"Where Spirits Linger" WordCrafter Book Blog Tour Day 5 + My #Review + A #Giveaway

It's day five of the "Where Spirits Linger" WordCrafter book blog tour, which means it's time for my stop on the tour.  I have an excellent guest post for you from one of the authors who contributed to the collection, a review, and details of how you can get your hands on a free digital copy of the book.  So, let's see what Stevie Turner has to say about writing "David's Revenge" shall we? Over to you, Stevie.

Writing “David’s Revenge”

by Stevie Turner

 

I have had a lifelong interest in the paranormal, ever since living in a haunted flat as a child and seeing ghosts and having to dive under the bedclothes during the night when my bed would lift up of its own accord.  In the mornings my mother used to tidy my bed to her exacting standards, and hey ho, the imprint of a body would appear with alarming regularity (and no, it wasn’t me).  My parents eventually discovered that a previous tenant had committed suicide in my bedroom.  I remember I would never go to sleep unless one of my parents was there in the room with me.  

 

We moved out of the flat when I was seven, and the paranormal activity stopped.  However, when I was in my fifties, I woke up in the night, put the light on to get a drink, and there was a lady sitting at the end of my bed wearing a doctor’s white coat.  I have no idea who she was, but she looked a bit like my oncologist.  She smiled at me and there and then I had the feeling I would recover from my stage IV cancer.  I did. 

 

I have been to various demonstrations of clairvoyance over the years.  My short story ‘David’s Revenge’ is the culmination of many meetings with spiritualist mediums, some of which have passed uncannily accurate messages to me from a few of my loved ones in the spirit world.  I attended a meeting one night and the medium told me that my uncle was there and that he could see I was having constant trouble day after day trying to unlock the door to my flat that I shared with a workmate.  My uncle told me that from that moment on I’d have no more difficulty with the key.  When I returned home the key slid easily in the lock as though it had been oiled and I never had any more trouble with it.

 

I have learned over time that genuine mediums always have a spirit guide to watch over them who on the earth plane was usually from a Red Indian tribe.  This very spiritual (but now deceased) guide bridges a gap from this world to the next and is an invaluable help to the medium.  In this way my character ‘Medicine Horse’ was born.

 

In the story, David Nelson died when only ten years old, and appears to medium Rae Cordelle (via Medicine Horse) at a clairvoyant meeting.  David has some terrible news to impart to Rae concerning the way in which he died, which involves David’s stepfather, Mick Curtis.  Rae has no choice but to pass on the news to David’s mother Karen at a private reading.  Karen is distraught.  Mick is aghast at information he considers to be completely false, but Rae is very gifted and knows that Medicine Horse would never lie. Karen and Mick must discover for themselves exactly what is going on.

 

 

There is scepticism as to whether mediums are genuine, but I believe in the spirit world because I’ve had proof, I’ve seen ghosts for myself, and I’ve lived in a haunted flat.  If doubters would only pay for a private reading with a good medium, then the messages they receive would convince them that the spirit world exists.  We are only on the earth plane briefly, but there are so many wonders waiting for us when it’s our turn to travel over to the ‘Other Side’.

 

 

Stevie Turner is a British author of suspense, paranormal, women's fiction family dramas and darkly humorous novels, and likes to find subjects to write about that are not often covered. Stevie is married and lives in the wilds of East Anglia, England, and enjoys cycling about the countryside when she is not busy writing.  http://www.stevie-turner-author.co.uk

 

*~*

 

 

Spirits linger in strange places for unexpected reasons.
Kaye Lynne Booth’s spirits care and want to be cared for in “The People Upstairs”.
Robbie Cheadle’s spirits have unfinished business in “Listen to Instructions”.
Stevie Turner’s spirits are out for revenge in “David’s Revenge”.
Enid Holden’s spirits linger in a house with a history in “The Chosen Few”.
Sharon Kretcshmer’s spirits linger on a battle field in “The Final Portrait”.
Crysta Planko’s spirits linger in an estate long gone in the winning story, “Olde Tyme Village”.

 Now available from Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Amazon sites for some other countries.

 

*~*

 

I was given a copy of this book to review for you, so here's my review:

 

Where Spirits Linger by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic and well-written collection of spooky stories, which would be a perfect read for near Halloween, or any time of the year you fancy a bit of a creepy read. All the stories were excellent, and it would be impossible for me to pick a favourite, so I won't even try. Kaye Lynne Booth's "The People Upstairs" is a very believable and chilling tale. Robbie Cheadle's "Listen to Instructions" is an unusual story with a cautionary lesson. Stevie Turner's "David's Revenge" is a heartbreaking but excellent tale with a twist. Enid Holden's "The Chosen Few" is an interesting story with a surprise ending. Sharon Kretcshmer's "The Final Portrait" is a sad story with a beautiful ending. And Christa Planko's "Olde Tyme Village" is an incredibly spooky story that was the perfect one to end on. All in all, I loved these stories, and would highly recommend this collection to lovers of paranormal tales.

*NOTE: I was given a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This fact has in no way influenced either my opinion of the book or the contents of this review, and all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

View all my reviews

 

*~*

 

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

 

Want a free digital copy of this book? Then follow the tour and comment on the posts for your chance to win a free digital copy of the book.  Every comment earns you a chance to win in a random drawing, so the more posts you comment on, the higher your chances of winning.

 

To make sure you don't miss any posts, here's where you can find them all:

Day 1: https://writingtoberead.com/2021/09/20/welcome-to-the-wordcrafter-where-spirits-linger-book-blog-tour/

Day 2: https://theshowersofblessings.com/2021/09/20/where-spirits-linger-book-blog-tour/

Day 3: https://pattysworlds.com/day-3-of-the-wordcrafter-where-spirits-linger-book-blog-tour-blogtour-wordpresswednesday/

Day 4: https://robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com/2021/09/23/roberta-writes-wordcrafter-where-spirits-linger-book-blog-tour-featuring-christa-planko/

Day 5: https://ziglernews.blogspot.com/2021/09/where-spirits-linger-wordcrafter-book.html

Day 6 https://writingtoberead.com/2021/09/25/day-6-of-the-wordcrafter-where-spirits-linger-book-blog-tour/

 

 

#WriterWednesday - Tools Of The Telling Trade In Reality And Fiction - #FortuneTelling #Runes #Tarot

Charles - yes, the same Charles with a recent fantasy book release that's on sale throughout July, which I posted about here - did a series of posts on his blog recently about some of the tools of the fortune telling trade.

The purpose of these posts was to briefly look at some of the tools of the trade in real life, as well as how they can - and do - get used in fiction. It's not an in-depth look, but I found the posts - along with some of the comments left on them - interesting, so thought I'd give them a mention.

If you'd like to check them out, you can do so on his blog. Here are the links:

• Runes
• Zodiac Signs
• Tarot
  

In case you're interested: I'm a Scorpio, born on a day when the moon was in Cancer, in the year of the rat. So my Sun sign is Scorpio, my Moon sign is Cancer, and my Chinese Zodiac sign is the Wood Rat. Thought I'd mention all three versions of my zodiac signs that I know exist, just to be thorough. If you know of any others, I'd be interested to hear about them.

A-Z with me, part 4: V-Z (FD)

If you missed the other posts in this series, go here for A-G, go here for H-N, and go here for O-U.

***

V is for vegetables.

I'm a vegetarian, so these make up the bulk of what I eat.

I know some people who think vegetables are boring, but they really aren't! It's surprising just how many different things you can do with vegetables, and if you add some herbs to the meals, you can do even more. Even something as simple as a soup or a veggie bake can be made new and exciting just by slightly changing a few ingredients, and that's half the fun of cooking anyway, so it's a great result all round.

Some of my favourite veggies include sprouts, runner beans, parsnips, and carrots... Among others.

I'm always open to hearing about new vegetarian friendly recipes, so if you have any, feel free to share!

***

W is for writing.

We can't have a post about things important to me without including that, after all, can we?

In case you don't know, I've loved to write since I learned how, though I admit it was only when I started publishing my books in 2012 that I started making more than a passing mention of my writing on my blog. More than three years later, however, and I've got a few hundred writing themed posts, and have published more than 40 books. Plus, I have plenty more ideas to keep me writing for years yet!

My books are a long way from making me rich and famous, but I enjoy writing them, and those people who read them seem to enjoy doing so, which is what really matters.

Also, even I can see that there's some improvement in my writing from my first book. In fact, even my blog posts are looking better. At least, i think they are... They're certainly better edited, anyway, LOL!

***

X is for xylophone.

Well, not xylophones themselves, but the word. I like weird sounding words, like xylophone, platypus, and other funny sounding words like those. I don't know why, but they amuse me.

***

Y is for yoga and meditation.

I've never been to yoga class, but I've taught myself some of the more basic poses, though I don't really do them these days, since my body won't co-operate with me. However, I still use the breathing exercises a lot.

For one thing, I meditate regularly; usually using incense or scented candles - most often incense - to help with the initial relaxation process, though sometimes without them.

For another thing, I've learned that the yoga breathing exercises are very helpful when my asthma is causing problems (which mostly only happens during the times when I have a chest infection, or if I get overly stressed or excited). Focussing on your breathing is extremely helpful in preventing asthma attacks. Or, at least, calming them down slightly. Although, I dare say the technique may not be quite as effective for those with more severe asthma issues than my own. In fact, I'd be surprised if it was. Also, please don't think I'm suggesting it as a substitute for an inhaler; I'm not. I'm just saying it can help... At least a little.

***

Z is for Zodiacs and astrology.

This is an interest of mine I don't indulge in very often, but I do find it fascinating to see how close horoscopes came to predicting things accurately. Perhaps because I have an interest in doing so with divination in general? I know many frown on such things, but I find them fascinating. They aren't always correct, since they can't always be, due to the fact our futures change with every action we take. But I like to see how close they come to being correct, and find it interesting to compare what a person is like to what their sign profile says they should be like.

If you're interested, I'm a Scorpio.

***

I hope you enjoyed this series of posts. If you want to know more about anything I've mentioned in them, feel free to ask. I'll answer any questions I can; as long as I know the answers, or don't have a good reason to refuse to answer.

More runic ramblings

Following on from my post back in February called "Runic Ramblings" for the Pagan Blog Prompt for that week.

The runes I won in the blog naming contest never came; I don't know what's happening with them, but I've given up on having them. If they arrive in the future, great, but I'm not holding my breath. Kelly told me to find a set I liked and buy them; I think he's given up on the ones I won too. *Sigh*

I was eyeing up some amethyst gemstone runes, but they kept being out of stock. Then they brought in a new version of them; a slightly smaller (and slightly cheaper) version. I mentioned them to Kelly, along with my concern that they may be a bit too much smaller and therefore difficult to read. He told me to get them anyway, and if I couldn't read them he'd have them and we could get me a larger set. So, I got them, and here they are:

They can't be much smaller, since they're around the same size as the clay ones Rita and her daughter-in-law, Leah, made for me. And, yes, I can read them just fine.

In case you didn't see them when I posted them before, here are the rune symbols they made me:


Thanks again Rita and Leah (and Dagan)! :)

My rune set came with a pouch, but I can't use it. I have an issue with velvet; I think I'm allergic or something? Anyway, I feel like someone's clamped their hands around my throat while pinching my nose closed if I touch the stuff. It's not as bad with things that aren't pure velvet, but still not nice. Anyway, the pouch was "velvet style" (their words) and it was close enough to velvet to make me feel like someone was pinching my nose closed. The result being there's no way I can be focusing energy on runes when all my focus is on remembering how to breathe. So I gave the pouch to Kelly, and brought supplies to make myself another. When I was buying the runes I thought I might need to, so I also brought this purple chord to use when making my bag:

I brought this purple glittery card recently too:

I have three pieces of it; each one 12inches by 12inches. My plan is to make the chart with the rune symbols from Rita on it with just one piece, but I got extra "just in case" since I figured it's best to have too much than not enough. Besides I can always find a use for pieces of card, and purple is always a good thing in my book. And, hey, it was only 50p (a little under $1) for each of them!

So, I just need to get some more tape for my braille labeler, then Kelly can help me make the chart. After that it's just a case of making the pouch for my runes, and I'm all set.

Now to figure out a way to make my tarot cards readable...

Ostara activities and rituals (LBE and FD)

* Have a traditional breakfast of buns, ham, and eggs.

* Wear green clothing.

* Place a lit green candle in a dish full of moist earth, let it burn down and then bury the remainders (except the dish).

* Create bird feeders.

* Volunteer at a local animal shelter.

* Make Eostre Baskets together. Try planting kitty grass in a small pot to use instead of that fake plastic grass. It looks nicer, plus you're helping save Mother Earth by using natural items rather than plastic, which gets thrown out and then just sits in landfills for all eternity.

* Decorate your house for Spring.

* Read stories about Easter, Passover, or other Spring themes. Meagan's Ostara is a great one for teaching young children about the Sabbats.

* Talk to your children about Ostara. Tell them the myths and celebrations that are customary for your tradition.

* According to Scott Cunningham, another good option is to go to a field and randomly collect wildflowers. Thank the flowers for their sacrifice before picking them and it is also best to leave an offering to the plant and/or the Earth for taking the flowers, such as some milk and honey, a small crystal or even a coin. Or, buy some from a florist, taking one or two of those that appeal to you. Then bring them home and divine their magickal meanings by the use of books, your own intuition, a pendulum or by other means. The flowers you've chosen reveal your inner thoughts and emotions.

* Meditate on the imagery of the seed.

* Meditate on the season's flowers. Flowers are the sexual organs of plants, consider what this says to you.

* Perform magick to give back to the earth. Raise and send energy to return to the Earth, our mother, some of the bounteous energy and fertility She gives to us.

* Meditate on the Moon-Hare, rabbits provide an obvious symbol of animal fertility and see what comes to you about literal or creative fertility in your own life.

* Honor the spring or Earth goddess or god of your choice, or a goddess or god of balance.

* Light a bonfire at dawn on the Equinox to honor the light half of the year.

* Meditate or perform ritual at dawn or sunset.

* Do a ritual denoting the passing of the year's dark half.

* Use the energy of the time of year as you would the first quarter of the moon. You can use the energy of this time of year to fuel any new project or goal.

* Meditate on beginnings, on the East, on air, on dawn. In meditation, note how these symbols connect organically and how you relate personally to them.

* Leave offerings of food and milk for the fairies and other spirits who live in and around rocks and are responsible for the fertility of the land. Leave a few fruits from the last harvest for the nature spirits.

* Perform rituals to ask for balance in your life, and to honor both dark and light.

* Take a walk and look for signs of emerging life in the forests and fields or in a local park.

* Plant early seeds such as peas, lettuce, cabbage family. Start others indoors

* Plan your magickal garden to plant after Beltane

* Pick up litter at your favorite park or beach. Help the earth rejuvenate by getting rid of the mess. Even an hour of cleanup can make a big difference.

* Do a spring cleaning rite/ritual and cleanse your home of negativity and any energies that might prevent you from taking advantage of prosperity in your life.

* Perform oomancy (divination by eggs). To perform the most common form of egg-divination, separate egg whites and yolks. You then drop the white into hot water and divine from the shapes it assumes.

* Celebrate Nawruz, the Persian New Year, which falls on the spring equinox by fixing a special dinner of seven food dishes that begin with ‘S.’ Either look up the names of the Arabic foods that you will want to use or use English words and eat salad, salami, soup, squash, etc. Decorate the table with a mirror, a bowl of water with one freshly-picked green leaf floating in it, a candelabra containing a candle for every child in the house, a copy of the Koran (or other sacred text), rose water, sweets, fruit, a fish, yogurt and colored eggs.

* Draw sprouting leaves on an egg and bury it in your garden to help stimulate your plants.

* Perform magick by planting a seed to grow with your spell. You can use the energy of this time of year to fuel any new project or goal. Think of how you wish to change and grow while planting the seed and watch it flourish as you do.

* Make hot cross buns

* Light pairs of white and black candles, symbolizing dark and light, in different areas of your home. Each time you pass a pair of candles, you can honor the balance of light and dark we find this time of year, and the balance of light and dark within yourself.

* Dye eggs with natural dyes and try decorating them with magickal or other symbols. Ideas for those you can use include runes, astrological symbols, elemental symbols, the Theban alphabet, zodiac/planetary symbols, Ogham writing, Native American pictographs, lunar & solar symbols,stars, pentacles, Egyptian hieroglyphs, God/Goddess symbols, the triscale and more!

* Create an effigy of the dark half of the year and imbue it with the things of winter you’d like to leave behind. You can then either burn it in a bonfire or drop it in the nearest watercourse

* In ancient Italy in the spring, women planted Gardens of Adonis. They filled urns with grain seeds, kept the in the dark and watered them every two days until they sprouted. You can do this yourself with grass seed in baskets. You can then put your decorated eggs on the altar, etc. in your grass filled baskets. Talk about how this custom persists today in Sicily, where women plant seeds of grains–lentils, fennel, lettuce or flowers–in baskets and pots. When they sprout, the stalks are tied with red ribbons and the “gardens” are placed along roads on the Christian Good Friday. They are meant symbolize the triumph of life over death.

* Have each member of your family/coven select a seed or bulb that they wish to plant. Bless them and visualize your plants in full bloom. Then you may wish to invoke each of the four elements necessary for the plants’ growth. You may either plant your items outside, or if it is too cold place them in a pot of soil and pat down the earth (element earth), poured water on it (element water), breath on it (element air) and then hold the pot over a candle (or up to the sun, if you are outside) (for fire).

* Give a potted plant to friends or family for their garden or window sill

* Take time to notice what birds have returned from their winter homes. Place feeders and/or a bird bath out for them.

* Make a growth charm out of a hard-boiled egg — decorate it with symbols, write on it the quality you would like to manifest more fully within yourself, energize it, and then eat it.

* Create ritual garment. Try our easy robe pattern. Embellish it with trims, embroidery, bells, stones, sequins or anything else that strikes your fancy. Save it to wear until Ostara as it was considered bad luck to wear it before then in ancient times.

* Connect with plant energies. Choose a plant and spend time exploring the leaves and stem in great detail, being careful not to harm it. Use a magnifying glass. Feel the textures and inhale the scent of the plant.

* Let the whole family create a dance depicting the rising of new shoots from the Earth to greet the sun. Create your own music with drums, rattles and whistles, or choose music that reminds you of spring.

* Bundle up, spread out a blanket, and watch the sunrise.

* Eat honey cakes and eggs for breakfast.

* Do a spring rite: Take walks in parks, woods or other green areas. Make the walking a ritual in itself. Wear flowers in your hair, or as a necklace, and strew them around and on your alter.

*Toss crushed eggshells into the garden and say: "For fairy, for flowers, for herbs in the bowers, The shells pass fertility with springtime showers."

* Blow out a few raw eggs, color them and fill them with finely ground herbs corresponding to a magical intent

* Research egg magic

* Get outside with kids or friends and play old fashioned games like red rover and tag

* Start clearing out space in your yard for a garden, or getting your garden beds ready to plant

* Buy a new broom for magical or mundane cleaning

* Practice weather magic

* Make paper flowers and use them to decorate your home or altar

* Take your broom outside and use the handle to thump the earth to "wake it up"

* Have an egg hunt

* Learn about the migration of butterflies or the plight of the honey bee. Vow to take steps to help them on their way

* Eat eggs for breakfast on Ostara morning and bury the rinsed shells in your garden to promote prosperity and abundance of your crops

* Try to incorporate at least one traditional correspondence into your daily life through the spring season: cook with seasonal foods, use traditionally colored cloth napkins, display a vase of wildflowers on your table, burn traditionally scented incense, etc.

***

Sources:
http://witchery.wordpress.com/2008/02/11/ostara-activities-and-ideas/
http://www.ravenandcrone.com/catalog/a35/Ostara-Spring-Equinox-Activities-Lore/article_info.html
http://www.examiner.com/domestic-witchery-in-national/pagan-101-activities-for-ostara
http://www.angelfire.com/wa3/angelline/ostara_activities.htm

Thank you Rita, Leah and Dagan!

The rune symbols Rita and her daughter-in-law, Leah, made me so I can make a chart for which rune is which are great; those who have read Rita's blog will have seen them. Here's a photo for the rest of you:


I'll get better pictures when they get made in to the chart.

Anyway, guess what?

The runes weren't alone in the package I got from Rita.

I also got this craft stuff:



Thanks Rita, Leah and Dagan!

(Dagan gets a "thank you" too, because he stood in line to post the package).

Runic Ramblings

This week's "Pagan Blog Prompt" is the following:

Runes

Do you use them?
Which set of runes do you use (if something other than the Elder Futhark)?
How do you use them (divination, magic, as an alphabet for writing, etc)?

If you do not know/use the runes, are you interested in it?
What is keeping you from exploring them?

My thoughts:

I'd never given much thought to the runes; I'd think from time to time that it might be nice to learn to read them, but that's about it. Then AstraeaSapphire had a blog renaming contest, and I won. I had a choice of a set of runes or a tarot set as my prize. Well, I already have a set of tarot cards that I love, and have no desire to have another set, so I decided to go with the runes. I can't remember what set it is (and as they haven't arrived yet, I can't check), but I'm quite enthusiastic about the prospect of learning to read them.

Of course, then I ran in to the issue of how to identify which symbol is which. Runes are carved most of the time (and if the ones I won aren't, then my hubby - who also wants to learn to read them - will buy me a set that is, and have the set I won). But how was I going to figure out what the symbol was?

Rita reads the runes, and when I realized this - or, rather, was reminded of it - shortly after winning the rune set, I contacted her to ask for her help in making tactile symbols to become part of a chart I planned to make to solve the problem. The little clay tiles with symbols on them that Rita, her daughter-in-law, Leah, and (I think) her son, Dagan, made for me arrived just a couple of days ago. I will post photos when I can. Although, if you read Rita's blog then you'll have seen them already (and if you don't, you could go and look; the photos were posted a couple of weeks ago, though I don't remember exactly when).

Now I just need for Kelly (my hubby) to help me make the chart, and for my rune set to arrive, and then I'll be all ready to start learning to read the runes!

Courses and catch-up attempts

Other than the last 2 lessons for the "Fantasy Novel Writing" course, all the courses I'd signed up for before are finished, and I have all the lessons for them. When all but that one and another that was 15 lessons long were finished, I decided I'd sign up to get a few more courses. It's lucky they're courses you can do at your leisure, because I ended up signing up for:

Handmade Soapmaking
Herb Gardening
Historical Novel Writing
Horror Writing
Maths For Everyday Life
Numerology Principles
Opening Hooks
Pen Names And Pseudonyms
Penny Dreadfuls - A Litarary Tour
Permissions
Play Review Writing
Play Writing As An Art Form
Play Writing For Beginners
Play Writing - Script Process Introduction
Poetry As Health Therapy
Poetry For Beginners
Publishing The E-Way
Pulp Fiction Era

***

The "Herb Gardening" and "Poetry As Health Therapy" courses are already finished.

Many of them I'll probably never use, but - as I've said before, and probably will again - since they're free, and you can do them whenever, I'm grabbing any of the ones where I have even a vague interest in the subject. At least that way, should I change my mind in the future, I have them. Especially since we saw recently how easily the site could disappear, so who knows if it will be around should I decide in the future that I want to grab the courses after all, right?

***

OK, well... I've just spent a few hours catching up on blog posts from the last couple of days, so now I need to get to other things that I let myself get behind on somehow. I don't suppose you know what happened to the last couple of days? I lost them; I think the clock was on fast forward on Friday and Saturday or something!

The other 2012 "to do" list

I told you earlier about the projects I hope to get done in 2012. Well, now I'm going to tell you about the other things I'd like to achieve this year. So...

* Establish a routine in which I manage to do a bit of each of the things I want to each day (this includes a bit of Yoga and a daily meditation session).
* Finish collecting the courses I want to do from E-Mail College.
* At least make a start on doing the above mentioned courses.
* Start working on the writing projects I keep promising myself I'll do.
* Improve my skills with tarot reading.
* Learn to read runes.
* Improve my knowledge of herbal remedies.
* Get to a point where I can take Kero for a walk to the park by myself.
* Learn the routes to the seaside and town.
* Start checking off things from my "what I want to do before I turn 30" list.

Nothing spectacular or impressive, I'm afraid, but there you go.

Plans for Samhain 2011

There was something else I meant to post this past week; I'd said I'd do it last weekend, actually. But things happened, and now that post will have to wait until next week. Anyway, I know people wanted to know what I'll be doing - or have been doing - to celebrate Samhain this year, especially since I said I was going to be doing plenty to make up for not being able to do anything for Mabon. So... I've already had a tea party (more on that over the next couple of days, since it was for the Witchy Tea Party that Anna is hosting this weekend), and made a spooky bandanna for Kero with some of the fabric I got in that recent Hobbycraft order (again, more on that to come in another post some time soon); I haven't decided yet what to do with the rest. And here's what I still plan to do to celebrate Samhain: *Put up the decorations; I always leave them until the day before, especially since where I don't have many it doesn't take long to put them up. *Carve pumpkins (we're getting 2). *Carve a turnip. *Make a Mushroom And Winter Veg Pie with the turnip. *Make a Pumpkin Pie and some Pumpkin Spice Muffins. *If there's enough pumpkin left over, make some Pasta With Pumpkin Sage Sauce. *Drink some of Rosmerta's Pumpkin Juice. *Take some time to read the braille tarot books I got a couple of months ago and have done little more than briefly glance at (I'd do a reading, but I haven't had an oppertunity to make my cards readable to me, so I can't). *Do a private meditation ritual. *Braid together 3 ribbons (white for life, black for death, and red for rebirth) while focusing on lost loved ones. I'm combining the last two; I'll be starting off with the ritual where you bind the ribbons, and incorperating the meditation ritual in to it, since you're meant to meditate on lost loved ones while binding them anyway, so it seems logical to me to extend it by placing a meditation ritual in there. I was going to bake Cookies in appropriate shapes; bats, ghosts, hands and cats. But I made some cat shaped cookies yesterday, and with the pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice muffins I'm making... Well, I really don't think we need more cookies; we'll have enough to eat for Samhain and the days surrounding it without adding cookies to the mix. So, I decided to forget about doing the cookies after all. Anyway, we've also got a load of goodies for any kids who come Trick-Or-Treating. Not sure how many we'll get, but I know there are plenty of kids around, so since my Jack-O-Lanterns and other decorations will be up by then I'm hoping they'll come knocking; I like having trick-or-treaters come calling!

Samhain activity and ritual ideas (FD)

Bob for Apples

Drink apple cider warmed and spiced with cinnamon to honor the dead.

Bury an apple or pomegranate in the garden as food for spirits passing by on their way to be reborn.

Carve a Jack-o-Lantern. Pick a spirit candle.
This is a white candle anointed with patchouli oil. Say:
"With this candle and by its light,
welcome you spirits this Samhain night."
Place it inside the jack-o'-lantern.

Set out a Mute Supper.

Have a New Years party to celebrate the turning of the wheel!

Make a mask of your shadow self.

Make a besom, or witches broom.

Make a witches cord as an expression of what you hope to manifest in the year ahead. Enjoy the trick or treating of the season.

Wear costumes that reflect what we hope or wish for in the upcoming year.

Make resolutions, write them on a small piece of parchment, and burn in a candle flame, preferably a black votive candle within a cauldron on the altar. This is like New Year's resolutions; as for many Samhain is the New Year.

Divination - Samhain is the beginning of the pagan year; divinations were done to see the future of the coming year. It is said that this is the time of the Crone and it is incumbent upon us to see whatever wisdom she is willing to part with on our behalf. Many types of divination are practiced for Samhain. Dark Mirrors - Fire or Water Scrying - Tarot cards - and of course the Crystal Ball.

Make masks and costumes representing the different aspects of the Goddess and God, and wear them to your rituals, or use them to decorate your altar area.

Toll "Lost in the Dark" bells.

Try hanging out with friends and dress up to go see the Rocky Horror Picture show (I've never done this, but some of my friends do!!)

Private Meditation

Hold a Private Ritual and focus on the traditional themes for Samhain, such as Life, Death and Rebirth.

Try learning a new form of divination to practice and then try to see what the coming year has in store for you.

Clip articles from the newspaper that have things to do with paganism and put them in a scrapbook.

Eat some candy!!

Host a Halloween party for your friends and neighbors

Volunteer at a Publicly sponsored Haunted House

Write an essay or editorial to the newspaper to educate people on the real associations and practices of Halloween and witches (pagans, wiccans, etc)

Hold a Group Ritual with people of similar practices

Carve Pumpkins with all sorts of neat designs.

Go Trick or Treating!

Read stories with a Halloween theme. The Meagan Stories are wonderful for this.

Talk about the history of Samhain with your child(ren). Don't just start offering them a lot of information that they may or may not need to know. If they ask questions, give them simple, but honest answers.

(Click here to see the page I got this list of ideas from).

3 days before Samhain, decorate an empty jar with pins, ribbons, feathers, confetti, tissue paper, etc. You may also want to add a photo of a deceased loved one on the jar. Write a letter to this loved one telling them about something you yearn for. Choose a serious need rather than a frivolous wish. Burn the letter and put the ashes in the Yearnin’ Urn. Light a candle next to the urn and let it burn for 3 days. On the night of Samhain, release the ashes in to the wind.

Take a set of ribbons –one white, one black, and one red. Say: White for life, black for death, red for rebirth. Bind these strands together remembering those you have lost. Then braid or knot the ribbons together. Focusing on your lost loved ones. When you are done, place them on your personal altar.

Do a divination ritual.

(The above ideas were adapted from the ideas on the "Samhain ritual ideas" page on Selenai's Blog; click here to read the page).

Mabon Activities and Correspondences (FD)

Symbolism of Mabon: The completion of the Harvest begun. Day and night are equal and the God prepares to leave His physical body and begin the great adventure into the unseen.

Symbols of Mabon: all harvest symbols, corn, autumn flowers, red poppies,nuts, grains, leaves, acorns, pine and cypress cones, oak sprigs, wreaths, vine, grapes, cornucopia, horns of plenty, burial cairns, apples, marigolds, harvested crops. wine, gourds

Colors : Orange, Dark Red, Yellow, Indigo, Maroon and Brown.

Goddesses: Modron(Welsh), Bona Dea, Harvest Dieties, Persephone, Demeter/Ceres, Morgan(Welsh- Cornish), Snake Woman(Aboriginal), Epona (Celtic-Gaulish), Pamona(Roman), the Muses(Greek).

Gods: Mabon, Modron(Welsh), Sky Father, John Barleycorn , the Wicker-Man, the Corn Man, Thoth(Egyptian), Hermes, Hotei(Japanese), Thor, Dionysus(Roman), Bacchus(Greek) and all wine Deities.

Tarot Cards: Judgment and The World

Altar Decorations: acorns, pinecones, autumn leaves, pomegranate, statue of the Triple Goddess in her Mother phase.

Mabon Herbs: Rue, yarrow, rosemary, marigold, sage, walnut leaves and husks, mistletoe, saffron, chamomile, almond leaves, passionflower, frankincense, rose hips, bittersweet, sunflower, wheat, oak leaves, dried apple or apple seeds.

Foods of Mabon: cornbread, wheat products, bread, grains, berries, nuts, grapes, acorns, seeds, dried fruits, corn, beans, squash, roots (ie onions, carrots, potatoes, etc), hops, apples, pomegranates, carrots, onions, potatoes, roast goose or mutton, wine, ale and ciders, breads, apples, pomegranates

Animals: dogs, wolves, stag, blackbird, owl, eagle, birds of prey, salmon & goat, Gnomes, Sphinx, Minotaur, Cyclops, Andamans and Gulons.

Element: water.

Incense : pine, sweetgrass, apple blossom, benzoin, myrrh, frankincense, jasmine, sage wood aloes, black pepper, patchouly, cinnamon, clove, oak moss

Mabon Stones : During Mabon, stones ruled by the Sun will help bring the Sun's energy to you.clear quartz, amber, peridot, diamond, gold, citrine, yellow topaz, cat's-eye, adventurine.

Customs: offerings to land, preparing for cold weather by bringing in harvest, cutting willow wands( Druidic), leaving apples upon burial cairns & graves as a token of honor, walks in forests, gather seed pods & dried plants, fermenting grapes to make wine,picking ripe produce, stalk bundling

Spellworkings of Mabon: Protection, prosperity, security, and self- confidence. Also those of harmony and balance. Taboos:It was considered unlucky to cut down the very last of the Harvest, and so was also left to stand in the field by some traditions.

Activities of Mabon: Select the best of each vegetable, herb, fruit, nut, and other food you have harvested or purchased and give it back to Mother Earth with prayers of thanksgiving. Hang dried ears of corn around your home in appreciation of the harvest season. Do meditations and chanting as you store away food for the Winter. Do a thanksgiving circle, offering thanks as you face each direction - - for home, finances, and physical health (North); for gifts of knowledge (East); for accomplishments in career and hobbies (South); for relationships (West); and for spiritual insights and messages (Center). Decorate the table with colorful autumn leaves in a basket. Display the fruits of the harvest - corn, gourds, nuts, grapes, apples - preferably in a cornucopia. Or decorate with wildflowers, acorns, nuts, berries, cocoons, anything that represents the harvest to you. Like its sister equinox, halfway across the Wheel of the Year, the Autumn Equinox is a good occasion for a ritual feast. Plan a meal that uses seasonal and symbolic fruits and vegetables. You can serve bread, squash, corn, apples, cider and wine. Make some homemade wine or cordial gather and dry herbs, plants, seeds and seed pods. Make grapevine wreaths using dried bitter-sweet herb for protection. Use ribbons of gold and yellow to bring in the energy of the Sun, and decorate with sprigs of dried yarrowor cinnamon sticks. Make a protection charm of hazelnuts (filberts) strung on red thread. Make a witch's broom. Tie dried corn husks or herbs (broom, cedar, fennel, lavender, peppermint, rosemary) around a strong, relatively straight branch of your choice. Make magic Apple Dolls Gifts of the Harvest can be used to make tools and emblems that will remind us of their bounty all year round. Look for colored leaves. Collect fallen leaves and make a centerpiece or bouquet for your home. Save the leaves to burn in your Yule fire. Vist an apple orchard and, if possible, pick your own apples. Hang apples on a tree near your home. Watch the birds and other small animals who will enjoy your gift. This is also the time for replacing your old broom with a new one. As the broom corn is ripe now, besom making is traditional and magickal this time of year. Begin the festival with a vineyard or orchard harvest. You might check the farm lands in your area to see if there's an orchard or pumpkin patch that allows customers to harvest produce for themselves. Traditionally Sabbat festivals begin at sun set on the eve of the Holiday. You can use the daytime hours of this holiday eve to prepare baskets for harvesting the next day. Baking a pumpkin pie (from scratch if possible) is a wonderful way to bring in the fragrance of the holiday season.

(Above taken from here)

Litha Activities And Ideas (FD)

*Go berry picking. Chose your best berry and throw it back into the berry bushes as thanks to the Goddess and the bushes (or just nature in general) for the fruit. *Make a Wicker Man and burn him in your Litha bon fire *Leave out milk and honey as an offering to the Fae folk *Have a mock battle between the Oak and Holly King. Remember that this is part of the cycle and as the wheel turns the Holly King will rise again at Winter Solstice *Make a charm to hang around your neck with a seashell *Make your own Stonehendge at the beach like you would a sand castle *Have an outdoor breakfast picnic to welcome the Solstice *Stay up and watch the sun go down on the longest day of the year! *Draw a picture of the sun at sunrise and sunset *Try a fire divination, stare into the coals of your bonfire as it settles or look for forms in the leaping flames. *Create a ritual to bring healing and love to Mother Earth *Dispose of those qualities that trouble you: project them into a burn-able (bunch of dry twigs, paper, etc.) and thrust the mass into a cleansing fire *make staffs *make dream pillows *make herb craft items like wreaths .

Altar tile

I discovered - while looking for my pentagram pendant - that I had one other item; an altar tile made for me by my uncle Philip (I think he made it when I was about 17, but I could be wrong). So, I had Kelly help me get photos of it. Now, I know people are going to be curious about the symbols on it, so I had Kelly try and identify them for me so that I could provide them with the photos. So...

Here is the top of it:



The symbols on the top are as follows:

The pentagram that's up the right way (with the point of the star facing upwards) is just a normal pentagram.
The one that looks sort of like an inverted (upside down) pentagram is the symbol for magic.
The symbol that looks like a triangle (the one with the point up the right way) is the fire symbol.
The inverted (upside down) triangle is the water symbol .
The symbol that looks like 2 quarter moons back to back is a version of the triple goddess symbol (it is also - in fact, more commonly - done with a circle in between the quarter moons), which is also just used as a "female" symbol to represent the femaneine in rituals and such.
The symbol that looks like a circle with horns is the horned god symbol, which is also just used as a "male" symbol to represent the mascaleine in rituals and such.

The other symbols we aren't sure about, but I "think" they might be the air and earth symbols. I could be wrong, but since they are the other common symbols missing, there's a strong possibility that this is the case.

And here is the bottom of it:



The symbols on the back/bottom are the following runes:

The first rune - the one that looks like an R - translates as rad.
The second rune - the one that looks like an F with the bits that stick out slanted - translates as asa.
The third rune- the one that looks like a U - We couldn't find a translation for.
The fourth rune - the one that looks like a M - translates as eh.
The fifth rune - the one that looks like a cross between an X and a T - translates as nyd.

Courses, thumbs, etc (LBE, FD, PTMI and R/WP)

This is going to be one of those jumping from topic to topic type of posts.

And... A little heads up... I'm serious about this being a long post!

***

Sorry if it's been taking me a bit to get to your blog lately. Part of it's due to issues with blogs refusing to load properly sometimes (and me getting bored of trying so leaving it until later). But part of it's due to my new obsession with an audio version of Scrabble I managed to get hold of for my laptop, which I can play by myself against the computer, actually play by myself, or play against other apponents (but using the same computer for us all... Just passing the laptop between us). I also have Chess and a few other games too, but having spent so much time on the Scrabble game, I haven't actually done more than quickly check that the others worked after installation.

***

For those still interested in what courses I'm signing up for, the latest batch contains the following:

Basic Writing Skills
Be An Inspirational Writer
Buddhism
Discovering Poetry
Dream Interviewing
Haiku Poetry
Journalism
Tarot Revealed
Writing Poetry

More and more writing ones will appear in the list of courses in each batch, since I'm running out of non-writing themed courses I want to do. LOL! I'm going to do all the writing ones - whether they are for a genre I plan on writing in some day or not - just because... Well, because I can! Besides, if I do them now, while I can, then should I decide to dabble in that genre - even if just for my own enjoyment - then I have the course material to get me started, give me some tips, etc. That's my theory anyway. Ah, who am I kidding... I'm grabbing any courses I have even a passing interest in. As I've said before... Might as well grab them while I know they're free and available! :)

***

I lost 3lbs this week! That makes 6lbs 8oz I've lost in 3 weeks!

I'm surprised actually. I mean, all I've done is made a few tweaks to things I'm eating, and stopped making excuses not to take Kero for his walks. I think it's mostly the walk thing that's helping the weight come off. I'm taking him two or three times a day. He's loving it (especially on days like Monday, when it's been nice out so I haven't made him wear his coat). If I continue losing the weight like I am, I might actually make the 2 stone (28lbs) in three months goal "they" want from me!

Good thing is though... Because I've had some decent weight loss now, if I have the odd week with no weight loss it wont be too big of a deal, because I'm ahead of the goal I set myself, and it's that goal that really matters to me. Sure, I'd like to show up at the Gynaecologist's office having lost the 2 stone - or more - just to be able to say I'd done it, and point out that now we're back where we started - with me the weight I was when I first went to them - so now what are they going to do about things? But if I don't... Well, I know I'm doing my best... I mean, I have to be doing something right to lose almost half a stone in 3 weeks, don't I?

I weighed Kero and Gwydion on Monday - just out of curiosity - but, guess what? I'm not telling how much they weighed! Why? Because Gwydion is going to tell you on Friday. I only did it because I was curious, and then it started becoming one of those questions that - since you know you can easily get an answer - you just "have to" know!

***

I meant to say about this before, but... Remember the thumb incident?

Well, first of all... It wasn't quite as bad as I first thought. With the amount of blood - and the amount of pain once the numbness from the very cold water wore off - I thought it was really bad. It wasn't! OK, it was bad enough that it was hurting for a while, and still hurts a little if that part of the thumb touches something solid, or is pressed against something, and it still vaguely looks like Thumbelina tried to eat my thumb. But it's not nearly as bad as the blood and pain made it seem, and it's healing nicely.

When it was first done I had it wrapped up in a plaster (bandaid) or two, and was hoping it would be fine, but once I could touch it without feeling like someone was torturing me I discovered it wasn't as bad as I'd thought, kept a plaster on it for a while longer - so as to keep the anticeptic cream on it, and the dirt out of it - then, when it started healing over properly, I just left it alone. Like I said, it's now healing nicely.

***

I phoned the Sky people to get the multiroom package removed. Of course, they tried changing my mind. Said if I kept it they could offer it to me for half the price for x amount of time (I think it was 6 months or something like that). I havve two issues with that.

First of all, I'd just told them that I didn't want it any more, and I'd told them why (the box doesn't work any more, the TV isn't officially ours that it's set up on, and no, I don't plan on buying a new TV any time soon), so it's not like I was saying it was a cost issue - though it does save me £10.50 (around $21) per month to have it turned off.

And, secondly, if they can so easily offer it at the discount amount, why don't they just offer it at that price in the first place? After all, they're making enough with the amount they charge for the channels to start with, so it wouldn't hurt them to cut the cost of things like multiroom packages, or the addition of the HD versions of the channels.

I have that same exact issue with the "half price" and "buy one, get one free" and "3 for the price of 2" offers you see all over the place these days... If they can afford to sell them at those prices, why don't they just do that in the first place?

Actually, I can answer my own question... Money! Or, more to the point, greed! That's why the world is in such a financial mess these days... Companies want so much extra money that those of us down at the bottom of the pecking order are suffering for their greed!

It's like how the government here came up with a "brilliant" plan to help the country get out of the economic crisis... Raise the VAT to 20%! I'm sorry, but that helps us how exactly? I mean, sure, it helps the government... Because all the tax goes to them... But what about us? What about those of us, for example, who now have to pay £1.55 (about $3) just for a 2 litre carton of milk? I get that there are costs for the suppliers, costs for transporting the goods to the supermarkets, etc. But I also know for a fact that only a few pennies of that go to the farmers. Most of that money actually goes to the supermarket. And if they really have to charge that much for milk, then how come some of the supermarkets are happily selling it at 2 of those cartons for £2 ($4) - though only if you buy the two at the same time - almost constantly? If they can afford to sell them at £1 per carton, why don't they just do that in the first place? *Shaking head*

***

My Art Of Knitting magazine was meant to arrive by the end of last week, but instead I got a letter saying they were sorry, but due to such high demand they have to print extra copies of the magazine before they will be available. Apparently I'll get my copy just as soon as they can get more copies printed and sent out to those who subscribed. Well, at least they let me know, I guess! Although, it would have been nice to be told before my 28 days of waiting were up, rather than on the final day. I mean, they could have said something in the letter I had from them the week before saying how my magazines would arrive. Like I said though... At least they did actually let me know... Eventually!

I did get my first parcel from the Baked And Delicious magazine last week though... Complete with a couple of cooking utensils and a loaf tin.

***

It's been quite wet for the past 24 hours. I'm not really complaining though. We've had lovely weather most days lately. A couple of times I even went out without bothering with a jacket, and a couple of other times I only bothered to put my jacket on because it was easier than trying to hold on to my mobile, use my cane and hold Kero's lead, and my clothes had no pockets in them. It's just a shame that because of the workmen Kero and I couldn't sit outside in the garden and enjoy the nice weather.

Yes, they're still here! Last week we got told - again - that the scaffolding was going to be pulled down at the end of the week (as in the end of last week). But, surprise surprise, it's still here! Someone came to move the satalite dish - and it took us ages to convince him that since we'd stopped the subscription to the bedroom box, and it wasn't working anyway, there was no point in him checking the signal on that box - but nothing else has happened, and that was last Friday. He did move the dish to a spot where we have signal despite the scaffolding still being there though, so that's a good thing. Still... It would be nice if the scaffolding would actually come down when they say it's going to! I'm sick of it being there, but - more than anything - I'm sick of empty promises! It's either coming down at the end of the week, or it isn't. The point is, don't say it's coming down then leave it up because you aren't done... Say you don't know when you'll be done and able to take the scaffolding down! Is that so hard?

***

I've made some pretty good progress with the last piece of the throw set I'm making for my Mam over the past 24 hours. It's now about half done. I'm hoping to have it done in the next few days - at least by this time next week - because I'd like to have the scarf I'm making for Louise (Emma-Jane's Mother)done in time for her birthday at the end of April.

There are two reasons for that:

1. It would make a nice birthday present for her.

2. I have a load of other projects I want to get done this year, and since I need them all for Christmas, and some of them will take a while to do... Well, I need to be starting them in May (if not before) to guarantee time to get them done in time for Christmas.

That's the only thing with handmade items. You really do have to start them early. I know generally people don't want to be thinking about Christmas until at least the end of October, but when you make at least some of the things you intend giving to people as presents, then you really do have to start thinking about it early. I promise not to mention Christmas too much until Halloween is over though! ;)

I'll tell you about each project as I start working on it though.

***

I tried something called "sweet and sour crispy bites" from all the food items I found on Asda the other day. They're basically chunks of quarn in batter with a sweet and sour sauce. I thought they were pretty good. I'm not usually a fan of quarn... Mainly because people keep only offering it to me plain - but I really did like these! There are a few other quarn items with sauces and flavouring at Asda, so I think I'll try some of them. After all, you don't know if you like something or not if you don't try it, do you?

***

I've added a couple more reviews to the stacks I still need to share. I will get to them... Honest! I just have so much to say that I end up moving the reviews aside and posting other stuff. Still, there may be a time in the future when I'll be glad of reviews to give you all something to read when I can't get on to post. At least when that time comes there will be plenty of reviews for me to choose from for you! ;)

***

The roleplaying sessions Dad, Kelly and I were having every couple of weeks have now turned in to movie nights. Mainly due to lack of roleplaying enthusiasm on my part. Dad has some movies I want to watch (yep, more reviews to add to the list, lol) and I do a lot of knitting when I watch movies, because I need something to do with my hands if I need to sit still, so it kills two birds with one stone, so to speak. I get to watch some of the movies Dad has that I want to watch, and I get to make some decent progress with my craft projects. And Dad doesn't mind what we do together, enjoys watching movies, and wants to get through his stack of unwatched DVDs too, so it benifits him as well!

We're still having him have dinner with us though. Well, actually, this week he's having dinner with Kelly and I'm having different, but you know what I mean. Dad and Kelly are having a Shepherd's pie, and I'm having a baked potato with salad, because I don't eat shepherd's pies, obviously, since they are basically made of minced meat and potatoes, so aren't exactly vegetarian meals. LOL! We're all having salad next time though. Although, Kelly is having a pasta salad and Dad and I are having an ordinary salad, since Kelly eats so few of the actual salad items that he needs the pasta to make his meal worth having. But we're still all technically having a salad next time.

***

Mam couldn't get to come and get washing to do it for us last week - she can't really drive with a splint on her leg - so Dad brought her to fetch some on Monday, then they split the week's worth of washing between them and brought me my clean, dry stacks of washing back today. I was expecting to need to dry it when they brought it back, but they split it so that Dad had everything that could go through the tumble dryer without fear of it shrinking (towels and such) and Mam had the other items (because she doesn't dry with a dryer either). I have to say I'm extremely greatful that they did that, because I wasn't looking forward to trying to find places to dry a whole week's worth of washing!

Anyway...

Mam hardly ever reads my blog, and my Dad reads it even less, but... Thanks Mam and Dad!

If they don't see that, it's not my fault... I did say it to their face too though, so at least they know about that thank you... I can't help it if they don't know about this one!

***

I don't watch things like "The Biggest Loser" usually. But... I've been watching this season of The Biggest Loser (the US version). I tell you what, most of the people on it are real jerks! Actually, that's not the word I would have chosen to use to describe some of them, but the word that springs to mind isn't one I've ever used - or ever plan to use - on my blog. So, we'll go with Jerks! Anyway, I don't even know why I keep watching it... I think it's rubbish! Seriously... I think the show is rubbish, and most of the people are jerks... And I wouldn't be caught dead on that show (despite being around the same weight as some of the lighter ones started out). So why do I keep watching it?


I can only come up with one explanation... During the brief times when I watched bits of it before - when Mam was watching it while we were living with my parents for a while last year - I was hypnotized in to thinking I have to watch it! That's the only logical explanation!

***

Owen has another storytelling event coming up in April. Not sure if we'll be going. I hope so. I'll have to ask Dad when he's here Friday, because it's only a couple of weeks away (one is April 12th, the other April 20th, I think).

***

That's all I had to say today. Hope I didn't bore you too much with my rambling and ranting! ;)

Enjoy whatever's left of your day, and stay safe!