Vision 26

For those who have never attended Vision’s Showcase before, we explain what happens, how you can get involved and how you can make the most of a unique day out

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or some people, a Mind, Body and Spirit themed event means that all you’ll see is ten tables of readers waiting to take money for readings – after you’ve already paid a fiver to get in!

For others, this type of event is full of

people who are questionably sane and use a pendulum before they take a trip to the lavatory. If you have had experiences like this and think that the Vision Showcase will be the same sort of thing … think again!

Make Friends If you are interested in matters spiritual, paranormal or holistic, the first hurdle is finding friends of a like mind with which you can discuss your interests; share experiences; learn and grow. It is not always easy to find people to interact with who feel as you do, but at the Vision Showcase, you need look no further! Our exhibitors are experts in their fields with a broad range of beliefs and skills amongst them – but the one uniting

factor is their desire to spread their knowledge and make new friends and customers. Visiting a Showcase stand is not just window-shopping, you can talk to our exhibitors, you can ask them questions and you will almost certainly learn something – all in a relaxed friendly environment.

So, the first rule for getting the most from the Showcase is: Talk to the exhibitors!

Learn something new The second hurdle is to try to expand your interest so that you can get more involved yourself. With an event such as the Vision Psychic Showcase, you have the opportunity to do just this, in an environment that is friendly, exciting and more like a family than a collection of disparate exhibitors. The knowledgeable and approachable people that give talks and workshops at Vision events offer so much. You can find out about things

you’d never dreamed off! Don’t forget our trade stands too - their demonstrations mean you can get involved: learn relaxation techniques; see your aura and have it interpreted; get a reading from one of our sympathetic readers ... and get some free samples of products too!

So, the second rule for getting the most from the Vision Psychic Showcase is: Attend talks and demonstrations!

You’re not alone!

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If you already read Vision, you’ll know how we view our readers and our writers as family. If you would dearly like to come to the Vision Psychic Showcase but know that you’d have to do it alone – why not do just that? You will be guaranteed a warm welcome and many familiar faces will be there, you may even get to speak to a celebrity or two – besides, you can always make friends on

Vision’s forum and arrange to meet up.

Just sign up at: www.visionmagazine.uk.com/ If you come on your own and want some reassurance and help negotiating this huge event, just come to the reception desk and we’ll be pleased to help you!

The third rule for getting the most from the Vision Psychic Showcase: Come and visit the Vision stand!

There are very few opportunities these days where you can have a really exciting, enjoyable day out and broaden your horizons and skills at the same time.

Providing you are prepared to ask questions and get involved … the Vision Psychic Showcase will help you go away with bags more than you came with.

VISION 26

P10 Visionaries P14 The Hexham Heads P16 Haunted Woods P18 Pendle Witches P20 Experiences Explained

P22 What is a Pagan?

P24 The Beltane Man P26 Pagan at Heart

May 2007

P8

Titania

Britain’s favourite white witch reveals her secrets!

P30 Ruth The Truth’s Luckoscope P32 Projecting your Spirituality P34 Three Wishes in Celtic Cornwall P37 Old Wives’ Tales P38 Titania’s Numerology P40 Auras P42 Old Habits Die Hard P43 The Angel Oracle P44 The Medicine Man

P50 Make your own Love Potion

P46 Meet The Little People P49 Paws For Thought P52 Coven Corner P54 Natural Beauty

And The Rest ...

P5 Monthly News / My Psychic Journal P6 Lifestyle Tips P27 Next Month P55 Competitions P56 Back Issues P57 Subscriptions P74 Reviews P77 Vision Shop P82 Vision is out there!

P28 P59 Working with the Planets P60 Astrological Overview P61 Horoscopes - your May forecast by James Christie P76 My Destiny Diary

“Married ... but I have a Spirit Lover!”

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Vision 26

Vision

Katelyn Joe Ballance 5th March2007

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ello everyone! Please join me in congratulating our founder and MD, Sammi Addey and her partner, (Visionary Dean Ballance), on the birth of their daughter, Katelyn Joe, on 5th March.

Katelyn weighed in at a healthy 8lbs 101/2oz and yes … she was predicted!

Mother, Father and baby are all well.

I’d also like to remind you of our spectacular Vision Psychic Showcase, which will run on 5th May at the Atrium, Derby University. Entrance is only £1 for the whole day – and with 100 exhibitors to talk to and learn from, you can’t

go wrong! Many of the Vision team will be there to welcome you and you may also find a celebrity or two. It’s not to be missed – put the date in your diary now! If you’d like to take a stand there are a few left – so call us now on 0113 286 3939!

I hope you enjoy this month’s issue - we have a feature on Titania, Britain’s most popular white witch and we delve deep into pagan faiths ... and even give you a technique for making your very own love potion! Do keep your letters coming in, we love to know what you think.

Diana

4 Vision 26

Managing Director: Sammi Addey 0113 287 1551 General Manager: John Addey 0113 287 4001

Graphic Designer: Kelly Chambers Advertising: 0113 286 6557 Vision Shop: 0113 286 6789 Subscriptions: Nikki Letch 0113 286 6789

Star Letter

Vicci, you will find the Visionaries’ vigil at The Falstaffs Experience in both Vision 5 and Vision 25 – we were so amazed by it … we went back! Ed.

Email us: editor@visionmagazine.uk.com advertising@visionmagazine.uk.com covencorner@visionmagazine.uk.com experiencesexplained@visionmagazine.uk.com visionaries@visionmagazine.uk.com angels@visionmagazine.uk.com psychicpets@visionmagazine.uk.com subscribe@visionmagazine.uk.com sales@visionmagazine.uk.com

Senior Graphic Designer: Angela Benson

Each letter published will receive a copy of Pure Calm from the Pure Series worth £10.95, courtesy of New World Music.

Let Stuart Jones’s fluidity and perfection on keyboards clear your mind. The Star Letter will win four titles from the Pure series including Pure Calm, Pure Dreaming, Pure Love & Light and Pure Tranquility – worth a total of £43.80.

For further information and a free catalogue, contact New World Music on 01986 891600, or www.newworldmusic.com We reserve the right to edit letters.

Thank you for the best thing since chocolate! Please could you tell me which issue featured The Falstaffs Experience in Stratford? I recently paid a visit there, it was fantastic, but a little scary when a certain John Davies played with my hair and a little girl pulled on my fingers!

Vicci, Redditch

website: www.visionmagazine.uk.com

Editor/Promotions: Diana Jarvis 0113 286 3939

Letters

Better than Chocolate!

Magazine Ltd 42a Main Street, Garforth LS25 1AA Tel: 0113 286 3939 Fax: 0113 287 2293

Visionaries Co-ordinator: Nance Turner-Collings

Stardust Angel I lost my twin sister tragically last year and writing poems provide me with such solace.

Mrs Jennifer Wall A sprinkling of stardust, a light so bright, It’s my guardian angel, here to make everything right, You’re here to protect me in all that I do.

And I would like to thank you for just being you.

I’m getting giddy for horses!

Thank you for the wonderful prize of the Horse Whispering course. It is really appreciated as I am a trustee of a charity to help mistreated and abused horses, ponies and donkeys. I can’t believe I have won it! Vision is brilliant!

Sue Higgins, The Phyllis Harvey Horse and Donkey Trust Spirit works in the most amazing ways, doesn’t it?

Out of loads of entries, Sue’s was pulled at random!

You can visit Sue’s charity website at www.hopepastures.org Ed.

Accounts: Percy Trevelyon Distributors Diamond Magazine Distribution Limited Tel: (01797) 225229 Contributors: Madeleine Walker; Michelle Jones; Jay; Ruth Urquhart; Kyle Gray; Michael Hallowell; Nick Richardson; Val and David Williams; Andrea Rivers; Paula Garton; James Christie; Nance Turner-Collings; Karen Kay; Kylie Holmes; Nanci Trivellato; Ross Heaven; Carole Chui

Logo ©Vision magazine Ltd The Vision logo is a registered trademark. It may not be used by anyone other than ourselves under any conditions.

Founder: Sammi Addey

Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those held by the publishers and editors. © Copyright Vision magazine Ltd and/or contributors. All rights reserved. No part, written or visual (including adverts typeset by Vision) of the magazine (including the logo) may be reproduced, without written permission from the publishers. Call 0113 286 6789 for subscriptions and back issues. All images © Vision unless otherwise stated.

Competitions: The first correct entries drawn at random after the closing date will be notified.

Competitions are open to all residents of the UK aged 18 or over except employees of Vision Magazine Ltd, their families, contributors, its printers and anyone else connected to the competition. There is no cash alternative unless otherwise stated. The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Cornwall Beltane Fair

More local groups

The Earth, Health & Mystic Fayre is a Beltane extravaganza. There is so much on offer, including free demonstrations, a vegetarian café and more than 50 exhibitors, including many

We are still receiving details of some local groups. Give them a call and join in!

Reiki Share /Healing Group and Mediumship Meeting/Open Circle: Fourth Thursday of each month for Reiki and second Thursday for Mediumship, 7.30pm - 9.00pm. Held at Maltby Parish Hall/Edward Dunn Centre, Tickhill Road, Maltby, Rotherham. Contact Wendy on 01709 817008 or visit www.freewebs.com/rotherhamreiki

Ghost Hunter books to give away!

The Beltane Fair organisers

complementary therapists, local arts and crafts people, healers and metaphysical counsellors. Saturday 28th April to Monday 30th April at St Johns Hall, Alverton Street, Penzance, Cornwall.

Doors open from 10am daily, and admission is £2.50. Families are welcome and children under 16 yrs are admitted free of charge. To receive a copy of the free event programme call 01736 330201 or visit www.mysticfayre.co.uk

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If you read our review in Vision 24 of Darren Ritson’s super Ghost Hunter book, I’m sure you’d love to have your own copy? Well here is your chance to win a copy – signed! Send your name and address on the BACK of a sealed down envelope or postcard (Do not put anything in the envelope) to: Vision / Ghost, 42a Main Street, Garforth. LS25 1AA to reach us by 17th May, when the giveaway closes.

y hubby and I were walking around town one-day eating fish butties, when we came upon a new, ‘New Age’ type shop. We stopped to look through the windows as we ate.

Finishing first, my hubby entered and I followed him in a few minutes later. I was just in time to overhear a very interesting conversation.

The shop owner was discussing doing readings in the shop with two ladies and said she planned to begin the very next day if she could get a booking.

Needless to say, I left the shop sometime later booked in as her very first ‘sitter’.

The reading was excellent and towards the end, I heard those fateful words again: ‘you’re very aware of spirit aren’t you … you can do this can’t you?’. I told the reader what had been happening to me over the years and, bless her, she really listened.

She then told me of a group that the owners

Ghost investigation for Charity We always like to keep you abreast of charity events, and this one has surely got to be worth attending! Celebrity David Wells will be at the Diabetes UK Chillingham Castle Fright Night on Saturday 14th April (at Chillingham Castle!). The gates will open for arrivals from 6.30pm and registration will commence at 7pm, the event will run until 3am. Contact the fundraising team on 01325 488606 for further details of the evening’s itinerary and to book your tickets. It will be a scream!

Clairvoyance at Sea! Due to popular demand, Stephen Holbrook and James Christie will be taking part in the next Clairvoyance at Sea Cruise. At the moment, dates are not available, but the cruise is likely to tour the Carribean and may be in early next year. Keep up to date with information by checking your Vision each month, we will publish dates as soon as they are available from the organisers.

planned to run from the shop and promised she would do all she could to get me in it. I left the shop as high as a kite; somehow I just knew I was ‘in.’

True to her word, the lady phoned a few days later to let me know I could join the group. I was ridiculously excited.

This entry in my journal, though not overly exciting, was the beginning of a mind-blowing series of ‘coincidences’, which continued to amaze me and remind me of the many ways that Spirit work to get you where you should be going. The ball was rolling; I had no idea of where it was going to stop or just how fast it was going to roll ...

Peace Always,

Jay

5 Vision 26

Are you suffering from grief? Grief takes many forms, not all of them are connected with the death of someone close to you, you can grieve for a lost love too. Here are some simple tips that will help you to overcome the lowest of times – the break-up!

Don’t be afraid to cry. Bottling up your feelings will do you more harm than good Your choice of music will affect you. If you want to listen to some music, don’t keep wallowing in those old love songs. Play a few to help you release your tears, but then revert to some gentle, but slightly stirring classical music. This will help you to think clearly and will give you energy and a positive outlook Don’t keep repeating negative phrases such as “No-one else will ever be right for me!”. Apart from almost certainly being untrue, you are sending a message to your subconscious and then reinforcing it. This means that you will automatically send out negative vibrations. This will keep suitable potential partners away from you!

There are many things we can do to improve our health, but not many of them are as simple as drinking green tea! Green tea is favoured by the Chinese in particular, but it’s more than just a great accompaniment to a Chinese meal! There is new evidence about the health benefits of green tea. It is alleged that it can:

Help with weight loss. Researchers have found that found that men who drank a combination of caffeine and green tea burned more calories Not only that, green tea is also alleged to help prevent tooth decay. It has the ability to destroy the bacteria that cause plaque There is also the belief that one of the chemical constituents in green tea can help to prevent cancer, as it destroys free radicals Tea up!

Do you want to spice up your love life? There is one simple way of bringing a bit of pizzazz to the bedroom which creates a wonderful atmosphere as well as sending out the right messages – both to your partner and the universe. Flowers! A bunch of flowers in the bedroom add romance and colour, but, if carefully chosen, can also act as a message to the Powers That Be of exactly what you want to achieve. Choose from the following: Pink Camellia Forget-me-Not Hyacinth Ivy Jonquil

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Longing for you True and faithful love Constancy Wedded love, fidelity Desire, love me

Purple Lilac Orange Blossom Phlox Red Rose Orange Rose

First feelings of love Eternal love Souls united I love you Enthusiasm, desire

If you are really struggling to find that job you’ve been looking for or desperately trying to get a promotion but seem to be going nowhere then maybe you need a walk to clear your head and help you to think clearly about where you might be going wrong? You could also utilise this time to cast a simple spell: 1. If you can, find a hilltop near you. If not, any open space will do.

2. Get some tie-on labels and a helium-filled balloon. A yellow balloon would be best.

3. Sit down and think carefully about exactly what you want. Write down each wish i.e, I want a new job; I want to make friends in my new job etc.

4. Tie each label onto the balloon. Think carefully about your wishes one more time and then launch the balloon. The wishes are then symbolically released to the universe and you can walk home and look forward to seeing the results in the near future.

Colour is all-important as it affects moods, connects with the energies of different planets and brightens our lives. If you are thinking of redecorating, perhaps you might like to choose colours and accessories to match what you would like to bring into your life?

Use purple or violet to enhance spiritual ability and connect with the other side Use green for abundance and a connection with nature Use pink for love Browns and neutrals invite stability and order Red should be used sparingly – it can creates arguments but also adds energy Yellow is the colour of a sunny disposition and good communication Blue creates a calming atmosphere and can help study Orange is full of vitality and health

Money is never easy to come by, but even harder to hold on to. A lot of money tips involve spending a lot with the promise of getting more … but they don’t always work!

So, apart from suggesting that you don’t spend a lot, try using crystal power!

Agate comes in a variety of different colours, is inexpensive and, in slice form, can be used in a number of different ways in your house. It attracts success and money – so try using it like this: Use agate book-ends to keep your bank statements and cheque books tidy Use agate slices as coffee coasters Buy an agate slice wind chime. These are inexpensive, increase the flow of ‘chi’ in your home and attract money

7 Vision 26

Vision speaks to Titania Hardie, Britain’s best-loved white witch

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itania Hardie is a striking, articulate and intelligent lady, who oozes charisma. She is also known as Britain’s bestloved white witch and has a string of books and products to her name. We spoke to Titania about her life as a white witch.

How did you get into witchcraft?

“I am a Hereditary white witch. My grandmother taught me all about witchcraft. She said that the skills were passed down via the youngest daughter – my mother was the youngest and so was I. Samantha my daughter has the skills too – although Samantha is the oldest of my daughters. She is also an author and a very intelligent young lady. Many people seem to think that if you are a witch, you are not very bright. I tend to find that witches are very intelligent and deep thinking.”

What is a witch?

“The word ‘witch’ is Anglo-Saxon for wise woman. The word ‘witch’ had, and still has, political emotion - but at its core it means wise woman and that is how I see it.”

Can you tell us more about spells?

“A spell is a framed wish, where you focus your mind clearly on something you wish to embody. The items that support the spell support you – the colours, smells and images get the mind to focus its own power. Every spell requires that you have clear thought – and harm no-one else. I would recommend that you sit down before you do a spell and think about your wish. Getting what you wish for has many knock-on effects, that you can’t always see at first. Also, when you’ve done a spell, never ask when you’ll get it – imagine it’s already there.”

Do you ever have trouble when you tell people you are a witch?

“Yes! Perhaps not as much as one might expect. For the most part people take me as a friendly Australian woman first, but maybe that’s because I don’t walk around looking scary.

However, some people bring their attitudes to the table.

Not so long ago, I was denounced from Wells cathedral by a minister who had met me once and then again in hospital.

He made up a list of why I was in hospital (that was total fabrication!), so that it fitted his image of me - and then denounced me. To my everlasting pleasure he was finally sent away from the area … I think that if we have a faith – whatever that faith is - we don’t have to be at loggerheads.”

What is a white witch?

“A white witch is someone who practices beneficial magic: ‘An ye harm none’. To conduct a spell that contravenes this law means serious repercussions. I am not convinced that there is such a thing as black magic. I think people go off the rails. The magic is not bad – the person is the one that loses their perspective.”

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Do spells help in daily life?

“Sometimes spells and rituals are a way of reminding us to look at the positive. I have been working extremely hard recently and so has my husband (Titania’s husband has been working on a film called Resonance, all about the power of sound and chant). My ten year old daughter tied some ribbons on my willow tree in the garden and said that they symbolised a fresh start for us. That is the joy of magic, finding the positive in everything and getting some perspective on how our lives affect others.”

Have you ever had a bad experience with a spell?

“No. Not at all. When I was young I was in love with a male model. He was a good friend, but there was no connection between us. I burnt a candle and it worked. I then burnt one every night and after I’d got through a few (and nothing happened unless I burnt them), I figured that it was time to retire! If it was only magic that made the relationship, it was not the relationship for me.”

readings via them and my website, so I’m doing that. I’ve also just finished writing a series of children’s books called The Frangipani Fairies. They are very green and attentive to nature. Doing those was like spa therapy for me!”

4. Inside your head, say one nice thing to someone you like.

Could you give us a simple spell?

“Here is a fairy spell, suitable for adults and children alike. It can be found in my book The Sunlight Fairy, from The Frangipani Fairies range.”

6. When you open your eyes, smile at the flower, and the world!

How to turn a grey, uninteresting day into a sunny, happy one!

1. First, put on clothes in your favourite colours. Colours affect your mood.

2. Find a beautiful-smelling flower.

3. Close your eyes and really smell the flower. Is it sweet? Strong? Gentle?

Light? Breathe in and imagine all the beautiful things you can.

5. Then, make a simple wish for something special to happen to them, and also to you.

7. By the way, a spell ALWAYS works best if you do something nice for someone else, straight afterwards.

You can buy Titania’s Fortune Cards and other Titania products from Vision shop.

See pages 77 - 81 or call 0113 286 3939.

You can find out more about a reading with Titania via her website: www.titaniasfortunecards.com The nine-volume Titania’s Numbers series are reviewed on P74 with a special reader offer.

How about positive experiences?

“One woman told me I’d changed her life.

She said she was watching me on Richard and Judy, doing a Valentine’s Day ritual shortly after her husband had been killed. She said that she was watching closely ... and her house lights dipped and light bulbs blew. A couple of months later, a beautiful man came into her life. It gave me so much joy to hear how she felt the spell had turned a corner for her, even though I was doing the spell. Her rescue came from within, but the focus was the spell.”

What are you working on now?

‘I have just brought out a series of books on numbers. Numbers give us understanding of the subtleties of our nature. I’m also writing my first novel, The Rose Labyrinth, which revolves around John Dee (Elizabeth I’s astrologer and mathematician). It is a love story, but is very important because at its core it is a plea for religious tolerance. I’m also working very hard on my website. My Fortune Cards have been out for some time and I am now in a position to offer 9 Vision 26

The Time: A cold, clear night in March The Place: Rookery Hall Hotel, Cheshire The Visionaries: Nance Turner-Collings and Diana Jarvis

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ello, my friends. Yes, it’s that time again … Visionaries time!

This month we are in the beautiful county of Cheshire, at the grand and stately Rookery Hall Hotel. As well as Di and I, we are joined by two guest investigators: Gordon Smethurst and Nikki Letch.

The drive up to Rookery Hall is spectacular, even though it was dark we could really get a feel for the history and heritage of the place. We were all amazed by the hotel, I don’t think we have ever been to such a beautiful place. We were really looking forward to seeing “how the other half lives” ... living or dead …

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The Staircase The sweeping staircase, though not huge, was rather impressive. On my way down the stairs, I suddenly got a pain in my neck and on the back of head, and I felt like someone had hit me (many have wanted to I’m sure!). I could feel that someone had fallen down these stairs.

That confused me (which is not hard), because I didn’t feel like it was deliberate, I just felt it was an accident of some kind. I could sense a male presence which was very strong, but he had quite a peaceful feeling. Again I got the name Edward, and again it was quite a strong connection. I felt a family link to the law, and Spirits from different eras Di in the January room dowsing - is this orb the spirit that was choking?

January Room This bedroom is at the front of the building and has every luxury you could wish for! As I entered I felt quite an oppressive energy, it was ‘yucky’. It felt like an odd room, and I felt that many of the guests staying here would have asked to be moved … despite it’s beauty I couldn’t have spent a night in here … that’s for sure!

I picked up the name “Charlotte”, and the surname “Spencer”, and the 1860s. I could feel the energy of a very strong female in here, she wasn’t negative (in fact she was quite confident).

When I looked out of the window, I could see some sort of mediaeval settlement, with lots of people and animals running around. I got the name “Edward”, and a distant connection to royalty. I felt lots of

children around, and felt that they were quite mischievous, but not bad. I picked up on the name “Mallory”, and could hear a dog barking, in fact I thought it was alive because the barking was that loud! I could sense that the family that owned this house had a very lavish lifestyle, but were not snobby. They enjoyed their money, but never thought it made them better than others.

Di felt the same kind of feeling in this room, not good but not bad.

However, when she was sat on the bed, she started having breathing problems and actually felt the bed shaking. Di picked up on a man, who Di said kept repeating his death over and over! Di got the name John Beauchamp, and a strong connection with “The Sun King”, Louis XIV. After Di had recovered her breath, she picked up on a lady who had a very friendly and warm energy. She was about 50, and had a pale complexion but drawn features, and came with the name Ellen or Eleanor. Di felt that she was somehow connected to the family, and that she was stern and motherly - all rolled into one. She picked up on a fire in the building, but not in this room. Di also felt that someone had died in here!

Gordon - dubbed ‘Man of a thousand orbs’ after this picture ... without doubt the January room was full of activity!

Large orb floating down the stairs - is this the lady that fell?

passing on the stairs and saying hello to each other. It’s nice to know that everybody’s so pleasant in the afterlife, wherever you end up!

Sitting Room/Bar Area The next room we were in was the Sitting room / Bar area. I really liked this room, the energy was brilliant: warm and inviting. I could see straight away that this was a Gentleman’s room and I believe it had been a study at some point.

It had very minimal furniture and was very spacious. I could see men with

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Above: Nance on the stairs with some orbs for company Above right: Nance near the drawing room with another orb

cigars and glasses of brandy putting the world to rights. Di didn’t pick up much in this room apart from the ‘boy’s club’ atmosphere, but Nikki did say that she kept thinking she could

the room; including an old style piano from the late 1700s. I felt that the room was two rooms at some point, the other being the original drawing room. I kept seeing a black cat running around, and picked up a connection with horse breeding in the 1800s. I could see people dressed like they had just stepped out of a Jane Austin novel, and I got the names ‘Alice’ and ‘Stephanie’.

Someone kept showing me pocket watches and grandfather clocks: I felt a Grandfather Clock was important.

The Print Room The last room we visited was quite a way away from the main area and was used for functions and conferences. We all had quite a strong reaction to the print room.

It almost made me breathless, the atmosphere was weird, I couldn’t explain it to you if I tried I know … but trust me, it was weird! The room was very cold: a strange coldness that comes from nowhere.

Then suddenly, I felt excitement and anticipation, and I could smell a real musty smell and can see a man with an axe, chopping wood and felt straw beneath my feet. However my next feeling was very ‘Wuthering Heights’ - a doomed love story!

Di said that on entering she got an instant pain in the right side of her head, and that somebody was drawing her attention towards the doors outside.

Di could see a man at the window who was watching a young lady in the house.

Di believed the young lady was his daughter, but that she was the product of a scandalous affair, and so nobody could know. The man was very ‘lost’ and distant, but resigned to his fate.

Nance on the stairs next to a brightly-coloured moving orb

see a little boy playing with an oldfashioned toy.

The Drawing Room The sitting room led us straight through into the drawing room, and again Di picked up the man with the breathing problems. Perhaps he was following her?

The Salon From the drawing room we went into the Salon - and what a lovely room it was, too! The minute I walked in I could see musical instruments in the far corner of 12 Vision 26

Nance in the Salon, with orb - perhaps the Grey Lady?

about a man that was “a pompous prig”. The man that was being talked about was tall, slightlybuilt and overweight, in his 40s. He was wearing a frock coat in blue, with breeches and a wig. He was telling stories to a group of men.

So there you have it, my friends! Thanks for joining us, and if you ever need a place to stay, check out Rookery Hall. We would like to extend our thanks to the staff, especially Sarah Proctor, Sam from the restaurant and Brian the Night Porter. Next month we will be at another grand hotel (hooray!): the Holland Hall Hotel in Wigan.

Nikki dowsing in the January room - not surprisingly the pendulum picked up somethng here ...

Equipment Sweeps The January room produced the best results on our equipment. Both Gordon and Nikki used the pendulum, rods and EMF detector and produced the same readings. The strongest indications from the dowsing was near the bed on the left, and near the bathroom door. The EMF detector didn’t register anything unusual.

Séance We conducted a séance in the Salon.

Gordon and Di both said they could see a

lady with ringlets standing by the bay window. Gordon also picked up a Spirit on the stairs, a lady who had fallen with an oil lamp. He felt that curtains were connected and possibly a small fire. Di was picking up a private conversation in the sitting room/bar area. She could hear someone talking

Di in the January- this was one area where the pendulum went mad ...

History of Rookery Hall Hotel

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ookery Hall was built in 1816, which at that time was known as “The Rookery, Worleston”. It was the home of William Hilton Cooke who was also the proprietor of a sugar plantation in Jamaica which was named “Chester Castle”.

Baron William Von Schroder purchased the Hall in 1867. Baron William became a Justice of the Peace, Lieutenant of the County of Cheshire and, finally, High Sheriff in 1888, which confirms Nance’s link to the law. He was loved hunting – perhaps this is why Nance picked up a horsey connection?

His son Baron William the Younger sold the Hall in 1947. The Von Schroder Crest and Coat of Arms can be seen on the beautiful barrelled ceiling in the main dining room. The Baron changed the traditional Georgian mansion into a small chateau. After the Hall was sold in 1947, it became the property of several

owners who lived in it privately. It was bought in 1984 by the Marks family and has, through the years, been transformed into the elegant country house it is today.

Most famous of the ghosts at Rookery Hall is The Grey Lady. She is alleged to have been an elderly maid of the Cookes, the builders of the Hall some two hundred years ago. She had a fatal fall whilst hanging curtains and is said to roam the corridors leaving a sweet smell of flowers in her wake. Nance and Di both picked up a lady that fits the Grey Lady’s description. Nance picked up the fall and Gordon picked up the fall and also the curtains … The Grey Lady’s presence was obviously still strong.

Another regularly sighted ghost is young master Schroder, who sometimes materialises in the Salon crying, because he has lost his dog. It seems that this little boy and his dog could be easily reunited if it was only

physical distance that was the problem.

Nance could hear the dog and Nikki saw the little boy! We were also told that in the past a lady hanged herself in the January room. Di picked up respiratory problems and said that someone had died in the room, but felt this was connected with a gentleman – or was she picking up two separate spirits?

Rookery Hall is now a luxury 45 bedroom country house hotel which has recently been awarded Four Star status by the AA, the Blue Ribbon award from the RAC and achieved a De luxe grade from the English Tourist Board. The Hall has also achieved notable accolades for its fine cuisine.

Staff still sense spirit presences in the January room and the restaurant – they have seen shadowy figures and many have seen the young boy in the Salon.

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E

arly in 1972, an 11 year old boy and his brother were playing in their garden in Hexham, Northumberland. As they dug into the soil, they discovered some strange carved stone heads buried in the earth. The heads were around the size of tennis balls and there was one ‘male’ and one ‘female’ head and where the eyes might have been, there were hollows.

Excited with their find, the boys took the heads into their house. This was a mistake! Shortly after the heads arrived in their new home, a number of inexplicable events occurred: The heads would turn round all by themselves A number of household objects were found broken, with no rational explanation for the breakages One of the family found their bed showered with glass

However, things got weirder! A few nights after the heads had been unearthed, a neighbour and her daughter were sitting up late, as the daughter was feeling ill. Suddenly, they both saw what they later described as a ‘half man, half beast’ enter the room. Needless to say, they both screamed and attracted the

Diana Jarvis investigates the true story of the mysterious Hexham Heads. Were these strange items possessed with the spirit of a werewolf? attention of the husband, who came running into the room to assist. By this time though, the strange creature had walked off down the stairs. They were reported as saying that they could hear it ‘padding down the stairs as if (it) was on its hind legs’. When they plucked up the courage to go downstairs, the front door was found open.

A while later, Dr Anne Ross, an expert in Celtic culture, took the heads to study them. Apparently, she had several other heads that were similar and she was convinced that the Hexham Heads were from a similar period: around 1800 years old. Dr Ross lived over 100 miles from Hexham and had heard nothing about the heads or what had happened when they were taken inside. She put them with the rest of her collection for further study.

A few nights later, she came into contact with the mysterious creature that has visited the house in Hexham. She woke up in the middle of the night feeling very cold and - for a reason she couldn’t fathom – frightened. When she looked up she could see a half-man, half-animal standing in the doorway of her bedroom.

She was quoted as describing him thus: “It was about six feet high, slightly stooping, and it was black, against the white door, and it was half animal and half man. The upper part, I would have said, was a wolf, and the lower part was human and, I would have again said, that it was covered with a kind of black, very dark fur. It went out and I just saw it clearly, and then it disappeared, and something made me run after it, a thing I wouldn’t normally have done, but I felt

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compelled to run after it. I got out of bed and I ran, and I could hear it going down the stairs, then it disappeared towards the back of the house.”

This was the not the last time she saw the creature, though. It appeared a number of times around the house and particularly on the stairs, where it would

run half-way and then jump over the banisters and run off. Sometimes it could be heard padding around, but was not seen. Sometimes doors would open for no reason or explanation.

Eventually, Dr Ross decided that the stone heads were the source of the “evil presence about the house” and she got rid of the whole collection. The two Hexham Heads passed into the hands of other collectors who experienced no werewolf phenomena, but did report a ‘sense of evil’. The current whereabouts of the heads are unknown …

Now let’s go back in time to the turn of the 19th century in Hexham, when many

people worked either on the land or at nearby factories, but the woodlands were still thick with trees. On 10th December, 1904, the Hexham Courant ran a headline about a nearby village: ‘Wolf at Large in Allendale’. Apparently, some farmers had reported serious losses to their sheep flocks. One poor creature had been found (or at least his head and horns had) ripped to pieces, others had been left with their entrails hanging out and most of those attacked had been bitten in the neck and legs. This latter form of attack is that favoured by a wolf.

A group was set up to hunt for the wolf, as livestock were being attacked and killed. The wolf was seen too jumping over a large wall, so they knew what they were dealing with … or did they? On 29th December the wolf was witnessed jumping a high wall. Many suggested that it wasn’t a wolf as we know it at all, but a werewolf! Was this a precursor of the strange creature that was seen when the Hexham Heads were found?

1972 was also the year another werewolf came to light. Monster-hunter and cryptozoology expert Jonathan Downes was one of few to witness what later became known as the Abbotsham Beast.

Even as a teenager, Jonathan was fascinated by monster stories and decided to go werewolf hunting, accompanied by his friend Jim. They made their way to a wood where the beast was supposed to be found – Jonathan takes up the story: “Sheepishly we entered the wood. Here and there one could see the mangled and dilapidated remains of a rhododendron bush, indicating that this had once been a

carefully managed piece of woodland.

Now it was just abandoned wilderness. It felt to us like we were the only visitors here for decades - if not longer. There was absolutely no sound except for the crunching noise of twigs and dead leaves scrunching beneath our feet. No bird song, no buzzing insects, no tiny scurrying animals.

Then we noticed something else strange. Apart from the occasional dirty grey-green of the sickly rhododendron leaves, there was practically no colour.

Although it was midsummer, all the trees and bushes (at eye level anyway,) appeared to be dead. If you looked up, you could see the outline of the leafy canopy silhouetted against the blue sky, but down here in the wood itself it was as dead as a morgue. “… By this time we had forgotten that our original quest had been for a werewolf.

We set off in what we fondly believed was the right direction for Northam (towards home). Although we were undoubtedly intrepid, direction finding was not our strong suit and we soon became hopelessly lost. As we went deeper and deeper into the wood the atmosphere became more and more unpleasant. “… Then it hit us. A stench such as I have never encountered before or since rolled up towards us through the shrivelled, blighted, stunted trees.

“We proceeded gingerly. If it hadn’t been that we were acutely aware that it would have been appallingly unmanly, I’m sure that we would have held each other’s hands for comfort. In fact, if I’m going to be honest, with the hindsight of thirty years, I’m not certain that we didn’t. The stench was all pervading, and although we did our best to avoid whatever its source was, it felt like we were being

inexorably drawn towards the epicentre of the phenomenon.

“Then suddenly there it was: A dead roebuck. Its head caught in a barbed wire fence and its tortured body splayed out behind it, bloated with putrefaction.

Its intestines were spread out beside it. In the half-light we could see an amorphous shadow of what appeared to be an enormous black, predatory creature crouching over the carcass of the roebuck. If you looked at it directly there was nothing to see, but out of the corners of our eyes it was clearly visible. That was just too much for our last vestiges of intrepidness and the two of us, explorers no longer but frightened children, ran like hell until we finally found ourselves on the cliff path which traverses the long journey between Abbotsham and Westward Ho! “I remain convinced that there is a very real mystery to solve in Abbotsham, and although my paths have strayed away from the sinister, dank woods at the top of the rugged cliffs that overlook the Bristol Channel, I have a sneaking suspicion that before my career as a monster hunter is over, I shall return there and solve the mystery for good.”

So could the ‘fairy stories’ of werewolves be true? While researching this piece, I can confirm I have found a considerable amount of testimony (some of it was even believable!) supporting the existence of werewolves. I have yet to be convinced, but I’m quite happy not to be. I just wonder if the Celtic Shamans of old put a curse on their goods as the Egyptians did – in the form of a man-like wolf?

Find out more about Johnathan and his work on: www.cfz.org.uk and buy his book, Monster Hunter from www.amazon.co.uk

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F

our thousand years ago, the islands that made up Great Britain were almost all covered with forest. No wonder that several cultures of the past, including the Celts, placed trees as a central part of their Spiritual beliefs.

As society progressed, the great forests declined in step with civilisation’s advancement. Ancient beliefs became fairy stories and folklore. The Druids no longer worshipped in groves of sacred oak trees and the Teutonic pagans, who had

O

ne such wood stands on the South West coast, not far from a popular holiday resort. It has a chequered history. In its centre, stands a clearing known as The Grove. Its very name reveals this place to be the site of ancient Druid worship and the wood is listed in the Doomsday book. It was ancient even then!

The place is littered with ruins of Limekilns, which are a testimony to its Victorian industrial past. Later on, this place became a home for American troops awaiting their departure to the shores of Normandy for the D-day landings in 1944. Truly a mixed and hidden history.

Some locals will not venture into the Grove after dusk. They speak of strange feelings and mist-like creatures, which hang in the air.

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Dave and Val Williams investigate some of the mysterious woodlands in Britain, whose trees have surprising secrets ready for unprepared visitors … swept across Europe, no longer set up trees to worship their Gods (such as Woden) in circled, tree lined sanctuaries, which were special places of great power and energy.

As settlements changed into villages, then into towns, and then later

into cities, the memories of torch-lit rituals faded from memory, but crept into the imagination. They became stories told around the fire at night and the sites became hidden, and forgotten … remembered only by an old wives’ tale, or a place name on a modern map.

Witnesses have testified to seeing torchlit processions and an vortex of power.

In the late summer of 1996 a family out for a picnic were startled by the appearance of a Yeti like creature, which had burst from the undergrowth.

The family ran out of the woods, followed in the tree line by the creature, which loped from tree to tree. During the following August, several sightings of a green-faced monkey-like animal were recorded.

Talk of Aliens and Bigfoots brought several investigators to the woods, who carried out night-time vigils … with no apparent success.

When I visited the Grove, I found the place strange and surreal. On a bright summer’s day the wood was alive with colour, light and sound. Insects hummed in the background.

The path I followed led through the trees into the centre. Here was The Grove, but it was still. There was not a sound, no birds and no insects. As I walked, I became aware of a change in

the atmosphere from the bright summer’s day … it had become winter-like. The sky had not become overcast, but it was dull now, and the atmosphere felt the same. The air was thick with energy. I walked on quickly. A feeling came over me that made me feel that someone, or something, was following my steps. I left the wood quicker than I had arrived!

I learned later that in times gone by, residents of the local village would carry their recent dead along this path to bury them in the nearest churchyard. Half-way along the path with their burden, they would rest and lay the corpse on an ancient stone. This stone still stood in the centre of the Grove.

Does the past leave impressions that can be received by the human mind at a later date?

S

ituated not far from The Grove is another ancient wood. Its dry stonewalls are now topped with barbed wire to keep away unwanted visitors. The only problem is that no-one has told the wood that it shouldn’t have visitors, because it likes people to visit and stay awhile, as this story will demonstrate!

The wood itself is small, surrounded with fields on three sides. It is no more than a mile in width, and half a mile long. The wood is populated with stunted, native trees, whose roots reach out from the leaf-covered ground.

Here and there rocky outcrops protrude between the trees, giving the impression of ancient ruins. Scattered around are the bleached bones of animals that sheltered here to die, or were brought to the wood by predators and their remains left as a testimony to their demise.

On a May morning in 1993 a walker decided to take a look into the wood. He had often walked the local bridle path, which wound its way across the fields. He lived locally and knew the area well. Checking his watch, he saw that it was nearing 10am as he slipped across the stone boundary wall into the

wood. The smell of pine rose to greet him from the needles covering the ground.

Steadily, he began to stride through the trees, taking mental note of the varieties of trees as he walked. Pine, Ash, Rowan, Beech … and Elm. In front of him was a large tree, an Elm. He shook his head. He judged the tree to be fifty to sixty feet tall. Reaching his arms out around the trunk he found that he could not touch his own fingers when he did so, and reasoned that the trunk would have to be over 6ft in diameter!

He was surprised that he had never spotted the elm jutting out from the wood before, as it was so spectacular.

Bemused, he set off again. It was a pleasant day, quite warm with the bright light of the spring morning falling through the canopy of leaves.

He had advanced for another 500 yards when his eyes fell upon a deep ravine, lined with trees. It fell away from him to a depth (he guessed) of at least fifty feet. He smelt wood smoke, and saw it drift across the ravine from the other side. He looked around and could see trees spread out on either side as far as the eye could see.

Then, suddenly, he noticed that across from him stood a figure that was returning his gaze. At the moment that his eyes met the stranger’s eyes, he knew that this was wrong - very wrong - for the eyes that met his were not human. He turned and ran through the trees, darting

around the rocky outcrops, his breath now in short gasps as he passed the elm. Then, finally reaching the dry stonewall, he threw himself across into the open sunlight of the field.

Laying panting in the grass, he composed himself and looked at his watch. His walk across the wood should have taken him no more than a hour.

However, the watch on his wrist told him a different tale about the time he had spent away. It said 4pm!

Later that night, with the door of his cottage firmly bolted and every light ablaze, he checked his map of the area.

There was no record of a ravine anywhere to be found. He made some more enquiries in his local area about the wood and discovered that there were no elms known of there, at least not for the last couple of centuries!

So what happened to this man? Was this a ‘time slip’?

An illusion? Needless to say, he never went back to find out, and never described the figure that looked into his eyes. The woods are there today, waiting for the next person to walk their ancient paths …

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P

endle Hill is set amongst some of the most stunning landscapes in Lancashire. Dotted with stone-built houses and farms, the area surrounding the hill is picturesque, if somewhat remote. However, many visitors report feeling fear and dread and some say that Pendle Hill is always covered by clouds.

Most say this is because of the ghosts of ‘The Pendle Witches’.

Nance Turner-Collings investigates one of the most evocative stories of witches and hauntings in the UK – The Pendle Witches

In the late 1500s and early 1600s, being brought to trial for witchcraft was not uncommon. It was an unsettled time, when suspicion and superstition ruled, and a time for religious persecution of innocents. It was James I of England that lead a new wave of persecution against Suspicion and Fear anyone who was believed to have The trial of the Pendle Witches is one of the most famous witch trials in England’s practiced witchcraft. He had a naturally suspicious nature, and soon he started to history. On August 20th, 1612, ten people obsess about Witchcraft. In the 1600s, were hanged at Lancaster Castle, for Lancaster had a strong Catholic murder by witchcraft. following, and it was Witches Galore in Newchurch-in-Pendle this that led to an unfortunate series of events, and for some poor souls, the gallows.

The ‘Witches’ The year is 1612, and the Pendle Witch story starts with two rival peasant families, the Demdikes (led by Old Demdike - Elizabeth Southern), and the Chattoxes

(led by Chattox - Anne Whittle). Old Demdike was an old woman in her eighties and lived with her daughter Elizabeth Device and Elizabeth’s three children, Jennet, James and Alizon.

Chattox also lived with her daughters, Annie and Elizabeth (known as Bessie).

Family Feud It is said that a feud between the families had broken out, despite having been the best of friends before. The Demdikes home was broken into, the prime suspect being Bessie Chattox, who agreed that she would give the Demdikes a yearly meal if she didn’t do it again.

A year later, Elizabeth Devices’ husband John, died, and this left the family destitute and poverty stricken. It meant that the family took to begging, and trying to find work where they could.

On March 18th, 1612, Alizon Device was returning home after a day’s begging, when she met an old peddler, John Law of Halifax. Alizon had asked the peddler for some pins, but he refused.

After much disagreement, she apparently cursed him. As she cursed him, he fell to the ground, paralysed on his left side.

Alizon was charged with using witchcraft to bewitch the peddler and was brought before the Justice Roger Nowell.

Confessions of Evil Alizon confessed freely to the charges of witchcraft, and implicated the rest of her family, including Old Demdike, who she said had cursed a man called Richard Baldwin. She also spoke of

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her family feud with the Chattoxes, and how Chattox turned the ale sour at the local inn, and had, using a clay image, cursed the landlord’s son to death.

Nowell immediately ordered that Old Demdike, Chattox and her daughter Annie be brought in to give evidence, in which Old Demdike confessed to evil, claiming that the Devil himself appeared to her as a young boy and sucked her blood, making her mad.

Sent to the Castle The next day, Nowell sent Chattox, Old Demdike, Alizon and Chattox’s daughter Annie to Lancaster Castle to await trial for witchcraft. The trial depended on the testimony of 9 year old Jennet Device, who accused her mother Elizabeth of witchcraft. It was this account that named the people who were apparently at a Good Friday gathering, which included a gentlewomen by the name of Alice Nutter. Nowell then sent them all to Lancaster Castle to join the others awaiting trial. It was during their time awaiting trail that Old Demdike died in prison.

Trial without defense The trial started on 17th August 1612 at Lancaster Castle. No Defense was provided. Nowell put Jennet Device on the stand as a witness. She gave evidence against her own family and other people from the village. Some of the prisoners protested their innocence - but all were found guilty and sentenced to hang.

Some other suspected witches who had protested their innocence were acquitted, mainly because some of the evidence against them was found to have been fabricated.

The fate of the Pendle Witches is not an isolated case. If you were convicted of witchcraft in Scotland, you would have been burnt at the stake, but in England it was normal procedure for you to be hanged.

St. Mary’s Church, Newchurch-in-Pendle

Alice Nutter’s grave, St. Mary’s Church

Pendle today Tourism flourishes in the Pendle area. Newchurch-in-Pendle, home of St. Mary’s Church (pictured above right), where Demdike was thought to have stolen human bones, is very popular. The grave of Alice Nutter can also be found in St. Mary’s Church’s graveyard (pictured above).

Recently, the Most Haunted team investigated Pendle. Findings were

staggering with practically all crew members being hurt, taken over or almost strangled during the investigation.

So is Pendle Hill haunted by these poor souls? The Pendle Hill area and the village of Newchurch-in-Pendle is a wonderful day out – why not visit it yourself and find out?

Many thanks to Witches Galore in Newchurch-in-Pendle for permission to take photos of their fascinating shop and their ‘Witches’.

Visit www.witchesgalore.co.uk or call 01282 613 11 for more details of their products.

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Diana Jarvis explains your weird experiences Write a Prize Post and win a pair of tickets to a superb ghost investigation with Haunting Breaks! (www.hauntingbreaks.co.uk) Venue to be decided between Haunting Breaks and winner. Editors decision is final. We reserve the right to edit letters. Vision accept no responsibility for the distribution of prizes, which will be handled by Haunting Breaks. There is no cash alternative.

Shed some light for me?

One morning, I had been washing and went to peg the clothes outside. As it was a dull morning I had the kitchen light on. Returning to the house, I turned my head and looked in through the window as I was passing. As I looked, I saw a single light bulb switched on, hanging on a wire from the ceiling, in the kitchen. Where I had seen the light bulb hanging was a section of the kitchen that has no light fitting - my light can’t be seen from there!

Christine Wilson, Doncaster Diana says: Of course, we have to be absolutely sure that the bulb you saw was not some kind of reflection, although I’m sure you would have checked that? As I was not there, I will have to assume that there is no way that the image you saw was ‘real’. If that is the case, then I can only describe it as a ‘replay’. There are many types of ghostly phenomena and many types of ghosts – a replay is one of these types. It is said that if something very emotional happens in a place, the emotions and image attached can be recorded – almost imprinted in the bricks/stone itself! Sometimes people can see these images again. Perhaps you were witnessing the kitchen how it used to be, during a time that was significant to some previous occupants?

Voice paralysed me!

As a very young child I remember playing contently in my room one moment, only to find my body suddenly frozen the next.

Whenever this happened, I could hear a distinct voice mumbling in my ear. This experience lasted no longer than a few minutes, but it used to scare me to death.

I was not so much afraid of the voice as I was about finding myself from one second to the next unable to move. This experience lasted a coupled years and then vanished. My two sisters have had the same experience too. I don't know if this was wishful thinking on our part, but

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I see things – then they happen!

I was walking home with my boyfriend one night and, when I got back to my flat, I saw it was on fire. My boyfriend said it was ok, there was no fire. I was so shocked he walked me back to his parents’ house, where the fire brigade were packing up their stuff – there had just been a fire there! Another time we both entered the house and felt an awful presence. We had to put the lights on in all the rooms. The house bell rang long and loudly and really made us jump, but no one was there. Years later I had a lucid vision - my eyes wide open - I saw this scene of a girl with plaits being run over by a car. It was as if I saw her as the driver through the windscreen.

I. P. Holmfirth Diana says: From what you have told me, I would say that you have the gift of precognition. Some people like yourself have waking visions where they see something that has not yet come to pass – but does do so – often within a few days of the vision. It is a rare gift and not always one that is welcome! I hope that it may help you to know that you are not alone, nor are you going mad. It may help you to document your visions and refer back to them so that you can use the information once you have built up a picture of how the gift works for you. The ‘presence’ that you sensed is just a further indication of psychic ability, and I would suggest that you put a protective shield around your aura before you go to bed. It will protect you from astral plane ‘flotsam and jetsam’.

all of us believed that the voice was our father, who passed away from lung cancer when we were very young. Would you term this to be a paranormal experience? If yes, could you please tell me more about it? Thank you.

Dawn Diana says: I have to say that this experience sounds very much like sleep paralysis, although from your letter, it seems you were not asleep. I have written about sleep paralysis before, it is terrifying, but very common. I have had so many letters

from readers about it, I shall be writing an in-depth article on it next issue, so do look out for it. If what you were experiencing was a variation of sleep paralysis, then the voice is unlikely to be your father. If it was not sleep paralysis, then I am a bit mystified.

Perhaps you ‘tuned in’ unconsciously – so much so that you became separate from the day-to-day world and therefore felt paralysed, but could hear Spirit. If this is the case, then the voice could have been your father. I am sorry that I cannot provide a conclusive answer but if I am not there it is difficult to be sure.

If you would like to share your experiences, send them to Diana Jarvis at the Vision address or email: experiencesexplained@visionmagazine.uk.com Please give as many details as possible: tell us what you saw, how you felt, and what you sensed etc. The most interesting letter (with or without picture) will win a Haunting Break.

We reserve the right to edit letters.

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Michael Standing Wolf looks at some spiritual paths that all come under the umbrella of Paganism and answers the question – what is a Pagan?

T

he term Pagan is very much misunderstood. Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) defines it thus: “(from Latin paganus, meaning “a country dweller” or “civilian”) (Paganism)

is a term which, from a western perspective, has come to connote a broad set of spiritual or religious beliefs and practices of natural or polytheistic religions.”.

As you will see from some of the many spiritual paths that come under ‘paganism’, many of the ancient cultures

Origins: Ancient Scandinavia.

we bring you information about are Pagan. Here in the UK, the most common Pagan belief systems practiced are Witchcraft, Wicca and Druidism, so you will find a large proportion of this magazine dedicated to them and a whole issue dedicated to Druidism later in the year.

Where practiced: Worldwide, but the greatest numbers are in Scandanavia.

What followers believe: Asatruers believe in numerous different deities, which are divided into three types: The Aesir, or tribal deities, which represent rulership and order The Vanir: These deities represent the powerful forces of nature, growth and reproduction The Jotnar: Deities of anarchy and chaos who are the deadly enemies of the Aesir.

Asatruers are beholden to a number of specific gods, such as Thor the god of Thunder, Odin, Freya the goddess of Love and Skaadi the god of Death and Hunting. Astruers believe that those who die fighting in battle will go to Valhalla, the Norse equivalent of heaven, where they will dwell with the gods. The unworthy may go to Hiflhel – similar to the Christian hell – or the far nicer Hel, which is a place of serenity and relaxation.

Origins: Australia and Tasmania.

Where practised: Australia, Tasmania

What followers believe: Those who follow Australian aboriginal spirituality often refer to their path as “The Dreamtime”; an all-embracing concept which marries a knowledge of our origins with an understanding of how we should act now. True followers of the Dreamtime have a great respect for Mother Earth and “the land”.

Origins: The Celtic tribes of pre-Roman Europe. Where practised: Predominantly in the UK, but also the USA and elsewhere.

What followers believe: Druids practise their faith in small groups or enclaves known as “Groves”, but Druidry is not so much a set of beliefs and rather a “way of thinking or being”. Druids believe in the concept of a universal spirit or Awen which manifests itself in the form of numerous deities. Druids are to be found in three “ranks” – Bards, Ovates and druids. It can take twenty years to reach the highest rank.

Origins: N. America (Indians or Amerindians)

Where practised: North America, Alaska with growing numbers in Europe.

What followers believe: The “Medicine Way” is a collective term for the beliefs of the North American Indians. There are over 700 tribal peoples who practise the Medicine Way. No two ways are the same, but certain beliefs are held in common. There is a belief in the existence of a supreme spirit, often called Great Spirit or Great Mystery. They also believe in the existence of other types of spirit, sometimes referred to collectively as “the Grandfathers”. Followers are very solitary, they think of their ‘walk’ as a personal relationship with spirit. Emphasis is placed on respecting the earth and treating all living creatures honourably.

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Origins: Catholicism with Yoruba beliefs of West Africa. Where practised: South America, Europe, USA. What followers believe: Followers believe in Olodumare – the Santerian name for God. Two important aspects of Santeria are ritual – which often involves the humane sacrifice of animals – and paying homage to ancestors. Followers believe that there is nothing wholly good or bad, and that all actions are a mixture of the two.

What makes something good or bad is not the act itself, but the motivation behind it.

Origins: Dahomey, Africa – now known as Benin.

Where practised: Worldwide, but particularly in Haiti.

What followers believe: Followers of Vodou pay homage to the Lwa (sometimes called Loa) who are the spirits of the Vodou way. The Lwa govern almost every aspect of life, including employment, relationships, even life-span. In Vodou there is no priesthood or hierarchy such as that found within Christianity, Judaism and Islam. However, ceremonies are normally conducted by a houngan or mambo.

The houngans essentially fulfil the role of the priest, and may be either male or female.

Origins: Wicca is the name given to the modern practice Where practised: Worldwide. of Witchcraft. Many followers claim that the Wiccan path is extremely ancient, whilst others believe that its modern form has been heavily influenced by the teachings of the researcher and writer Gerald Gardner.

What followers believe: Wicca has no central priesthood and it is therefore very difficult to say with any certitude exactly what Wiccans believe. Generally, however, it is a nature-based Pagan path focusing on the relationship between the believer and the two governing principles known as the God and Goddess.

Wiccans celebrate numerous festivals. Wiccans are often accused of being “devil worshippers” or “Satanists”, despite the fact that few believe in the existence of the Devil. Many Wiccans work in ‘Covens’, which are groups following their chosen pantheon of gods and goddesses.*

Origins: Unknown. Ancient!

Where practised: Worldwide.

What followers believe: The fundamental principle which underlies witchcraft is that both the environment and the actions of other people can be manipulated for good or ill. “White Witchcraft” forbids the use of spell-casting to the injury of others. The magical element of Witchcraft is neither good nor bad, but simply a power which, like electricity, can be harnessed for good or bad purposes.*

Origins: Ancient Japan.

Where practised: Japan

What followers believe: The word Shinto comes from ‘Shin Tao’, meaning, “Way of the Gods”.

Practitioners don’t worry about the afterlife; preferring to spend their time going about their devotions to the Kami or spirits. Shintoists are great believers in the work ethic that effort brings happiness. Carrying out devotions at special shrines is an important aspect of Shinto life. *There is much dispute regarding the difference between a ‘Wiccan’ and a ‘Witch’. Sometimes these names appear interchangeable. Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) suggests that Gerald Gardner’s influence (coven-based witchcraft) is more commonly called Wicca.

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Beltane is a time in the Pagan calendar known as ‘The Awakening of Summer’.

Michelle Jones attends a spectacular Beltane ceremony

A

s twilight falls and the light slowly fades, the hundreds of people gathered around the village begin to drift towards the 30 foot high wooden figure silhouetted against the sky. The sound of a drumbeat breaks through the hubbub and the procession begins; the brightly coloured rags of the walkers contrasting with their black painted faces.

They weave around the roundhouses banging their drums and sticks, moving slowly towards the giant. The crowd falls back to let them pass and an expectant hush falls; all faces are turned towards the leader of the procession. A final drum roll and then a flaming brand is thrust into the piles of straw at the feet of the Giant. The flames catch quickly and the crowd cheers! The fire moves rapidly, engulfing the leafy giant, the glow from the flames clearly showing the swirling blue designs painted on the faces of the watchers …

You might think this is a vision of the past, but in fact these are the Beltane celebrations May 2006 at Butser Ancient Farm in Hampshire! And, contrary to popular belief and the title of a recent film, the wooden figure in this ritual is neither made of wicker, nor does it contain a male virgin!

Butser Farm is an ‘Experimental Archaeology Project’ originally set up by Peter Reynolds in 1972, which has recreated Iron Age life in the heart of the South Downs. The project is open to the public during summer weekends, when they hold courses and workshops on everything from Herbs for Health in Roman Britain to Building your own Coracle!

Beltane is an ancient ceremony with strong links to the Druids, which welcomes in the summer and is often associated with the fertility of the animals and the land. Beltane means ‘Bright Fire’ and is one of the four ‘Celtic’ Fire Festivals and although there are several spellings (Beltain, Bealtaine, Beltene, Beltaine) they all refer to the 24 Vision 26

Above: The Beltane Man at Buster Ancient Farm.

Left: Michelle and family placing their wishes.

same event which was celebrated around the beginning of May. Despite the advent of Christianity, Beltane customs continue in many parts of the UK.

On Beltane Eve, all household fires were extinguished and on Beltane Morning a new fire would be made; which was called the ‘Need Fire’ and was said to come directly from the gods.

This fire would be kindled on the top of a prominent or sacred hilltop It was said to offer protection against disease, poison and witchcraft Cattle and other animals would be driven around or through the fire to purify them and ensure fertility At the close of festivities; glowing pieces of the fire would be taken home to rekindle domestic fires and ensure protection for the household

Beltane oatmeal cakes would be baked which would have 9 raised ‘knobs’ sticking up from the top. Each person would take a cake and tear off one of these pieces and throw it over their shoulder whilst making their plea; for example ‘This I give to ask for protection for my horse!’

The burnt bannock was an altogether more sinister custom. A ‘special’ cake would be baked and split into as many pieces as there were people present. One piece would be deliberately rolled in the ashes from the fire, and then all the pieces would be placed in a bag. Each person would then draw out a piece … the person who drew the burnt bannock would be ritually sacrificed to the gods to ensure the safety of the community over the coming year!

Fortunately, sacrifices these days are offerings of food or drink.

In later times, instead of being killed, the person would have to jump the fire three times – and as the ‘devoted’ of the gods, would then be treated badly for the whole festival!

Today many people continue to welcome in the summer months in their own way; but many of these customs and rituals are based on much older traditions which have been handed down – or resurrected from old accounts. Do you do any of these?

Beltane is a traditional time to visit Holy Wells and ask for guidance or protection.

If you don’t have a convenient Holy Well close by, collect some rainwater in a bowl and dedicate it, by asking the god/goddess /angels to energise and consecrate this water. Then write your questions and wishes upon thin paper and place them in the bowl.

Leave the bowl outside for a few days and then use the water on your plants. Bury the paper The Maypole is a recent addition. Its links to the phallus and the world tree (Yggdrasil) symbolism are not proven – but it is still a symbol of the celebration of summer

Matthew Jones and his own green man

Washing your face in the dew on a Hawthorn bush early in the morning on the 1st May is supposed to make you beautiful Hanging a ‘May bough’ of Hawthorn or Rowan over your door is said to protect the household

Improvise your own Beltane cake by tearing pieces from a fresh loaf and throwing them to the ducks whilst making your wishes

The Beltane celebrations to welcome in the summer months are gradually being resurrected. The Mayday frenzy of the ‘Obby ‘Oss in Padstow, and the somewhat more sedate ‘Furry Dance’ in Helston, Cornwall, still exist.

We really enjoyed this festival!

We had our faces painted with blue ‘woad’ to get into the spirit of things and we wrote down pleas and wishes, which we then placed in the legs of the giant Green Man. These would then be whisked to the gods in the flames and the smoke. Since then, all of my wishes have come true ... but I am not saying what they were!

If you’d like to find out more about these celebrations or Butser Ancient Farm, you can do so by visiting their website: www.butser.org.uk

The Beltane Man alight

All pictures on P24 and P25 are reproduced courtesy of Michelle Jones 25 Vision 26

Many people are confused about what it means to be Pagan, and many find that they have Pagan longings.

Is this you?

Hopefully you will have a fair idea of some contemporary Pagan spiritual beliefs if you’ve read the articles in this section. Although you may not be a practitioner of a Pagan faith - are you still Pagan at heart? These days many people are rediscovering the joys of being in a

natural environment and learning about the plants and animals that make up the rich tapestry of life on earth.

Perhaps you too are finding that you want to be more involved in the country and landscape and are paying more attention to the times and the tides.

Maybe you can even feel the changes of the season before their ‘due days’, or perhaps you can sense the weather changes that are coming, before the weatherman/woman tells you what they think? Perhaps you’re right more often than they are?

Are you Pagan at Heart?

If you find you have answered ‘yes’ to a lot of these questions, it is more than likely that you have some Pagan tendencies.

Try our test to see if you are more Pagan than not: 1. Do you find that you need to walk amongst trees and nature to clear your head?

2. Do you try to help the environment, no matter how small a contribution you make?

3. Do you like animals?

4. Do you find that your mood is affected by the seasons?

5. Can you ‘smell Autumn’ and ‘feel Spring’?

11. Do you believe that plants, trees and animals have their own Spirits?

12. Be honest now - have you ever hugged a tree?

Although there are many pagan faiths, witchcraft and wicca tend to follow the tenets of The Wiccan Rede. This same moral code is similar in other Pagan faiths - and echoed in more mainstream faiths too. Do these words means something to you? Read the Rede below.

If you’ve taken our test and the words ring true - you are without doubt a Pagan at Heart!

The Wiccan Rede

6. Do you ever give to charity?

7. If you ever pray or make wishes, do you feel you can do this anywhere, any place and at any time of night or day?

8. Do you find that you need to have time alone?

9. Do you prefer to work alone and organise your own working day?

10. Does the moon and sun affect your mood in any way?

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13. Do you find that smells evoke very strong memories?

Bide the Wiccan laws ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust,

14. Have you ever taken an instant dislike to a town or city without a logical reason why?

Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfil: An it harm none, do what ye will,

15. Do you believe in Faeries and beings from other worlds?

16. Are you sometimes drained when you have visited someone, whether a good friend or not?

Ever mind the rule of three, what ye give out comes back to thee, Follow this with mind and heart and merry ye meet and merry ye part.

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Michelle Jones interviews Richard King to find out more about the legendary maiden that is his companion and Soul Mate glowing tan, long dark hair (tied back), and incredibly bright blue eyes. I could see her in such detail that I even noticed the odd stray hair escaping from the pony tail.” “... the many lives ... entwined across the centuries ...”

“She repeated the question: You don’t remember me, do you? “ – and then, suddenly I did remember her! I remembered the many lives spent together; our lives entwined across the centuries … the physical world faded away, I was utterly caught up in the vision and the emotionse. It felt as though I was on one of those physically demanding, gut wrenching theme park rides! As the feeling faded, as the workshop came to a close, it was like another wrench having to leave this place, I did not want to come back.”

Richard King - photo © Richard Sacks

I

wasn’t very comfortable. The conference hall was packed with people attending the workshop to help them meet their spirit guides, but the high backed chairs in the room were too close together; I was crushed in between two other people and I could not stretch my legs out. I was trying my best to follow the guided visualisation, but I didn’t think I was getting it right. I could ‘see’ the landscape okay, the trees and open land, the shore and the lake, all of these were bright and clear in my mind; but there was something wrong.

“

‘It took me a little while to put my finger on it, but eventually I realised 28 Vision 26

that there were no people in my landscape: no guides or guardians, not a single soul wandering across my field of vision. I was feeling a bit disappointed to be honest…

You don’t remember me, do you?

‘Within the meditation, I jumped – there was a woman standing directly in front of me, about a foot from my face! “… Remember her? I couldn’t recall ever having seen this smiling face before, but she certainly seemed to know me! I stared at her in amazement. She had a sort of Mediterranean appearance;

“I had a wife ... how could I reconcile my love ... with eternal love?”

“The journey home went in a blur: I was drained and confused; I had a wife at home – how could I reconcile my love for her with this other, new found (but eternal) love? Also, as a highly-qualified engineering professional, how on earth could I reconcile this experience with my knowledge of physics and how I had thought the world worked!

“Months passed and although I managed to keep the threads of my physical life together, my mind would keep on drifting back to that incredible experience. One thing bothered me more than anything else – what was her name?”

“The answer came one night when I was sat up in bed, waiting for my hot chocolate to cool and thinking vaguely about nothing in particular. I cannot recall exactly what I was thinking, but suddenly I heard a male voice speak to me, from between myself and my wife; You already knew this, Lorelei told you!

“Who?” I must have spoken aloud because my wife turned to me with a quizzical look on her face … the disembodied voice then said Lorelei…you know her name already!” “... she lured sailors to their death!”

“Lorelei! I could not understand how I had not known her name – but now that I had it, I was keen to find out if she was a ‘real’ person. I had heard of the legend of the maiden on the Rhine in Germany, but not any of the details of her story. I was amazed – and a little disturbed - to read that she lured sailors to their death!

“I would regularly attend a healing group at that time, and we would go to a local

burger bar to have a coffee. I was sat in the café with my friends when one of them suddenly asked me; “Have you been somewhere with mountains and forests lately?”

I had not, but I had just been thinking of Lorelei. As the thought crossed my mind, another of my friends said that she was being told by her guides that my Lorelei was indeed The Lorelei of the legend.

“I saw a bright glowing shape drifting down the stairs ...”

“At this point, something strange happened. I saw a glowing shape drifting down the stairs of the burger bar, it drifted beside me – and suddenly I was no longer in the café, I was sat on a rock in the middle of a river! It was a bright sunny day and I was a man named Karl Langerhans. Lorelei was with me, we were just messing about on the green grass – but on the bank was a Mother Abbess waiting to take her back to the Abbey! We crossed the river and I spoke to the Mother Abbess – I think I was pleading with her to let Lorelei stay with me, but it was no use. I remember seeing everything in amazing clarity! With a jolt I was back in the burger bar, feeling bereft and shaken …”

beautiful and mournful song that lured sailors to their death on the rocky shores.

Today the Lorelei rock is a popular tourist attraction.

Richard King’s book ‘Remembering the Lorelei’ will be published in summer 2007 by Arima. You can contact Richard and see more of the story at his website www.rememberinglorelei.com

“My wife has learned to live with the idea ...”

“I have been ‘living’ with Lorelei as my unseen companion for years now – and the feelings are still as strong as ever. My wife has learned to live with the idea – and Lorelei looks upon her as her ‘Celestial Sister’. ”

Above and top right: Lorelei by Joan Smee

The Legend of the Lorelei The stories say Lorelei was a real woman who lived on the banks of the Rhine in Germany hundreds of years ago; she was in love with a man who appears to have been ‘unsuitable’ in some way. She lost her love to the river and was then doomed to spend her time singing a

Lorelei rock by Noel Bingham

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Super psychic Ruth Urquhart (Ruth the Truth), tells you your lucky numbers, colour and predictions for each month

Lucky Month Friends and admirers will be flocking around you this month.

Use this time to get your ideas and points across as there will be rewards and much celebration.

Lucky Month You will be oozing charisma this month so use it to get yourself noticed. Your social life will take a turn for the better, a person with the initial M will be significant.

Lucky Month This is a month for you to put your feet up and take some time to gather your thoughts.

You will enjoy a massage or similar sensual treat.

Lucky Tips You may be looking for a new job this month, so make sure you fill out your application forms in blue and seal your luck by lighting a blue candle and asking for Jupiter’s help with your request.

Lucky Tips This is a high action time for you, so eating well is a must. Eat lots of green vegetables and red fruits for health and zest, which will give you the brain power to take all opportunities as they come.

Lucky Tips You are due a pay increase and this month it should finally come through.

Enjoy the freedom this will give you to do something you have been promising yourself to do, once funds permitted.

Lucky Colour & Numbers Magenta, 14, 37

Lucky Colour & Numbers Jade Green, 2, 27

Lucky Colour & Numbers Turquoise, 3, 31

Lucky Month Use your intuition to read your partners heart’s desire. This is a month of love and hope. Develop the special relationship you have and enjoy a close and loving connection that will leave you feeling good.

Lucky Month The fuzzy head that has affected you over the past few months will finally clear. Use this time to put your money-winning ideas into action and take time to build a business partnership.

Lucky Month You will be on the receiving end of some angelic guidance this month. Your angels will send subtle messages to you, which may include feathers appearing in unusual places.

Lucky Tips Buying a lottery ticket with numbers from family birthdays will be lucky for you this month. Remember to use a green pen for luck in all games of chance.

Lucky Tips Your thoughts will be moving to foreign shores. A holiday you have been planning will finally take shape and this month - you will get a great deal if you look hard enough.

Lucky Tips There has been something that you have been praying and hoping for.

This month you can be sure that your prayers will be answered at last, so don’t give up.

Lucky Colour & Numbers Baby pink, 17, 41

Lucky Colour & Numbers Indigo, 8, 36

Lucky Colour & Numbers Gold, 23, 48

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F

rom the day you were born, you were born to be lucky. It is part of your heritage and a gift from your ancestors. Your day of birth holds much for you, which can come in many guises.

It is only the trials and tribulations of life that halt our luck in its tracks. This column is only about the good stuff, the things to look forward to over the coming month and tips on how to make the most of them.

Lucky Month The love of your family will lift your spirits up. Enjoy some quality time with them and go for a walk in the park amongst nature. This will make you feel connected with what is important in life.

Lucky Tips There is positive news coming your way via an e-mail. Take up the challenge that is written in it, as it will bring rewards both financial and spiritual.

Lucky Colour & Numbers Orange, 1, 45

This is just like my very own personal gift to you: full of surprises and things to look forward to - just what we could all do with!

Since ancient times, man has had a fascination with numbers. The numbers that make up the jigsaw pieces of our lives weave magic into our everyday being.

Now in each issue of Vision, you will discover what luck will come to you and what lucky colour you should be

wearing to maximise your positive outcomes. I will even give you two numbers that will allow you to have luck with you at all times. These numbers can be used in association with the lottery, bingo or any games of chance. Take advantage of who you are and the numbers that make up ‘you’, by following the tips and predictions in my column every month.

Think lucky!

Be lucky!

Find your Luck Number To use the Luckoscope, First of all you need to calculate your LUCK NUMBER, which is very simple.

1. Just take the day you were born and if it is above 10, then add the two digits together, or if it is under ten, then this is your luck number.

2, For example: I was born on the 21st of August 1968 so my luck number is 2+1 (21st) =3 (LUCK NUMBER 3) 3. If I had been born on 1st August, my luck number would be 1.

ALL NUMBERS MUST BE BETWEEN 1-9 SO IF IT IS ABOVE THIS, ADD THOSE NUMBERS TOGETHER, eg if you were born on 19th, you would add 1+9=10 and then 1+0=1, your luck number is 1.

Now see what goodies are in store for you!

Lucky Month This month you will have success in entertainment. It could be a poem you have penned or even a song you sing at karaoke, but this month the spotlight is shining on you!

Lucky Month This month fertility is all around you. You will hear of surprise pregnancies, the birth of a business idea and the birth of a healthy baby against the odds. This is definitely a time of celebration!

Lucky Tips A competition you enter that involves a winning phrase, will bring you luck and an amazing prize. Just remember to get it sent in before the deadline and have belief it is a good entry.

Lucky Tips Don’t hold yourself back from getting involved in education. A course you want to do will bring you great benefits, and open doors to a new and exciting career.

Lucky Colour & Numbers Scarlet, 9, 32

Lucky Colour & Numbers Sunny yellow, 17, 42

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Nanci Trivellato introduces us to some of the phenomena that can be experienced when you travel out of your body

W

hilst the out-of-body experience (OBE, astral travel, conscious projection) is one of the most fascinating natural capacities of humans (see Vision February 2005, A New Lease of Afterlife), there is a series of paranormal phenomena related to the OBE that is equally worthy of our investigation and understanding.

Amongst paranormal phenomena, the OBE has received considerably more attention from researchers over the years, as it is the most advanced and intriguing of phenomena and the one that allows for the most personal growth.

Nevertheless, positive benefits can be derived from many other phenomena directly or indirectly related to the OBE. Some of these are briefly explained here. When we train ourselves to project, we are automatically increasing our self-awareness and developing our capacity to perceive and manage these other phenomena, which are derived from the projections.

Here are some of the phenomena that you may experience that are connected with the OBE.

When an individual captures visual perceptions from a more subtle reality than the physical dimension. A person with developed clairvoyance has the capacity to see people, situations, or objects which are not of a physical nature.

The most common types of clairvoyant activities are: when a person sees (on a normal day, while totally awake) non-physical beings who have passed through physical death; when one sees energies or auras around particular people or objects; or when non-physical images are perceived while falling asleep.

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This phenomenon occurs when an individual has the capacity to hear sounds emanating from other dimensions. Sometimes indistinct sounds are heard or sometimes the “voice” of a non-physical consciousness (spirit) is heard; e.g. it can be possible that someone hears their own extraphysical helpers (spirit guides) when getting ready for sleep.

A sensation exists when one’s nonphysical or astral body is slightly detached from the physical body, which is characterized by a temporary reduction of attention on the physical universe; delayed reflexes; or the person sometimes feels as if he is walking on clouds. This condition is known as waking discoincidence. People often experience this when they wake up in the mornings – their non-physical body is not totally aligned with their physical body. This state is commonly experienced by conscious projectors and can be controlled when one is knowledgeable or sensitive to his/her own bioenergies.

This is a state of expansion of the consciousness, in which the individual experiences a level of lucidity that is significantly more heightened than usual.

People report feeling a sense of connection with the entire universe and a deep sense of peace. This phenomenon has been studied at length throughout history and is know by many names, including samadhi, satori, nirvana, ecstasy, cosmic consciousness, and enlightenment.

This is a common phenomenon that occurs while one’s non-physical body is leaving or returning to the physical body during sleep. The sensation is one of paralysis or an ability to move the body.

Although this phenomenon may sound unpleasant and scares most of those who experience this sensation but are unaware of its meaning, projective catalepsy is actually a benign and natural phenomenon that can even facilitate a lucid and positive out-of-body experience. A comprehensive study of this sensation and all others described here are available in literature from the IAC.

Is the ability characterized by the capture of ideas without the normal process of rational thought. The most important point about intuition is to use one’s discernment in order to judge the quality of information received. The most advantageous type of intuition is the one we have when we are projected outside the physical body, as in this condition we are able to acquire more advanced ideas.

This phenomenon has been studied extensively by scientists from many different countries. Psychometry is a capacity that more energetically sensitive people possess, which enables them to read information that is carried in the energies of a particular object. For example, a person with sufficient psychometric powers can take an object such as a watch from a person unknown to them, and describe the owner of the watch simply through having contact with the physical object. This is made via a deep scan of the energies that gravitate around the object.

This is the capacity of accessing one’s complete memory to recall events that happened in past lives or in the periods between lives spent in a non-physical dimension. There is much to be learned from this phenomenon. For instance, by remembering mistakes you might have made in past lives, you will know what

not to repeat this life. Or if you happen to recall your most recent period between lives (just prior to being born) you may remember what you planned to do this life and get back on track with your life purpose if you are off track.

This is the condition in which an individual has an insight into situations which will occur in the future. This phenomenon often occurs while one is dreaming, ie, a person has a vision of something which is about to happen during a dream. However, this can also occur while in the normal waking state, and more importantly, occurs during a more advanced state of awareness when one is outside the physical body. It is important to clarify that with precognition nothing is 100% certain.

Everything can theoretically be changed.

But some things have a greater probability of happening, while others are less probable and consequently, may change more readily.

A common phenomenon, déjà vu (“already seen” in French) occurs when a person goes to a place for the first time, for example, and feels certain of having being there before. This phenomenon occurs primarily due to unrecalled out-ofbody experiences. Many times places are visited while out of the body but only remembered later on when they are seen in the physical dimension. Nevertheless, there is a type of mental tiredness that can give the impression of having lived through certain situations. It is important to clarify that the phenomenon of déjà vu has nothing to do with these cases of stress. Real déjà vu is a different, and less common, type of perception.

When understood, these phenomena can bring a sense of wisdom greater than usual, along with increased confidence and well-being, as they evidence the existence of other planes.

Nanci Trivellato is a linguist and has a Master of Science degree in Psychological Research Methods. She is the Director of Scientific Research & Communications at the International Academy of Consciousness (IAC) and the Coordinator of its London office. The IAC

is a non-profit scientific research and educational organization dedicated to consciousness studies and research.

Further information on its courses, books and video is available at www.iacworld.org or by contacting the IAC on tel: +44 20 7723 0544 or email: london@iacworld.org 33 Vision 26

Vision talks to Karen Kay about the 3 wishes Faerie Fest and the faeries of Cornwall humans too at the mystical Colliford Lake park on the edge of Bodmin Moor near Liskeard, and not far from the ghostly Jamaica Inn!

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he faeries of Cornwall are getting excited as they prepare for the debut 3 Wishes Faery Festival on the ancient Bodmin Moor this midsummer! Cornwall is where legend recalls Cornish faeries in all their forms: including the Moor-Men, tall thin faeries who protect the animals of the wild and windswept Cornish moorland. At midsummer, all the faeries are said to gather in this magical and ancient place, and this year they will be joined by some

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The Faery Fest is the dream of Karen Kay, a devoted faery fan who lives in Celtic Cornwall. She is also the organiser of the recent UK Faery Ball, the creator of guided meditation CDs, and a singer with the Daughters of Gaia. Karen says:

“One day last summer I was in my garden hanging out my washing, when I noticed a single dandelion seed head. This might not seem that unusual, but the grass had just been cut, yet this solitary dandelion stood proud and strong! As I glanced at it, three of the little seeds, which I call faeries, flew up into the clear blue sky, and the idea of 3 wishes literally popped into my head, so I made my wishes:

“I have always had a love for faeries, and it is the faeries who inspired me to organise the 3 Wishes Faery Fest. The story behind 3 Wishes is very magical …

Above: Daughters of Gaia, left to right: Karen Kay, Cara Bambord, Barbara Meiklejohn-Free. Right: Cara Bambord.

“My first wish was for healing for Aimee, an amazing little girl from Scotland who has leukaemia and founded the Fairy Box Charity with her wonderful mother, Rosie. My second wish was for world peace and harmony, and the third wish, well, that was for infinite wishes for all!

As I made my wishes, the idea of the 3 Wishes Faery Fest was born! My aim is to bring together the largest gathering of faerie fans in the UK and to celebrate all

that is magical in our world. The festival is especially aimed at families and children, as well as more mature faerie lovers! It will be three days of fun and fantasy, and a chance to let your hair down and wear your wings with pride!”

Karen, who really is “away with the faeries!” continued, “Cornwall is such a magical place, and is steeped in history with many a story of faeries and magical happenings. For me, this makes Cornwall the perfect location to hold the first Faery Fest at the magical time of midsummer. I know we will be joined by some of the local faeries including: Knockers, Cornish mining faeries, the mischievous Spriggans, and of course, the Cornish Piskies!

There are many rumours of naughty faeries, but generally, if you approach a faery, or a magical or sacred place with respect in your heart and a love of the land, the faeries will usually leave you alone. They want to live in harmony with humans, but sometimes we make life impossible for them, with our disrespect of Mother Earth. The faeries are coming closer to us at this time to help us open our eyes to the beauty around us, and they hope to inspire us to take more care of our planet. The faeries really are lighthearted creatures, and are happy to join in with any celebrations on the land, especially at midsummer. ”

Knockers Knockers are the most well-known faeries in Cornwall, and they get their name from the knocking sound they use to direct Cornish miners to the best place in the mine. When a frantic knocking sound was heard, it was a warning that danger was afoot, and miners would swiftly make their way out of the underground passageways.

Browneys (Brownies)

Piskies (Piskeys)

Browneys are kind and good and tend to dwell near households where they serve the family in any way they can.

Cornish Piskies are known throughout Cornwall as being especially mischievous and unsociable sprites, and they like to entice passers-by into a bog by appearing as lights in a cottage window. It is said that the only protection from a piskie is to wear your coat or cloak inside out, and to be very merry!

“As well as the faeries of Cornwall, the 3 Wishes Faerie fest has a number of interesting people in attendance. The Fairyland Trust will be facilitating with wing and wand. The Fairyland Trust is a charity that helps to educate young people about the environment, and

Small People Small People are believed to be the spirits of Cornish people who inhabited the land thousands of years ago. These are the friendliest of faery folk inhabiting this land, and are likely to be very kind if they take a shine to you.

According to author Robert Hunt, author of Cornish Faeries, there are at least five types of faerie folk native to Cornwall.

Spriggans Spriggans tend to dwell near ancient stone circles, cairns and quoits, and are known to be mischievous, especially if you venture onto their terrain and have no respect for the environment. They are likely to trip you up, or make you feel like you are lost, so it is essential to approach these sacred sites with respect and humility and hope the Spriggans are in a good, lenient mood - then you might have a chance!

Above: Faerie Queen Barbaba-Meiklejohn-Free, Above Right: Karen Kay, Right Top: Artist Myrea Pettit

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faeries are perfect to educate the little ones about ways we can look after our land.

Sponsors of the debut festival include Moonmaiden Clothing (based in Cornwall) and South West Connections magazine. Guest musicians include The Mediaeval Baebes, a bevy of medieval beauties with voices of angels (or should I say faeries!).

The wild and witchy songs of Daughters of Gaia will bring a touch of faery glamour to the stage as they sing their catchy chants layered over dynamic tribal and techno beats. All the way from Spain gothic songstress, Priscilla Hernández, will be sharing her unique take on the darker side of fae, and drawing on the ancient, The Daughters of Elvin will be bringing their unique sense of faery cabaret to the festival with lutes, flutes and the like. Queen faery, Beck, has a voice very similar to her famous cousin (Kate Bush). Faerie Harpist, ElizabethJane Baldry, will be performing in the enclosed faery café area during the 3 day gathering. Plus there will be performances from Magicfolk, Butterfly Thunder, Soul Path (who’s lead singer sings in Elvish), Elfin Spiral, and many more!

“There will also be a magical midsummer faery masquerade with dancing fire faeries and a magical faery fashion Show. We will be having magical education in the form of Liz Bolton’s

Above: Goblins from The Fairyland Trust

Fairy School, a place where little ones can come and learn about their special fairy name, along with other magical pastimes.

It’s a bit like Hogwort’s but for faeries instead of wizards! You can browse the faery craft market with clothes, headdresses, wings, wands, arts and other fairy goodies and gifts, or wander around the mystic marquee, where you will find a mini mystic fayre with readers, psychics, artists, aura cameras. There will also be plenty of fairy art, with personal appearances and signings by celebrated fairy artists including Marc Potts and Myrea Pettit. The interpretation of

Above: The Daughters of Elvin

faeries in art is wide and varied, and the artists present at the Faery Fest will be sharing their unique art with visitors.

So come and celebrate the wonderful world of faeries in ancient and Celtic Cornwall with magic, enchantment and infinite wishes for all...

The 3 Wishes Faery Fest takes place at Colliford Lake Park, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, UK on 22nd to 24th June.

Tickets are £75, £37.50 for children for the 3 days and include camping and all entertainment.

Call +44 (0) 1736 330201 or visit www.3WishesFaeryFest.co.uk

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Above: The Fairyland Trust performing. Above Right: Mediaeval Baebes

Jay looks at some common superstitions best known as old wives’ tales – is there any substance to them?

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ooking back at common superstitions, it is perhaps a good thing that some of them, such as the rather grisly practice of carrying a rabbit’s foot for good luck, have all but disappeared. Today, many people are still very superstitious, and I believe this could be because as children we see the adults in our lives ‘touching wood’ frequently, or perhaps even becoming agitated when confronted by a ladder they have no option other than to walk under, and through a child’s eyes this would become ‘normal’ and a learned behaviour over time.

Breaking a mirror is said to inflict a whole seven years of misfortune, this could well be based on a widely held belief from yesteryear, that the soul of a person resides in their reflection.

Therefore, if you damage the mirror, you damage the soul; however this can be rectified by either burying the mirror in the ground on a moonlit night, or by washing away the misfortune by throwing it into running water such as a stream (not recommended in this day and age.)

This is said to be very unlucky (especially if there’s someone at the top of it who may drop a can of paint on us), but where does this superstition really come from?

One common belief is that a ladder is representative of the steps to heaven - so to go under it implies that we are missing our chance. Another belief is that triangles (the wall, the ladder and the ground form a triangle) represent the holy trinity and to stroll casually through that is the height of disrespect, and is likely to put you on a par with the devil himself!

There are numerous cat superstitions; so I’ve outlined just a few for you here: This is one superstition I was brought up with, and I’m convinced it really does work (it allegedly indicates money to come, or to go), along with the ditty ‘left to leave and right to receive.’ However, I was intrigued to find out that furiously scratching away the itch in the right palm supposedly reduces the windfall, but in the left palm it’s considered favourable to scratch it away -as it reduces outgoings.

This may come from the ancient belief that the left side of the body is ‘bad’ and the right is ‘good’.

A cat sneezing foretells rain If a cat sleeps with all four paws tucked beneath it, it foretells bad weather A black cat seen from behind is a bad omen A white hair found on a black cat is lucky If you kill a cat, it is said that you are sacrificing your soul to the devil It is considered bad luck to see a white cat at night

Of course there are many superstitions which are self-explanatory, such as the age-old verse to ‘predict’ the weather – perhaps one of the commonest ‘Old Wives’ Tales: “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.

Red sky at morning, sailor’s warning.”

It does seem to work, too! If this version of the rhyme seems odd to you, that is no wonder. It appears that it has been altered over time to suit the location, as, whilst growing up in Yorkshire, we would use the word ‘shepherd’ in place of ‘sailor.’

Of those people who mock superstition, it’s quite amazing how many of them will say ‘touch wood’ or ‘fingers crossed,’ oblivious to the fact that they are actually being superstitious themselves.

Superstitions can be amusing, serious … as well as downright ridiculous - but there are some that make sense to follow, whether Old Wives’ Tales or not. Hopefully they are the ones that I believe in ... fingers crossed!

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Titania Hardie’s books Titania’s Numbers can help you to find out about yourself. Get a taster from the excerpts below

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itania’s Numbers is a series of 9 books, which can help you understand all sorts of information about yourself via your day number- - the number that connects with who you are and what you do. This number is the number of the day of your birthday (reduced to one digit - see opposite) and connects with one of the nne Titania’s Numbers books.

Science of Numbers Fans of Sudoku will understand how it entices us intellectually to see how strands of numbers – almost magically – slot together and interconnect with one another, revealing a rhythm of harmonious relationships between the lines. In one sense, numerology does this for us on a personal and spiritual level.

The Science of Numbers, as it is called, suggests that there is an order and a rhythm in the universe of which we are a part, and although there is a certain mystery in the way numbers seem to function as symbols for our experiences, there is a long tradition across many cultures of their fascination for us. Now, in an age of gigabytes, PINs and mathematic-based technology, how can we doubt the role that numbers play, or the way in which they have become part of our daily landscape?

Find your Day Number To use the information in this article, you will need to find your day number.

Add the digits for the day of birth, and keep adding them until they reduce to one number.

Examples: 28 May 1966 2+8 = 10, and 1+0 = 1 10 November 1972 1+0 = 1

So what can your Day Number tell you?

Did you know, for instance, that: If you were a 5 or a 9, you’d need to invest in good-quality luggage because you’d be bound to notch up a lot of air miles?

Or that a 6 feels compelled to generously host openhouse for guests and family?

A 7 will want to specialise in whatever interests them?

And an 8 would rather have one small quality gift than half a dozen less luxurious presents?

Or that any friend who’s a 4 will painstakingly spend hours getting

something just right, whereas a 3 will have several projects on the go at one time and get through as best they can?

C’est la vie!

Essence of the numbers What do the numbers mean? If we look at the purest essence of the numbers we use, here is a summary of their traditional meanings. one is the spark, the beginning, Alpha, the Ego of consciousness. It is male. two is consort. Adding partnership, receptivity, it is female, bringing tact. three is a synthesizing of both of these qualities and brings expansion and joy. four is the number of the Earth, of the garden, and of stability. It brings order and stability. five is curiosity and experiment, freedom, changes. It brings sensuality. six nurtures and cares for others. It will love and beautify, and brings counsel. seven perfects and contemplates the Creation. It is intellect, stillness, spirit. eight is the number of power, the octave, a higher incarnation. It brings judgement. nine is humanity, selflessness, often impersonal and all-knowing.

What does your Day Number say about you?

1 in a nutshell Personality: extrovert, individual Lucky colours: scarlet, flame, Lucky herbs/flowers: basil, nasturtium, honeysuckle Scents: cypress, coriander, pepper Fashion: modern, one-off pieces Decorative: modern, clean lines Letters: A, J or S (needed in the name you use) Car style: fast, sporty, sunshine colours, or off-road vehicle Holiday: Anywhere that’s off the beaten track!

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2 in a nutshell Personality: introvert, tactician, Lucky colours: pink gold, salmon, Lucky Herbs/flowers: white rose, myrtle, white poppy, melissa Scents: rose, green tea, carnation, Fashion: elegant colours, well co-ordinated Decorative: feminine, romantic Letters: B, K or I (needed in the name you use) Car style: elegant classic; quietly expensive but not vulgar Holiday: near the sea

3 in a nutshell Personality: laughter, raconteur Lucky colours: rose, ruby Lucky herbs/flowers: iris, snapdragon, parsley, Scents: tea rose, bergamot, thyme Fashion: colourful, expensive Decorative: arty, thematic, 1930s Letters: C, I or U (needed in the name you use) Car style: roof down, all-weather fun vehicle – any colour except black Holiday: anywhere!

4 in a nutshell Personality: helpful, dependable Lucky colours: blue, green Lucky flowers: courgette flower, mint, borage, clover, pansy Scents: Bergamot, lime, ginger Fashion: Tailored, neat, quality Decorative: clean space, antiques, prefers old houses Letters: D, M or V (needed in the name you use) Car Style: 4 by 4! Solid and thoroughly dependable.

Holiday: classical location, country

5 in a nutshell Personality: progressive, freedom loving Lucky colours: lilac, wisteria, cerise, claret, raspberry, pink Lucky herbs/flowers: lavender, sandalwood, peppermint Scents: lavender, sandalwood, Fashion: sensual, cleverly cut Decorative: open plan, clean Letters: E, N or W (needed in the name you use) Car style: turbo-charged, zippy, Holiday: ‘action’ holiday, safari

6 in a nutshell Personality: idealistic, unselfish, Lucky colours: scarlet, mustard, heliotrope Lucky herbs/flowers: red rose, sweet pea, iris, myrtle Scents: rose, galbanum, geranium Fashion: subtle colour, balanced Decorative: balanced, traditional, Letters: F, O or X (needed in the name you use) Car style: Quietly expensive rather than flashy, tacile Holiday destination: an island

7 in a nutshell Personality: shrewd, dignified Lucky colours: old-fashioned rose/burgundy, brick red Lucky herbs/flowers: bay, parsley, basil, lily, lupin, hollyhock Scents: green tea, frankincense, Fashion: clean colour, refined Decorative: open space, white, Letters: G, P or Y (needed in the name you use) Car style: practical but dignified, can go anywhere Holiday: ancient civilisations

8 in a nutshell Personality: charisma, efficient Lucky colours: opal, bronze Lucky herbs/flowers: sunflower/moon-flower, peony, Scents: jasmine, vanilla, gardenia Fashion: expensively cut, sensual Decorative: light and space, good design, a little ‘razzle dazzle’ Letters: H Q or Z (needed in the name you use) Car style: quality – second hand Holiday destination: summer resorts of cities of power

9 in a nutshell Personality: receptive, sensitive, Lucky colours: straw, olive Lucky herbs/flowers: olive, lemon flower, lotus, sage, Scents: lemon, line, verbena, Fashion: smooth, tactile Decorative: open space Letters: I or R (needed in the name you use) Car style: big enough to transport friends and family, made for mileage rather than glamour Holiday destination: the world!

Your perfect love match Your day number can tell you a lot about how you will get on with your partner. All you need to know is the day of their birth and you can work out their love number too – then see how well you match up on the chart below!

Excerpts from Titania’s Numbers series are courtesy of Connections Book Publishing (www.connections-publishing.com). See our reviews on P74 for their special offer and learn more about Titania, by visiting her website: www.titaniasfortunecards.com 39 Vision 26

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ave you ever felt uncomfortable whilst standing next to a stranger, even though they don’t appear to be an unsavoury looking person? Or it could be someone you are familiar with, but you still don’t feel ‘right’ in their presence? Believe it or not, this could be because there is something in their aura which is acting in a negative way to your own! An aura can also affect you in the opposite way, and you can instantly connect with someone and click with them – in this case you are feeling their aura positively. Everything that is alive has an aura - from people to plants to animals … and you can train your eyes to see them!

There are several layers of energy that radiate from the body, and each reflects what is going on physically, mentally and spiritually. The aura is thought to be composed of electromagnetic radiation – UV light and infrared. It is believed that there are at least 7 layers of a typical aura, but usually only 4 of them are used in auric work.

is the etheric layer and extends to about 2” from the body, and shows what is happening within the physical self.

Would you like to be able to see auras?

Read on to discover how you can learn to do so Our aura is linked to our chakra points, and if there is a blockage in one of them, then it will be reflected in the aura.

Chakras are swirling ‘wheels’ of energy at the base of the spine, sacral area, solar plexus, heart, throat, 3rd eye and crown of the head. If each of the chakras are in balance, then the aura will be too, but it will show your thoughts and feelings as they change.

You may think that auras are a New Age revelation, but this is far from the truth!

You only have to look at pictures of the Christian trinity, the saints and angels, to see that auras were known about, centuries ago. The ancient Egyptians placed small suns above their Gods to indicate spiritual light, the Lord Buddha is sometimes shown with a halo around his head, and the Aborigines in Australia have cave paintings with figures surrounded with light. It is a widely accepted belief that those with artistic abilities are also able to see auras, and that is why holy figures have been shown with them down through the ages.

is the emotional layer, which ends 4” from the body, and reflects our feelings and emotions.

So how can the aura be seen? You can train yourself to see it by doing a couple of simple exercises – don’t be put off if you don’t get immediate results.

is the mental layer, ends 8” from the body and indicates our innermost thoughts and mental processes.

The key to success is to look at your target using your peripheral vision, which is the area on the outskirts of whatever you are directly looking at.

is the astral layer, which ends about 12” from the body and is our bridge between our world, and that of Spirit and the Angelic realms.

What you are aiming for is the blurred look that you get when you are staring into space, and daydreaming of being on a tropical beach! A plain background is essential when you are learning, as patterns can be too busy for your eyes.

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1. Place your hands against a plain background with the fingertips touching.

2. Allow your eyes to un-focus a little, keep staring at the background and not your fingers.

3. Slowly pull your hands apart, and gradually you will see a hazy outline or whitish strands connecting your fingers.

4. Stand in front of a mirror with a plain background behind you.

5. Either stare in between your eyebrows or a couple of inches above your head, and allow your eyes to settle and gently un-focus.

6. Keep looking at the spot, but allow your peripheral vision to see what is around it.

7. Gradually you should see a haze form but don’t move your eyes, or it will disappear.

Aim to do these exercises for 10-15 minutes each day, and soon you will start to see flashes of colour.

Crystals can be used to aid your ability and can be either held during an exercise, or meditated with beforehand.

The best crystals are: amethyst iolite clear quartz rainbow moonstone All of these crystals activate the 3rd eye chakra, which governs psychic abilities, so if you want extra help - try them out.

Once you start to see colours you will need to know what they actually mean, and if there are any problems that need to be addressed.

Red

Orange

Yellow

Pale Blue

Dark Blue

Passionate person, courage, vitality, physically active, can also mean anger.

Good health, vigour, creative, knowledge, an ambitious person.

Inspiration, happiness, love of nature, can also mean a fear of losing control.

Calmness, intuition, natural healer, good communicator, can become emotional.

Can indicate intense healing. Sometimes depression or fear of the future.

Bright Green

Love of nature and people, new beginnings, new skills, a teacher.

Dark Green

Can indicate jealousy, resentment towards others, self-absorbed.

Pink

Violet

Gold

Compassionate person, artistic abilities, mediumistic abilities, romance.

Intuition, psychic awareness, a spiritually wise person.

Divine knowledge, protection of higher forces, wisdom, intuition.

Silver

Open to higher knowledge, gets flashes of intuition.

White

Spiritual purity, innocent joy, calm, angelic healing has occurred.

Although it is a lot of fun when you first start to see auras, you must always remember that it is unethical to peek into someone’s aura without their consent.

Look into your own, or a loved one’s aura, and see if there is unbalance showing. Then you could use crystals (such as clear quartz) to clear the blockage by holding the quartz above the blockage. Or, place your hands above the area, and imagine loving energy flowing through your hands and removing it. As with all healing/psychic work you should ground and protect yourself afterwards,

so that you don’t drain yourself and become ill. Imagine your feet connecting with the Earth and sucking up energy, or hold Hematite or Smoky Quartz to create a protective barrier around you.

Finally, have fun learning this technique that can be both fascinating and a helpful tool to develop your psychic gifts and learn more about those around you.

Stop Press! Don’t forget that you can see your own aura and get a picture and reading of it at the Vision Psychic Showcase in Derby! If you haven’t yet planned your trip, see the inside front cover and the back cover for more details.

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For Spiritual Writer Nick Richardson, delving into a past life proved to be a case of hair today – gone tomorrow

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’ll let you into a secret; I’m a baldie! A slap head! As my kids tell me, “Dad, you’ve got a hole in your hair.” It’s so bad the top of my head resembles a poorly made crop-circle. As the years have slipped by, I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’m beginning to look more like Gandhi than Gandalf.

I know why it’s gone. It’s a throw back to a former life I had as a monk in France. Why couldn’t I have had a more glamorous carry-over? A scar down my face, given to me by a swarthy pirate, or teeth marks from wrestling lions when I was a gladiator? I’d have even settled for webbed feet after a life in Atlantis! But no, not me, I end up with a terrible monk’s hairdo. You could call it a case of tonsure-itis. (Can my jokes get any worse?*) In fact, my hairstyle could

be classed as a ‘comb-over’ from a former life. *(Of course they can!)

In my current life I am partially colourblind. Yet this was far from the case in my monastic existence. Under hypnotic regression I revisited this past life. The first thing I was aware of was my sandaled feet, and I could feel the cloth of my rough habit against my skin. The clarity of my surroundings was tangible a large empty monastic room, with very little adornment. At one end was a huge stained glass window that I would sit in front of. As the light shone through the multi-paned panels, it would refract into vivid hues of brightness. As an older man, I had gained knowledge of how to become the separate shades. I could meld my consciousness into each individual shaft of illumination, mixing my energy with that of each colour. I could change my vibrational frequency to become each separate particle of light. (Here it is interesting to note that years later, I read how in medieval times the glass used in gothic churches and cathedrals had a particular luminosity, which cannot be reproduced today. It had the capacity to filter out harmful ultra-violet rays and even in poor lighting conditions it managed to retain a clear radiance. Modern glassmakers have tried to recreate this phenomenon and failed, somehow the secret has been lost.)

After a while, I projected forward in this monastic lifetime, to when I was in my mid-fifties. I was in the 42 Vision 26

main body of the church, and I wasn’t alone. Someone was hiding behind a stone pillar, afraid to show himself, as if he might get into trouble for being there.

I asked him to come forward. A young face with a cheeky grin peered around a column. A spark of recognition ran through my mind. I knew that this was a young novice that I had taken under my wing and we had become close friends, almost like a father and son relationship.

Since doing the regression I have also seen him in meditations. He normally appears suddenly, does something funny that makes me laugh, and then vanishes.

Last year I interviewed the talented psychic artist Patrick Gamble, and he subsequently agreed to paint one of my spirit guides. Although we had spoken at length beforehand, I had not told Patrick anything about my beliefs; in fact he was adamant that I should not talk about myself, lest it should influence what he was to paint.

After an hour of being in trance and painting frantically, Patrick finally turned the picture around to show me what he had created. It was my monk, exactly as I knew him, and exactly as I had seen him on numerous occasions.

I can’t describe how incredible it was to be looking at a face that I had seen in my head hundreds of times. How can it be possible for somebody to paint an exact likeness of what you have seen in your mind? The portrait of my monk now hangs proudly on the wall amongst the pictures of various Grannies, Granddads and kids, as he is most definitely one of the family. From my experiences, it seems to me that some habits obviously last a lifetime … or two … or three.

If you want to find out more about Nick, you can reach him via his website: www.NickRichardson.co.uk

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arvellous Medium Kyle Gray, (guest psychic on Soapstar, Superstar!) answers your questions with the help of your Guides and Angels.

Drop us a line or email with your questions. Kyle will then let you know what your Angels think and give you a special key from them, to meditate and concentrate on.

Hearing Voices

I don’t get answers!

When I was a child I heard voices, I could not tell you what they said as they were many all at once. I remember being very scared of them at the time. Once I expressed my feelings about them to my mum (who said it was my imagination) the voices stopped. I would love to know what they were, and will I get them back?

Miriam Wilton, Blackpool

I have many problems at the moment in my life, but would love you to ask my angels if there is an end to maybe a couple of them? I often ask for guidance from the angels, but I don’t think they know. I would be grateful for any help you can give me.

Sandra, Leeds

We are all psychic, although children are more open to it than adults. The angels tell me you’re very sensitive and empathic to others around. I feel it’s time for you to look into psychic development more and do something with it. As for hereditary - yes! The angels are saying “ask and you will receive”. Be sure to ask for protection from them too.

Special Key: Contemplation & Journals

Help me adjust!

I will shortly be moving to a new county to live with my boyfriend. We have not been together very long, but it feels right. Please ask the angels how I can best adapt to my new life in a strange area? I have only recently moved to where I am now and have not had time to adjust here – and now I’m taking a chance and doing it all again!

Katie Mann, Chepstow Katie everything happens for a reason and I feel this change is good. The angels tell me you’re nervous and in a way quite resistant of this change, however, they reassure me that you will adapt well to your surroundings. I keep seeing the country and then I keep seeing the city? The angels are telling me in order for you to settle, be at one with nature.

Special Key: Faery Folk and the Trees

The Angels show me red and green, colours of change and development. However, they are also the colours of stubbornness around you. The Angels are telling me to say “let go!” and move forward. The Angels say signing of contracts and hassle in the home will soon go.

Feel the love that surrounds you, you are not alone!

Special Key: Inner Peace

Guilty for Dad My dad passed away 7 years ago just 3 days before my 25th birthday. I was on holiday when he passed, so was unable to say goodbye. I feel very guilty for not being there. Should I feel like this or does my dad understand and forgive me for not being there when he passed?

Karen Devlin, Co. Durham This column is for angel communication rather than mediumship, so I have asked your angels. They tell me you feel the presence of your father, and you know there is no need for this guilt. They tell me you keep looking at an item, hoping your Dad hears you talking to him.

He does ... so no more tears on the pillow! Feel and embrace his loving presence, he is willing to support you. Dave or Davie was also mentioned.

Special Key: Forgive Yourself

Send your questions for your Angels to The Angel Oracle, Vision, 42a Main Street, Garforth,LS25 1AA, or email angels@visionmagazine.uk.com Please include all details you feel are relevant. Letters are received on the understanding that they may be published without further communication. We reserve the right to edit letters.

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ntroducing Michael Standing Wolf – Native American expert and all round nice guy! Read this column every month for

The beaver is an extremely maternal animal which takes great care of her young. Beaver has a strong connection with both water and earth, which makes her wellgrounded, thoughtful and soberminded. Beaver medicine is all about getting “grounded”; knowing who we are and where we are going in life.

Indians sometimes call this “finding our place”. When we meditate upon the characteristics of the beaver, we will come to have a clearer view of what goals are achievable and which are beyond our reach. The beaver is a friend who can provide us with a long-overdue reality check!

There is an old Indian proverb which goes, “When I die I am not gone; I have just moved to another part of the forest.” To many people, the thought of dying has an awful finality to it, but the truth is that when we die we do not cease to exist, we simply change our nature. We should no more be afraid of changing our nature any more than a caterpillar should be afraid of changing into a butterfly or a seedling should be afraid of becoming a tree. Death is not the end; it is merely the Creator’s invitation to move on to a new and better type of life. When we come to see death not as a travelling companion, the fear of passing over loses its hold.

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There are many different kinds of dream catcher apart from the circular “spider’s web” type, so often found in stores. In truth, it doesn’t really matter what kind you use, as long as you feel a sense of connection with it. Dream catchers can be hung above a window or door, thus preventing bad dreams from entering your bedroom and invading your Dream Lodge. My own preference is to hang them directly above the head of the sleeping person. Dream catchers don’t just filter out bad dreams,

tips on the Native American path and don’t forget to write in to Mike with your questions so that he can consult his medicine stones and relay their wisdom to you!

however; they also allow good dreams through. Many people who use dream catchers claim that bad dreams are eliminated, whilst good dreams become vivid and are easily remembered. If you do experience bad dreams whilst using a dream catcher, try smudging it with sage or sweetgrass to energise it. Also, try to avoid using dream catchers that have been previously used by someone else. Remember; every dream is an adventure which can, if interpreted correctly, teach us many, many lessons.

When the beaver presents itself to us on a totem stone, we are being asked to take stock of our lives. Like the beaver, we need to jettison the ‘dead wood’ from our circumstances and, metaphorically, let it float away down the river.

The beaver is urging you to become more practical and industrious. A better life is not a right; it is something that must be earned by engaging in hard work and making sensible decisions.

Send your letters for Mike to the usual Vision address, or email him at mike@visionmagazine.uk.com

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Kylie Holmes appeals to the child in all of us and tells us about the magical people we can attract into our lives For centuries ‘The Little People’ have been part of our culture. Fairies, Pixies, Elves and Gnomes all come from a place where magic really does exist and where wishes are granted … but please be prepared for mischief! Fairies are not just confined to the bottom of your garden!

William Shakespeare used the enchantment of fairies in Midsummer Night’s Dream with the characters Oberon, Titania and Puck taking centre stage. Chaucer mentioned that the United Kingdom was occupied with fairies before the time of King Arthur.

Fairy lore is older than Christianity. The term ‘fairy’ comes from the Latin word fata, or fate, which refers to the Fates of mythology. ‘Fairy’ originally meant ‘fae-erie’, or a state of enchantment. Fairy came into usage in medieval times and was often used to refer to women who had magical powers.

Fairies occupy a middle realm between earth and the heavenly spiritual planes and are associated with the concerns of Earth. Our psychic abilities in childhood are more perceptive to the invisible kingdoms where these Little People come from.

Children have no boundaries, yet question every thing that happens to them and take it in their stride. In much the same way that Angels appear to mankind to help with human evolution, and to provide consolation in the heart of our dilemmas, Fairies appeal to us to help Mother Nature restore her natural beauty.

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I feel that I am one of the lucky adults who have seen the Little People, and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to them and tell you how you can get in touch with these magical beings.

Brownies wear ragged brown clothes, are very hairy and are no larger than threeyear-old children. Brownies come out at night and do housework and odd jobs about the home, in return for a bowl of milk or cream. Brownies personally attach to particular families and places for a very long time. Though naturally helpful, Brownies can become malicious if they are offended (and they are easily offended). They will leave in an instant taking all the luck that Brownies bestow on the household, if you are unlucky enough to upset them. If a Brownie is given a gift of clothing by the master of the household, the Brownie knows that he has been granted his freedom (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets illustrated this belief with a ‘house elf’ character). Brownies are loners and do not like mixing with their own kind.

Pixies are simply recognisable by their red hair, green eyes, pointed ears, turned up noses and round faces. Pixies are playful spirits,

they love playing practical jokes on humans! My grandfather told me that farmers would nail a horseshoe over the stable door to prevent the Pixies taking the horses out at night. If the pixies were successful in ‘borrowing’ a horse, they made sure that the horse was brought back in the morning exhausted, so that no work could be done on the land. If a Pixie moves into your home, encourage him to leave by giving him a gift of your own clothes – he will find this insulting.

Pixies find it funny to lead any traveller astray and the only way you can save yourself from being ‘Pixie Led’ is to turn your coat inside out. Pixies love music.

They will lead skilful musicians to buried treasure, but they’ll lead the ‘out of tune’ into the bogs! The sound of church bells will make a Pixie leave in seconds.

Gnomes live underground in forests and are protectors of the treasures of the earth. They can find where coal, gold, silver and precious stones are hidden.

Each family of Gnomes has a particular job to do in taking care of their specific seam of coal or gold. Like owls, Gnomes’ eyes are adapted to seeing in the dark.

Gnomes are extremely good humoured, they lead incredibly peaceful lives and never worry about anything. They live for hundreds of years. They guide humans towards the riches of the earth but humans make

things very difficult for Gnomes as they often destroy their homes with mining. So, the Gnomes will help equipment go missing and pull down pit props.

Leprechauns usually take the form of old men and are very mischievous. They are shoemakers by trade and are usually seen working on a single shoe, never a pair.

They are merry little fellows dressed in old-fashioned green clothes, a cap, a leather apron, and buckled shoes. If you meet a Leprechaun, it may well boast about keeping ‘Leprechaun Gold’ in a pot in the ground. If you ever catch a Leprechaun, remember that they must show you where the gold is and that they have to grant you three wishes.

Traditionally, the Leprechaun carries two leather pouches. In one there is a silver shilling: a magical coin that returns to the purse each time it is paid out. In the other he carries a gold coin, which he uses to try and bribe his way out of difficult situations. This coin usually turns to ashes once the leprechaun has parted with it. However, never take your eye off him, for he can vanish in an instant. I do have a Leprechaun secret to share with you. My grandfather told me that if a

Leprechaun got soaking wet he would not be able to use his invisibility powers to disappear after he promised to share his pot of gold with you. So it’s worth remembering that if you do come across a Leprechaun, you should have a bucket of water handy!

Goblins are described as grotesquely disfigured; have green skin; are small and troublesome and said to take on human form sometimes. Goblins are always malevolent and always up to no good.

They like to steal children and hide them away in the Underworld. Unusually, they are all male and there are hundreds and hundreds of Goblins that live together under one roof. Each day a fight breaks out to become ‘Head Goblin’, a title which changes hands every hour because no Goblin can decide who will be the best leader. They have no moral code of their own, they are miserly, lazy and messy.

Trolls are involved in many legends and they like to eat anything that crosses their path. They are not the brightest of folk

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either, and are easily led. There are many different types of Trolls: Mountain Trolls, Bridge Trolls, River Trolls and Forest Trolls. The Trolls that I have encountered are called Shadow Trolls and live in the shadows so you cannot see them. They steal fairy magic so they can travel undetected through the fairy realms. In fairy tales for children, trolls often live under bridges, menacing travellers and I truly believe this to be true. There were two bridges that I would not cross as a child, a bridge on The Embankment in Bedford and Wellington Pier in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. My parents remember me screaming as loud as I could, because I believed that if I crossed the bridge or stepped onto the bridge, the troll would appear from the bottom of the bridge and come and get me!

Elves are thin, small, with large eyes and pointy ears and are mischievous creatures with magical powers. It is believed that elves were originally the spirits of the dead who brought fertility to living humans. They often live in forests and other natural places, such as underground in wells and springs. Elves are known to be immortal and make beautiful music, which humans can sometimes hear if they are wandering at night. Many fairy tales teach us about the joy of giving.

In The Elves and The Shoemaker, written

by The Brothers Grimm, a kindly shoemaker who has fallen on hard times needs a miracle to save his business. This delightful tale is sure to put a smile on your face and reinforce the true meaning of helping others.

Dwarves are often described as a race of short men and women with malformed bodies and big heads. They usually look like bearded men (including the female Dwarves!) and appear to be very old, very tough, yet have a strong, ancient sense of justice and an abiding love of all things beautiful. They live to be about 350 years old. They have the power to make themsleves invisible, usually by means of an enchanted cap and cloak. Dwarves live underground and are skilful miners and metal workers. Spears and swords are always by their side, they make excellent warriors and defenders of their homes.

Dwarves are more moody then Elves and they generally prefer to live undergound in mountainous areas. Dwarves cannot be above ground during the day, since sunlight turns them to stone.

Faeries dance in circles and leave behind faerie rings, which are dangerous to humans who mistakenly tread within them. A circle of mushrooms or toadstools most often marks a faerie ring.

If you become stuck in a faerie ring, make sure you have a ‘Fairy Cake’ in your pocket as this is the only ‘bargaining tool’ that can get you out of the fairy ring.

The fairies tell me that in nature, gardens are actually wild!

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It is only humans that come along with a lawn mower to create ‘the perfect lawn’ and flowerbeds.

So, encourage a wild section of your garden, and let the fairies work their magic. Plant a Rowan tree or area of your garden with an assortment of wild flowers ... and leave the garden to grow.

Here is a list of flowers that will help you to invite the fairies: Bluebells, Roses, Thyme, Primroses, Daylilies, Cleomes, Coleus, Gaillardias, Cosmos, Impatiens, Oenothera, New Guinea Impatiens, Obedient Plant, Coreopsis, Butterfly Weed, Verbena, Celosia, Columbine, and Zinnias.

Place Rose Quartz crystals in your flowerbeds, as fairies adore crystals. The crystals help fairies to recharge their energies once they are asleep between the fallen leaves, grass and flowers. It also makes them feel safe and comfortable.

Water features also attract fairies into your garden, as the sound of running water soothes away their worries of how the environment is changing on a daily basis.

You simply have to believe. Have an open mind, open heart and if you find yourself laughing at everything then the fairies are around you, as they just adore laughter.

Ask the fairies to sprinkle some ‘Fairy Dust’ over you before you go to sleep and wait and see what unfolds, you’ll be surprised! Give my tips a try and see if you believe in the Little People? I do.

To contact Kylie direct, please call 0870 780 8413 or email: kylie.holmes@btinternet.com or go to her website www.touchedbyanangel.me.uk

H

ave you wondered why your pets behave the way they do? Would you like to ask them? Our animal communicator, Madeleine Walker, can talk to your pets for you!

If you’d like a personal reading with Madeleine, you can find out more information on her informative website: www.anexchangeoflove.com

Where is she from?

Gypsy is our lovely cat, but she hasn’t always been ours. She adopted us as a stray and we’ve had her ever since. Could you tell us more about where she came from originally?

C Green, Wakefield

What an amazing cat … such power in those eyes! She is a very wise and ancient being! She left her previous home as there was a marriage break up and she hated the disharmony in the house. I feel she has found her way to you to ensure harmony in your

What happened to Dylan?

We adopted Tyson with his brother Dylan when they were kittens. In August 2005, the cats went out and only Tyson came back. Does Tyson know what happened to Dylan? Does he miss him? I sometimes feel Dylan is around. Is he?

C. Pugh, York

I feel a real ‘panther energy’ for both these cats - I feel they were jaguar or panther cubs together in a past life.

Dylan is one of these big cat energies, incarnated as a small cat, to experience what it feels like this time around.

Panthers do work with shadow energy and work to transmute a lot of negative shadow /chaos energy in the planet.

household and to heal you on some emotional level. There seems to be a need for some deep healing in you from your past sadness. So allow yourself to realise just how amazing this cat is. Be open to the possibility that this cat can transcend pain and is very connected to the universal consciousness. Be aware of just how deep is the healing that Gypsy gives. I don't feel its important to know where she came from, its more important to know why she has come to find you. There are no mistakes where animals are concerned, they always come to us for very important reasons in order to teach us something. Maybe in your case you need to realise that you are worthy of the love and all the help that Gypsy is bringing you. She left her

last home because they were not open to her help and did not recognise her gifts, so make sure that you do! You are very lucky to have her - you obviously deserve her!

I feel that Dylan left home to allow Tyson to come into his full power. It may sound weird but I feel that Dylan has decided to expand his territory as he felt a panther would- a little restricted just in one household! I feel he is around coming and going as he pleases without restrictions. Maybe he feels he can do more work that way? However, I believe he is fine and it was just a progression for him and for Tyson to take on his role as ‘head of the household’ and to grow in confidence, which he probably wouldn’t have done if Dylan remained. I feel they pre-agreed this, so don’t feel too sad about it (easy to say I know as you must miss him dreadfully) but try and understand in the scheme of things, all is as it should be and both your wonderful cats are doing a very important job in helping people and the planet to release

negativity. They are very powerful beings. To better understand the role of panther energies there is a wonderful book called Animals Voices by Dawn Baumann Brunke, that is worth reading.

Send your questions about the future to: Paws for Thought, Vision, 42a Main Street, Garforth,LS25 1AA, or email psychicpets@visionmagazine.uk.com Please include all details you feel are relevant.

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Ross Heaven tells us how to concoct your own love potion – using the magical powers of plants

T

urn on the TV, open a book, or walk into any bar or restaurant in the world and love will be on the menu. The quest for love unites us all.

But what if you could actually find it – and a simple perfume could help? That would be magic, wouldn’t it? Read on!

In the spiritual traditions of the Amazon in Peru, this magical love perfume is called pusanga. It is made from flowers and plants which have the power to attract to the people who wear it, the things they really want. For that reason, pusanga has developed an impressive reputation as “the love medicine of the Amazon”’ because love, is the thing most people do want!

How Perfume Attracts and Heals Beautiful smells derived from flowers and herbs have always been used for healing and attracting love. Even the word ‘perfume’ comes from per fumer (Latin, ‘through smoke’), and is a reference to its ritual use in ceremonies for the gods who offer love’s blessings.

The ancient Greeks, for example, believed that sweet aromas were how the deities made their presence known. The oracle priestesses of Delphi would sit in the smoke of bay leaf incense, to allow these gods to speak through them during divinations to help people in their search for love.

In India, too, seers called dainyals would surround themselves with smoke – this time of cedarwood which would send them into trance and give them prophetic visions.

Fragrance has also long been associated with the arts of love. In Japan, Geisha girls priced their services according to the number of incense sticks consumed during love-making; while in Indian tantric rituals, men were anointed 50 Vision 26

with sandalwood, and women with jasmine, patchouli, amber, and musk.

Saffron was crushed and smeared beneath their feet.

The reason for these rituals is that smell is the most powerful of our senses and is able to stimulate desire, longing, and lust, stir our memories, and carry associations of love and happiness.

Scientists have found that even a year after we meet a new person, their aroma stays in our minds, whereas visual memory drops to 50% after just three months, so we may not even remember their faces. The sense of smell is handled by the limbic system, which controls our emotions, so perfumes evoke feelings as well as memories, and we experience not just an odour but a mood.

This is the secret of pusanga. By mixing plants and flowers to create particular aromas which affect the moods of those who smell them, the shamans of the Amazon say that pusanga can cause anyone to fall hopelessly in love with the wearer. One of these shamans, Javier Aravelo, says: “When you pour pusanga onto your skin it penetrates your spirit and gives you the power to draw in love”.

Like attracts like How you find the right plants to do this is another secret, known as the Doctrine of Signatures. This is the idea that the Creator has left a mark or “signature” on every plant in the world to show what it is used for. The discoverer of this phenomenon was Paracelsus, a 6th century alchemist who noticed how the appearance of plants so often reflects their qualities – that the seeds of skullcap, for example, resemble small skulls and, it turns out, are effective at curing headache, or that willow, which grows in damp places, heals rheumatic conditions, which are caused by damp and the build-up of fluid on the joints.

In fact, as Thomas Bartram, a modern herbalist, remarks in his Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine:

“Examples are numerous. It is a curiosity that many liver remedies have yellow flowers, those for the nerves (blue), for the spleen (orange), for the bones (white). Serpentaria (Rauwolfia) resembles a snake and is an old traditional remedy for snake-bite.

Herbalism confirms the Doctrine of Signatures”.

Amazon Pusanga Following this Doctrine, the basis for pusanga in the Amazon is agua de colpa.

This is water collected from clay pools deep in the rainforest, where there are no people, only thousands of brightlycoloured animals who gather to drink from the water. Some of these animals are natural enemies, but at the clay pools they stand peacefully together to drink from water which is rich in mineral content and needed for their well-being.

This water, in other words, has the power to attract some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet to a place where they exist harmoniously together.

Added to this magical water are special herbs, plants, barks, roots or leaves, which also have the quality of attraction due to their colours, names, or where and how they grow. In the rainforest, for example, there are vines called sogas, which are recognised as pusanga plants because they wrap themselves around trees and draw close to them so they grow together.

Special scented liquids, such as agua florida (which means ‘water for flourishing’), are also added to the mixture, which is then blessed by the shaman. This is done by blowing or singing into the pusanga, sometimes with the breath, sometimes with sacred tobacco smoke. The traditional blessing whispered to the pusanga is “salud, dinero y amor” (“health, money and love”). Once it is made, pusanga is used like a perfume, with a few drops rubbed on pulse points, or a capful or two can be added to bath water.

Making your own Pusanga Choose your plants carefully The Doctrine of Signatures is your guide to collecting the plants you need.

Pusanga plants for love all have certain characteristics. Their names are often significant, such as passionflower or honeysuckle (‘honey’ for sweetness and “suckle” for nurturing). Their colours are bright and attractive. The way they grow may also be important (ivy, for example, winds itself around other plants so the two intertwine and are drawn closer together). Their archetypal qualities may also call you (rose, for example, is nowadays practically synonymous with love). Where the plants grow can also have meaning (two plants standing together in sunlight within an otherwise dark forest signify a bright future, for example) – and so on. Look for plants that mean something to you and the desires you have.

Ask the plant When you locate each plant spend a little time with it, explaining your need and asking it to offer itself to you before you pick it (you don’t need to take the whole plant; a single leaf, a flower, or a piece of bark will do. Try to avoid taking roots if you can). Then, when you take a piece, offer your thanks and perhaps a gift of your own, such as corn or tobacco, as they do in the Amazon. All of this is important in helping you connect with nature and develop the right attitude.

About the Author Ross Heaven is a therapist, relationship counsellor, and a well-known author who writes about love and the magic of plants in books such as Plant Spirit Shamanism, out now.

Ross is also the spiritual advisor to Amora, the London Academy of Sex and Relationships. Visit his website at www.thefourgates.com to find out more about his workshops on love, plant magic, and spiritual development.

Preserving your plants When you have the plants you want, take them home and put them in a clear bottle. If you intend to use the pusanga over a few days, you can fill the bottle with water taken from ‘power places’, such as Holy water from a church or a place of spiritual power like the Chalice

Well at Glastonbury, or you can use mineral water. If you want to keep the pusanga a while, it is better to use alcohol instead of water.

Adding Oils You can also add aromatherapy oils to your blend, which also have helpful qualities. To attract a new lover, for example, add a few drops of rose, jasmine, and bergamot. For a ‘deepening love’ add rose, vanilla, and a sprinkling of gold glitter. For passion during love-making, add ginger, patchouli, and sandalwood.

Finally, add your prayers to the mixture, too, as the shamans do, by blowing three times into the pusanga bottle while you tell the perfume what you want it to do for you. Then wear it as a scent and expect more love in your life!

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W

elcome to Coven Corner once again! The Wheel of the Year moves around to Beltane - the trees are coming into full leaf, the flowers are out and everything is growing and green. Now is a great time to go out and seek the wisdom of the trees. Head off into a quiet wood or glade and find a tree that appeals to you, then either sit with your back to the trunk or hug it. Although people tease us about being ‘treehuggers’, there is a lot of wisdom, strength and healing to be gained in connecting with Nature and the older (and often wiser) Spirits of plants. Once you’ve spent some time with your tree, its always a good idea to leave an offering of some sort afterwards. Perhaps you might choose a coloured ribbon and tie it gently to a branch, or leave some foodstuff maybe some good plant food! If you gain the friendship of a tree spirit (Dryad), you have a friend for life.

The following ‘Symbols of Elemental Power’ would have been used by the Celts and are still used today by many Celtic practitioners. They are not as common as the tools we’ve covered so far, but still well worth knowing about, especially if you are drawn to the Celtic Gods.

The Spear of Lugh This tool would be placed in the east of the circle and represents air.

Sometimes air would be represented by a wand or staff, instead.

The Cauldron of the Dagda This tool would be placed in the west and would represent water. It isften represented by a chalice or cup instead of a full-sized cauldron.

The Stone of Fal This tool would be placed in the north and would represent earth. Often represented by a special pebble or stone.

The Sword of Nuadha This tool would be placed in the south and represents fire. Some practitioners would use an athame or sickle instead of a sword.

Bright Blessings,

Andrea

Belenos – The Shining One Otherwise known as Belen, Belenus, Belinus, Bellinus or Bel, Belenos is one of the patron deities of the Celts. He was known in many lands including Italy, Britain, Gaul and Ireland. The festival of Beltane on the 30th April/1st May is derived from his name. During this festival, fires are lit to encourage the sun's warmth - Belenos is a fire deity, a patron of flames and the Sun's energies. In Ireland he was known as “The Father of Gods and Men” and is probably the same being as Apollo (Greco-Roman). His symbols were the horse and the wheel.

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You will need: 1 x small unripe lemon Some string or ribbon Some coloured, headed pins (not black)

Beltane was, for many, the time that young couples held their “hand-fasting” rituals. A hand-fasting is effectively a marriage ceremony, where love and trust is pledged. The outdoor ritual below can be used to make vows and pledges.

1. Take the lemon and start sticking the pins in it, all over the surface. It should look a bit like a hedgehog by the time you have finished.

2. Then attach the piece of ribbon or string and hang it up.

This will bring good luck to your home.

Letter of the Month “I have been practicing wicca for nearly five years. I am a solitary and feel as if I am making it up as I go along. But what I do feels right! I have pieced together skills from books and my instincts. Am I doing this wrong?

Blessed Be, Kina Dear Kina, It looks like you are adopting a very wise and broadminded approach to learning about Wicca. No single book will be able to cover all the knowledge that exists on the subject. There is absolutely nothing wrong in bringing together information from various sources that are available to you. Do what feels right – this is the most important thing of all!

Andrea

You will need: A suitable container such as a cauldron, for a small fire Some paper to write your pledges on and a pen or pencil Some fallen wood/kindling to fuel your fire Some pieces of Frankincense resin to use as an incense 1. Just before sunrise on Beltane day (1st May), go to a suitable glade or space where you won’t bedisturbed.

2. Set up your cauldron and light the fire within it.

3. Take the pieces of paper and write down your resolutions .

4. Trace your circle in the air with your finger from the east, to the south, the west, the north and back to the east saying - “my circle is cast! As the sun rises, cast some Frankincense in the fire.

5. State your resolutions and cast the papers into the fire.

6. Once done, sit next to the cauldron and meditate.

7. Once the fire has burnt out, cast the ashes to the wind.

Gender: Feminine Planet: Moon Element: Water Properties: Longevity, purification, love and friendship.

Ritual use: A mix of the juice and some water, used as a wash, will clear all negative vibrations from virtually any object. This makes lemon perfect to use on amulets and charms which are second hand. When the moon is full, add lemon juice to bathwater for a purification bath. The dried flowers and peel can also be added to love sachets and mixtures. The leaves can be used in teas for lust and vitality.

8. Close your circle by tracing with your finger, anticlockwise round the circle from east to east declaring “my circle is closed!”. Your ritual is complete – now all you need to do is keep your pledges!

If you have a question or need help with a problem, you can write to Coven Corner at the Vision address or email covencorner@visionmagazine.uk.com Please remember that we may not be able to respond to all your letters, but we will try to cover all the subjects.

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Join Michelle Jones every month for a round up of healthy tips and treats to keep you feeling great and looking sharp

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he spring is in full flood now, all that sap rising and stuff – and the odd sunny day makes us feel like stripping off and getting some rays! We all know that we need to be careful; the dangers of UVA and UVB rays have been

To condition and moisturise your nails, gently massage in Almond Oil; its gentle action gives shine and lustre and also softens cuticles.

“Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the birdies – Atchoo! – is!”

Yes, the hayfever season is here again!

About 9 million people in the UK suffer from Hayfever, and there is a wide range of pharmaceutical remedies to treat the symptoms – but what about a natural alternative? Hayfever is basically an allergy to pollen in various forms. There are other issues, such as pets and pollution, but for the most part, it is pollen that is the major irritant causing the symptoms.

Try these ways of becoming immune: Studies have shown that if you can become tolerant of the pollen, then away goes the Hayfever! One of doing this is to buy honey from a local 54 Vision 26

well publicised for some years now, but right now – just when we want to get those winter woollies off and expose our skin to that welcome warmth – we may actually be at more risk of burning simply because we have been covered up all

We all want our lips to be soft and plump – but who wants a ‘trout pout’ (Even if we could afford one?)

Moisturising our lips should be an essential part of the daily routine – and good old petroleum jelly is just as effective as expensive over the counter products! You don’t need much, mind…! Don’t forget boys – that means you too, or you’ll not get as many kisses!

producer; their bees will have made honey from the pollen which causes your hayfever.

By eating a spoonful of locally produced honey every day you not only benefit from all those antioxidants and life giving properties that honey has to offer, but may become resistant to those irritating pollens too! The important thing is that is must be Unfiltered Honey – you need those ‘bits and pieces’ as they are the important contents that may help you… For best results you should start taking it BEFORE the season starts – and for even more protection, you could also see if your friendly beekeeper makes pollen capsules to further enable your body to build up immunity.

winter. So even though it may not feel that hot, you should still make sure that you do not spend too much time uncovered – and don’t forget the sunblock or you could end up looking like a lobster!

If the possibility of sunburn does bother you (and it should, especially as we get further into the Summer) if you do get burned, help is at hand from calming and soothing Chamomile, and somewhat surprisingly – Carrots!

1. Crush a handful of Chamomile in a pestle and mortar and pour on 300ml boiling water.

2. Allow it to cool until lukewarm before adding in two grated raw carrots (medium size).

3. Apply to the skin with a cotton wool, gently dabbing on the affected areas. I appreciate that this is messy, but it is wonderfully soothing …

Y

ou’ve seen the show, now own the DVD! Ten lucky readers will win the chance to own their own copy of the new Haunted Homes DVD, which features the whole of the first series!

Haunted Homes features Mia Dolan, celebrated no-nonsense medium, who

travels around the country to visit those people pestered by poltergeists and scared by spectres, in the hope that she and her team (Sceptic Chris French and Parapsychologist Mark Webb) can help bring peace to the frightened families. It is seriously spooky viewing and definitely a title you will want to add to your collection. It is available in the shops now (released by 2entertain).

Terms and Conditions Only one entry per household. The instructions form part of the rules.

Only entries stamped and received on the back of a postcard or sealed down envelope will be entered. The first 10 correct entries drawn that are received before the closing date will win a copy of Haunted Homes.

How to Enter For your chance to win a DVD of the first series of Haunted Homes, just answer the following question: Who is the medium starring in Haunted Homes? Is it: A Mia Dolan B Gordon Smith C Derek Acorah

M

ove over tea leaves, it’s coffee-cup time!

This, the latest fortune-telling craze from the Middle East, is just as easy as reading tea leaves and it’s fast catching up!

This fantastic gift pack from Connections Publishing includes a specially designed coffee cup and saucer decorated in authentic Arabic style.

Renowned psychic Sahar Huneidi is your host, and her accompanying book includes instructions, plus a directory of symbols to help you decipher the patterns and shapes that define your future!

Coffee anyone?

Then send the letter of your answer with your name, address, phone number and email if you have one on the BACK of a sealed down envelope (do not put any entries inside, they will be disqualified) or a postcard to: Vision/Haunted Homes, 42a Main Street, Garforth. LS25 1AA to reach us by the closing date of 17th May 2007. No multiple entries will be accepted.

How to Enter Send your name, address and email if you have one on the BACK of a sealed down envelope (do not put any entries inside, they will be disqualified) or a postcard to: Vision/Coffee, 42a Main Street, Garforth. LS25 1AA to reach us by the closing date of 17th May 2007.

Terms and Conditions Only one entry per household. The instructions form part of the rules. Only entries stamped and received on the back of a postcard or sealed down envelope will be entered. The first 5 entries drawn after the closing date will win a copy of Your Future in a Coffee Cup. Vision accept no responsibility for the distribution of prizes which will be handled by Connections Publishing (www.connections-publishing.com)

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Native Americans Derek Acorah Angels Are you Psychic?

Crystal Healing Crystal First Aid

Mystical China Spirit Guides Feng Shui Auras I Ching Dreams Bruce Lee

Pagan Roots Gordon Smith Numerology Richard Felix Pagan Magic The Afterlife

Ancient Egypt Are you Clairvoyant?

Stephen Holbrook Seichem Reflexology Aromatherapy

FREE Palm Pal Vedic India Indian Head Massage Jane McDonald Learn Yoga Vaastu Lifestyle

Japan Yvette Fielding Reiki Healing Shiatsu Scrying Japanese Ghosts

Druid Britain Derek Acorah Diana Cooper Merlin & Magic Druid Astrology Moon Phases

Ancient Greece Angels Past Lives Sacred Sounds Hedgewitch Healing Dreaming

Mayans Gordon Smith Your Spirit Guides Learn Psychic Skills Crystal Astrology Indigo Children

China Learn Palmistry Feng Shui Love Herb Magic Ghost Pictures Spirit Guides

Hawaii Chris Fleming Johnathan Cainer Healing Runes The Root Chakra Imaginary Friends

Native Americans Gillian McKeith Harry Potter Destiny Numbers Faeries Midsummer Magick

Africa Robbie Williams Psychic Protection Ouija Boards Poltergeists Spice up your Sex Life

Celtic Magic James Van Praagh Celtic Witchcraft Harp Therapy Speak to Spirit Tree Spirit Healing

Gypsies Uri Geller Read Playing Cards Natural Beauty Jewellery Magic Crystal Healing

Voodoo Doreen Virtue A Haunting Break Voodoo Healing Float Away Stress Divination

Chinese New Year Diane Lazarus Chinese Astrology Wild West Ghosts Dragons Power Bracelets

Eskimos Derek Acorah The Sexual Tarot Baby Mind Reader Ghost Hunting Kit Special Crystals

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Lost Atlantis Doreen Virtue Gordon Smith Guardian Angels Mediumship Karma

Aborigines Faeries Dreamtime Bush Flower Essences Aborigine Astrology Shamen Stones

Norse Mythology Sea of Souls X-Exorcist Read Runes UFOs Earth Energies

Hidden Tibet Derek Acorah Are you Psychic?

Your Love Tarot DIY Qi Gong Crystal ball

Aztecs Mia Dolan Sex Spells Test the Therapy TAI Divination Sacred Journeys

Rome Jennifer Love Hewitt ITV’s Afterlife Derek Acorah Gordon Smith Meditation

Da Vinci Code Phil Whyman Evil Poltergeist Story Herbal Detox Living WithThe Lwa Sacred Lines

Magnificant Maoris Supernatural Relax Naturally The All Blacks How to sense Ghosts The Body Beautiful

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his month Vision are offering subscribers the opportunity to get a personal reading from one of Vision’s top celebrity psychics!

The first 30 subscribers* this month will be entitled to a reading with either Jay (My Psychic Journal) or Diana (Editor, Experiences Explained, Visionaries)*.

Jay is an experienced psychic who has received many testimonials from the winners of her column’s competition.

She is astonishingly accurate and genuinely compassionate.

Diana has been reading for over 20 years and has worked as a professional psychic with some celebrity

Terms and Conditions clients. She now flexes her spiritual muscles in the Visionaries.

This is a very rare opportunity to have your very own reading from Jay or Diana, so subscribe now!

Your reading will be sent to you by post or email - all our readers need from you is your name.

*The first 30 subscribers (12 months only) before 17th May 2007 will be entitled to a free reading by either Jay or Diana. However, due to circumstances beyond our control it may be necessary to substitute another reader, at Vision’s discretion. Vision will choose the psychic for each qualifying subscriber. Readings will be conducted by email or post ONLY. Readings are supplied as entertainment only and no correspondence will be entered into. Only one reading per qualifying subscriber and no follow-ups are offered. Vision accept no responsibility for the content or quality of the reading supplied. Due to the personal nature of this offer, no time limit is set for dispatch of readings.

No cash substitute will be offered.

57 Vision 26

Carole Chui explains the meanings and uses of the planets in astrology and magic

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he word planet comes from the Greek for wandering stars (asterai planetai), as the planets move against the background of fixed stars.

Traditional astrologers still use only the Sun and Moon plus the 5 planets known since ancient times – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn when they construct their charts.

Less traditional astrologers found correspondences for the new planets as they were discovered. Uranus, added in 1781 around the time of the French revolution, came to signify revolutionary change; Neptune, discovered in 1846 when interest was growing in mediumship and magic, signifies glamour and mysticism; Pluto, discovered in 1930 coincided with the rise of Nazism and nuclear power and signified painful and eruptive change, elimination and renewal. Pluto, we are now told, is not a planet at all.

Planets are being redefined with the discovery of more heavenly objects. If Pluto remained, then the new heavenly bodies would have to be admitted to the title.

The ‘new’ outer planets are so slow moving that they are thought to influence the character of generations rather than individuals, with a combination giving rise to the hippy generation and later to those known as indigo children.

I do find these later planets useful in giving depth to a chart and fitting it into its time, but they do not have the same usefulness in magical planetary matters. It is the original magnificent 7 that have magical significance and correspondences, and they have the most personal influence in the birth chart.

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Your horoscope is a map of the heavens at the time and for the place you were born, and all the planets have a meaning.

Everyone is familiar with the central role played by the Sun, and a sun sign delineation can often be accurate as the Sun signifies your central drives. That is subtly modified by the significance of the other heavenly bodies. The Moon is your instinctive and emotional self. Mercury, named for the quicksilver god, shows how your mind works. Whilst the Sun and Moon can be at any angle to each other from any 2 signs in the zodiac, Mercury (because of its orbit) can only be in the same sign or the one before or after your Sun. If you are Sun Aries or Taurus with Mercury in your sun sign, then your thinking follows your sun sign.

But an impetuous Sun Aries, may be steadied by second thoughts from Mercury in Taurus, or made softer by Mercury in Pisces. Steady Sun Taurus may be more impulsive because of Mercury in Aries or more quick-witted because of Mercury in Gemini.

Venus, not surprisingly for the goddess of love, shows how you relate and how you love. However, she is a practical lady and also rules money!

Mars, on the other hand, deals with strength, energy and lust. The relationship between Mars and Venus is particularly crucial to harmonious relationships. On your chart, an astrologer will see the planets make angles to each other and from these can read how any two or more planets affect each other. If Venus and Mars are in an easy relationship, clearly your love life runs more smoothly than if they are at odds.

These first 3 planets deal with how you think, relate and react. The next 2 are guidelines to where you find things

easy, and where they are most difficult.

Jupiter is said to represent areas of expansion and opportunity. Saturn, which was for so many years the farthest out of the known planets, stands for limits, boundaries and harsh (but necessary) life lessons. Both are necessary, since unlimited expansion has its own dangers and Saturn can bring the discipline and stability that is called for in certain situations.

Once you have your birth chart, an astrologer can see how things are developing for you. It is true to say that the signs are good for taking certain steps at a certain time, but it is more like a weather forecast than a fixed fortune.

Just as the forecast of rain sends you out with your umbrella, so a transit of Saturn suggests to you that a time for consolidation is upon you, not a time of unbridled growth.

An astrologer may be asked to settle a day and time which is most propitious for the start of a new business. It is important to cover all the angles, and obviously it is vital to have Jupiter in a good position and well-aspected in order for a business to grow. Saturn will need care, so that the business is not constricted at the start. The astrologer will also look at the developments over time, to see the momentum is kept up. It is virtually impossible to find a chart which has only good features, but the art of electional astrology is to look for a balance which endures over time.

The traditional 7, the Sun Moon and 5 planets, have colours and metals and days of the week associated with them. A spell is more powerful for making use of as many of the correspondences as possible, and so a day can be chosen for a particular type of spell, and the colours used in your clothes, or the candles you use. You can also make use of the metal.

Planet

Day

Colour

Metal

Provinces

Sun

Sunday

Yellow

Gold

Healing, Music, Art, Health

Moon

Monday

Silver/ White/ Purple

Silver

Psychic and Feminine Matters

Mars

Tuesday

Red

Iron

Lust, Anger, War, Energy

Mercury

Wednesday

Orange

Aluminium

Travel, Quick Thought

Jupiter

Thursday

Royal Blue

Tin

Expansion, Business Success, Luck

Venus

Friday

Green/Pink

Copper

Love, Money, Fertility, Abundance

Saturn

Saturday

Black/Brown

Lead

Possessions, Property, Lessons

The most popular spells tend to be those for love (Venus) and advancement (Jupiter). The Moon can assist with psychic development, but the phases must also be taken into account. Mars is the god of battles, and it is a brave person who calls on the aid of the warrior god, so take care. Similarly, the aid of Saturn is called on only by the brave, but he can create solidity in an uncertain world.

1. Choose the planet most closely associated with what you want.

2. Obtain a candle in the colour specified.

3. Choose the day of the week that is associated with that planet.

4. Check the phase of the moon – choose a waxing (getting bigger) moon if you want to draw something towards you and a waning (getting smaller) moon if you want to get rid of something.

5. Choose a quiet place to work. Light the candle on the correct day and phase of the moon. Concentrate hard on your wish and speak it out loud, dedicating it to the planet concerned. When you are done, leave the candle to burn down completely (watch safety).

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Paula Garton takes a look at the effects of the planets in May The sun is in Taurus till the 22nd, so Taurean’s will feel energised and more confident to take on the world. Gardening will be high on the agenda as will any efforts to care for the land. Taureans know the value of antiques and goods generally, and this innate ability will be enhanced as the influence of the sun affects them positively, so get investing!

Mercury is in Gemini from the 12th and has a powerful influence as it is Gemini’s ruling planet, so the twins will play their mischief and genius! Geminis will be full of ideas, which they will want to tell everyone about, so they will be flitting about from person to person talking everyone to death. They will be enthusiastic and desirous to convey their knowledge and gain information in order to keep their minds from getting bored. A bored Gemini is never a good idea as the mischief maker in them comes out then and they will start to gossip and cause problems. Geminis will also be more curious about what they will be missing on the internet or in books and magazines or through the TV or radio so this could increase internet access for information. As Venus is in Gemini till the 9th it will create a tendency for Geminis to be social butterflies, flitting about looking for love and romance and partying along the way. Could this lead to more internet dating as they search for their true love this week?

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Mars is still in Pisces till the 16th, making Pisces more aggressive and proactive than usual. Normally they are not in a rush to do anything quickly and prefer to avoid arguments to keep a friendship and please their loved ones, often at the expense of their own feelings which they hide deep inside. With Mars in occupancy, Pisces are forced to act more readily and become angry if challenged, which makes them feel uncomfortable as it is an alien response. As Mars moves into Aries where it is the planetary ruler, it has strength to act to its full capacity, so Aries will become their true selves.

You will find that they are full of energy, motivation and competitiveness, as well as aggressive and prone to making snap decisions that they regret later. There will be no chance of beating them at their chosen sport this month. Outdoor activities and competitive ball games, as well as jogging and marathons will start to be popular as the Sun becomes stronger and higher in the sky giving more energy and light to give us better health to take part in our chosen sport.

Saturn is now moving forward at a greater speed than in April and moving closer to the final opposition of Neptune, which is slowing down ready to turn retrograde on 24th for a final confrontation with Saturn. Saturn will be stronger than Neptune, so Saturn will be making us think of the discipline, dedication and hard work that is needed for success in our aspirations and ambitions when we are battling with Neptune.

Neptune does not want us to be harnessed by hard work and strategy, it wants to wander off into the moonlight or on to a desert island and enjoy the sun, sand and sea and forget the responsibilities and dedication that is needed for success.

Art, music, swimming and drinking are more favoured with the retrograde phase, producing greater spiritual awareness and insight.

Alcoholics Anonymous will be busy and publicans pleased with the increase in takings. Art Galleries and sports centres will also enjoy an increase in attendance.

As long as we avoid the depression and lack of motivation and health problems of last year, we should overcome this month’s planetary problems, by allowing Jupiter to give us the confidence and optimism to look ahead, so we can keep going until the end of June when this opposition dissipates and we can see success within our reach.

T

he big rule number one for Taureans in May, is that you don’t (don’t, don’t!) allow yourself to get dragged into other peoples’ arguments and don’t (don’t, don’t!) take sides in family feuds! You may have your opinions and sympathies, but keep them to yourself. If it turns out that a few

folk you care deeply about are hell bent on bashing each others brains out, let ‘em get on with it and do their worst to each other! This is easier said than done, but you do need to try. Pay a bit more attention to your own agendas this month. Just recognise that May could be a lovely month for intercontinental travel and for following a variety of artistic

pursuits. These might not put megabucks in the bank, but never-theless they will go a long way to enriching your soul. This is really your time, so don’t waste it on things you can’t really help, and get the most you can from planetary movements that will broaden your horizons and move you onwards and upwards.

21 Apr - 21 May

There is nothing really dynamic happening on the career front this month – you will tend to cruise along, taking most things in your stride. Some new business ideas may tickle your fancy around the middle of the month, and you could find yourself involved in some kind of research project necessitating a few hours on the internet or down at your local library.

Anything to do with education should be relevant in May, both on a formal level and also on spiritual and humanitarian levels.

Sometime around the 20th you may be tempted to do a friend a professional favour, but do be a little bit on your guard with this one. There is more to this situation than meets the eye, so think very carefully before you rush in, where fools fear to tread.

Cash & Career Business ideas: 14th – 21st Beware favours: 20th

You’d have to be an absolute idiot to make a mess of some of the lovely energies moving around you throughout the whole of the month of May – which is a period that augers well for new romances and is even more favourable for established unions. Travel aspects in the first week can lead to some very exciting sexual experiences and there should be more than one major celebration ‘red lettered’ in the diary – the 5th, 7th, 12th, and 19th all leap off my chart – and throughout the month there is a theme of reunions with old friends. Now comes the worrying bit. If these reunions are with old friends, fine. If they’re reunions with old flames… be very, very careful and watch your back.

Avoid arguments: All month Foreign Travel: All month

Love & Sex Reunions: All month Celebrations: 5th, 7th, 12th, 19th

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I

f there are a few quiet days in May, you will put them to good use as a period of quiet reflection, while you evaluate some of the changes that happened in April – and some of the choices and decisions you’ve made. If you need to change your mind about something, now is the

time to do it, and even if this causes a third party some inconvenience, better you change your mind now than three or four months up the road, when even more damage could be done. Having said that, I feel that for the better part of the month, you can rest easy. Long before June starts bursting out all over, you should have the evidence you need that

tells you that you’ve done the right thing and that you’re on the right track, which must be really reassuring now as you’ve had so much on your plate before. Think things through, it will be well worth it in the long run, May could turn out to be a great month if you plan carefully and do what you want to do.

22 May - 21 Jun

Early on in the month, wobbles of confidence could make you a bit reserved and moody – much to the dismay of a lover/partner who’ll find themselves wondering what the hell they’ve done wrong.

You might want to reassure them that they haven’t done anything wrong at all, but you just need a wee bit of time and breathing space to sort out some of your feelings and emotions. By the 13th or 14th you should have regained you equilibrium - opening the door to a brighter and sexier second half of the month. A journey of some importance hovers around the 23rd, 24th and 25th and it’s not all that important where you go, because why you go and who you go with are much more important issues.

No matter what job you do, this could be quite a fun month on the work scene with lots of team spirit and camaraderie lifting you up and propelling you forwards. Social events involving work mates and colleagues could be a bit of a hoot and there’ll be some sore heads on more than one occasion throughout the month. Finances aren’t fantastic, but they’re probably a damn sight better than they were at the beginning of the year. You will find that an early month promise is fulfilled by the end of the month, and I get the impression that you might have caught the boss’s eye. Which I think is a good thing, I think, but I guess it all depends on exactly where the boss’s eye is looking, and how.

Cash & Career Fun at work: All month Promises kept: 31st

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Quiet Reflection: All month Review decisions: All month

Love & Sex Moody: 1st - 7th Travel: 23rd, 24th or 25th

M

ay will be a rather mysterious month for many Cancerians, in the sense that you won’t always be able to tell what other people are thinking and you’ll find it hard to tune into what is going on around you. You’ll frequently find yourself in something of a dreamy,

reflective mood and will tend to avoid any kind of confrontation or decision making. Any artistic inclinations will be well to the fore and this may well be a time when you are getting much more deeply in touch with your inner self. As such, all spiritual matters have an important and influential role to play in your life - especially around the 5th and

the 19th. Some Cancerian mothers will be particularly concerned with regard to the welfare of female children, but if these are adult children, you need to maintain a degree of distance. All in all you will find that the majority of the excitement you experience comes from solitary pursuits, despite this being a pleasant time for family and friends.

22 June - 22 July

This will be a very calm and probably uneventful month where affairs of the heart are concerned, but I suspect that this is only because you are deliberately engineering this state of affairs. Whichever way, you’ll not be inclined to rock the romantic boat and major decisions will be deferred until a later date or until such time as you have a clearer idea of what you want - and who you want it with. Family relationships – particularly with sons and daughters and mothers and fathers - may have a higher profile, and especially from the 20th of the month onwards, when other peoples’ actions and attitudes force you to sit up and take notice of what is going on. Having said that, you’ll still be disinclined to involve yourself too much.

May will be rather a laid back and casual time where work and business projects are concerned. The chances are that you’ll go through the motions of maintaining your normal routines without too much strain or mental effort.

You will realise from quite early on in the month (3rd, 4th and 5th) that there is little to be gained from trying to push a snowball uphill, and as such will be more or less content to go with the flow. While this is an unusual attitude for Cancerians to take, it is nevertheless a state of mind that serves you well at this point in time. Educational aspects may have some role to play, especially if they appeal to the esoteric part of your nature, so take any opportunities to study spiritual matters when they arise.

Cash & Career Go with the flow: 3rd, 4th and 5th Esoteric study: All month

Spiritual Matters: 5th & 19th Daughter issues: All month

Love & Sex Other’s attitudes: 20th Calm: All month

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suspect that May could turn out to be quite a tense and suspenseful time for many Leos out there, because it’s over these next few weeks that you’re going to find out whether something is going to work – or it isn’t! We could be talking about a new job or some new work routines, we

could be talking about a new relationship or some new domestic routines, or on the most parochial level, we could be just talking about a new diet. However, whatever it is, it’s certainly big enough and important enough to register on the star chart I’m looking at while I’m writing this report! Shooting from the hip, may I suggest that you draw a line in the sand

where compromises are concerned.

Do not settle for anything like second best. If necessary a backward step could be seen as a sideways step forwards - better that you do this than agree to doing something you will almost certainly regret later on in the year, when you’ll be wishing you’d listened to Uncle Jim.

23 July - 22 Aug

Probably quite a tiring month on the work scene, made so by extra responsibilities being taken on board around the 8th or 9th and if you have some complicated commuting to deal with between your front door and your office desk, this can also be something of a draining process. It has to be said that you might not be getting very much emotional support from partners at this time, who will resent some of your work ethics and professional commitments.

The way they see it, you should be spending a lot more time with them and they should be a lot more important to you than some vague career ambition and your need to maintain a degree of financial independence. This is, however, their opinion - it is you that decides.

Cash & Career Responsibility: 8th & 9th Tiring: All month

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It’s nice to be loved and it’s nice to be wanted, but Leos do not take kindly to being smothered by their partners, and if there is a bit of that going on this month, then it is something that you have to deal with right now - rather than just letting things go in the naïve hope that they’ll sort themselves out! I understand that you might not want to rock any newly launched romantic boats, but even if you’re very young, you’ve had quite enough experience to know that you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. It takes more than love and sexual attraction to make a relationship work. There’s got to be a degree of understanding and respect and love goes out the window when respect goes out the door.

Tense: All month Don’t compromise: All month

Love & Sex Bossy partner: All month Respect required: All month

U

mmm, now May is going to be very interesting! Do you stand still, go forwards, go backwards, or simply say “ for goodness sake … I can’t be bothered!”, and disappear off somewhere warm and sunny for a very long holiday while someone else (or other people in general)

pick up the pieces for you and decide what you should be doing next? There’s an argument for doing as you’re told, because if you have faith in the cosmos, there’s a very good chance that you’ll actually like what you’re being told – but if not, you’d better come up with a few original ideas of your own. In essence, May is a passive month and all things

considered, you’d be well advised to follow someone else’s lead, as they are likely to be in a better position to see what could - and what should - be done. It may go against the grain, but it will be well worth it, in the long run.

Just for once, take a back seat and let the others be the designated drivers, taking you to where you need to go.

23 Aug - 22 Sept

You will not be resting on your laurels this month, but after the frenetic month of April, May offers a much easier passage and you’ll be inclined to take a much more laid back approach to all your financial wheelings and dealings. Between the 1st and the 7th you’ll be reviewing a number of investments without pressure and probably without taking other people into your confidence. The 20th through until the 26th will see you paying some attention to a new business scheme with your longer term financial security in mind, but you aren’t likely to make any major commitments until you’ve thoroughly researched your subject and have looked at one ‘deal’ from every possible angle.

Cash & Career Review investments: 1st – 7th New business: 20th – 26th

You’ll be minding your P’s and Q’s during the first few days of May, treading on egg shells in an attempt not to upset that “significant other” in your life. Around the 7th the mood changes and you’ll become rather more relaxed and cavalier in your attitudes – which is okay because by the 7th you should be well out of your “danger zone”.

During the second half of the month your attention switches to relationships and from the 14th or 15th onwards there will be a degree of growing unease, possibly caused by a third party’s health problems. Around the 22nd you need to be careful in defining emotional priorities: the past must not contaminate the present and “duty” must not get in the way of common sense.

Passive: All month Follow the leader: All month

Love & Sex Relaxed: 7th Define Priorities: 22nd

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O

ne of the most famous Librans of the 20th century was Margaret Thatcher who didn’t believe in U-turns and who’s famous motto was “this lady is not for turning!”. It would seem you’re likely to take a few leaves out of Maggie’s book this month when, despite the

fact that you’re going to come under a lot of pressure from just about everyone to change your mind about something very important, you’re going to stick to your guns and refuse to do any U turns. This is understandable, because if it’s taken you many days or weeks to make a key decision, the chances are that you’ve thought it through and got it right. It’s

the Libran way, to plan carefully and this has served you well in the past.

You may be described as inflexible, but others haven’t seen how much effort it’s taken to reach your decision, have they, so they are not really in any position to shoot you down in flames for sticking to your guns.

23 Sept - 23 Oct

If we are talking about romantic relationships, then there is something wonderful happening throughout May that puts a smile on your face for (near as dammit) most of the month. It is relationships with other parties within the family group that seem to be the bone of contention, especially if there are people who do not approve of your romantic choices and who feel it is their God-given duty to make you change your mind. Therefore, you need to be on your guard against gossip, envy, jealousy and half truths whispered in your ear. You also need to be very alert around the 11th and 12th and again around the 17th and 18th when someone could be telling you outright lies just to stir things up, and cause problems for you.

May should be a rewarding month for most Librans, especially those of you who have some clear vision about what you want and where you’re going. You’ll come under some pressure at various times over the next few weeks to put social (and emotional) affairs first, but you’re unlikely to relax your grip and will maintain an unusual degree of self discipline, much to your own self satisfaction, but causing some exasperation and frustration to other people around you on the home front. May 19th and 20th are two red letter days for putting your signature on important pieces of paper and the 27th augers well for anything to do with education, so take advantage of the energies around and sign up for that course you’ve always fancied!

Love & Sex

Cash & Career Study: 27th Important Documents: 19th & 20th

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Stick to your guns: All month Self-discipline: All month

Jealousy: 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th Romance: All month

M

ay is an important month for taking stock and finding a middle pathway between emotional extremes. You will enjoy some measure of success in this and as a result, May is kept on an even keel. I’m not saying you’re going to get bogged down by routine, but there is a degree of

predictability making its presence felt in the scheme of things, which gives you chance to plan and think and enjoy a sense of anticipation - while still getting the best out of day-to-day situations.

Travel aspects are strong mid and late month, especially if you’re heading north or north east. Anyone got any links with Scandinavia? Anyone going out with a big

blond Viking? Enjoy your trip, but don’t forget to consider future options while you are away, as a little deep thought now could get you out of deep water later in the year. Romance is strong in your chart and, despite a few niggles, hiccups and general annoyances, this is an excellent time to cement bonds of love.

24 Oct - 23 Nov

A stable and fruitful month where jobs and cash and careers are concerned, but with an energy that carries over from April and constantly reminds you that there is more to life than your job! Having said that, the 4th to the 8th will be a busy period with some long hours worked, and the 15th through until the 20th could bring some minor frustrations, when you find that you can’t put a square peg into a round hole. However, you walk away from these thoughts and problems the moment you walk out of the office door. Daylight hours are for earning a living to pay some bills, night time hours are for letting your hair down and having some fun, so make sure that you do just that, and push the boat out occasionally!

Cash & Career 4th

8th

Busy at work: – Frustrations: 15th - 20th

The positive April energy for romance carries over into May and acquires a degree of maturity, which means there might be a few niggles of uncertainty creeping to the surface around the 4th, 5th and 6th and there’s likely to be some disagreement about practical priorities between the 18th and 22nd. However, we must put this into perspective. These are niggles and not major issues, and overall May is a marvellous month for getting your act together, learning how to sleep with someone and putting up with their habits, and towards the end of the month some romantic journey or short sexy holiday could be the icing on the cake. A honeymoon for some, maybe, but a good time for all.

Predictability: All month Travel North: 15th – 31st

Love & Sex Uncertainty: 4th, 5th & 6th Disagreements: 18th - 22nd

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M

ay is a month filled with powerful, positive energy that gives your confidence and concentration a major boost. This will enable you to shake off some old winter dust and lift you out of a rather inconsistent bluesy period that’s been with you over these last eighteen

months or more. While things might not be exactly to your liking on the job scene, situations should have improved over the last month or so, and on a very positive note, there should be no shortage of understanding and support from partners and friends. If some of you have been feeling ‘trapped’, a new mental attitude enables you to change that word to

‘committed’. This is a subtle, but major new slant, that will positively affect the way you view your personal relationships and, in general, make you a much pleasanter person to be around. There are some heartwarming and heartfelt gifts and surprises coming your way this month. Enjoy!

24 Nov - 21 Dec

One of the key issues that enables Sagittarians to get much more out of their love lives and emotional commitments, is the awareness of just how important friendship is, even in the most sexually active relationships. Friendship carries with it a different energy to the energy associated with romance, and while romance can survive without friendship for a while, certainly it can’t for very long.

Therefore, in all your romantic dealings, be aware of this ‘friendship’ factor. There should be some pleasant surprises coming your way on the 3rd and 4th and again around the 17th, 18th and 25th, 26th. Don’t expect expensive presents, just small gestures of trust that create a tremendous sense of emotional reassurance.

It isn’t something you become aware of overnight, but as you navigate your way through the month of May, you become aware of the fact that some sort of crisis point has been passed - or that a problem you thought you were going to have to deal with has evaporated or has been sorted out quite naturally by forces beyond your control. This isn’t likely to send you singing and dancing down the high street, but by May 21st or 22nd you should be able to find a greater degree of calm and acceptance of your circumstances.

Where you are now is not where you’re going to be for the rest of your life, but for the time being it will do and you can put up with it for a wee while yet, until you feel ready to push for change.

Cash & Career: Problem solved: All month Calm acceptance: 21st or 22nd

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Positivity: All month Commitment: All month

Love & Sex Friendship: All month Surprises: 3rd, 4th, 17th, 18th, 25th, 26th

M

ay is a month of gentle delights. There will be very few (if any) crises or dramas and there should be plenty of time available for you to do what you want to do, rather than doing what you feel you’ve got to do. Outdoor pursuits are well starred and green fingered

Capricorns should be getting a lot of satisfaction from gardening projects, while more artistic members of the sign will start their first novel, or begin painting the ceiling of the Sistine chapel!

Career aspects are relatively low profile, but all romantic and sexual energies tend to bloom into bright flower; given that for the first time in positively ages, there is

actually some time dedicated to this most important part of your life, and it is a time that you should make the most of and enjoy to the full. Even the toughest old goat with the hardest hide needs a bit of romance now and then, so be sure to put some time aside for your loved one - and some time for yourself!

22 Dec - 20 Jan

As I say, career aspects are quite low profile throughout May, but there should be a few flurries of excitement and activity on the 8th and the 19th and almost certainly again around the 26th, when you get caught up in someone else’s plans and ambitions and find yourself lending a valuable hand, albeit in a supporting role.

While there are no financial dangers in May, you are going to have to watch your spending and employ some strict budgeting – but as you know this already, I don’t have to take this line of thought any further, do I? By the end of the month you may be looking for a little extra part-time income, and if so, it shouldn’t be too hard to find, and will help out nicely.

May will be a lovely open-hearted month for love affairs, sexual engagements and all affairs of the heart. A lot more leisure time, combined with a marked absence of pressure, generates continuing opportunities to make contact with your innermost desires.

There will be a lot more time for enjoying the simplest things in life, like watching a beautiful sunset with a loved one or slurping garlic soup direct from the pan while sitting naked in a caravan with the man/woman of your dreams. May is also a month which validates dreams and gives you absolute 100% confirmation that you’ve got your priorities right. On a slightly cautionary note, some health care where diet is concerned may become relevant.

Cash & Career Lend a hand: 8th, 19th & 26th Budget carefully: All month

Watch your diet: All month No pressure: All month

Love & Sex Leisure: All month Watch your diet: All month

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W

hatever else is happening in May, there is a lot of talking going on between partners, and these conversations are exciting insofar as they are dealing with long term plans and projects that are life enhancing. This element of common bonding does a great deal to

draw partners together, as they focus on mutual goals and targets. As such, May should be a very rewarding period emotionally. This is particularly true where families are concerned and Aquarian parents will be well satisfied with the input and support they are getting from their kids. This works the other way round as well, and Aquarian

children (teens) may well find that Mum and Dad are their best friends at this point in time. This is a very special time when the planetary energies are working towards familial harmony - so make sure you enjoy everything that is being offered to you as family ties are not always this strong!

21st Jan - 19 Feb

As you may gather from the overview, there shouldn’t be too many problems for mature Aquarians, but younger members of the sign (under 30) may find themselves under some pressure to make commitments that they’re not yet ready to make. Dinner with intimacy in a four star hotel is one thing, but engagements and marriage is quite another! For you younger Aquarians, the 8th, 18th and 28th (all the eights, you’ll notice) could be very sticky days when you have to hold a suitor at bay, or squirm and wriggle out of a commitment that you’ve made the night before. The night before may well have been a time when your libido was on the loose and you’d had a gallon of plonk before bed – not the best circumstances for making decisions!

It is so much easier to get on with dayto-day working routines when you know there is something better waiting for you around the next corner; than it is just to slog out hour after hour, day after day, with nothing better in sight.

Thus, many Aquarians will wear a sly little smile of smug self-satisfaction at this time, because they know something that nobody else knows, and there is some private joy and satisfaction in the keeping of the secret. On a practical level there may have to be a bit of belt tightening in May if you’ve overbent the plastic in April, but even here you should be able to do this with a smile on your face. All in all, this is a very positive month for the House of Aquarius, with a sense of calm in both cash and career.

Cash & Career Keeping a secret: All month Budget: All month

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Love & Sex Parental bonding: All month Plan long-term: All month

Over 30’s: Peaceful Under 30’s: Don’t promise!

B

y the end of May you’ll be in a slightly different place and time than you were at the beginning of April – and this may well cause you bemusment and amusement when you come to re-evaluate where you’re at and where you’re going. New situations demand new rules of

engagement and new ways of thinking; and while those Pisceans who can embrace this philosophy will accelerate forwards with a smile on their faces, those who cannot, come to a bit of a full stop with a puzzled look on their faces!

Now I know that some of you won’t have a clue as to what the hell I’m talking about – so just take a look in the mirror

and note that puzzled expression staring back at you! This is a time to rethink your decisions and actions and if you are the fish that feels out of water right now - just remember that change can be good, especially if you want to get out of the garden pond and have the chance to swim with the big fish in the ocean.

20 Feb - 20 Mar

May brings a clearer vision of what you want with regard to affairs of the heart - and it also brings a much clearer awareness of what you haven’t got. Middle-aged and mature members of the sign won’t do much about this state of affairs (if indeed they do anything at all), but more youthful members of the sign won’t be able to sit still until they’ve done something to redress this imbalance. Now as my old granny once told me, you can’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs - and 20 or 30 something Pisceans will be going into their kitchens with very determined looks on their faces (egg whisks in hand) on the 5th, 7th, 11th and 21st of May. Soufflés will be eaten from the 24th onwards.

May offers some resolution to red tape and bureaucratic involvements and some quiet feeling of satisfaction when you review your bank statements towards the month’s end. May will not be a high earning month, but it is a very conserving one, and you’ll not be displeased with what you have achieved. May 9th is a key date for travel aspects that tie in with business or money deals; and May 23rd and 24th see the focus shifting onto domestic finances with the purchase of things (furniture?) for the home. A money-making opportunity will be presented to you on the 28th, which you’ll probably decline as there is too much effort required for too little reward, attractive though the offer may be.

Cash & Career Travel: 9th Domestic Finances: 23rd, 24th

Confusion: All month Make Money: 28th

Love & Sex Make Changes: 5th, 7th, 11th, 21st Move forward: 24th onwards

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M

ay could turn out to be quite a tense and twitchy month with quite a lot of suspense in the wind, as you wait for something to fall into place that could have a profound effect on your long term financial future. Matters are not likely to be helped much if you’re getting it in the

neck from a partner who acquires a strong attack of the “I told you so” syndrome when things do not work out exactly as planned; or if there are some unexpected frustrations and delays with important deals and business arrangements. Feeling the pressure, you’re likely to become moody and irritable, especially around the 10th to the

16th, which is something of a hot spot – or a cold snap, depending upon which way you look at it.

Granted, it is a difficult time, but try not to take your frustration out on those around you, who you will doubtless need on your side later on in the year. Take a deep breath and keep schtum!

21 Mar - 20 Apr

Quite frankly not the most harmonious of months where romance and affairs of the heart are concerned. No problems with casual or uncomplicated sex – it’s just the emotional thing that causes the confusion. On the strength of this, some frank and candid discussions look probable, maybe on the 9th or possibly on the 17th and the challenge is to make sure that these “discussions” do not become arguments. There are some issues that need resolving – financial independence and family finances are high on the agenda – and nothing will get sorted if you lose your temper. Other people need to work harder to see things from your point of view, but you need to lead them there gently, rather than dragging them.

While close friends and business allies can be worth their weight in gold this month, you’ll still feel frustrated by the lack of support and understanding you’re getting from an emotional partner.

Some rescheduling of domestic finances around the 5th or 6th will be a contentious issue and you’ll resent the way in which someone else is over-keen to tell you what to do with your money. In reaction to this, you’ll create a private stash, just so that you know what’s yours and nobody else knows exactly how much you’ve got – maybe they don’t know you’ve got it at all – and if you are being a bit furtive and secretive, who can blame you in the circumstances - it is your money ... isn’t it?

Cash & Career Domestic Finances: 5th & 6th Saving: All month

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Frustration: All month Moody: 10th – 16th

Love & Sex Discussions: 9th & 17th Finances: All month

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Reccommended Titania’s Number Series by Titania Hardie (Connections, £3.99) As you will have guessed from our interview, Titania Hardie is an accomplished writer and very knowledgeable woman. Her abilities shine through in her easy-to-read and easy-to-use books on numbers.

Personally, I can’t think of anything more boring than numbers, so I wasn’t too keen on reviewing books about them. However, I was lucky enough (or are the clever people at Connections Publishing aware of my birthday?) to get a copy of the book for my number (I am a 1). Coincidentally, my number is also the number of my partner, so it wasn’t very long before I cheated, whizzed past the intros and was reading

the section on two number 1’s in love.

‘Spooky’ doesn’t cover it! I felt as if Titania has been watching our relationship as a fly-on-the-wall. She had us and how we interact down to a T! There was so much else covered in this little volume including how you react at work, how you react at play and what really makes you tick ... and it was all so accurate! From my own experiences, I would heartily recommend you get yourself a copy of your own number (see P 38 to work out your number). The only warning I would give is that you too may end up scared that Titania has been watching you!

Diana Reader Offer: order direct from Connections Book Publishing for £3.99 postage and packing FREE;

Phil Whyman’s Dead Haunted (New Holland Publishers, Hardback £14.99) Presented attractively in hardback, this book is instantly eyecatching. The author, Phil Whyman, is best-known for his role on Living TV’s Most Haunted and was interviewed in Vision 24. Here, he has penned a fantastic book! From describing the different types of ghosts and their attributes, right through to the investigation techniques he uses, which you could use when conducting your own ghost hunt. Phil also touches on the darker side of ghostly phenomena, including poltergeists, ‘nasty’ entities and the dangers of using an ouija board. Guest writer, psychic medium Dave Wharmby was invited to clearly outline the different kinds of mediumship for us. Phil then explains everything we need to know, from the equipment we’d need for an investigation, right through to conducting one.

There’s a chapter devoted to Phil’s own investigations, which makes fascinating reading, further in are ‘true life’ paranormal experiences. Phil closes the book with a compilation of his ‘top ten’ haunted places.This is an interesting yet practical book, which will intrigue anyone with an interest in the paranormal. I’d recommend this book to all.

Jay Want this book? Reader Offer: To order your copy of Phil Whyman's Dead Haunted at the special price of £12.99, (RRP £14.99) including free P&P, simply call 01476 541080 and quote the book title, ISBN: 9781845375362, and offer code: NHDH/01. Offer closes 17th May. 74 Vision 26

call 01280 814120 quoting Vision issue 26 and which book you need (from 1 - 9). Calls are charged at standard BT rates. For information on this and other titles visit www.connections-publishing.com

Love’s Simple Truths by Ross Heaven and Kathleen Charlotte (Swirl, £8.49) This book’s title really does speak for itself; it’s an inspiring and unique self-help book. We are assured from the outset that the questions within this book are genuine and have been asked by ordinary people, like you and I. I’m confident that everyone will find something they can use in this book, no matter how happy and settled they are, with questions such as ‘how can I get my lover to hear me when we argue?’ and ‘how can we understand each other better?’. The authors answer these with clarity and profound wisdom, and as spiritual counsellors, you can rest assured that they really know what they are talking about. Following each question and answer is an inspirational Rumi meditation. Rumi earned a reputation as a spiritual teacher from a very early age and was a ‘poet of the heart.’ He established the Sufi order and composed thousands of verses, the main teachings of these being unity. The combination of work within the pages of this book, offer you, the reader, answers to the many questions you may have about love and will help you develop a greater understanding within your relationships. You may read it right through, or just flick through at random, or even allow the pages to fall open. However you choose to use it, you will discover many pearls of wisdom. This is a valuable, self-development book and I’d highly recommend it to all.

Jay Want this book? Available from all good book shops and www.amazon.co.uk

Mixed Blessings by Diane Lazarus (Hardback, Century, £12.99) It’s a miracle in itself that Diane is here to tell us her story, from the outset it’s both gripping and shocking! I can relate to her fears of the night and darkness as a child, but I never had the terror of her visitor, ‘The Lined Man’! Over time Diane learned to trust this entity, as he was, in fact, her protector. Diane has been seeing spirits since she was a small child, and frequently ‘spooked’ her mother, siblings and peers with talk of them and also her startling premonitions.

Diane began to take her amazing gifts more seriously after, at Spirit’s insistence and orchestration, she was somehow ‘made’ to watch a TV programme in the company of her recently deceased cousin Peter. Shortly after this Diane was ‘thrown in at the deep end’ when a psychic failed to show for a psychic night and she was asked to step in. I can well understand her terror here, but she was to discover the evening had been a huge success, and from that she was put in touch with Jeff Marsh and from there was led to a group and beyond. This book is a detailed insight into the life of a psychic medium as well as Diane’s personal story, the two are blended together extremely well by the pen of Linda Dearsley. It’s extremely well written and well paced, this is a must buy for anyone sitting in development, and anyone at all interested in mediumship. I loved it!

Jay Want this book? Order from any bookshop or buy online from www.amazon.co.uk

Realms Of The Earth Angels by Doreen Virtue (Hay House, £4.99) First of all this pocket sized book helps you find out if you are an Earth Angel … and what your purpose as one could be.

There are many people walking this earth who act as Angels themselves and you may be surprised to find out that you are one of them! Doreen also tells you all about incarnated Angels and Elementals, Starpeople, the ‘Wise Ones’ like the Sorcerers, Wizards, Shamans and Witches. She also tells you about the new realms such as the Mystic Angels (which are half Angel and half Wise One), Leprechauns (which are half Elemental and half Wise One),

Harry Price - The Psychic Detective by Richard Morris (Sutton Publishing, £18.99) Harry Price is a famous name in psychic circles. He was the founder of the National Laboratory of Psychical Research.

The author, Richard Morris, has looked into numerous documents in a quest to find the truth about Harry Price as it was suspected he might have created ‘false’ phenomena.

Looking first into his early years the author then moves on to delve deeply into Harry’s adult life, first as a paper bag seller, then as a psychic detective. The book includes many letters, experiences and travels, and tells of the people he met during his lifetime such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The book also describes Harry’s own personal struggle as a writer and how that developed over time. It’s fascinating to read of the friendship between Harry and Houdini and of how much they had in common. The accounts of the investigations themselves are intriguing; touching on the psychic tools of yesteryear such as trumpets - though this book is focused firmly on the man rather than the paranormal.This is a great read for anyone at all interested in the paranormal and for those who are curious about Harry’s life.

I’d highly recommend this book.

Jay Want this book? You can, of course, order from your local bookshop by quoting the author and title, or call Sutton Publishing sales on o1453 883300

Merpeople, Knights and Paladin. This book is a fascinating overview of other realms, where we can dissolve ourselves into myth and magic … and then find out that this is not just the stuff of fairy stories, but has a real relevance – these realms exist! Doreen’s popularity is a testament to the importance of her studies and her work, and continues the trend of more and more people becoming aware and involved with other realms. As with all Doreen’s books, this is an excellent read.

Sammi Want this book? You can order this, and most Doreen Virtue titles, from Vision Shop. Call 0113 286 3939.

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030201 Mustard Seed – Creativity

This dainty fairy is designed to increase your creativity. Cast in pewter and highlighted with silver and gold plating, she is sure to be at home anywhere.

Presentation box and details of how to cleanse your charm are included. £11.00

030205 Moon Leaper – Intuition

030202 Cobweb Faery - Faery Magick

Draw yourself closer to the Faerie realms with this stunning pendant.

Cast in pewter and highlighted with silver and gold plating. Presentation box and details of how to cleanse your charm are included. £11.00

030206 Angels of Oberon Love

Stunning faerie pendant to attract lunar goddess energies to you to increase your intuition.

Pewter highlighted with gold and silver plating. Presentation box and details of how to cleanse your charm are included. £11.00

Charming pendant combining faerie and angel magick to attract love into your life. Pewter highlighted with gold and silver plating. Presentation box and details of how to cleanse your charm are included. £11.00

010102 Faeriecraft

010103 Touched by Angels

A creative melding of Faerie faith and traditional witchcraft, this beautifully illustrated book can bring you closer to the Faerie Realm. £9.99 + £2.95 P & P

010104 Faerie Magick

All you could want to know about angels and how to work magically with them. Some lovely meditations included. £8.99 + £2.95 P & P

010105 Fairy Lore

Find out about fairy food, visits Here are classic to fairyland, fairy stories fairy loves and revealed as folktheir links with lore parables. magic. A Here are the beautiful book spirits of Earth, to own and a Air, Fire and Water. Discover how to bring their real must for anyone with even a passing interest in fairies. magick into everyday life. £10.95 + £2.95 P & P £8.99 + £2.95 P & P

030204 Angelus – Miracles

030203 Archangel Michael – Freedom from the Past

Miracles do happen and they can Archangel Michael change your will help you leave life. This the past you no longer pendant is need. Cast in pewter designed to highlighted with gold / silver plating. attract miracles into your Presentation box and details of how to life. Cast in pewter and cleanse your charm are included. highlighted with gold and £11.00 silver plating. £11.00

030219 Cusp of Titania Radiance Shine like this most beautiful faery, with this gorgeous pendant.

Presentation box and details of how to cleanse your charm included. £11.00

020401 Fairy Magic – 3 Wishes This superb guided meditation floats around and over you.

Karen’s voice is subtle, soft and delicate. £9.99 + £2.95 P & P

050102 Archangel Oracle Cards

Archagels are wise and loving guides who can motivate and heal. This deck of 45 cards will help you to invoke them. Guide book included. £11.99 + £2.95 P & P

050101 Daily Guidance from Your Angels

A beautiful deck filled with 365 channelled meditations, each card offering messages for the day. This deck can also be used for divination. £11.99 + £2.95 P & P

010119 Angels 101

020402

An overview of While who the angels Angels are, the ways Dream that angels The music help us and on this how to call album is upon them. fresh, The perfect gentle, gift for stirring and slightly magical. someone new to these concepts! £9.99 + £2.95 P & P £8.99 + £2.95 P & P

Disclaimer: All items are sold on their quality and aesthetics only. No magical results are guaranteed.

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030207 Fleur de Venus Love

This beautiful pendant is designed to attract love into your life. Sterling Silver with a beautiful rose quartz gemstone set in the centre. Black cord necklace - comes in a purple satin pouch. £21.00

030502 Chakra Pendant

With a genuine semiprecious stone for each chakra, this charming pendant is one of our best sellers! Get your own now – on a Sterling Silver chain and with free pouch! £25.00

030214 Venusian Pentagram

Inscribed with Earth, Air, Fire and Water, to attract love to you.

Includes 18” chain. £13.25

030208 Quintessance – Psychic Insight

With a fiery garnet gemstone at its heart, this pendant is especially designed to improve your psychic insight.

On a black cord necklace and created in Sterling Silver with gold plating. Presented in a purple satin pouch. £21.00

030209 Selene’s Glaive – Intuition

Tap into the powerful energies of the lunar goddess with the wonderful pendant cast in Sterling Silver and set with a genuine moonstone. On a black cord necklace and presented in a purple satin pouch. £21.00

030213 Pentagram of Swords

This pendant in silver and goldplated pewter comes in its own gift box and on a chain £13.00

030221 Dracogram This beautiful piece is pewter finished in silver and gold with a crystal inset.

Complete with chain and its own lined pouch. £18.00

This charming piece will help attract wealth and well being into your life.

Complete with gift box, and matching chain. £13.00

030220 Bast

030211 Freya

The goddess Freya rides the night sky in this lovely pendant with Swarovski crystals. On matching chain and presented in a gift box. £15.00

030210 The Earth Star

Directs magical energy and works as a protective shield. Includes 18” chain, and gift box. £19.50

030501 Aqua Aura Pendant

030216 Choku Rei Produced by a Reiki Master, this pendant for healing and protection is presented in a gift box with matching chain. £15.99

This stunning stone helps to harmonise the chakras and aid assertiveness in the wearer.

It is truly beautiful, and comes on an 18” sterling silver chain. £18.00

Power Bracelets Choose from: 030504 Amethyst 030505 Lapis Lazuli 030506 Nephrite Jade 030507 Fluorite 030508 Rose Quartz 030509 Carnelian 030510 Aventurine 030511 Hematite 030512 Tiger’s Eye

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Healing Spirituality Attraction Clear Thought Love Luck Vitality Protection Strength

£9.00 £12.00 £8.00 £8.00 £8.00 £6.00 £6.00 £6.00 £6.00

Disclaimer: All items are sold on their quality and aesthetics only. No magical results are guaranteed.

010111 The Wicca Bible

010110 The Craft

An introductory guide with everything you need to know for successful witchery. Easy to follow instructions. £12.99 + £2.95 P & P

This is your one-stop shop for information on all aspects of Wicca today. It includes belief and philosophy, gods and goddesses and Wiccan practice. £12.99 + £2.95 P & P

010107 The Spells Bible

010108 Book of Shadows

A guide to practical spellcraft, with over 150 spells for you to try. £12.99 + £2.95 P & P

030217 Triple Goddess

010112 Cassandra Eason’s Book of Spells

Here is the ultimate book of spells. Happiness spells, healing, success and protective spells; love spells; rituals and rites to perform are all included. £19.99 + £2.95 P & P

010109 The Solitary Wiccan’s Bible

020402 Candle Magic CD This awesome album weaves magic, as it unashamedly celebrates many Wiccan and Pagan virtues and ancient ways. £10.99 + £2.95 P & P

010106 A Year and a Day in Magick

This fantastic book will give you the Blank book designed for use as a magical diary. Book of Shadows Go deeper into the experience of traditional ‘year and a day’ training for first degree initiation, plus loads of stamped on the front and spine Wicca - alone. Easy to understand; reference material. A must-have! in gold foil. An instruction sheet this book clearly lays out the £19.99 + £2.95 P & P is included.

Wiccan path. £10.99 + £2.95 P & P £14.99 + £2.95 P & P

Cast in Sterling Silver, this pendant is reputed to bring the wearer love and happiness. Presented in a gift box with a black cord necklace. £18.50

030212 Pentagram of Pan

030223 Open Pentagram Ideal for all-round magical use, can be empowered for any positive purpose. £15.50

Beautiful pentagram in pewter, formed of wood and leaves. Connect with the Spirit of the Forest! On a chain in a gift box. £15.00

030215 Celtic Pentagram

This really is a truly stunning piece! Incorporating Swarovski crystals and in silver-plated pewter, it comes on its own chain and in a gift box. £18.00

Rune Spells

A complete collection of genuine runic magical spells, easy to work and with full instructions. Choose from the following: 080201 Health 080202 Lottery 080203 Love 080204 Luck 080205 Wealth 080206 Wish £8.00 each

010121 To Ride a Silver Broomstick

010122 To Stir a Magick Cauldron

A bestseller and the perfect book for a beginner in the Craft. First in a series of three. £12.99 + £2.95 P & P

The second in a series of three. Here are more indispensible tips and techniques of witchcraft for today. £12.99 + £2.95 P & P

Disclaimer: All items are sold on their quality and aesthetics only. No magical results are guaranteed.

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050203 Oracle Pendulum

050204 Wealth Pendulum

Complete with a divinatory chart, this pendulum is your oracle of answers! £13.00

Complete with a divinatory chart, this pendulum is especially designed to help with all money questions. £13.00

030514 Cone Shaped Pendulum

050207 Faceted Pendulum Simple but effective pendulum in a variety of stones (please enquire).

The hanging chain also has a small matching crystal. £12.00

010113 The Tarot Bible Everything you ever wanted to know about the Tarot Cards, including how to read them! £12.99 + £2.95 P & P

050109 Titania’s Fortune Cards Easier to understand and more fun than the tarot. The cards are combined with a guidebook on layout and interpretation. £9.99 + £2.95 P & P

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Unusual but beautifully balanced cone-shaped pendulum.

Variety of stone choices. £14.00

050205 Love Pendulum

050206 Witches’ Pendulum

Complete with a chart for divination, this pendulum is especially designed for questions of love.

Gift boxed. £13.00

Complete with chart for divination and instructions, this pendulum is designed to help with magical questions. £13.00

030513 ‘Egyptian cut’ Pendulum This superb pendulum is available in a variety of stones (Fluorite pictured). £16.90

050110 Fairy Ring Tarot

050208 Witching Stones

Stunning imagery on cards that are a delight to use. Including full instructions. Highly recommended! £27.00 + £2.95 P & P

Suitable for beginners these beautiful gemstones come complete with explanation and casting chart. £13.00

030515 Crystal and Copper Pendulum Copper is traditionally used for divining. Combine the power of copper with the amplifying power of quartz! £17.50

050103 Magical Mermaids and Dolphins Oracle Cards These cards are specifically designed to help you manifest your goals, are easy to use and the enclosed guidebook will help you to perform magical readings. £11.99 + £2.95 P & P

050113 Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards This superb set of cards from Doreen Virtue links you with 050108 the guidance of the Goddesses. £11.99 + £2.95 P & P White Eagle Medicine Wheel A step-by-step guide to the sacred teachings of the Native Americans.

Illustrated book and cards. £17.99 + £2.95 P & P

050112 Titania’s Crystal Ball Titania’s own crystal ball set, which explains how anyone can learn to see their own future. £16.99 + £2.95 P & P

Disclaimer: All items are sold on their quality and aesthetics only. No magical results are guaranteed.

020404 020901 Meditation and Visualisation CD Great Spirit Told Me by Michael Set some special time aside for yourself and melt ... or manifest your dreams. Both journeys provide a perfect introduction to the benefits of total relaxation. £9.99 + £2.95 P & P

Standing Wolf Superb meditation album with calming and centring music and the voice of Michael Standing Wolf. Recommended. £10.99 + £2.95 P & P

020405 True Reiki CD

060601 EXCLUSIVE CD

If you are into Reiki - this is a must! Designed specifically for Reiki, a truly sensational album! £10.99 + £2.95 P & P

An exclusive CD produced for Vision!

Some tracks especially composed, guided meditation. £1.99

010123 Meditation Bible

010124 Magical Aromatherapy

Containing meditations for calming and centreing, developing love and compassion and solving problems. £12.99 + £2.95 P & P

Use aromatics to enhance any of your rituals and your life.

Truly anyone can use this superb book. £4.99 + £2.95 P & P

010901 The Yorkshire way of Feng Shui

010114 Contacting the Spirit World

No-nonsense and simple Feng Shui techniques for anybody, anywhere! £9.99 + £2.95 P & P

If you’ve read our review of this book, you’ll already know that it is easy to read and easy to follow. The perfect introduction to mediumship. £10.99 + £2.95 P & P

020406 Secrets of the Faeries CD Gentle and graceful music performed from the heart. Pefect for relaxation, Reiki, Yoga, massage and de-stress in general. £10.99 + £2.95 P & P

Roque Art Cards These stunning greeting cards have the most mesmerising images and are perfect for framing or giving. Choose from the following: £3.50 each

090204 Twilight Angel

090202 Gaia

090201 Crescent Fairy

060602 Vision Binder Protect your copies of Vision! Our superb binder has been created in Vision purple with gold effect Vision logo on the spine. Each binder will safely store 12 issues, these can be very easily inserted so there is no damage to the magazines. (Magazines for illustration only). £8.99 + £2.95 P & P

090203 Moon Dance

Disclaimer: All items are sold on their quality and aesthetics only. No magical results are guaranteed.

1. To order you can phone, fax, email or write to Vision Shop, 42a Main Street, Garforth, LS25 1AA. Tel: 0113 286 6789 Fax: 0113 287 2293 Email: sales@visionmagazine.uk.com We accept postal orders/ cheques/ credit/ debit cards: make all cheques and postal orders payable to Vision Magazine Ltd.All goods are subject to availability. All prices include VAT plus free standard postage and packaging. (Unless otherwise stated).For an additional £1 per item we can provide recorded delivery. If you opt for standard delivery, we cannot refund on lost or wrongly delivered items. Damaged or lost goods notification must be made 81 within 7 days of delivery. We require 28 days for delivery although most orders are dispatched within 7-14 days of receipt.

2. If you are not satisfied with your goods a full refund will be given, providing goods are returned within 7 days.

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W

e still get lots of calls in the Vision office saying that people are having trouble locating Vision in some areas. Apart from being able to subscribe or get your copy from us here, don’t forget that you can order Vision at any newsagent! You can also do so at most bookshops and this month’s winner is a bookshop – Waterstones in

Sunderland. Heln Horsley found that Waterstones had put Vision in pride of place and snapped this picture here for us. Helen wins a goody bag, as does Waterstones, so thank you to both of them for their efforts.

You can win one of our goody bags too – just send us a snap of your local shop that are making that extra effort, so that you don’t have to go that extra mile to buy your Vision.

This month’s winner!

This month’s winner is Helen Horsley, who found her copy at Waterstones in Sunderland. Well done, Helen and Waterstones, you both win a goody bag this month!

How to Enter Win a goody bag for you and your local Vision stockist!

Just take a photograph of a Vision display and send it along to us with your name and address, and the name and address of the shop where you took the photo. If your photo is the monthly winner, you and your local shop will each win a goody bag!

Send your photos by email to: editor@visionmagazine.uk.com by post to: Vision is Out There!

Vision Magazine, 42a Main Street, Garforth LS25 1AA By text to: 07725 656 718

Still can’t find a copy of Vision?

Don’t despair, you can order Vision easily through your local newsagent. Just fill out the form opposite for them and you’ll never have to search again!

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