My talk during the Ostara Sabbat Celebration

 Good Afternoon,

We just finished celebrating the Sabbat of Ostara this past week. For every Sabbat I conduct I do a small talk discussing the Sabbat and how it could work magick in our lives. The Wheel of the Year, which we follow and which marks our high holy days, our Sabbats, is an agricultural wheel of the year.  Most of us today are not farmers, so we use the lessons from the wheel in a metaphorical way.

For Ostara, we are planting the seeds which we will harvest later this year.  Rather than actual seed planting, what 'seeds' will you plant in your life that you can harvest later this year? Do you want to better yourself in some way? Do you wish to become more understanding, more disciplined, less critical of others? Only you can choose the 'seeds' which you will plant. Only you, because only you can do the work needed to make the changes to become that person.

Take a good long look at your life. See the blessings that are present in your life. Now take note of the things you'd like to change. That's a good place to start with planting the seeds.

At this point, just knowing what your goal is, is good enough. As we work our way around the Wheel of the Year we can do more work to make more changes. But for now, just identify the goal. Who or what do you wish to become.

Now, ponder on this for a while. Change can take time and it requires patience. You can't make all the changes you think you'd like to make all in one day. Come up with the final goal, and let it sit with you for a while. It may seem that everyday you are given opportunities to make small changes, which will bring you closer to your ultimate goal.

Having the goal in mind is the first step.



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.

Happy Ostara -- Spring Equinox!!

 Good Afternoon,

Well it's starting to feel like Spring, finally! Yes, we've had quite a long, cold winter here in Southern New England this year. This Thursday marks the Spring or Vernal Equinox. Though there will still be snow on the ground we can celebrate Springs return nonetheless. Many people feel this is a Christian holiday, as it often coincides with Easter but like many Christian holidays, Easter was adopted from an ancient Pagan Rite of Springtime.

Actually, Ostara was once originally spelled Eostera or a variation of this spelling. The name Easter was taken directly from the original spelling for Ostara. You can easily see all the letters in the old spelling and with just a slight jumble of the letters we spell Easter.

Many have asked me over the years why the baby chicks and eggs, bunnies and lambs this time of year? Well, they all are representative of the new life that Spring heralds. Baby chicks and bunnies and lambs are being born, eggs are a symbol of new life and the colors are the gentle pastels of new Spring flowers.

The ancient Pagans celebrated this holiday as a time of renewal and life being reborn. The mother animals would be giving birth in the fields and for the Sabbat holiday a steer or bull would be slaughtered for fresh meat to be had for all.The fields would be starting to be prepared for the planting of new seeds that would later be harvested as the food harvests in the fall or Autumn. This is another holiday on the ancient Pagan Wheel of the Year, an agricultural calendar the ancients followed.

I have often felt that everyone should celebrate Spring's return for simply what it is, Spring's return after a long, harsh and cold winter. We are celebrating the resurrection of a new year after the death of the old year.

I have always loved this time of year and each day that holds a gentle, not bitter, breeze, a kind sky and a happy sun are days of celebration to me. I hope you find time to celebrate the Spring also.

Enchantments celebrates the Spring Equinox by holding an Sabbat, which will take place this Saturday. Unlike our Summer celebrations this is a closed ceremony open only to past and present Enchantments students, as we are limited in our space. If you are a former student of Enchantments, please come and celebrate with us this upcoming Saturday, March 22nd at 10 am. Please bring a dish to share with others. If you are not a student, the next celebration that will be open to the public will be Beltaine at the beginning of May.

Enjoy Spring!


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.

Magickal no no's I am often asked to perform!

Good Afternoon,

Sigh. Yet again, I opened my email this morning to find another request for black magick. Now, it's not that these individuals know that what the are asking for IS black magick, but it's my job to gently inform them that I do not do manipulative magick for anyone.

In this morning's case the email request was for a divorce spell. The woman who asked, had a boyfriend who was married and she wanted a spell that would cause the wife to divorce her husband/the boyfriend. IT NEVER WORKS THIS WAY! Firstly, a spell to cause the woman to divorce her husband would be manipulative and most likely against her wishes.That's Black Magick. Frankly, if she's going to divorce him, she will do it in her own time. Secondly, if he were serious about wanting to be with her, he would initiate the divorce. Sounds like they want the easy way around things and life doesn't work like that. So I sent her a reply that explained that we don't work the dark arts and I wished her well.

I am often asked, begged and pleaded with to bring a loved one back into their lives, help with a relationship, with most requests having to do with unhappy love lives.  And there are those, especially on-line (where there is little accountability), who will sell you a spell and charge a ridiculous amount of money for what they know won't work.  The spell needs to be done by the person desiring the spell. I do not do spells for others for or without money. I teach them to spell cast for themselves.

There is one exception and that is a healing spell. I have been asked by others to send healing energy to someone who is ill and unable to cast a spell themselves, but I always do it with another person or better yet a  group, a coven, of witches. We send out healing energies that the ill person can absorb when they wish to, to help them feel better. Of course, there is never money involved with such a request.

But other spells? You really need to be able to do them for yourself. But don't make the mistake of thinking magickal spells will  make your life easier and all your troubles will go away. Spell casting is hard work, and the work required of a witch casting spells to make her life better is even harder. But it is so worth it.

Think twice before casting a spell for yourself, then if you are sure you wish to proceed, do so with care, knowledge and love. Most especially love.


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.

Psychometry - something you can try at home

Good Afternoon,

This past week, at Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts, we have been playing around with psychometry.  What is psychometry you ask? Well, let me tell you.

Psychometry is the practice of using your hands to touch something, and getting flashes of information from that object in your mind. It is typically done with jewelry, but can be done with many objects. As long as the object has been used or handled by someone for an extended period of time, so that their energies get into the object, it can be used. 

I tend to have the ability to use psychometry on buildings and the ruins of old buildings.  Once in upper Vermont, my mother asked me to feel an old stone wall that she had on her property. They had just recently purchased their house and the land around it and she wanted to know if I could tell what the stone wall was from. Was it simply an old stone wall, or was it perhaps the foundation of an old building?

I felt the wall for some time and I could hear, smell and sense many things. I could hear the jangling of horses bridles and harnesses, as well as the stomping of their feet. I could smell food cooking and many smells of different foods, people, horses and the like. I could 'see' a large building, not very ornate but functional and square. There was also a road out in front right where it was now. I told these things to my mother and she proceeded to do some research into the area. She found out that the foundation was part of an old tavern that had stood there many years ago. Ah, yes, a tavern. That would explain the food odors, the horses and people. That made sense.

I also used to work in a local museum that had once been a two room school house for local elementary school children. One summer I spent in the attic of this museum, accessioning old newspapers for the museum. I would get a strong odor of vanilla cake or cookies baking whenever I went up or down the stairs to the attic. It was quite apparent though others couldn't smell the same thing I did. One day while working in the museum an elderly woman came to see the museum and she told me she had been a child when the building was a school house and she had attended classes there. I asked her if the children ever went up into the attic for any reason. She said yes, they would go upstairs during inclement weather for lunch or to have a birthday party. That is the only reason I can think of as to why I kept smelling cake or cookies.

You can try psychometry yourself if you'd like.  You can try it on a building, by going up to a building ad putting your hands on the wall and becoming very quiet, close your eyes and see what pops into your mind. Do you hear things, smell or 'see' things?

What we do at Enchantments is practice psychometry on jewelry. Take an old piece of jewelry (not yours but belonging to someone else) and hold it quietly in your hands for a short while. Try to clear your mind of everyday thoughts and just see what comes to mind. Doing this with a friend is good as that friend, presumably the person who lent you the jewelry to use, can give you feedback as to what you are sensing.

Don't become frustrated if you don't sense anything at first, like all things magickal, practice, practice, practice! No one is 100% adept right out of the gate! Play around with psychometry and have fun!








© 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 questions asked about being a witch

             Ms. Faith and her friend Gizmo the Wonderdoglet 2013




Good Afternoon, 

 Every now and again I collect the questions I am asked, in my role of running a witch store, and I post them with the answers for you.  Here are just a few of the questions I have been asked lately:


Is a witch Wiccan? Does a witch have to be Wiccan?  The answer is no. A witch is a person who recognizes the natural world and uses the natural elements around them to create needed change (create magick) in their lives. A Wiccan is one who follows Wicca, the religion of the Witches. But one does not need to be Wiccan to be a witch.

Do I have to have someone else make me a witch?  This one is no also. YOU and only you can determine if you are a witch. You can have someone initiate you into a tradition or a coven, but ultimately it comes down to what you consider yourself to be. If you feel like you may be a witch, you probably are. Start calling yourself one, own it for a time, and then see how it feels.

What do witches eat? This is one of the funnier questions I've been asked. The answer is simply, food! Yes, there are some vegan witches, vegetarian witches and some witches who eat meat. I don't find a correlation between a certain diet and being a witch. One thing I have noticed over the years, witches LOVE food. We could be the original foodies. Our eight witches Sabbats held throughout the year, all consist of a feast of some sort. And I have noticed many witches tend to be pretty darn good cooks and or bakers.

What's the difference between a brew and a potion, or are they the same thing? No, a brew and potion are NOT the same thing in witchcrafting. A brew is a magickal mixture that is meant to be drunk. Teas and broths with herbal additions can be called brews. Whereas a potion is meant to be used outside of the body more as a perfume. Some potions are not even meant to come in contact with the body, such as some strong protection potions that are meant to be sprinkled outside of doorways and windows. For safety sake be sure you know what you are dealing with before attempting to make or drink a magickal mixture.

These are just a few questions posed to me in my day to day magickal life. If you have questions, ask them in the comments section below. I will do my best to answer you promptly.



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.

Love Magicks, be sure to have the right ingredients and supplies

Good Evening,


Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and what a perfect time to do love spells. There are countless spells that can be done, but you need to have the right ingredients and supplies. Because Valentine's Day is here, you can easily find heart shaped plates, platters, supplies of all sorts in the colors of red, pink or silver.  You can use heart shaped plates to burn candles on, place spell mixes on, or place other altar tools on while casting the spell.

Be sure to have plenty of candles in the colors of love, lust, passion and romance. Red, pink, white (all purpose) and silver candles are all good colors to have on hand.

Having essential oils of Rose, Tube Rose, Lavender, Jasmine, Apple or Cherry are nice to have for anointing candles. Note, you only need one oil to anoint a candle and even having a nicely witchcrafted love potion is acceptable to dress your candles.

Placing a bowl with a potpourri of love attracting herbs is nice and can smell lovely. Of course Rose is a main love attracting flower to have on hand. Other love attracting herbs and plants to have are African Violet, Cardamom, Cherry, Daffodil, Foxglove, Iris, Mugwort and Sage brush.

Having a fruit bowl with apples, bananas, apricot, and raspberries along with a bowl of oats on the table are also designed to bring in loving energies. Instead of oats just sitting in a bowl, having an oaten bread can be quite nice.

A delicious meal made of chicken roasted with apples, onions, carrots and celery can be made to celebrate Valentine's Day. Sparkling juice of apple and cranberry is a nice libation to share. Serving the chicken with mashed potatoes with rosemary sprinkled in brings love and happiness. Rolls with sweet cream butter and peas with baby onions are a nice side dish. Serve a sweet for dessert to sweeten the relationship. I suggest fudge brownies frosted with chocolate frosting and this could be topped off with a whipped cream.

Yes, decadent, sweet and delicious, but a Valentine's Day dinner should be so.

These are just some ideas for your love day and for love spells throughout the year. Oh yes, everything above works throughout the year, NOT just on Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day 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.

Spring has Sprung as we ring in Imbolc

 Good Afternoon,

Spring?? Some may think I'm off of my cauldron, or sipping a little too much witches brew, by let me explain. Witches follow the course of Nature. We follow the Wheel of the Year which is an agricultural calendar designed many centuries ago by the ancient Celts.

Whereas Yule or the Winter Solstice is really mid-winter for us, we view the beginning of February as the first days of spring.  Let me prove it to you.

If you go outside and truly try to appreciate this time of year, you will find Nature has many small, almost hidden facets of spring which you can see or experience.

Look outside, closely, at the trees and shrubs. You will be able to see tightly wrapped little buds starting to swell. The birds are coming back North from their southern winter destinations. Also, those who do maple sugaring KNOW without a doubt that the sap is rising and flowing through the trees, a sure indicator of Spring's mighty energies.

The Sun is in a different position and is brighter in the sky, and every night the Sun goes down a bit later than the day before, making our daylight hours longer and longer. For instance the sun sets tonight at 5:11 pm and it gets true dark at 5:41 pm.

In the witches garden early spring plants are blossoming or getting ready to, such as Cyclamen and Prim Rose and early Crocuses are just starting to burst through the slowly defrosting soil.

Being bundled up and staying warm inside makes it easy for us to overlook Spring's signals to us, but rest assured, it's here and even though we may get more snow before it's all over and done with, Spring is gaining on winter and soon winter will be a cold, harsh memory.

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.

Gideon and the Coyote

Gideon


Good Afternoon, I have a sweet, yet sad  story I would like to share with you. Above, pictured is Gideon a sweet, wonderful soul whom I am grateful to have met and known for a short while.  Gideon is the rescued pup of a student of Enchantments. She had Gideon for 7 years and he was 9 years old this past week when he passed over. 

Gideon's  'mom' told us a story about him and a coyote he had made friends with. One night, in the middle of the night she awoke to hear Gideon barking outside in the woods which surrounds her house. She lives with many, many acres of undeveloped land surrounding her home. She took a flashlight and went in search of Gideon. She went through woods and fields, along trails and finally came to him and was surprised to see him pinning a coyote down on the ground. The coyote was in a submissive position and Gideon's mom was able to get Gideon off of the coyote and get him to come back home with her.

Since that time, the coyote would come around the house and stand and look at the house. Gideon, being inside would bark at the window, acknowledging the coyote's presence. Gideon was a strong,beautiful, fearless creature with a sweet soul and a gentle heart.

The time came when just recently when Gideon was not acting himself. After several  visits to the vet and several tests they determined that Gideon had a brain tumor and not long to live.  His mom brought him home and cared for him in his last days. One of the last days of Gideon's life, had her holding him and preparing for him to pass.  She then heard a long, mournful howling outside the house. The coyote had come and seemed to know that Gideon was soon to be gone.

After Gideon passed, his mom went outside and saw coyote tracts that went completely around the house and came to a stop outside the window where Gideon would often bark at the coyote. Then the tracts went off into the woods. 

Do animals sense moments like these? I believe they do. I believe animals sense much, much more than we give them credit for. In this instance I believe Gideon and the coyote had a friendship of sorts and that when Gideon's time came, the coyote came to say goodbye to its friend. 

I only knew Gideon for a short while, but I was fortunate to have met such a sweet, gentle soul and I wish him bright blessings on his travels. I also thank his owner and 'mom' for letting me tell his tale.

 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.

Wow! Our 300th post!! Animal Magick

Good Afternoon,

Well, thanks to you, my magickal reader, The Life and Times of a Contemporary New England Witch is posting our 300th discussion today! Thanks for reading, for all of your wonderful, positive comments and for coming back time and again to see what's brewing in my cauldron. I will keep writing as long as you keep reading.

Today I want to discuss animal magick. Yes, we can do animal magick for an ill pet or perhaps one that is lost.  A simple method for doing this is to burn a brown candle. First take the candle and with a toothpick, inscribe the animal's name on the candle. Rub it with a bit of essential oil, patchouli is a good choice, but if you don't have any on hand a simple olive oil will work.

Burn the candle at sunset (most animals get an extra burst of energy at sunset) and allow the candle to burn all the way down. Of course, you must seek out competent veterinary care for your pet first and foremost. This animal magick is only to aid your fur baby onto healing quicker and with less difficulty.

In the case of a lost pet, burn the candle, but in this case place candle in holder over a map of your location. Even if you don't have a real map, a simple line drawing of your home, street and landmarks of your area will work. Allow candle to burn all the way down. 

Please Note! It is important to be aware when working animal magick that if seriously ill, your pet may cross over shortly after your spell is done.  As I speak of in 'Spell Manifestation' we cannot cause the death of any one or thing with magick, but we can help them cross over with less pain and difficulty.

This may be difficult for us to accept, the passing of a loved fur baby. But we are their guardians and caretakers and as such we have a responsibility to do what s best for them. This DOESN'T mean, putting an animal down just because it has become elderly and difficult to deal with. But with serious illness or injury, we must do what is ultimately best for the animal. Only you with your God/ Goddess can make that decision. By burning a candle you work with God/ Goddess to do what is right for your pet.

Spell casting or magick, call it what you will, both are apt, are contracts you make with God/Goddess to make needed change in your life. Remember, Life does not happen to you. You make life happen and as such, you choose your reality. So if you have a pet that is sickly, you can help it get better or to cross over by burning a candle, saying a prayer and allowing the divine to happen. Blessed Be.



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 early Spring time magick from nature

Good Evening,


Last week's discussion talked about bringing in spring blooming flowers indoors. Today's discussion talks about the magick of nature once again, this time with early spring flowers in your garden this time of year. Yes, I said spring!

You see for a Pagan that follows the Wheel of the Year, February 1st, right around the corner, is our first spring ritual.  We see things like the ice starting to break up in the ponds and on the lakes, winter birds flying North again and green life starting to grow again in the garden.

Two such early spring blooming plants are Cyclamen and Prim Rose.  Cyclamen will actually blossom in the January garden especially if it's protected and not covered with feet of snow.

This is the beautiful Cyclamen

 You can grow this plant out of doors yourself in your garden if you wish. But don't plant it NOW! It needs time to acclimate, so plan on planting one in your garden during the summer months. Then by next spring it will be ready to bloom.

Another hardy, early spring bloomer is Prim Rose. Prim rose has many beautiful colors and different varieties, but I prefer the low growing variety that is multi colored. Like this one

These also need to be uncovered of snow and they will be blooming in your garden as early as March. Such a pleasant surprise to be walking in your spring garden, just looking for a rare green sprout or leaf and coming across these beauties. 

As for a bit more of Nature's magick, I looked up in the morning skies today and saw my first flock of Canada geese flying back North!  I look for them every year and the earliest I've seen them is February 1st. I am making a prediction (before our furry friend the ground hog) that it will be an early spring. Now, now that doesn't mean, no more snow or any further snow storms. It just means we'll be out in our spring gardens earlier this year than usual.  Now, we'll wait and see how accurate I am!

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.

Bringing in Life during the Dead of Winter

Good Afternoon,

We find ourselves sitting here, braving the worst of winter with temperatures below zero for many.   This time of year, there is little alive outside, as the plants and trees sleep in deep dormancy. I like to bring in life indoors, during this time of year. 

You may still be able to buy fall bulbs in your local nursery or home improvement store, if not then now is the time to plan for next year. While we were out and about during the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas we ran across boxes of bulbs meant for growing inside during the winter. The two types sold specifically for this type of indoor growing are Amaryllis and Paper White Narcissus. 

I grabbed a few boxes of each and brought them home and put them on a shelf until around Thanksgiving time. Then I opened the boxes and potted up the bulbs. These flowers come in a kit that has potting soil and a special pot for which to grow them in. It's all in there, you just need to place the bulbs, cover in soil and water. Then place in a sunny window and watch them grow. It's so nice to see something living and thriving during such a cold, harsh winter.

Here are some pictures of Amaryllis. They come in many different colors and when open usually have four big blossoms that are back to back. Simply lovely.

I also like to grow Paper White Narcissus which is a tiny white daffodil. They are fragrant, though some people don't like the strong scent, but they are beautiful and fresh during a cold, harsh time. Here are some paper whites:

Simply beautiful!

You can grow them indoors yourself. It's still early in winter, call your local nursery and see if they have any boxed narcissus or Amaryllis still available. I also like to purchase Amaryllis and keep until May or June. Then I pot them up and grow them outdoors to be placed on tables in the garden. Amaryllis like to have walls close about their bulbs, so planting them in the pot works better than planting them straight into the garden. But regardless of the time of year you grow them, they are sure to bring you happiness and smiles.

Happy Winter 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.

A New Moon, New Year Spell

 Happy New Year!

Well, today is an auspicious day indeed. Today is the first day of 2014 and it is a New Moon!  This is the best time to bring in the new and discard the old.

It is common at New Year's to have some 'resolutions' for the upcoming year. A witch does a similar thing, but we do it a bit differently. 

Firstly, cast a magick circle. Then get some paper and sit down, light a candle and calm and center yourself. Think of the wonderful things you wish to bring into your life in the upcoming year. This can be done without the magick circle, but it's most effective in the circle.

If you can't cast a magick circle, or do not know how, then sit down and close your eyes and envision blue light surrounding your body. Move this blue light out to completely surround you and make a big sphere around you. Think of the bubble that Glinda, the Good Witch of the North was floating in, in the movie "The Wizard of Oz. That's the image of you floating within a blue bubble that I want you to envision.

After you have that image in your mind's eye, then open your eyes, take your paper (we use flash paper, so it burns up without leaving ash behind, but simple writing paper is acceptable), then write your wishes for the upcoming year.

After it is written, and you can write one thing or several, it's up to you, then fold the paper three times and hold it between your palms for a few moments. 'See' your life with these wonderful things within it, then speaking to the Goddess say aloud "So Mote it Be".  Blow on the paper between your palms three times and then hold the corner of the paper to the candle flame.  Allow the paper to burn up, without unfolding it, be careful here and practice good fire safety!

Place burning paper, if you don't use flash paper it will take a few moments to completely burn up, in a fire proof container. Flash paper, as it sounds, flashes up in a brief, bright flash of fire and instantaneously goes out, leaving no trace behind.

Then thank the Goddess and sit for a moment and imagine yourself drawing the blue light back into your body. As you sit there breath in and out, and inhale a bit more strongly, breathing in the blue light, the magickal, the wonderful.

Then go about your regular day, knowing inside that a very special thing has taken place. A New Year, a New Moon spell cast by you especially for you for this upcoming year.

Happy New Year's and Peace and Happiness to you and yours!







© 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 Magickal Power of Words

 Good Afternoon,

I recently viewed a video on the Internet that demonstrated a strong message as to the power of words. It showed a blind man begging in the streets.  He was seated on a piece of cardboard with a can for change and a sign that said " I'm blind" and as the day went on people would stop and throw down a quarter or dime, every so often.
Then a woman came up to him, he felt her shoes, and she reached down and took his sign and turning it over, she, with a black marker, wrote some words and placed the sign back next to the blind beggar. As the day progressed more and more people came along and started leaving much more change and monies for the blind man. Later the same woman came by, he recognized her by feeling her shoes, and he asked her. 'What did you do to my sign?' She replied, I wrote the same thing, I just used different words. The video then panned to the sign which read " It's a beautiful day, but I can't see it."

Pretty deep, huh? The witch has known for a very long time, the hidden power of words. We have, what we call, incantations, which we use along with our spells to create magickal manifestation. Words placed together that when spoken aloud, bring magickal energies to bear.

Simple incantations tend to rhyme, which allows the magickal practitioner ease in remembering them.  Such a simple incantation may be "As I will it, one times three, an' it harm none, so mote it be". Simple but effective when paired with a candle spell or a potion being  used, or even at the end of a longer incantation which in itself can be a spell. 

Our words have power when used towards other people also. Words spoken can be forgiven, but not forgotten. Our words have the power to build up and empower another or to tear down and deject one. The power ultimately lies in your hands and in your words.

Think carefully about the words you will use in any given circumstance. Be especially careful when anger or emotion is fueling your words. For the power lies within.


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 Yule!

Good Afternoon,

It's a snowy day here in Southern New England but it's starting to look a lot like Yule outside!  Yule is also known as the Winter Solstice and usually falls around December 20 or 21st. There are  a few things about this holiday that we have come to appreciate whether we celebrate Christmas or Yule.

Evergreens and wreaths as well as evergreen trees are common this time of year, as these greens are luscious and abundant and are really the only visible living plants to be found in the snow. The ancients used evergreens to decorate their homes in the attempt to bring 'life' into the home during the winter months when everything else was 'dead'.

The colors red and green are attributed to the ancient Celts.  There is also an alcoholic drink the ancients would consume, Wassail.  Years ago groups of people would travel from house to house where their drinking mugs would be filled with Wassail and socialization would happen with the people in the home, before traveling to the next home. Somewhere along the way, Christmas carols began to be sung as the group of people arrived at each house. The atmosphere was ripe for partying and  revelry.

Candles being placed in the windows was started by the Celts, to welcome wandering travelers on Christmas Eve. At one time in Ireland, after dinner was cleared from the table on Christmas Eve, a loaf of bread, drink and a candle was left on the table for anyone who happened to visit that evening.   

Today, modern witches celebrate Yule with a ritual called a Sabbat, and a feast. This year at Enchantments we will also follow our feast with a greenery workshop where everyone will be able to make a greenery centerpiece and take it home with them. 

If you wish to attend Enchantments Yule ritual and feast, please come to Enchantments by 10 am on Saturday December 21st and bring a dish to share at the potluck feast. Don't be late as we will start the ritual at 10 am and late comers may not be allowed into the circle.

It would be lovely to have you there!

Happy Yule! 

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.

How to discard of candle bits after a ritual or spell.

Good Afternoon,

Many people ask me what to do with left over candle bits and bobs when using candles in ritual and in spells. Firstly, candles used in rituals that have burned down and have just left overs, these pieces can be thrown away. Some students of mine prefer to save up the bits and melt them down to make other candles, which is fine, just don't use spell candles for this purpose.

I have another student who has a nifty idea, she uses the leftover wax to melt down and dip pine cones in to make fire starters for her fireplace. A great idea if you have a fireplace.

Imbolc, also known as Candlemas, the beginning of February, is the time to replace all of your altar candles and watchtower candles in the ritual room with new ones. The old ones can be discarded. I like to save mine and burn them up in the fire pit outdoors during the summer months.

For spell candles, burn the candle down until it extinguishes itself, then any remains can be discarded. Since magickal intent is infused into the candle when charging the candle with it's magickal goal, it's not a good idea to re-use the bits of these candles for other candles. The magickal intent will stay and mixing it with other parts of spell candles will just make a magickal mess!

At Enchantments we use and also sell, small 'chime' candles for spell casting. These candles are crafted for the holiday times for a brass candle holder that turns from the heat of the candle and has little chimes on it. I believe it is from the Swedish or perhaps German culture. They are quite popular still and the candles we sell are made for them, but they also make excellent spell candles. These candles burn down within an hour or two and leave virtually no trace behind. Less to have to discard. You might wish to try these 'chime' candles the next time you cast a spell. They come in many colors, for all magickal purposes.

The dark of the year, now, is an excellent time to do candle magick as it brings a bit of hope and light to the darkness of the winter days. Happy Spell casting.

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.

Aiding your community, is an ancient and modern witch's job

Good Evening,

Ancient witches survived by aiding their community. They would sell simple spells, work folk magicks and make potions and brews to aid the sick and in-firmed. In return they might be paid back by receiving bread, eggs, a chicken or portion of meat for their stew pot. At least this is how many survived in ancient times, when barter was a matter of survival.

Today, we work for our coin. Yet the witch is still in a unique place to be able to aid her or his community.  We have magicks that can help others, we simply do not cast magick for others, but today we teach others how to do it for themselves. It really is most effective that way. 

Having a witch shop I find myself in the position of giving advice on a daily basis for those in need of guidance.  Whether it be smudging their homes or businesses, which is something I do for a fee, even though people can do it for themselves, or selling them an inexpensive spell kits and teaching them how to use them.  

Listening to those who have had paranormal experiences, when at times no one else will listen to what can seem like crazy stories also has it's place.  Sometimes the only one you can talk to is the local witch! But even if you do not have your own witch shop you can aid your community in many ways.  Help by volunteering in your community. Collect hats and gloves during the winter for those staying in the local shelter. Bring old towels and blankets to your local pet shelter or veterinarian.  Run a food drive for your local soup kitchen. Really there are many ways to help, and being a solitary practitioner does not exempt you from your responsibility and duty to your community. No it doesn't.

Being a witch is a way of life, and as a way of life we must give back to the universe that cares for us. Remember the witches credo "What you send out, returns back to you" and it's true, it does. It doesn't matter if you're a white witch or not, a Wiccan witch or not, we must give back for the universal flow of energy to keep coming back to us. What happens if we don't? Well, it simply stops. The magick stops. We stop making effective change within our lives and we stop making magick. I've talked to many that this has happened to. Magick just seems to slip out of their lives, leaving them wishing and wondering what happened and where it went.

There's magick there for you, but you must work it and you must give back (earn it) for it to be at hand for your use.

Think of some way to give back to your community this holiday season. You will see it affecting your magick and your life in wonderful ways.

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.

Dream Magick

 Good Evening,

Everyone dreams. And dreams can hold much magick for us. Yet, there are some pointers to be aware of to help you utilize your dreams to their best advantage. 

Journal  - Be sure to keep a dream journal. Write down dreams, even fractions of dreams you remember and think on them throughout your day.

Look for symbols in your dreams. But I hesitate to tell you to then get a dream symbol book, simply because a symbol may hold a different meaning for you than it's universal counterpart. Instead, try to determine what the symbol means to you.

Many people have dreams where things are out of their control. Such as dreams where their teeth fall out, they themselves are falling, things happening  around them they cannot change.  All of these are symbolic of feeling as if things are out of your control.

Many times our dreams will help us solve problems we might be facing.  Again, the best thing to do to utilize the information your dreams give you is to journal them. Get a notebook and keep it by your bedside. Pencil down your dreams as soon as you can in the morning, or the middle of the night if they wake you up.

Write down your dreams on a regular basis and over time you will start to recognize a pattern, with similar symbols that mean specific things to you. In time you will start to use the magick contained within your dreams.

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.

Gratitude and Love make your spells manifest

Good Afternoon,

Let's discuss gratitude as we roll into this Thanksgiving season. I think most people understand that behind your magick and spell casting there are energies that go into making your magick manifest. You might be feeling the need to have a certain something manifest in your life. You might feel longing, desire, fear, worry, etc. for something to come into your life, or for something to be banished from your life. This is a basic understanding of spell casting. For you wouldn't need to cast a spell, if everything in your life was wonderful and working just as you wished, now would you?

So there is a basic feeling behind every spell, but there should be a general feeling of love and gratitude to the universe, or God/Goddess if you will, for making your spells manifest. We all work together in one big conglomerate to make our magick happen. When dealing with the universe/ God/Goddess, by sending gratitude and love out, we in turn receive it back along with our desires that we've spell-casted for.

Thanksgiving should not be the only time you take a moment to be grateful for all you have in your life. For me it's a daily practice. So when you light that candle, you speak to your higher power, you mix that potion or create that incense, be sure to give some of your heart to the process. You'll find your spell manifesting quicker and more in line with your desires.

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.

This Thanksgiving I'm going to church for a very good reason

 Good Afternoon,

Today's topic is a bit different. It's about going to church. Now, being Wiccan, church for me is the great outdoors or perhaps in my ritual room if the weather is a bit tricky. But I have heard many pagans and Wiccans declare "I will NEVER step foot inside a church again!" and I've often wondered why.

Well, obviously, they have had a bad experience or maybe just not a good one when going to church. But, a church is just a building and the people there believe in their own style of doing things. I hadn't been to church in quite a while, when last September, I was visiting my parents and my Dad said "your mother would love it if you would surprise her this Sunday and show up in church". Which was my Dad's way of asking if I would go to church with them. Frankly I don't think my mother cared one way or the other, but I know my Dad did.

Now, let me say, they know all about my Wiccan beliefs, my Wiccan ordained minister status and they know I'm not going to 'convert' one day to becoming a Christian. So, I thought about it, asked what time church started and found out it started a a reasonable 10:30 am, for no matter what the occasion, I'm not one to do an 8 am, anything!! 

And I went. I went for my parents. Because I knew my parents would be happy if I was there, and that's the only reason. I can find my Goddess anywhere and I saw her that day in the church, in the stained glass that decorated the church. I stood next to my parents and sang hymns and told myself to remember this occasion, because one day they won't be there to stand next to.

Am I afraid that someone will try to convert me? No. I'm strong in my personal faith and I respect others. I have no animosity towards Christians or others of different faiths and I often find talking about different beliefs to be interesting and I enjoy it.

Now, come Thanksgiving, I will be visiting my parents again, and this time I mentioned first to them that I would like to go to church with them. It's such a small gesture and one that brings such happiness, and it harms none. They especially like to introduce me to the other congregants of their church during the pot luck social that follows the service.

You might not agree with the beliefs of a Christian faith, nor go to church, but is there anger or intense feelings associated with this? If so, perhaps some work needs to be done.  Finding the right belief system for you should not automatically instill feelings of anger, disgust or hatred towards other beliefs. It simply is that your belief is different from other's beliefs. 

I could find myself in a church, synagogue, mosque, temple or oak grove and feel good within myself. As I said, I look for the Goddess everywhere, and most times I find her. For she is always with me, no matter where I tread.

I hope you find yourself in a place you wish to be this Thanksgiving season.


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.

Lighting a candle can help when things are out of your control

Good Afternoon,

There comes times in our lives when we feel helpless, that things are out of our control. This can happen when a family member becomes sick, is hospitalized etc.  When this happens, it seems as if magick is the farthest thing away from the situation. Not true!

When you feel this way, no spell is needed. No incantations or witchy potions. Just light a candle, it matters not the color, and speak to the Goddess or God. Just state the feelings you have, what it is you want and allow the candle to burn.

This is an ancient form of candle magick that is still used today, all over the world.  Throughout the centuries we have slowly lost the belief that we can speak directly to God/ Goddess. But we can. They can hear us and will listen to our prayers. I firmly believe this.

So, when you feel helpless, like things are out of your control, light a candle, speak from your heart and allow the Goddess to do what is best for all in the situation. Blessings 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.