The Contemporary New England Witch

The Contemporary New England Witch
Author Ms.Faith

Friday, January 23, 2015

Mercury Retrograde . . . Will It Get You? And What To Do When It Does!



 Good Afternoon,

Well Mercury turned retrograde two days ago on January 21st,  2015. What does that mean you ask? Well astronomers and astrologers notice that at certain times of the year, the planet Mercury, seems to slow down in it's orbit to appear stopped or in some cases appears as if it's moving backwards! Over the years this time has come to be called Mercury Retrograde.

Now, I'm not a strong astrologist, I know enough of certain astrological signs and symbols to get by but I'm not an astrologist by any means. I have however, over the years found there is something to this Mercury retrograde as it seems to affect everybody in some way or another. You see, when Mercury is in retrograde it is said that it affects such things as many things with communication, computers and time being the biggest areas affected. You might misinterpret someones words, have computer crashes more frequently or emails that go completely missing, just to name a few things that could go wrong.

Take just this morning for instance. I normally take Mercury retrograde for what it is and try not to let the flubs get to me. I try to go with the flow and keep things serene. Well Mercury retrograde 'got me' this morning. I set the alarm clock for 8:30 and promptly woke up when it went off. I made coffee and turned on the morning news to see the weather while I got ready for the day. After 30 minutes or so I saw the morning news show continuing rather than going off the air for the next morning show. I looked at the alarm clock, it said 9 am. Then I picked up my cell phone and it said 8 am!!! I had gotten up an hour earlier than I needed to! And I'm greedy about my sleep! Well, I took another sip of coffee and realized I had a choice. I could be all cranky about losing a precious hour of sleep or I could make it work for me.

I decided to go to the Community Y, where I try to work out a few times a week and I worked out on the elliptical machine not for my usual 30 minutes, but for 45 minutes! I never have time for that long a work out, but today I did!! It was a good workout too!

I also notice that my cell phone turns on alerts and other system prompts, without my doing so, during Mercury retrograde. For instance as soon as Mercury went retrograde my phone started to tell me out loud who was calling, each time a call came in. It's a little annoying, but even the phone company couldn't turn off the alert. This went on until Mercury went out of retrograde. I had forgotten about it until two days ago, when, you guessed it .  .  .  my phone started using voice alerts to start telling me again who was calling. Now I simply try to answer my phone quickly so everyone around me doesn't hear! Frankly no one needs to know that my pharmacy or doctor is calling!

So yes, Mercury retrograde didn't take any time in finding me this time. Oh and there is no logical explanation as to why the alarm clock was set incorrectly. It was set right the night before when I went to bed. Or that the cell phone alerts turn themselves on , but you see, it's these seemingly unexplainable things that happen during these periods ascribed to Mercury retrograde, that will affect you. Many people have  many more crazy stories about how it affects them. Just be aware that it's happening and don't get too upset or think you're losing your mind. You're not! Mercury is just having a bit of fun with us.

And there's an end in sight. Mercury retrograde usually lasts for a couple of weeks. In some instances it can last for over a month! Yikes! Here are the dates of mercury retrograde for this year, 2015. Just to keep you aware:

  • January 21st - February 11th
  • May 18th - June 11th
  • September 17th - October 9th          

Hopefully you will slide through this difficult time with little affect, but here are some quick tips for dealing with Mercury retrograde:

  • Back up files on your computer
  • Print out sales invoices for items ordered and keep a hard copy
  • Don't assume. Be clear in your wording with others and ask for clarification if at all unsure of a person's words. Many arguments can be avoided by being clear and apologizing if words are misunderstood.
  • Double check alarm clocks and other watches and clocks with something like a cell phone that it automatically set      
  • When something goes awry, try to correct it or make the best out of the situation      
 Good luck!!


Peace and Happiness







© 2010-2015 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.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Do Witches Pray?


 Good Afternoon,

I am always asked questions about what it is like to live as a witch. This is a question I was asked recently. Do witches pray? The answer is yes. Some witches, that have issues with Christianity, may not call it prayer, they may use instead words like blessings or sending out energies. But in truth we do pray. A witches prayer can be more of a tangible prayer and is often called a spell.

That's right, casting a spell is simply sending out a prayer to a higher power and asking for needed change to manifest. We might use candles, herbs, potions, crystals any number of natural materials to help cast our spell or prayer. But there are times when simply asking the Goddess for help in a situation can prove quite successful. A spell, like a prayer is not evil, nor manipulative or wrong. Historical legend and lore has often turned the concept of a spell into something dark and harmful. It simply is none of these things.

I want you to look at the picture of the hands in prayer pose I posted above, and allow me to explain the reason this pose is so popular in prayer. It is believed that an electrical current, the nervous system current found in the human body, completes a circuit when the hands are placed in this position. Imagine the current flowing from one hand through the arm, shoulders down the other arm and through the other hand, a completed circuit going around and around. This is a powerful position to place the body into and can aid in your spell or prayer.  You have energy in your body and you also take in universal energy through your crown chakra, located at the top of your head. By imagining the energy flowing into your body through the top of your head and intermingling with your natural personal energy you make the power flow stronger and it helps with your spell or prayer, giving it ummph, if you will.

So, to answer the question, yes, witches do pray. Any questions you may have, please write them in the comments section below and I'll do my best to answer them for you.


Peace and Happiness



© 2010-2015 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.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

My Spirit Totem Animal this Month has been the Black Vulture

 Good Afternoon,

There may be times in your day to day life when you come across an animal usually in the wild that gives you a moment to pause. An animal or bird that is. When you see an animal, especially more than once in a given time period, it usually means that animal has a message for you.

For me, at this time, it is the black vulture. I first saw a black vulture a week or so ago. I mean for the first time in my life. I was driving down the road to the post office and as I passed a small wooded area I saw a large black bird, the size of a wild turkey, feeding off of some carrion in the road. I knew it was a vulture, I just knew it. I looked it up later when I got home and realized I was correct. As I returned from the post office a few minutes later and then saw five vultures all coming out of the woods to feed on the dead animal in the road.

Then again today, I was passing another wooded area, in a different part of town, and was driving slow and I saw some large black shapes in the trees. I slowed down even further and saw about six or more black vultures sitting in the trees.  They were large and looked very ominous, silently sitting, watching .  .  .  waiting.

Having seen these black vultures for the first time ever in the last few weeks, made me aware that they were acting as a spirit totem animal for me and that they wished to let me know something. I looked up the magical property of black vulture and found a lot of information.

Vulture deals with life and death and new beginnings. It represents vital energy, year round. I believe vulture is telling me that my energy, that has waned over the past few years is on the upswing and that I will be getting my energy back. I have been feeling very good and healthy this past year and I think vulture is confirming this is going to continue.

Vulture also deals with connection to the Mother Goddess, whom I work with on a regular basis. For many years I would cast spells to make changes in my life always thanking the Goddess for helping me with them. Now I am at a place in my life where I cast less spells, I have arranged my life as I like it, and I simply commune with Goddess as one would an old friend.  I think vulture coming into my life at this time also speaks to this. 



The vulture has many magickal properties and can speak to you of many things. Here's a short list:
  • Sense of allegiance
  • Very ernest
  • Perfectly patient (I'd been working on this one also!)
  • Highly tolerant
  • Looking to renew everything
  • Making everybody equal
  • Cleaning the environment
  • Acute perception
  • Highly protective
  • Immune to heat
  • Out of the ordinary
  • Overtly resourceful
These are just some of the areas vulture may have messages for you, if it shows up in  your life. I am excited to walk along for a while with vulture and finding out the areas I can explore with it's help and guidance.

Pay attention to the animals and birds that pop up in your day to day life and do a little research to see what messages they may hold in store for you!

Peace and Happiness and Happy New Year!!!


© 2010-2015 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.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

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


 Good Afternoon,

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

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

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

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

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

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


Peace and Happiness




© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Mistletoe as part of the Christmas/Yuletide festivities




 Good Afternoon,

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Yuletide and Merry Christmas to you!!


Peace and Happiness





© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. 

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Yuletide Blessings



Season's Greetings!

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

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

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

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

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

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

I wish you a beautiful holiday season!  Ms. Faith 


© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. 

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

How to charge, consecrate or bless magickal items

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

Good Afternoon,

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

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

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

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

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

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


Peace and Happiness


 © 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Offerings to Deity and Santa's Milk and Cookies


Good Afternoon,

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

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

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

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

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


Peace and Happiness







© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. 

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Journey to the Center of the Earth Meditation





Good Afternoon,

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

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

Journey to the Center of the Earth Meditation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The meditation is over.

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


Peace and Happiness


 

© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

How a Witch prepares for Winter



Good Afternoon,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Peace and Happiness





© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Some traditional dishes to serve this Samhain ( Halloween)






Good Afternoon,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Peace and Happiness





© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

See Ms. Faith this Halloween season all around Manchester!





Good Afternoon,

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

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

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





© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.


 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Even More Autumn Magicks to be Found in our Gardens!

Good Afternoon,

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

Pumpkins

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

Gourds

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


Apples

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


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



Peace and Happiness

 

© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.



 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

More Autumn Magick to be found in our gardens

 Good Afternoon,

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

Corn-

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


Tomato

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

Fried Tomatoes

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

Cabbage-

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

Colcannon

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

Enjoy!


Peace and Happiness




© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.


 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

The Magick to be Found in our Autumn Gardens

 Good Afternoon,

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


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

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

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

Also blooming this time of year is the Daisy.

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

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



Peace and Happiness






© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. 


 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

My Magickal Train Ride this Week



Good Evening,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I hope you are enjoying your fall. 








© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

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





Good Afternoon,

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

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

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

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

I would love to see you there! Ms. Faith





© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited.

 If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

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






Good Afternoon,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. 

If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

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





 Good Afternoon,

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

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

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

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

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








© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. 

If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Having gratitude in the face of everyday stress




Good Afternoon,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Peace and Happiness








© 2010-2014 Faith M. McCann. Portions of this blog posting may include materials from my book “Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts First Year Magickal Studies.” For more information, see www.enchantmentsschool.com or go to the title of tonight's discussion and click, it will link you to my school's website. Please note that the copying and/or further distribution of this work without express written permission is prohibited. 

If you know someone who would like my work, please send them this link. If you or they would like to be included on our daily email distribution list send me an e mail with your email address to be included. If you ever wish to unsubscribe to this blog, please contact me and you will be immediately removed from our list.