Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2021 i Chat It's Fate

One thing that 2020 taught me is how important it is to follow your dreams – things can change in a heartbeat and we never really know how long we’ve got. Our plus-size mermaid Carla Watkins is most definitely living her best life. On p4, she explains how she was called by the sea – and how it changed her life for the better. Madeleine Bond is someone else who’s following her dreams, dropping an impressive three dress sizes to a size 12 with the help of a most unusual life coach – her dad, who’s in spirit! Read her inspiring story on p32. Crafting is having a ‘moment’ right now, and if you enjoy being hands-on, you’ll love our step-by-step guide to making your own candles on p48. You’ll…

In these ever-changing and often worrying times, many of us feel out of control – but the mermaid is a creature who is free to ebb and flow with the changing tides. Channel her power to shake off your worries and to be as free and fluid as the ocean! You will need a bathtub and some sea salt. This ritual is best done at night, during a waning moon. If possible, leave the curtains or blind open so you can see the moon as you bathe. Run yourself a lovely deep warm bath, and add a generous sprinkling of sea salt. Climb into the water, and lie back – and as you do so, say, ‘I trust in the universe to do whatever is right for me.’ Then close…

WHAT’S IN YOUR spooky snaps? Ghost photobomb Dear Sally My husband took this photo when we were staying in a 12th century castle hotel in Durham. I was surprised about how many orbs there were! What do you see? Amanda, Buckinghamshire Dear Amanda What an amazing photograph where you have unbeknowingly captured the image of a ghost. The spirit is standing immediately behind the lady in the photograph and I would say she is a lady from the Georgian period, she is wearing a red-ish wig and would have been the lady of the house. The white door behind her along the corridor is where the ghost comes from and goes through several rooms. This is where she regularly haunts the house. This ghost who I will call the…

Katie paints your spirit guide Dear Katie I would love to feel more of a connection to my spirit guide. How can I become more open to hearing them? Abbi, 39, Norwich Dear Abbi Your spirit guide is an American man who lived in the 19th century. I see the name Edgar. During his lifetime, he was able to bring through deep messages from Spirit, through channelling, to help others. This was hard for him as he was a devout Christian and his actions were not aligned with his beliefs, but he had to follow the calling of his soul. He wants you to allow your gifts to emerge fully. Connect to him by creating a sacred space and inviting him in. Talk to him like a friend, sharing your…

Meet the parents Dear Michelle I’ve always known that I was adopted, and had a wonderful childhood. My parents passed away recently, and now I want to know my birth parents. I found my father, and I’ve written to him, but he never responds. How can I make him get in touch with me? Mary*, 41, Ullapool Dear Mary I am using the Sacred Traveller Oracle by Denise Linn for intuition. This is a very unsettling time for you, you are grieving for your parents and coping with everything that brings. Perhaps you need to take a step back, to allow yourself time to heal and release the rawness that comes from the passing of those closest to us. It’s natural that you may now feel a need to connect…

The Beast of Gevaudan was a werewolf that terrorised the village of Gevaudan, in the Margaride Mountains in central France, between 1764 and 1767. Victims had their throats torn out, and it was estimated there were as many as 610 attacks, resulting in 500 deaths. Survivors reported being attacked by a hybrid wolf-dog. A hunter called Jean Castel took credit for finally killing the creature in 1767, shooting it with a bullet cast in silver – which is probably where the myth that werewolves can only be killed with a silver bullet comes from. The huge wolf’s body was said to contain the corpse of its last victim.…

The Guardians of Sleep is a new project put together by the Museum Of London which is collecting people’s dreams with the aim of documenting how much this pandemic has really affected our lives. We process a lot of the troubles and anxieties of our waking lives whilst we sleep, so naturally our dreams frequently reflect many of our stresses and strains, and at this particularly stressful time in all our lives, many of us are experiencing a lot of nightmares as a result. It will be a very telling story for future generations to reflect upon...…

Although many people turn to gastric bands and bypasses to help with weight loss, these involve major surgery and carry risks. Hypnotherapists have come up with a ‘virtual’ gastric band which works by convincing your body that you’ve had a bypass, but with no surgery taking place. It sounds a bit out there, but a study by researchers in 2014 suggests that it can be effective if used in conjunction with other weight loss solutions, such as diet and exercise, as a form of support.…

BOMBS AWAY Who doesn’t love a bath bomb – and if your mum is a crafty type, she’ll be thrilled at the chance to make her own. The Bomb Crystal Geode Kit includes two moulds, a fabulous choice of coloured powders and everything you need to design a fizzy delight – plus a secret surprise! All Mum needs to do is pop it into the bath – and relax! £9.99 from canaltoys.com BOTTOMS UP! Socially distancing is probably here to stay – for a while, at least – and if you can’t see your mum on Mother’s Day, and know she enjoys a tipple, why not send her a Negroni? This classic bittersweet cocktail contains gin, vermouth and bitters, and arrives ready to be served over ice. Cheers! £10 from…

Pet TIP BITS Did you know that the plastic lids off the tins of barista style coffee fit most pet food tins too? Very handy if you need some spares – and if you enjoy a posh coffee! Paws for thought If your cat is on a diet, whether for health or just because of greed, put some food in a dog’s slow eating bowl (with big enough spaces for them to get their paws in) and they’ll have to work to get their food out. MAGICAL MEGG Dear Jackie I believe my young Collie, Meg, was guided to me – could this be true? Robert, Herefordshire Dear Robert Meg is a very bright girl and full of fun too. She tells me that she keeps you on your…

Carla Watkins, 34, from Colchester, Essex Slumped over my computer, I stifled a bored yawn. Another uneventful day was ticking past at my marketing job, they all blurred into one. It was always a relief when my lunch hour rolled round and I could browse social media during my break. As I was scrolling, a YouTube video suddenly popped up that I’d never seen before. It was of a woman wearing a mermaid’s tail, swimming effortlessly through crystal clear waters. A real-life mermaid! I gasped out loud. She was so graceful and elegant, I’d never seen anything like it. I had a flashback to myself, at three years old, on a summer beach holiday in Cornwall with my parents. I’d hopped up on a rock, tucked my legs together at…

There are myths about mermaids in different cultures from all around the world. The very first mermaid legend is thought to come from the ancient land of Assyria (now Iraq). The goddess Atargis fell in love with a mortal, but ended up accidentally killing him. Ashamed and desperately sad, she threw herself into a lake, intending to become a fish for all eternity – but the dark waters of the lake could not conceal her beauty, so she merely assumed a fish’s tail, while retaining her beautiful upper half. In Chinese folklore, mermaids’ tears are pearls and they are revered for their grace and beauty – but they’re not always viewed so positively. In Japan, mermaids are grotesque monsters consisting of a human head attached to a fish’s body, and…

Nikki Fleming, 38, from Ipswich, Suffolk Dusting the framed photographs, I carefully put them back in place on the dresser in my hallway. I took great care of my photos of my sons Jordan, now 20, and Charlie, now 14, in their school uniforms. My boys were younger at the time and the photos were my pride and joy. But later that afternoon, I noticed the photos were face down on the dresser. ‘That’s odd,’ I muttered. I checked the windows. All closed. There was no draught. The boys were both out. So how had that happened? Frowning, I put the photos back up again. But the exact same thing happened the next day, then a few days later. By now, I was a little freaked out and worried –…

Whether you believe in marriage or not, the ancient practice of ‘plighting your troth’ (or pledging your truth) to someone you love has been with us for millenia. Naturally it carries with it plenty of symbolism too! WEDDINGS in dreams generally symbolise all kinds of new starts, commitments and harmonious collaborations in our waking lives. Significant developments are afoot! MARRYING SOMEONE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX in your dream can represent a positive combining of certain masculine and feminine aspects in your life, a situation that’s very much to your advantage. MARRYING AN EX? You’ve learnt from past experiences and mistakes, and can now take what you’ve learned with you into the next phase of your life. ARRANGED MARRIAGES can mean you’re feeling forced or persuaded to act contrary to your…

3rd Love planet Venus in empathic Pisces makes a thrilling connection to unpredictable Uranus in earthy Taurus – expect a frisson of excitement. 4th After an intense push through Taurus, Mars lightens up with the power planet’s move to Gemini. Expect the banter to crackle! 5th Communications planet Mercury in forward-thinking Aquarius fuses with expansive Jupiter. It’s the perfect combo for bright ideas and blue sky thinking. 13th The new moon in imaginative Pisces suggests infinite possibilities for the future. Visualise your dreams. 14th Love planet Venus and Neptune, the planet of the subconscious, meet and open up compassion and true understanding. 20th The Sun moves into Aries, bringing a bit of oomph to proceedings! 21st Mercury links up with Uranus in Taurus – nice surprises await. Mars in Gemini…

Here on our own shores, in 2016, a man called Paul Jones claimed to have found the body of a mermaid washed up on the beach in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. It was in a rotting state, with fins and a tail, but a head that looked human. The photos were shared countless times on social media, with many commentators adamant that it was a mermaid – however Mr Jones’ own social media shows him to be a keen creator of models, with lots of fish-themed pieces. Work of art or stuff of legends? You decide...…

Celebrity PAST LIFE Being the wife of the President of the United States was never going to satisfy Michelle Obama. In her previous life, she was a poor black man brought to the USA to be sold, who lived a short and horrible life. As this man, she vowed that one day she’d rule the foreign land that held her captive and change it. Maybe she’ll become POTUS one day and have the power to make things better. 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 SEPARATION ANXIETY Dear Jenny…

Ye Old Punchbowl Inn in Bridgnorth, Shropshire is haunted by the ghost of a little girl called Jesse, who’s thought to have been murdered by a former landlord back in the 1800s. She’s regularly heard by staff and residents at the pub, crying. The murderer, Harold – who had a disfigured face after a shooting accident – also haunts the pub, with his Irish wolfhound by his side, and mediums have suggested that the reason Jesse is crying is because she’s still scared of him in the afterlife.…

Yesterday I had a list of errands to do, and my mum, who lives with us, had her own list. So off we went – but Mum doesn’t move very fast these days, so we made our way round the supermarket, post office and pharmacy very slowly indeed. Once we got home, we were busy putting it all away, and then sorting out the washing, and so on. An ordinary sort of day, in fact – but I got to the point where I could hear a little voice in my head saying ‘sit down, sit down, SIT DOWN!’ Eventually, I gave in, made a cuppa and sat down – and didn’t move again for three hours! My guardian angel (and yours) knows that if you don’t look after yourself,…

Madeleine Bond, 30, from Bedford Sitting on my bed, I pulled a packet of salt ‘n’ vinegar crisps out from under my jumper. I’d sneaked them up to my room so my mum and dad didn’t know I was secretly snacking. They were downstairs, watching telly, blissfully unaware that I was upstairs, munching! I’d always been a chubby kid – I just loved food, and would wolf down huge portions of Mum’s home cooking, as well as grazing on crisps and biscuits. Mum and Dad tried to help me eat sensibly, but didn’t put pressure on me to lose weight. I had a great home life – I was a tomboy who loved helping Dad with DIY – but, unfortunately, school was a different matter entirely. One day at primary…

Emily Thornton, 32, from London As I pushed the living room door open, my mum, Sue, looked up eagerly. ‘Well?’ she asked. ‘How was the ghost hunt?’ I threw myself down onto the settee next to her. Mumalways thought I had a special psychicgift ‘I got chosen again by the medium,’ I told her excitedly. ‘They asked me to be the pendulum in the areas of the room where they felt paranormal activity, and I had to let my body move when I could feel energy.’ Mum gave me a knowing smile. ‘That’s because you’ve got the gift,’ she said. I knew exactly what she meant. I’d always been really interested in the paranormal and enjoyed going along to haunted events – like the ghost hunt I’d just been to…

Goddess report The powerful Norse goddess Hel governs the dark recesses of the underworld where the souls of the dead can be found. Daughter of the trickster god Loki, she’s a mighty force and one of the old gods. Her world, known as Niflheim. is divided into several sections, filled with dragons and venomous serpents. She is associated with crows, and the Hell hound Garmr. RIDDLE’S REMEDIES Dear Kirsten My formerly friendly neighbours have taken the hump and I’m not sure why! I’d like to restore good relations with them – can you help? Carmelita, Manchester Dear Carmelita Take two candles, one to represent your home, and one to represent theirs, and place them in a prominent position on a window ledge. With a knife, carve the door numbers of…

The spring equinox falls on 20 March – on this day, day and night are in balance and light begins to grow. Venus is conjunct the Sun, moving into fiery Aries, promising some love action and turning dreams into reality. But you have to have a dream before you can have a dream come true! So what should you be doing now to make the magic happen...? ARIES Do as much as you can of what makes you happy, and take ‘selfish’ as a compliment! The more you love Number One, the more you’ll have to give, in the long run, to others. Most people will adore you anyway for you’re on a perpetual charm offensive! FOLLOW THAT DREAM: Is there an aspect of your appearance you’ve been longing to…

Pippa Heald, 43, from Exeter Picking up the toys, books, games and – for some reason – odd socks strewn across my living room floor, I sighed to myself. As a single mum to Liam*, now 10, and Matt*, eight, my work was never done! ‘Boys, can you come down and tidy up this mess please?’ I yelled, and heard the creaking of the wooden staircase as Liam and Matt stomped down to do as I’d asked. The boys and I had moved into the Victorian terraced house a few years previously, and although it had a warm, friendly feel – most of the time – from the start, I’d sensed we weren’t alone. As a sensitive Piscean, I have a natural instinct for this kind of thing! I’d walk…