Happiness & Joy Archives - Page 50 of 64 - Antony Simpson is an Author, Blogger, Nurse & Witch.

A Modern Memory Box

Monday 3 December 2012 / Antony Simpson / 2 Comments

Reading Time: 2 minutes

A few years ago I wrote about Memories explaining that I keep a shoe box of trinkets (birthday cards, christmas cards, valentines cards, gig ticket stubs, letters, the odd photo, etc.) for every year that passes. These Memory Boxes ended up in the attic because there was so many of them and they were taking up to much space. Up in the attic I forgot about them, until recently when I went up into the attic for something else and I saw them. I realised I don’t look at them as often because of the number of boxes and number of items in the boxes, but then I had an idea…

I bought a scanner and painstakingly scanned every item onto my iMac. Then I set up a screen saver:

In the end I scanned in over nine hundred items, but it was worth the time and energy invested. Now every time my iMac goes into screen saver mode I see the wonderful letters, cards, ticket subs, etc. and my memory is triggered transporting me into the past – usually to a time filled with happiness and joy. My iMac has become my Modern Memory Box, which I hope to add to often.

Write soon,

Antony

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Samhain 2012

Sunday 4 November 2012 / Antony Simpson / Leave a Comment

Reading Time: 2 minutes

This year Samhain was a two day event! It started on Tuesday (30th) night when Sye and I carved pumpkins (for how to carve pumpkins see Making a pumpkin lantern for Samhain). Here’a our finished pumpkins:

Left: Jill – looking shocked (mine),
Right: Jacko Sye’s piece of artwork.
(Click on image for full size.)

Sye & I also used the pumpkin insides to make some Pumpkin Cookies after I found a recipe on the Facebook of Pagan Magic, here’s a photo of the cookies:

They look fantastic and were so delicious.
(Click on image for full size.)

Sye & I had a cookie (or two), a brew (or Milk in Sye’s case) and I wished him happy Samhain as by the time we’d finished it was the early hours of the morning.

In the evening of Samhain (31st) I went round to do ritual with Jayne & Joan. We wrote letters to ancestors which was a brilliant idea of Jayne’s that I have never thought of doing. Then we burned the letters to release the messages into the cosmos in Jayne’s fire pit:

The Fire Pit lit, despite the rain.
We even had some green flames,
I’ve only ever seen them on Samhain.
(Click on image for full size.)

Me tending to the fire in my ritual robe.
(Click on image for full size.)

By the fire we discussed what we were thankful for over the last twelve months; we also burnt slips of paper with things we wanted to banish over the next twelve months. To finish the ritual we went inside, relaxed and asked any spirits that wish to communicate with us to do so. I didn’t get any spirit communication unless you count the cat that uncharacteristically came up to me and started purring.

That’s how I celebrated Samhain.

Write soon,

Antony

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Levitation

Thursday 1 November 2012 / Antony Simpson / Leave a Comment

Reading Time: 2 minutes

On a cold, dark Friday night in October a few weeks ago, Simon and I headed to Chrys’ for a psychic party. From the outside the glow of the house looked warm and inviting, as it always does. Chrys put on a spread and guests were already chatting with one another as we entered, greeted by a massive hug and kiss from the lovely lady herself.

The psychic who was suppose to be giving a few people readings had to cancel last minute due to a family emergency; but with three pagans in the room we did a few activities amongst the socialising, story telling and the general relaxing. Activities included Numerology, Dowsing Rods and Levitation.

I’ve never done Levitation before but we got our victim…ahem…volunteer to sit in an armless chair and began. Four of us took positions two at each side of the volunteer.

We started with each of us joining our own hands together with the two index fingers sticking out and trying to lift the volunteer. The two nearest the back of the chair trying to lift under the armpits and the two nearest the volunteers legs lifting under the bend. Unsurprisingly, even attempting to lift the volunteer with our coordinated efforts was unsuccessful. That was just to prove we couldn’t lift the volunteer.

Then the four of us put our left hand over the volunteers head; hovering the hands slightly so that we weren’t touching the volunteers head or others hands. One each us had put their left hand into position, we did the same with the right. We closed our eyes and visualised what we were about to do and then took a few deep breaths.

We quickly removed our hands in the order we’d put them above the volunteers head and put them (joined together index fingers sticking out) back under the armpits and the bend under the leg; lightly touching the volunteer before she rose up and levitated for a few seconds. Then her body seemed to regain weight and her bum came crashing down on to the chair.

It was an amazing sight to see and I bet we could have levitated the volunteer for much longer if we had wanted too. So that’s how I learned to levitate. Thank you Chrys for the fantastic evening (as always) and for teaching me something new.

Write soon,

Antony

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Day Trip: Liverpool

Thursday 30 August 2012 / Antony Simpson / Leave a Comment

Reading Time: 5 minutes

(A photo of one of the famous
Liver Birds.)

One weekend a few weeks ago on a gorgeous, bright sunny day Chrys, Simon, two of Chrys’ visiting foreign friends and I went for a day trip to Liverpool. I’ve not been to Liverpool in years and don’t know the city well. So we were really lucky to have a proper scouser in Chrys. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide to show us around her lovely city.

One of Chrys foreign friends has a love of architecture and photography and Liverpool is full of beautiful architecture. The foreign friend pointed out many grand architectural features at high points on the buildings. I’m not normally one to notice architecture, so her pointing it made me notice the detailed carvings in the stone.

Here’s a man holding a torch which is an example of the architecture I’m talking about along with a fountain that caught my eye (click on any of the photos on this blog post to see a full size image):

Next Chrys showed us where The Beatles started off at The Cavern Club:

Opposite The Cavern Club is ‘Liverpool Wall Of Fame’ (photo right). It’s got a gold disk for every liverpudlian whose had a Number 1 Single in the charts.

As I was taking in the graffiti people from seemingly all over the world had written, I noticed this:

It was a statement somebody had written that read:
“Everyone and everything in this universe is interconnected
Stay true to your heart and you’ll see the signs
Follow the signs to uncover your destiny”

I was shocked to see something so deep written. It reminded me to keep listening to my heart and to keep an eye out for signs from the universe in my daily life.

Chrys treated us to a cruise on the ferry across the Mersey. The sun was hot but it was cooled by the breeze. As the ferry sailed along I found the combination of the sunshine, breeze and movement very relaxing. I got to see the fantastic Liverpool skyline and found the history of the Mersey, Liverpool and the docks coming over the tannoy really interesting.

We did a full circle on the ferry getting off where we’d started. Then we decided to walk along the Mersey on the way to the docks.

(Waiting to get on the ferry.)

Along the Mersey front we saw these:

There was some debate as to whether they were sheep, dogs or some other animal. They reminded me of The CowParade in Manchester (see CowParade Gallery for photos). Simon explained to me that these pieces of art work had at one time been dotted around Liverpool like the CowParade. I was pleased that Liverpool had kept these and displayed them on the Mersey front.

We approached the docks with the various bars, shops and resturants. I really wanted to get a photo of the dry docks, but unfortunately they were carrying out work on them. So here’s a photo of a “wet” dock:

After having a look around a few shops, we decided to head to a traditional pub as Chrys and Simon wanted to show the rest of us the immaculate toilets. Before jumping in the taxi I saw this yellow submarine and just had to take a photo:

We reached the pub and all enjoyed a drink before realising just how late it was, just after six. Chrys’ two foreign friends had really enjoyed themselves and informed us that as a thank you they would cook tea when we get home to Chrys’. Chrys wanted to show them one last place on route to the train station, the Catholic Church:

(Above Left: The Catholic Church, Right: Architecture on the Catholic Church.)

Apparently Jesus goes home at six, back to Chrys’ cellar as does the Catholic priests as the Church was closed. So we didn’t get to see the inside which is apparently beautiful. We headed back to Chrys’ on the train.

When we arrived at Chrys’ Simon got the fire going, Chrys and I made the garden look pretty with candles and Chrys’ two foreign friends got busy in the kitchen. I started to flag at this point as I’d only had about three hours sleep the night before. By the time we all sat down to eat my stomach was churning due to tiredness and I wasn’t able to eat anything. But it smelt delicious and I thanked them for their culinary efforts after I explained why I wasn’t eating. We said our goodbyes and I headed for home.

It was a wonderful day and I’d just like to thank Chrys, Simon and Chrys’ two foreign friends for a great day trip.

Blog soon,

Antony

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