Gypsy Wisdom

Mermaids and Sea-Tales at the Movies

2011-09-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

Mermaids, or more commonly known by old sailors as water spirits, have captivated the imagination of us landlubbers for centuries. Mermaids or mermen represented eternal beauty, the fountain of youth, fantastic opulence, and mystery. We imagine these fairies of the water to have great treasures under the sea, fabulous kingdoms, magical powers, and good hair.

Hollywood has been no slouch in making films creating and feeding the mystical lore of the Mermaid. Most mermaid films are romantic or sweet and created with children, romantics, and fantasy lovers in mind, other “fish tales” have been fraught with suspense and horror.

Here is a look a few great and mediocre Mermaid movies that we just can’t get enough of.

Night Tide: 1961 – Dennis Hopper is a young sailor who meets a woman who plays a mermaid in a carnival sideshow. Grisly murders, mayhem and a lot of scary stuff happens. Dennis starts to have creepy dreams that a woman who plays a mermaid in the carnival is a psycho fish who kills and eats people during the full moon. It’s a creepy film that does the mermaids we know and love no justice, but it’s fun anyway.

Sea People: 1999 – If you are a lonely teenager, life can become pretty thrilling when you meet a mermaid and merman, or Sea People, as they prefer to be called. John and Bridget live on land in a village in Nova Scotia. Amanda is the teen who happens to see John jumping into the cold sea and runs to “rescue” him. John rescues Amanda and takes her to his home to warm up. Amanda soon suspects John and Bridget aren’t your average humans. These folks eat algae, drink sea weed tea and sleep in tubs of ice cold water. Needless to say, the film is harmless family fun.

Splash: (1984) – This is the movie for mermaid-lovers everywhere because it does so many wonderful things to increase the mermaid lore. Like mermaids eating lobster with shells and all, or learning English by watching television. But it has romance, humor and everything else that makes a movie memorable and great. One of Tom Hanks best, and Darrel Hanna as Madison wasn’t too shabby either. It’s probably the best mermaid movie ever made.

The Little Mermaid: (1989) Hans Christian Anderson may have rolled over in his grave, when Disney came out with this one, but they did good. This film also brought Disney out of a long draught in animated movie making. The great music, fabulous Disney characters and delightful fairytale, makes this little film a gem. A mermaid princess makes a bargain with a sea hag to capture the heart of a prince on land. Unlike Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytale, this one has a happy ending.

Aquamarine: (2006) This movie is geared towards tweenies or teens. It has a funny story and focuses on loyalty, friends, personal confidence, and courage. So it’s worth a look, even if you are 50 instead of 15. The mermaid is a regular teen girl who happens to be a mermaid who is discovered by two more teenage girls. Aquamarine is a teen girl whose father owns a kingdom under the sea and has ordered her to marry a boy she doesn’t care for. Her new friends try to make her turn the head of the lifeguard at their swimming pool. Teenage drama and humor lace this tale. It’s a cute rendition of Disney’s Little Mermaid, with good special effects.

She-Creature (2001) This is about a beautiful mermaid who is a psychotic killer. However, it focuses on “empowering” the mermaid somehow. We see our water fairy as feisty, sexy and vengeful. She doesn’t need to be “rescued” or pampered. She is a force to be reckoned with. If you like, “B” movies with murder and mayhem, this may be the one for you.

She-Creature (1955) Since there aren’t that many mermaid movies. I had to Google to find this one. I haven’t seen it, but heard that we are lucky because it’s not easily available unless you order a DVD called “The Day the World Ended.” This movie fits perfectly with Mystery Science Theater 3000. It’s an early “killer mermaid” movie and inspiration for the sequel made above. Don’t bother seeking out this movie, unless you can’t get enough of mermaids killing people.

The Secret of Roan Inish (1993) This is perhaps one of the best stories about mystical sea creatures. Perhaps the mermaid isn’t the focus here but the whole Celtic version of it is fabulous. A 10-year old girl learns how her family came to leave the island of the Seals (Roan Inish) and discovers there is magic in her history. This Celtic fairy tale -- about folkloric, aquatic creatures that are half-human and half seal -- includes breathtaking images of Ireland's coastline. (Another good Selkie movie –seals turning into humans is: The Seventh Stream, a 2001 Hallmark production for television. Available on Netflix.

Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948) Back in the day, a person couldn’t get enough of William Powell. He was great in it, even if the script wasn’t so good. The focus is basically about a man suffering mid-life crisis. A lot of the movie addresses his age and how he feels about it. But somehow we are entertained when he discovers a mermaid he takes home and hides in the bathtub, right under his wife’s nose.

Miranda (1948) This British rendition of mermaids tries to stick to the lore that a mermaid can make any man fall in love with her, and that mermaids are good bargainers. A young married physician out on a fishing holiday ends up being saved by a mermaid, who intends to keep him her prisoner. She then offers to release him if he will take her to see London. He wraps her in a blanket and orders a wheelchair, to wheel her around town and hide her identity. Her presence leads to a number of humorous and romantic entanglements as the mermaid entices several unmarried men who live near the physician and his wife. I didn’t think it was the greatest mermaid movie ever made, but it had entertaining moments.

Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (mermaids) On stranger Tides (2011) Zombies, Mermaids, and Blackbeard are the dangers Captain Jack Sparrow faces as he searches for the Fountain of Youth. Although this movie isn’t exclusively about mermaids, it feeds the mermaid folklore rather well. In this tale the mermaids are beautiful maidens who are “fish” in the water and human on land, or they are merciless killers. Either way their beauty is enticing but dangerous. If you love Pirates of the Caribbean series then you don’t want to miss this one.

Powerful but simple candle magic

2011-09-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

All about folk magic and metaphysical topics

Candle magic is the oldest magic there is. Early wise people concentrated on flames from cave fires to foretell the future or solve a problem. Staring at the flame was the perfect way to go into an alpha state and connect with the spirit world to see past, present and future details of someone’s life or the unfolding events of the village or community.

It is the simplest magic there is because candles are easy to find, and the ritual doesn’t take much work. The beauty of candle magic is that you can manifest just about anything you want to by concentrating on the flame and clearing your mind.

To begin, it is important that you do NOT eat before a ritual or have sex before a ritual. Be clear of body and mind, and spirit because it make the spell more powerful. It also helps that you begin your ritual with a positive mind. You must know and believe the outcome of the spell will be positive and beneficial to all.

Make sure your space is quiet, and clear of clutter. You may want to play soft music or take a cleansing bath with lavender or other aromas of your choosing to relax before you start your spell.
It is important to choose the color of the candle that corresponds with what you desire to manifest.
• White = purity, peace, spirituality
• Red = sexual vitality, courage, energy, health
• Pink =romantic love, affection, friendships
• Yellow = creative imagination, memory, communication
• Green = abundance, harmony, good luck, fertility
• Blue = wisdom, psychic insights, psychic protection, healing
• Purple = success in financial affairs, idealism and spiritual power.
• Gold = positive influences with justice and career matters.
• Silver = clairvoyance, astral energies and channeling, also the faculty of far memory and remembering past lives.

Once you have chosen the candle you want to use for your spell, give it your personal vibration. Handle the candle with both hands, study the wax in it, look at it carefully and try to connect with your candle and give it your intention or thought. This gives the wax your life force. Use essential oil (not necessary but helpful) on the candle. Always rub the candle with the oil from the top to the bottom when anointing.
While oiling your candle think about what you wish to accomplish with this magic. Visualize the spell successful and see your desires manifest before you light the candle.
Then light the candle and focus on the flame for at least 5-15 minutes, clearing your mind of all thought and visualizing what you wish to manifest.

Reading Tarot with a Horoscope Thread

2011-09-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Reading Tarot with a Horoscope spread
By Cristina Aguilar
http://www.liveperson.com/readings-with-Cristina

Most expert tarot readers are well versed in other areas of divination. Many have a strong understanding of horoscopes, the zodiac and can read tarot cards using a horoscope layout of the cards. The reason an expert Tarot reader can connect with astrological principals and meanings is because Astrology has the same earth elements that are represented in most traditional Tarot cards. Tarot and Astrology use four elements of Water, Fire, Air and Earth.

For example, Gemini represents an air sign, Taurus and earth, Aries fire, Pisces water and so forth. In a Tarot spread air, fire, water and earth elements are represented by Cups = Water, Swords = Air, Pentacles = earth and Wands = Fire. These symbols represent various ways of expressing energy. Through your energy, the reader is able to pick up spiritual clues to what is happening in your life. The cards representing water reflect feelings, emotion, love. Fire symbolizes imagination, creativity, work issues. Air is connected to with intellect, the capacity to think to make choices. Earth cards are associated with bodily needs, money, housing, jobs, etc. Each force of nature is represented in both the horoscope and tarot.

Reading tarot cards and laying them out in a Zodiac spread can be quite useful when looking at all areas of your life. The practitioner or reader uses 12 cards, each representing the 12 houses in the zodiac. Positioning and layout of a tarot spread is extremely important to the whole reading because the position of where a card falls also has meaning and can bring more insights into your particular question or problem.

Every expert has his or her own method of reading cards with Horoscope spreads, most horoscope spreads are made up of 12 cards.

Most experts are familiar with three basic methods. The first is a layout of 12 cards placed in a circle pattern, shaped as a representation of the Zodiac. (see diagram). All 78 cards in the deck are used when shuffling. Cards are usually placed face down until the practitioner is ready to do the reading. After the 12 cards are chosen, the reader begins to place them from her left and goes around counter clockwise. Each position of the card represents a House in the Zodiac and the cards are read according to the astrological “house” position of the card.

The second method is to use only the suit cards. The suit cards are the strongest representation of earth, air, fire and water. Twelve cards are also used and placed in a circle and read with your sun sign in mind and where your “house” positions are at this particular time in your life.

The third method is to use the Major Arcana –( the 22 trump cards in the tarot deck) These cards represent the “human condition.” Each card represents the joy and sorrow we all experience as human beings. These cards are particularly good to use if you want a specific question answered. A good reader will choose a card from the Major Arcana that represents your particular problem or part of your journey. This card is placed in the center of the zodiac circle of cards.

It’s always good to remember that Tarot, horoscopes and other divinatory tools are just that. Tools. Connecting to your reader and understanding his or her methods to helping you with the problem is the most important thing. The images and clues we get come from spirit come from our connection to you! So keeping an open mind, and asking questions while someone is doing your reading provides a good flow between you and your reader and opens a channel where all mysteries are revealed! Namaste~

How to create a Wishing Bundle

2011-08-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Help

How to Make a Wishing Bundle
Using law of attraction with everyday objects

True witches know that the “law of attraction”, which became so popular with the DVD The Secret has been practiced by witches for centuries. The “law of attraction” is just a scientific way for doing “magic.”

The movie, “The Secret,” discusses how to manifest things in your life by using a vision board. However, in the old days, and even now, witches or magical wise women create a “wishing bundle.” The bundle has the same concept as a vision board, but can be even more powerful because it requires you put a bit more effort into it.

The tradition of making a wishing bundle is hundreds of years old. All you have to do is gather items associated with your wish. You can bring in more money, a new car, a new job, but the concept is to put together items that represent your wish, and what you want to manifest. For example if you want more money you gather a dollar bill or a variety of coins with different denominations and other “representations” of money.

You first need a box, and a silver ribbon. The box is to hold all the things that represent your wish.
If you want a new house, gather together items that represent your new home. These could include seeds of flowers you wish to grow around the house, or a small model of the house etc.
When you are choosing the items you will put in your wishing bundle, always make sure that you include something silver. The candle you will light when you make your wish, and the ribbon with which you bind the spell. Silver is the color of the full moon, when magic is at its strongest. It is especially appropriate as we are hoping that the powers of our magical spirit will bring our wishes to “light”. Silver is also the color of intuitive visions and can help you bring out your latent potential.

To start here are the items you need to collect:
• A box –shoe box is fine
• A silver ribbon to bind the box and spell
• Items that represent your wish
• A silver candle

1. On the night of the full moon, take all the times you have chosen to symbolize your wish and place them on the table in front of you.
2. When you feel ready and begin your spell light your silver candle
3. Center your thoughts and focus on your mind completely on your intent
4. One by one place the items in the box, you may say a prayer or chant. Like “I place this flower into the box to find love in my life.” Or whatever you are wishing for.
5. Once all the items are in the box close it completely and begin to bind it up with the ribbon. As you, do so recite: With this ribbon I do bind, that it may my heart’s wish find.
6. Now that your spell is complete and your box of items has been secured with the ribbon, place your wishing bundle somewhere safe. Do not open or touch it until your wish comes true.

Order one of Gypsy Raven's ebooks for your Kindle, Ipad or Iphone!

How to receive a spoon full of happiness

2011-03-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

Flower buds are popping, the robin redbreast is building her nest, and the grass is charging up all dressed in green. It’s spring again and life is all around us, busy blooming, busy basking in the sunlight with its own particular brand of gratitude for just being. For many of us the glory of what is going on is in the background or doesn’t exist in our reality. Daily life, disappointments, worries, heartbreak and other human maladies keep us blind to the positive vibration of happiness around us all the time. In nature, in children’s faces, in a dog’s tail wagging, it is a constant force and it is our choice to take it with both hands and drink until we are full.

Mahatma Gandhi knew the true meaning of happiness. “Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.” Happiness is all about what you put forth into the world. No one outside ourselves has the power to make us happy. Only we have the power to connect and be in alignment with our true spiritual selves. If you make up your mind to be happy the body and spirit follow. The question is, how do we go about choosing happiness or being in harmony with thought, word, and deed as Gandhi suggested?

The universe, humanity, and life itself runs in perfect order with a balance of negative and positive energies. We are all particles connected to everything in the universe. Our spirit, our humanity brings a contribution to life itself. The beauty of all this is that we can balance out negative experiences in our lives by embracing happiness.

Many of us work hard to get someone to love us, or we look to others to give us happiness rather than focusing on what we can bring to life. Rather than asking, when love or happiness come into our lives our focus should be what we, as spiritual beings, can we bring to life itself.

For many of us it’s difficult to count our joyful times and much easier to count our miserable experiences. The key is to change our thoughts now as soon as we start reliving a miserable past or a present difficulty. Even if you are having a good hair day, count that as blessing. Counting your blessings is a cliché but one that actually changes your vibration from feeling sad to bringing you joy. Counting your blessings is going over in your mind what you have in your life that puts you in a mindset of gratitude. Another thing is to ask daily how may you serve life, how may you serve others.

In addition to refocusing on gratitude and how you may serve, there are a few more suggestions to help open you up to receive happiness

• Live in the present moment. Bask in what is going on around you that is right or that feels right. Even if it’s witnessing a bee pollinating a flower find beauty and love and joy in your present moment because that is honestly all you have. Keep your attention on what is good in your life and let go of the bad.

• In silence God/Goddess speaks. Take a few moments every day to sit and listen, spirit is speaking all the time. Listen and go with your intuition. That gut feeling you may have is their voice speaking to you. It is your own “sixth sense” coming alive. You find happiness is your connection to your highest self and in trusting that voice in your head that comes out loud and clear.

• Your goal is in discovering your own personal worth. What other people think about you is none of your business and only gets in the way of your personal happiness. You are who you think you are and that person is fabulous so give up the need for approval it is in your way.

• The intelligence of the universe is within you. We are creators of our reality and as creators; we have the power to organize all matter, energy and thought. Use the power to create a reality that is wonderful in every aspect. Even if that reality is at first a dream, keep dreaming until it becomes real remember every reality begins with a thought.

• Let go of control and accept what you can’t change. Remember you have power only to change yourself, not anything or anyone around you. You have the power to fix yourself and not every situation either. Let go and Let God/Goddess…trust me you’ll be way happier.

Famous UFO sitings of the 19th century

2011-03-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

Famous UFO sightings and crashes of the 1800s

The Wright Brothers may have been the first to put an machine into the sky, but people had been looking up at flying aircraft for decades before the brothers launched the first airplane.

Reports of UFOs were recorded in newspapers of the 19th century, among the most famous was written in the St. Louis Democrat, Oct. 19, 1865. That article appeared two weeks later in The Cincinnati Commercial, bringing more public awareness to UFOs. The account was of an old Montana fir trapper by the name of James Lumley who saw a UFO fly over him and crash into the forest, exploding like a rocket. The story picked up by the Missouri Democrat and other newspapers, which contributed to national attention or awareness of alien spacecraft.

Most fur trappers may tell tales of Indians, or bears, or mountain lions, but Lumley’s account of a flying saucer that crashed into Cadotte Pass was among the most explicit and remains a mystery to this day. It is said that debris from the crash may still be up there, but few there has been no findings since. Nevertheless the story has remained one of the most mysterious of the 1800s.

Lumley was about 175 miles above the Upper Missouri in Great Falls Montana. He was on his way back to his camp site when he saw a “bright luminous body in the heavens.” It went rapidly into an eastern direction and was plainly visible for about five seconds. As it flew Lumley saw it burst into an explosion in the sky and he later heard an explosion. It was shortly followed by a strong wind through the forest like a tornado, and the event left the air smelling like sulfur.

The next day, after walking two miles, he saw a path “several rods wide” made through the forest. He followed the path and discovered an object or rather a stone on the side of the mountain. What was unusual about this stone is that it had strange hieroglyphics and glass in it. Lumley felt the fragment he had found had come from an immense body and that the hieroglyphics must have been used for some purpose and made by human hands.

In April of 1897, people in five Midwestern states reported various accounts of an oblong shape in the sky. The accounts were reported from April 5th to April 19th.

The first recorded sighting was in Omaha Nebraska where more than 100 people witnessed the appearance of a flying object more than 12 feet long. It was shiny and made of steel. The object became so luminous that the brightness awoke people from their sleep.

People in Sioux City, Iowa saw another cigar-shaped craft just a few days later. It was also seen in Cedar Rapids and Burlington and described as a mysterious object with a glaring headlight of some kind and a shiny steel haul, gliding with a hissing sound.

Eyewitnesses in Chicago and Mount Carroll Illinois reported seeing an elongated object with flashing or rotating red and green lights on April 10. Hundreds of people throughout Illinois saw an aircraft hovering about 500 ft in the air and leaving at tremendous speeds. The craft had one bright light in addition to the red and green flashing lights. A Chicago newsstand dealer, Walter McCann was said to have taken two photos of the object at the time, but copies of these photos have not been made public in a very long time. They may still be in a file tucked away in Washington, or so the conspiracy theorists believe.

Later, that same night the people in Wausau Wisconsin looked up to see and egg-shaped craft hovering over city hall in Milwaukee. Thousands of awestruck spectators stood watching the craft as its lights moved back and forth.

On the next night, the same craft or one similar in description was seen in Minnesota and later in Indiana. By April 19, the craft appeared in Cochranville, Ohio and later traveled on to other areas, unknown. All accounts were similar throughout all five states with thousands of witnesses.

One of the most famous of all UFO sightings and crashes in the late 1800s was recorded in Aurora, Texas.

Although no evidence has been found to substantiate the story, the local newspaper account reads as follows: “About 6 o’clock this morning, the early risers of Aurora were astonished at the sudden appearance of the airship which has been sailing around the country. It was traveling due north and much nearer the earth than before. Evidently some of the machinery was out of order, for it was making a speed of only 10 to 12 miles per hour and gradually settled toward the earth.”

The craft later crashed into a windmill, bursting into pieces. Some of the material recovered by townspeople revealed material sketched with a type of hieroglyphic.

United Press International, which is now defunct, then picked up the story and it spread throughout the borders of Texas. There were a number of eyewitnesses who all agreed on the basic facts: An unknown craft crashed into the town, and strange debris was found along with a “being not of this world was found in the wreckage.”

The townspeople of Aurora discovered the remains of the pilot, or rather extraterrestrial along with the strange debris and gave the creature a “proper burial,” respect was due to him as well since he resembled a small man, or humanoid to the town folk. The alien body has long disappeared along with the gravestone after military personnel came to Aurora to “investigate” the incident. The story was so famous it was later made into a movie: The Aurora Encounter” in 1986 starring Jack Elam. The incident is still being studied today.

The Denison Daily News of Denison Texas reported another famous sighting in 1878, when a farmer, John Martin saw a spacecraft. He was later credited for being one of the first to use the term “flying saucer.” Martin described the flying saucer as a dark object he saw in the sky. The object moved close to him the whole time he watched.

For decades, these UFO sightings have been explained away as meteors or other things. But what is interesting that before the Wright brothers launched an airplane, flying crafts were already visible in the skies. None of these crafts could really be explained away as weather balloons or meteorites, to witnesses of the 1800s the crafts were not from this earth.