Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2020 i Chat It's Fate

Hurrah, it’s our Hallowe’en issue! My nine-year-old daughter has been planning her costume since at least July, which gives you some idea how excited we get about this spookiest of festivals in my household! We usually go trick-or-treating round the village – which always goes wild with cool costumes and scary decorations – but I’m fascinated by Samhain, which it’s based on. This year, I want to engage with the spirit of this ancient Celtic festival – check out my feature on p56 for some suggestions on how to celebrate Samhain. That said, I’ll be getting into the spirit of Hallowe’en, too – and I do love our insightful costume oracle on p16! I’m definitely a Gorgeous Ghoul – how about you? Have a marvellous month! Do you have an…

In the early ‘70s, the Perron family moved into a 14-room farmhouse in Rhode Island, USA, and were subject to one of the most terrifying hauntings ever recorded. Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called in, and conducted a séance to see who the evil spirits were – during which the mum, Carol Perron, began levitating and speaking in tongues. The mediums realised that an evil former occupant of the house, a woman called Bathsheba, who was rumoured to be a Satanist, saw Carol as a threat and was tormenting her. The story was the subject of 2013 box office smash The Conjuring.…

Katie paints your spirit guide Dear Katie I am looking to expand my business. Can my spirit guide help me to bring in more clients? Sonia, 42, Hertfordshire Dear Sonia, Your spirit guide is a man called Alan who was born in South East England in the early 20th century. He worked as a writer and speaker, helping to bring Eastern spirituality and philosophy to the West. He is encouraging you to be the bridge now and introduce your clients to the ancient and the modern, body and spirit, East and West. By showing your clients how to be a spiritual being in a human body, you will offer something unique to your clients. Call on Alan to help you do this, and he will guide you every step of…

SWAMP THING Dear Roi I had a dream that I was in a strange swampland, which was all white and shrouded in a spooky mist. I was wading through the water and mud, which was also white, but the branches and leaves of the trees dangling above me were black. I don’t know what I was looking for, but I knew I had to go forwards somehow. Asia St Clair, 40, Glasgow Dear Asia You’ve been navigating a difficult, possibly even dangerous, situation, stemming from your own internal, emotional landscape. You’ve recently achieved clarity and purity of perspective, and you now know exactly what’s going on, and where you are with it all. You know the way forward, and you know just what to do, too. Get dressed to impress…

Susie Green, author of Bird Messages, says, ‘In Celtic folklore, birds played an important role offering prophetic knowledge and a link with the spirit world. Blackbird, for example, was a sacred bird to the Druids, and its musical notes were used for divination. For eons, birds have acted as a bridge between the divine and our mundane world. Even today, they are still messengers and can help us to look beyond our world of technology.’ Spotting the signs Be open to signs. A bird may appear in an usual place, or it may come closer to you than normal and stay for some time. You might also see a particular bird several times in one day, or at a particular time, as a forewarning. Or the bird may behave oddly,…

1st The full moon in energetic Aries brings matters to a head – expect an extremely eventful day. 4th Power planet Pluto ends its retrograde motion. Transformation can happen now. 14th Chatty Mercury goes retrograde in secretive Scorpio meaning it’s time to keep shtum. 16th The New Moon enters equable Libra, bringing issues of fairness and balance to the forefront. 22nd The Sun beams into scorching Scorpio, highlighting intimacy and the more hidden side of life. 28th Mercury re-enters balanced Libra. Expect matters of balancing rights to be on the agenda today. 31st The full moon enters materialistic Taurus, highlighting financial matters. Look through your bank statements.…

SPICE IT UP With deightful aromas of sweet butterscotch, pumpkin pie and nutmeg, a splash of this Spicebox Pumpkin Spiced Rye Whisky in a mug of hot chocolate could be just the ticket this autumn! It would make a really lovely gift too. £27.61 from amazon.co.uk WATCH IT This funky Huawei smart watch in everyone’s favourite autumnal colour is water-resistant, acts as a fitness tracker and GPS, and links to your Android smartphone for notifications. Talk about multi-tasking! £29 from AO.com FEELING FRUITY Rock the hottest colour of the season with this gorgeous Pumpkin Pie nail polish from Cienna Rose. It’s natural, vegan and cruelty-free – bonus! £9 from ciennnarose.com LIGHT UP Decorate your home – or even your autumn altar – with these adorable pumpkin lights. They’ll definitely impress…

Tammarishka Kerman, 56, from Ontario, Canada Lying on the sofa late at night, reading a magazine, I suddenly realised that I wasn’t alone. A black mist had appeared by the basement door. As I glanced up in shock, the dark presence pounced on me, pinning me down. It shape-shifted, revealing itself to be a demon. Lizard-like with yellow eyes, it was breathing on my cheek, and I could feel its heavy weight. I was terrified, but couldn’t move or shout. The entity emitted a horrifying hiss just as my husband Randy, then 52, entered the living room. Distracted, the demon looked over its shoulder. I used to opportunity to try to break free. I began fighting off the creature, screaming hysterically. The demon quickly vanished. ‘What just happened?’ asked Randy,…

TANTALLON TERROR Tantallon Castle, in East Lothian, Scotland, has featured in Chat it’s fate before – one reader wrote to us to say she heard the sound of ghostly soldiers’ marching feet there. Now, Edinburgh Live has reported it’s the site of the world’s most convincing haunted photo. The photo, which appears to show a man wearing a ruff and old-fashioned clothing, appearing in a window, was taken by Christopher Aitchison in 2010. No mannequins or costumed tour guides are used at the castle, which was left in ruins by Oliver Cromwell’s forces in 1651, and experts have confirmed that the picture has not been photoshopped. However, sceptics believe that it isn’t a ghost at all. Alex Pryce, of the Edinburgh Skeptics group, said in the Daily Mirror: ‘..[It] is…

Bec Clift, 47, Mochdre, Colwyn Bay Stomping down the stairs, my youngest son Jacob, 12, had a face like thunder. ‘Muuuuuuum, Grandad locked himself in the toilet again!’ It was my dad’s favourite trick when he wanted a bit of peace and quiet. He’d take himself off to the loo with a newspaper, lock the door and stay there. Jacob and his older brothers Ben, 20, and Josh, 22, couldn’t understand it. They’d hammer on the door for attention. It was all good-natured though – my dad Idris Howells adored his grandsons. He lived in South Wales, a three-and-a-half-hour drive from our home, so every couple of months we’d make the trip to spend a weekend with him. He was especially close to Jacob, my most sensitive and thoughtful boy.…

Yamile Yemoonyah, 45, from London Lying in my bed, my eyes opened. It was the middle of the night and something had woken me up. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I realised that there was a man standing in my bedroom doorway. He was wearing nothing but a pair of jeans – no shoes or top – and he was looking right at me. I stared back – shocked, but strangely unafraid, even though I couldn’t move a muscle of my body. The man looked as real as you or me, but I knew he wasn’t a living person. I noticed that he was holding a glowing red orb in his hand. Just as I observed this, he threw it straight at me! At that moment, I passed…

Hallowe’en has always been a time to remember our loved ones in spirit, a time when the veil between life and death is said to be thin enough that they can communicate with us. This year in particular, when so many of us have lost someone close, the angels are going to be very near, helping us to cope and to keep their memory alive. You can ask your guardian angel for signs – which may come in surprising ways! Read the letter from Fiona for not one but two astonishing signs! I also had an email from Faye, 57, from Horley, Surrey, asking about the Angels of Solitude and Fortitude – they are Cassiel and Gabriel and you can read more about how these angels are connecting with us…

Cults can, unfortunately, be deadly – the most famous example of this being the Jonestown massacre. In 1978, more than 900 people – men, women and children – died at a site in Guyana. They were all members of a cult called the Peoples Temple, which was run by cult leader Jim Jones. Concerns about how Jones was treating his followers were initially raised after the mutilated body of a cult member was found near railtracks. A delegation led by a man named Leo Ryan was sent from California to investigate. As the delegation left the site, they were shot at by cult members, and several were killed, including Leo Ryan. An increasingly paranoid Jim Jones instructed every member of the cult to commit ‘revolutionary suicide’ and poison was placed…

Did you know that it’s possible to experience all sorts of sensations in your dreams, not just sight and sound? You can touch things, and experience a sense of texture, just like you can in real life. Here are a few of the more common textures we can feel in our dream-worlds... SMOOTH TEXTURES suggest that you’re coasting merrily through life right now and journeying down your path in a wonderfully positive way. ROUGH SURFACES mean the very opposite – that you’re struggling to cope with difficult issues going on in your life. PRICKLY SURFACES symbolise particularly irritating situations or people in your life. Alternatively, they can indicate a need to raise your defences, to protect yourself from unwanted incursions into your life. GRITTY TEXTURES also symbolise irritants, just not…

Lara Wells, 51, from Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland I’ve always known I was different. Even as a child, I knew things other people didn’t, like when there was going to be a thunderstorm, or who was on the other end of the phone – and this was back in the days before mobile phones! ‘That’s Nan,’ I’d predict as Mum picked it up. Sure enough, it would be my grandma, ringing for a chat. One of my earliest memories is falling down the stairs. I was about four years old at the time, and I’d got up to go to the loo in the night. Somehow, I slipped. I crashed down the stairs, landing at the bottom unhurt, luckily. But as I lay there, in front of the door, trying…

Hallowe’en isn’t the only festival happening this month. The second biggest festival in the Chinese calendar, the Mid-Autumn or Mooncake Festival falls on 1 October or the 15th day of the eighth lunar month – also the day of the full moon. 2,000 years ago, it was a harvest festival in which offerings and sacrifices were given to the moon goddess in thanks for her bounty. These days, all over China, houses are lit up with lanterns, and feasts are held. Many people hold shangyue or ‘moon appreciation’ parties to enjoy the occasion, sitting in their garden with guests, sipping tea and enjoying traditional delicacies, such as mooncakes, which are pastries stuffed with red bean or lotus seed paste. It’s also a popular day to get married, as the moon…

Goddess report The Zoryi are two Slavic sister deities, who live together in their father’s palace in the sky. Zorya Utrennyaya is the goddess of the dawn, while Zorya Vechernyaya is the goddess of dusk. Together they are responsible for guarding an unnamed deity, who is enslaved by the Ursa Major constellation, also known as the Great Bear. Should this hungry beast break free, then the world would be thrown into chaos! RIDDLE’S REMEDIES Dear Kirsten My love life’s so confusing. I can’t choose between two men, please help! Thalia, Kent Dear Thalia Call on the tarot for assistance. Remove the Lovers card from the pack and place it on the table in front of you. This card is associated with love and romance, and it also represents a choice…

Pet TIP BITS If your horse gets a foot abscess, try wrapping the foot in a newborn baby’s disposable nappy, with some warm saline water in it. It works wonders to draw out the pus and stays on well once wrapped up with gaffer tape. Change regularly until the abscess heals. Paws for thought If your cat is toilet trained to a litter tray, you could make them their own outside toilet too! Dig a small trench and add clean pea gravel – it’s easy to keep clean and the rain also washes it. At first, though, you may have to place a litter tray in it to encourage them to use it. LOVELY LADDIE Dear Jackie Would it be possible to contact my dog who passed away back…

WHAT’S IN YOUR spooky snaps? Sister act Dear Sally This is a photograph of myself and my two sisters on Barbara’s last holiday. We all had a fantastic time and made the most of it being her last. I miss her every day and would love you to maybe take something from this orb she is carrying. Thank you so much, Sally. June Carey, Oldham Dear June So sorry to hear about the loss of your darling sister Barbara. I always say there is no such thing as a coincidence, and I believe that this really fits in with this particular picture of Barbara where you have managed to capture an orb. I would like to feel that the orb represents spirit energy looking after Barbara, even before her…

Celebrity PAST LIFE What’s Johnny Depp fighting for? Injustice? Drugs? His ex-wife? No, he’s searching for approval from his father, which he certainly didn’t get in his last life. Then, he was Alexei, first born son of Peter the Great, who actually tortured his own son to death in 1718. No wonder Johnny seems to be going off the rails! He needs to know all this! Meditation mandalas Do you have trouble ‘switching off’ in order to meditate? Jenny digitally paints channelled meditation mandalas especially for you. You just stare into the image and take flight into a spiritual connection with your guides. See all Jenny’s paintings on her website jennysmedley.co.uk JENNY’S IN-DEPTH Regression IN LOVE AGAIN Dear Jenny I’ve been married to my husband for 15 years, sometimes happy…

SASSY SORCERESS You love to get your ‘witch on’ and show your true magical colours, and this outfit fits the bill perfectly. You’re fascinated by the supernatural and drawn to all things mystical. Anything that expands your mind is a must, and you enjoy the challenge of learning something new. You have the chance to conjure the future you want this Hallowe’en. Picture yourself in five years’ time, and imagine what you’d like to be doing, then work out what you need to get there! Spooky tip: A flier that lands on your doorstep could change your destiny. Keep an open mind and look out for signs from the universe! WILD WEREWOLF You like to walk on the wild side, so it’s no surprise you plumped for this get-up! Just…

Vampires, werewolves, zombies... Every year at Hallowe’en we dress up as these frightful undead creatures to scare family and friends, but what’s the story behind them? Let’s take a look... VAMPIRES The legend Pale of skin and long of tooth, these blood-suckers feed on the living – and can turn them into vampires, too. They are said to be repelled by garlic, and only killed by a stake through the heart. The truth Vampires have existed in folklore at least since the Middle Ages – archeologists in Bulgaria recently discovered the grave of a 13th century man who’d had an iron rod hammered through his chest to prevent him from rising from the grave. Between the 13th and 17th centuries, plague raged through Europe. One of the symptoms was bleeding…

Lucy's MONTHLY BLOG DOUBLE TROUBLE Hold onto your hats, it’s a blue moon month! Yes, there are two full moons – meaning double the drama. Uh-oh! October kicks off with a full moon in Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, marking the beginning of a new cycle. It’s the new year for witches and a generally busy time for all of us, as the planets clearly show. Mars is still travelling backwards this month, suggesting there’s progress behind the scenes. Happily, Jupiter is also making a link to compassionate Neptune mid-month, bringing much-needed healing to the world. The final Mercury Retrograde of 2020 starts on the 14th in reserved Scorpio, which could mean that closely-guarded secrets are revealed. The new moon beams into Libra on the 16th, bringing potential…

Traditionally, the ancient Celtic festival Samhain fell at the time of the apple harvest, which is why toffee apples and apple bobbing are part of the Hallowe’en celebrations today. Apples were sacred to Druids and the Celts, representing eternal life and fertility. They’re used for healing and love spells, among others, and are especially important to witches as if you cut one in half horizontally, you’ll see the magical symbol that is the five-pointed star or pentagram inside! You can use this spell to manifest whatever you want, but there are certain times of the month or year when it’s particularly potent. NEW MOON: To begin a new venture, start a project or make a fresh start in life. FULL MOON: To add power to life, ask for a relationship,…

As summer draws to a close and fades away, October is a dawn to the snow or the turning down of the light. Aside from the colder, darker days, October will be fast and will force people to decide on their future moves and what they want their future to look like. STACEY DOOLEY You could drop Stacey in the middle of a desert and she would find her way out. She is a real powerhouse who’s been in some very dangerous situations. This October is going to be a very exciting time for her – but she does like to tempt fate so must curb any self-destructive tendencies! Does she want a real love life or does she not? To answer that, she’ll have to dig deep. I suspect…

Victoria Ruskin, 35, from Windsor Sitting in my hidden high walled garden on the borders of Surrey, a place with many connections to the fae folk, I smiled as I watched the fairies dance around me. As always, I was delighted that they were courteous enough to allow me to see them, however fleeting their visit. As a child I made ‘perfume’ for the fairies I’ve been fascinated with fairies for as long as I can remember. As a child growing up in Reading, I’d make them potions out of leaves and petals, and leave my freshly made ‘perfume’ out for them. These were my first offerings, although I didn’t know it at the time. I had a strong connection with the natural world – butterflies would land and sit…

Get set for a Hallowe’en shake-up. An eclipse of the Full Moon conjunct outrageous Uranus uncorks all your pent-up urges. Remember the saying, ‘A wolf that does not howl can never find her pack’? Stop worrying about what other people may think of you and let it all out! Go with the flow – wherever it may take you! ARIES You work hard and try to think positive – and where does it get you? Sometimes dreaming of things you want just makes you resentful and frustrated. ‘I want doesn’t get’ seems to haunt you. MASH IT UP! Think of one thing you’ve always desired – a designer handbag, a new car, whatever it may be – and resolve to push the boat out. Life’s too short to scrimp and…

SIGNS ACROSS THE divide Woman in white Chris Sadler, Norfolk One cold, crisp morning last winter, my partner and I were walking along a muddy lane in a tiny rural village near Fakenham in Norfolk when we stumbled across a ruined church. The 13th century church, abandoned in the 1870s, was now a roofless, windowless ruin surrounded by trees, home only to high-nesting crows that circled and cawed above us. My partner and I explored the overgrown church inside and out, taking the odd photo as we went, but noticed nothing unusual. The photo gave us a shock In the nearby churchyard was a small group of gravestones, noticeable for their proximity to each other. Simply engraved and inclined by time, they told a sad tale. They were the graves…