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.

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?”

Online tarot readings here

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.

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

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

A Spell To Bring Back A Stray Lover

Here’s an interesting spell from the southern state of Louisiana in the US – its magical intention being to bring back a lost love!

Louisiana has had a reputation for weaving powerful magic for centuries. The warm, moist climate of the deep south of America is believed to be highly conductive to magical vibrations.

Spells cast and created there are said by some psychics and magicians to be among the most potent on earth. The spiritual heartland of Southern-style magic is Africa, and the spells of the South often have a real African flavour.

The following spell is really simple and uses only a few basic ingredients in addition to a good deal of creative visualisations.

In Louisiana it’s believed that five red candles burned before the photograph of a missing loved one will draw him or her back to you.

Arrange the candles in a circle and smear each with honey, and then dust them with sugar and cinnamon powder.

Light the candles and carefully place a photograph in the middle of the circle. Call the name of the missing lover exactly one hundred and nine times as the candles burn and visualize him or her returning to you with both an open heart and open arms.

Allow the candles to burn away to nothing at which time the photograph should be wrapped in a red cloth and placed beneath the bed.

Another similar method involves piercing a photograph with exactly thirty brand new fishing hooks and placing it in a jar of honey mixed with perfume. The whole jar may then be placed within the circle of five candles.

Here's another simple love spell:

Apple Pip Love Spell

Posted on Thu 16th 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!

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.