Archive - July 2009
Fortune Tellling With Bay Leaves
Did you know that the bay leaf used to add flavouring in cooking can also be used for telling the future?
To receive a yes-or-no to a question, ask your question out loud while holding a bay leaf to a candle flame. If the leaf crackles while burning, the answer is yes. If the leaf bubbles or makes a sqeaking noise, the answer is no.
Related articles: A magical charm to secure a dream job
How to predict the future using dominoes
How to use a pendulum to predict your future
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Posted on Fri 29th Jul 2011
Attrracting Prosperity with Green Gemstone Energy
Green gemstones are said to manifest both vitality and prosperity in your life.
Green is naturally associated with abundance as it is the colour of life, bringing to mind lush green forests and rolling fields. Nature’s vitality brings associations of health, abundant blessings, and well-being. In colour theory, being surrounded by the colour green is said to be supportive to the physical body and inspires feelings of healing and renewal.
Each green gemstone has distinct properties that assist in manifesting specific aspects of abundance. The following are just a few examples of these uniquely specialized properties:
Green Tourmaline Clears Blocks to Attract Success
Green Tourmaline is said to help heal auras and clear away blockages, as well as attract money and success. It has a dense, grounded vibration, making it a great stone to work with to connect to the physical and material world. Tourmaline is unique in that it contains a piezoelectrical charge, a type of electricity that is activated in certain crystalline substances, thus also making it great for working with the mind-body connection.
Jade for Better Business Dealings
In addition to drawing money, jade strengthens mental functions, reasoning ability, and wisdom, so it’s a terrific stone to use for business dealings. It is also symbolic of successful love, if an abundance of love is on your list! It helps you release anxiety and fear-based emotions and brings dreams into reality, as well as luck, longevity, and spiritual self-realization.
Take Charge with Alexandrite
Alexandrite has a very unique colour that actually appears to shift from shades of green to shades of red when held up to artificial light. This changeability associates it with changes of fortune. If you are ready to take bold action, alexandrite is said to help you win your desired outcome.
Enhance Career with Emerald
The prosperity emerald brings is not limited to material wealth, but also spiritual and creative riches. It especially benefits career, as it promotes group harmony in work situations as well as helps overcome challenges. It motivates action and truth, and brings a sense of security in personal and work relationships. It is also associated with an abundance of healing, faithfulness, and love.
Green Gemstone Meditation for Prosperity and Abundance:
After having cleaned and charged the gemstone of your choice, hold it in your hands and enter a meditative state. Ask for divine assistance. Imagine any and all blocks towards achieving abundance being swept away. When they are gone, a brand new space opens. Visualise this space being filled with a beautiful green light. This light is filled with the energy of the specific type of abundance you want to attract.
Later on, carry the stone with you, or put in a special place, such as a home altar. Every time you see or hold it, you are reminded that you are filled with abundance always and you have everything you need.
Related articles: Crystals to help you lose weight
Posted on Fri 29th Jul 2011
Astrology: How Does Your Star Sign Cope With Growing Older
Left: Nancy Dell'Olio & Debbie Harry two celebs who don't believe they should dress their age. Nancy is a Virgo and Debbie is born under the sign of Cancer
Are you still wearing short skirts well into middle age? Or have you decided you’re old -- even before your time? Some signs embrace age gracefully, while others fight it furiously.
The sign most associated with aging is Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, planet of time. But curiously Capricorns live their lives in reverse –- they’re very serious as children and then mellow as they get older.
Aquarius has Saturn as a co-ruler and can be stuffy throughout childhood. That said, they tend to get more eccentric with age, not caring whether anyone thinks them odd still wearing gypsy earrings at 80.
Aries and Sagittarius ignore the advancing years altogether. They live for the moment assuming tomorrow will never come. They easily throw themselves wholeheartedly into the same activities they did 30 years ago. Their vitality of spirit keeps them young.
Leo is sedate and indulgent, so they can slow down and put on pounds as the years progress. They secretly like being thought of as a respected elder, and can become set in their ways.
Gemini has no intention of slowing down, so they’ll keep up their wildly busy schedule through their mid-life and far beyond.
Cancer comes in two varieties: one who never grows up and one who grows into a nurturer of all those around them. They like to be seen as a figure of respect as they age.
Libra is greatly concerned with their appearance and will do all they can to keep wrinkles and extra pounds away. They’re likely to glide into old age, insisting at 90 that they never left middle age.
Taurus eats well, so they can gain weight as they get older and become less flexible -- in mind as well as body. That said, they have amazing endurance and can go on and on.
Virgo can become a bit negative as they grow older if they let their hypercritical tendencies run out of control. They need to stay sensual and kind if they want to hit their prime in good form.
Scorpios tend to become stately as they grow old, priding themselves on being wise -- which they undoubtedly are. But they can also get very fixed in their ways and rather stubborn.
Pisces dislikes the physical signs of growing old and can become rather fussy and over-anxious. Fewer worries will definitely add years to their lives.
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Posted on Fri 29th Jul 2011
Lucky Charms Do Work
They are taken to exams, job interviews and weddings in the hope they will bring good fortune.
But rather than being mere superstition, lucky charms do actually work, psychologists claim.
In a recent study researchers told half the golfers on a putting green that they were playing with a lucky ball, and the rest that they were playing with a normal one.
Those with the lucky ball sank 6.4 putts out of 10, nearly two more putts on average than the others - an increase of of 35 per cent.
The results have sparked huge interest among behavioural psychologists who say they put luck in a different light.
The research from the University of Cologne was on just 28 students but the results are being considered significant.
But the figures will also be an encouragement for the millions who cling to a lucky shirt or ring on special occasions to bring them fortune.
And even celebrities have often admitted relying on a lucky charm.
Cameron Diaz has a necklace given to her by a friend because she thinks it will ward off the effects of aging, while Julie Walters kept a lucky piece of coal in her bag during one Oscars ceremony.
Perhaps the most bizarre tradition among celebrities is that Atonement star James McAvoy says 'white rabbit' on the first of every month to the first person he sees - because his grandmother taught him that it brings good luck.
In recent years office desks have seen a proliferation of teddy bears and trinkets intended to bring good luck.
Also, quiz shows such as Deal Or No Deal and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire where treasured items are brought on in the hope they will give contestants the edge in the quest to win a fortune.
Lysann Damisch, co-author of the study, set to be published in the journal Psychological Science in June, said: 'Our results suggest that the activation of a superstition can indeed yield performance-improving effects.'
Stuart Vyse, professor of psychology at Connecticut College, added: 'Simply being told this is a lucky ball is sufficient to affect performance.'
Mathematicians have demonstrated in the past the role that randomness plays in people's lives, but this has not stopped many believing the opposite.
A recent survey found that 77 per cent of people were at least a little superstitious and/or engaged in some form of superstitious behaviour.
A total of 42 per cent said that they were 'very or somewhat' superstitious.
Related articles: The Key To Happiness
A Magical Charm To Secure Your Dream Job
Posted on Sun 24th Jul 2011
A Spell to Help Improve Your Flirting Techniques
If you feel you need a little magical help to improve your flirting techniques then try this simple spell.
Items Needed:
13 daisy petals
1 tablespoon of lavender bath salt or some lavender petals.
Pinch of cinnamon
Cheesecloth
Pink or red candle
Taking this magical bath before you go out for an evening of romance should really help boost your sex appeal. In your bath water, place some daisy and lavender petals, a pinch of cinnamon, and place a candle at the side of the bath. Choose a pink candle for romance, or red for passion. Daisies represent innocent love, while cinnamon adds a touch of spice. Light your candle and fill the tub. Place the flowers and spice in a cheesecloth bag, and let them diffuse in the bath. Climb in, relax, and visualize the kind of lover you want. Don’t use soap or any other bath products. When you’re ready to get out, snuff out the candle with wet fingers. Do not rinse off, but simply towel dry. The magic of the bath will stay with you all night.
Related articles: Love spell to improve feeling of togetherness
Love spell make him notice you
Posted on Sun 24th Jul 2011
Magic Spell To Lose Weight
You will need:
Camomile tea leaves/bags
Camomile tea can be used to magically cleanse your system and help shift that excess weight. Make a brew, and as you sip it, imagine yourself at your ideal weight. When the tea is finished, repeat this mantra:
'I cleanse my soul to reach my goal,
The power of will I shall instill.
Healthy within, slender and slim.
So mote it be.’
Repeat at least once a day, especially when you feel your willpower flagging!
Related articles: Magical herbal teas
Posted on Sat 23rd Jul 2011
Engagement Ring Luck
To have a friend make a wish upon your engagement ring is said to be lucky. But it's considered unlucky to let a friend try on your engagement ring.
It's also unlucky to wear an engagement ring on your ring finger before you are officially engaged.
It is luckier to have a new engagement ring than one worn by someone else
A solitaire cut stone is said to indicate a solitary existence!
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Marriage prediction with daisies
Posted on Fri 22nd Jul 2011
Salty Superstitions
There are many superstitions surrounding salt that have persisted through the years. Here are just a few:
If you spill salt immediately throw a pinch of the spilled salt over your left shoulder to avoid bad luck. The salt is said to go into the eyes of the devil, who is said to lurk on the left hand side of the body.
Because salt preserves food, to spill salt is said to be an omen of a broken friendship - it fortells that the relationship will not be preserved.
To pass the salt to someone at the dining table is said to 'help them to sorrow'
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Posted on Fri 22nd Jul 2011
What A Horoscope Can Tell You
At school we learn about science and mathematics, geography and history, literature and languages, and the arts, but we are not taught very much about ourselves as individuals. Yet it is very important that we should try to understand ourselves and each other, for this will help all of us to lead happier and more satisfying lives.
This is where horoscopes can help us. A horoscope cannot tell you what is going to happen, to you or to anybody else. But it can tell you what kind of person you are. Some psychologists use horoscopes to understand and help people who are upset or confused about themselves.
Each of us is so complicated it is like having many different people inside us. You know that sometimes you feel happy and want to be with other people, while at other times you may feel thoughtful and want to be left alone. With some people you meet you may appear full of fun. With others you may seem to be a very serious and withdrawn sort of person. You may be patient and give a great deal of attention to a pet animal but hurry and be careless with your schoolwork.
The signs of the Sun, Moon and planets at your birth can show why there seem to be so many different people inside you, and from that you can learn how best to live with all these different sides to your character and make the most of yourself. An entire horoscope, showing the special relationship between the Sun, Moon and planets at the place and moment of your birth, can tell you how you think and feel about things, where your talents lie, what kinds of things would be useful for you to learn, and what things in life are most likely to make you happy.
Here are the different sides to our lives and personalities which the Sun, the Moon and each of the planets represent:
 |
|
THE SUN shows our deepest goals in life, what we want. | |
| THE MOON shows how we respond emotionally, how we feel. | |||
| MERCURY shows how we think and express ourselves. | |||
| VENUS shows how we relate to others. | |||
| MARS shows how we use our energy and talents to get what we want. | |||
| JUPITER shows how we enjoy ourselves and expand our understanding. | |||
| SATURN shows how much self-discipline and strength of character we have. | |||
| URANUS shows in what ways we are original, inventive and creative. | |||
| NEPTUNE shows how we can best help others. | |||
| PLUTO shows in what ways we can grow through deepening our self-knowledge. |
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Posted on Thu 21st Jul 2011
Dream Meanings: How Nightmares Can Lead To High Anxiety
One in 20 people suffers with frequent or chronic nightmares, a recent study revealed.
The results of the study show that bad dreams are associated with health problems - from insomnia, fatigue and headaches, to depression and anxiety.
Mental health problems, such as depression, were five times more common in men and women who had regular nightmares.
'The high correlation between nightmare frequency and sleeprelated daytime consequences underlines the fact that nightmares might have a strong effect on the wellbeing of the patient, and should be treated,' says Dr Michael Schredl, of the Sleep Laboratory at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim, Germany.
Nightmares are defined as frightening dreams that awaken people from rapid eye movement or REM sleep, a time when there are high levels of brain activity.
Also in new Chinese research, psychiatrists investigated nightmares in 9,000 adults, looking at the frequency, as well as who has them and any links with ill health.
The results showed that 5.1 per cent of people have frequent nightmares, defined as at least one a week. They were more common among women, with 6.2 per cent having one at least once a week compared to 3.8 per cent of men.
Those in the neurotic category were also more likely to have scary dreams, and researchers say there is evidence of a genetic susceptibility, too.
Frequency was also linked to income and unemployment. Those on the lowest incomes were 2.3 times more likely to have three or more nightmares a week compared to the more affluent.
Higher levels of stress associated with lower incomes and social status may predispose some people to nightmares.
In turn, greater frequency was also linked to an increased risk of insomnia and to a higher risk of daytime fatigue, headaches, and difficulty getting up in the morning.
Results also show that the risk of having a psychiatric disorder was 5.7 times greater for those with frequent nightmares compared with those without.
The top nightmares in the study
- Falling (39.5 per cent)
- Being chased (25.7)
- Being paralysed (25.3)
- Being late for an event (24)
- Close person disappears/ dies (20.9)
- Horror films (18.9)
- Unable to complete a task (17.3)
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Posted on Thu 21st Jul 2011
Ghost of WWII Nurse in Bristol hospital
A phantom nurse dressed in a World War II uniform has been spotted wandering the corridors of an ex-hospital building in Bristol.
The spectre - dressed in a white head scarf and with a cardigan draped across her shoulders - has been seen by many people at The Vassall Centre, in Bristol.
Staff from Aspects and Milestones, a learning disability and mental health services charity, say they have seen and felt the ghostly presence on a number of occasions.
No one from the charity would comment in person on what they had seen, but staff claim the spirit moves about the office wearing a white apron with a grey gown and pushing a trolley.
They also say they have felt her touching their shoulders and moving diaries around, and have heard her rattling blinds and felt her pushing against doors they are trying to open.
But although the apparition brings a chilling atmosphere into the area whenever she is present, she is apparently a friendly ghost.
A cleaner at the Vassall Centre says she has felt the spectre's presence every week ever since she started working there.
Jacqui Painter, who is 55 and lives nearby, said: "I work in the corridors near Aspects and Milestones early in the morning, at about 4-5am.
"In this one corridor it is very warm, but as soon as I get to a certain part of it it is absolutely freezing. I haven't seen anything, but it feels like there is a presence there.
"I don't know what it is, but it is really cold and horrible, and is quite spooky.
"I am not scared, but it is not a very nice experience going up there and I always do my cleaning very quickly, especially if I am in the building on my own."
The Vassall Centre was built as part of Frenchay Hospital at some point during World War II, but was never actually used as a hospital.
No one has yet been able to identify who the nurse may have been, but medical staff would have been on the site during the 1940s and 1950s to check its suitability.
The building is now run by a local charity as barrier-free offices and conference facilities, providing accommodation for 15 disability organisations that provide services from the centre.
Mary Welbourn, the Vassall Centre Trust's conference centre manager, said: "As far as I know, the ghost has never made an appearance to any of our 20,000 conference centre users, and even if she has, no one has been nervous of coming back."
The Trust has recently tried to find out exactly when the building was built, but after checking records in the central library and in the Bristol records office, they are still no clearer.
The mystery stems from the fact that during the war many buildings were constructed quickly and sometimes secretly, so records were often left incomplete.
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Posted on Mon 18th Jul 2011
Why you've more than a ghost of a chance of seeing a spook in Edinburgh
EDINBURGH has a reputation for being the most haunted city on the planet. With its wealth of moody Gothic architecture and grisly past, it is easy to see why.
Arguably the most famous resident ghost is Major Thomas Weir, a 17th-century Presbyterian minister who fell from grace and was burned at the stake after admitting committing acts of bestiality and incest.
But while some people believe Weir was also Edinburgh’s most infamous witch and best-known Satanist, he was neither.
A book published in 2004, Edinburgh City of the Dead, attempts to explain the Capital’s dark side, debunking popular myths while providing a light-hearted guide to the most ghostly locations in the Capital.
City ghost tour guide and historian Jan-Andrew Henderson, who wrote the book, said: "I am very sceptical, which is why I was interested in writing the book. Too many people writing books about the supernatural are already convinced that ghosts exist.
"I have seen weird things, though, especially in Greyfriars Kirkyard, where Bloody Mackenzie’s [the King’s Advocate who put thousands of Covenanters to their deaths before dying in 1691] poltergeist is said to be. If that is not a genuine supernatural case then I don’t think there is any such thing."
Here are, reputedly, Edinburgh’s most haunted sites from Henderson’s guide - based on a range of material from sources including Edinburgh University, city ghost tour companies and stories printed in the Edinburgh Evening News:
Edinburgh Castle: Said to be haunted by several apparitions including the ghost of John Graham of Claverhouse, nicknamed Bloody Clavers for his ruthless persecution of Covenanters in the 17th century. Phantom drummers, bagpipers and invisible marching troops also inhabit the castle.
The Scotsman Hotel, North Bridge: The former offices of the Edinburgh Evening News is said to be haunted by a host of ghosts, including a phantom printer and a phantom forger.
South Bridge: Vaults inside the bridge are said to house a faceless man and a poltergeist.
Radisson SAS Hotel, Niddry Street: The hotel is on the site of Strichen’s Close, where Bloody George Mackenzie once lived. The area has been plagued by fires, thought to be caused by Mackenzie’s notorious troublemaking poltergeist.
Whistle Binkie’s Bar, Niddry Street: A long-haired gentleman in 17th-century costume known as The Watcher haunts the bar. No-one has ever seen his face. Since the 1990s another entity, The Imp, has also inhabited the bar and storerooms in South Bridge, making mischief by stopping clocks and slamming doors.
St Mary’s Street: Said to be haunted by a young woman stabbed to death in 1916 by an assailant who leaped out of a doorway, killed her and ran off. She appears in blood-spattered clothes with a shocked look on her face.
The Museum of Childhood, Royal Mile: Reported to ring with the crying of children late at night. It is near the site of a nursery sealed up during the plague years - with mothers and children inside.
The Canongate, Royal Mile: Watch for the burning spectre of the daughter of a respectable 18th-century family, apparently killed after bringing disgrace to her parents by falling pregnant by a servant.
Queensberry House, Canongate: This historic house in the centre of the new Scottish Parliament is famously haunted by a kitchen boy roasted and eaten by James Douglas, the mad Earl of Drumlanrig, in 1707.
Palace of Holyroodhouse, Royal Mile: The naked ghost of one Bald Agnes, stripped and tortured in 1592 after being accused of witchcraft, is said to roam there.
• West Bow (Victoria Street): The site of the former Anderson’s Close, torn down in 1827, which was home to the notorious Major Thomas Weir, aka The Wizard of the West Bow. It is also said to be haunted by sailor Angus Roy, who was crippled on a voyage in 1820 and taunted by children in the close who mimicked his limp. He is seen dragging his injured leg behind him.
George IV Bridge: The vaults under the bridge - used to imprison debtors in the 19th century - are allegedly inhabited by an unknown, handcuffed Highland chief.
Greyfriars Kirkyard: The burial place of the aforementioned Bloody George MacKenzie. Also the site of the Covenanters Prison, to which MacKenzie sent numerous victims.
George Street: Try to spot Jane Vernelt, who died in the early 20th century after losing her shop in the street due to bad financial advice and has been seen several times after death in broad daylight, heading for the now non-existent property.
Charlotte Square: Numerous ghosts are believed to inhabit the area, including a phantom beggar, a monk and even a piano player.
No. 15 Learmonth Gardens: Reportedly the only place in Edinburgh with a mummy’s curse. In the 1930s, its then owners stole a bone from a mummy’s tomb in Egypt and brought it home, after which their house was plagued by unexplained noises, flying objects and a spectre resembling an Egyptian priest.
Jamaica Street: Haunted in the late 18th or early 19th century by a man in a bright red hat. His appearance even caused a court case when the landlord accused his tenant of inventing the spectre to keep his rent down.
No. 12 Ann St: Said to be haunted by Mr Swan, a small, smiling man dressed in black who lived there in the 19th century before dying overseas.
Regent Terrace: In 1979 it was plagued by poltergeists - there was crying and breathing noises in empty rooms, and a small invisible being leapt on residents when they were in bed.
No. 5 Hazeldean Terrace: The Hazeldean Poltergeist became a national phenomenon in 1957 when it appeared at virtually the same time and same house number as the Rothesay Place poltergeist. The Hazeldean ghost threw a chopping board around and broke crockery.
Edinburgh Playhouse, Greenside Place: Haunted by Albert, a grey-coated man who appears on level six bringing a sudden chill to the air.
He is said to have been either a stagehand who died in an accident or a night-watchman who killed himself.
Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street: Occasional sightings of a blue lady believed to be Ellen Terry, the actress who performed at the Lyceum’s first show. A shadowy figure is also sometimes seen in the lighting rig high above the stage.
Balcarres Street, Morningside: Said to be haunted by a green lady reputed to be one Elizabeth Pittendale, who was stabbed to death by her husband after he caught her in a passionate embrace with his son from a former marriage.
Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Nicolson Street: The theatre stands on the site of the former Empire Palace. It is haunted by a tall, dark stranger rumoured to be the famous illusionist Sigmund Neuberger, aka The Great Lafayette, who burned to death in a fire at the Empire in 1911.
Dalry Road: Once haunted by Johnny "One-arm" Chiesly, who had his arm cut off and was hanged after shooting a judge who gave Chiesly’s wife a hefty divorce settlement.
The Corn Exchange, Baltic Street, Leith: Apparently haunted by a 19th-century Leith publican who hanged himself there after being shunned by neighbours who accused him of torturing children. His spectre was supposedly captured on camera on the US TV series Understanding the Paranormal.
The Dovecot, Dovecot Road, Corstorphine: The ghost of Christian Nimmo, aka the White Lady of Corstorphine, haunts the garden around the dovecot. The feisty wife of a successful businessman, she took a lover whom she stabbed to death after he insulted her - a crime for which she was beheaded.
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Posted on Mon 18th Jul 2011
Astrology: Hollywood's Newest Babies What Will They Be Like?
Last weekend was big in Hollywood as two sets of A-list parents had their long-awaited babies. Kate Hudson and her musician-man fiance, Matthew Bellamy, had their son on Saturday, while Posh and Becks finally had their much longed for first daughter, Harper Seven, on Sunday. As fate has it, both babies have a Cancer Sun and Scorpio Moon -- so, what does that mean? What will these little bundles of joy grow up to be like?
As it just so happens, Cancer Sun and Scorpio Moon is also the same combination the Jolie-Pitt twins were born under too! The chances are therefore that the children will look very much like their Mums, as Cancer is the sign of the mother. Also ruling nurturing, security and family, these youngster may naturally be a little shy and like to weigh up situations before jumping in -- preferring to stay close to home.
However, they're also likely to be highly creative and emotional, as they are double-Water signs and perhaps even a bit psychic too! Add the Scorpio Moon to the mix and they may be loyal to a fault, and also very private and intense. Like their parents they are quite likely to be sprinkled with a little star dust themselves and could become famous in their own right one day!
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Posted on Tue 12th Jul 2011
Tom Conti's Ghostly Encounter At 'Haunted' Hotel
Veteran actor TOM CONTI had a ghostly encounter when he recently stayed at a spooky hotel whilst shooting a movie.
The Shirley Valentine star was filming scenes on the Isle of Wight and unknowingly checked into a guest house rumoured to have a resident spectre.
The actor had two eerie experiences in the dead of night but eventually performed his own mini-exorcism - by trying to engage the apparition in conversation.
Conti, who also has enjoyed recurring roles in Friends and Cosby, says, "I was shooting a movie and I woke up in the early hours... and I heard somebody walking up and down beside the bed. (I) turned around. No one.
"And so I tried to go back to sleep but they started again. Turned around again - nothing. Closed my eyes. And the next thing I felt was 10 fingers (pressing) into my shoulder. Of course, I whirled around and there was nobody there."
The spooked actor decided to confront the ghost next time it made an appearance - and two nights later he got his chance.
He adds, "It came back... and I said, 'Hello, is there anything I can help you with?' and it stopped. Finished. That was the end of it."
The Isle of Wight has earned the nickname 'Ghost Island' amid claims that it's the most haunted island in the world.
Adapted from an original article in The Daily Star April 2011
Posted on Tue 12th Jul 2011
This spectred isle... the spookiest spots in Britain revealed
If you're at all scared of ghosts, make sure you steer clear of Kent.
The county is home to more paranormal beings than anywhere else in Britain, a recent study revealed. It also suggests you're most likely to glimpse a UFO in Yorkshire, while the country's most famous werewolf lives in Staffordshire.
A phantom hitchhiker getting into motorists' cars, a Lancashire time-warp slip road that takes you back to the 1940s and the ghost of a one-legged priest were among the reported incidents.
The findings come from the work of paranormal researcher Lionel Fanthorpe, 74, from Cardiff.
Lionel, has analysed ghostly sighting from the past 25years to come up with a list of the UK's spookiest places
UFOs were the most common paranormal sightings, with 109 reports across Britain.
One of the most well known sightings took place in Scotland in January 1986, when two policemen saw an orangey-red UFO travelling at slow speed and falling to the ground.
They described the object as resembling a flying clothes pole.
The second most common are general phantoms (also defined as ghosts or apparitions), with 50 reports including seven ghosts of policemen, a phantom monk, as well as a number of ghostly human shapes and medieval figures.
There have been 21 reported cases of werewolf sightings, with the Cannock Chase werewolf in Staffordshire the most renowned.
Road phantoms are the fourth most common paranormal sightings. There have been 17 cases of them scaring motorists over the years.
One of the most famous is a young girl who has been spotted wandering down the Caterham Bypass, in Surrey.
There have been five official reports of crop circles, with Wiltshire the most likely place to find one.
And there have been four reports of poltergeists terrorising people's homes, as well as four accounts of big cats roaming the woods of Leicester, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Dorset has the most railway ghosts and London hosts the only haunted airport, Heathrow, where a passenger claimed to have encountered the ghost of Dick Turpin
Mr Fanthorpe said: 'The highest form of investigation was never to regard something as so firmly proved that we don't need to look at it again.
'Neither should we laugh out of court anything that seems so ridiculous that it isn't worth investigating.'
Related articles:
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Britain's Most Haunted Highway
Adapted from an original article in the Daily Mail
Posted on Tue 12th Jul 2011
What Do Dreams About Finding Money Mean?
Dreams of finding money can have lots of symbolic meanings. And sometimes it may actually mean that you are about to have some good luck in your life soon. But it's also worth considering other possible interpretations of money dreams. Some say that to dream of money or winning treasure symbolises the true part of yourself - a part of you that has been hidden, neglected or well and truly repressed.
This part of you has now been allowed to come out as shown in your dream.
If you are in a relationship it can also be connected to the value in your relationship and that through your joint life together a rich and hitherto hidden part of yourself has been unleashed.
Money dreams can also represent security - so perhaps you are feeling particularly safe in your life right now.
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Posted on Tue 12th Jul 2011
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Posted on Tue 12th Jul 2011
A Spell To Pass Your Driving Test
You will need:
Two teaspoons of raspberry leaf loose tea
Boiling water
The day before your test, put the raspberry leaf loose tea in a pot and add boiling water. Steep for five minutes, then strain into a cup. Place your left hand above the cup and say out loud that you wish to stay calm and focused in your test. Then drink the tea. Repeat three times in total that day, the third time just before you leave the house to take the test.
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Posted on Tue 12th Jul 2011
Love Spell To Increase Feeling of Togetherness
You will need:
- 2 candles in your favourite colours
- A piece of rose quartz
Place the two candles somewhere where they won’t be disturbed, place the rose quartz midway between them, and leave for a month. Light the candles each day for 15 minutes and focus on the two of you becoming a committed couple. When you blow out the candles, place them a little closer together. Once the candles are touching either side of the quartz, tilt them towards each other so there’s just one flame burning from the two wicks. Let the wax drop on to the stone until it’s completely covered. Give the gemstone to your partner, and have him keep it close, ideally touching his skin. Or put it under your bed on the side he sleeps on.
Posted on Tue 12th Jul 2011
Crystal Power To Help You Lose Weight
Crystals are well known for their healing qualities but did you know that they can also help you lose weight? The following three crystals are said to work a treat and many people report success with them.
Citrine - This yellow stone helps the functioning of the whole digestive system, so you absorb the nutrients you need and expel the waste you don't, thereby maintaining a balanced body weight
Apatite - As the name suggests, this stone assists in the controlling of your appetite. It also helps banish negative feelings and the need for the 'protective' layer of fat that some people subconsciously cling to.
Cassiterite - This silvery-grey crystal is useful in helping to shed the emotional baggage that sometimes causes us to hold on to excess wight. If there's an emotional issue behind your overeating, this the cyrstal for you. It can also balance the hormones that sometimes prompt weight gain.
WHAT TO DO
Carry or wear your chosen crystal next to your skin 24/7. You can make elixirs (elixirs are known as remedies or essences) from apatite and citrine too. Drinking a crytal elixir is a way of taking the energies of crystals directly into your body, which can be very beneficial. To do this, make sure the crystal is clean, then leave it in about one litre of water overnight. Remove the crystal and drink the water during the following day. Repeat this daily whilst dieting.
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Posted on Sat 9th Jul 2011
Wedding Dress Omens
There are many superstitions surrounding marriage that are still believed even in the 21st C by those about to tie the knot.
Here's a few more you may or may not know about:
Married in white you have chosen right,
Married in green ashamed to be seen,
Married in grey you will go far away
Married in blue you will always be true
Married in yellow,you're ashamed of your fellow
Married in black you will wish yourself back,
Married in pink of you he'll think.
It's an omen your husband will be unfaithful if you allow a friend to try on your wedding dress or outfit before you're married
You will attract wealth into your marriage by taping a coin or money note to the inside of your shoes so that you are standing on money when taking your vows.
It's consider lucky to have an even number of guests at a wedding and unlucky to have an odd number
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Posted on Sat 9th Jul 2011
What's the best way to see a ghost?
Obviously the best thing to do is to visit somewhere that's know to be haunted. These places have a lot spiritual activity, so it's much more likely that you will see something.
When you arrive, ask your spirit guide to encourage spirit people to come forward and show themselves to you. If nothing happens, don't worry - you can try as many locations as you like!
If you are keen to try and take a photo of a ghost you don't need any special equipment - a standard digital camera will do. Good luck, the spirits are out there!
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Posted on Sat 9th Jul 2011
How To Keep Your Spirit System Healthy
The mind, body and spirit are a bit like a finely tuned computer system. So any disruption in our lives is like having a bug or a virus that slows things down!
If we are living in disharmony, our chakras - which help energy flow from our spirit through to our minds and bodies - can act against us instead of in our favour. Why? Well, it's often because we are sending out unclear signals that confuse the system! So here are a few tips for maintaining a healthy spirit:
- Avoid feeling envious of other people - envy like jealousy is poision for your soul
- Relieve stress by taking a quiet walk in the park or just quietly sit gazing out of the window. This gives your spirit a chance to transmit pleasurable signals through the mind and body, allowing it to rest.
- Avoid 'psychic' vampires - people who leave you feeling exhausted just by being in their company.
- Try not to prolong arguments - they preoccupy the spirit and mind and block productive energy.
- Keep in check what you allow yourself to say. Expressions such as 'I am sick to death of...' or 'I can't stand this situation' give the wrong instructions to your body.
Posted on Sat 9th Jul 2011
Birthstone Benefits
We all have a birthstone, but what are they for? Well, by carrying your birthstone, it's said that you can connect to the vibration of the universe as it was when you were born. This is said to bring good fortune, health and longevity, so why not give it a go?
These are the crystals most commonly associated with each star sign.
Capricorn: garnet Taurus: rose quartz Virgo: peridot
Aquarius: amethyst Gemini: citrine Libra: kyanite
Pisces: aquamarine Cancer: moonstone Scorpio: malachite
Aries: Red Jasper Leo: carnelian Sagittarius: sodalite
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Posted on Fri 8th Jul 2011
A Nose For Numerology
Chanel No 5 the world's most famous perfume was so named because it was the lucky number of it's co-creator fashion designer, Coco Chanel.
Apparently she told perfumer Ernest Beaux, who created the fragrance on her instructions 'I always launch my fashion collections on the 5th day, of the 5 month, so number 5 seems to bring me great luck'
Since it's estimated that 90 years on from its launch that a bottle of it sells every 30 seconds somewhere in the world, it would seem she was right!
One of the most famous quotes about the iconic perfume was made by 1950s Screen Goddess, Marilyn Monroe, who when asked what she worn in bed replied: " “What do I wear in bed? Why Chanel No. 5 of course”.
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Posted on Thu 7th Jul 2011
Time-travel Street
left: Bold Street 1950
Watch out if you're heading to Liverpool - you could find yourself travelling back in time.
In recent years, Bold Street in the city centre has gained an eerie reputation as the location of a number of time-slips, in which people claim to travel briefly back in time to experience the street as it was in the 1950s and 1960s.
Those who've been affected by the phenomenon have reported seeing old-fashioned cars, people wearing outdated clothes and long-closed shops open and serving customers!
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Posted on Thu 7th Jul 2011
A Short ABC of Tarot
The seventy-eight cards of a Tarot deck are divided as follows: twenty-two stations (or cards) represent the Major Arcana and the fourteen stations (fifty-six cards) for each of the four suits (including the Court Cards) represent the Minor Arcana.
Arcana: Plural of Arkanum
Arkanum: Latin for secret
Divinatory: Discovering hidden knowlege, fortune-telling (literally: "proclaiming something godly," "sacred")
Cartomancy: Fortune-telling with the use of cards
Court Cards: Queen, King, Knight, or Page (also called Princess). In Crowley Tarot deck: Queen, Prince, Knight, Princess.
Estoteric: The many different definitions of esoteric include: hidden secret, not easily accessible (literally: "from within").
Mystic: The "direct connection to ultimate wisdom" ; immediate and absolute experience of God and the world
Mythology: The teaching of myth; also, specifically, ancient teaching of the gods.
Mythos: Fable, legend, archetype, (collective) ancient or early history.
Pagat: Early term for the card "I-The Magician."
Pentacles: Indicating talisman/mascot. Another name used for "Disks" in Tarot
Pentagram: Five-pointed star on the "Pentacles" cards. It has many meanings: it is the "Quintessence" of the four elements and also is a cipher (a short-term sign for humans) where the five points of the star represent the head, hands, and feet.
Qabalah: "The Tradition"; ancient Jewish mysticism where the symbol of the "Tree of Life" as well as the mystical meaning of numbers and letters have great meaning. It exists in several variations and in several different traditions and branches.
Tartock, Tarok: Terms also used for tarot.
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Posted on Thu 7th Jul 2011
Love Tips: Using Water To Forecast Love
Cut a piece of cardboard into tiny squares and write one of the 26 individual letters of the alphabet on each. Places the squares facedown in a bowl and fill the bowl with water before going to bed. In the morning, the letters that have turned themselves face up indicate initials or letters, which partly or completely spell your next lover's name.
Alternatively, place a sau
cer on a table and drop 21 sewing needles onto it. Very slowly, pour water from a jug into a saucer. The water will cause the needles to move. Two needles that cross indicate that you have an admirer. You have as many potential lovers as you have crossed needless!
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Posted on Thu 7th Jul 2011
Wedding Bell Omens
There are many fun and light-hearted superstitions surrounding marriage. Here's just a few:
If three women sitting together at dinner table possess the same initial to their Christian name, one of the three women will soon marry.
The first person to walk upstairs after the bride will marry next.
A bride who makes a wish while cutting her wedding cake will see her wish come true
Placing a piece of wrapped or boxed wedding cake under your pillow is said to induce a dream of whom you will marry.
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Posted on Thu 7th Jul 2011
He Loves Me? He Loves Me Not? Fortelling the Future With Apple Pips
The Romanies say to find out whether someone loves you, eat an apple to the core until you find a seed. Remove the seed and name it by the same name as the one you love. With a pin, inscribe the name of the one you love on a candle. Light the candle and leave it to burn for a few moments before dropping the seed into the candle flame. If the seed makes a loud crackling sound, the one you desire can hardly contain his feelings for you. Snuff the candle out.
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Posted on Wed 6th Jul 2011
Former Rock Chick Jo Wood On How To Deal With Ghosts
Former rock chick turned business woman, Jo Wood says she lived in two haunted houses in the past.
Jo, 56, who used to be married to Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood said recently that when she and Ronnie lived in a Georgian property in Richmond, in Surrey, she had a particularly unnerving experience.
Jo said:" I was alone there one night when Ronnie was touring in Ireland.
"In the middle of the night I was suddenly woken up by something. I sat bolt upright in bed and called out, "Is anyone there?"
"The temperature in the room had plummeted, and I was frightened because I'd never had that feeling there before."
Jo added: "And at my last house in Kingston-upon-Thames, I used to sense a presence late and night, and it scared me. My mum said, 'Just tell it to go away and leave you alone. Use a stern voice.'
"Her advise worked. I'd tell whatever it was, 'You can share this house, but don't upset me.' I had a photo taken in the sitting room once and when I looked at it, I could clearly see an orb by the ceiling."
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Posted on Tue 5th Jul 2011
Astrology - Officially Declared A Science
If you're love of astrology has been ridiculed by people you know in the past, now you have proof that it should be taken seriously - an Indian court has ruled that astrology is a credible science!
Dates for important events in India are often based on astrological charts, but Janit Manch, an organisation that campaigns for judicial reform, demanded a ruling against 'fake' astrologers and other New Age gurus. But judges at Mumbai's high court rejected the application. It's unlikely the horoscope experts were worried though, as no doubt the outcome was written in the stars.
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Posted on Tue 5th Jul 2011
Haunted Painting Available To View Online
A portrait of Lady Ossington, said to be haunted by its subject, is one of 200,000 publicly-owned oil paintings being made available to view online, as part of a BBC campaign.
For nearly 100 years, it hung in the Ossington Coffee Palace in Newark, Nottinghamshire.
But when the establishment began to sell alcohol, some claim the ghost of Lady Ossington became offended and there were reports of the oil painting "flying off the wall".
The Victorian artwork is now kept in stores, like 80% of the oil paintings in the UK's national art collection, but can be seen and its story read, on the Your Paintings website.
Haunting history
Viscountess Ossington built the coffee palace on Beastmarket Hill in 1882 as a charitable concern.
Its aim was to provide a hostel where travellers could find accommodation for the night without the temptation of drink on the premises.
The Viscountess was to be its manager until her death and was to be succeeded by a group of trustees to maintain the building "in a crusade against the demon drink", according to its title deed.
But in the 1960s a court decided the trust was not a charitable institution as the hotel had always been run on commercial lines.
The heirs of Viscountess Ossington were traced as the true beneficiaries and the coffee palace was sold in 1978.
Shortly afterwards it became a public house.
Newark and Sherwood District museum service purchased the artwork - believed to have been painted by a Miss Hawkins - at auction in 1981.
"It is a hefty piece which may be a more rational explanation for why it fell off walls," said the museum service's Kevin Winter.
The oil painting is kept in the district council's resource centre stores on Brunel Drive, one of 700 artworks in its collection, along with sculptures by Robert Kiddey, woodcuts from Sir William Nicholson and two prints by the internationally-acclaimed artist Bridgett Riley.
The Resource Centre is open to the public by appointment. To book a visit call 01636 655777 or e-mail museums@nsdc.info
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Adapted from an original article on the BBC news site June 2011
Posted on Sat 2nd Jul 2011
X-Factor Judges Simon Cowell And Paula Abdul Stay In Haunted Hotel
US X Factor judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul recently spent a night in a haunted hotel in Dallas, whilst on an audition tour. But whilst Simon actually enjoyed the ghostly goings on - Paula is reported as being 'unnerved' by the experience.
Fellow Judge L.A. Reid checked out the same day he checked in because he reportedly got "spooked out."
A source told US Weekly Magazine, "L.A. didn't even know the story of the ghosts; he just couldn't be inside the hotel. He was first to check in and left before the others arrived, saying it had a 'weird feeling about it.' Everyone joked he was being a diva, but when they heard about the hotel really being haunted they just thought he was smart!"
According to reports Paula's bathroom water taps kept getting turned on and off by themselves. She was reportedly left scared by the experience.
The source added: "Yes, the other judges were freaked out and insisted on changing hotels or rooms, but Simon was quite happy with the ghosts. He was fascinated by them. It wouldn't surprise anyone if he insists on staying in only haunted hotels in future!"
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Posted on Sat 2nd Jul 2011
A Tarot Love Spell
Tools
- Deck of tarot cards
- Orange or lemon oil
- Pink, red, or orange candle
- Oil burner
When: Waxing Moon, preferably on a Friday when you're with the one you love.
This spell is designed to draw the one you love closer to you. Choose whichever oil you like best and pick your candle colour according to what you are tyring to accomplish. Pink represents love, red represents passion, and orange represents balance.
During the Waxing Moon, before you're going to be with the one you love, put several drops of the oil you've selected into your burner. Dip two fingers into the oil and anoit the candle with oil. Remove the suit of cups from your deck of tarot cards - it represents affairs of the heart. Then, select the king, queen and 9 of cups (the wish card) Place the three cards on a table top, between the candle and the burner.
Light the burner and your candle, and state your wish. Be specific. Imagine it happening. Blow the candles out when you're finished, anoit them again with the oil, and place them in the area where you and your lover will be spending time together. when the two of you are in that room, make sure the candles are burning.
On the night of the Full Moon, light the candles again, state your wish once more, then snuff out the flames rather than blowing them out. Throw out the candles when you've finished and wait for the magic to happen.
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Posted on Fri 1st Jul 2011
Dream Meanings: Nightmares Why We Need Them
Nightmares whether they are single or recurring, are wake-up calls. They urge us to pay attention to something that is causing us distress. They alert us to potential problems and help us face issues that we avoid when awake. They may appear as a result of post-traumatic stress as our psyche struggles to come to terms with disastrous events.
Whatever the nightmare theme, try the 'face and conquer' technique used by the Senoi people of Malaysia. When awake, imagine that you turn and face the threat. Tell it what you want it to do or explain how it makes you feel. This gives you the opportunity to address your fears directly and helps dispel the anxiety. Also, speak from the point of view of the threat. What does it feel like if you swap roles and tell the nightmare from the threat's point of view?
If you still cannot make sense of the nightmare after you've spent time on it, then let it go. Be patient, because some dreams are part of a longer process and other dreams will come along to help you solve the puzzle. Some dream meaning take a long time to become clear.
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Posted on Fri 1st Jul 2011
Secrets Of The Healing Plants
About 75 per cent of plants and herbs, including many of those that we grow in our gardens, have powerful medicinal properties.
While a trip to the chemist will often help, there could be a cure closer to home. Psychic Reach rounds up some of the easiest healing plants to grow yourself.
Sage: The fresh leaves can be rubbed on to the teeth as a mouth deodorant and gum strengthener. Use the cooled liquid as a gargle or tincture.
Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera is a rich, natural cocktail of more than 30 vitamins and minerals including lignin, which rapidly heals epithelial tissue - a delicate layer of cells that line the surface of the body. Excellent for all minor burns, it can also give rapid relief for acne sufferers and babies with nappy rash.
House Leek A useful remedy for eczema and allergic dermatitis on the hands. Pick off a rosette and pound the flesh inside, mixing it with 1 tsp of sweet almond or olive oil.
Lavender This plant has antiseptic, calming and detoxifying properties and is excellent for treating burns, bites and stings. You can make your own lavender oil by infusing fresh blooms in virgin olive oil, which can be used on all irritable skin conditions.
Geraniums Make an effective massage oil for menstrual cramps by infusing a handful of fresh leaves in a small bottle of grapeseed oil.
Horseradish The root contains an antibiotic mustard oil that has been used to treat kidney and urinary tract infections. It contains high levels of vitamin C, potassium, sulphur and calcium, and is excellent for treating coughs and colds.
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Posted on Fri 1st Jul 2011
Weeping Walls
Bereaved parents George and Lina Tannous believe their dead son is performing miracles after the walls in their home started weeping.
A strange oil, which scientists haven’t yet identified, first began leaking down the walls of their house in Sydney, Australia, a few weeks after 17-year-old Mike died in a car crash. The Tannouses claim the oil has healing properities, and people flock to the house to cure their ailments.
Last year a woman who lived near the Tannous' house was told by doctors she could not have the third child she desperately wanted.
"She came here and prayed . . . one month later she came with a box of chocolates and said 'Guess what, I am pregnant'," Mike's aunt Susan Sawan said.
‘Mike is a messenger between us and God. He’s healed so many people claims proud mum Lina.
Posted on Mon 5th Jul 2010
Voodoo Cops
Mexican authorities have turned to Haitian voodoo rituals as they attempt to win the violent war against the country’s ruthless drug gangs holding the country to ransom.
Cops in Tijuana, a city just south of the US/Mexican border near San Diego, have resorted to the use of voodoo, which include animal sacrifice and spirit tattoos amid claims they are “running scared” of the savage trafficking gangs.
During the rituals, priests slaughter chickens on full moon nights on beaches and smear police officers with the blood while using prayers to evoke spirits to help protect them from drug cartels battling over smuggling routes into California.
Mexico has been gripped by a wave of drug-related violence since Felipe Calderón, the Mexican President, declared war on the drug cartels almost four years ago. The country's drug barons have engaged in an increasingly bloody battle as they vie to demonstrate their power and ruthlessness.
They have infiltrated local forces – bribing corrupt police and civil officials – while hit men armed with automatic rifles, grenades and rocket launchers are regularly seen paying visits to those who refuse to engage with the gangs.
The raging war has left many police in cities including Tijuana, considered one of the country’s deadliest, in fear of their lives with many told they will get a bullet if they say no to requests.
More than 150 police officers have died throughout the area over the past few years.
As a result officers have attended the secret meetings that are said to draw on elements of Haitian Voodoo, Cuban Santeria and Mexican witchcraft.
“We know some agents use charms, saints and other methods for their protection," said Elias Alvarez, the Baja California federal Police Chief.
"They look for something to believe in."
Posted on Mon 5th Jul 2010
Vampires Around the Globe
Vampires myths and legends have existed in most countries across the globe for centuries . But in 1897, the author Bram Stoker wrote the sinister book "Dracula" which captulated the idea into the modern psyche.
The book even in the 21st century is still a popular read and at the time of its publication it received world- wide acclaim, even the church declared it as one of the best ever romantic novels. Set in Transylvania, the book introduced Count Dracula and immortalised the vampire myth. Dracula could not be seen in mirrors, he slept in a coffin, feared daylight, crosses and garlic, and his mouth contained two fangs to puncture his victims' throats to suck out their blood. He was one of the undead and once bitten the victim would also become a vampire.
This image of the cloaked vampire in a castle continued in further books and movies, until Ann Rice began a new version with her book "An Interview with a Vampire" in the early 1990's which was later turned into a film starring Tom Cruise.
The book and film further modified and updated the vampire story, and many of today's vampire tales mirror Ann Rice's image of the main vampire character "Lestat" - suave and sophisticated aristocrats with a passion for blood and sexual activities. Various psychological conditions have similar traits to this type of vampire, where the afflicted person has a desire to drink blood during sex and in extreme cases would resort to necrophilia (sleeping with the dead) and even murder.
World Vampire Myths
From China to France to the West Indies strangely one curious fear seems to cross all cultural boundaries: the vampire. Here's a list of vampire myths and activities from around the world.
Albania - Liugat/Sampiro
In this myth, unfortunate Albanians of Turkish descent will turn into a vampire upon death, driven to go out at night in a shroud and high heel shoes to spread death and destruction. A will-o'-the-wisp1 will indicate where the tomb lies. Like the rest of Eastern Europe, these legends were reported more frequently after the 16th Century - the Eastern Orthodoxy's flexible position on superstition seems to be a major cause for the myth's increase in popularity.
Armenia - Dakhanavar
Dakhanavar protected a valley near Mount Ararat by sucking blood from the feet of travellers. When two men slept with their feet under each other's heads Dakhanavar mistook them for a monster with two heads and no feet and was never heard of again.
Austria - Vampire
Reports from Austrian-controlled Serbia prepared by Austrian officials between 1725 and 1732 introduced the word vampire into European consciousness. In 1755 the town of Olmutz in Austria was itself the scene of several vampire reports.
Australia - Yara-ma-yha-who
Localised Koori legend tells of a short creature with a huge head and mouth, whose feet and hands have suckers like an octopus. It drops on people from its fig tree and drains them of blood, later returning to swallow them whole and regurgitate them. The whole process is non-fatal though you will eventually turn into a furry bush creature.
Babylonia - Ekimmu
The oldest of all the myths seems to be the Babylonian Ekimmu, in which the ghost of an unburied person, and in some cases a spirit who does not receive enough offerings, dwells underground and emerges at night to feed off the living. While the Ekimmu seems to have influenced several neighbouring cultures, other regions on Earth seem to have developed similar legends in parallel evolution.
Belarus - Mjertovjec
The Mjertovjec is an apostate (someone who renounces their beliefs), werewolf or witch who has died. This vampire will follow poppy seeds from its home back to its tomb.
Benin - Asiman/Obayifo
Witches travel at night in the guise ofs a glowing ball and suck blood from children.
Bosnia-Herzegovina - Blautsauger
The Blautsauger is a hairy vampire with no skeleton. It can turn into a rat or a wolf. The Blautsauger attempts to get people to eat dirt from its tomb so they'll become vampires. Scattering hawthorn flowers along the road from its home to the tomb will slow it down.
Brazil - Lobishomen
Small, stumpy and hunch-backed, with bloodless lips, yellow skin, black teeth, bushy beard and the looks of a monkey, the bite of this vampire turns its female victims into nymphomaniacs. To dispose of Lobishoen, get it drunk on blood and crucify it to a tree while stabbing it.
Bulgaria - Krvopijac/Obur
One becomes a Krvopijac by smoking or drinking during Lent. Disposal involves a Djadadjii (or monk) calling the soul into a bottle of blood, which is then burnt. To locate your Krvopijac, get a nude teen virgin on a black foal to ride through the graveyard. Where the horse won't go is where your vampire is.
The Obur is a gluttonous blood drinker, it can be enticed with excrement or rich food and has the ability to move objects from a distance and create loud noises.
Burma - Thaye/Tasei
These are evil people condemned to be disembodied spirits. They can appear as tall dark people with huge ears, long tongues and tusk-like teeth. They enter town at noon or by dark and usually cause minor illness.
China - Ch'ing Shih
This Chinese vampire has red staring eyes, long curved nails, long hair, is a green-white colour and flies. Powered by the moon, it can be held in place by a circle of rice around it. The Ch'ing Shih often dwells underground (influences from the Ekimmu of Babylon) and was first journalised by J de Groot in The Religious System of China in 1892.
Croatia - Pijawika/Kuzlak
Croatia was the site of one of the first vampire epidemics of the modern age. In 1672 Giure Grando, late of Khring on the Istrian peninsula, Croatia, apparently returned from the grave and caused many deaths.
To kill a Pijawika, cut off its head and stick it between its legs.
A Kuzlak is created when an infant is not breast-fed enough and dies.
The Czech Republic - Ogoljen
The Ogoljen wanders about with soil from its tomb in its navel. Bury it at a crossroads to get rid of it. There is also a Moravian vampire who drops its death shroud and wanders about naked. It can be destroyed by stealing its shroud.
France - Moribondo
A Moribondo assaults cattle in particular. Protection for the herd is provided by moving the cattle through a circle of fire.
Germany - Nachzehrer/Neuntöter
A child born with an amniotic membrane over their head (caul) or anyone who dies by drowning, becomes a Nachzehrer. It lies in its tomb with its left eye open and gnaws upon its shroud or itself. It causes plagues (and also ties cows tails together). To deal with it, shove something in its mouth or chop the head off with an executioner's axe. Garlic will keep this one at bay. Minister Georg Röhrer reported these creatures in detail to none other than Martin Luther.
The Neuntöter from Pomerania is similar to the Nachzehrer, but must be decapitated between 11pm and midnight.
Ghana - Asasabonsam
These vampires have hooks for feet and come in three types (male, female and child). They have iron teeth and dangle their feet down from trees onto victims. Asasabonsum also sucks blood from the thumbs of sleeping people.
Greece - Catacano/Bruculaco/Callicantzaros
Catacano - the happy vampire - grins constantly, showing its pearlies. It spits blood on people who subsequently become its victims if they are hit by said bloody discharge - it burns. To kill it, isolate it behind salt water or boil its head in vinegar.
The Bruculaco has swollen, hard skin and sounds like a drum when struck and it also spreads the plague. It can scream once per night, if you answer the call you will die. Cut of its head and either burn or boil it to kill it for good.
A child born between Christmas and the Twelfth Night (5 January) becomes a Callicantzaros after death - appearing between Christmas and Twelfth Night each year to tear people to pieces with its extended fingernails. The rest of the year it exists in some nether world.
India - Churel/Punyaiama/Bhuta/Rakshasas/Chedipe
A woman who has died unnaturally or in childbirth may return with her feet on back to front. The Churel (also known as Jakhin, Mukai or Nagulai) attempts to dry the blood of the men of the family.
The Punyaiama looks like an old woman. It passes a magic thread down a chimney and sucks the blood from the sleeping or mad/drunk women. It is also a cannibal.
Appearing at night as shadows, flickering lights or mists, the Bhuta (in North India, Brahmaparusha) are souls of those who died untimely. They are mostly harmless, although they will attack babies who have just fed as they love milk. They can transmogrify into owls or bats.
Rakshasas are ogres or demons living in cemeteries having a human, humanoid or half-animal shape. They have fangs and attack infants and pregnant women. First described in Atharva Veda.
The Chedipe (lit. prostitute) enters a house at night sending all into a trance and sucks blood from the toe of the male of the house.
Indonesia - Pontianak/Buo
A Pontianak is a woman who died either a virgin or in childbirth. Out of jealousy it will attack infants or emasculate the men it seduces. They fly at night as birds, but in human form, the hole in their backs is a dead give-away. To escape one, pluck a strand of their long black hair.
Warriors of Borneo slain in battle can become Buo.
Ireland - Dearg-Dul
According to Montague Summers, this Irish vampire can be held at bay by piling large amount of stones on its grave - but no Irish mythologist can find any reference to it.
Italy - Strix/Strega
Strix was a night demon from ancient Rome which attacked infants, Ovid described them in Fasti. This Strix developed into the Stegra - a woman who flies about in bird form and attacks infants. These were also chronicled in the Saxon capitulary of Charlemagne in 781.
Japan - Kappa
These are ugly, green child-like creatures who drag horses and cows into their watery homes where they suck the blood from their anuses. They will leave the water to steal fruit, rape women and steal people's livers but can enter into binding agreements promising not to attack people. Another Japanese vampire legend involves a vampire cat taking the form of a prince's concubine after killing her.
Malaysia - Langsuyar/Penanggalan
Much like the Pontianak (which it is also known as the Langsuyar), it is recognised by her long fingernails, green robe and the hole in her neck. She died during childbirth. This hole is where she feeds on infants' blood. They may fool men into marrying them as humans but at the first big dance they get over excited and fly off into the trees. The Langsuyar was recorded by Sir William Maxwell in the Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society circa 1885.
Like the Phii Krasue of Thailand, the Penanggalan consists of a head and some entrails. The Penanggalan actually separates from its whole, female form into a motionless, headless, gutless body and flying head. It seeks out the blood of children or the blood from childbirth.
Macedonia - Vryolakas
A messy wine drinker in life, when undead it can be killed by a nail through the navel or pouring oil over the body. It can be deterred by scattering bird seed on the tomb (it'll stop and count the seeds, one per century).
Mexico - Cihuateteo/Camazotz/Tlahuelpuchi
This is either a stillborn baby or a mother who died in childbirth which attacks and paralyses babies. It flies and is chalked white on its hands, arms and face. Offer it bread to fill them up so they don't go attacking humans. If you don't have any bread, meteorites will do. They die if they are caught in sunlight - one of the few vampire legends to actually mention sunlight.
Described as a 'man-bat' with a sharp nose, large teeth and claws, the Camazotz is an integral part of Mayan agricultural myth. The descent of the Camazotz into the earth is linked to the planting of maize.
The Tlahuelpuchi could transform itself into several different animal types (usually leaving its legs behind) and attacked infants, and occasionally adults or children. It is always female.
Namibia - Otgiruru
The Herero people believe that this vampire, which looks like a dog, kills those who answer its call
Peru - Pishtaco
This is a vampire which feeds off your fat first, then goes for the blood.
The Philippines - Aswang
A beautiful maiden who flies through the night, lands on the roof of the victim and proceeds to feed via a long pointed tubular tongue which reaches from the roof to the bed below and pierces the skin of the sleeping victim. The Aswang then flies home before dawn (looking pregnant from the blood) and breast-feeds her children.
Polynesia - Talamaur
Talamaur sucks the life from the dying and sometimes devours the heart of healthy men while they sleep.
Portugal - Bruxsa
A woman at day, a bird by night: it sucks the blood of children, and was a popular excuse to murder women during the Inquisition.
Prussia - Gierach/Viesczy/Stryz
Sprinkling poppy seeds in the grave of this vampire will send it to sleep or keep it busy (a stocking or fishing net to unravel will do just as well). East Prussia (now North Poland) reported vampire epidemics in 1710, 1721 and 1750.
Romania - Vircolac/Nosferatu/Strigoiu
All Romanian vampires are particularly active on St George's day (23 April) and St Andrew's Day (30 November). They can take on the shape of dogs, cats, frogs and insects. A Vircolac (or Murohy/Strigol) drains the energy from people. To kill it, cut out the heart and split it, nail in the forehead (or in eyes and heart if female), dump the body in the mountains, shove garlic in the mouth, or you can even smear it with pig fat on St Ignatius Day.
Nosferatu is old Slavonic for plague carrier, it does not mean undead. A myriad of causes are quoted - the illegitimate son of two illegitimate parents or the seventh son of a seventh son, a bastard, born with a caul, if the mother had not eaten salt while pregnant or had been looked at by a vampire while pregnant. The Nosferatu feeds on its family and makes husbands impotent.
A Strigoiu is a dead red-headed women, who squats in deserted houses at night. To kill it nail through it the chest or blow up its coffin.
Russia - Vampir/Ereticy
Heretics, witches and suicides were considered to turn into Vampirs (or Uppyr/Upierczi) after death. They cause drought and while running them through with an stake will kill them, if you strike more than once it will revive.
Ereticy (or Erestuny) are either re-animated corpses brought back by sorcerers to begin feeding on their relatives or women who'd sold their souls to Satan and who sleep on graves and make unseemly noises in the public bathhouses!
Scotland - Baobban Sith
Occasionally seen as crows or ravens, usually these vampires are young maidens in long green dresses (which hide their cloven hooves). They are afraid or repelled by horses and cause massive wounds on the necks and shoulders of men they dance with.
Thailand - Phii
One of countless spirits from Thai mythology, the Phii Song Nang is basically identical to the Pontianak of Indonesia and Malaysia - it attacks young men mostly. A seer or 'Maw Du' should be called in to make spells and incantations to get rid of this Phii. The Phii Krasue is similar to the Pelagganan of Malaysia and Krappa of Japan in that it consists of a head and entrails and has a tendency to feed from people's bottoms with its long tongue
Tibet - The Wrathful Dieties
Also known as the 58 blood-drinking deities, these vampires are figures representing the brain's reason and the deceased's (metaphorically) vampiric activities, which appear to the spirit of the recently dead from the eigth day onwards whilst they wander the karma-dominated zones of the afterlife in Buddhist teachings. These include: Bhagavan Vajra- Heruka, Vajra-Krotishaurima, Ratna-Herucka, Padma-Heruka, Dark-Green Ghasmari, plus eight Kerimas and the Lotus Order.
West Indies - Asema/Loogaroo/Sukuyan
An elderly person by day, a skin shedding ball of flying blue light by night, the Asema will drain a person to death if it liked the taste of their blood. Killed by sunlight (hence a mixture of seeds and nails will keep them busy - picking, dropping, picking... till dawn). Better yet, you can shrink the skin while they are a ball so they can't fit back into it!
Known in Surinam as the Asema, in Haiti as the Loogaroo, and in Trinidad as the Sukuyan. Ther roots are thought to be the Aziman of the Fo peoples of Benin.
Yugoslavia - Vlkodlak/Mulo/Vukodlak
In 1725, villagers of Kisilovo in the Vojvodina region of Serbia reported that Peter Plogojowitz had returned from the grave - the Austrian government report on this incident used the word 'vampire' for the first time.
Posted on Sun 4th Jul 2010
Lucid Dreaming - Controlling Our Dreams
From time to time, everyone becomes aware of their dreams while they sleep. When this happens, it's possible to take control of the dream and use it as a tool for wish-fulfilment. This state of awareness during sleep is known as lucid dreaming.
If you have ever had a lucid dream, you will know that it can be a fun way to live out your fantasies. Some lucky people achieve lucidity naturally on a regular basis, while others can induce it at will. Most of us though, have to train ourselves to control our dreams. The best way to do this is to become more aware generally. Examine your surroundings several times a day. Rather than accepting what you see, question everything. Look carefully at each object in turn. If you make a habit of being observant in your everyday life, then you will also become more aware in a dream-state. This very simple technique allows most people to become aware of their dreams. However, you must be patient and remember very few people experience lucidity every time they dream. When you first become aware of your dreams you may find that the sudden awareness startles you into waking up. You can often tell when you are starting to wake from a dream, because the scene begins to lose colour, focus or sound.
Finally, you should keep a dream journal. Every morning, write down as much as you can about your dreams as soon as you wake up. Write in the first person and the present tense. This should help you transfer the dreams into your long-term memory. You can also use your dream journal to relive favourite dreams, by reading the book before sleeping and focusing on the thought that you wish to relive that particular dream.
Related Articles:
The Advantages of Keeping a Dream Diary
How To Predict the Future With Your Dreams?
Fast, accurate and profesional Psychic Email Readings here
Posted on Sun 4th Jul 2010
Psychic Humour
Most psychics take their psychic work very seriously but we've got a sense of humour too! So I thought I'd share with you a few psychic jokes I've found around the web.
Bad news...
Kate went to visit a psychic of some repute. In a dark room lit only by a flickering candle the tarot reader laid out the card before her and delivered the bad news.
She said: "I'm sorry but there's no easy way to tell you so I'll just be blunt- prepare to be a widow. Unfortunately, your husband will die in a horrible and unpleasant way this year."
Visibly shaken, Kate stared at the woman's wise, lined face, then at the flickering candle and then at her hands. She took a few deep breaths to compose herself.
She simply had to know. She met the tarot reader's gaze, steadied her voice and asked "Will I get away with it?"
Girlfriend
"I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met".
Who's The Daddy?
One afternoon a man was wandering around a fairground and he happened to see a fortune teller's tent. Thinking it would be good for a laugh, the man went inside and sat down. "Ah..." said the woman as she gazed into her crystal ball. "I see you are the father of two children." "That's what you think," said the man scornfully. "I'm the father of three children." The mysterious psychic grinned and said, "That's what you think!"
Psychics Meet
When two psychics met, one said to the other, “You are fine. How am I?”
Posted on Thu 1st Jul 2010
Psychic Predictions - What Are They?
When we think of psychic predictions, we often consider only foretelling information about things in our personal future and of a personal nature.
A querant may ask a psychic to predict: When will I find true love? When will I get a promotion? When will I be able to buy a house?
But psychic predictions can be also be on a more global scale and of a much more dramatic nature! Famous 20th century psychics such as Jeanne Dixon and Sydney Omarr, for example, predicted sinister events such as presidential assassinations, natural disasters, tragic accidents, etc.
Predictions often come without notice or when a psychic is given information by his or her guides or the higher self.
But the more usual way is through clairvoyance and automatic writings or through the help of psychic tools such as tarot cards.
At other times the psychic may go into a trance and information is channelled from a spirit in the ethereal realm.
The early Egyptians believed that they could contact and be guided by the gods through their dreams and regularly used this as a method of seeing the future.
Dream predictions and interpretations are also mentioned in the Bible in many places.
And Greek psychics used arrows and rods as dowsing instruments to receive psychic information.
In ancient Rome, ‘augurs’ were court-appointed psychics who helped the empire in planning its future by using prediction methods such as scrying and casting of lots.
Modern psychic predictions are usually made through the use of palmistry, tarot card readings, astrological forecasts and aura readings but ancient methods such as I Ching are still popular and continue to be used.
Posted on Thu 30th Jul 2009
Spirit Guides - Who Are They?
A spirit guide is thought to be a highly evolved spiritual source of energy that is said to protect and inform, often providing foresight to those who know how to listen.
Guides, sometime known as guardian angels, are considered benevolent, protective sources of advice, knowledge, psychic information and love.
The term control is used for a spirit that is channelled from the spiritual plane through a psychic’s mind so he or she can advise a querant.
The Greeks, among other ancient civilizations, including many Native American tribes, believed that each person has an individual guardian angel, which could also appear in animal form.
Traditionally, American Indians regard the guide as a specific class of spirit that, once acquired through a vision or a dream, continues to help by providing specific powers, abilities – including – clairvoyance – and the knowledge of healing powers.
Although there is no scientific evidence of the existence of guides, psychics say that everyone has them and they are always ready to assist their own people. Spirit guides are said to have lived many times on the earth plane and are much more highly evolved than human beings. According to psychics although a guide is there to assist, it will never interfere in a human’s life without a specific request or invitation.
The guide can take on any form the psychic wishes to see. As an example, if the psychic expects to see the guide dressed as an Indian fakir, that is how the guide will appear.
Some psychics believe that we all have a number of guides, with one guide overseeing our entire life on this planet. The others, helping guides, are also there to help when there is a specific need, such as in healing or in a time of transformation.
To connect with your guide, it's best to find a quiet spot in which to clear your mind and meditate.
All you need do then is to ask for the guide’s presence, and if you “know” by a feeling that you are no longer alone, the guide has responded to your request.
Many psychics communicate with their guides through tools such as the Tarot, the pendulum predictions, meditation on crystals or just by talking.
Guides can also be channelled through a psychic through a direct voice medium or by visions, smells, tastes or sounds.
Before a reading, most psychics call on their guides to provide a connection with the information available in the ethereal plane.
Guides are also referred to as archangels, spiritual guides, guardian angels, joy guides, doorkeepers, healers, teachers and protectors.
Posted on Wed 29th Jul 2009
What Are Chakras?
Chakras are the spiritual nerve network of the body with energy centres believed necessary to maintain inner balance and harmony.
Psychics often talk about chakras with regard to healing. Some psychics provide healing readings when a querant asks questions regarding health.
There are seven major chakras of the body and hundreds of minor ones. Each chakra is associated with a specific area of the body and radiates a specific colour that can be seen by some psychics.
The chakras are often thought to look like petals of a flower or sections of a colour wheel. Each chakra is said to vibrate at a different rates; as the spirit moves through each incarnation and understands his or her life lesson, it's said that the crown chakra grows stronger.
Additionally, some psychics believe that if an individual has a specific lesson which to work on in his or her current life that lesson is often indicted in the intensity of vibration or colour coming from that specific chakra. For example, an issue concerning sexuality might manifest in one’s scral chakra.
The seven chakras are:
The root – located at the base of the spine
The scral - located near the genitals and associated with reproduction and sexuality
The solar plexus – slightly above the navel
The heart – located between the shoulder blades and chest
The throat – the centre of creativity and self-expression, located in the throat area
The brow – located between the eyebrows, and called the third eye
The crown – swirls just above the head and reveals the level of one’s spiritual consciousness.
Read here about using a crystal over the third eye to develop clairvoyance
Posted on Tue 28th Jul 2009
What is Second Sight?
Second sight is an old-fashioned term for receiving knowledge without the use of reason.
Second sight refers to the fact that those with psychic gifts can see visions or “know” information that will happen in the future or has happened in the past without the use of their eyes.
It’s the same as the psychic gifts of clairvoyance, telepathy and ESP.
Read more about psychic abilities here:
How to test your psychic powers
How to develop your psychic abilities with psychometry
Auras how to see them and what the colours mean
Posted on Tue 28th Jul 2009
Where to Hunt Ghosts
World famous paranormal investigator and life President of Britain’s Ghost Club, Peter Underwood has the following suggestions for ghost hunters as to the most likely places to spot a spook in haunted properties.
Mr Underwood whose ghost hunting career spans over sixty years says physical features near a haunted home are frequently the focal point of supernatural power.
Such features might be a pool, a wood, crossroads, a quarry, even a tree. It’s, therefore, always worth concentrating part of a night at a haunted location to discovering such a focal point and then seeing whether you or any of your companions experience any feelings at that spot, and whether any of the available ghost hunting equipment shows any abnormality – and frequently it does.
There are often certain parts of a house, or things in it, that can attract ghosts. The most haunted part of a house is frequently the staircase, so he advises that a lot of time is spent there.
Other parts of a house that are often found to be more haunted than the rest include the cellars and the cellar steps. Pay attention to reputedly haunted pieces of furniture, too. It’s possible that any second-hand furniture that seems to attract ghosts may have come from haunted houses
Related Articles:
Is this a real ghost photograph?
Britain's most haunted highway
The many ghosts of the Tower of London
Posted on Tue 28th Jul 2009
The Shrieking Plant That Brought Death To Those Who Heard it's Cry.
The mandrake was of the most sensational plants in medieval herbals because of the vaguely human form of its roots.
When uprooted it was said to give a shriek so terrible that it brought death to those responsible.
Wizards and others eager to use it in their potions were said to tie a hungry dog to the plant by means of a cord.
When the dog scrambled after a piece of meat the mandrake was pulled from the soil and it was the animal that was killed by the deadly cry.
In his Herbal to the Bible Thomas Newton wrote of the mandrake: ‘It’s supposed to be a creature having life, engendered under the earth of the seed of some dead person put to death by murder’
In Britain doctors used an extract of mandrake as a narcotic until the arrival of modern medicine.
Posted on Thu 23rd Jul 2009
Why Horseshoes Are Considered Lucky
Most people are familiar with the idea that horseshoes are supposed to be lucky. But do you know why?
Traditionally horseshoes were considered lucky and when nailed up over doors they were also thought to have the added bonus of providing protection against attack by witches.
Some folklorists believe the custom dates back to Roman times, when nails were hammered into the walls of houses as a safeguard against the plague.
In order for horseshoes to be effective as charms they should be found rather than bought, and the horns should always be placed upwards to prevent the luck running out.
Read more about protection from attack by witches here:
CLOVER - FOR PROTECTION AGAINST ATTACK BY WITCHES
Posted on Thu 23rd Jul 2009
What Are Ley Lines?
In the 20 century ley lines became part of modern folklore, perhaps better described as New Age beliefs.
It all started one day in the 1920s when a photographer named Alfred Watkins was walking on the Bredwardine Hills. As he looked from his high vantage pont across the Hereford landscape he was suddenly struck by the concept of lines traversing the countryside to link pathways and ancient buildings and monuments.
Excited by the idea he hurried home and on an Ordnance Survey map ruled straight lines and linked stone circles, old churches, holy wells and other relics from the path.
As more and more lines connected such features on his map Watkins came to the conclusion that he had discovered a system of straight lines that had been used by the Ancient Britons and later inhabitants of Britain as paths across the then road less island.
After a spending much time in further research Watkins eventually published his theories in 'The Old Straight Track', which created a vogue for seeking 'the leys', the name he gave the invisible lines, across the countryside of Britain.
Since the publication of Watkins’ book, ley lines have come to be regarded as something other than convenient pathways. As most mystical sites are situated on ley lines and psychic manifestation is associated with their junctions it has been suggested that they are channels for ‘geometric power’. Watkins did not claim the lines were anything more than ancient tracks, yet the last sentence of his book became an inspiration for ley hunters and New Age enthusiasts alike: “I feel that ley-man, astronomer-priest, druid, bard, wizard, witch, palmer and hermit, were all more or less linked by one thread of ancient knowledge of power, however degenerate it became in the end."
Source British Folklore, myths & legends
Posted on Tue 21st Jul 2009
How To Create A Harmonious Workplace
It’s said that lime leaves hidden about a work place helps to pacify hostile colleagues.
And that a sprinkling of earth under your desk helps relieve stress by grounding your energy.
Also a dark coloured crystal placed before or above a computer screen helps to absorb stress-causing vibrations radiating from the computer.
Worth a try before resigning!
Posted on Fri 17th Jul 2009
What is Feng Shui
What is Feng Shui? This is a simple question that can be difficult to answer as the term represents a complex system of beliefs. Feng Shui is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago in China. Within it's huge body of knowledge lies the secrets of how to balance the energies of any given space to ensure the health and good fortune of those who inhabit it.
"Feng" means "wind" and "shui" means "water" (pronounced fung-shway). In Chinese culture gentle wind and clear water have always been associated with good harvest and good health, so "good feng shui" came to mean good livelihood and fortune, while "bad feng shui" came to mean hardship and misfortune.
Feng Shui is based on the Taoist vision and understanding of nature, particularly on the idea that the land is alive and filled with 'Chi', or energy. The ancient Chinese believed that the land's energy could either make or break their homeland. The theories of yin and yang, as well as the five feng shui elements, are some of the basic parts of a feng shui analysis that come from Taoism.
The main tools used in a feng shui analysis are the Compass and the Ba-Gua. The Ba-Gua is an octagonal grid containing the symbols of the I Ching, the ancient oracle on which Feng Shui is based. Knowing the Bagua of your home will help you understand the connection of specific feng shui areas of your home to specific areas of your life.
Posted on Wed 15th Jul 2009
Feng Shui Ideas to Attract Wealth To Your Home
Sea salt, or natural salt, created by the oceans of the world, is one of the most powerful tools used in feng shui.
Its strong energies not only give it great cleansing properties but also the capacity to attract wealth. While it’s well known that natural salt is an effective cleanser of bad chi its attraction properties are less well known.
In ancient Chinese it was thought that sewing grains of sea salt into a small pouch in your wallet will attract cash to it.
A useful tip for anyone who enjoys playing the tables at a casino, or sitting down to a friendly game of poker, is to carry a wallet filled to overflowing with cash and place some sea salt in it.
This ensures that the money does not leave your wallet.
It’s worth remembering though that sea salt melts and dissolves over time so you will need to refill on a regular basis.
Sprout a plant in the southeast to bring in a new source of income.
The Chinese are extremely fond of sprouting new plants. Not only do new plants signify the energy of springtime, and a successful beginning, but they serve as an omen of good fortune.
In feng shui the southeast corner of your home is known as the wealth corner and the place of wood energy. By placing sprouting plants here, you simulate the favourable presence of sheng chi. According to the Eight Mansions feng shui, sheng chi is the most important type of chi, and it leaves an expanding yang energy vital to overall feng shui luck.
Bringing wealth energy to your home
Feng shui is particularly beneficial to anyone wanting to create multiple sources of income. While there are several feng shui practices for creating wealth energy in the home, the constant presence of plants growing strongly in the southeast is one of the most effective. If there is no growth here, it’s said that wealth energy becomes increasingly depleted.
Posted on Wed 15th Jul 2009
The Gypsy Curse of Levens Hall
This Elizabethan house, which stands south of Kendal in Cumbria, has a variety of ghosts, including a lady in pink who materializes only when children are present, a small black dog and also the phantom of a gypsy woman who laid a curse on the family living there.
Turned away when begging for bread, she cursed the family with the words ‘no son will inherit the house until the River Kent ceases to flow and a white fawn is born’
Oddly the inheritance of the hall did indeed pass from relative to relative rather than from father to son until 1913 – when an albino deer was born in the deer park belonging to the estate and the nearby River Kent froze and ceased to flow as the winter was so bitterly cold,
With the terms of the curse fulfilled a member of the family finally inherited the hall from his father!
Read more stories of curses here:
Posted on Sat 11th Jul 2009
Marked By Elves
In Scotland it was believed that those born with some physical defect had been marked by elves out of spite.
In Shakespeare’s Richard III Queen Margaret called Richard III (who history records as a hunchback) ‘Thou elfish-marked, abortive, rooting hog!’ Charming!
Posted on Sat 11th Jul 2009
The Evil Eye
To give someone the ‘evil eye’ is a well-known saying but did you know that it has origins in the belief in witchcraft?
One of the most feared aspects of witchcraft was the Evil Eye, the ability of a witch to inflict ill luck and even death by staring at the victim.
In the west of England the practice is known as ‘overlooking’ and there is no shortage of stories about crops been ruined and animals becoming diseased by a witch gazing across a farm.
Belief in the Evil Eye dates back to Roman times and was not restricted to the witches of Britain but was – and in many cases still is – dreaded in different cultures around the world.
Protection was given to animals by hanging bells from their collars and to children in the form of red ribbons which they wore beneath their clothing.
It’s said the most effective way to stop the power of the Evil Eye is to spit in it!
Posted on Sat 11th Jul 2009
Marriage Prediction With Daisies
This little flower was once regarded as a symbol of deceit. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet Ophelia gives the queen a daisy to convey ‘that her light and fickle love ought not to expect constancy in her husband’.
Despite this the first daisy to appear in a new year brought luck to anyone who stepped on it.
And young girls, anxious to know how long it would be before they married, closed their eyes and plucked a daisy clump at random. The number of flowers picked represented the number of years that they would remain single.
Posted on Fri 3rd Jul 2009
What Is Mediumship?
Many people often confuse mediumship with other types of psychic abilities.
'Mediumship' is simply the ability to communicate with spirit and provide evidence of life after death. It is not a way to look into your future.
To channel communication from 'the other side' mediums usually work closely with their spirit guides and it is this that distinguishes them from psychics - though some offer both services.
Some work by seeing spirit (clairvoyance) whilst others sense, see, and hear ( known as clairsentient clairvoyance and clairaudient)
They may also go into a trance like state and assume the voice, or facial gestures of the spirit making contact.
Most well-known mediums claim to have had this gift since childhood and that they have always been able to see 'spirit' around them.
But a few say it began after a traumatic incident in their lives, i.e. an accident.
The famous 20th century Dutch medium, Peter Hurkos, credited with helping police solve 27 murders throughout Europe had a dramatic tale to tell of how he was suddenly able to communicate with spirit. In 1941 at the age of 30, he fell off a ladder in the Netherlands while painting a house and survived a four-storey plunge. He hit his head on the ground below and while recovering he found he was hearing and seeing spirit. The accident also sparked in him an uncanny ability to "read" a person by being in close proximity or touching an object associated with that person. Many unsolved police cases were helped by his ability to tune into the spirit world and some grieving parents of missing children had reason to be grateful to him.
But in 1956, he visited the United States under the sponsorship of a psychic research society and got caught up with the Hollywood set. Overnight,he became a celebrity, offering psychic readings to Hollywood stars and going onstage, and his wonderful gift was lost to those most in need.
Remember if you seek a spirit reading genuine mediums would never claim to be able to contact specific people. But they should be able to bring you messages from loved ones that you would immediately recognize
Also beware of the "doom and gloom" mediums who trot out unpleasant predictions. You should not leave a sitting feeling distressed, but rather uplifted and happy in the knowledge that your loved ones in spirit are at peace.
Read more here:
Psychic Barber,Gordon Smith On Talking To The Dead
Doris Stokes, Did Her Messages Really Come From The Dead
Posted on Fri 3rd Jul 2009