For open minds
Russian photographer Akunohato has a brilliant neo-pagan cosplay calendar ready for 2019. It’s not just neo. It’s neon.
Like what you see? You can pick up the Neon Witches over at Etsy.
In Pure Spirit
Which alternative 2019 calendar do you recommend?
Steve Alten is the author of the hugely popular Meg series. The fictional series starts when Navy deep-sea submersible pilot Jonas Taylor encounters a Carcharodon megalodon while exploring the infamous Mariana trench. He barely survives the encounter but then has to warn a sceptical world that the 70-foot shark is real.
The latest book in the series, Meg: Nightstalkers, deals with the nightmare scenario of escaped megalodons and other ancient monsters making their way free.
In Pure Spirit is really lucky. Steve’s made time to answer some of our Carcharodon megalodon questions. Buckle up and read on!
Q. Some folk like to hope that Carcharodon megalodon survives as a species. Why do you think that is? Isn’t a strange thing to hope for?
Not at all. Just as visitors would come to a Jurassic World, they’d love to witness the most vicious predator ever to have lived … albeit from a safe distance.
Q. Do you think the Mariana trench has any real surprises left for us?
It’s all new. This is a 40 mile wide, 1550 mile long unexplored realm. The latest exploration found hydrothermal vents (as I predicted 20 years ago) and an albino “ghost shark!”
Q. You must have been subjected to dozens of survival theories from fans since you started writing Meg. Which have been the most memorable ones?
I favor the rise of Orca as the most likely theory which resulted in the Megs disappearance. An orca is no match for a Meg, but killer whales hunt in pods, and a pack could easily kill a lone Meg. Orca hunt along shorelines and would have decimated Megalodon nurseries. The only escape for adults would have been to inhabit deeper waters where the whales could not access. Could Megalodon still be alive without us knowing it? Absolutely. We’ve only explored 5% of the oceans and less than 1% of the deep…
Q. How do you keep up with science and the real world mysteries of the deep oceans?
I research every novel thoroughly to flesh out the story. Plus I answer every email personally, which introduces me to experts far smarter than myself.
Q. Which other deep water stories are you tempted to explore?
The LOCH takes on Loch Ness, VOSTOK explores the subglacial lakes in Antarctica, and The OMEGA PROJECT takes us to our planet 12 million years in the future…so I’ve been tempted and went there! Check it out at www.SteveAlten.com.
An annoymous Imgur user shared this picture along with the headline “Just moved in next to me…”
Uh? Okay… effective sign but should they be worried about the neighbours?
There’s a few angles here. Firstly, the neighbours might think this is a joke, and it is kinda funny. It’s bold. It’s brash. It’s certainly been noticed!
Another angle is that the new neighbours really are Satanists and really believe they’ve invoked unholy protection on their property. If that’s the case then they’re being rather nice to warn people of the risks of breaking in. Do Satanists care about property?
In Pure Spirit
How do you get on with your neighbours? Do you think you’re a good neighbour?
You buy this book of magic ring from Think Geek.
Isn’t this pewter with brass inlay ring clever? As you can see it actually opens and there’s a little stud clasp. It’s sold in various sizes too.
In Pure Spirit
Would you ever wear a ring like this?
Do you know why you belief in some superstitions and not others? Do you even know where some of these superstitions came from? A lot, of course, are due to old religions.
We’ve got four-leaf clovers, Friday the 3th (fear of Friday the 13th is called Friggatriskaidekaphobia), lucky 7, 666 the number of the beast, throwing salt over your left shoulder, walking under a ladder and a host more.
In Pure Spirit
Are you superstitious? Which superstitions do you pay the most attention to?
You are hypnotized every day! I know, it sounds unbelievable. But it isn’t. We just think so because we are not aware of what hypnosis actually is. Most of us think it’s a guy on stage making a fool of people.
But what hypnosis is, is a tool that we can use to communicate directly with our subconscious mind, without our conscious, critical mind interfering.
Our subconscious mind is the one that does all the “thinking” and the one that makes decisions for us. Think of the subconscious like this: When you are walking, you don’t think of every single step you are going to make. You just walk. The thinking process behind walking, or breathing for that matter, is in our subconscious, and we are usually not aware of it.
On the other hand, our conscious mind tends to filter out information from entering our subconscious mind, as the subconscious has no way of knowing where the information or a thought came from – from us or from the outside. Our consciousness does it like this – do you remember the colors of the last ten cars that passed you by? Likely not. The conscious mind has filtered out that information, as if it didn’t, you’d just get overwhelmed.
Most of us have some beliefs that are holding us back, and as we are used to them, our conscious mind often rejects a thought that would counter those beliefs. That is where hypnosis comes in – it can be useful to bypass the conscious mind, and to speak directly to the subconscious, thus allowing us to make suggestions to ourselves (or let a hypnotist do it) that, when repeated enough, would become our “default” thoughts.
We can use hypnosis to work on our problems, on our motivation to do something, or to expand our awareness. Here are a few ways hypnosis can be used for the latter:
This is all cool, but I never told you – how is it that you get hypnotized every day? Simple. Hypnosis is simply an altered state of mind during which you are more aware than normal, but usually you are focused on only one thing.
So, whenever you find yourself taking a long walk during which you are not thinking of anything, you are experiencing a mild form of hypnosis. Whenever you find yourself with eyes glued to the TV while watching your favorite show, eagerly awaiting to see what happens next, you are experiencing a mild trance state (or a hypnotic state). During those times you are more susceptible to suggestions, and that is why TV commercials or banners on websites worked great, until they got over-saturated. They still work well, though, but not nearly as well as they had before.
No matter what you want to use hypnosis for, it can be of great benefit. We have prepared a way for you to experience hypnosis for free, from the comfort of your own home. Head on to NaturalHypnosis free downloads page and give any of the three free hypnosis mp3s a try. Wish you all the best!
In Pure Spirit
What are your thoughts on the art and science of hypnotism? Let us know in the comments below.
About the Author
Igor Tomić is a inbound marketing specialist who enjoys exploring various ways to expand his consciousness. Hypnosis has been one of the most helpful tools for him.
Black Rose Enchantments is a new age shop on Etsy with tarot readings, charms and creations that caters for wiccan, pagan, zodiac and steampunk tastes. At the start of the month we visited White Rose Witches and so, to balance things up, let’s visit Black Rose Enchantments today.
Black Rose uses amethyst, blue stonestone, silver toned metal charms and lead free pewtwe angels on this bracelet. It is one of the most significant items in the store.
At the time of writing there’s only one of these handmade pentacle necklaces left. In addition to the amethyst, they’re made with quartz and a silver toned metal charm.
In addition to buying items from Black Rose you can also invest in insight and wisdom. This reading using the traditional Celtic Cross spread and will address any situation or question you wish to put, according to Black Rose.
In Pure Spirit
Have you had any experience in giving or taking Tarot readings over Etsy? It would be a blessing if you would share your thoughts in the comments below.
This interesting animation is popular on Tumblr. I can’t trace it further than that. It shows a woodland spirit, some sort of monster, or perhaps a fairy from the night court and uses a flickering motion to give a 3D effect.
In Pure Spirit
Looking for art and inspiration? Try Art.com or Art Republic.
Do you have any favourite animated gifs? Any pictures that make you think of the spirit and creatures we should remember? Share the images and links in the comments below!
North of Burkina Faso there’s Dédougou, the capital of Mouhoun Province, and home of Festival International des Masques. Italian photographer Anthony Pappone attended and took a series of stunning photographs.
It is said that the person wearing a mask becomes the embodiment of the spirit shown by the mask. As they dance the chief can control the mask and the person inside enters a trance and looses control. This is an animist tradition, one where spirits are important, and the masks and dance are used to encourage rain.
Rappone kindly shared his photograph set, known as The Spirit of the Masks, on Behance. It’s well worth checking the entire album.
In Pure Spirit
Are you impressed by the mask creations on display?
Actual masks from Burkina Faso are incredibly rare but you can get some fantastic handmade masks from Etsy for a range of prices, even those with a spirit mask focus, and have them delivered to your home.
The White Rose Witches are three sisters who have moved from America back to the home of their great grandmother in Cornwall, UK. The three white witches keep their eyes open for items which they believe have power and run an interesting store on Etsy to trade.
You can visit the White Rose Witches store here.
Three of the witches’ current stock are described as haunted but helpful. Let’s take a look.
The White Rose Witches say;
This item is one of the most powerful and wondrous items we have ever had in our collection. An item of true beauty and dazzling energy. A very grounded but extremely powerful item that will work wonders for the right person. Very very loyal and true of spirit, likely intended for a sole practitioner, someone connected to the earth and animals with a great sensitivity to nature and the wild energies for the four elements. The spirit within is extremely loyal and will be your companion through thick and thin. A true rarity.
Katri, one of the travelling witches, says;
This item is an amazing ring with a wonderful Angel spirit. Wonderful for children for protection or for an adult pure of heart for clarity. The energy is so beautifully clear and cool. A calm presence to ease burning pain, quick temper, or nervous temperament.
The store says;
This item is a beautiful and positively charged pendant with a strong connection to a guardian angel like spirit named Kathreena. There is a healing energy and I believe this is intended for someone who not only needs a healing energy themselves but is in a care position and will share with others the beautiful white light energy that flows steadily from this pendant. This item is safe for all, including children. And I will include a lovely blessing ritual that can be performed for a calm bonding experience.
In Pure Spirit
Do you visit the White Rose Witches on Etsy and trade with them? Let us know in the comments below.
Which online stores would you recommend for tools of the craft and useful items?
