Samhain is coming! Get on your broomsticks and dust off those cauldrons. Samhain is the third of the harvest Sabbats. I have had a great October month so far. Two stories published, two courses in Demonology and Parapsychology, a Paranormal Symposium and the Writer Digest Virtual horror writing conference. I can hardly ask for more.
I want to harvest dandelion roots, brew elderberry syrup, hawthorn cordial and puree pumpkins to make delicious pumpkin bread and soups. I am so itching to harvest dandelion roots that I think I will get up early tomorrow morning and do just that. I don’t care if it is raining. The rain will loosen the soil for me. The dandelions have a more concentrated amount of valuable nutrients in them in the fall. Now is the right time. After that, I will dry them in my dehydrator.
I was on a walk on the nature trail. It was raining so I could not take any photos. The nature trail was resplendent in autumn colours of red, gold, brown and green. Fall is the most beautiful season of all the seasons. I strolled slowly through the trail, admiring the colourful leaves. It was so invigorating! October is a magical month and every single minute of it should be enjoyed.
Here a few pointers for you while you are casting your spells:
If you insist on wearing a robe with long billowing sleeves and you are burning candles at your altar, please at least pin the sleeves up and out of the way to avoid a fire.
Don’t singe your hair.
Shelters often don’t adopt out black cats and kittens during October. They are all too familiar with the horror stories of abuse or see cats returned to the shelter. This has a damaging effect on a cat as the cat will never know what was wrong or why it is returned. Donate to an animal shelter or if you see any sort of animal abuse, be sure to report it. Always have your phone charged!
Compost your pumpkins once done. Fill the pumpkins with peanut butter and leave them in the garden for the neighbourhood critters. Don’t use bleach to preserve your pumpkin.
Use organic gardening methods to help the pollinators in your garden. Practice bioregional herbalism. Join a community garden.
Light a candle at the window on Samhain eve to aid the lost spirits.
Honour your ancestors with a sincere, open heart. Hold an ancestral supper and leave a spot for them at the table.
Don’t feel that you have to spend a fortune to enjoy Samhain. I don’t. I usually use what I have over and over again. I take good care of my magical items. That helps me get more money out of what I spent.
If you truly are weary of some of your magical books, gift them to a coven mate or to the local library.
Don’t rake the leaves! I keep the leaves all year on my garden. They help the soil retain moisture and can be a nesting spot for pollinators.
You can still make it rock if you are celebrating Samhain solo. Or hang out with fellow solo practitioners. They are out there. Just have to find them and you may find you have lots in common!
Do try to give out good quality candy to the kiddies who are trick or treating. Compliment them on their costumes. Be patient. They want to enjoy the night too.
Learn a new skill. I borrowed a book from the library on innovative ways to craft smudge sticks and tried it. They are beautiful!
Mostly, enjoy yourself. The next October is a long way away. Enjoy it now.
Pumpkin season is here. The Paranormal Symposium is a few days away. I have been busy preparing for it. I can’t wait to attend.
The beautiful black plush blanket that I ordered from Killstar arrives tomorrow! I can’t wait for that either. The blanket has a spiderweb print and will keep me warm. I want to download lots of photos of my ancestors for Samhain. I also want to make them a beautiful offering of golden flowers this year. I decided on goldenrod and marigolds, and maybe asters. I am sure they will appreciate the offering.
The host of the Paranormal Symposium, Elliott Van Dusen, wants to interview me about my blog, The Paranormal Quill after the Symposium. I am happy about that. It is nice to get some recognition after all my hard work. I have had a long go of it. I will have to prepare for that too. It should be interesting.
I bought a cool black glossy nail polish the other day. The brand is Opi and the color is black onyx. I love the color and the quality of the nail polish. I am almost all set for the Paranormal Symposium. I just have to decide what to wear. I washed two gothy witchy dresses and they will be clean in time for the big day. I bought a beautiful black handbag today on Spring Garden near the Public Gardens. It is so lovely. I hand washed that too, as it had a strong scent. I want to use that bag the day of the event. Yes this has taken a lot of thought. I need spending money for lunch and maybe cabfare. It is a day long event so that is why I have been thinking everything through. The black boots I wanted to wear aren’t ready. I have an alternate pair. The clothes are clean. Yup I do believe I just have to enjoy myself and relax. I even asked my Mom to give me a wake up call early in the morning. I take the bus so I have to get up early early in the morning. I have to be ready by 8 am to leave or be there at the time. I know where the event is to be held and I know which bus to take. Now the old me would have scrambled at the last minute. This time I have prepared well in advance. Yeah being this organized sure feels better.
I even checked out hairstyle options. Maybe not that necessary but you never know. I mean we would seriously prepare for a job interview right? Right. I really want to make an impact with my appearance.
Penny will be groomed later in the month. I needed the money today to buy groceries and to pay for duties and taxes for the quilt to be shipped to me. I hate that but I had to do it. The blanket was 60% off. I wouldn’t have bought it otherwise, considering it is mailed from the States.
I harvested roses, yarrow, black horehound, asters, lavender, apples and red clover. I dried them save for the apples in my dehydrator. Now they are stored in jars. The herbs look beautiful even when dried. I ground up a large quantity of black pepper and I ground up a loaf of white bread. I stored the black pepper in the same jar and stored the bread crumbs in a ziplock bag in the freezer. I want to use up the food that I have because it is so expensive these days. Yup times are tough right now. I am not buying a new outfit for the big day. I intend to use what I already have. That is what the happiest people do. They make the most and best of what they have. I have nice things and I try to make them last me as long as I can.
I will have to get to know black horehound. I am not too acquainted with that herb but it is not that accepted amongst herbalists. One more herb to learn!
This collection of true eerie tales is sure to put you in a spooky mood! Read on to get scared! Remember to stay spooky…
5 ghost tour guides share their favourite haunting tales from across Canada
Haunted hotels, back-alley apparitions and more terrifying local lore.
(Credit: iStock/Getty Images)
Just as pumpkin spice lattes pair perfectly with leaf peeping, there’s perhaps no better way to get in the Halloween spirit than with a good old-fashioned fright night.
In fact, Canada has plenty of its own nightmare-inducing campfire tales to keep you lying awake in terror — take it from some of the nation’s top tour guides who specialize in spinning cobweb-covered yarns from the crypt.
To celebrate spooky season, we asked five of these pros to share their favourite sinister stories with us — many of which are associated with regular, real-life ghost sightings. So, read on, if you dare.
These stories have been edited and condensed for clarity.
I love all my ghosts equally, but what I love to talk about is the Woman in Black and the Man in Black of Gaoler’s Mews.
The Alhambra Hotel was completed in 1887, the year after the Great Vancouver Fire. It was an opulent hotel and it also had a reputation for being a full-service hotel — meaning, you could get any kind of room service you might desire (wink, wink). I’m sure the building has its fair share of ghosts, as do many old hotels, but its most prolific ghost makes her appearance on the back stairs in Gaoler’s Mews. She seems to have a preference for dark, rainy nights, however, that is not absolute. She materializes as a stunning woman in long black dress with long black hair, and is often seen clutching her waist. Then, she straightens, glides down Gaoler’s Mews and disappears into Blood Alley. People theorize that she is a widow walking toward the hangman’s noose that once stood in Blood Alley. But was there ever really one there? I have doubts.
But what of the ghost that follows? The Man in Black? He is a well-dressed gentleman in a long black coat and bowler hat. He usually makes his entrance via the front door of the restaurant that backs onto this alley — now known as L’Abattoir. He’s so solid that the host or hostess will try to give him a menu but he simply walks forward, through the restaurant, often disappearing in the alley behind the atrium. So what’s his story? Since he is often seen seconds after the Woman in Black, one can reason the two had a relationship, but we can only speculate on the nature of it. Is he watching out for her? Or is he a customer still hoping to visit his favourite mistress?
Back in April of this year, I had a mother and young daughter from Calgary on the tour with me. Once we got to Gaoler’s Mews, even before I began telling any ghost stories, the young teen looked up at the window above the Twisted Fork, and said, “there’s a man in an old top hat looking down at us.” I couldn’t see anyone so I asked her, could he be wearing a bowler hat? She didn’t know what that was, but it was an old-fashioned black hat. Apparently, he watched us the entire time we stood in that spot. The Man in Black often disappears into that very building, and the second floor was once a brothel.
Experience it in person: Ghostly Gastown Tour, 90 minutes, $27
The tale of the headless nun
As told by Shawn McCarthy, co-founder, Character Matters Miramichi
The legend of the ghost in French Fort Cove proceeds in this way: one night, around 1758, after having helped a woman through a difficult childbirth, Sister Marie Inconnue was returning to the settlement at the cove — at the time home to a battery of 16 cannons and a small detachment of soldiers. As she crossed the footbridge over Crow Brook, she was set upon.
Some say it was a pair of leprous sailors from L’Indienne de Morlaix, out for revenge on those who had imprisoned them. Others insist that it was a mad trapper, wild and desperate from years living in the woods. Whoever he was, he was looking to extort the location of a buried treasure from the young nun. Sister Marie adamantly refused to divulge the whereabouts of the treasure, uttering only prayers for the redemption of the poor wretch’s soul.
In a fit of rage, the maniac severed her head with a violent blow. Some say he severed the head so he could dig into her throat, thinking she had swallowed the map as she saw him approach. The head was thrown into the waters of the cove, and her body was left on the bridge.
The settlers mourned the loss of Sister Marie for months. The militia attempted to find the man who had perpetrated this terrible crime, but were unsuccessful. Sister Marie’s death could not be avenged. Her body was sent to France for burial, but her head was never recovered. Since that day, it is said that the ghost of Sister Marie still roams the cove, still diligently protecting the treasure — and searching for the head that will make her whole again.
As told by Kristen Treusch, owner and guide, SquarePeg Tours
This story takes place at the Fort Garry Hotel in Room 202. The urban legend is that the spirit of a woman haunts this room. She looks like a bride and lets people know she’s in the room in several ways. People have reported hearing footsteps in the room, feeling someone sitting on the foot of the bed, and occasionally, lying beside them when they were half asleep. She has also been known to leave wet footprints in the bathroom, turn the light on in the closet and mess with the TV and phone. If you are fortunate enough to actually see her, she’ll chat and then exit the room through the window.
It is said that this bride was either murdered by her new husband or witnessed him being struck down by a trolley car on Broadway when he went across the street to get something. When she saw this, she was torn apart with grief and guilt and [died by] suicide in the room.
I carry a K2 meter on my tours and it lights up whenever I talk about her; that’s how she lets me know she’s around.
Experience it in person: Broadway Ghost Walk, 90 minutes, $15
One of the most intriguing ghost stories I tell is honestly one of my favourites. It also happens to be tied closely to our history. While the Canadas were still colonies of the United Kingdom, we became the front line for the War of 1812. Lake Ontario was frequently populated by both American and British warships — with more than a few battles fought on the water.
One fateful day, the wind had died down. Unable to move their ships without the aid of the air, both sides were forced to wait on the peaceful water. The winds returned as a violent storm in the early hours of the morning. Two American schooners, the Scourge and the Hamilton, sank under the weight of their top-heavy guns. Over 50 sailors were sent to the bottom of the lake with them. The intense storm, filled with rain and lightning, only lasted a few minutes.
Today, the ships still lie at the bottom of the lake, their wrecks officially considered a national historic site — but that’s not where their stories end. A local legend has since emerged among some older mariners. This tale suggests the ships continue to set sail from time to time. One might see two ghostly ships emerging from the mist on dark nights with thick fog. The sailors who died that day, still on board, are forever trapped in their final moments on deck. Some even say that to see these ships may lead to a death on your own crew.
Experience it in person: Original Haunted Walk of Toronto, 75 minutes, $24.99
The haunting of Room 207
As told by Ghost Guide Daniel, overseer, Ghost Walks
I love to tell the story of Molly McGuire at the Prince of Wales Hotel. The legend talks about the house, which once stood on that land. During the War of 1812, as the American soldiers marched in, one soldier was sent into the house to check it for the British. It was dusk and there were no electric lights. Upon entering a second-floor bedroom, he mistook a shadow for a British soldier. He rushed in and ran the person through with his bayonet — only then realizing it was an innocent woman.
The woman was Molly McGuire, and the bedroom is said to be where Room 207 at the Prince of Wales Hotel exists today. Room 207 is considered the most haunted room in the hotel.
A manager told us the story of a couple who stayed in the room. In the middle of the night, they awoke as something fell in the bathroom. Getting up together to investigate — neither wanted to do it alone — the wife opened the bathroom door, flipped on the light and saw a woman with long, dark hair staring at her from inside the bathroom mirror.
One of our guides had a similarly spooky experience. While telling Molly’s story, she noticed a swing across the street in Simcoe Park. One seat was swinging violently back and forth. There was no wind. It was nighttime, so also no kids.
She ran into the park to check it. The swing continued swinging, until a guest took a photo. After the flash, it slowed, then stopped on its own. The best part: in the photo, there was a big, bright orb on the swing seat.
October is here! October brings many charms such as pumpkins, gourds, fiery autumn leaves, and that magical chill in the air. I have a busy month ahead of me. Here is my schedule:
Paranormal Symposium – October 7
HWA Annual Blog event – my post October 7
Writers Digest University Horror Writing conference – October 14
Demonology Course – October 16
Samhain – October 31
On top of that, I have my herbalism course, and taking care of my cat Penny (a full-time job in itself), my writing. I plan to harvest dandelion roots soon and dry them in my dehydrator and brew immunity tonics. I want to take the Intro to Parapsychology course and I hope it’s still open by the time I can afford it. Penny’s going to the groomers this week. She has so many mats in her fur and I want her to look and feel her best. She is my beloved kitty after all.
There are also a few awesome astrological events this month as well. October is the month with the most magic after all. Here is a link from Spirit nest that describes the astrological events:
On October 4th, Mercury moves into Libra, providing us with opportunities to be more empathetic and receptive in our social and professional lives.
On October 8th, Venus enters Virgo, and on October 10th, Pluto ends its retrograde in Capricorn. The combined earth energy of these two events grounds us and directs our attention to our priorities. With Pluto’s shift, we are encouraged to approach work with enthusiasm and energy.
On October 12th, Mars enters Scorpio, and for the next six weeks, we can expect to feel a heightened sense of passion and sensuality.
On October 14th, the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Libra kicks off eclipse season, followed by the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Taurus two weeks later. This marks the end of a two-year cycle of eclipses in the Taurus-Scorpio axis and signifies the end of an intense learning process centred around letting go of control.
I created a calendar that depicted photos of my irascible cat Penny. Today was the calendar’s last day. I have a calendar from Llewellyn but that doesn’t start till January, which makes no sense to me because October 31st is Witches New Year. I printed out a calendar for the month of October from the app on my desktop. I have a lot to keep track of this month. I hope to catch the eclipse near the end of the month.
I want us all to welcome the newest member to my witch doll coven, Morrigan. I collect witch dolls in October every year. This year, I found her at. Michaels arts and crafts. She is beautiful and will adjust nicely to her new home. She holds a crow or raven in her hands and I knew she was perfect. There are 30 days to Samhain but I already feel the first stirrings of Samhain in the air. I also found a lovely astrology workbook. I find astrology fascinating and I look forward to working with it.
The Horror Zine published my short story, Skin, for this month. I received a copy of the book in the mail. I am thrilled that my story appears at the front of the book, as that means it will be read by readers sooner. They can find the story easily. I will have to scratch up another story for the editor! Here is the link to the Horror Zine: https://www.thehorrorzine.com/?fbclid=IwAR0zTcB_PFZ1hmnigq8XuqbK0jKceeX05A3Xi8ZtQ2uJlnYHsRlYQBJ3Msc
I also see October as a month to bring projects to completion. I have several projects to finish. October 31st is the Witches New Year so that is the reason for my compulsion to finish projects. I love the feeling of completing projects. I like ticking them off my list. I do have Virgo in my chart and this is clear here. I want to work on my material media, turn up the compost outside, finish the laundry, make my apartment sparkle and be all clean for October, and write more horror stories. Whether I actually accomplish all that, time will tell.
Happy Mabon! Fall is here. I have been busy decorating my apartment for fall/ Samhain. I set up my goth ghost tree. I sipped cider and listened to classic Halloween tunes as I did. I painted wooden ghosts white, orange and black and hung them up on the tree. I found a few cool items at the dollar store and added them to the tree. I hung a black leaf garland on the bookcase, and wound orange lights through the garland and then added orange fabric pumpkins to the garland. I love how it all looks- playful and wicked at the same time. That is the spirit of fall. For those of you who are already keen to decorate, then keep reading.
I roasted pumpkin seeds, brewed a pot of cider and I just found my halloween altar cloths, tapestries and a brown tablecloth I made myself. I repaired my black lace maxi skirt and washed it. The skirt is ready to wear. I am so happy about that. I plan to wear it to the Paranormal Symposium. I feel the magical chill in the air as fiery leaves trickle to the earth. It’s the Season of the Witch, for sure. I love this time of year.
I even made a tree skirt for my goth tree. I used a grey spider print plastic table cover. I cut a hole in the centre for the centre of the goth tree pole then I arranged it around the tree. You can’t see it in the photo above but it is cool and my cat sits on it. I am ready for Samhain now and I hope you are too.
Decorations don’t have to cost a whole credit card or your entire life savings. I barely spent any money on my decorations. October is a magical time of year but it is only once a year. I never feel that I have to spend a fortune. If you keep that in mind and buy decorations that can be used more than once a year, then you will find better items to purchase. That is how I always look at it.
I use items from nature and herbs. I harvested all the Chinese lanterns. They ripen to a lovely orange colour. Pumpkins can be used for decoration of course, as well as acorns, pinecones, and gourds. Don’t buy the fake ones from the store. Forage for your own goodies! You can use them in spells as well. You can draw up more energy for spells from a real gourd or acorn. I never buy plastic pinecones. I live near a nature trail so it is easy for me to find nature treasures. Nothing I love more than harvesting and foraging for acorns, pinecones, apples, herbs. If you want tips on how to clean them to avoid pests, then peruse the past blog posts.
My garden is winding down. The leaves turn gold and red. I still have celery, tomatoes (a few, thanks to the hurricane), and green peppers growing. It is hardly the harvest I was hoping for. I’m keeping an eye for when the frost hits and I still haven’t planted garlic. I still want to grow carrots. Carrots can handle a frost. I strolled through the nature trail. Sadly, I am not sure what happened to the elder shrubs but there are not nearly the same amount of elderberries as last year. I want to make elderberry syrup but I may have to buy the berries at the organic food store this year. The shrubs were almost bare of berries. That had to be due to Hurricane Lee.
Do what works for you and reflects your personal style. You can go with a theme of ghouls, zombies, or more classic and subtle halloween decorations, whatever strikes your fancy. It looks like Samhain all year in my apartment but that is just me. Let me know what inspired you in the comments.
Trees are showing off their autumn colours. Pumpkins fill the shelves outside the grocery store here, orange and ripe. I’ve bought a number of Halloween- ish items – a rat figurine, a bird skeleton, ghostly napkins, a skeleton figurine (life size), white ceramic pumpkin, 2 leafy placemats, a black plate for Samhain, and small wooden decorative items I have yet to paint and then glue onto the bookcase. I will get around to that. I recently realized that the skeleton will help me with my herbal studies. I have to learn how the whole human body works and it may just come in handy!
I am so excited! The Horror Zine that published my short story, Skin, is now released on Amazon. Here is the link:
Also, I found out that the people or organization that is hosting the Paranormal Symposium offers online courses. I already saved up money for the courses. The courses are Demonology for four weeks and Parapsychology for 8 weeks. They are both offered in October. So that along with my story being published in the Horror Zine and my articles appearing in The Plant Healer Quarterly and Witches and Pagans magazine, I am so excited for fall. I also anticipate the honkin’ huge October issue of the Horror Writers Association newsletter. Lots of fun coming my way soon.
I sent a photo of me in my favourite October costume for the HWA October newsletter. I hope they like it. See photo below:
It’s spider season here. They are everywhere. My garden looks beautiful. I feel a bittersweetness now though, because I know the frost lurks in the near future. After months of caring for my garden and watching it grow and bloom, this is hard for me. I am ok with my garden growing all year round and being green. I know the climate I am in does not provide that. I guess all things need to rest. It is just the natural way of things. I will miss my garden but today it is still hot out. The fan is cranked way up. The heat helps my veggies grow, such as my beans, celery, tomatoes and peppers. I can’t wait to harvest all this goodness.
I’m not sure if I will get a squash. It may be too late in the season. But the bees enjoy the pollen rich flowers and so that’s good. We need to help the bees as much as we can. I’m planting garlic and onions this fall. I have a large wood box built by my brother to grow the onions and garlic in. I plan to protect them from any mischievous squirrels, rats, raccoons, and bluejays by leaving a large rock on top. That way, they can’t get to it and that way my garlic and onions get a good chance to grow well. I want to harvest lots of dandelion roots and elderberries. I’m waiting for the berries to ripen.
That is a lot to look forward to! If only my stove would work. Anyway, I plan to be busy this fall, whether that is making cider (I don’t know how I will do that with this stove), carving pumpkins, foraging dandelion roots or learning about demonology. Lots to keep me busy!
I feel fall in the air. The leaves are turning (already? gulp), the air feels crisp and I am just waiting for pumpkins to hit the shelves. The asters have bloomed which is a good sign of fall coming. The bees are busy gathering all the pollen they can.
I have started chard and beans from seed in small pots. There is still time to grow them and if the frost hits, I can grow them indoors with the grow light kit. I switched the beige table cloth on my kitchen table to my black spiderweb lace tablecloth. I also dressed my altar for Mabon. Much as I am resisting fall, I’m embracing it as well. It is inevitable. I am just angsty for my garden. I’m also working on a corn doll for Mabon. I even made a broom from herb twig stems. A few herbs are soaking in a bowl of water to let the bugs escape. I plan to use them with the corn doll. I will post pictures later when I am finished the corn doll.
I am also hoping to get elecampane to sprout from seed. I put a few seeds on a damp paper towel in a ziplock bag. Last night, I did a full moon ritual. It felt so good. it has been a long time since I did a full moon Rit and now I plan to get way back into my magic craft.
Speaking of magic, as I gaze out my window, a spider has caught a big bug in his web. The spider twirled the bug around and around and hangs on tight despite the breeze hitting the web. The poor bug doesn’t stand a chance. It is amazing to witness and yet it repulses me. This is the fascinating twin nature of Mother Nature: life and death twined into one. Every August, there are suddenly so many spiders. The hard part is that the bug is still alive. That is what is hardest for me. I can understand something suffering then dying quick. But this bug in the cocoon at that spider’s mercy is still alive. I can tell by the way it’s upper legs twitch. It has to endure all that. For a reason unknown to me, spiders love to weave their webs at my bedroom/ office window. I am fascinated by spiders though. I know most people don’t feel the way I do. They would likely have a harder time living here. I live near a nature trail where there are lots and lots of industrious insects. The spider tugged his unwilling prey away. I have had enough of that.
I stored herbs in jars last night. I dried them in my dehydrator all day yesterday and that was when I understood why I bought the dehydrator. It was so easy, so simple and cut out so much drying time. I plan to use my dehydrator a lot more often. I usually dry herbs on a screen or on my air drying rack but that took out all the work for me I usually do. Yup I have officially upgraded to a dehydrator. I love it. I dried lovage, Thai basil, mugwort, goldenrod, lemon balm, red clover, dandelion leaves, chamomile and St. John’s Wort.
Samhain is sixty two days away! It is time to prepare. I can’t believe that time of year is here. Curl up with a few good horror books. I can’t get enough of it. I have had the privilege lately of reading some damn good horror fiction. The first novel on my list is The Twisted Ones by Kingfisher. I could not put this book down. The suspense killed me, the characters were amazing and the scary creatures were original. If I saw those creatures staring into my window at night and I was alone in the country, I would freak out too. Next on the list is The Devil Takes you home by Gabino Iglesias. Read. This. Book. I had a hard time muscling my way past a few gruesome scenes in the book but it kept me riveted till the end. I cried for Mario. The situation he ended up in was so tragic and I found his predicament very believable. This novel is terrifying. Read it with the lights on! The next novel on my list is My Heart is a Chainsaw. I am not sure if this classifies as horror. I wasn’t that scared. My Heart is a Chainsaw is a brilliant character driven novel. If you want to get deep into the heart and mind of the main character and the mystery in the town, then this is the novel for you.
Those novels will definitely get you in the mood for a spooky Samhain. The next novel I plan to read is Devil’s Creek by Todd Keisling, and that is another damn good horror book. I plan to keep writing and working on my own projects too.
I have to get going but I will post soon. Till then, keep writing and stay spooky!
I am happy to post the link for my interview here. I was very happy to be interviewed about my writing. A. F Stewart was a total sweetheart. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/WjfJRyGVrg8?si=aqHrGpHU6PZn6w3v.
The month of August flew by. This morning, I heard thunder. No lightning, but lots of rain, typical of the Maritimes. I never bought a garden hose this summer. There has been so much rain I never needed to. Soon pumpkins will fill the crates and line the shelves at the supermarkets. I was on a walk at the nature trail. There is an abundance of queen Anne’s lace and goldenrod on the trail. I decided I would make a flower essence with the queen Anne’s lace and tincture the goldenrod. I also plan to brew a second bottle of hawthorn cordial. Queen Anne’s lace is mildly poisonous. The only safe way to ingest it is as a flower essence. You have to dilute it. I will buy a large bottle of vodka and brandy next week to make the tincture and cordials and flower essences. I plan to forage and harvest a lot of dandelion roots too. I still have a jar of dandelion roots in a jar. I shall use that up in a tincture. Autumn is the perfect time for that.
I want to watch the movie The Last Voyage of the Demeter again. I’m reading Stephen Graham Jones’s novel My Heart is a Chainsaw. Bit boring, really. I am not that scared. I saw the movie Disturbing Behaviour on Tube last night. Now that was creepy. It’s like Stepford kids, not wives. Wow. I mean the theme was obviously the pressure of conformity taken to a real extreme. Holy shit.
Mabon is coming up. I love Mabon! I mean like I seriously love Mabon. It is next in the eternal spinning on the Wheel of the Year. And we know what comes after that! Samhain. Mabon is the second harvest Sabbat. Mabon is magical and bewitching. Samhain is magical but it is far more intense. I love the intensity of Samhain. But I want to talk about spirits. Mabon and Samhain are perfect times to conjure up spirits- no demons. The energy in the air, the fallen leaves and that oh so good dark feeling in the air. I’m still having my bonfire. They can’t stop me and probably won’t even notice it.
I love to watch Slapped Ham on YouTube. Some of the creepy spooky paranormal events that are shared there are genuine. Some of it is fake. I love the paranormal occurrences that are real. It lends to my questions and theories about the paranormal. I have to wonder why and I know I am not the only one who wonders: why so much spirit activity lately? I know that ghost hauntings were made popular due to the show Ghost Adventures. It is happening so much. I have to wonder why. I am sure there is a reason but it is hard to just go up to a spirit and ask them why they are haunting us so much. And coming back from the dead equipped with all the answers is hard too. We will never know and so are left with questions and theories. This is partly why I am attending the first ever Paranormal Symposium. I have the same questions that so many other people have. I want to know why there are so many cases of hauntings now. Someone on Twitter asked the same questions I have: Why are there so many negative manifestations? I commented that there is so much evil in the world: violence, drugs, crime, war, poverty. I could go on and on. They are feeding off of it.
I think that something big is coming. I don’t necessarily mean the end of days, because that is extreme, but ghosts, demons and hauntings are becoming commonplace. I know we have ways to globally communicate now and that means we can see and learn more about what is going on in the world faster than ever before. It’s great to let us know about how the needless war is going on in the Ukraine, about wildfires ravaging a town or where a hurricane will strike next. It is also great in letting us know about paranormal occurrences too. But I just keep hearing about occurrences, not so much explanations about occurrences. I really want to hear that. That is a more difficult answer. I won’t give up.
Maybe someone opened up a portal unwittingly. And now so many spirits and other weird things like cryptids have come through. Who knows? Maybe we will never know. That is part of the great mystery of life.
I am suffering from another burst of awesome creative energy. The stars must be aligned! I hemmed and mended my black wool cloak. I also finally added this beautiful silvery and blue Celtic dragon trim to the cloak. It’s not finished but the trim does look truly cool on the cloak. I hope to finish sewing the cloak this weekend.
The trim goes over the hood and down the opening sides of the cloak- both left and right. I love how it looks. It is so cool. I added the trim to enhance the cloak. The dragon trim is turned toward me, facing inward to protect me. I have had enough of the negative energy sent my way. As I pinned the trim to the cloak to be sewn in, I projected a protective energy for the dragons to protect me. I am sure the dragons will protect me while I wear it this fall. I finished the cloak today. I completed the lining hem and sewed on the trim. I am so happy, and the cloak looks so beautiful!
Dragons are powerful creatures and a strong symbol in many cultures. Tolkien loved dragons as do I. I have dragon bookends, dragon pen holders, dragon trinkets, dragon candlesticks, dragon censers, you get the picture. I love dragons. Dragons are an important symbol in China. Yup I love dragons. I leave gemstones next to my dragons too to keep them well fed and have something to protect. They get bored otherwise.
I plan to repair a treasured book titled Tales of Magic and Enchantment. I love the book so much. I had this book since my childhood. The book is falling apart due to wear and tear and age. I have a large piece of davy board to glue onto the back of the book. I scanned a picture in from the book which I shall glue onto the back cover. It will look great.
I love witchy gowns! I love to wear witchy gowns in black of course! I love the dresses and gowns online but I am not rich by any means. I have a black swishy dress that is very Arwen- ish and witchy! I want to add more fabric near the hem as godets to make the hem way witchier and swishier! It will look great. I like to enhance what I already own. It saves me a lot of money, with the exception of the Viking Nordic apron dress I ordered. There is no way I could recreate that on my own. It would cost a fortune too.
My next creative project will involve spiderweb lace and black goose feathers. I have a black spiderweb lace shawl and I want to order goose feathers from Amazon. Then I want to adhere the feathers to the shawl. I can’t wait to do that project and I just know it will look cool. That should keep me busy!
In a few days, I am off – or should I say, on board for the movie The Last voyage of the Demeter. I can’t wait to see it. I am in the midst of writing a short story, though it may be longer, about a murderous mandrake root ghoul. I am editing my novella Queen of the Arachnas for submission as well. I have gathered a few herbs for drying and pressing too. I love summer. Enjoy every minute of it. It doesn’t last, not in the Maritimes. I am ready for fall!
Happy Samhain! Today is warm and sunny even for October. I was dressed very witchy today from my witch hat to the witchy dress to my laced up boots. I got a lot of stares and compliments. Ah let’ em. I think it’s great that the weather is cooperating. Children have their warm wonderful hearts set on trick or treating. I bet they are all driving their addled parents crazy, eager to march out on the streets, engaging in a old, old tradition of scouting for candy. I have a bowl of candy ready for the kiddies!
I strained the hawthorn cordial. I didn’t really get as much as I would have liked. That’s ok. I performed one more bonfire last night. The air was chilly but that didn’t stop me from enjoying seeing the dancing flames from the burning hag tapers. The fire warmed me. Today I shared some of the frosted chocolate cake with my Mom. I offered a slice for my brother too. I tossed in some lollipops for them as well. It felt good to share that with them.
I can’t wait to try the hawthorn cordial. Tonight I am cooking a Shepherd’s Pie for the ancestral supper. I am so craving this meal. I have never cooked it before. It should be good! Afterwards, I plan to perform a ritual.
Whatever fun you plan to have, whether you are bobbing for apples, enjoying pumpkin pie or trick or treating, keep your pets inside and eat lots and lots of candy! Remember, the spirits are out and about tonight. Be sure to light a candle at the window to help lost spirits find their way.
Please do not steal or copy from this blog. If you do, be prepared to be stomped on by the Fates and karma for your bad character. I can be reached at :
heddyjohannesen @ gmail.com
