All posts tagged: witchcraft

ParaNormal This Week! June 17, 2016

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It’s the paranormal top 5 of the week! Share this on Facebook>>> 1)What’s the difference between a manifestation and an apparition? Find out here. 2) Some UFO fans are convinced the origin of Big Foot is… Mars. 3) How did the witchcraft trials influence Shakespeare’s writing? And speaking of the arts, there’s an exhibit of Bruegel’s Witches going on in Belgium. 4) An urban legend, debunked. Who was the witch of Fox Point? 5) A review of What is a Witch by Pam Grossman and Tin Can Forest. About the Author Curator Kirsten Weiss worked overseas for nearly twenty years, in the fringes of the former USSR and in South-east Asia.  Her experiences abroad sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives. Now based in San Mateo, CA, she writes genre-blending steampunk suspense, urban fantasy, and mystery, mixing her experiences and imagination to create a vivid world of magic and mayhem. Kirsten has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are …

ParaNormal News This Week! June 10, 2016

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Welcome to a week of witchy goodness. This roundup isn’t usually so witch focused, but I don’t make the news. I’m just the curator. Share this on Facebook>>> 1)A historian has been researching witchcraft in Yorkshire in the 17th century. Was Yorkshire a good or a bad place to be a witch? 2) This month is the 324th anniversary of the Salem witch trials, and one local library is marking the occasion. 3) An article about Sister of the Equinox, a modern-day coven in Australia. 4) Some witches are hexing a Stanford student convicted of rape. They feel his sentence (six months) didn’t go far enough. Rule of three, ladies and gentlemen. 5) And now a palate cleanser: Some ghost hunters, investigating a cemetery, accidentally wandered into a porno shoot. About the Author Curator Kirsten Weiss worked overseas for nearly fourteen twenty years, in the fringes of the former USSR and in South-east Asia.  Her experiences abroad sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives. Now based …

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ParaNormal This Week! April 8, 2016

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From the sublime to the Simpsons, it’s your paranormal news of the week! Share this on Facebook>>> 1)One of the world’s greatest collections of witchcraft movie posters is at Cornell University, along with all sorts of other witchcraft goodness. And badness. 2) Singer Adele has discovered the power of witchcraft. She won’t go anywhere without her crystals, and is contemplating going deeper into witchcraft. She certainly looks badass in black. (I know, the witch in the black gown is a total stereotype, but the photo in the article is super witchy! And awesome.) 3) A witch in New Orleans who illegally took human remains from cemeteries for resale across state lines (ew…) has prompted lawmakers to stiffen penalties for the illegal trafficking in human bits and bobs. Grave robbing? Really? 4) Is this the most haunted house in Britain? Since the country is full of spirits, that would be haunted indeed. 5) The Minnesota town of Remer, population 370, has declared itself the official home of Bigfoot. According to the press release, Remer plans to …

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Paranormal This Week: Sept. 18

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The paranormal is a news gift that just keeps on giving… Here are my top five stories for the week! Share this on Facebook>>> 1.First up, a decent article on modern-day witchcraft from the Daily Mail. If you’re a witch, there’s nothing new here. But if you’re curious, read on. 2. Knott’s Scary Farm is gearing up again for its annual Halloween shenanigans. I haven’t visited the park since college, when Elvira was doing her shtick on stage. Whadda performer. Anyone gone recently? 3. Have you got a favorite haunted attraction? If so, you can vote on USA Today’s poll for best extreme haunted attraction. It’s open through October 12. USA Today’s also running a Best Ghost Tour poll. I think I might detect a theme… 4. What has got to be the most creative (and creepiest) video pregnancy announcement ever… You go, paranormal parents! 5. And to polish off my top five list, a true(?) ghost story about a haunted pub in New Jersey.

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ParaNormal This Week: Aug 15

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1. Are ghosts oppressive tools of the patriarchy? That’s what one study (doesn’t) say, but it does claim that most ghosts are male. Any mediums out there who’d care to corroborate? Share this on Facebook>>> 2. Sadly, witch hunts are still going strong in India, with five more dead in Jharkhand. One Indian journalist draws the connection between uppity women and accusations of witchcraft. Most western scholars claim that was the same cause of witch accusations in medieval Europe, just a reminder that some things never change. 3. And in happier witch hunter news, there’s going to be a sequel to Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, possibly the cheesiest witch hunter film ever made (but we haven’t seen the new Vin Diesel version yet – here’s hoping!). 4. And in more, ahem, edifying news, a 1,400 female skeleton was unearthed at Warwickshire. Archaeologists believe it may have belonged to a witch, because of a religious utensil found among the bones. 5. Evidence that a haunted puppet moved on its own? The haunted puppet was given to psychologist Jayne …

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Curandera: Interview with Juliet Blackwell

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Today we interview Juliet Blackwell, author of the Witch Mystery and Haunted Home series of cozy mystery novels about witchcraft with a Latin American flavor. Share this on Facebook>>> PYN: In your Witchcraft Mystery series, your heroine’s witchcraft is flavored by her Hispanic heritage. Can you tell us a bit about that? Juliet Blackwell: I worked as an anthropologist and studied medical anthropology, so I was looking at systems of healthcare all around the world. My specialty was Latin America. So when I first decided to write the series, it’s largely because I had an interest in that area and the folk healing, botanicals, and witchcraft that comes out of it. On top of that, my mother-in-law at the time was from a small, traditional village in Central Mexico and is full of information. She’s got a million folk beliefs about medical care, and as I was raising my son, she was always full of interesting stories about what to do and how. I kind of took it from there. The character in the Witchcraft …

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10 Luscious Etsy Shops to Delight Your Favorite Witch!

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Looking for a Christmas/Yule present for that special witch in your life? Check out some of these fabulous witchy shops on Etsy! But don’t delay, shipping can be glacial this time of year… White Magick Alchemy: A massive supply of high-quality oils, misters, and candle magick, among other things. And they sell some gorgeous pendulums I’ve got my eye on. WitchBabySoap: Body products with a witchy flavor. My fav: The Psychic Body Butter. It feels and smells fantastic. Wytchen Wood: Based in the UK, the products have a Celtic/shamanistic bent, selling Ogham sets, wands, runes, and more. Raw, primal, gorgeous. Witchcrafts Artisan Alchemy: Monster selection of magical products – from oils to candles to pretty much everything in between. Wicked house Mercantile: Want, want, want their mysteriously labeled herb jars with the magickal properties of the herbs listed on the back. Also, a lovely selection of mini-cauldron,s an extensive collection of tea, and much, much more. White Witch Parlor: Incense and terrific oil samplers. The Shabby Witch: Magical kits, mojo bags, hoodoo kits, and an extensive collection …

10 Gorgeous Paranormal Pinterests to Inspire Your Writing

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These Pinterest boards were chosen based on quality (admittedly subjective) and quantity, but here are my top 10 faves. 1. Haunted: Haunting, creepy, supernatural images; 2. Another Haunted: More haunted images, but with a focus on haunted houses (or haunted-looking houses); 3. Ghost Pictures: Just like it says – images of ghosts caught on film; 4. Dragons and Sea Monsters: Fabulous art histories from various times and cultures. 5. Mermaids: Over 600 images of mermaids, many from pop culture. (I love the mermaid quote by Anaïs Nin at the top of the board.) 6. Vampires: No paranormal list is complete without those creatures of the night. I like this board because of its mix – from 50s kitsch to truly creepy modern vampire gore. 7. Witchcraft: This board’s header says it’s the place to “celebrate the beauty, magic and wisdom of witchcraft.” And it does. 8. More Witchcraft: This board focuses more on haunting images of witches, but it’s not limited to the female form. 9. Paranormal: An eclectic collection of paranormal images. What I appreciate about it are the detailed captions, 10. Supernatural: It’s hard …

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Victorian-Era Spell for the New (?) Moon

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January 30th is the second new moon this month. Since the new moon marks the beginning (or the end?) of a moon phase, it’s associated with manifesting and regeneration spells. [Tweet this!] Here’s a Victorian-era spell from Fontaine’s Golden Wheel Dream Book and Fortune Teller, 1862: “On first seeing the new moon, if you happen to look at it over your right shoulder, you may make a silent wish, and you will realize it. If a girl thus observes the new moon, and desires to see her future husband, she must repeat to herself (so as not to be heard by any one) the following lines: New moon, new—pray let me see Who my husband is to be: The color of his hair, The clothes he is to wear, And the happy day that he’ll wed me! If she is to be married that year, she will positively see the man of her choice before the wane of the full moon.” The book was meant for parties and entertainment, and it’s hard to take it …