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Mattress Next Day Mystic Expert

From Mattress Next Day

MattressNextDay


INBAAL HONIGMAN

AS A MYSTIC EXPERT, WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE INCLUDE TO PROMOTE A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP IN THEIR BEDROOM?

From an esoteric perspective, the world is comprised of the four elements - earth, which is the practical, water, the emotional, air for intellect and fire for actions.

A bedroom needs a lot of earth, to promote rest and regeneration of the physical body. For that, we’ll have wooden decor, perhaps a world map on the wall, a photo of a rocky mountain or some crystals.

The water element could help the regeneration of emotions, which would be achieved by including the colour blue in the room.
Avoid anything too obviously fiery, you don’t want to be active! So, no candles, no lanterns. And there’s no real need for the air element, not too much thinking when we’re resting, so leave the books out of the bedroom, and of course the laptop. Those are all natural elements to include or avoid.

IS THERE ANYTHING PEOPLE SHOULD AVOID IN THEIR BEDROOMS TO SLEEP BETTER?

Anything unnatural or man-made doesn’t belong in your bedtime world at all. So anything artificial, from fake flowers to man-made fibres, will repel your sleep.
Balance and peace cost nothing. Before bed, say a few affirmations, such as:
- ‘I am creating the life I was born to live’
- ‘Positive encounters are coming into my life freely and easily’
- ‘Every day, in every way, my life is becoming better and better’

WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS FOR SOMEONE LOOKING TO CREATE A BLISSFUL BEDROOM ON A BUDGET?

And do a little meditation, breathing into your toes and relaxing them, exhaling any stress. Then breathing into your heels, relax, exhale. Ankles, calves, legs, buttocks, every organ gets its own little moment to relax.

This promotes a lovely spiritual sleep on a budget of Zero. Bring the earth element into the room by filling a little dish from a charity shop with pebbles from outside.

The water element can be brought in with a photo of a lake on the wall, cut from a travel magazine.
Clutter is the enemy of peace, so lots of expensive trinkets will add no joy.
I’ve been involved in Tarot cards since 1994, and that led me to astrology, Witchcraft and an entire esoteric life. My mysticism is involved in every part of my life, from the way I eat to the way I raise my kids.

MORE ABOUT INBAAL HONIGMAN:

WHAT WAS IT THAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ARCHITECTURAL & DESIGN EXPERT? AND HOW DID YOU GET THERE?

I love sharing my love of the elements, of the signs, of crystals and tarot with anyone who cares to listen.

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Festival of Peace

From Alternative London magazine

'On the side of the Vatican ', reveals Fairy Kwalilox, 'there is a plaque which says, in very small print, that the Mayan count is more precise and accurate than the calendar we use today'.

Despite my doubt as to the presence or absence of said plaque, the message is clear and true. The Gregorian calendar we use is flawed and inaccurate. The Mayan, however, has been used continuously (and successfully) for over 26 centuries.

It is a 13 moon calendar, comprised of 13 equal months of 28 days each, which brings us to 364 days yearly. The extra day to make up a Solar year, is 'A Day Out Of Time', and falls on the 25th of July.

Fairy Kwalilox, a colour therapist, crystal healer and performer, and her partner, a musician and 'ambassador of the psychedelic realms' enthusiastically explain that using the 13 moon calendar will bring a world of peace ('through culture', they elaborate). It sounds a bit mad. How can it possibly?

Sitting down to the facts, it actually starts to make sense.

Humans are the first race to create time keeping devices. Rather than using the sun and our own instinct to tell us when to sleep, eat or pretend to be doing the washing up, we look at our watches for lunch and at the calendar for harvest.

Our clocks are based on the numbers 12 (hours, months) and 60 (minutes), neither of which are natural numbers for mankind. The 13 moon calendar is based on the numbers 13 (major articulations in the body) and 20 (fingers and toes counted together). Anyone who menstruates knows how real 28 day months are.

So the 13 moon calendar is important, no doubt. Now add to that the Mayan prophecy that 2004 would witness an international change of calendar, and consider also the fact that the Ancient Mayan calendar only goes to midwinter of 2012 – and I accept that it would be good to be on the appropriate 'frequency' (which would be the result of following the 13 moon calendar) if the world changes dramatically.

Convinced the cause is important, I wish to lend my support and am welcomed with a barrage of information.

PAN (Planet Art Network) are facilitating the festival by the Greenwich meridian, on the banks of the river Thames . Due to the Millennium Dome's alleged problems with 'planning permission', the event is to be held in London 's only lighthouse with a 'Mini Dome' in the courtyard, overlooking the large one. From eleven in the morning till six the next morning, the Festival of Peace promises to be a pretty, fun and eventful Sunday, on the 25th of July, The Day Out Of Time.

The organizers, who use the 13 moon calendar regularly, are open to suggestions every step of the way for this family-friendly, outdoor (and indoor) community-minded event. However, of the special moments already booked, we know there will be a Hopi 'Boundary Dissolving Ceremony' at the start of the day, speakers and poets at the conference that follows, singers, dancers, artists… boredom is not an option.

A safe space for all, the event promises to be a no-alcohol, no-chemical affair, and invitations have been issued to the Pope, Nelson Mandela and that peace-loving Dalai Lama. None of them have yet responded, but if they do show up, and you don't, how bad would that be?

Messages of support have already been received, and stalls and entertainers booked. However, sponsors are needed, as well as more stalls and speakers. Any holistic product, any educational topics are sure to be considered.

All those of an 'alternative' persuasion will be warmly welcomed as themselves. Dressing-up is encouraged – dress as an elf if you are one. Pixies, trolls and fairies will feel at home amidst the cabaret characters and stilt-walkers.

Tickets are available from The Dream Temple in Camden 's Stables Market (in front of CyberDog), where you can pick up fliers and ask for more information. www.festivalofpeace.net and www.wavespell.net are constantly updated with information, and the phone line is 0207 068 0053. You are urged to get involved!

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Interview with a Wiccan High Priestess

From Alternative London Magazine

Feast your eyes on Sorita a first time, and you're struck by her dimples and long limbs, her exotic beauty. Feast them again, having heard she's a Wiccan High Priestess, a lecturer on witchcraft and the occult and a full-time writer and researcher, and you're struck by how very normal she is.

She knows she doesn't conform to the theatrical image of the witch. Furthermore, she believes that the negative image of witchcraft is partly perpetuated by those modern witches who like to dress up in Hallowe'en outfits most of the year, and by the media's sometimes uninformed portrayal. Certain tabloids aside, even the so-called Alternative publications seem to feel that a witch equals velvet and silver jewellery. 'The negative image of Witchcraft can be a problem,' concedes Sorita, 'especially for people who live with family or friends and have to keep their beliefs a secret. Things are changing however, and I hope that it will continue to become more accepted and more mainstream with time.'

For her it all started in childhood, when she had out-of-body experiences. That had made her look into psychic phenomena and eventually led to an interest in magick. Her tendency to sit and meditate everywhere earned her the African Xhosa name of Nombulelo (she who prays) while still at school, studying the language. An interest in African mysticism was not far behind. For early Western influences she quotes authors Lewis Carol, Dante Alighieri, Mircea Eliade, Aleister Crowley, Shakespeare. Poets such as Shelley, Wordsworth, Swinburne and Lord Byron all played important roles also. Ahe stopped eating meat as a child, the moment she realised it came from animals. Although not a spiritual move, her interest in vegetarianism is, funnily enough, what got her in touch with witches initially. (Although she hastens to add that giving up meat is in no way a prerequisite of paganism or Wicca!)

By the time she moved to England ten years ago, Sorita was already a Wiccan High Priestess. The best part of that, to her, other than obviously meeting lots of interesting people, is helping others with their spiritual development. She trains witches and runs groups in London with her partner and High Priest, David Rankine, a well known and great-looking Wiccan author. 'Teaching puts you on a continuous high learning curve', she enthuses. 'The biggest drawback, however, has to be the constant need to reason with people who are convinced that fictional TV contains real witchcraft. Sometimes I get people asking for spells to change the colour of their hair or eyes, rather than use dye or lenses. I have even had one man who wanted me to initiate him on the pavement outside a bookshop; I instead made him swear an oath to a pub sign as he was rather intoxicated at the time. One lady wanted me to do an exorcism on her pet bird that she believed to be possessed, but that is a story in itself!'

Despite the humour, it is clear that Sorita, like many a High Priestess, has had to endure a lot of criticism for her spiritual path. She wouldn't know what she would get treated like if she weren't a witch, but from non-magickal folk, the first reaction would be intrigue, excitement, or sometimes what she calls 'the face'; a mixture of disbelief, disgust and "what do you mean" all rolled into one. Some would even accuse witches of cursing. For those, Sorita has very little patience. 'Witches do not take cursing lightly; personally I prefer blessing someone if they really annoy me so that they will have positive things in their life to occupy them rather than bothering me or those I care for. Compassion is much better than hate for dealing with those consumed by jealousy and inadequacy. Wiccans have a moral code "An it harm none do what ye will" and this is always taken into account when performing magick.'

Wicca in general has been accused of gay-bashing, which makes Sorita laugh. Although it is traditional in Wicca for a man to be taught and initiated by a woman and vice-versa, there is no rule that excludes anyone on the basis of their sexuality. She confesses that some of the single girls in her covens actually ask her to try and find some attractive, single straight men for them, as the abundance of lovely girls and handsome gay men outweighs the straight variety. Her tip to aspiring High Priestesses would be to choose coveners by their sincerity, honestly, eagerness to participate and learn willingness to contribute to discussions and workings.

Beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence; she lives her life as described in the famous Wiccan Charge of The Goddess. The craft permeates every aspect of her life. Sorita is a High Priestess upon waking, at bed-time and the bits that lie between.

To find out more, visit Sorita's website www.avalonia.co.uk for book reviews, many articles, free lessons and links to other great websites and organisations. Sorita runs Lapis Companions, a monthly meeting in Central London .

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What is Druidry?

From Alternative London Magazine

What do Druids believe in?” I asked Matt McCabe, spokesperson for the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. There's no easy answer, it seems. It's hard for all Druids to agree. There's no written book of rules, you see - that would make it an established faith, and Druidry is far too nature-based for that. “Druidry is about exploring your own faith within the natural world; so the natural world becomes your textbook”, explains Matt, a clean-cut, thoroughly modern office-y chap. “If we go back to the beliefs of the ancients Druids, we've got re-incarnation, the sacredness of nature, working in tree-groves, the natural world as your temple” - but nowadays different people have differing beliefs.

What Gods do Druids worship, then? Who are their main deities? That's when it gets a bit complicated. Those of a Wiccan background see divinity as male and female, those of Christian background are monotheistic, with deity manifesting on different levels. “Personally”, says Matt “I feel it's about doing and exploring your own faith within the natural world. I've been a Druid since the 80s and have never stopped exploring my faith. My deities change with experiences as I get older.”

Historically, all modern alternative Western religions started last century around the same time (1930s-50s), and came from the same type of traditions. The characters at play were schooled in the spiritual traditions of the Golden Dawn, the Theosophical Society etc. Where Gerald Gardner developed those beliefs into Wicca, Ross Nichols started OBOD, and those two heavily influenced one another as they grew. Matt himself started out, spiritually, from Starhawk Wicca, a feminist witchcraft branch.
Druid morality, again, is influenced by the individual Druid's origins. The threefold law and the Wiccan Rede (harm none) are the moral guidelines for the Wiccan-influenced Druid, ‘Do unto others' is the line for Christian Druids. In essence, Matt explains that as you explore the relationship between you and the world, and understand that everything is connected, and every action you take influences you on your path, you can't help but perfect your morality to the best of your ability.

Matt took nine years to complete his course of training. “The ancients Druids would take 19 years of education”, he tells, “but, as they were the educated class, meaning they could read and write etc., our schooling system makes us all Druids.”

OBOD's course, comprising of correspondence material and a tutor, has got 3 years' worth of material in it. “The thing is”, explains Matt, “if knowledge is the greatest gift you can give yourself (which is a very Druidic attitude) - why would you ever want to stop?”. Each of the subjects can take you in exciting tangents - Matt himself spent six months doing a piece on the nature of evil, which was supposed to take a week.

Education is just one of the streams of modern Druidry. Some, thanks to Druidry's interest in all things nature, turn to the ecology for their inspiration. Others find themselves in the Bardic stream for life, with poetry and prose to express their creativity. Each holds a key to the spiritual journey experienced by the individual.

If it sounds curious for someone to choose to stay a Bard for eternity, although it is just the first grade of the training, Matt is quick to clarify: “Bardic training is the grounding that every Druid should undergo; the cycle of the year, holding a ceremony and learning to celebrate nature. It is also about manifesting divine inspiration. The Ovate is the seer, who immerses themselves in divination, magic, healing and the goddess. When you reach the level of Druid, the philosopher, the teacher, you look again to your community, to see what you can give back to those who surround you. Then, you can go back to Bardic work, if that is your gift, or to Ovate. It's a personal choice. You should now know where your own talents lie.'

Matt now helps run the Belmont May Day Festival in north London - that's his gift. How refreshing to encounter a philosophy so focussed on the beauty of people's individuality - it appears the only thing you won't find in Druidry is being one of the crowd.

For more information on the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, go to www.druidry.org

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Atlantis Bookshop

From Alternative London Magazine

Cosy and welcoming, with a clear front window and an open plan display, allowing passers-by to see every inch of the shop, Atlantis is a far cry from how the oldest occult shop in London should look. ‘We wanted it to look like that', says Geraldine Beskin, the owner, ‘it's good for people to see how normal we really are.'

The media, apparently, is surprised with the look - film crews are regularly in the shop, but its contemporary design is rarely what the writers intended. Not spooky enough, you see, and the staff aren't wearing velvet cloaks and too much eye-liner.

The rumours are ten-a-penny. Some have spoken of a dead body found hanging in there, black magic rites are said to have been conducted, a full Golden Dawn temple was reportedly run in the basement. ‘Unfortunately not', laughs Geraldine. Her father was associated with the shop for ten years, and owned it until 1965, a fact which was predicted to him years earlier, and she ran it throughout the '70 till 1982 and owned it for the past 18 months. Facts, however, are better than fiction here. Since the shop's opening, it was popular with the magickal scene. Other mystical shops were not comfortable with hard-core witches and magicians, and therefore Spare, Crowley , Gerald Gardner, Dion Fortune, A.E. Waite, Ross Nicholls and others would gather downstairs, exchange opinions and create history. Here Neptune press published Gardner 's ‘High Magic's Aid' and Crowley's ‘777', here was the first time that the Druid solar festivals were combined with the Wiccan ones to create the Wheel of the Year.

…And the future's just as bright as the past. 30 books were launched in the shop last year, Neptune press is to be revived, ready to publish out-of-print material and new manuscripts. There's no stopping now!

What would Geraldine's only regret be? ‘I missed meeting Gerald Gardner by 10 minutes thanks to London busses. As an asthmatic called Geraldine, I would have loved to have met an asthmatic called Gerald, but it never happened.'

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What is Astrology?

Astrology, simply explained, is the study of the skies.

From time immemorial man watched the sky at night - before light pollution and light entertainment. One can safely assume it was early man's very first hobby. And when you watch the sky, you start noticing things; like night following day; like the sun and the moon rising from the same direction every day; like the moon waxing and waning; like the days getting shorter in winter and longer in summer.
Upon closer inspection of the night sky, you would notice stars and planets, which seem to follow some sort of pattern, and seem to effect life on Earth.

Why should it? Good question. It's not easy to get your head around the concept of a mass of gas, so many millions of miles away, having an effect on the way one behaves, feels, and the experiences one encounters. But if we accept the influence the Sun has on us (obviously warmth and light, indirectly mood and nourishment) and the way the moon touches us (moving the tides, effecting the menstrual cycle), then why shouldn't other planets work with us in the same way?

After all, it is based on observation. As is science.

So the planet which appears to influence communication, and the mind was named after Mercury, the quicksilver Roman messenger God. The celestial beauty that is Venus was named so as it appeared to touch on people's love and home life. The angry red planet which shone bright when war was afoot was named after battle God Mars. Jupiter, King of the Gods gave his name to the large star which seemed connected with expansion and judgement, and Saturn, the primal father, was attached to the slow planet which ruled gradual change and justice.

A person's date of birth, therefore, incorporates different personality traits, and the way those are expressed. The different planets, upon birth, would be placed in different zodiacal signs which would show how the person would behave, feel and think. The same is true for births of relationships, companies and countries.

A lot of trouble can be saved by starting a project on the right day, and a lot of information can be given by attention to astrological detail. We mustn't let it influence our lives, but use it to our own advantage.

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The Mystic Colour Chart

Amazing as it may seem, colours are not just around for beauty. In the animal kingdom, certain colours serve to attract the opposite sex; in plants - they can indicate poison or danger; when wearing certain colours, one's mood can change. We are so used to seeing the world in colours, and disregard them, other than perhaps our favourite, and least favourite colour. But how would life look without them? What feelings would a grey flower bring up? How appetising would colourless food be? Cosmetics, furnishings, even pets - how would we choose what we like best? How dull would it all seem?

Colours can symbolise feelings and intentions. A red flower means ‘I love'. A pink crib says ‘it's a girl!'. Grey suits are used for blending in the background. A bright yellow skirt makes us think of summer. Exciting, intriguing, empowering, colours are all that and more. Let's explore them in depth!

Red is the first of the rainbow colours. It evokes fiery feelings of passion, anger, zest. It reminds us of hot foods and weathers. When wearing red, we become bolder, more ‘over the top'. Shame and mildness diminish. Sex drive and power increase.

Orange relates to our creative and procreative energies. It allows laughter, originality and ideas to come through. It reduces shyness, writers' block, stagnation and boredom. When carrying an orange crystal, such as carnelian in your pocket, you can expect your mind to overflow with creative thoughts and inventions, and your body to be more sensitive to sensual stimuli.

Yellow is a happy colour. It's the colour of the sun, summer, daytime. It helps us overcome depression and worry. It puts us in a singing mood, ready for tall drinks by the swimming pool. Surround yourself with yellow for that eternal holiday feeling.

Green is the colour of balance, harmony, justice and fairness. It feels clean and neat - like medical uniforms and institutions. Those of us who need to put our lives in order, who could use common sense, who've had enough of clutter will do well to bring some green into their natural surrounding - or indeed go out to nature and seek it there!

Blue will help us when needing to communicate or to heal with our voice. When you feel like you mustn't speak out of turn, when your voice is suppressed, for a physical or an emotional reason, a blue room, blanket or sweater will help your voice unravel, and you'll feel happier to communicate. Use your words and sounds for healing, make people feel better and you'll lose the fear of sounding.

Purple is the last colour of the rainbow, and it connects psychism, mysticism and magic. Those who are interested in supernatural phenomenon, mysteries and the unknown often live within shades of mauve, indigo and violet. It's a colour that opens the channels between your consciousness, your sub-consciousness and the divine, and makes it easier for you to ‘just know' stuff. Not sure where your partner went last night? A purple crystal, such as amethyst under your pillow should do the trick.

Silver is a magical colour, similar to purple but for die-hard fans of all things mystical. It helps you travel between the worlds (literally be ‘away with the fairies') but there's no guarantee you'll be back.

White is the colour of purity and peace. Wear it to show you've got nothing to hide. At a time of confusion turn to it to promote clarity.

Black is most effective if needing to divert attention. It is your cloak of invisibility. It says ‘unoriginal and proud' which is why, like grey, it is a popular business-suit colour.

Brown , the colour of the ground represents just that, grounding, stability, fertility and money. Brown boots and belts come across as solid and honest. They help you feel strong and capable. Carry this colour to increase your chances of conception and easy childbirth.

All those colours, or shades thereof can influence you in all those ways. It's your decision, however, what energies you'd like to use, and what colours to use them through.

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Witch for Wedding

From Alternative London Magazine

…So you think you've got everything ready for your wedding, do you?
The flowers, the ice sculpture, the dress, the embarrassing aunt, the Witch… The Witch?!

Welcome to the now!

Witches, once fearful lonely persons hiding from persecution, are the new black. Everyone knows a witch, or has heard of one, be it your daughter's best friend who's exploring ‘the old ways', or that lady in Southall who always wears pink and can bring your lover back – payment after results.
As the fires of the burnings died down, some witches stopped shying away. Little by little the position of the village wise woman was re-filled. In the last few decades witches became counsellors, herbalists, nurses (and, funnily enough, an astounding number of IT consultants) to reclaim their calling of helping their folk.

Witches marry in a ceremony called ‘handfasting', which is led by one or two fellow witches who act as priestess and priest. In a handfasting, the wrists of the willing couple are bound together to show their free will to be joined together in love. Some handfastings are for life, some last for all of your incarnations, or they could last as long as the bride and groom are in love (one for the commitment phobics). The most popular type of handfasting lasts a year and a day, and the vows are renewed every year.

As well as having a handfasting ceremony, most witches have their union registered in a more formal wedding, either to please their families or for legal reasons.

Now, it seems, tradition went a full cycle, and there are cases of non-pagan couples who choose to have their wedding blessed by a witch. Those couples feel that a spiritual woman, with a connection to the earth, who can invoke the old Gods and Goddesses, is just the person to bring luck and success to the marriage.

Those people invite Inbaal to their wedding.

Inbaal is a thoroughly modern witch. She doesn't follow one particular set of Deities, believing, instead, that each spell or blessing is individual and requires different herbs and chants.

When called upon to bless a wedding, Inbaal will gather the guests around the couple.
She will tell a story about an appropriate pair of deities. For example noble Here, the white-armed queen of heaven, Goddess of marriage and childbirth, and her husband great Zeus, the Thunderer, King of the Gods and Lord of the Sky. Or perhaps Hades, the Wealthy One, Ruler of the Underworld, and his young and beautiful Queen Persephone. At times simply Aphrodite (Venus) will be mentioned – she is the Goddess of Love and Beauty and generally just likes to have a good time.

When the Gods have been remembered and honoured, Inbaal will perform the ceremony in their names.

She ties the wrists of the husband-and-wife-to-be, explaining to the guests the symbolism of it, and then blesses them with each of the elements. The element of Air brings intellect and communication to the nuptials. Fire can bless them with undying passion and ambition. The emotional Water element would ensure their love would keep flowing, and Earth caps it nicely with security and stability. Often the couple would be happy to share their blessings with their guests.

Bride and groom then, aided by Inbaal, bless a drink, from which they drink first and then pass a chalice of drink around for all their friends and family, singles and couples alike, to sip from.
The traditional way of sealing a marriage ceremony is jumping over the broomstick. The witches' broom is a symbol of the joining of the female (twigs) with the male (stem), and jumping over it brings equality and endurance to the wedding.

After the newlyweds jump the broomstick, all couples who want their union blessed are invited to jump as well. This would normally seal the ritual, after which, if the witchy theme of the evening is to be kept, Inbaal can be found in the corner of the hall with her crystal ball and Tarot cards, doing readings and making herbal charm bags. Any quirky request is catered for, and charms can be made to bless an unborn child, to promote monetary success, to bring luck and stability, or whatever you may think you need magic for.

Now, that witchcraft is nearly mainstream, you find them everywhere. Inbaal arrives to the weddings purple-cloaked and robed and wearing a floral garland. ‘What's the point of being a witch', she says, ‘if no-one can tell?'

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What is Tarot?

In one way, the Tarot is a selection of seventy-eight pictures on equal sized pieces of paper. It is also, however, a wonderful tool for divination, enabling us to tap into the future, helping us to make decisions, and to find out information about those important to us.

Despite rumours to the contrary, the Tarot probably did not originate with the gypsies, but was developed from ordinary card decks which may have been used to tell the future. The first Tarot deck known in history appears in 1444 in Italy . So it's not that ancient either.

It is made of twenty-two ‘Major Arcana' cards which represent major life changes and ladder-rungs we all go through. Cards like The Burning Tower and The Lovers will show physical changes, and others such as The Star or Death are symbols of mental or emotional states. Those have always been elaborate pictures, rich is symbolism.

The rest of the card, the ‘Minor Arcana', are divided into the four elements, and touch on more subtle transformation, acting as cautions and advisors. Some of them represent people, some are cards of growth, some are innocent, some can be moving. These cards used to be simple, graphically, but Pamela Coleman-Smith, who designed the famous Rider-Waite Tarot deck, painted them in as much detail as the Major Arcana, and most decks since followed this blessed initiative.

When sitting down to read the cards, try to look at the pictures as if you're reading a wordless picture book. The cards will then speak to you in their own language. They will call you to notice their colours, and composition, and placing. You will notice the pictures moving, and changing and you will learn, through practice (and blood, sweat and tears), how to interpret them their own way.

There is nothing wrong with reading the books or memorising meanings, but the most beautiful journey you will take with the cards will be by yourself.

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Micro-waved Magic

From Alternative London Magazine

Proving magic works is hard. If you don't believe, it won't, and if you do believe, it might. And even this rule has exceptions. So proving ready-made spell-kits work should be harder still. I thought it would be a good idea to try, though.
Three people are about to try three love spells from three different companies.

From Tribal Moon we got a spell box bursting with ingredients and instructions. Richard, a 35 year old scientist, single for one year, picked that one. As he went through the package, separating wrapping fluff from candle, incense, feather, talisman, charcoal, bell, pouch and paper scroll and spell, he seemed pleased with the presentation, outside and in, and with the fact it was aimed at complete beginners. He said it was informative, easy to understand, and ‘not rocket science'. ‘There's a fair bit to do, but nothing impossible', said Richard, adding he would try with an open mind and belief.

Natasha, at Arlya Designs supplied us with her hand-made love spell. Alena, a witch of 30 who's been single for two years, picked it for the rustic packaging. Her first reaction was ‘Whoa…'. It contained poppets filled with magical herbs, which Alena felt might be a tad powerful, and with the chant, candle, incense and ribbon in the pack, it seemed aimed at people who already tried magic, but was still basic, primal and earthy. The instructions tell you how to reinforce an existing relationship or find a partner, and you're supposed to make a list of all the qualities you'd like your new partner to have. Being an experienced witch, Alena noted the instructions were ambiguous and vague for a beginner, and no timing for the spell was specified, but she said she feels comfortable doing it.

My spell came from Mooncrafte . At the age of 29, I feel being single for 3 months is plenty long enough, and although my spell's presentation was slightly tacky, it was perfect for me, being a Piscean with a Cinderella complex. It contained a heart shaped box with roses on top, a matching candle holder (available in peach or red!), incense, rose water, jasmine oil, herbs, tiny crystals, faery dust and the obligatory tea light.
It was all dinky and girly and ever so pretty, and the actual spell was to take no time at all. I loved it! The only thing that could be better was the labelling, but I'm happy to assume rose water is clear and jasmine oil is yellow. With it I got a spell jar necklace, with magical ingredients, to wear at any time. I'm very excited about it and feel it would be great fun to try.

As none of the spell kits indicated the right time to do them, we decided to act on the Friday (day of Venus) nearest the full moon. That is the basis for my experiment. For results, wait for the next issue!

‘A Magic Spell To Attract Love', £13.99, www.tribalmoon.co.uk
‘Love Spell', £8.99, www.arlyadesigns.co.uk
‘Love Spell Kit in peach with Faery Dust', £13, ‘Spell Jar Necklace' £5, www.mooncrafte.co.uk

Results
My spell worked. It so did. I performed it, then had to spend three days with my insufferable ex, thus realising that a middle-aged unemployed soap-dodger is not my knight… Then, for several weeks, luscious blonds kept throwing themselves in my path. Eventually, someone I'd known for months declared his love to me.
Richard, our scientist, nearly burned his house down following the instructions on his spell-box. He feels it didn't work for him.
Lovely Alena suffered zero male attention for several weeks after performing her spell. In her words, it was the magic being worked. She had defined her desired partner exactly, and no-one else would do. She is now in a relationship which is right for her and makes her happy.

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Alternative Yuletide

From Alternative London Magazine

Another Christmas is nearly upon us. We are tempted to ignore the traditional way of celebrating it and coming over all alternative. But how? Here's your guide to how the ancients did it, long before baby Jesus was ever born.

The Romans had Saturnalia, a midwinter celebration of cross-dressing and reversals. Men were women, black was white, jesters were kings and so on. The tradition of celebratory misbehaviour stayed alive and well in Britain and Europe for many years, and is still in existence now, (mostly thanks to witches and history nuts), and is a direct influence on the spirit of merriment and excesses surrounding modern-day Christmas.
Kalendae was the ancient Roman New Year celebration. The customs were eating loads, singing, and exchanging gifts. Now does that ring a bell?…

The Druids, those ancient Celtic priests in white, have celebrated the death and birth of the sun for centuries. They call it Midwinter, or Alban-Arthan - the shortest day after which the sun is reborn. As well as going into the stone-circles and such nature temples for their rituals, they also give presents around the fire, and gather boughs of evergreens and mistletoe. Again, something familiar about all that, and their tradition of burning an Oak log…
So none of it is really Christian then? The twelve days idea - Roman. The Tree - Germanic. The fairy lights - Christian Christmas, Jewish Hanukkah, Winter Solstice are light festivals to cheer us up halfway through glum winter. Even baubles are a modern take on the olden-days Witch Balls, hung in the window to ward off evil.
There you have it. The most alternative Yuletide is the most traditional one.

Kate West, best-selling author of ‘The Real Witches' series (TRW Handbook/Kitchen/Coven/Spells&Rituals) tells Alternative London about the real witches' two types of Yule:

There is the Winter Solstice, when the days of decreasing light finally give way to days of increasing light with the re-birth of the Sun. When we can remember that there is still life in the land and look forward to the approach of Spring. At this time many Witches and Pagans will gather together in high places to drum up the Sun. Mind you, what with frozen fingers and dampened drumskins it's something of a minor miracle that the drumming doesn't scare the reborn Sun back to its wintry rest!

The other kind of Yule is mostly found within the Coven. This is the "you'll" of the High Priestess, as in "You will, without hesitation, deviation, repetition, or argument, do as you should!"

So, as you celebrate your Yule, remember to warm your fingers and drumskins, to celebrate in mirth and reverence, and if the High Priestess says "jump", you should be in the air when you ask "How high?”.

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Witchcraft in the Media

From Witchcraft & Wicca magazine

In her wonderful book ‘Diary of a Witch’ Sybil Leek, the original celebrity astrologer and witch, says “Before I left England, the British Broadcasting Corporation did a special programme based on my life and ended it with me standing trial against the judgement of theologians, doctors and scientists - not a novel experience for any witch. The jury decided against witchcraft. However, I was acquitted. The theologians were darlings but the doctors fought it out violently, ready for a taste of blood. Erudition gave way to temper and then they were lost, for bad temper achieves nothing. Not long after,” she concludes, “I came to America.”

Shocking, isn’t it? That was the mid-1960s. Leek was called ‘the most evil woman in the world’. Her landlady refused to renew her lease. With nowhere to live, she was driven to the States and all because she was brave enough to stand up and be counted as a witch, a mere 13 years after the repeal of the Witchcraft Act.

In America, incidentally, she became the media’s darling, appearing on every chat show and rubbing shoulders with the icons of that generation.

Wicca founder Gerald B. Gardner’s witchcraft and biography books were available to the masses a decade earlier, and not neglecting to mention Alex Sanders, whose funeral in the late ‘80s was as steeped with media attention as the previous 20 years of his life had been.

It must have been harder for craft-folk then, when the word ‘Witch’ still caused faces to grimace and journalists to rejoice. The media, as yet unaccustomed to religious tolerance, would make life impossible for those interviewed and thanks to those days, so many of us still now will not admit our religion in public, certainly not in front of a camera crew.

That was then; things are very different now. The word ‘witch’ has been reclaimed, thanks to this magazine and the Witchfest events, unashamed and never frightened to use the W word. A lot of the street cred and the glamour of the word are gone. From personal experience, it is now harder to get a magazine to feature an article about witchcraft than it is to buy your first athame. Both the hype and the scandal have finally receded and witchcraft has now become a respected lifestyle choice. The worst reaction you’ll get to a profession of the craft is a raised eyebrow or a smirk. Teenagers merely seeking attention and rebellion now need a new religion to pursue.

Five years ago, I joined the Children of Artemis media team. Being a professional psychic, I have very little to lose by standing in front of a camera and explaining that I’m a witch as well as a Tarot reader. It’s half-expected and hardly a sacking offence in my line of work. Since then, I’ve spoken to production teams, programme makers, radio interviewers and several delusional wannabe TV researchers, and posed for innumerable photographs, both ‘mystical’ and ‘normal’, depending on the requirements of the particular article. Publications as varied as Cosmopolitan, the Daily Star, the Illustrated London News and Alternative London Magazine featured articles with titles as naff as ‘It’s a Kind of Magic’ or simplistic as ‘Witches in the Home Office’. We’re still in the headlines but witchcraft is far less as a curiosity now. They like to focus on how normal we are. This development is sweet and helpful, and means that the next generation of witches will not have their kids sent home for asking the other schoolchildren why their gods have no horns, and they certainly won’t have their accommodation taken away for practising the Craft. The media’s current attitude means we can be open about our faith. It also means we need to reassess our attitude towards the media.

I am often accused of headline-grabbing (or media-whoring) for my positive relationship with the press but my opinion is that if the press want to interview a witch, a witch they will find – or they’ll make one up. Would you rather have an article featuring an angry Essex teenager wearing black lipstick and torn fishnets pretending to be a witch - or a witch? Would you rather have a bathrobe-clad hippie with delusions of grandeur or a pleasant, smiling young woman representing your religion to the devouring masses?

Let’s explore what the media already knows about our faith: they know Hallowe’en is ours (just don’t make them spell Samhain). Some are even knowledgeable enough to know Yule is Pagan (although they’re not sure why). They’re pretty sure it has something to do with nudity and the full moon (and the Wicker Man, but they’re suitably embarrassed to ask whether it is the same type of thing) and they know for a fact it has something to do with Qabalah, Tarot and astrology.
All the rest is merely free-form association games.

Last winter, happily in the throes of arranging media coverage for Witchfest International, I got a call from CoA headquarters. Iain Lee of LBC radio was dedicating his show to the age old question: Are witches sexy? I was given the number and rang in. You could see it as demeaning and you could think it unnecessary to define our religion in terms of physical attractiveness but isn’t this a positive move from the times, a mere decade or so ago, when people considered green-faced, big-nosed be-moled types to look ‘witchy?’ I’d take the pre-Raphaelite hair and velvety corset myth over the other one anytime. Time FM from SE London taped a Hallowe’en interview that same day, and over Witchfest weekend, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a well-informed report on current Craft on its Sunday religion show.

We’re mainstream, and no two ways about it.

In order to keep our happy co-existence with our neighbouring faiths, we need to keep a jolly co-dependency with the press. They need to feel they’re ‘in the know’ and they repay good relations. Give them the interview and they’ll make you sound great. Ignore them, and the Hell of the Christians hath no fury. They need to be constantly reminded of our passion for nature (rather than naturism). Equality of male and female and balance of the elements are two other Craft concepts that get hilariously misquoted time and time again. They also need to be reminded that we are non-hierarchical, so that they understand any claims for Wiccan superiority are in-jokes. And really, there’s no need to jump on soapboxes and wail at the mention of ‘White Witch’, the most common inaccuracy of them all.
The reason I say that, is that in PR terms, the gentleness of our religion is a great asset, and although we don’t need to be defined in PR terms, it does make life easier to be accepted. Let’s leave the rebellion to those who can be bothered with it.
Of course, I’ve been misquoted and misrepresented. Here’s a random selection: The lame “Inbaal practises paganism to bring another dimension to her life” in Here’s Health magazine; “paganism is very hip these days, with the focus on good spells and fully clothed covens” misquoted another; The cringeworthy “I started doing spells for friends and found I had a gift” in the Daily Star; and my personal favourite “They meet to celebrate their eight seasons, including Hallowe’en and every full moon”, with a hilarious claim that I corrected the esteemed Croydon Advertiser journo who thought there were only four seasons.
Yah, I know, it’s not that good – but it’s not that bad either. No harm in coming across more insipid than necessary.

Being mistaken for Satanists is a different kettle of mooncakes altogether.
On my way to Witchfest Scotland 2004, I picked up a copy of the Times (it’s a long train ride and Heat takes an hour to read cover-to-cover, if you’re wandering what my nose was doing in a grown-up newspaper), which reported the suicide of a gentleman who, they claimed, was involved in Druidry. The police were investigating his death’s connection to the ‘Dark Arts’. That’s what we don’t want to be associated with.
The alleged ritual killing of an African infant found in the Thames a few years ago was also linked with witchcraft in the news.
That’s why I feel an emphasis on our kind nature rather than spells and ritual daggers is the way forward.

For the naive, research-shy journo, Harry Potter is a lifesaver. As are, embarrassingly, the ‘Charmed’ girls. (I draw the line at Buffy). They seem to take the point if you tell them that it’s got some things in common with the books or the shows, but isn’t exactly identical.

Simple and easy does it. With Witchfest on BBC Radio 4 and the wonderful Kate West’s appearances on the Heaven and Earth show, our road ahead is half paved out of the press harassment of the New Forest - and onto a box in the census form.
It’s not a fantasy, and good media relations, Goddess Willing, can take us there.

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Psychic Healing

From Witchcraft & Wicca magazine

In the beginning, there was Tarot.

I’ve held a fascination with those magical bits of paper since the age of twenty, using them to tell me when a good night was looming ahead, when I needed to change jobs and when my first love was going to betray me. The Tarot never lied and, as such, became my best friend.
Three years hence, on the August bank holiday of ’97 at Carnival, I did my first paid readings. It was the first time that I’d read for strangers and I was amazed to find out new discoveries. The Fool really did come up for circus performers (I’d never met any before that weekend), the Hermit meant not only a person who was alone, but a person who liked being alone (I’d never met any before that weekend) and a fortune teller in a pub was an automatic sex symbol.
Three years passed again, as they do, and there I was, a professional reader.

Touring London with a psychic fayre, I soon realized that there was so much more for me to learn. I knew I had to develop my skills, and looked within for inspiration. One thing that I knew I could feel beyond what my cards told me was physical emotions. I could feel a person’s exhaustion really easily – when reading their Tarot, I could tell if they were tired, thirsty or had a headache. I asked for confirmation and was right every time.
Gathering courage, I started trying to spot period pains, toothache, sore eyes and seemed to maintain a high level of accuracy.

In one memorable occasion, I felt there was something wrong with a person’s chest. I sensed something didn’t feel quite right and mentioned it to her. Embarrassed, she informed me she’d recently ‘had her boobs done’.

That was just the start, and thanks to that I found my way to clairvoyance, mediumship and all their psychic friends.

If you’d like a few tips on how to do it yourself, pick up a pen and paper now.

Diagnosis – the blue ribbon

When sitting in front of someone you’re trying to ‘diagnose’, visualise a blue strip or ribbon and start drawing it around the person. Wrap it around the person’s feet, around their ankles and legs.
Wrap the imaginary ribbon around them tightly so that there are no gaps between each level and the next. Keep wrapping the person with the ribbon, so that in your mind’s eye they look like an Egyptian mummy, until you reach the crown of the head where you tie the ribbon up in a big knot.
A healthy, happy person will now be entirely wrapped with your ribbon, in your mind’s eye. You won’t be able to see their eyes, no hair peeking out, no fingers. That’s the initial preparation and now you’re ready to try and diagnose. Have a look – are there gaps in the ‘mummy’? Is there anywhere that the ribbon stays away from the person’s body? Those areas would be problem areas within the body of the person sitting in front of you. Describe what you’re seeing, and accept the feedback from your client.

Another way is to close your eyes and visualise colours on the person’s body.

Healing with auras

You’ll see their aura (no, really, you will). Different colours will swirl around the person, each representing an emotion, a physical feeling, something in their history.
Lots of yellow, for example, will show you a happy person. Brown may signify someone who’s earthy and physical. Green represents the heart and tells you of an emotional person that makes decisions with their heart, not their mind, and a grey presence will tell you the person in front of you is prone to depression.
The areas upon the body are meaningful, too. For example, if there’s a lot of yellow around the heart but grey around the throat, it might be a happy person who can’t express themselves and that would make them feel down. If there are vivid colours all around but no colour right on top of a person’s head, it would show a tendency towards depression. Relate each feeling or emotion to the body part you’re visualising it on, before you even approach the ‘medical’ aspect of it.
Now try to look for areas that have got red marks on them, which will be soreness, or purple bits, which are in the process of healing.

Some of you who are more naturally talented will find it easy just to quieten down, and focus on the person’s body psychically. Breathe into each organ within your own body, and while you’re attuned to their energy, you’ll be able to sense any ill health they might be suffering from. Either from top to bottom, or the opposite way, methodically explore their feet, ankles, calves etc. Report anything suspect you may sense, silly as it might seem. With practice, it becomes second nature and you’ll find yourself saying ‘take a Rennie’ to a friend who’s not yet confided their heartburn to you.

That’s a whole lot of excitement already, but that’s just the beginning.

What you want to do next, naturally, is help the person to feel better. Heal them, in fact.
I’m no doctor, and haven’t got a diploma which permits me to make such claims. I’m not a miracle worker either. What I do have is a stack of emails from people I’ve helped feel better, thanking me for their healing.
Seeing your clients getting better, reversing processes that started in their bodies thus healing them is entirely possible, and you don’t need diplomas written in oriental script to enable you to do that. Faith and an ability to visualise would be a good start. Keep up your winning score by using earth energy and not your own. Keep your feet firmly on the ground and draw strength through your feet from the ground below you.

Let’s go back to our blue mummy.
When you’ve seen the gaps in the ribbon, shut your eyes and work on closing those gaps in your mind’s eye. What you’re seeing are the gaps in the person’s aura, and if you ‘will’ those back together, you add to the person’s protections, making them stronger in the face of illness or attack. Force those back together until you can’t see anything other than our ribbon.

By the same token, use your powers of visualization and your strong faith to change the colours upon the client. Add healing purple to the sore red areas to start the healing process. Watch the purple marks shrink as you focus on them.

These are simple exercises, and just like I came up with my own way of healing, you can do it as well. Hold the belief that no one is meant to be unwell, and strive for balance in nature. If you practice a true love of all living creatures, this will be no effort at all.

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The Goddess Hekate

From Hekate: Keys to the Crossroads by Avalonia Books

Having been a solitary witch for several years, when I finally found teachers I was willing to learn from, I asked no questions.
If I’m honest, I’ve never really looked for a group to join. Having started out a ‘book witch’, learning all I could from DIY spell manuals and practicing through trial and error, I later started attending open rituals and groups, and found virtually no one to look up to and respect, and certainly no one I could visualize as my teacher. When I met, miraculously not one, but two people I could see as friends, mentors, and above all, real witches, I jumped at the opportunity to join their group. I’d gone through the obligatory tests and found them easy enough for me – book witcheries hadn’t failed me, and years of trial and error certainly taught me to solve problems unaided. But it never occurred to me to put them through tests. I trusted my instincts and turned up for a dedication ceremony that was to bring me formally into the group.

I prepared a present for the group, dressed mystically and took extra care with my hair. After all, I wanted to make a good impression.

Upon arrival, I was told to sit down and meditate on Hekate.
I’ve never heard of her before, and the name didn’t even reveal which pantheon she might belong to. So I just sat down. When I shut my eyes, images started flooding in. There she was, a majestic goddess, holding the leashes of three enormous, black dogs. Unceremoniously, all of them started chasing me up a mountain. The vision was dark and cold, and I was terrified. Why was this goddess rejoicing at my fear? And what’s the deal with the dogs? There she was, explaining the vision. The goddess was pledging to ‘frighten me all the way to the top’. Those words stuck with me for the five years that followed, when she diligently scared me until I reached the top of my profession, and my ambition, and then without an extra word, surpassed it.
I asked her if there’s anything she wanted in return, and she asked for blood. At that point I really started to worry – what did I get involved with here? I vowed to give her blood, but had no idea what she wanted it for, and how I was meant to give it.
That, I hasten to remind, was only the meditation before the ceremony.
During the ritual I experienced wonderful emotions. I felt I belonged there, and I felt accepted, which are not natural sensations for me. One of the messages I got, which I smoothly ignored, was to ‘use my looks’. I never thought of myself as a particularly fine-looking woman, and resigned myself to listening to the messages that actually made sense, and focusing on the challenging vows I took.

I soon found out that Hekate will not be ignored.

When leaving home for work the next day, I found a mirror outside my house. I’d have taken it in, just that I was late, so I left it there, only to find it still there twelve hours later, on my way back. I took it in and fixed it to the wall in one of the bathrooms.
The next day, the same happened with another mirror, a smaller one that was duly taken into the other bathroom. I thought it might have something to do with Hekate’s suggestion to ‘use my looks’, but I hadn’t thought of it as an order. Yet.

Yule soon followed, and at a friend’s seasonal ceremony I volunteered to invoke Fire in the South. When placed in the south, I realized I’ll be invoking towards a mirror. And when we all lucky-dipped for our random Yule presents out of a velvet sack, can you guess what I got? A string with 11 double-sided mirrors suspended on it.

After Yule I went to visit my family in Israel. Blood donations are a matter of routine over there, and when I asked my Dad to find out when I can donate in our small town, he made one phone call and notified me that the blood team only operate once a fortnight for two hours. If we hurry we can make it. With that blood, my deal with Hekate was sealed.

You can’t turn a frog into a princess overnight, but over the coming few years I learned to honour my physical appearance more. It served me well as I complied for myself the longest media CV for any psychic in the UK. I’d written the stars for fashion magazines, appeared on many TV shows and even did a bit of Pagan modeling, and always held Hekate as the reason for it.

A year ago, when the man of my dreams emerged out of the mists to my amazement, I asked my grandfather in spirit for confirmation. My dead granddad is surprisingly helpful with dating advice. He assured me that this was the man for me, for the rest of my life, and that’s all the confirmation I needed. But Hekate, who had my blood, was not going to miss a chance to have her say.
On holiday in Barcelona, when my partner and I had just finished discussing moving in together, three large, dark brown dogs approached us. My love, who had been bitten by a dog in childhood and dislikes the larger varieties, stepped back, whereas I carried on forward, baby-talking to the trio. One of them approached my love, and bit him once on the ankle. Thus Hekate had his blood too.

Of late, I’ve been trying to sell my flat. My efforts have been largely unsuccessful, and because I’d spent a couple of years experimenting with devotions to different gods, I was confused and didn’t know who to pray to.
I tried them all, including, embarrassingly, Jehovah, thinking to myself ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’. All that time, mirrors around me kept breaking. That string of 22 mirrors lost three of them when doors slammed on it, a gift mirror from a friend broke clean into a hundred pieces, and a novelty mirror with the word ‘goddess’ etched on it, also from a friend, kept falling and chipping corners.

When I started offering devotion to Hekate again, she wasn’t totally convinced at first.
We’re rebuilding our relationship, with my love joining in by buying a silver Hekate brooch for me to protect us from vicious dogs in future. She now accepts my offerings, and I’m confident my flat will sell soon if she’s in charge.

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Midsummer 2004

From Alternative London Magazine

At 00:56, this June 21st, the Sun will again stand still, balancing in perfect harmony the time of increasing light (the waxing year) and decreasing light (waning). Solstice, the name for the shortest night and longest day, is Latin. 'Sol', meaning sun, and 'sistere' – to cause to stand still.

Midsummer is also called Litha, St. John's Eve, Alban Hefin by the Druids, and in Gaul it's called the Feast of Epona. It is a time of fertility, and the best time to harvest honey from the hives. One of the names for the moon of June in Honey Moon. It has been, and still is a favourite time for weddings, and the newlyweds would drink mead (fermented honey, better than sex, believe you me) and eat honey-filled foods for the 'honeymoon' after their joining.

Tug of war is a traditional game played at this time, and will allegedly take place, among other exciting activities, at the London Events Team's Midsummer celebration on the 24th of June. From 8pm a Solstice ritual will take place in Conway Hall, Red Lion Square in Holborn, vividly portraying the battle between the waning and the waxing times of year, to the bitter end.

Stonehenge has been a usual place of revelry for the shortest night for years and years, and it no longer has to be illegal! Supported by police and ambulances, folk are invited to gather to watch the sun rise over the stones (approx 4.45am) while dancing and singing to them.

The worship of all Solar Gods is appropriate at this time. Apollo, Ra and Helios, with Sekhmet flying the flag for the girlies, can all enjoy our worship and devotion as we watch the Sun rise at its mightiest.

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So do you tell Bad Stuff?

From Witchcraft & Wicca magazine

About twelve years ago, in my first year of giving psychic readings, I sat with my friend Tara (not her real name) on the carpet of her cosy flat. Surrounded by coffee, cookies and fortune telling cards, we had a psychic peek at what her boyfriend, who was living in Africa at the time, was up to. She didn’t particularly believe it would work, which made her the perfect friend with whom to practice. If I got stuff wrong, she wouldn’t be upset or disappointed, and if I got stuff right, result!
Since it was Tara’s first ‘serious’ boyfriend, with whom she was very in love and who she trusted implicitly, we both felt we were on safe ground. They’d known each other several months, had loads in common and never rowed. The two of them were openly looking forward to their rosy future, and we thought it would be an easy reading, just picking up on all the love in the air. We honestly thought we were having fun.

A quick shuffle and lay of my cards later though, caused Tara to pale. My first sentence, “I see him in bed with a blonde woman” was surprising, almost funny to me, but very upsetting to her. I joked that he’d be hard pushed to find a blonde in Africa. With her head in her hands, Tara corrected me. I had no idea he’d gone out there for a project with his blonde lady friend, Kerry (nope, not real name either) who never warmed to Tara.

I didn’t know what to say or how to comfort her. I realized my talent and abilities have developed more than I cared to accept. I saw his infidelity clearly and knew I was right but my lack of professional experience meant I had not yet mustered the art of tact and diplomacy needed to deliver worrying news to my client. The evening was ruined and coffee gave way to wine.
Tara stayed upset for several days. She thought of nothing else, doubting her boyfriend, eating little and not sleeping at night. I felt guilty myself. Uncomfortable with my prediction, I tried to avoid her, conceding it was my fault that she was crying. I was inconsolable too – look what I’d done to my friend.
When the boyfriend rang, tortured and sobbing, long-distance from Africa to Camden, and admitted that he had slept with Kerry once, a few weeks previously, I learned an important lesson. My commitment to Truth was cemented.

I truly believe that a big part of my psychic work is removing wool from people’s eyes. If my man were unfaithful, I’d like to know. If I were facing the sack, I’d want to be prepared. Is there death in the family? Alright, that’s life, just tell me who and when. I expect 100% honesty from everyone - a plumber, a shop assistant, a psychic reader, and I don’t see why any of my clients deserve any less.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those odd characters that’ll creep up to you by the vegetable section and whisper “Bobby says hi, he wants you to get a hybrid car”. There’s nothing ruder in my eyes giving a reading to someone who’s not asked for one. It’s no different to someone approaching you in the street and asking if you’d heard of Jesus. When advice is given unsolicited, it’s not advice in my view – it is judgement, criticism, interference. I don’t advocate telling everyone in your life everything they need to know constantly and irrepressibly. Frankly, I won’t even notice someone who is in need of a reading unless I’m ‘switched on’ for work. When picking out a cherry tomato, the tomato is the only thing on my mind, not the affair of the person next to me, who is also focused on filling their basket. So as you go about your daily life, you’re safe from my open and honest approach. People’s journeys are their own and if they prefer to travel them unassisted, that’s an aspect of their path, too. Not my business.

All that changes when you ask me for a professional psychic reading. In my eyes, you deserve to know it all. The one new thing I had to learn since that unfortunate first time, is to keep the reading fun and polite.
At the start of a session, or when approaching a delicate situation, I’ll often ask “How blunt do you want me to be?” and that helps me set the tone for the reading. Most people I talk to prefer the honest approach, when I can be completely myself, discuss anything that I can see, and answer all questions straight and to the point. Both I and the client have fun then, and you’re certain to leave the reading feeling you’d got your money’s worth.
If anyone asks me to be subtle, they’ll still get all the information, but I will mainly focus on the positive messages. Instead of telling a lady that her married lover will never leave his wife, I’ll describe her next partner to her, and mention what she needs to change in her life in order to invite him in; The good aspects of a new job will take centre stage to the bullying boss who will stay in the background for the time being.

I fully believe that the information received psychically in a reading is what the client needs to know at that time. I also believe each client will only be given whatever information they can handle, and which their higher self has asked for, consciously or otherwise. This is why I know that whatever my cards tell me is safe information to pass on to the person in front of me. I believe in the honesty and wisdom of spirit, not my own judgement, and to me, any psychic who receives information and doesn’t pass it on to the person who’s paying them is a judgemental coward. To my horror, I recently read an article about an established psychic family who claimed that it is psychic law to withhold negative information unless specifically asked for. It did make my blood boil to read the paragraph which told of the novice palmist, about to tell a lady her husband will leave her, being stopped from doing so by her grandmother. What if the wife was waiting for her husband to leave so she could start her life? Who are they to decide what is positive and what is negative news for another person?

I accept that my approach is somewhat unorthodox. My talks on the subject are considered controversial, and I have got called all sorts of things when I’ve voiced my opinions around more experienced psychics. Several training schools for mediums and clairvoyants are very strictly against this, but I find that the new generation, those that have cast off the scarves and the mystical back-lighting, those that can think for themselves, have arrived at a similar point of view to my own. At the moment I am lucky enough to work with several free-thinking psychics who share my approach and my passion for Truth.

Although the ‘say it how it is’ attitude is not a big hit with vast sections of the psychic community, it is a favourite with the regular Joe or Jane. Many people who book an appointment with me say they do so because they’re ready to know the truth or because they feel they can trust my honesty.
When they hear me tell them good news, they know it’s genuine and not just a soothsayer line. They know I won’t mince my words if news isn’t that great.
Many people, disappointed with end-of-pier experiences which promised them the moon and the stars, come to my door wanting hard facts. I mean, we all know life is an exquisite mixture of good and bad – why would a genuine psychic reading be any different to that?

About five years ago, I travelled to see a client to whom I gave a reading one year previously. Showing me into her front room, she thanked me for mentioning in her first reading that her grandfather would die within four months. I had to sit down. I couldn’t understand why I had told her something so frightening. She smiled and told me she was setting plans to go travelling abroad around the time of our meeting, and thanks to the reading, which stated his day of dying accurately, she was able to say her goodbyes properly. If I hadn’t told her of his passing in advance, she promised me she’d have been devastated and guilt ridden for not getting the chance. That was a beautiful conformation that my unpopular approach was working.

There’s one last thing I’m sure you’re all dying to know. Whatever happened to Tara? She never saw that unfaithful guy again. She studied, qualified, bought a property, got married to a loyal, committed chap - and I just heard that a first daughter was born to her and her lovely husband a week ago. They couldn’t be happier.

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Spirit Guides (a meditation from Inbaal’s HomeStudy course)

A lot of people use help 'from above' in order to work psychically. Get a friend to read out to you the following meditation, slowly and with gaps between sentences, especially when you need to communicate with your Spirit Guide.

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and exhale completely. From now on, each in-breath will bring in happiness and light, and each out-breath will get rid of anger and sadness.
See roots growing from the soles of your feet, extending deeper and deeper into the ground, helping you feel safe and grounded.
The room around you fills with white mist, and as the mist recedes you see you are in a field of bright red poppies. They are tall and majestic, and you can sense their smell. The sun stands high, it is noon and rather hot.
Scanning the area around you, you notice a little white animal. It stands up from where it was sitting and comes to you. You immediately understand that the animal will lead you on your journey here, in your quest to meet your spiritual guide.
The animal walks away, and turns its head to look at you, signalling you to follow.
You walk behind your animal, enjoying the atmosphere, and it takes you to another field, of orange flowers. These flowers are low on the ground, and the heat has broken a bit. Notice the smells and feelings in this field. Your animal takes you to the edge of the field, where it meets with a sandy beach.
You're delighted to see the seaside! You're still feeling grounded and very very secure.
You walk on to the bright yellow sand. It is warm and inviting. You walk across it, noting the smells and feelings as you go – until you reach the water.
A slight breeze starts to blow, as you take off your shoes and dip your toes in the green water. The air is fresher now, and you can smell the sea.
A silver swing comes dangling from the clouds, so that you can sit on it to inspect the water. You gladly climb onto the swing, all the while feeling safe, and very very secure.
Your animal curls up for a snooze. The swing floats ahead, as the water turns blue, then so dark it's nearly purple. It is certainly chillier now.
You feel the swing being pulled up into the cloud from where it's dangling. Further and further up the swing goes, until you reach the actual top of the cloud.
Make sure you notice the scenery there. Are there animals? A stream? Trees? Snow? Desert? Take your time studying the scenery.
There's a door up ahead. What is it made of? Are there any markings on it? You walk up to the door and knock.
The figure who opens is your Spirit Guide. It might be someone you know and who died, it might be a figure from a story, or it might be someone you never met before. Don't worry if the features are fuzzy, they will get clearer in time.

Your Spirit Guide invites you in, and welcomes you to ask any questions.

When it is time to leave, your Spirit Guide takes you to the door, and gives you a gift. You give gratitude for the present, putting it inside your astral body, and say farewell, knowing that you can always come back to consult your Spirit Guide on any matter.

You go back to the swing, and let it lower you back over the sea, purple, blue and green, and gently you step off to the yellow sand. You put on your shoes, and your animal is awake and ready to take you back.
You both walk across the sand, across the orange field, and arrive back at the field of poppies, where you started. Evening has set, and you thank the animal as a white mist gathers again, obscuring anything from view. When the mist disperses, you're back in the room where you started, still feeling grounded and safe.

Shake your hand and stamp your feet to ground yourself further. Have something to eat.

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From Psychic to Witch

From HighSpirit magazine

Are witches evil? Do they
worship Satan? Of course not!
For me, designing spells and
creating the future, is a natural
step up from my life-long occupation
of predicting the future.

Looking back now, I realize I’ve always been psychic. Even as a child, in a small town in 1970s Israel, I could always answer any question accurately, however bizarre, foreign or remote. My nearest and dearest, and myself, just put it down to me being very clever. My parents back in the Middle East have never heard of psychics, let alone believe such things existed outside fairy tales, and so when I knew things other kids didn’t, they were delighted that their little girl was so intelligent. I went along with their understanding of it. What did I know? I was just a kid!
Psychic children advance rapidly, whether they know they’re psychic or not, and aged three, I was kindergarten champion at memory games. I could match those pairs of cards when they were lying face down, seeing in my mind’s eye what the picture on the other side would be. Around the same age I started reading and used to read out loud to the other children, which at least gave other kids a chance to win at memory games.

I was 20 before I understood that not everyone could do what I did. By then I could speak 8 languages, had aced my final exams at school (which I finished a year earlier than my peers) and had two years of military service behind me. I was backpacking in Greece, where a good friend called Sylvia, 15 years my senior, used to read Tarot in her spare time. Watching her read, I did what I’ve always done, and picked it up almost immediately. If she was surprised at that, she didn’t show it, but something told me that I had crossed a line. Picking up languages and excelling at school could be put down to IQ. Doing psychic Tarot readings simply couldn’t.
Once, we were sitting together in her kitchen, hiding from the sizzling summer sun, drinking coffee and messing around with her cards. We both saw a dark haired man from overseas, who wanted to talk to me. When we described it to one another, we clearly had the same vision. Just then, my dad called from overseas.
From then on, I was never without my Tarot. I’d read for whoever let me, and sometimes for people I read about in papers and magazines. I grew and improved and learned from experience, until a few years later, in the Notting Hill Carnival of 1997, I started reading professionally.

Foretelling the future was great, but when I sat with clients, poring over their problems, I always felt it was my responsibility to advise them on how to leave those troubles behind them. I was never a wishy-washy psychic. If I could see a cheating husband, I’d make no bones about telling the person in front of me. If I picked up that they were unhappy with their careers, or were surrounded by gossipy colleagues, I’d communicate my findings to them. Rarely would I catch anyone by surprise. I discovered that betrayed spouses often have a sense that something is up. I wanted to help and would channel advice from my Tarot cards; trying out spells seemed like the most natural way to go forward, and so I started learning from whatever books were available at the time. There weren’t many. I travelled around London with a psychic fayre, and never hid my witchy links. I know that some of the other psychics dabbled with magic as well, but they were secretive about it. I can only assume they were scared by people’s perception of witches. In fact, journalists always ask me about bad experiences and prejudice, but I never have anything juicy to tell them. I had not one bad experience with the general public. In fact, one day I had a lovely email, which showed me I was on the right path. A lady I’d met six weeks previously, whose reading focused on her career and who I could sense was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, wrote “When I came to see you a few weeks ago you helped me with the stress and tension I was feeling by casting a spell to keep me safe and I have been feeling much better and handling difficult things easily since”.

That was all the encouragement I needed to take my magic more seriously. I became active in the witchy scene in London, leading rituals and training new witches.
In that loving environment, there was no room for curses and hexes. Witches don’t even believe in a Devil. Three years ago, a spell from a friend even found a lovely husband for me!
Love spells are still popular, but nowadays spells are mostly healing, empowerment, and helping people fulfil their true potential. Anything that makes this world a happier place is fine by me.

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Be Your Own Witch At Hallowe’en

From HighSpirit magazine

Pumpkins and trick-or-treating?
What are the real traditions of Hallowe’en?
Pick and choose your own Hallowe’en spells
from a selection of golden oldies
or brand spanking new ones
created specially for High Spirit readers!

So many people see Hallowe’en as an American holiday, a kiddie festival, brought over to the UK through second-rate TV shows and an ill-advised series of horror films.
Who would have guessed, that it’s actually one of the real Celtic festivals, having come to America with the Irish immigrants, and originating in these isles well before Christian times? Back then, it was called Samhain (pronounced Sowaine), and this is what Witches still call it today.
Samhain stands for ‘summer’s wane’, the end of summer, and the Celts saw it as the end of the year, the time of decline and demise.
Many Hallowe’en traditions have their root in the Celtic festival. Though there’s no reason to avoid creating your own, new traditions!

Being the end of the year, and the time of darkness and seasonal affective disorders, it’s a great time to let go of negativity.

Letting Go Of Negativity Spell
Ingredients:
Obsidian stone
Black candle
White candle
Sage smudge stick
Not too far from sundown, set yourself some quiet time on your own, and light a black candle, for banishing emotions. With a cleansed obsidian crystal in hand, bring up your most negative emotions; jealousy, anger, envy, hatred. See the faces of those who make you feel those sentiments. Feel your blood boil and the negativity bubbling within you. One by one, the crystal will absorb those feelings. Push the emotions through your hand into the obsidian (needless to say, it’ll need cleansing again afterwards!)
When you feel you have let go of all these emotions, blow the candle out abruptly and light the white candle instead, for cleansing. Using the white candle’s flame, light the smudge stick, and cleanse all your surroundings with the smoke of the burning sage. Feel uplifted, light, and free from negativity. Clap your hands, move your limbs about and sing. Accept yourself lovingly and happily, as a renewed person, filled with strength and generosity of spirit.

That’s dealt with your own negativity, but what about other people’s?
Samhain was also a traditional time for divination, which is a great way to catch a liar or a cheat.
Here’s a spell I put together especially for you, designed to bring secrets and lies out in the open. Remember! Your own secrets could make their way into the light as well, so make sure you’re pure and honest.

Secrets and Lies Exposed Spell
Surround yourself with white musk fragrance or incense. In a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed, hold a picture of the person you suspect of lying in front of you. (A camera phone picture is fine but divert your calls to voicemail so that no one calls you mid-spell!)
Relax your mind, and visualise the two of you sitting together, white flowers and feathers around and between you, and in your mind’s eye ask a direct question. Receive the answer from the other person – you can keep the conversation going for as long as you like.
Over the next few days, wait for signs and omens that will bring the truth to light, right under your nose. Ignore the signs at your peril!

Now you know who not to trust… but do you know who will be your one true love forever?
Thankfully, the witches of yore had tried-and-tested ways of finding that out. With apples!

Traditional Samhain Love Spells with Apples
* Apple bobbing is an old Celtic tradition. The person to catch the first apple on Samhain, is thought to be the next to marry.
* If you peel an apple into one long unbroken peel and throw it over your shoulder, it’ll land in the shape of your true love’s initial.
* Peel an apple in front of a candle-lit mirror, and the face of your future spouse will peek over your shoulder!

That’s great for the future, but we can’t forget those who have gone before us, those to whom Samhain is really dedicated. Make your own contact with your dearly departed with this original spell.

Spell for Dreams from Loved Ones
The night between October 31st and November 1st is considered the time when the veil between the worlds is the thinnest. Therefore, it’s a great time to communicate with those who have gone before us. One of the loveliest ways to do it is by asking for a dream where your beloved grandparent, pet or partner comes to visit.
To do that, when you are ready for bed, light a single tea-light in a secure container by your bed. Dab a spot of frankincense oil in the centre of your forehead, on your third eye. This will increase your psychic perception. In the light of your candle, and with all other lights off, bring the face of your loved one to mind. See them as if they’re sitting with you in the bedroom.
Chant a few times ‘On this night of Hallwe’en, visit me when the veil is thin’. Go to sleep with the face of your loved one still in mind, and enjoy your dreams, which are sure to include messages from them.

… Though if you’re suffering with nightmares, it’s best to close your third eye and try to get a good night’s sleep with this spell…

Good Sleep Spell
Just before bedtime, fill a bath or a sink with warm water and a handful of lavender flowers. Wait for them to infuse, and when the whole place smells of lavender, take deep breaths and have a nice soak in the bath or a thorough splash from the sink.
Visualise yourself in a large field, filled with lavenders and lotuses, geraniums and roses, and breathe in the relaxing, refreshing aroma.
When you’re lying in bed, visualise an open white lotus flower in the centre of your forehead, on your third eye. Close your eyes and see the flower closing its petals slowly and firmly, safe in the knowledge that you can open it again whenever you choose.
Enjoy your well-earned rest.

Witches love Hallowe’en, because it helps us connect with our glorious past. We’re not selfish, though, and we’re happy for the whole world to join us.

Happy Samhain!

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Whose New Year is this anyway?

From High Spirit Jan 2009

With so many different annual calendars,
Solar, Lunar, Astrological and the like,
it’s easy to dismiss the Gregorian New Year
as having scant spiritual meaning.
What’s so special about January the 1st?

As a multi-cultural person, I celebrate so many New Year’s Days every year that it gets easy to let poor old ordinary Western New Year fall by the wayside.
My family’s Jewish New Year is in September, traditionally the end of the grain harvest. We’ve always celebrated by eating pomegranates and apples dipped in honey to symbolize the plentifulness of the year ahead. Most of us Witches see Samhain (Hallowe’en) as our new year, at the time of the last harvest, the meat harvest. We celebrate by remembering the dead and sharing our ritual feast with them. The Astrological New Year at the start of every zodiacal cycle, on the Spring Equinox cannot be forgotten, and as long as we’re taking a peek at astrology, we can’t ignore the Chinese New Year in February.
And still for me, the truest feel of the New Year is with the re-awakening of the sun at Yule: the start of the rule of Capricorn, a determined, Spartan sign. I know it’s no accident that New Year’s resolutions take firm hold in January, over all the other New Years, and that’s when we truly believe we can go for the new business, shed those pesky pounds and move to our dream home. All we need is a little magic to make sure we stick to those resolutions…

Guidelines for Spells for Beginnings, Middles and Ends
At this time of year, we are lucky enough to see the sun coming back, meaning the days getting longer. It’s a brilliant time to cast spells for starting new ventures, a few of which I’ll cover in this article. As the days grow longer, the power of the spell you’ve cast increases, until midsummer in June.
However, you may want to cast a spell to bring in a new job in March, or July – what do you do then?
That’s when we turn to the moon. ‘New beginnings’ spells work best when we harness the power of the new moon and as we see the moon grow, so does our spell with it. If you want to harness both the sun and the moon to your spells this month, go for 27th of December or 26th of January.
Similarly, if you need a spell to get something out of your life, like a stalky ex or a bad habit, try to put time aside and perform your spell at the time of the waning (decreasing) moon.
The time of the full moon is great for empowering spells so if you’re in a job you like but need to get noticed or if you want to shine a light into some dark corners and find out secrets, that’s the time for you.
And what about the time of the dark moon, I hear you ask? That’s for different spells, for banishing, for endings.

Instead of drowning yourself in resolutions you’re not likely to keep ‘til February, pick one thing you’d like to focus on and do your best to stick to it. Pick just one of this month’s spells, don’t be greedy and give it your fullest intent.

Spell for Selling Your House
Patricia in Nottinghamshire requested a spell to help sell her house which has been on the market for a year. Many viewings but no offers later, it may well be time for a full magic spell. (To request your own spell, check the end of the article for details).
Many swear that burying a statue of St Joseph upside down works wonders for selling a house but I can’t attest to it personally.
I’m actually sensing that a crystal would work best for you, clear quartz with some points to be exact.
After cleansing the crystal, allow yourself some time alone with it. Hold it in both hands, as you visualise yourself leaving the house one last time, feeling happy with the money you’ve got for it, closing the door behind you and walking away. ‘Charge’ the crystal with the feelings and visions that flood you.
Keep the crystal on your front window, ‘calling out’ to potential buyers and when people come to view, display it in a prominent position.

The New Year is very much a ‘never again!’ time, so if you feel like your boss isn’t treating you with respect or as if the office pet is getting promoted over you, it’s natural to want to leave and declare that you will ‘never again!’ be treated this way in a job situation.

New Job spell
Cinnamon, mint and basil oils are the base for this simple charm. They all promote wealth, business and growth. Mix them together in a little bowl and decant to a small dark bottle. Label the bottle ‘Jupiter’, planet of expansion. When sending out CVs, dab a discreet little drop on each page.
When sitting at an interview, rub a tiny bit on your right palm, and shake the hand of the interviewer as you enter.

And here’s one from my personal Book of Shadows, the ever favourite:

My Own Private Health and Beauty (Weight Loss) Spell
Despite personally struggling with my weight my whole life, I never thought it to be a good idea to ask the Goddess for weight loss. Not because I didn’t want to bother her, as a happy, healthy devotee of the Goddess is better for Her than a sluggish, grumpy one, but because I always feared that if I asked to be lighter, I’d get ill, break a tooth or lose a leg… all of those would render me lighter, but not healthier or happier. For this reason, what I ask for is health and beauty. I trust the Goddess to make me so and quietly hope that a bit of weight will fall off on my way there.
I will do the spell again in the evening of this January the 11th. If you want to do it with me on the same day, tune into my energies or email me and let’s kick-start it all together.
Rub a blue candle, representing health, with lavender oil for beauty.
Set up a little altar with a picture of you at your happiest and any souvenirs you have from that time - a shell, a poem, anything that reminds you of being healthy and beautiful.
Light the candle and let it burn right down, and visualise yourself smiling, brimming with good health and vitality, happy and strong.
Remember to eat healthily and exercise after the spell is done!

Wishing you all the blessings for the happy New Year.

If you’d like a spell created specially for you in the magazine, write to Inbaal at inbaal@hotmail.com with HighSpirit in the subject line.
Inbaal can be contacted for readings on 075 0505 7040 or inbaal.com

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Get Ready for Winter with A Bit of Magic

From HighSpirit magazine

Here in the UK we didn’t have much of a summer.
Now the winter is closing in, we can all do with
a bit of magic to brighten up the season.
Whether the cold takes hold of you physically or mentally,
here are old and new spells to choose from
to help you through this time of hibernation.

Whether we like it or not, we’re on the verge of winter already.
As climate changes would have it, it’s the second year in a row of intemperate conditions in the UK, which meant that those of us who stayed home for summer didn’t see more than a few sunny days.
The first certain date of winter, Bonfire night, is just a few days away. Our cousins across the pond are getting their kitchens ready for Thanksgiving.
Out in the shops, people are already strolling around with long lists in their hands, their Yule shopping well underway. In colleges and universities, the first lot of exams is in full swing.
If you’re one of those students, cursing and swearing through your academic endeavours, here’s a spell that will help your focus and concentration.

Academic Success Spell
In order to do well and pass exams, you’ve got to be earthy, serious and responsible. Even if this isn’t an apt description of you, you can bring the earthiness into your schoolbag.
Take a walk in nature outside your college. Pick up anything ‘Earthy’ you can find. A small rock, a brown stick on the ground, even a leaf that’s fallen off a tree. Carry those in a special pocket in your bag. Having natural earth elements with you, in your learning environment, will help you connect with the common sense and logic of your study subjects.
Before entering an exam, dab some lavender oil on your wrist to help with your concentration. Sniff at it when you need an answer.

In academic circles, it may well be just a third of the way through the year, but for most of us, the end of the year is in sight and we look forward to our well-earned rest over Yule. Just a few more weeks before we’re allowed to put our feet up for a week, enjoy our families and not think of work.
To help you make it through those few weeks of hustle and bustle, and to take you by the hand when facing the fear of it head-on, here’s a simple way of making sure you can befriend the cold and darkness.

Spell for Uplifting your Spirits
Ingredients:
Citrine stone
Yellow candle
Bergamot Oil

The ingredients of this spell are yellow, to replace the glow of the sun.
On its own, the citrine crystal is known as ‘the cuddle stone’, for its quality of making you feel better when you are down.
We’re going to enhance the positive qualities of this crystal by first creating a sacred space. Prepare for the spell around sunset, by rubbing bergamot oil into a yellow candle. Both ingredients promote positivity even when used separately. Together, their gift is much greater. Sprinkle three drops on the centre of the candle, and rub them upwards onto the wick. Then sprinkle four drops onto the centre and rub the bottom half of the candle. Place it securely in a holder and light it, breathing in the revitalizing citrus scent.
The anointed candle, and anywhere the scent can be picked up from, is now your sacred space.
Dab a dot of oil on your index finger, and rub it all over your crystal, with your eyes closed, visualising all the wonderful things that are coming towards you. See a holiday, if you’re about to take one. A new home, a lovely partner, whatever it takes to put a smile on your face, and then do it some more. The crystal is charged with positivity, and now you charged it with all the images that make you happy.
Carry that citrine with you in your handbag or pocket.

When you’re uplifted, you’re automatically more attractive to those around you. People find it easier to talk to you, to relate to you and to be intimate in your company. It’s the perfect time to scout for love if you’re single.
I wrote an original spell for you, to help you meet someone who’s also looking for a winter-mate, someone to cuddle under the duvet.

Someone to Hold To Spell
The scents of rose and jasmine are all you need to bring love in. They’re warming fragrances as well, and so perfect for a winter bath.
Fill your bath before bedtime, and ritually add 7 drops of rose oil and 7 drops of jasmine oil on the ‘head’ side of the bath.
When you get in the water, chant to yourself “Love will warm me, love will calm me” until you’re ready for bed.

Soon enough you’ll have someone to cuddle – but the perils of November are not gone yet.
Whether you or your new partner are struck down with one of the ailments of the season, here are a few methods my great grandma brought over from the tough plains of old USSR.

Traditional Charms for Coughs and Colds
* Two or three times a day, bring a pot of water to the boil, add three drops of eucalyptus oil, cover your head over the pot with a towel, and breathe deeply several times.
* Ginger, garlic and honey broth, drunk hot a few times a day, will chase off a cold.
* Rubbing your ears vigorously is said to bring your red nose back to its original colour, drawing the blood away from the centre of the face. What you do with two bright red ears is up to you.
* Slice a horseradish root and sniff its exposed flesh to ease the sniffles.
* Sleeping with sliced onion in your socks is said to help get rid of a cold.

Now that you’re secure, happy and healthy, you can enjoy the season for what it is. A chance to hibernate, gather your resources and re-evaluate your life. If there are things that you wanted to achieve by the end of the year, congratulate yourself for getting there.

Wishing you a joyous, warm November.

Inbaal can be contacted for readings on 075 0505 7040 or inbaal.com

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What do Witches do at Christmas?

From HighSpirit magazine

For me, Yuletide is a very exciting time.
I come from a country with no Christmas
and the gathering of families and exchange of gifts
is as fantastic to me as it would be to a child.
But where did those traditions come from?
The old, Pagan residents of these lands have the answer.

Some of the community don’t like to admit it but Wiccans have a lot in common with Druids. Both are versions of an ancient priesthood, both celebrate nature and the seasonal festivals and, with time, each religion has influenced the other to a greater or lesser degree.
Whereas Druid energies are practical and masculine, us Witches are more magical and feminine; Druid rituals often take place in the daytime and Witches are mistresses of the night; Druids use poetry where Witches use spells – but any Witch can easily hold her own in a Druid ritual and vice versa. The differences only make it more fascinating.

Yule Traditions of Yesteryear
Those Druids have celebrated the rebirth of the sun for centuries on the 21st of December. They call it Midwinter, or Alban-Arthan - the shortest day after which the sun starts to return. As well as going into the stone-circles and such nature temples for their rituals, they also gave presents around the fire and gathered boughs of evergreens and mistletoe. That, and their tradition of burning an oak log hold some clues as to where traditional Christmas came from.

Gathering in a stone circle is the ancient form of sitting in the living room with all your friends and relations, with vast amounts of chocolate making everyone a bit sugar-hyper and with wine flowing from lunchtime.
This is exactly the kind of time that necessitates a spell to get you through.

Spell for Harmony between Friends and Family
Keeping your own calm is, of course, central to the success of maintaining your sanity so pick any night before the family gathering, but it must be an evening when you’re calm and happy.
Pick a nice box of chocolates. It’s got to be a big one, with at least one chocolate for each member of the family who will be sharing Christmas with you.
Spend your evening with that box of chocolates as your best friend. Watch telly together, have it by your side as you’re reading a magazine and playing on your computer. Let the sense of calm waft onto the box… and when the evening draws to a close, spray a bit of your perfume on it and wrap it up with a beautiful ribbon.
Keep the box by your bed until family starts to gather for the festivities and before anyone has a chance to start arguing, hand each one of the assembled masses a treat from your box.

Another aspect of having so many people around is that each and every one deserves a present. Spending fever is so tempting and it’s only natural to find yourself in the red when only half the shopping is done.
A lot of money can be saved with forward planning – either doing it online or deciding who gets what and from which shops before you even set off. To help you stick to your resolve, try this simple charm:

Spell to Resist Overspending on Presents
Mix these three essential oils or fragrances in a tiny bowl (you only want three drops of each): eucalyptus for purity, lavender for inner calm and cinnamon for the seasonal feel.
If you don’t have those oils handy and don’t want to spend money on purchasing them, hunt around the house for cinnamon in the spice rack, lavender in your bathroom potpourri and perhaps eucalyptus nasal drops… all you want is a little mixture that smells of those three fragrances.
Dip your finger in the mixture and dab a little on your wallet, on your credit card and on your bank notes. The smell will remind you of your resolve not to overspend when you take your wallet out.

You’ve put a lot of thought into everyone else’s present and you want to make sure you don’t end up with a pile of novelty socks for presents, all a size too big because “the design was so cute, I had to get it for you”.
Wishing for specific presents or any specific outcomes to spells is a bit of a magical grey area. We’re not supposed to influence anyone’s free will, so how do we get what we want whilst keeping it ethical?

Spell to Get Your Heart’s Desire
Whatever your ideal present is, make sure you wish for the gift rather than wishing for someone specific to bring you it. That way, you may well win it in a raffle or be given the exact amount of money to be able to buy it for yourself. That way, you’re not bending anyone’s will to your own.
Whether you want a stunning pair of boots or your biggest wish is to see your parents getting on, take a little while to yourself on a Saturday and whilst completely calm, chant under your breath:
“Earth and Water, Air and Fire,
Bring to me my heart’s desire”
Keep chanting, a little louder and a little faster every time, while imagining a thin golden cone of power rising from your heart upwards. When you feel the cone is sufficiently big and that you chanted sufficiently long, see the cone rise rapidly and disappear in the sky.

As long as we’re on the subject of ethics, it’s always a good idea at the end of a spell to ask for it ‘out of free will and for the good of all’. That way, if you have crossed a line, your spell will not.

Have a Merry Festive Season, however you choose to celebrate it.

Inbaal can be contacted for readings on 075 0505 7040 or inbaal.com

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Out with the old, In with the new… Imbolc

From HighSpirit magazine

This month, you’ll notice the first shoots
springing from the ground. Crocuses and
snowdrops peek bravely through the frost.
Nature awakens and prepares for spring.
Now is the time to join nature in spells for beginnings.
…So what’s that got to do with romance?

Even in the heart of the city, you can always notice nature. Whether you walk to work through a park or wake up to the sight of your neighbour’s window boxes, you’ll have noticed the dead of winter, when nothing but a few cyclamens and winter pansies hold their heads high in the cold, wet ground.
I’m lucky to have my first ever back garden and a tiny front garden here in London and there’s a whole park between me and my tube station, so the first shoots of spring are quite a big deal for me. If we put it dramatically, as you gaze at the miracle of life beginning, you can harness its power towards anything you’d like to start anew.

Traditions of Imbolc
February the 1st is called Imbolc in the Wiccan calendar. Some say it’s February 2nd but it’s really not worth arguing over – most covens celebrate on the most convenient day to all its members. The meanings and even pronunciation of the word Imbolc have several variations, but all suggest to the awakening of nature. Whether it means ‘ewe’s milk’ and spelled Oimelc, or whether it’s Old Irish i mbolg for ‘in the belly’, the message is loud and clear. With the start of the nature year, we’re ready to shed off our old winter coats and make a fresh start.
Self-dedications and initiations are de rigueur at this time. Keep reading for advice on performing your own.
Spring-cleaning is performed ritually at this time, as well as sweeping your magic circle whilst chanting ‘thus we banish winter / thus we welcome spring / say farewell to what is dead / and greet each living thing’.
Imbolc is a time for us to honour the Goddess Brigid, whose worship is maintained in modern days through the devotion to Ireland’s St Brigid, patron saint of midwives and newborn babies. The Goddess Brigid was told to bring healing and fertility to the people, and was, no doubt, the direct inspiration for the saint who bears her name. Therefore, any wells that are sacred to one are also blessed for the other.
Her role in praying and casting spells for childbirth is very close to my heart. As well as going through a challenging journey myself in mine and my husband’s quest for a family, many of my clients are experiencing the same difficulties. This Brigid spell is dedicated to you, ladies. You know who you are!

Fertility Spell for the Goddess Brigid
Use St Brigid’s Day, February 1st to perform this spell, and if you can, read up a bit about the saint or the Goddess Brigid on whom her stories are based, so that you can visualise her effectively when you focus on your spell.
Set a pure white altar in Brigid’s colour. Lace or velvet altar cloths, a white candle dedicated to the goddess, a couple of white bowls or ramekins for milk and water and anything else that seems appropriate to you. Perhaps a picture of a baby or a pregnancy test – be creative!
Into a duly consecrated circle, invite Brigid and meditate on her. Visualise yourself meeting her at her sacred well and throw an offering of a coin into the well.
Milk is one of the symbols of the Goddess, and an obvious symbol of childbirth. Bless the milk in the name of the Goddess and anoint each of your chakras with it, dipping your middle finger in it and dabbing it on each chakra point in turn.
Visualise each chakra open and ready for the birth of your child.
When you’re ready, give thanks and take down your circle.

Over the months, I’ve discussed a lot of ‘results magic’ here; when you conjure up something you need with the help of the Gods or the universe. But Imbolc is also a time to worship the Gods without asking for anything in return. A very spiritual ritual for those very spiritual readers, here is a dedication ritual, short and sweet.

Simple Self-Dedication
I can safely assume you would only perform this spell when you have been working with a certain deity for a long time, or feel a very special affinity with them. This is not something that needs doing if you just want a favour from this God or Goddess! Dedication is for life, not just for Imbolc.
Go outdoors to make it really special. A local park or a back garden are equally fine. Cast your circle and invite the elements and your main deity.
Introduce yourself and explain why you’re performing the ritual, and state past encounters you’ve had with this God or Goddess. Make a physical offering to your deity, like a crystal or some incense. Also, make a promise to them, and make sure it’s a promise you will keep!
Spend as long as you can meditating on the God or the Goddess. Enjoy being in your circle out in nature. When you are ready, close your circle and write down everything you can remember.

In the midst of all this overt spirituality, no one can forget February’s most widely acknowledged date, the second biggest card-sending festival in the calendar, Valentine’s Day. Originally, the festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated on February 15th, was a fertility festival, so not far removed from everything we looked at thus far. The maidens of the city of Rome would go out in search of a mate. We can still do this part nowadays, so for new love, or for a breath of fresh air into your love story, try this original spell:

Love Reborn Spell
One of the most common questions I get asked when doing a reading is: ‘Is he coming back?’ It’s hard to give up an old love story as, after a while, we only remember the happy times.
To make sure this spell works effectively, make sure you’re ready to give up the old love if it’s not right for you. Mix rose, jasmine and lavender scents in a bath. Essential oils are great but if you can find some dried or natural flowers for your bath, better yet. A glass of rosé wine will be your treat when you finish, which you can prepare beforehand.
As you’re bathing, imagine the room filling out with a fluffy pink mist.
Through the mist, you hear a knock on the bathroom door, and will it to open. In your mind’s eye, see who walks in. Be honest with yourself!
If it’s the old love, tell him how you want for things to change, what you’re hoping for in your future.
If a new love walks through, turn over a new leaf, tell him you’re ready to meet him and let him know what your expectations are from a love relationship.
When you’re done, ask him to leave, allow the pink mist to disappear and finish your bath in peace.

Happy Imbolc, and happy rebirth.

Inbaal can be contacted for readings on 075 0505 7040 or inbaal.com

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What does balance mean to you?

From HighSpirit magazine March 2009

Very soon, we’ll be getting to the date
when daylight will overtake night time.
The Spring Equinox, when night and day
are in perfect balance, will bring the onset of summer.
With the balance of light and dark,
we’re offered a chance to balance ourselves.

Most Wiccans get very excited by our Fire Festivals like Samhain and Beltane, the special holidays that are very spooky and witchy and magical. Me, I’m a big geek. I love the Quarter Days: the Solstices and the Equinoxes. I will not call them the Lesser Sabbats, as for me, they are nature, they are Wicca.
Being a city girl and having been brought up in flats, sowing and harvesting mean little to me. But sun and moon mean everything. I’m yet to see a sunrise more colourful, more beautiful than the sunrises I saw as a sleepless teenager from my old bedroom window in my parents’ home.
I feel the shortest day and the longest day of the year in my skin and my nerves. The Equinoxes are even more special to me, as there are two of them.
For ancient cultures, sun and summer meant life, whereas winter was death, so you can see how excited the people of the old world would get over the time when we officially pass from the dark half of the year and into the light!

Traditions of Equinox
Equinox traditions are a little mixed up with Easter traditions, starting with the name. The word Easter is derived from the name of the Goddess of Dawn, Eostre, which is the Wiccan name for the Vernal Equinox.
Hares are Eostre’s beloved animals, and there are many different seasonal myths which involve a hare laying eggs – hence the Easter Bunny and eggs common in Easter folklore.
Some say that the Spring Equinox is the only day you can balance an egg on its point, the narrow end – I say, give it a try!

And with balance in mind, let’s have a look at what we can magically balance in our own lives:

Spell for balancing finances
You’ll need a tiger’s eye crystal, preferably flat or square, not pebble shaped, which you will cleanse before the day of your spell by burying it in the ground for 24 hours so that it releases any previous magical or emotional deposits into the ground under the watchful eyes of the sun and of the moon.
With a pen or a marker (or nail varnish, my favourite) draw symbols for the sun and moon on opposite sides of the stone. The sun symbol is a circle with a dot in the middle, and the moon symbol is the outline of a crescent, though if you’re happier with other drawings to represent those celestial beings, just go with what feels right.
On any Saturday of your choice, hold the crystal with both your hands, in a prayer position. Your right hand will touch its solar side and the left hand the lunar.
Take a deep, cleansing breath and as you exhale, feel all negativity and worries about your financial status dissipating, disappearing. Visualise the feeling of balance and calm running from your heart and brain, through your shoulders, arms and hands into the crystal.
Leave the newly charged stone on your window-sill for 24 hours, allowing it to get charged again by the sun and the moon.

Of course, with the economy being as it is, finances are a worry but our emotions take a bit of a battering even in normal day-to-day life, with our boss being rude to us, a friend forgetting to be sensitive, and our hormones in a rage (yes, boys, you have hormones too!). It’s not always easy to keep your balance…

Spell for Balancing Emotions
Even though it’s a great Equinox exercise, any day will do for this, as long as you settle yourself into it just before sunset, so you get to explore yourself at the time of light and of dark.
In a calm place, where you will not be disturbed, light some incense, (sandalwood is great for balancing) take a seat by the light of one candle and breathe slowly and comfortably. With every in-breath, think of a quality in yourself and with every out breath, decide if you want to keep it or lose it.
In your head, it will sound something like:
“Happiness – keep, laziness – lose, anger – lose, friendliness – keep…” and so on.
The longer you do it, the more qualities you’ll mention, some you never knew you had, and when you’re ready to finish, you’ll have accepted all the positive elements in yourself and will have decided to let go of anything you don’t like.
Notice anything interesting about your dreams that night!

With your emotions in check, let’s balance one last topical element – the family unit. That’s quite an undertaking, I know, but let’s make it as simple as possible, and if your family members are into this magic stuff, get them to try this one out. It is easy and straightforward, a perfect beginners’ spell.

Mothering Sunday Spell for family happiness
Gather several ribbons in different (matching) colours, each representing a member of your family who you want to be on good terms with. All the ribbons have to be the same length, about your arm’s length will do.
You only need to put aside a few minutes for this one, so make sure you pick a quiet time, preferably after a shower or a bath when you smell nice and your head is cleared of worries.
Tie all the ribbons together with one knot in the end, and rest the knot between two of your toes. Start plaiting the ribbons together, whilst chanting: ‘My family is tight, my family is might!’.
When your creation is complete, use it to wrap around a bouquet of flowers for your mum, or around a vase.

Enjoy your spring!

Inbaal can be contacted for readings on 075 0505 7040 or inbaal.com

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Celebrate Your Love: Valentine’s Romance Spells

From HighSpirit magazine February2010

Valentine’s Day really divides the cynics.
Do you see it as a commercial day,
reason to buy cards and pink stuff,
or do you welcome the chance to have a date
specifically set aside to show your partner how much you care?
Whether single and searching or happily coupled up,
tere’s a love spell to suit your needs.

Contrary to popular belief, Valentine’s Day wasn’t invented by a heartless marketing executive. It’s a revival of an ancient fertility festival, practiced in Roman times on February 15th. The highlight of those Lupercalia rites was a nude run through the city of all the noble young boys, carrying strips of animal skin with which to whip the young ladies of the city. Being on the receiving end of a whip stroke was said to cure infertility and ease the pain of childbirth.

Spell to Bring in New Love:
For those of us staying indoors with a bottle of red and a bar of chocolate on Valentine’s day, don’t let the evening (and the new moon) go to waste.
Quietly cast a magical circle around the sofa, yourself and your wine, purifying it by visualising grey smoke inside it and clearing it away, to leave the air pure and clear around you.
Invite, in your mind’s eye, a new partner to join you in the circle. You may see his features or body; you may just feel his presence. Ask him to hurry and join you in real life soon.
Offer him some of your wine and chocolate, and see if you can enjoy a conversation with him.
When he’s ready to leave, take down your circle, and await his arrival in your life, with the same certainty you expect the sun to come up in the morning.

When we are in love, our defences are down. We’re more sensitive to our partner and more receptive to everything that comes from the other person – be it praise or criticism.
For the most part, the partner can do no wrong in our eyes – we’re in love! Even unfair criticism can sound genuine and heartfelt to our loving ears. When you enjoy a rare moment of love-sobriety, you’ll hopefully gather enough strength to get rid of anyone who makes you feel unduly guilty or unhappy. But what of the other sort?
Our over-sensitivity can mean that the most innocent comment may hit a nerve and we spend the first year of the relationship shot to ribbons for no reason, possibly even putting off our loved one with neediness and clingy behaviour.
Keeping calm and allowing our brains to keep working normally throughout the relationship will go a long way towards keeping you two together.
So many relationships break up for silly, irrelevant reasons. Here’s how you don’t become one of those.

Spells to Improve the Love You Have:
Valentine’s day 2010 will be on a dark-moon Sunday, the perfect time for new beginnings, so if you’d like to change your behaviour, or positively influence your partner’s behaviour, brew the following concoction in a small, dark bottle. Start with a thimbleful of a carrier oil, such as almond oil, and add three drops of three of the following oils (three is a wonderful number for love, and indeed fertility. It’s a cosy, maternal number that will make you both feel welcome and heard in the relationship.)
Jasmine or rose oil for love.
Ylang ylang or cinnamon oil for passion.
Lavender or gardenia oil for peace.
You can choose both oils in one category if you feel you need more of a specific element.
Shake the bottle vigorously three times, and wait for your opportunity to strike…
When you are with your partner, wet your finger lightly with the potion and touch your partner in three places you’d like to improve. Touch his ear if you’d like him to listen more. Dab near his mouth if you’d like more communication. The temple, if you feel he could be more thoughtful. The lower back, if a backbone is needed to stand up to his mum. Only three places, mind!
For equality’s sake, wet your finger again and touch yourself in three places you’d like to improve. Your heart, if you want to be more stable. Your leg, if you want to conquer the urge to cut and run. Your base chakra, if you want to be more responsive to his physical advances.
Use the rest of the liquid as massage oil on the night, bath oil or just sprinkle it on your pillows. Bury any leftovers, still in the bottle, near some flowers.

Sometimes circumstances pull you and your perfect love apart.
Creating a spell to bring someone specific to you is an ethical grey area but if you know that someone else has come between you unjustly or if you have information that the other person wants to be with you but you’re not sure how to make it possible, use the following spell with caution.

If You Want to Bring a Lover Back:
Many ancient love spells involve apples, the fruit of love. Two halves of the apple represent the two of you – two halves of the one whole.
Choose a fairly warm day, when you’re happy and positive and feel like love is around.
Cut an apple in half, and affix a photo of yourself to the one half, and a photo of your errant partner on the other. Stick the apple back together as it was before – use sewing pins or toothpicks.
Bake the apple on low heat for just 20 minutes or so, all the time visualising yourself and your beloved hugging each other.
When you’re done baking and daydreaming, wrap a red ribbon around your creation, and state ‘out of free will, and for the good of all’, so that you don’t force anyone to do your bidding. If it’s right, he’ll soon be back.

I wish you a warm, love filled month!

Inbaal can be contacted for readings on 075 0505 7040 or inbaal.com

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The Day the Sun Stands Still

From High Spirit magazine

The word Solstice is made up of two words:
Sol is the sun, and sistere means to stand still.
Twice a year the sun appears to stay in one place
before reversing direction and carrying on.
We revere those time, at winter’s Yule
and at Litha, the Summer Solstice.

I find it much more impressive in the UK than I did in the Middle East - the lengthening of days as we approach Midsummer.
Back in the days when I was new to this country, and jobs were scarce for the girl with the accent, I worked in a shop with no windows, far away from the door. In winter, it would still be somewhat dark when I came in at 9am and I wouldn’t see daylight at all, working 7 days a week, but in summer, I could leave at 9pm and the sun was still up! That was only the case for a few weeks a year, but the impact of sunlight at nighttime is part of why I fell in love with this country.

Midsummer Traditions:
Even though this is the time of the sun ‘standing still’, Midsummer spells, rituals and traditions will be generally very active.
This is the hottest, brightest time of year and people, animals and plants are full of energy and growth.
Fruit ripens on the bough, fertility is everywhere, and people are out until late not wearing much. It’s a happy, excitable time.
Midsummer itself is considered the luckiest time to marry (I married on June 16th) and there was a tradition of the newlyweds drinking mead (fermented honey) every night for a month after the nuptials, which is where the term ‘honeymoon’ might have come from.

Since the sun is at the point of declining and won’t be waxing again for six months, this is a great time to be making sacrifices, giving up things and purging your home from anything superfluous.
It’s a great time for giving things away so if there’s anything you’d like to dedicate to a god or a goddess, use this following rite to strike up a friendship with your main deity or to get to know a new one.

Devotion Rite
This isn’t the easiest of rituals to perform as you’ll need to put some of your own thought and creativity into it rather than follow a prescriptive list. The rewards, however, are as great as the initial investment!
Read up about your chosen deity – or the deity who chooses you.
List the day, colour and symbols associated with this god or goddess.
Prepare a creative gift to offer to the deity – a painting, a poem, an altar decoration, etc.
On an appropriate evening when you won’t be disturbed, prepare an altar with all the symbols and colours associated with the deity. Use your own intuition and ignore the symbols that just don’t ‘feel’ right.
Sit in front of your altar. Hopefully there’ll be sights and smells enticing enough to captivate your attention: incense, candles, maybe a statue. Focus on those and think of your god or goddess. Invite them to join you and make them feel welcome. Make your offering with the gift that you have prepared.
This isn’t a time to ask for anything, so enjoy the trust you’re building between each other and have faith that they know what you need and will help you along your way.
Listen to any messages you may receive (it’s always a good idea to write them down as it’s very common to forget it all afterwards).
When your deity is ready to depart, you will know. Thank them for their presence and their messages. and communicate to them that you’ll be happy to hear from them whenever they choose.
By the way, don’t take this work lightly, as you might be asked for some more offerings from your deity!

I fully believe that anyone in any situation can achieve success in whatever field they like – be it the world of business, charity, even love.
The only thing that has eluded me so far in my life is the privilege of having a child. HighSpirit reader Geeta has written to me, asking for a fertility spell, and I understand the frustration of ‘trying’. Everyone tells you to relax and not think about it, don’t they? And then it’ll work. But only women who experienced the stress of their ovaries not playing along can understand others in the same situation.

Pregnancy Spell for Geeta
I’ll be doing this spell with you, Geeta, and sharing in the energy, wishing for the happy outcome for both you and me. Anyone else joining us, please make a point of thinking of all the other ladies whose fertility has let them down, and see us all grow and go on to have healthy, happy pregnancies with bouncing babies at the end!
This spell is loosely based on the tradition of walking naked at midsummer through your vegetable patch, to encourage fertility of both body and garden.
Plan a picnic, either alone or with friends, and go out to nature on a warm day, as close to midsummer as you can manage.
Pack natural foods for you to consume when you’re out. Consider any fruits, seeds, nuts, fresh salad, natural juices, even wines and traditional lemonade.
Enjoy your picnic and at one point, anytime at all, go for a walk by yourself, with an offering to the Goddess of Nature in hand. An apple is a handy gift, though a lettuce leaf, a bunch of grapes or a glass of juice is just as valid. Walk through the more fertile parts of the park or the garden. The wilder the vegetation, the stronger the vibe of nature will be beneath your feet. Sing to yourself as you walk around and make a point of feeling the strength of nature rising from the ground, between your legs and further.
Wordlessly ask the Goddess for a child and place your offering on the ground where it won’t be found, thanking her for the pregnancy you are about to have.

Happy Midsummer!

If you’d like a spell created especially for you in the magazine, write to Inbaal at inbaal@hotmail.com with HighSpirit in the subject line.
Inbaal can be contacted for readings on 075 0505 7040 or inbaal.com

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