And authors, you may have noticed your author-names have temporarily disappeared. Mine has too. But all the info will be back soon.

Throughout the centuries following many hundreds of stories, referred to as fairy tales, have been spun about the elementals and their interactions with mankind. It is said that within these stories there may be nuggets of truth. To this day there are those among the fanciful and faithful still calling upon the elementals and benefiting from their help.
Undines are the elementals associated with water. Frequently found in forest pools and waterfalls, these beings are described as sensual and lovely with beautiful voices. Intuitive and empathetic, undines have long memories, for water holds memory. Their activity is responsible for the vitality in all liquids, including that which exists within plants, animals, and humans. Therefore, undines have great healing power. It is said that when one cries he or she taps into the energy of the undines. If allowed, their influence can overwhelm, or drown, a human, leaving them ?all washed out.? Undines are also recognized as mermaids, naiads, oceanids, sea maidens, and water sprites.

Spirits of air are called sylphs, and these creatures are said to live in the space between dimensions. Theirs is the voice heard as a sigh on a breeze, or a hiss through a cornfield. They rustle tree leaves with their whispers and lash great oceans with their shrieks. Their activity is reflected in the gathering of clouds, the formation of snowflakes, and the growth and maturity of all plant life. Sylphs are credited for inspiring poets and artists, and reportedly can be contacted through meditation and conscious mind travel. Once their power is tapped, they deliver revalations and epiphanies. If seekers are not balanced, the energy of the sylph can be intoxicating, leaving them paranoid or insane. Sylphs can be associated with winged angels or cherubs.

In the flame of the hottest fires live the salamanders. These fire spirits are lizard-like and have association with dragons. Passionate, creative, and temperamental, salamanders demand immediate action, for unlike undines, they have little to no memory. Their essence enlivens one’s sexual drive. When their intense energy is taken to excess it may be said the individual feels ?burnt out.? The terms ?hot-headed? and ?cold-blooded? also refers to the energy of the salamander, as he is the controller of body temperature. Someone with a ?fiery temper? may be under the influence of a salamander.

Gnomes may be the best-known of all nature spirits. Indeed, Paracelsus said these were the most important of all elementals. These diminutive earth spirits wear red conical hats and live deep within the earth. It is said they move as easily through the earth as humans walk upon it. Their activity is present in all geologic formations, such as mineral deposits, crystal formations, and erosion of rock. Gnomes appear in hundreds of stories as protectors of secret treasures and knowledge, and though they first appear grumpy and mean, if won over, they can become the most loyal and helpful of friends. However, if betrayed, gnomes are known to wreak havoc on one?s life. Some traditions say that gnomes actually spend the daytime as toads, as the sun?s rays will turn them into stone. Gnomes are generally pictured as wizened old men in green, blue, and red clothing, but they are of the same essence as sprites, goblins, dwarves, brownies, dryads, elves, and satyrs.

Mischievous and magical, alluring and exciting, the elementals and their stories will doubtless continue to enchant, inspire, and affect humanity as they have for thousands of years.

About the Author: Robin Daniels is a mystic and contributes to Mystical Creatures  and Fantasy Gifts .

What are ghosts?

When a person dies only his physical body ceases to exist. His subtle body (consisting of the subconscious mind, intellect, ego and soul, i.e. minus the physical body) continues to exist and moves on to the other subtle regions of the Universe.

A human being is comprised of:

• The Soul
• The mental body or the mind
• The causal body or the intellect
• The supracausal body or the subtle ego
• The Vital body
• The Physical body

What happens after death?

When one dies, the vital energy is released back into the Universe. The physical body remains on Earth while the subtle body travels to a subtle plane depending on its merits or sins and its spiritual level.

If the spiritual level is lower the subtle body becomes heavy due to sins and excessive ego and as a result gets stuck in lower subtle planes of existence such as the nether world. If the sins are intense then the subtle body goes to hell and may exist there as subtle body or ghost.

This means that ghosts are subtle bodies of people who have passed away having unfulfilled desires such as cravings for sex, alcohol (things that they can only experience through a physical body), revenge, etc.

The subtle body of a person after physical death is defined as a ghost if their characteristics and intentions match the above. There is no special process as such which they go through to become a ghost.

What decides where do we go in the after-life?

When we die, our course in the after-life is decided by a number of factors such as:

1. The type of deeds done during the life-time.
2. The extent and the type of spiritual practice one has undertaken during lifetime.
3. The type of death ? natural and peaceful, violent or accidental and the type of funeral conducted.

4. The rituals as per Spiritual Science done by the descendants after death to help the deceased in the after life.

Who are likely to become ghosts?

People are likely to become ghosts after their death when

• They have many unfulfilled desires and many negative impressions in the mind.
• Many personality defects, such as anger, fear, greed, etc.
• A high amount of ego.
• They have harmed others and have the basic nature of harming others.
• Lack of spiritual practice consisting of progressive level of surrender of mind, body and intellect done with the intention of God-realization.

Summary

Only people who have reached the 60% spiritual level and have low ego are able to proceed to the higher regions of heaven and beyond and do not become ghosts. The rest of humanity, when they die, finds themselves in the regions of the Nether world and Hell. Most subtle bodies in the Nether region are highly likely to become ghosts. All subtle bodies in Hell are ghosts.

In fact, even if one is a gentleman but doesn?t have enough spiritual strength through spiritual practice, he is liable to become a ghost when he dies. This is because he is attacked by higher level ghosts and is controlled by them.

Performing adequate spiritual practice as per the 5 basic principles while alive ensures spiritual progress and greatly decreases the possibility of becoming a ghost.

To learn more about ghosts please go to The Spiritual Research Foundation.

The front cover is a beautiful photo taken of the most recent lunar eclipse, a magickal event portrayed on the cover of a magickal album.

The Tahitimas EP seems to have found its genesis in an ongoing conversation over on the Shattered Prayer, when the Shattered Prayerians and I decided to overthrow Christmas in lieu of a vacation in Tahiti. The idea of Tahitimas arose, and this album is - I suppose - the soundtrack to our new holiday. And so much more.

Tahitimas is a single song divided into four tracks. It begins with Winter, an icy electronic soundscape that evokes visions of snow-flurries lifted upon chill-winds, the crack of ice, the buckling of a tree-limb beneath the weight of snow. Winter is fittingly icy, sparse and moody and after about nine minutes, warms into the track called Spring.

Spring is by far the most melodic track, a slow and ticklish tune that hints of droplets of water, dripping from melting icicles. Deeper tones call up Persephone from the depths, heralding the flowers that bloom in her wake. Buds open, spring into colourful glory, and adorn the earth in the beauty of their blooms.

The final two tracks are my favorites. Summer is something I would choose to soundtrack a ritual. A dronish and hypnotic veil of sound hangs over the song, like a summer heat that blankets the land, the hum of bees, the sizzling of sidewalks. From beneath, an electric rhythm crackles, strangly reminiscent of a Polynesian dance. I have no idea if thats what Poesboes intended, but it fits the Tahitimas theme beautifully. My only complaint about the song is that it doesn’t last long enough, but perhaps Poesboes could be persuaded to make an extended version for the Summer Solstice - it would be lovely for a Solstice rite.

One would think Winter would be the most cthonic of the tracks, but it’s Fall that takes that award. I would like to say Fall would make a good meditation track, with its deep, sonorous drone. But the truth is, its a song that refuses to fade into the background. It holds the attention - when you listen to it, you want to hear every nuance, every shift in tone and depth. Its just that gorgeous. This Fall is no happy harvest, rather, it draws you deep into the earth, perhaps in preparation for the long hibernation ahead. Fall is visceral, animal - its both moving and soothing, lulling without stupifying. It is a descent into darkness, the shortening of days, the waning of light, the darkening of the leaves as they fall from the trees. Its the dark side of autumn, Persephone’s sorrow as she descends back into Hades.

I’ll admit I’m completely underqualified to review music. I can only give my impressions, the visuals evoked by the music. “I know what I like”, as they say. And I do like Tahitimas.

You can find Tahitimas as a free download on the Poesboes website, and I encourage you to give it a listen. I don’t know what plans are in the works for marketing the CDs, but you can contact Poesboes through the website to find out.

A friend had told me that come darkness each night from the depths of the cemetery would glow a large cross, so for me as a curious schoolboy, this just had, to be seen.

When we arrived up on the brow of the hill, there were already a dozen
watchers, and on talking to them discovered that on some nights fifty or
sixty people would gather, and some would sing hymns, and marvel, while
others would gather a little down the road and catcall and verbally abuse
them.

As the fame spread in local newspapers and radio, and it was even the
subject of a news flash and mocking remarks by a local T V news station, it
became the local sport on pub closing time to go and torment the nightly
gatherers, and the local police had seen it their duty to clear everyone
away each night, especially as the numbers of tourists at weekends could
reach over one hundred.

These events always attract colourful characters, and a retired vicar would
read the bible out loud for hours on end to a blank wall, oblivious to any
abuse. While one grey haired sillyarse catholic priest would come over and shout that “there was no such thing as the paranormal”.

The council who tended the graveyard under pressure from the police, who
were sick of complaints from people living nearby, began to take action,
among the preventative things done were, painting a section of the nearby
street lamps to stop any reflection. They examined some graves for signs of
luminous paint, and even examining the stone itself for any phosphorous or
mineral content that might shine in the dark, then they began to put up
large wooden barriers, but no matter what they did the glowing cross
continued, and they wanted it stopped, down to the re-routing of through
traffic to discourage onlookers.

It was said that buried in this churchyard were several famous people,
including a couple of Jack the Rippers victims and it was their souls crying
out for vengeance, that was making the cross shine at night.( It is on record that the spot where ripper victim Catherine Eddows was found still faintly glows in the dark.)

Incidentally, a group of teachers put a ouiji board out on a flat gravestone
in the graveyards Victorian section and claimed they had been contacted by
one of the rippers victims, who said it should have been Jacob the ripper,
who was a Rabbi trying to clean up the area.

Incidentally the police black museum and modern criminal profilers claim
that among the huge influx of polish Jews into the area, the profile they
most suspect, is of Aaron Kosminsky.

One evening after listening to the stories of healings and other miraculous
things that were rumoured to be happening there, and the opposing views that it could only be something evil, that I spoke to a little crowd of Jamaicans who were convinced it was an undead spirit, and voodoo was involved. So direct action was called for, and scrambling over the vicious pointed railings, and jumping down on the other side, and allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness as I picked my way toward the glowing cross that was causing all the attention.

It was said that the church authorities were at their wits end, with all the
people tramping over church property demanding answers, often at dead of
night. As I trod my way towards the glow I became aware that it was the most incredibly powerful pale green light, and quite unnatural, suddenly when
approaching the grave, and actually reading the wording on it, my eyes
adjusted to the fact that it was bound round with lots of sacking, yet was
still shining right through, this unnerved me, and heart beating very fast I
quickly made my retreat, back to the railings, and the safety of the road.

Over the next week or so, the gravestone was taken down for “tests”
The knock on effect was quite surprising, it had become a gathering place
for people to come and meet to talk about the “gravestone” couples had met
and started relationships there, a local Jewish businessman could no longer
bring his hotdog van there, the juggler who would put down his hat and
juggle for pennies would have to find another site, the retired vicar with
his bible went god knows where, and the religious pamphleteers would no
longer be able to tout for their own church and most vocal of all, the
bewiskered old lady in the sweet shop saw her takings on tobacco and sweets drop by half. Amusingly the local publican considered changing the pub name to the “shining cross”, until the brewery told him where to get off.

Apparently the locals still argue over the cause of the phenomena, which was
never solved satisfactorily, a Jamaican couple I met there fascinated me
with their tales of Caribbean sorcery and voodoo, I still get Christmas
cards from them each year, and their son who was conceived in their car
within sight of the stone, intuitively perhaps. They called him “Crossley”
and he now has his own family.

When William Blake spoke these prophetic words about infinity in the palm of your hand, and his reference to eternity, it sums up the palmists view of reincarnation, the search for who we are.

The Hindus believe palmistry to be a sacred tool to discover our life tasksand where we stand on the wheel of life, and why certain decisions were made in our lives. Here in the west, largely devoid of any real spiritual input in our lives, we view Palmistry and Astrology as parlour games, but in the East, these things are seen as underpinning the very fabric of life.

How right William Blake was, for past present and future are all there, for those with eyes to see. Look at the hand print shown, notice any anomalies. The fingers have 3 divisions called phalanges, these relate loosely, to the 3 worlds of body mind and spirit. These 12 finger divisions relate to the Zodiac signs, and these in the Middle Ages were seen by the Christian monks as the omens and voice of the 12 apostles, and it is this that was inferred by Blake’s mention of Heaven in a wild flower. Being also the 12 major British flowers, they give clues, to what the coming 12 months of the year may contain for us.This is handy in palmer-counselling.

• The hand-print shown has on the Apollo or ring finger unusually, 4 phalanges. (1) This has been documented by Prof. Penrose in the Lancet as being a congenital atavistic marker.
• The head-line which is the lower of the two crossing lines, known to medicine as, (the lower transverse crease) curves up out of its normal path towards the upper or line of heart. (2)
• The line of heart is islanded, feathered, straight, short and lies low in the hand. (3)
• The line of health curves across from under the little or Mercury finger down to hit the lifeline, in a wavy, meandering way. (4)
• The ancients called the line that curves in from the heel of the hand, (Mount of the moon) the Via Lasciva, it is not a good omen and is often seen as showing a decline of the health from around this point where it meets the line of life.(5)

But what does it all mean?

40 years ago people would ask the palmist about emotional matters, during the economic recession in the mid eighties the questions were all about careers, but new the trend is now all for spirit and health guidance. William Blake’s mention of infinity in the palm of your hand, is a clue to why Indian palmists base so much importance on these palmer configurations.

This handprint of a top Muslim complementary therapist, who was very much at a crossroads in his life and needed some outside assistance, let’s see what his hand suggests.

• The 4 divisions in the ring finger governing the emotions, tell of some relationship anomaly which coupled to the upturning head line means money worries, the added faulty heart line shows both a cold calculating nature, and latent cardio-vascular difficulties, this with the prominent healthline reaching to the lifeline at age 53-54 mean an oncoming life crisis.This hard working and well respected hospital doctor had 3 wives and 5 children, he also was supporting his family financially back in India, this difficult situation was made worse by his buying of quantities of lottery tickets, in the hope of a big win to solve his economic difficulty. The worry of his situation meant he was working too many hours, and thesignposts were that this was affecting his health particularly hiscardio-vascular system as shown, Luckily, he was open minded enough to seek help. Most fortune tellers today number psychology and counselling qualifications amongst their skills basket, we are seeing more and more with issues of economic debt, mainly from the student and lower income brackets. Debt counselling can be a lifesaver. This doctor was so lucky he sought help in time.

T Stokes
Palms read by post or email at Palmist@fsmail.net

At the very top of the list, the best of the best, is Blackford Cottage . His/her tarot bags are hand-made from natural fabrics, lined, and padded. Padded! There isn’t a large variety, but what is available is very attractive and its obvious s/he cares about his/her work. The bags are, at this writing, all under $7, making them very economical considering the high quality, and the $1 shipping and handling is more than fair.

If you can’t find what you like at Blackford Cottage, then try Anabelle . She cannot be beat for variety and economy. She makes very nice quality bags, most of them from natural fabric. Some lined, some unlined, some single drawstring, some double drawstring. The largest are around 5″ X 7″, though you can find smaller bags, wand bags, and wine bags. Prices are generally in the $3 to $5 range, with a few that are less or more expensive. And shipping is less than a dollar, usually 55-65 cents.

For something a little more upscale, the Drawstring Bag Shop has custom made bags of all sizes, colours and fabrics. Velvet bags can be silk or satin lined, made with ribbon drawstrings or tassels. Unfortunately, their prices recently went up, and they’re a bit more expensive than most places, but they have a nice selection and if you want something unique and very plush, give’em a go.

Artistic Devil has BIG bags, at 6″ x 9″, with a variety of fabrics and linings to choose from. Prices are fair, considering the size of the bags and the fabrics used.

I also like Wisconsin Winter . Her bags are handmade, top quality, and fully lined. The variety is small but diverse, many with little added touches like designer buttons. Prices are mid-range, and reasonable for the quality of bag.

One day, I will learn to sew.

And don’t we all have our favourite table of correspondences? Mine is Crowley’s 777. In fact, I find it so indispensible in some matters that I’ve come to refer to it as “the handy 777”. I can’t think of the number 777 without putting the word ‘handy’ in front of it. And yet, even with the handy 777, there’s plenty of room for flexibility.

Almost everyone recommends using the scent of roses for workings of love. But if the smell of roses conjures up images of your grandmother’s funeral, wouldn’t it be best to go with a different flower? Did your first love bring you orchids on your first date? Go with orchids! For me, all those times I had sex under a blooming magnolia tree means that nothing says passion like the scent of magnolia blossoms.

Cinnamon is a versatile scent. Some people use it for solar workings, some for martial spells, some for wealth, and others for matters of lust and desire. But if cinnamon reminds you of danishes baking in the oven, you might prefer reserving it for matters of domestic harmony. If it reminds you of that cup of capaccino you have every morning before those important meetings, then use it for business or success spells.

Sulphur? Ooooo… scary stuff. Used a lot for hexing, infernal workings and the like. But for me, the odor of sulphur reminds me of those chemistry experiments I used to do with my dad when I was young. I find sulphur very effective in workings concerning learning and creativity.

Scents are a psychological trigger; don’t ignore the subconcious appeal that aromas have when blending incense or choosing an oil for a spell or ritual. Go through your herb cabinet, take the time to smell each individual oil you have, pay attention to where it takes your thoughts and write down any memories or impressions it evokes. In this way, you can create a more personal table of correspondences, one attuned to your own memories and experiences.

Shop for Essential Oils