The Curse of Anna strikes again....

 I've been shockingly remiss in updating this blog.  You'd think that, now I've retired form work, I'd have lots of time on my hands.  Somehow, though, it doesn't work out like that. Before I know it, every day has run under my nose and it's too late to start anything.  Many people told me that, once I retired, I'd wonder how I ever had time to work;  and it's absolutely true.  Anyway, enough of the pitiful excuses, it's time to tell you about my latest adventures.

Have I mentioned the curse of Anna? It goes back to the time when, whenever Anna was present at a home celebration, I'd somehow set fire to my robes,  These days it's morphed into something going wrong whenever we venture out together - usually getting lost (see our outing to the Skirrid Inn). This time I had Covid just before we were due to go ghost hunting at City Hall, Cardiff.  I'd managed to escape the virus ever since the first (mild) episode in April 2020, but this time it got me! Finally a variant that managed to dodge my heavily-defended immune system. Still, at least I got to use one of the tests I'd hoarded since they stopped being given out for free. 

I was reasonably confident that I'd manage to make it to the Ghost Walk at St Fagan's museum without getting list - I've been there and back often enough that I know the way.  As a matter of fact, I'd visited there with my friend Dave earlier in the summer, and I took quite a few pictures that day, planning to make a slideshow of the event (another thing I haven't got round to, but never give up hope!)

That day was lovely and sunny, and we'd timed our arrival before the influx of parties of schoolchildren so we had a lovely time ambling around the site going from building to building before admitting we were too tired to continue and heading for home.  The night of the Ghost Walk, however, saw a storm alert in force and the drive there took me longer than usual because of the weather conditions, leaving me worrying that we'd be late.  However, we made it in the nick of time - and we weren't the last to arrive.

The walk was interesting - we visited several of the buildings and were told about the experiences that had been reported in each of them.  I'll be honest, I didn't have any sense of any spirit activity, but the stories were interesting.  

The Kenixston Farmhouse, for example, was said to be haunted by the apparition of a woman with a "maniacal grin" who sometimes appears in photographs of the kitchen window.  Anna took a photo of the window...and there is a peculiar smudge in one of the panes..!  

It was a very interesting evening, even if it did pour down at times and toad-dodging became a popular activity - the toads were obviously used to having the run of the place after dark and saw no reason not to to cross the footpaths if they felt like it.  I learned that there was a battle of St Fagans in the Civil War, which was something I'd never heard of, which made me feel as if my education was somewhat lacking.  In my defence, the period of history I studied started with the run-up to the American war of Independence and ended with Gladstone and Disraeli. 

Then, in the final building of the evening, the Cilewent Farmhouse, things got a bit spooky.  

For the first time in the evening, I got the sense of a spirit energy - that peculiar "gripped", pins-and-needles feeling that lets me know a spirit has moved close to me.  Someone wa blowing in my face and fiddling with my hair.  The party of women standing next to me reported similar feelings and they asked to leave the building.  I stayed - but I nearly asked to be let out as well.  Whoever was there was not nice!  After the leader had told us about the things that had been experienced there (and we'd all jumped out of our skins when the clock struck 11!) he offered everyone the opportunity to peek into the kitchen behind hime, which was allegedly an active space.  My reaction was"F___ no!" and I got out of there.

The journey home was uneventful, I managed to negotiate the Culverhouse Cross Roundabout without too much difficulty and we got back to Swansea around midnight.

Our next adventure, for once, did not involve the supernatural at all - we were going to see Lucy Worsley talk about Agatha Christie, but nevertheless the Curse of Anna would not be thwarted.  We'd decided to go by train to Cardiff so I didn't have to worry about driving (and could have a glass of wine if I chose) 

Anna enjoying First Class travel

It was a sweltering hot day, so we were looking forward to the air-conditioned comfort of First Class. We arrived in good time, but our train wasn't ready for boarding.  Eventually we were told that our train was a double-header and there was a problem connecting the two trains.  They did allow us to get onto the front end of the train after a bit so we were cool.  The train got going 20 minutes late, which meant I could claim compensation for the delay. As we were not in any hurry, we just enjoyed the journey.  Anna was delighted to discover that the complimentary refreshments available to First Class passengers included cake.

After a gentle stroll around Cardiff and a stop for food (a place called Fat Hippo - very nice too!) we still had plenty of time before the event.  It was very hot, so we found a small shop selling Joe's Ice Cream near to the castle.  We sat outside enjoying our cones, and witnessed a collision between a taxi and a young woman on a bike.  I couldn't see exactly how it happened - there was a bump and suddenly the young lady fell off her bike in front of the cab.  My guess would be that she was overtaking the taxi and the driver, who was in a queue of slow-moving traffic, didn't expect her to be coming up alongside.  

I think she was more shaken than hurt, and the driver came back and spoke to her  as soon as he could find somewhere to park.  It was all very amicable and there were several people helping when we left to go to the St David's Hall.

It was a very enjoyable talk.  Lucy Worsley is a very engaging, entertaining speaker and the hall was full.  The journey home was without incident - we got back into Swansea about 11 p.m., agreeing to decide upon our next adventure soon as possible (we're booked onto a Mary Beard lecture but that will be a virtual event so doesn't count).  

It was the next day that the news broke that St David's Hall is constructed with RAAC - the stuff that's been discovered to be unsafe - and is bieng closed for the next  4 weeks.

Anna says even she is beginning to believe in the curse now. 

Mansion House Cardiff - Ghost Hunt

After our last adventure at the Skirrid Inn,  Anna and I were keen to book our next adventure and we found a Ghost Hunt at the Mansion House in Cardiff that looked ideal. 

It was within easy travelling distance (so we don't have to stay overnight and it's not too far for me to drive home at 3 a.m.) and it does not, and this is important, involve going anywhere near the Heads of the Valley road.  (See the Skirrid Inn blog post for reasons!) The company organising the Ghost Hunt, Paranormal Eye, stated that spirit mediums were present during the event, which I thought was a good idea.  I'd taken the precaution of doing a recce so I knew where the venue was and where I could park - somehow, I always manage to get lost when Anna is with me!) and we arrived in good time. 

 We were greeted by Nicky, the lead investigator and a spirit medium, and immediately I was impressed by how well-organised the event was.  We were registered and then led indoors, where we were handed over to another team member, who offered to take our photos (Anna accepted - I declined!) then we were directed to the kitchen to get a hot drink before being led to "base camp" to wait for the event to begin and get a sense of our surroundings.  The evening began with the mandatory health & safety briefing, we were taken on a tour of the building.

Haunted locations are often old, with a rich history, and sometimes at least partially derelict, which gives them a spooky feeling.  The Mansion House is relatively modern (Victorian) and it is beautifully decorated and furnished.  There's no immediate feeling of creepiness when you cross the threshold.  

It was the Lord Mayor's residence and we were told that the King stayed there when he was Prince of Wales. We we.re shown the bedroom he stayed in, but I found myself feeling very sick and got out as soon as I could.  Afterwards I learned that it wasn't uncommon for people to report feeling unwell in that room.  I began to feel better as we were shown some of the other bedrooms.  

The tour completed, we began the investigation with a circle to protect and ground us - something I haven't come across when ghost hunting with other companies and which I found very impressive.  Afterwards, we returned to base were put into our groups for the investigations.

Our group began in the attic, which had been the servants' quarters - and even these rooms were plainly, but nicely carpeted and decorated so not spooky at all.  We worked with pendulums and a Ouija board.  The board was not co-operative at all.  I've never met such a sticky board, neither planchette nor glass wanted to budge.  However, the EMF meter and light-up cat toy   that were set up in the room were giving responses to questions throughout the session and I was getting the "someone in my aura" feeling that lets me know that spirits are around me.  I saw a shadow figure flit in front of the window - again, something that others had reported.

And then the fire alarm went off.  

Believe me when I say I wasn't at all surprised.  As part of the briefing at the start of the evening we'd been told that there was no test of the fire alarm planned and if it went off we should all evacuate the premises.  At that point I KNEW that the alarm was going to go off.  I also knew who would be to blame.  David's a past master at setting off a fire alarm.  Our silver wedding anniversary had passed without incident, which was a little disappointing - evidently, he'd wanted to make himself known to a larger audience.  

Out we all went - luckily, it wasn't raining - and waited for the fire brigade to arrive.  They had to search the building to make sure it was safe and when one of the firemen saw a Ouija board set out he refused to go into the room.   I told the team member with our group that I was sure it was my late husband playing tricks, as he has form in that area.  A little later she approached me and asked which room I'd been in when the alarm went off.  It turned out that the alarm had been triggered in the attic room I'd been in.  

I then got told off by one of the firemen, which I felt was rather unfair! 

Once we were cleared to go back inside, we moved on to the next area to explore.  This was another Ouija/planchette, and this time it was Anna's turn for and uncomfortable experience.  She felt someone behind her pushing down hard on her shoulders. She was so uncomfortable she had to leave the room.

How Anna said she felt!

Whatever was communicating wasn't being terribly convincing and we did feel that it was messing about.  We moved on to a "human pendulum" with Anna as the pendulum.  Again, nothing very convincing was communicated, but it was an interesting experience, especially for Anna, who said she felt that she was rooted to the spot while being pushed gently forward or back.  

After a break for refreshments (sandwiches and pastries - very nice indeed!) We moved on to the dining room.  

This was where a "Victorian Seance" was being held, and it was apparent from the start that this area was very active.  The REM pod lights were flashing and it was emitting eerie screeches even before we sat down and turned off the lights.  It seems that REM pod activity isn't very common, but that one was going berserk.  There were a lot of loud raps that seemed to come from underneath the table (I tried kicking the table to reproduce the sound - I couldn't) and one very loud bang that sounded as if something heavy had been dropped onto the table.  The K2 meters that were placed at intervals along the table didn't react at all.  I felt very strong energy that swept around the room, saw shadow figures, felt a chilly breeze around my knees - it was intense.

The last area that we explored was the basement, and the energy was fading by then, or so it seemed to me.  We managed to get the table to tip and to lurch along the floor a bit, we heard a whistle that was heard on  the top floor but not on the first or ground floors, we heard a dog bark and yawn and something that sounded like a pebble was thrown. As it was the final session of the evening, we could hear people walking above us, gathering and putting away the various bits of equipment - except we found out later that nobody had been walking about on the ground floor.

All in all, the venue was the most active that I've ever been to and probably one of the best organised, and I only got slightly lost on the way home.  It took four days before I recovered. Highly  recommended!

Burn baby burn

 It's been a while since I updated this blog - must do better!  Since last I wrote I've taken the decision to retire from my job at the end of March (I've 4 weeks left in work as I write this - I've got 2 weeks leave to take so from the middle of the month I am outta there!)  Although I'm confident it's the right time to quit, I'm a little nervous about keeping myself occupied when I no longer have a day job.  

With that in mind, I came up with the idea of starting a small business making and selling "witchy" crafts.  I was inspired by some of the items I saw for sale at a Psychic Fayre - and to be honest, it gave me the excuse I needed to invest in a laser cutter as a Christmas present to myself.  I named it Bernie, and set it up in the corner of my living room.  It wasn't originally planned to live there, but it turned out Bernie was a bitt bigger than I expected.

My laser

I've written in my other blog about the fun(!) I had assembling the machine, and for a few days I just stared at it, too scared to actually turn it on.  I don't know what I thought it was going to do - run amok and exterminate the cat, perhaps?  After running out of excuses - (I need a table to put it on...I have to assemble the enclosure...I must attach the air assist, and so on) I made my first burn...and after that I was hooked!  

First burn!

One of my favourite things to do with the laser is engraving on slate.  It just blows my mind that the laser can do that, and it was one of the first things I tried.  My first attempt was a bit off-centre, but I learned that slate can be sanded so with a bit of effort with the orbital sander (named Sandy, of course!) mistakes can be erased and the slate can be used again.

First attempt at a slate coaster

So after a few weeks of practicing with a variety of materials, I felt ready to work on a large (33cm) slate placemat.  I designed a circular Ouija board.  I took ages over the design, tweaking it and reworking it until I had it as I wanted it.  I sanded the placemat so that the surface was super-smooth (and set off the smoke alarm outside the kitchen. I was wearing a respirator (safety first) so I didn't really notice the dust! Lesson learned -   open the window and close the door if I'm doing a major bit of sanding.  ) I put the slate onto the bed of the machine, centred it, checked and double-checked the focus, speed and power, and hit "start".  It was going to take nearly 2 hours to complete, but I was confident it would be worth it.

I monitored progress from time to time and it was all going well for the first hour, until the laser started on the letters around the outside of the board.  It was only then I spotted my horrible mistake.  Can you see it? 

It was only when the machine started engraving the last letter of the alphabet that I spotted it was X, not Z.  I can't believe that, with all the hours I spent staring at the design and fiddling with elements of it, I didn't notice the mistake!  

Back to the drawing board - and my kitchen is covered in slate dust again!

How to use a Tarot Card Wrap

 Ok, so sometimes I take my Tarot cards out and about with me - if I'm giving readings, or attending a workshop.  I've always carried them, wrapped in silk, in a drawstring bag, which has been absolutely fine.  However, on YouTube, I came across a number of people who were making fabric wraps that doubled as a travel reading mat for their Tarot cards - so I had a go at making some.  If you want to see how I made mine, you can find it on my YouTube channel.

After my first attempt, I decided that there were a couple of improvements I could make.  The prototype was made of cotton fabric, outside and inside, and I used elastic to keep it closed.  

Traditionally, it was recommended that you wrap your cards in silk and store them away from direct sunlight, so the next batch were lined with heavy black silk.  Also, I wasn't a fan of the way the elastic twisted the edge of the wrap, so I swapped it for a long, silky tape.

Here's how I wrap my cards.

1. Open up the wrap and place your cards (in or out of their box - the choice is yours!) about a third of the way from the short side that doesn't have the ribbon tie and roughly equidistant from the two long sides.

If it's not quite right, you can always go back and readjust. 

2. Fold the long sides over the cards.

3. Then fold the side without the tape over the cards.

4. Now keep going.  Roll the package (cards and wrap) over until you run out of wrap.

5. Finally, wrap the ribbon/tape around the wrapped up cards and tuck the end under itself to keep your cards safe and snug in their own special blanket!

I prefer the wrap to a card bad because for one thing, I don't have to faff about with pieces of silk (I've lost track of the number of those I've lost over the years!) and I've got a built-in surface to lay my cards out on.  

If you don't want to make one of these for yourself, I  will eventually be selling these in my Folksy shop (still under construction) so do watch this space.  And before I go, I want to apologise for the lack of YouTube action lately - life gets in the way sometimes!

Hoping to do better,

Bright )O( blessings,

Keren

(The Neighbourhood Witch)

Ghost Hunting at the Skirrid Inn

 It was Anna's idea.  Anna is my friend.  We've known each other for 25 years. It's one of those friendships where we don't see each other for years and then pick up where we left off.  So when she said she'd like to go on a ghost hunt at the Skirrid, I was up for it.

We booked with a company called Haunted Happenings, who I've used before and found them to be very good.  

Then Anna got Covid with a week to go.

Luckily, it didn't cause serious illness, but even with the current strain being relatively mild,  we didn't think it was a good idea to turn up for the ghost hunt, so we re-booked, and on Friday 2 September, we set off on what turned into the journey from hell.

It's the A465.  The A465 (Heads of the Valleys road) has been undergoing road works for years.  No sooner is one stretch finished than they start on the next bit.    

It wasn't too bad until, somewhere near Fochriw, we encountered a "Road Closed" sign.  No diversion.  After a bit of fruitless driving in circles, with the sat-nav having virtual kittens because we weren't listening, we retraced our path and headed for Cardiff (the alternative - Brecon- was the way we'd come.)  After 10 minutes of driving, both of us screaming "No! Not doing it!" at the sat nav's constant demand to perform a U turn where possible, we somehow got back onto the right road and the sat nav stopped whining.  

We arrived at the Skirrid early (amazingly) so were able to have something to eat and chill out a bit before the main event.

The Skirrid is a lively pub and was open for business, therefore the ghost hunt was shorter than some I've been on (starting at 10.15 - a start of round 9.00 is more usual).  This meant there was no time for the history of the location, which I missed.  However, we were straight into the activities of the evening with a visit to the churchyard where Fanny Price, the former landlady of the Skirrid, is buried.  We visited her grave and watched the bats flying overhead.  Something tugged at my sleeve but it didn't seem unfriendly, so I ignored it. We spent some time in the church porch calling out for spirit activity, but the spirits weren't playing. However, it was a lovely clear night and I did some stargazing.

The rope suspended from the "hanging beam"

 

By the time we went back into the pub, closing time had come and gone.  We were given a chance to experiment with Ouija boards and table-tipping, as well as having some time to explore on our own.  I did feel a lot (and I mean a LOT) of spirit energy but I wasn't about to open up to it.  Some people in the group saw shadow figures, but I wasn't looking in the right direction, alas. The EVP session that we (that's Anna, a gentleman by the name of Craig) and I didn't seem to pick up much - however, one of the bedrooms (bedroom 2) had a really unpleasant atmosphere and we had to go out.  That's never happened to me on a ghost hunt before and it's very hard to explain; I just felt as if I wasn't wanted there.  After a couple of minutes on the landing giving myself a strict talking to, we went back in - and the feeling had gone.

At the end of the event, we all gathered in the bar with just about every kind of ghost-hunting equipment known to man.  Anna volunteered to go and sit in the Snug bar on her own so she missed the chair next to me rocking gently.  So did I, because the spirit box had come up with the word "father" followed by me father's name and I was talking to the group leaders about it!

Sustained by emergency chocolate, we headed for home, with fingers crossed that we didn't meet the same problems on the return journey.  Spoiler - we did.  In the end, I spotted a signpost to Cardiff and did an action replay of the outbound journey, ignoring the sat nav, which was not happy with me.  Eventually I came to the turnoff for Pontypridd and from then on I knew my way.  Anna got a conducted tour of the district ("That's where I used to live;  that's my old school;  there's the university") but by then she was having trouble staying awake so I'm not sure how much of it she heard.

We arrived back at 5 a.m. and after I'd dropped Anna off at home I had a quick breakfast and fed the cat before dropping into my bed.  

Was it worth it?  The ghost hunt lived up to expectations, with enough activity on the table-tipping, ouija boards and various EMF meters to keep us interested.  I would have liked more about the history of the inn, but as the time was more limited than usual it was the right thing to leave it out.  After all, we'd paid for a ghost hunt, not a history tour.  Getting there and back was a nightmare and I definitely wouldn't go back until the A465 roadworks are complete (in 2025).  However, ghost hunting is addictive - so the question is - where next?

Casting a cleansing spell

In my recent YouTube video, I showed how I go about casting a spell with sigil, herbs, and crystals.

I wanted to use only the items that were supplied in the Witchcraft starter kit I got from Amazon, plus one or two other things (like pen and paper) that you would have around the home.  

While I maintain that you don't need all the paraphernalia for casting an effective spell (some of my most successful were done with nothing but my intention!) supplies like herbs and crystals help put you in the zone for magick.  However, there's no need to spend a fortune right away.  I've got quite a well-stocked supplies cupboard, but then I've been adding to it for a long time!

Here's what I used from the kit - 

Herbs-  

Lavender- masculine, Air, mercury

Rosemary- masculine, fire, mercury

(Rosemary can stand in for any herb in spellwork)

Hyssop- masculine, fire, Jupiter

Crystals - 

Salt

Clear Quartz (clear quartz can be used in place of any crystal)

I also used some of the parchment, a white candle, and a white spell bag, all from the kit. 

To help me I called upon Sekhmet and Ganesh, who are two of the gods associated with purification and cleansing.  Sekhmet is a fierce goddess who will scare away negative influences, and Ganesh is the remover of obstacles.

I could have looked for an incantation in one of my books or on the internet, but I decided to write my own. If it resonates with you, please feel free to use it.

Incantation

By my power strong and free,

I cast out negativity!

Pure and clean the energy

That surrounds my home and me.

If you would like a copy of the worksheet I used to create a sigil, you can find it here.

Until next time,

Merry meet, merry part and have a blessed day!

Keren

(The neighbourhood witch!)

Tarot workshop - August

 I've not been very good at updating this blog - I need to get my derriere in gear.  It's been a couple of weeks since the last Tarot Workshop at the Academy of psychic & spiritual studies in Swansea and I've only just got around to copying out the layout.

Here it is - 

As always, we were talked through the way to use this spread by Jeff Rees-Jones and then partnered up to practice what we'd learned.  The intuitive method allows new practitioners to get to work without needing to spend years memorising traditional meanings, and no matter how long you've been practising, there's always something new to learn.  

I find it very useful to combine the traditional and intuitive and I'm looking forward to September's session.