Louisiana Superstitions, Continued

     For example, our parents put us in Catholic school, took us to Christian church on Wednesday nights, practiced Buddhism at home (nam yo ho renge kyo!) and still had their Louisiana superstitions - like throwing salt over your shoulder to ward off bad luck and protect against the devil, and to put silver shavings in a glass of milk and give it to a man who was causing you trouble to curse him. I remember my mom putting a dime in a glass of water and sitting it in the kitchen window, though for the life of me, I can't remember why she did it.

So what is it about Louisiana that instills so much superstition?      Perhaps it was the history of the state that led to places like this...The Mortuary Haunted House!

    It's a new attraction in New Orleans where the motto is "If you're not screaming, you're already dead." The site claims that "Over 100 years ago, Raven Croft, a twisted mortician, was trying to embalm his latest client and realized the body was in the process of transforming into a vampire. He experiments with the body, removing the life-rejuvenating fluids. He transfuses the fluids into various living and dead matter, creating many forms of undead creatures."

     Then there's Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. They say she was the most powerful voodoo priestess in history. Her profession as a hairdresser afforded her access to some of the most influential homes in the city. It also gave her the opportunity to have informants, mostly slaves and servants, in all those households. Learning the fears and beliefs of the higher ups was made simple - they either told Ms. Laveau themselves, considering her a confidante, or they discussed it among themselves in front of their servants who, in turn, told Ms. Laveau. When asked, Ms. Laveau would tell their fortunes and give them 'cures' and 'curses.'

     The term “voodoo” was probably adapted from the African Fon spirit, “vodu”.

     For many enslaved Africans, such spiritual traditions provided a means of emotional and spiritual resistance to the hardships of life. In time, slaves from the Caribbean were brought to New Orleans and they brought Voodoo with them.

     Was the rise in superstition due to a woman being able to get the right information at the right time and exploit it? Was it a matter of faith manifesting exactly what a person asked for and believed they would receive? Or did they really open the door to something paranormal and either surrender  to it, or attempt to control to it? Like Mr. Croft?

     Mmmmm....Will we ever know? Mmwahaha!

TJ Michaels is a multi-published author with seven contracted and released books in the past year. All paranormal haunts, her books are available in both print and digital format. Visit her web site at www.tjmichaels.com

Spooky Doings in New England, Continued

     So what happened to eight-year-old Beth when she visited? Well, at first I was unimpressed. I mean, all I saw was a bed of crunch leaves and the remains of house foundations. Not impressive to an eight-year-old tomboy. Then something happened—the hairs on the back of my neck sprang up and goose bumps ran up and down my arms.

I looked around at the other adults and kids, and nothing else appeared amiss. Was it me? Did I have an overactive imagination (you betcha)? I walked around some more, steering clear of the dilapidated chimneys and large gaping holes full of debris and stone. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms to get rid of the chill. It was July for pity’s sake, so why was I cold?      That’s when I saw him. He stood with his arms spread wide, his face up to the sky as if pleading for something. He was dressed in animal skins and boots laced up to his knees. A Native American.      I asked my mother, “Who is that man?”     She replied, “What man?”      In my childish whisper, I said, “That Indian right there.”      She didn’t see anyone and neither did anyone else. When I looked back, he’d vanished.

     As I googled Dudleytown, guess what I found? Apparently a company named Red Barn Films and Dan Ackroyd are shooting a film in Dudleytown this fall (Dudleytown Curse – the 49^th Key). Dan called it “the scariest place on Earth.” Eep. Here’s the film company website: http://www.redbarnfilms.com/

     For more information about Dudleytown, see Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudleytown,_Connecticut.  I found this most interesting:

“In addition to the economic factors, several events took place that led to Dudleytown's reputation as one of the 20 most haunted places on earth. Several suicides, mass hysteria, ghost sightings, and demonic contacts were reported throughout Dudleytown's history.”

     Gulp.

     Did I see a ghost or was it my overactive imagination? I tend to think that I did see something because I am definitely one of those very open-minded people who believes in worlds other than the one I can see. I believe in a “sixth sense.”  What do you think?

Beth lives just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and two sons. Born and raised in New York, she holds a B.F.A. in writing from New York University. She spends her days as a technical writer, and her nights immersed in writing hot romances for her readers. You can find her online at http://www.bethwilliamson.com/ or on her blog at http://myblog.bethwilliamson.com/.

Gaze Into The World of Crystal Healing, Continued

     Rather than Barbies, as I child my favorite playthings were rocks.  To me, my rocks had every bit as much appeal as any old doll. Each had a unique color, personality and shape.  I even had one shaped like a turtle, and where did I keep it? Well duh, in a dish of water.

     Go ahead, say it. I was an odd child.

     It’s only natural as I’ve studied different healing modalities, that I’d gravitate toward gemstone crystals and use them liberally in my home and in my practice of Reiki. Each kind of gemstone has its own unique healing property. There are a gazillion books on this subject, telling you which stones are right for what. I’m of the belief that the stone you’re drawn to is the one you need at that time.

     So I’ve pulled together some basic information that’ll help you put together your own unique crystal healing kit. Don’t feel like you have to run out and buy every stone on this list!  This is just to give you some ideas.

Additional Useful Stones:

     Flourite – Comes in clear, purple, green, white, or combinations of all these colors. Protects you from the negative energy generated by computers. Keep a chunk between you and your monitor, or wear a crystal around your neck.

     Kyanite – Extremely effective for clearing/cleansing other stones. It doesn’t hold negative energy and never needs clearing, itself. The same is true for citrine, and it’s much cheaper!

What shape?

     Shapes are myriad, but here are four basic forms:

     Points – Single terminated or double terminated. Point a single-terminated crystal away from you to pull energy out of the body, and toward you to direct energy in.  Double terminated points work great for freeing blocked chakras.

     Spheres – Scrying, of course! What better way to peer through the thin veil on Samhain?

     Tumbled stones – Usually small and easily portable in a pocket, purse, or medicine bag. Also the least expensive, often only pennies apiece. And easy to wear as jewelry!

     Clusters – Radiate energy to the surrounding environment. Good for clearing a room of negative “crud”.

Clearing/Charging:

     Many crystals are sponges for negative energy. After you’ve carried it around for a while, or had one sitting next to your computer, you’ll want to clear it out.

     The simplest and easiest way to clear a crystal of negative energy is to rinse thoroughly under cold running water. A natural stream is good, but a kitchen faucet works just as well.

     You can also use salt water, or bury stones overnight in salt. Don’t leave clear colored quartzes like citrine and amethyst in the sun – the colors will fade. Letting them soak up the moonlight is fine, though.

     So sure, yeah, some people might say my crystals are just a bunch of pretty rocks.

     Just don’t say it too loud in my house, though. They might get depressed, which means I’ll have to cheer them up by taking them to St. Thomas for a swim in the ocean.

     Hmm…  On second thought, snark all you want!

     Slainte mhor agus a h-uile beannachd duibh! --Carolan Ivey

Sources: 

     The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall

     Love Is In The Earth by Melody

WARNING: You may have heard of making “stone elixirs” with different crystals, and ingesting the liquid in order to internalize the stone’s healing properties. DON’T try this unless you know exactly what kind of stone you’re dealing with – many stones get their colors from toxic heavy metals.

Coming Nov. 1 from Carolan Ivey: Love & Lore Celtic Anthology: WILDISH THINGS. www.carolanivey.com books@carolanivey.com

In The Pantry: Evil Cookies

Why such a name for such a delicacy? When you taste them you’ll know. Not only are they fattening and high in calories, they are so good you can’t stop eating them. Two dozen of these particular cookies only last a day and a half in my household, less if I have family over. They go with me to family get-togethers and I come back with an empty plate. That said, I rarely make them. If I made them as much as I’d like I’d be spending all my free time on the treadmill. Consider yourselves warned. I hereby deny all blame of extra pounds and higher cholesterol levels.

Enjoy! JL Langley

     INGREDIENTS:

½ cup rolled oats (regular or quick)

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup (two sticks) of butter, softened

¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 eggs

3 cups milk chocolate chips

1 ½ cups chopped walnuts

 ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper (If you do not already use parchment paper, I highly recommend it. It makes clean up a snap). Put rolled oats in food processor (or blender) and process until finely ground.  Combine sugars and wet ingredients in mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer until fluffy.

2) Mix dry ingredients together in bowl. After dry ingredients are mixed, gradually add them into the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

3) Gradually mix in chocolate chips and walnuts with a spoon.

In The Pantry: S'Mores Candy Apples

      INGREDIENTS

• 6 Granny Smith apples

• 6 wooden sticks

• 1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped

• 2 tablespoons water

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

     Insert wooden sticks 3/4 of the way into the stem end of each apple. Place apples on a cookie sheet covered with lightly greased aluminum foil.

     Combine caramels and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until caramel melts and is smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Dip each apple into the caramel and gently run apples around insides of saucepan to scrape off some of the caramel. Scrape excess caramel from the apple bottoms using the side of the saucepan.

     Combine the miniature marshmallows and graham crackers on a dinner plate. Roll the apples in the mixture to coat. Place on the aluminum foil and chill.

     Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over the apples and return them to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

J.C. Wilder is a multi-published author of erotic and paranormal romances. You can visit her website at http://www.jcwilder.com

A Story of Samhain, Continued

The spirits of my father, grandfathers, and grandmothers, aunts and uncles were acknowledged by me, as their vibrant energy filled the hospital room while they waited for my sister to make the final transition, take her last breath. The doctors never expected her to make it through the night, yet here it was 11:20 AM. I honestly believe she waited for everyone to get there and I lived the furthest.

 I held her fragile hand in mine and whispered in her ear that it was all right, she could go now. She would be okay and that Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa were waiting for her. I held onto her as my heart broke into a million tiny fragments. It was all so surreal. Within two minutes she took in her final breath. Her suffering was over and ours was beginning at breakneck speed.

In an effort to soothe my mother's broken heart—and mine—we went to see a well-respected psychic a few weeks before Samhain. Not John Edward, but one just as talented. This psychic woman was made known to us through a friend of my sister’s. This friend at the time of my sister’s passing was at the psychic’s house. The psychic asked if she knew a Marion or a MaryAnn? Yes, I do. She’s critically ill, in fact she’s making the transition to the otherside and wants you to know she’s okay. Her reading was done at the exact time that my sister passed. We found this out at my sister’s wake.

Most of us know that Samhain is the time when the veil between the spirits and us-- physical beings-- becomes incredibly thin. Sandie, the psychic, 'picked up' on my sister's energy as soon as we sat down. She told us things that she had no way of knowing, named my sister's daughters exactly, and told me to keep writing. I would be working with someone named Sam. I was in the beginning of the editing phase at the time, and had only begun to think about submitting Every Witch Way But Dead. I hadn't a clue who Sam could possibly be. Another interesting tid-bit the psychic told us was that whenever we saw a white feather it was a sign from my sister. I began looking for white feathers everywhere.

Every Samhain for the past six years, on October 31st at a gathering held at my home, we honored the dead. The house was decked out in pumpkins, mums, ghosts, witches, cornstalks and purple and orange blinking lights. Trays of delectable foods lined the dining room table. Baked ziti, Buffalo wings, Chili-cheese dip and a large salad were some of goodies, besides the apple and pumpkin pies. Buckets of candy waited for the hordes of children to come and take some… a handful at a time, while their parents warmed by the fire.

An altar was situated in the living room next to the fireplace where an indoor fire burned in addition to the outdoor blaze. Statues of deities ranging from Kuan Yin, Our Lady of Guadeloupe, Isis, Anubis and Hecate circled the photos of our friends and family in spirit.

            We all stood around the bonfire. My mother, friends, nieces and neighbors stood solemnly. I handed out sprigs of rosemary and sage to my guests, both pagan and non-pagan. My older niece wanted to read the ritual I had written in honor of her mother.   Frankincense and Myrrh popped in the fire as the words were spoken for my sister and all of those who we loved and were now physically gone.

            As the ritual ended a few walked away wiping their eyes, while the rest of us stood staring into the flames. It was a beautiful night, clear skies that dripped with a wealth of stars. As I stepped on the first stair heading inside to offer comfort to my sister’s daughters and my mother, I saw a white feather swirl right in front of my eyes then disappearing into the night. My sister was there. I knew it.
            Our saving grace was embodied in the tiny form of my sister’s first grandchild, a little girl. They were both on the earth plane together a little over a month. She’s a joy and a blessing and I also know my sister whispers in her tiny, perfect ears constantly.

            Fast forward to the present and here I am and I now know who Sam(hain) is…Samhain Publishers. I know it's pronounced Sow-en, but to me you'll always be Sam. For those of you out there that believe in the immortality of the soul-- keep believing. I’m glad I never gave up writing even when all the rejections poured in. My sister whispered in my ear as well, prodding me on. MaryAnn thought it good enough; after all, she didn’t give up on me pushing from beyond the veil to get it done.