magickal person who does fortune readings uses the same tools. I use tarot, crystal ball, runes and stones but I do not read palms. I've had people come in and ask for a palm reading and look crestfallen because I don't use that divination method. Not every artist uses a paint brush. But that doesn't make the sculpture or flower arrangement less  beautiful or visually satisfying, now does it? If you want a reading, that should be the goal, not the method it is achieved by. The reading and it's accuracy should be what you're looking for, not necessarily someone to hold your hand.

I hope today's discussion clears up some misconceptions you might have had!



Peace and Happiness!







© 2010-2013 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.

Happy Beltaine! A bit of history about the MayPole and Sex!

 Happy Beltaine!

The first day of the Celtic Pagan Summer! Wow, it certainly has been a long winter! I know many of you look towards June 21st as the first day of summer, but if you recall June 21st has for centuries been also referred to as midsummer. Remember Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream? It took place towards the end of June.

But no matter, we can all agree to celebrate warmer weather, flowers in full bloom and trees leafing out, all over.

People have asked about the Maypole which is predominant at this Sabbat or Holiday. This Holiday or Holy Day is a day where the ancients recognized the importance of procreation to keep the species alive. This was important, so as to have babies to keep the tribe, clan or village growing and becoming stronger. The Maypole is a metaphoric example of the concept.

The pole in the center is representative of the phallus which is the male member. Traditionally it is wrapped around with white and red ribbons representing the female genitalia.  Once wrapped and decorated thee Maypole signifies the coupling of the Goddess and the God, or intercourse. Without of course, having babies would be difficult!

Ms. Faith's Maypole Beltaine Celebration 2008


Today the ribbons take on many hues and after the ribbons are affixed at the top of the Maypole, people stand around and call out alternately 'Sun' and 'Moon'. Those that called out Sun will start walking in a deosil or clockwise direction, whilst those who called out Moon would start walking in the opposite direction. As people come up to others they dip and raise going over or under the other's ribbons. Slowly the pole becomes encased in the pretty ribbons wrapped tightly around.

Both men and women can dance the Maypole dance, though I believe in ancient times only boys were the ones to hold the ribbons and dance the dance. I'll have to check my facts on this one though. As I get older the magickal memory starts to fade a bit!

So whether you dance round a Maypole, jump a Beltaine Bonfire or just have a lovely feast today, I wish you a Merry Beltaine and a Happy Summer!


Peace and Happiness!









© 2010-2013 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.

Beltaine Bundles

 Happy Afternoon,

Our Wiccan Sabbat of Beltaine is just around the corner on May 1st.  This is the celebration of the Goddess and God getting handfasted and performing the Great Rite, which in turns fertilizes the earth and provides great bounty and abundance for the upcoming year.  This Sabbat also marks our traditional first day of summer!

Whew! That's a lot to put into one Sabbat ritual!  There are many ways to celebrate such a Sabbat and this year at Enchantments we will be building a Beltaine fire in which to burn Beltaine bundles. These little bundles of wooden sticks and branches are used as petitions to ask the Goddess and God for blessings during the upcoming year.

Taken from the long version of the Wiccan Rede there are 10 woods mentoned in the Rede, with only nine being meant to be burnt. The portion of the Rede containing the woods of Beltaine is as follows:

"Nine woods in the cauldron go, burn them quick and burn them slow.
Birch wood in the fire goes to represent what the Lady knows
Oak in the forest, towers with might, into the fire it brings the God's insight
Rowan is a tree of power, causing life and magick to flower
Willows at the waterside, stand ready to help us to the Summerland
Hawthorne is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye ,
Hazel thee tree of wisdom and learning, adds its strength to the bright fire burning
White are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility
Grapes grow upon the vine, giving us both joy and wine
Fir does mark the evergreen to represent immortality seen
But - Elder is the Lady's tree, burn it not or cursed you'll be"

We'll be making bundles of three sticks of each of the nine woods, which again are: Birch, Oak, Rowan (or Mountain Ash), Willow, Hawthorne, Hazel, Apple, Vine, and Fir.

We'll  place little slips of paper into the bundles with that which we desire the Goddess to grant us, and then throw them into the fire already started. It's fine to start a fire in a fire pit with a bag of charcoal (outdoors this must happen, do NOT burn a Beltaine fire indoors for safety's sake!!) Then throw the bundles, tied with a bit of ribbon or string onto the Beltaine fire and allow to go up in smoke.  The idea is the smoke will bring our desires to the realm of the Goddess and the God and they will be answered.

Afterwards it is customary to celebrate with a Beltaine feast.  I wish you a Happy and Healthy Beltaine!


Peace and Happiness 


© 2010-2013 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 magickal thing happened in class the other day . . .

Good Afternoon,

Sometimes unusual, magickal, witchy things happen to me and I want to share them with you. Just this past Saturday I had two magickal moments and when things like these happen, it makes me stop and wonder at the magick of it all.

The first magickal moment happened in Saturday morning Magickal Studies class.  The students and I were gathered around the work table in the classroom and we were working with clay. The day's curriculum was for us to make witches runes out of clay and protective house amulets. We were all seated around, chatting and working our clay when the conversation turned to the various Wiccan/Pagan songs and chants that have been developed over the past few decades. There really are a lot of them and many are quite good.

In the meantime, Gabby, one of the cats of Enchantments had decided to take a nap on one of the girls knapsack/pocketbooks that was laying on the work table. The cats of Enchantments adopt all of the students and insist on taking class with us, every Saturday.  Well, Gabby was taking a well deserved catnap and we were working clay. One of the girls mentioned a Pagan song, 'Ancient Mother' and quickly found it on her smart phone, so the rest of class could hear it. When it started to play, she placed her phone upright on the table for all to hear, and then the most unusual thing happened!

As soon as the music started to play, Gabby woke up and went to the phone and picked the phone up by its soft case with her teeth and started to walk away with it. It fell out of her mouth, and she started to rub against it, paw at it and try to pick it up again with her teeth. All the while meowing and putting up quite a fuss. I believe she really enjoyed that version of 'Ancient Mother'!

Everyone had stopped making their clay pieces and were just staring at Gabby. The song ended and she stopped her antics. Really amazing!

Later that day I went out to dinner and shopping with a friend of mine. We were in a discount store and were walking down the aisles looking and just chatting. I noticed ahead of me in the aisle a large support column that had a store phone affixed to it. As I started to walk by this column, a very strong inclination overtook me and I found myself reaching for the phone. I had almost touched it when it started to ring. I pulled my hand back, because I knew the call wasn't for me. I couldn't have told you why I felt such a strong need to pick up that phone, but I was going to, until it started ringing. Then I dropped my hand and continued on my way.
My friend noticed what had happened and wanted to know how I knew the phone was going to ring. That's just it, I didn't know it. I just had a strong urge to pick up that phone.

These are just a couple of magickal moments that have happened to me lately. Do you notice the magickal moments in your life? Or perhaps you call them coincidence or happenstance?


Peace and Happiness


© 2010-2013 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 Ghosts of Enchantments

 Good Afternoon,

It is such a pretty spring day with the daffodils and tulips around Enchantments blooming and making merry.  Not a day where one would automatically think of such a gloomy subject as ghosts, but we do have them here at Enchantments.

We have a number of ghosts or spirits if you will.  One is a very nice lady ghost who is often heard to say "Hello", at times right behind where you are standing.  On quiet days, when the road traffic is light, I can hear a group of women speaking amongst themselves in the upstairs classroom of Enchantments. As I climb the staircase they are very easily heard, but when they hear me ascending the stairs they become quiet.

We have had in the past a male ghost who made a habit of smoking cigarettes or some type of tobacco and it would be smelled especially in the stairways of this old Victorian home, built in 1899.  He also seemed quite fearful of me! We spoke with him once using an oracle board and he expressed his wariness when I was around. Perhaps he had good reason. I soon afterwards demanded he stop smoking in the building and if he couldn't then he was to leave. He has been quiet ever since.

We also have a small, gray kitten that has been seen by customers in the store on the bottom floor of Enchantments. A ghost kittent that is. We have cats, real, living cats in Enchantments but they are restricted to the upstairs, the classrooms and the attic where they have no chance of running outside and possibly getting hurt or lost.

I don't see the ghosts of Enchantments as often nowadays as I did when we first moved in, I like to think they have settled down and have grown used to us. Yet, every now and again a sensitive customer will remark that they have seen one or have been poked by one.

I believe they are harmless and merely curious and I like to believe they look over the goings on at Enchantments. I personally like them and would never banish them.  Walter, the smoking ghost, well .   .   .  he may have been banished but only to a better place. 

I invite you to come to Enchantments someday and perhaps you will have a ghostly encounter. 


Peace and Happiness





© 2010-2013 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 Last time my Intro to Pagans, Witches and Wicca will be offered at MCC!

Good Afternoon,

If you have thought about taking my class at Manchester Community College "Introduction to Pagans, Witches and Wicca" this will be your last chance. This program is a four class course that starts this Monday, April 8th and runs from 7-9 pm, and concludes on Monday April 29th with a potions making workshop at Enchantments. The course costs $65.00 and you have until this Thursday to sign up for the program. Call 860-512-3232 with a credit card to sign up right away! I hope to see you there! Ms. Faith







© 2010-2013 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.

Upcoming Enchantments Events to mark down!

 Good Afternoon,

Well Spring is upon us and it's time to get up, get out of the house and start moving our bodies with the rhythm of the awakening earth! 

The following events are interesting and you may wish to attend:

Ostara Celebration at Enchantments.  This upcoming Saturday, March 30th at 10 am we are hosting an Ostara Celebration with a Spring ritual, and pot luck feast. Please call Enchantments at 860-791-6033 to make sure there is space available and to find out what you can bring to the feast!  The Ritual starts at 10 am and the celebration goes until noon. There is no cost for this Celebration.

Intro to Pagans, Witches and Wicca at Manchester Community College, is a four Monday evening short course that I ,Ms. Faith,  teaches to help you understand the basics about Paganism, Witches and Wicca. This course runs from April 8th to April 29th and the class is held from 7-9 pm. The first three classes are held at MCC and consist of Power Point presentations allowing for questions and answers. The fourth class is a potions workshop held at Enchantments where each student gets to make their own potion and learns the recipes for other potions that can be made at home. If you are interested and there are still spaces available please call the college at 860-512-3232 and register with a credit card over the phone. The cost of the entire course is $65.00.This course is held in classroom GPA GP155 in the Great Path Department of MCC.

Grill-A-Pagan.  This is a panel being held on Sunday April 14th, at the UCONN Student Union at 2110 Hillside Rd, Storrs, CT in Room 104 and it is a question and answer period for two hours from 2 - 4pm. A moderator will accept questions from the audience to pose to the panel regarding Paganism, Witchcraft and Wicca. Tthe audience will be made up primarily of members from the UCONN community. I will sit on the panel along with other Pagans from CT to answer questions. It would be great to have you in the audience! I don't believe there is a cost for this event. 

These are the events that I, on behalf of Enchantments, will be participating in over the next month or so. I hope you can attend, I look forward to seeing you there! 


Peace and Happiness 

 


© 2010-2013 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.

Happy Ostara!

Good Evening!

Tonight I am posting two discussions. The first is the latest happenings with the kittens of Enchantments and then this one, a discussion on Ostara.

Ostara, The Spring/Vernal Equinox. This day is of equal lengths, both daylight and darkness. Each day from today  onwards will become a bit longer with daylight hours and a bit shorter with dark hours. We are in the midst of spring and heading towards summer.

Remember the discussion we had at Imbolc, approximately six weeks ago? It was about planning what you wish to harvest in your life later in this year. Where Imbolc was about planning, now Ostara is about planting the seeds, to get you started. Think about what you wish to bring to fruition later this year. Perhaps its a better job you wish to have by the end of this year. This is the time to be 'planting those seeds', which could mean updating and filling out your resume, going on interviews, or speaking to the right people to help you progress up the ladder of success.

For those that wish to become more magickal, to live and experience the magickal life, you've thought about it, planned for it, now plant the seeds by taking classes, reading magickal books, practicing casting circles, casting candle spells and attending events with like minded people. 

Enchantments will be holding an open circle for Ostara on Saturday, March 30th ( a bit later than usual, but we are planning on having the circle outdoors, if possible). Please feel free to attend, if you can. We follow up our open circles with a pot luck feast, so if you plan to attend, please call Ms. Faith at 860-791-6033 during business hours to find out what we need brought to the feast. We also need a call so we can plan for the correct number of people to attend. Also, if you have a hand held instrument, such as a hand drum, tambourine or maracas, feel free to bring them for the ritual dance part of the circle.

So start thinking about what you wish to have manifest in your life later this year, and then decide how you will plant the seeds for that to manifest, and Happy Planting!


Peace and Happiness!

 
© 2010-2013 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 Kittens of Enchantments Saga continues . . .

Good Evening,

This is a picture of Baby Boy Shadow, one of the kittens of Enchantments. He was born along with two brothers and a sister on December 8th, 2008. I wanted to share his story with you because today he went for his tri-annual wellness visit to the vet and I started to think back to the evening they were born.

For those who are not aware of the kittens of Enchantments, on October 22nd, 2008 their mother, a small black cat with a white tip on the very end of her tail walked into Enchantments and came right up the stairs, along with a few students who were coming to class, and walked into my office. She proceeded to curl around my ankles, I had been standing in my office talking to a student, and started to purr. I looked down and said "Well, hello!"  What a brave little cat to come into a strange building with people she didn't know. It was still  warm out, that October and I put her back outside in case she had just wandered away from home.  But I decided, if she was still around in the morning, considering she was a black cat and Halloween was just around the corner, that I would take her in, just for her safety.

This is Calli, a tiny little mama cat that had some amazing, big babies!


Well, the next morning she was still there, hiding in one of our outdoor cauldrons! I brought her in, fixed her  up with food, water and litter box and welcomed her to Enchantments. A few days later it became apparent she was pregnant. I took her to the vet and made sure she had medical care and then on December 8th, she started to give birth. Myself, along with Ms. Laurel who also works at Enchantments, acted as midwives as Calli (the name I gave the small black mama to be) gave birth to four perfect, beautiful kittens.  Baby Boy Shadow, pictured above and again further down, was the last to be born. He came out completely black, like a little shadow, and was by far the smallest of the bunch.

I remember he was slow to strengthen in the beginning. He was slower than the others and ofttimes just laid back and looked weak and sickly. I brought him to the vet and they said he was generally healthy, just small and a typical runt of the litter.   Later that day he was just laying on his side and he looked very listless and weak.  I went home and couldn't help thinking about him. Later that night, it was quite late, I decided to go back to Enchantments to check on him. The mother cat had moved all her babies into the warm closet in my office, where she felt safer, and I saw the little one looked even more listless. He just laid still in my hand when I picked him up.

I thought about what I could do magickally and decided to take down from a hook one of my cloaks, an emerald green cloak, that I had worn in ritual. I knew green was the color for physical healing and I thought the energy from the cloak might be just what the poor little one needed. I put the cloak on the floor of the closet and placed mama and babies on it. I held the littlest one and felt healing energy flowing from my hands into his tiny little body, then asked the Goddess to bless him and to make him stronger. I laid him down and went home that night.  When I got home I lit a candle and again asked the Goddess for her help in making Baby Boy Shadow stronger and healthier.

The next morning I went to work and had a happy surprise! Baby Boy Shadow was tumbling around with his bigger brothers and sister and nursing with much more vigor than he had before. In a few weeks he was as big as his siblings and he had a voracious appetite.  As a matter of fact, Shadow was the first kitten to climb up a large bag of dry cat food (generously donated by a fan of the kittens) chew a hole in the corner of the bag and start to chow on the dry kibble! We had to take the dry food away from him as the vet said it was too early for him to chew dry food and he could choke! But it certainly didn't stop him from trying.

I thought of Baby Boy's earliest days today when he was at the vets and he weighed in at a respectable and healthy, for him, 16 lbs! The vet said he was larger boned and had a larger frame than his siblings, so 16lbs was a perfect weight for him. He outweighs his siblings and this is from the 'runt' of the litter who got a magickal start in life. Not to be outdone Raffie weighs in at 14.5 lbs, Mickey at 15 lbs and Gabbie (the girl) a not too shabby 10 lbs!

This is Baby Boy Shadow today

The vet said the kittens are healthy in all respects and should live long, happy lives! They will, if I have anything to do with it, .  .  .  and I do!






 Peace and Happiness


© 2010-2013 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.

Let me say it again , all sage is NOT the same when it comes to cleansing space!

 Good Evening,

Ofttimes in my humble  little witch shop, Enchantments, located in Manchester, CT USA, I come across a customer who is looking for sage. Specifically, for sage bundles used for burning to clear negative energies from a space, room or building, even for the body!  Invariably I run across many who have been sold, from other shops, the wrong sage!  Not that these shops are doing something unethical, just many are misinformed due to a book published many years ago that was more vague than specific.

Let me explain in detail. The sage that has notoriety in clearing an area of harmful, negative, frenetic energies is called desert sage also known as sage brush or tumbleweed.  The Native Americans would start prairie fires years ago to clean out the old, stagnant and dead weeds and brush allowing new growth and flowers and plant life to take hold and bloom. Unfortunately the confusion comes from another common name for desert sage which is white sage.  Here, on the East Coast, white sage is commonly known as garden sage. My research reveals that several decades ago, 'white sage' was listed as the sage for cleansing and clearing in a popular new age book. This white sage'  was misinterpreted on the East Coast as the local Eastern garden sage, which is also a culinary herb.  They are not the same!

Yet, many magickal stores will sell the garden sage wrapped in bundles for clearing purposes. In truth, the magickal property of garden sage is longevity and aligning with ancestor energy, NOT cleansing or clearing. It even smells bad, in my opinion and the order lingers and is not a pleasant experience. Whereas burning desert sage has a different herby smell and causes an area to immediately feeling lighter and more open.

Know your sage! Here's some photographs to help you determine the correct sage for your purposes:

The above picture is desert sage in its natural habitat where it grows out West in Arizona, California, Nevada and in other Western United States.  The lower photo is desert sage wrapped in a bundle meant to be burned and smoldered. It has long, slender whips of branches and looks more like hay or grass bundled together.

The next two pictures are of common Eastern Garden sage and has wide white leaves (hence the misunderstanding) and the bottom photo shows a sage bundle with the wide flat leaves easily identifiable.

Now, having written this discussion I'm sure to get all sorts of naysayers telling me I'm wrong, but I don't come by my information lightly or without credentials. I use the research and knowledge of one magickal soul that has sadly been lost to us, Mr. Scott Cunningham.  I reference his wonderful book "The Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs" where he discusses the magickal properties of many herbs, plants, grasses and trees. For those of you who are familiar with Mr. Cunningham's work, I am sure you'll agree he really was a notable scholar when it came to magickal herbs and plants. I refer to his teachings proudly and stand by my opinions on burning sage for cleansing purposes.  But hey, if you've often used garden sage for cleansing purposes and it works for you, Great! Keep using it. It's harmless and you must do what you feel is right. But if you're up for trying something new, I would give desert sage a chance, you might be pleasantly surprised!










© 2010-2013 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.

Clearing your life to move forward magickally

Good Evening,

I think many of us wish to eliminate things in our lives that no longer serve us, so that we may better live our lives.  But the energy by which we do this can hinder us or help us along. What do I mean?

Do you hold grudges? Keeping the anger, resentment and negative emotions directed towards a person or event would be holding onto that energy and allowing it to work against you, slowly and at times imperceptibly wearing you down,  making you tighten up, becoming less open, loving, accepting and making you more distrustful, bitter, jaded and hard.

Now, this doesn't mean we need to forgive and forget. Not at all. Somethings can't be forgiven, instead I accept them. Now, I don't mean acceptance as condoning something, but accept that they have happened, put them side and move on.  especially when what has happened can't be changed in anyway by you. remember, we can only change ourselves and many times we can only change our next response to a situation.

It's not necessarily a good thing to forget either, lest you wish to set yourself up for similar disappointments and heartaches down the road. By all means use the experiences or dealing with certain people to teach you. Then don't forget the lesson. Just put aside the anger, the hatred if there was any, the disappointment and sadness.  Take the lesson and allow it to help you make other choices in your life.

This goes for people also. Some people, frankly, are not healthy to have in your life. Period. Whether they are blood relatives or not. Keeping them either on the peripheral or removing them completely from your life may be a healthy choice for you to make.  But I never think of removing someone from my life as a failure on my part, but a success!  As I grow older I know who and what I wish to spend my life on and I refuse to waste precious time and energy on those who are not healthy for me to be around. We are not meant to get along with everyone. Some people have agendas that for us are unhealthy to be a part of. By not having them in my life, I am happier, more whole and my life is much more they way I want it to be. 

But, does it take a bit of courage and strength to initiate a removal of a person or circumstance from your life? You betcha! And no one will do it for you, it's up to you.  Magickally you can use black candles to help eliminate the negative energies from your life, which may include a person's specific energies. We also use smudge sticks to clear an area, building, room or office of harmful, negative energies but ultimately the removal of yourself from a harmful situation or the removal of a harmful person from your life will come down to you. 

Peace and Happiness




© 2010-2013 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.

Fox News demonstrates their ignorance towards Wiccans and Pagans!

 Good Evening,

Today I received a link from a student that shows three FOX news journalists discussing a recent decision by the University of Missouri to recognize Wiccan and Pagan holidays on campus. 

I have enclosed the link to the broadcast here. Please take a moment to watch it. Then we'll talk.

http://www.causes.com/demandfoxnewsapology


Have you watched it? Good. Now let me vent a bit. Are you kidding me???!!! These ignorant fools are not only bigots, but so unaware of what and who makes up the world around them.  The newscaster on the left of the screen not only is ignorant but I detected a bit of attitude and it seemed almost as if he was angry at Wiccans and Pagans. What's bothering him?

His quote as I recall it " Every Wiccan and Pagan I've met is either a Dungeons and Dragons fan" For the record I have never played Dungeons and Dragons, ever! "Or is a twice divorced woman living in a rural area and is a midwife"  Wow! Wait a moment and let me say again "Wow"!!

The foolishness continues as they then disregard their own reporting and quickly go from 20% of all holidays on the calendar make up Wiccan holidays to stating Wiccans celebrate 20 holidays a year!! For those who are not strong on math 20% of a whole does not equal 20. We have 8 holidays.

The typical mainstream American celebrates more than 8 holidays a year. Let's just count them for fun.  New Years Eve, New Years Day, Valentines Day, Presidents Day, Martin Luther King Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas come to mind easily.  That's twelve right there. There might be a few more that I've missed, but I've counted for mainstream America the typical holidays that causes banks and municipal buildings to close. I'd call those actual holidays, if you cannot conduct business, wouldn't you?

I thought one comment especially mean spirited when he asked "How many Wiccans can name all of their holidays, really?"  Why was that even a question. I know most of us can name all of our holidays because we celebrate them yearly and they mean something more to most of us than simply a day off from work. 

Also, whatever happened to actually reporting news stories and when did broadcaster's personal opinions start to matter? Especially when they have NO knowledge of that which they are reporting on. If you haven't watched the clip I urge you to do so, and make your own decision.

For me this clip showed a level of intolerance, ignorance and bigotry we are striving very hard to eliminate in this country and in our communities. These reporters with their ignorant banter has just made the job harder to do.


I'll conclude by asking, Is this a real news show? Are these really real journalists as one of the broadcasters  alleges? Mmmmmmm, I'll let you decide.









© 2010-2013 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.

Magickal Advice for the Love Lorn

 Happy Valentine's Day!

Tomorrow marks a day dedicated to love and passion. Many people poo poo Valentine's day as a day created by candy makers and card shops. Nothing could be further from the truth. Valentine's Day, originally called St. Valentine's Day has been celebrated for centuries and is dedicated to love and lovers.

But what about those without a significant sweetie? I've been asked for love spells and such that would bring a lover back to you, cause someone specific to fall in love with you etc. Those are big, white witch no nos!

I don't care how much you feel you should be with someone specific, we don't have the right to do love spells with another person in mind unless that person gives you their permission. Period. Imagine some creepy guy or gal at work that you want nothing to do with. Now, imagine them doing a love spell to get you to fall for them. Kind of feels like a violation doesn't it? Well, it does, because it is!

But what are the love lorn to do?  I hear you! Those without a Valentine can do spells to make the situation better and bring a special someone into your life, but it's all about the visualization.

First get a red candle.  If you know me, you know I love candle spells. I use them all the time! Get that red candle, red for love, lust and passion.  Hold it in your hands for several moments and visualize yourself coming home from a date. Possibly closing the front door AFTER the date is over. See yourself happy, maybe starry eyed, anticipatory that this person is the ONE. 

Then after several moments of visualization, place in a secure holder and light the candle.  Allow it to burn all the way down until it goes out on its own. Doing this spell on a Friday will give it even more ooomph!

Then, and this is most important, get out of the house. Dress nicely, look your best, leave the house and allow others to see you for the loving, wonderful person you are. This spell works especially well before meeting someone you connected with on a dating website. There are so many people out there today who want to meet that special someone and I'm a firm supporter of modern technology. It's there, use it.

Have a loving Valentine's Day!

Peace and Happiness






© 2010-2013 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.

Magickal Goal Setting

Good Evening,

Yes, Even though we've celebrated our first Spring ritual, Imbolc, it's still very cold outside. It may be hard to think of spring with snow on the ground and storms threatening but there is something I do this time of year to help me keep in my magickal mind-set.  Planning for the upcoming wheel of the year.

The Wheel of the Year is an ancient agricultural calendar the ancient Celts used to plan their planting, growing and harvesting seasons. At this time of year we are in a pre-planting phase, the 'planning phase'.

We no longer live in a culture that requires everyone to plant seeds and tend them to their ultimate harvest-able conclusion later in the fall. Instead most modern witches that use the Wheel of the Year use it in a metaphorical manner.

You can use this time in a magickal way also.  First what do you want to 'harvest' later this year? How do you want your life to change? Do you wish you were happier?, more understanding?, more patient?, perhaps thinner, stronger, had more energy or something else?  First find out what you wish to manifest in your life, what you wish to 'harvest' later this year.

Now is the time to plan your Wheel of the Year to have that happen. Give yourself time to plan, write down on paper, exactly what you want. Then make a column of how you can make that happen. Many times it's small changes, little tweaks and tugs to slowly get the changes to start happening.

I myself, often ask the Goddess for more patience. To harvest that later on, I must understand that I will be given many, many opportunities to exhibit patience. And yes, I am getting better as I wait for that next moment that could cause me frustration or an opportunity to take a deep breath and patiently wait for the result I want.

So take a sheet of paper. Write on top what you hope to achieve. Make it one concept, just one. More than one can make it difficult. Underneath write the things that you can start doing that will gently lead you to your goal.

At this time, you need only get the concept of what you want to harvest in your mind. The rest of the work will come later. Don't try to do it all at once. One step at a time. One seed at a time. Soon, you'll be harvesting a new you!


Peace and Happiness






© 2010-2013 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.