Do you know how to harvest a wand?

Good Afternoon,


This Saturday, my class and I are headed to the woods of CT to harvest wands. Do you know the correct way to harvest wands? Let me tell you. Many people feel that any branch lying dead on the ground is acceptable. Actually it's not.You want the living energy in the wand, so therefore one needs to harvest their wand from a living tree.

Firstly, determine which type of wood you want. For example, Apple wood is good for bringing in love, healing and using during divination. Rowan is good for bringing in psychic power, protection and strength. Cherry is good for, divination, animal magick and healing. Pecan is good for employment and money spells, and Maple is good for longevity, focus and success. Just to name a few. To find out the magickal properties of other woods get a good book on magickal properties such as Scott Cunningham's Encycopedia of Magickal Herbs. This book lists the magickal properties of many trees as well as herbs, grasses, shrubs and vines. A great reference book to have on your magickal library shelf.

Once you've decided on the magickal properties of the wand you want, as well as the wood from where it will comes from, head to the woods. Another good book to have for tree identification is the National Audubon's North American Tree Identification book. These books are split into regions, so for us here in CT we would use the Eastern United States book. These are available online or at your  local bookstore.

Once you find your tree, and hopefully it has a living branch somewhere close to where you can reach it, take a small handsaw and cut it at least an inch or two away from the trunk. Cutting flush to the trunk could actually cause disease to enter the tree and it could die. Once you've separated the branch from the tree, continue to hold the branch up to where it had been cut and using your athame or index finger 'cut' the etheric body. What I mean it, run your finger in the air between the branch and tree as if following the original cut made to separate branch from tree. This will seal the natural living energy into the branch and soon to be wand.

Before you leave the site where you harvested your wand be sure to leave a gift for the tree. A few coins, a piece of bread, some small sprinkles of fertilizer are all suitable gifts for the tree. 


Then you can do as you wish with your wand. You can cut it to length for you. Typically a branch made into a wand is cut to fit from the inside of your elbow to the end of your middle finger. See how this feels. I've at times cut them longer, but never have I ever cut them shorter. Then you can sand down the bark, remove it altogether or leave some of the bark for the handle at one end. The handle is the largest diameter of the wand or the end that was closest to tree when it was removed. The narrower end is the wand tip and can be dressed with a crystal point, by wrapping a bit of silver or copper wire around it. You can also decorate your wand as you desire, with paints, a wood burning kit, drilling and inlaying gemstones etc. The possibilities are endless and totally up to you.

Once you've decorated your wand cast a full magick circle and bless your wand. You do this by running it through the incense smoke, dripping blessed water upon it and then running it through a candle flame. Then open your circle and your wand is ready to use. A wand is used to cast a circle if you desire, open a circle, directing energy and using it to direct your energy to where you wish it to go.

I keep a wand on my tarot table to aid me in divination and one on my personal altar at home. Yes, one can have more than one wand. It's beautiful outside and it's Summer! Now go on, get out of the house, commune with nature and go get your wand.


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.

Blessing your Gardens

Good Afternoon,

The students of Enchantments will be planting flowers in the gardens of Enchantments this Saturday as a part of class. They will learn how to deal with root bound seedlings, separating the roots for the best growth. They will 'breath' life into each seedling to also give it the best chance of growing to it's fullest potential. 

Once the plants have been planted and mulch surrounds them, we will conduct a garden blessing. You can do this at home if you desire. First cast your magick circle to encompass the entire garden. If you don't know how to cast a magick circle, no worries just have a few ingredients at hand. Incense, water, a small amount of salt and a green candle. Also some cake and juice if you wish to conduct the cakes and ale ceremony, described below.

Light the incense, the candle and put three small pinches of salt into a bowl holding about a cup of water. First take incense and go around the circle, starting in the North and allow the smoke to waft as you walk in a clockwise circle, going from the North to the East to the South to the West and back again to the North.  Then take the water with the salt in it and with your finger tips flick water out into the garden also following the path you took with the incense, starting and ending in the North. Then finish with the candle, taking the lit candle and holding it aloft to the North and saying 'Goddess and God, please bless this garden', walk to the East and holding the candle aloft say the same thing, again in the South and finally again in the West.

You may do the cakes and ale ceremony also if you wish.  Take a piece of bread, cake or cookie (one for each person present plus one) and hold it aloft and say "by the God, may you never hunger" and eat the cake. Then take the extra piece and place it on the altar or on the ground. Be sure it's not chocolate as a stray animal may come by and eat it, and we don't wish to make anyone sick. Then take a small cup of sparkling cider, ale, wine, water or what have you and also have one extra. Hold the tray of cups aloft and say, "by the Goddess, may you never thirst" and then drink the libation. Then take the extra cup of juice and slowly pour it on the ground. The cake and ale for the ground is for the nature spirits of the garden. The Fae if you will. This will assure you of a protected garden with happy spirits in it.

This concludes the garden blessing. Now, place a chair somewhere close by so you can see your garden, sit in it and 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.

Time to plant the gardens!

 Good Afternoon,

Yes, I know people have already started planting flowers and vegetables but I'm a bit old fashioned.  I still believe the old adage not to plant until after May 15th, in these parts. That's the date when hard frosts should cease. I don't want to lose any plants. And if it's cold enough for a frost, it's really too cold for any substantial growth to happen to the plants.

This is a picture of our gardens last year at Enchantments. I will go with the same color scheme this year, as it worked out so well. We even received a beautification award notification from the Manchester Garden Club last year. So we definitely did something right! We're going to plant pink petunias again, with some white and purple sage spires to give some texture to the gardens.

We already have Star Gazer lilies coming up and a small lavender plant and a few roses. The sages from last year are also coming up and looking robust. It's a nice garden because it borders the busy road in front of Enchantments RT 6/44 East Center Street. The town of Manchester reported that between 30-35,000 cars pass by daily! That's a lot of people looking at our gardens. So we want them to look special.

The students of Enchantments will be helping plant the gardens in the next week or so and we'll be doing a garden blessing on the day we plant. I'll tell you more about blessing your gardens next week! In the meantime, go out, get some lovely plants and start planting your garden. Commune with nature and become one with the Earth and Sky. I hope you have a lovely week.


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.

Beltaine Memories and Women's Spirituality Group Meets this week!

 Good Afternoon,

What a lovely Beltaine I had on Saturday! The sun was shining, the birds singing, the sky a brilliant blue with white fluffy clouds. So perfect for our day of celebration. We held the ritual with a comfortable number of people, 14 total. Then we wrapped our living May Pole, our Rowan tree in the front garden, with beautiful ribbons, as everyone danced around the tree.  Here's a picture of the final results.

In a couple of weeks, I will unravel the ribbons and cut them to about three feet in length and let them flutter in the breeze as they stay attached to the Rowan tree for Spring and Summer. In a couple of months I will remove them altogether so the Rowan tree has a chance to grow and thicken it's branches. 

In addition to the lovely ritual, May pole dancing and feast held afterwards, I was pleasantly surprised by my Magickal Studies Students who, in honor of Enchantment's 10th year anniversary, took it upon themselves to rebuild the front garden altar by putting a new base on it. The old base of wooden logs was quite old and the wood was starting to crumble. Here's a picture of the new altar base with the altar stone re-positioned on top.

Then the students surprised me with a lovely Lilac bush, already in bud and ready to bloom. They planted it in the gardens of Enchantments, right next to the drive where you will be able to smell it every time you come or go. And, as if that wasn't enough! The students went out and purchased cedar mulch and mulched under my Maple tree where I sit in the summer so it would look and smell nice while I sat there this year.

What a very lucky witch I am. Very blessed and fortunate to have such a thoughtful and considerate group of students who just want to, in their words 'give back.' 

Also happening this week, is our bi-monthly Women's Spirituality Group which is meeting this Wednesday, tomorrow, May 7th from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.  This groups topic of discussion will be " Challenges I have faced and how I overcame them'. I am asking the ladies to bring with them stories of challenges they have faced in life, on their spiritual path and in the course of their day to day lives and how they overcame these challenges.

Refreshments will be served. There is no charge for this meeting, and it is open to any lady in the community that wishes to discuss their spirituality with others. I look forward to seeing you there.



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 Beltaine & Happy 10th Anniversary of Enchantments!!!!

 Good Afternoon!

May 1st, 2014. Ten years ago today, it was a Saturday, I opened Enchantments. Meant to be a school for the magickal arts and witch shop, it has become all that and more. Every Saturday I find myself teaching a wonderful group of interested, witchy students who just want to make the word a better place. It is very rewarding for me and I enjoy it so much.

This Saturday, May 3rd, we will hold our annual Beltaine celebration and our 10 year anniversary party. It's open to the magickal public and if you want to come, be sure to be there by 10 am to be part of the magick circle.  For those who wish to dance the Maypole dance, bring a ribbon 12 feet in length. We will have a ritual feast following the ceremony and we ask everyone to bring a dish to share with others.

Beltaine is the Celtic start of Summer and we look at it as such. Waiting until June 21st as so many do seems to waste a lot of summer to me. June 21st has been known in Europe for centuries as Midsummer, and to us it still is.

Beltaine is a fertility ritual, with the focus on love, lust, sex and procreation. Fertilizing the fields and fertilizing your life and the projects and goals you've set for yourself. It is the lover's holy day and as such lovers should spend time together and make the most of this wonderful holiday.

Even if you are celebrating this holiday solitary, do something to make it special. Plant some seeds or a seedling, tie pretty ribbons onto a small tree in your yard so the wind can pick up their tendrils and blow them into the air, something that makes you feel good.

I wish you all a Blessed Beltaine!


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.

Beltaine is almost upon us!

Good Afternoon, 

 May 1st is right around the corner, and this is our Beltaine Sabbat. It is a Greater Sabbat, celebrated by Witches and other magickal folks, and is seen as our first day of Summer. I have been celebrating this holiday since I was a little girl. I wasn't Pagan back then, ( or at least I didn't know I was) but come May 1st I would go outside and pick a bunch of Spring flowers and make a bouquet out of them and leave them by the front door. I would knock or ring the bell and run away, for my mother to find them. She must have told me about this tradition because I remember doing it when I was quite young. This day is also called May Day and Lady's Day.

Today we celebrate this holiday (holy day) with a ritual casting of the magickal circle, a dance around the May Pole (which at Enchantments is a living Rowan tree) and an outdoor pot luck feast. This year's Beltaine also marks the tenth anniversary of Enchantments! It will definitely be a day of great celebration. This Beltaine celebration is open to the public. We just ask that anyone who wishes to attend, to be at Enchantments by 10 am at the latest and that they bring a pot luck dish to share with others. The ritual will start at 10 am.  The day of our Beltaine Celebration this year will be Saturday, May 3rd at 10 am. Also, if you wish to dance around the May pole please bring a length of ribbon, 1 inch wide and approximately 9 - 12 feet in length. Any festive color will do (NO Black!!!)

Traditionally, Beltaine was a time of fertilizing the fields to nurture the fragile, new growth from the seeds we just planted at Ostara. Metaphorically speaking, what seeds have you planted recently. Are you trying to be a better person? More understanding, more kind, compassionate, less judgmental? Now that the seeds have been planted, how will you fertilize them? Opportunities always abound when we wish to be different. You will be given the chance to be that person you wish to be. But you must recognize the opportunity and make the changes you say you want. Just some food for thought.

Well we have just over a week until we celebrate Beltaine. I hope you do something to mark the day. It's one of the most special days of our year. A day to welcome in the Summer and finally rid ourselves of Winter. And a long Winter it has been.  I hope to see you at our Beltaine Celebration and if not, I hope you have a lovely celebration of your own.


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.

Answers to Last Weeks Test Questions

Good Afternoon,


Today I am answering the questions I posed last week.  The students of Enchantments took their tests and gladly everyone did really well. Here are the answers to last weeks questions:

Under History:

Archaeology is no longer using B.C. or A.D. to determine dates.  They are using instead B.C.E. and C.E.  Please describe what each mean. 

Archaeology is making an attempt to remove religion from the archaeological record of the world. In doing so they have replaced B.C. which stood for 'Before Christ' with B.C.E. which stands for 'Before the Common Era'. The Common Era starting with year 1.  They replaced A.D. which stood for 'Anno Domini', meaning 'in the year of our Lord' with C.E., Common Era. I personally like this better because the Earth is filled with so many rich, beautiful religions and no one religion is better or more right than any other. The history of the Earth should have no religious designation. (In my humble witch's opinion)

 

 Who was the first person put to death on Colonial American soil for the charges of Witchcraft? 

Her name was Alyse Young. She was 47 years old in 1647 when she was hung for the crime of witchcraft.

Where was this person put to death in Colonial America?

 Alyse was hung at the then, New State House, now the Old State House in Hartford, CT. She lived in Windsor, CT

How many people were put to death on Gallow's Hill in Salem, Mass? 

20 people  were put to death during the summer of the Salem Witch Trials. 19 hung on Gallow's Hill in Salem, and one person, Giles Corey was pressed to death under torture. 

What year was the Salem witch trials? 1692

What two parts of the year did the Ancient Celts recognize? 

They recognized two seasons, winter from November 1st to May 1st and Summer from May 1st to November 1st.

Spell Casting: 

How many total days of the month can one do full or new moon magick?

 A total of fourteen days.  For each moon, we teach, one can do moon magick three days before the moon, the day of the moon, and three days after the moon. Making it a total of seven days each moon, fourteen days for both the full moon and the new moon combined. The rest of the days, regular magickal workings can be done, just without the added punch of the moon's energy.

 

Ritual Workings: 

How many Sabbats are there in the Wheel of the Year?

 Eight Sabbats or Holy days 

• Samhain          November 1st         A greater or Major Sabbat 
• Yule                 December 20-24th The Winter Solstice, a Lesser or Minor Sabbat 
• Imbolc             February 1st           A Major Sabbat 
• Ostara             March 20-24th       The Spring or Vernal Equinox a Lesser Sabbat 
• Beltaine            May 1st                 A Major Sabbat the First day of our Summer season begins 
• Litha                 June 20-24th         The Summer Solstice a Lesser Sabbat 
• Lughnasadh      August 1st              A Major Sabbat 
• Mabon             September 20-24th The Fall or Autumnal Equinox a Lesser Sabbat

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.

Time to take a test!

 Good Afternoon,

It's that time of the semester again, Test time! True, many people dislike taking tests, but it still is the best way to determine how much information the student is getting from a course of study. I actually look at each test as MY test. What I mean is, if a student does well on a test, I know the material I try to teach every Saturday morning is getting across.

I thought you might be interested in seeing some of the questions that will be on the test. For my students that read my blog weekly, I can sense their ears perking up now. You see their tests are this Saturday. But to be fair, I will post the answers to todays questions next week. That way, I don't give away anything.

The tests this weekend will be first semester, mid term exams and final exams along with a Mastery Degree Program test for Herbal Studies.  Some of the questions that will appear on these tests are:

Under History:

Archaeology is no longer using B.C. or A.D. to determine dates.  They are using instead B.C.E. and C.E.  Please describe what each mean. 

B.C.E.

C.E. 

Who was the first person put to death on Colonial American soil for the charges of Witchcraft? 

Where was this person put to death in Colonial America?

How many people were put to death on Gallow's Hill in Salem, Mass? 

What year was the Salem witch trials? 

What two parts of the year did the Ancient Celts recognize? 

Spell Casting: 

How many total days of the month can one do full or new moon magick? 

 

Ritual Workings: 

How many Sabbats are there in the Wheel of the Year? 

These are just a few of the questions the students in Enchantments school for the Magickal Arts will be challenged with. 

For students taking the end of year exam they are required to get a 90% accuracy rate or better to pass the course.

Next week I'll post the answers to this weeks questions. Have a great week! 

Peace and Happiness

 






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


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

My new class 'Practical Magick' at MCC this month!

Good Afternoon,

Welcome Spring! Oh my, take a deep breath, that would be Spring air you are breathing in. Feels good doesn't it? Well, it's also that time of year when I will be conducting my witches class at Manchester Community College this semester. I am only running this course twice a year, in the Spring and again in the Fall, so if you want to sign up for a fun class on magick, witchcraft and learning what it's all about, now is your chance!

This course is called 'Practical Magick' and the course description reads as follows:  "Have you ever wondered about witches or pagans and their belief systems? Maybe you have marveled at the full moon and wished you could do something to honor it, or celebrate in some special way the solstices, equinoxes and the four seasons.  This course will guide you on your way! Learn the history of the witch, The Wheel of the Year, Moon Magick, Candle Magick, and many other magickal topics. The final class will be a magickal potions workshop held at Enchantments, 349 East Center Street, Manchester during which time students will make and bring home their own potion and take part in a real witches magick circle ritual. Materials fee: $10 payable to instructor at first class."
Course Number: CRN 11871
Fee: $65
Held: 4 Mondays 4/21-5/12 from 7-9 pm in classroom LRC B209 (first three sessions); Enchantments (final session)

Instructor: Faith McCann is a third degree Wiccan Priestess. She is also owner of Enchantments, a Wiccan Metaphysical Center for the Magickal Arts, located in Manchester, CT

Sounds pretty awesome doesn't it? Well, it is! We have a lot of fun and everyone always tells me they wish the course were longer. Well for those that wish to continue their studies you can enroll in Enchantments School for the Magickal Arts for our Saturday morning classes. I can tell you more about them at another time, or you can check out my school's website for further details about the school. Here's the website: www.enchantmentsschool.com

Do you want to sign up for my class at MCC? Well, it's super easy. Just call this number and have a credit card handy. That's it. The number is 860-512-3232. They accept MasterCard, Visa and Discover. Please call this number between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm Monday thru Friday.

I hope to see you there!


Peace and Happiness






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

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

My 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.