Category Archives: Uncategorized
Mediums
Merry meet all,
I recently bought the book Buckland’s Book of Spirit Communications. It is a large red book and is all about mediumship. There are exercises and lots of fascinating information. I haven’t read the book yet and when I do, I will review it on this blog.
Mediumship – “a person sensitive to the vibrations of level two: the spirit world. By adjusting his or her vibrations – consciously or unconsciously- a bridge is established between the two worlds, enabling spirit to communicate with those of this world. Mediumship is an ancient practice, found throughout history in all parts of the world.”
(Definition from Buckland’s Book of Spirit Communication, page 245.)
The definition above explains mediumship perfectly. I have mediumistic abilities and I studied with the Spiritual Science Fellowship – Spiritual and Psychic Development Levels to 3. It was an intense eighteen-week course.
One night, we performed a seance. If we felt like we did not want to try to channel spirit anymore, we had to raise our hand. I will not lie that I was nervous. I was. So I raised my hand. After, another student told me that spirit indeed came through me. Apparently, I turned my head and the student saw only black where my head was. The spirit that came through me was a man with a big scar on his face. They asked if I knew the spirit. No, of course, I didn’t. That is why in the earlier entry, I advised you to be careful of what spirits you attract during a seance. You may attract an unwelcome and nasty spirit. Another student asked to be smudged with sage after the seance was over. I agreed with that, because I certainly did not want to be bringing home that energy. The leader was not going to smudge us and wanted us to smudge ourselves once we arrived home. However, that is still carrying the energy with you. If possible, bring your own sage and smudge yourself with it if you are attending a seance at a friend’s place.
Blessed be, Lady Spiderwitch )O(
Filed under Paranormal and Witchy Fiction, Uncategorized
The Wind Swept Bay
Merry meet all,
How to Start a Fire in a Wood Stove
Well what better place to inspire you to write than the wilds of the Cape Breton Highlands? You had better be bred of hardy Scottish stock. You have to be tough to survive here. I was invited to spend a week there. This is a diary of my vacation.
The first night, I wore a wool cardigan and wool socks with my pjs to sleep. It’s been a while since it was that cold for me. I was posted to duty to bring in firewood. This is an art. You need dry, seasoned wood to burn. Punky wood, or damp wood, is no good to you. The drier the wood, the better. It burns longer and better. Even in April, you have to dress warm and wear mitts and a scarf. You also need something to not chop wood but to break the wood boughs into smaller pieces. You have to wear sneakers. So, donned in the proper apparel, I stepped out first thing in the am before the rain poured to collect wood. We mosied over to the- my Mom and I, to a pile of brush and proceeded to crack, break, and pile the logs of wood. There were supposed to be 130km/ hour winds. The wind had shook the house during the night. We were at the mercies of the elements.
My Mom cracked a lot of dead dried boughs and we piled them in the wood boxes. One was for the main pieces of smaller cracked wood boughs and the second was for the thick but about 20- 25 inches of wood. So, while the wood was aged and beautiful, our survival was more important. We brought in 2 loads, enough wood to last us a few days. There is no grocery store, gas station, and hospital out there. The restaurant is open seasonally, if at all. You have to drive to Cheticamp to get your goods.
My Mom pointed out a trick of turning a milk crate on its side. When she fills it, and stands the crate upright, the logs stand up straight.
So when you start a fire in the wood stove, you start with newspaper. Yes, you have to twist the newspaper, as you have heard,but some newspaper is coated with something, which makes it hard to burn. The newspaper that is uncoated burns better. You next add kindling. You take the time closing the flu. Fire needs oxygen to burn. Don’t burn lots of wood fast- let it burn over time. That is the important thing. Close the flu and the grate after an hour to let the embers heat and the fire to ‘catch’. The embers are vital. They have to be red and scorching hot. Agitate the embers with the poker once in a while. Let them get real going.
If there is a down draft, meaning the wind blows down on the house, that could ruin your efforts at heating the wood stove. This is also why you close the flu later. You want to be sure the fire is really going. As I type this, I have a cup of tea beside me and my laptop perched on my knees, and I am watching the fire burn in the wood stove. I added twigs, a used Kleenex, and a small log to the stove. Flames eat the log in the stove. It’s not a lot of flames-it’s enough.
The temperature of the wood stove is crucial too. The ideal temperature is 300 degrees. Above the stove, on the pipe, is a dial. It shows you the temperatures so you can safely burn wood. Too high, and your house is in danger. Too low, and there will be no fire at all. Now the flames are hungrier and devouring the small log, ensuring the house will be toasty warm against the harsh cold winds outside.
Even if the power went out, from the winds, we could cook on the wood stove, because we created so much heat. The larger log is reduced to near grey ash though it is still solid. The newer wood is harder and is burning good.
There was a lot of moose scat and some tracks where we collected the wood. They don’t discriminate where they do their business. The moose scat was right near where we collected the firewood.
It is an art. An art that few know about anymore or care to know. This is one way to honor your ancestors who depended on heat to survive, as we do, I am 450 kms from the city. When you come out here, you realize what you greedily take for granted. The modern conveniences are absent. How many people truly know how to survive? How to use a wood stove? How to collect wood? How to identify the ideal wood to burn? How to carry logs? – hint, carry the logs in the crook of your arm. How to identify moose scat? There is nothing wrong with learning all this. It may save your life someday. My sister was going to burn the brush but my Mom is instead using it for kindling and fire wood. Good decision or I would be shivering in my timbers!
Ah now for a hot cup of tea!! )O(
Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(
Filed under Paranormal and Witchy Fiction, Uncategorized
My novel: Work-in-Progress- Between the Worlds
Merry meet all,
I’m going to talk about my novel work-in-progress, Between the Worlds. I have worked hard on it for the last three years. The novel is about a grieving women who struggles to solve the mystery of a ghost’s death despite opposition from some of the local townspeople. The picture you see above is where I set the story.
I am fascinated with the paranormal. Am I alone here? I think not. So this story is the product of my fascination with all things paranormal. I have read all kinds of books including fiction and nonfiction, reviewed web sites, blogs, and embarked on a local ghost tour of my hometown. I studied Psychic and Spiritual Development with the Spiritual Science Fellowship and successfully completed the course.
I set the book in Pleasant Bay, which is located in the beautiful Cape Breton Highlands National Park, in Cape Breton, Canada. I grew up there and have family and land there. I visit as often as I can. I have recently returned from a short stay there. If you want to read more about my visit, you can view my other parent blog at http://heddyjohannesen.wordpress.com/2014/04/24/trip-to-the-wind-swept-bay/
The fishing community of Pleasant Bay lends itself nicely to a ghost story. The windswept moors and cliffs and creaking old houses. I think it’s perfect for a ghost story. There is a beautiful view of the ocean and the ancient majestic mountains. It’s like something out of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.
I based the novel on a historical event that actually occurred in 1947 there. A Great Fire raged and nearly burned the entire town to ashes. A few campers neglected to put out the fire that sparked and burned down a church and some homes. Everyone fled to the beach. So my book is based on that event. I did some research and I also had the benefit of having grown up in Pleasant Bay.
My grandparents’ wedding was actually interrupted due to the Great Fire. Everyone fled to the beach for their safety. The Great Fire happened in August 1947. A hot summer didn’t help to prevent the fire. In the middle of the night, it was bright as daylight as the firemen struggled to stop the fire. Imagine!
I have some notes on what my grandmother’s life was like then. It helped me to be more realistic in the novel. Tomorrow I will tell you about the characters.
Blessed be, Lady Spiderwitch
Filed under Uncategorized
Pen a Paranormal Novel
Merry Meet All,
Currently I’m penning a paranormal novel. I won’t say what it’s about. That’s a secret for now. However, I do have some ideas on how you can create your own spooky novel that are hopefully inspiring, practical and will bring out the Stephen King or Edgar Allan Poe in you.
Everyone has a different approach to their writing. People have different approaches to how they start their writing. Why not add some magic? We are talking about writing about the paranormal, aren’t we?
First, if you are serious about your writing, I recommend you buy or borrow or beg to be gifted with a few books. One, read On Writing by Stephen King. Two, On writing Horror the collection of essays by the Horror Writers Association. Three, read Writing the Paranormal Novel- Techniques and Exercises for weaving the supernatural elements into your story by Steven Harper. These books bring the paranormal (howling, moaning, screaming or vamping into your novel.) Within this genre, there is more freedom to create what you want whether that be a sparkly vampire, toothy werewolf or chain rattling ghost.
After you read these books three or four more times, highlight the advice and memorize it. Incorporate the excellent advice into your writing immediately after because in order for a good story about a ghoul of choice to be believed, it has to be believable and written well. All stories benefit from good writing. Buy a new set of highlighters, pens, white out, a binder, paper and a fresh bag of coffee. Do what it takes to make you commit to the writing for the long haul.
Clean your writing/ office space. Light some sage and clean the energy to allow for the creative energies to flow unimpeded. Light a candle or incense. Play music that inspires you as you create your ghoul or axe-wielding maniac. Create a special playlist and soundtrack. Know your monster! make it consistent and believable.
Use tarot cards for inspiration. Keep them nearby when writing for ideas on how to write your story. I used four different cards of death from four different tarot packs and was able to create more dramatic scenes from the images, symbols and meanings of the cards.
Reach without any hesitation into the deepest darkest part of your imagination. Free write a scene of confrontation between your protagonist and your monster. These days your Frankenstein so to speak, needs to be ORIGINAL. Everything in the paranormal novel has been done … or has it? That part is up to you. It must be original. If you are seeking more inspiration, read the paper. Clip and keep newspaper articles.
But by allowing yourself to imagine, you may invent something that no one has done before. That is a huge advantage in the field of writing and publishing.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this. It might spark an idea or two and you would then be on your way to writing a gothic novel like Northanger Abbey or something like the Pit and the Pendulum by Poe.
Good Luck!
Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch
Filed under Uncategorized
Paganism 101
Merry meet all,
I have exciting news! The book Introduction to Paganism 101: An Introduction to Paganism by 101 Pagans is released. The book is a collection of essays by 101 Pagans and the other best part is, that I’m in it!! The book is available on Amazon in either book or KIndle format.
I contributed an article about herbalism. Moon Books published the book. Here is what they say about the book:
Paganism 101 is an introduction to Paganism written by 101 Pagans. Grouped into three main sections, Who we are, What we believe and What we do, twenty topics fundamental to the understanding of the main Pagan traditions are each introduced by essay and then elaborated upon by other followers and practitioners, giving the reader a greater flavour of the variety and diversity that Paganism offers. With introductory essays from leading writers such as Emma Restall Orr, Mark Townsend, Brendan Myers, Jane Meredith, Alaric Albertsson and Rachel Patterson and with supporting vignettes from those at the heart of the Pagan community, Paganism 101 offers a truly unique insight.
So rush to buy this amazing book. Here is the link to it on Amazon:
Feel free to post in a comment here what you think of the book! Enjoy it.
Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch )O(
Filed under Uncategorized
Welcome to my Blog- paranormal and pagan fiction
Merry meet all,
I shall concentrate more on my writing on this blog. This page will have more to do with my literary efforts and successes. I welcome you to peruse the upcoming posts on this blog and enjoy yourself.
I’m a freelance author and I work in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I write fiction and nonfiction. I write on this blog, I have a Facebook page titled Book Addicts Anonymous for people who are avid bibliophiles, and I write regularly for Essential Herbal magazine and the pagan Eternal Haunted Summer Ezine.
So welcome to my new page.
Blessed Be,
Lady Spiderwitch
Filed under Uncategorized
Hauntings
Merry meet all,
I am sure you’re all excited about Imbolc! It is not far away! I wanted to talk about a book I read. It’s titled The World’s Most Haunted Places. I am a total paranormal fan and I just started a paranormal page on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/ghosts.spiritsandapparitions?bookmark_t=page. Please ‘like’ my page!! I am so obsessed I just had to start a page. I plan to add way more info about the paranormal on my page, too.
Jeff Belanger impressed me with the book. The book is in its’ second edition. He does not just scare you so bad you’ll be peeking under your bed or grow suspicious of what lurks in your closet, but, he includes the history of each place in depth. I borrowed this book from the library but I plan to add it to my library. Oh yes definitely. The ghost stories made me squirm, revolted me, horrified me. It has caused me to think that wow, vampires and werewolves aren’t the scariest creatures out there. It is the human race. You read this book and you too, will be convinced, too. Some of the stuff about how murders were done,. beheadings, huge vaults containing tons of human bones. Oy.
I one day hope to explore the catacombs in Paris. Wow. That would be an experience. Of course, I would psychically protect myself and all that, but I want to spend some time in there. I bet it is riddled with ghosts. That’s why I want to go.
If anyone is as fascinated with the paranormal as I am, you may want to peruse this book too. Here is a link to the book on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.ca/Worlds-Haunted-Places-Revised-Edition/dp/1601631936/ref=pd_rhf_pe_p_t_1_DCZY
Blessed be,
Lady Spiderwitch
Filed under Uncategorized
