Weekend Reads

With just a week to go until Newark, we're very busy with last minute prep and getting ready for this popular event.  We can't wait.

In the meantime, have a great weekend x


Stone Soup


Healthy eating, loads of gorgeous recipes with all diets catered for!


Angels on Earth


A massive resource of true angel stories.  Entertaining and inspiring.



Body Mind Spirit Guide


A general Mind, Body, Spirit site, with lots of articles to browse through on a lazy weekend morning.


Druidry

With sustainable living and  a more "close to nature" sprituality seeming to be on the rise this is your first stop if you have an interest in Druidry.  Lots of information and advice.

Featured Exhibitor - Joylina Goodings

Joylina Goodings is an intuitive spiritual life coach, inspirational speaker, psychic clairvoyant, healer, teacher, author and angel expert.

She travels all over the world teaching, giving workshops, healing and readings.

Joylinas' website www.joylina.com has a big selection of articles and information and provides a platform for distance healing which she sends out free of charge around the world.

Her main motivation is to connect people with their authentic selves and find their souls' purpose.

She is very much in demand as a speaker and healer and has contributed to many magazines including Chat its Fate, More To Life, Kindred Spirit, Soul & Spirit and Spirit & Destiny.

If you want to know more about her and her work pop over to her website and have a quick look at this interview/article she wrote for Silent Voices.

Joylina is also the author of the book Your Angel Journey which I can personally recommend!

We are always very honoured to have her at our events and she will be at our next event at Newark in September.

10 Things...Instructions & Inspirations for Making Altars

All spiritual traditions have a place for worship, meditation, remembrance, or simple contemplation.

Sometimes they can be as simple as a few favourite things place together and other times they can be an area full of magical items placed carefully and according to ritual.

Here are a few inspirations for making your first.  Or, if you've already fell into making altars, some new ideas and inspiration.

Silverwitch

A lovely blog post on the placing of a spiral altar which can be made inside or outdoors.

Mind Body Green

Simple steps to creating a simple altar.

Elephant Journal 

Creating sacred space with a simple altar.

Happy Black Woman

Using an altar as a "spiritual centre".

Pagans Path

An altar for magik.

Feng Shui

Creating a feng shui sacred space.

Mexico Retold

How to make a Day of the Dead altar.

Custom Pet Urns

From an urn business (sorry!) but the idea of a pet altar or shrine is nothing new but this site has nice, creative ideas.

Spirit Voyage

Creating an altar specifically for meditation.

Spirit Makeover

Angel altars.

Psychic Fair, Scunthorpe Saturday 9th November

We're very excited to be putting on a Psychic Fair in Scunthorpe this weekend.  It will be held at the Wortley House Hotel

As many of you know, we used to have an event in Scunthorpe up until a few years ago. This fair is going to be a little tester, to see if Scunthorpe wants a Psychic Fair back on a more regular basis.  If it works we intend to bring a full sized show to the town in the future.

The Fair opens between 10am and 5pm on Saturday 9th November. This is just a one day event. While there will not be the usual Feather Hunt, there are 25 stands, free parking, talks and under 15's get in for free.  Entry cost is £2.

We will have readers, therapists and exhibitors with crystals, books, jewellery, tarot cards, Pagan and Wiccan items and Angel readers and items.

As well as all this the Hotel is offering a "Show Menu" of refreshments at a reduced price.

It's going to be a great show and we hope to see you there!

Interview with Peta Garnaut of Serene Spirit Jewellery

A wonderful interview today with Peta Garnaut who is giving a workshop on Singing Bowls and Tingsha at the Monastery on Sunday 6th.  Petas' website serenespiritjewellery.com is a source of beautiful jewellery and artwork and we'd like to thank Peta for taking the time to answer our questions. Although her extremely popular workshop is fully booked at Manchester in October she also has a stand at the event.  As ever, pop along and say hi!

1 - To start, could you tell us a little bit about yourself please. I was born in Australia and as Asia is such a close neighbour I have travelled many times to Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and China. I have 2 cats and a dog. I also like to ride (horses) and hope to go on a trail ride in Yorkshire or Cumbria in October. 2 - Travelling all over the world to source your artefacts, which is your favourite place to visit and why? That is a difficult question to answer, so I will answer with 2 locations. Sri Lanka is my favourite shopping destination for textiles and paraphernalia. It is also so rich in culture and intriguing historic monuments. I visited the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy which was such a peaceful and reverant building where the sacred relic of the tooth of Gautama Buddha is housed. My other favourite is Indonesia, because of the diversity and high artistic integrity of the artisans. They are people whose requirements are simple but they love to do business and share their culture. The people of Ubud are especially the warmest hosts and I have friends and artists who I visit every year. 3 - You've been painting since childhood, how do you feel you've evolved as an artist? My interest in Buddhist goddessess and Angels has inspired much of my recent artworks. The Green Tara and White Tara are quite formal in posture but as they care for all beings I can picture them with animals and birds and have fun with the artwork. Angels are not so formal, but they are very insistent on how they are painted. I start with something in mind and over the hours and days the image will change and develop and then quite unexpectedly  it will be finished. I actually believe they Angels guide my hand.  4 - You're doing a workshop in Singing Bowls and Ting Sha at the Monastery, how did you first get into them and could you tell us a bit about the workshop. I visited Kathmandu many years ago and visited the village where singing bowls are made and bought my first. I used it before meditating. As Serene Spirit Jewellery grew into not just jewellery I saw that good quality Tibetan singing bowls would be an authentic addition. Children and adults love to feel the vibration of the bowls and the hypnotic sounds which are so helpful to focus, relax and empty the mind.  The workshop is not just a demonstration of how to play a singing bowl but there will be bowls available for visitors to try. There is a technique to getting it right and once you have it mastered it is very satisfying to then experiment with the different tones in one singing bowl. The Tingsha are an easy alternative and much more portable. The chimes are gently "clanged" together and the sweet sound lingers. They have some very practical uses too. When the family comes together for dinner use the Tingsha to "clear" the space and enjoy each others company. 5-Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most. The Dalai Lama is such a wise man, I read his book "Widening The Circle of Love" every day.  6- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given. Never, never, never give up 7- Would you name 6 “Desert Island” books or films (ones you would like if you were stranded on a desert island - for young ones who don’t know about Desert Island discs!) Books -:  Trinity by Leon Uris  -  The Historian - Round Ireland with a Fridge Films -:  The Big Chill. -  The Usual Suspects. - Bridesmaids

Interview with Annie-Rose

To continue with our build up to Elsecar this weekend, we have an interview with Annie-Rose.  An artist and reader, who has designed her own angel cards and does Channelled Guardian Angel Paintings.  I've personally found this interview to be very warm and inspiring. Thank you so much, Annie. You can find Annie-Rose online at www.annieroseoraclecards.com


1 - To start could you tell us a little bit about yourself.

 I have been designing oracle cards for about 4 years now, following a sequence of events in my personal life that made me re-evaluate. I was introduced to the angelic realm by a lovely friend when I was at my lowest ebb and started my 'angel quest'. Over these years I have developed my work and recently started channelling angels both in word and painting. I have a degree in art and although I have done various jobs over the years, I feel so lucky now to be able to paint every day now and put my job title down as 'artist'! Life is good and I feel very blessed. :)

2 - You've written about a time of upheavel in your life before doing the cards - did designing the cards become a healing process for you?

 As I worked through my marriage breakdown and depression, I began to channel all my personal energies into my work, often painting almost non- stop for weeks. As I look back, I feel that each deck of cards I produced had a certain energy and resonance. The first deck was very much part of the healing process, and there is a real feeling of transition when I handle these cards. The next deck had a much 'softer' energy as my life began to level out a little. I talk about oracle card deck energies when I do workshops as I feel it's important to use the correct deck to suit your mood. I feel the angels have healed and guided me constantly over the last few years, and that I was meant to be on this path even though its been quite painful at times.

3 - How do you feel you've evolved creatively?

Each deck I have produced has been quite different and I feel I have gained in knowledge and confidence as I have worked through them. Technically, I now work at at least 3 times actual size so that i can create more detail in each card. I am about to design my 7th deck (my second angel deck)  and feel very comfortable to channel directly now. I don't think I realised how closely I was working with the angels until this time last year when I started to do channelled readings and paintings for people. My work has changed dramatically as I went through phases where I made wands and gemstone jewellery. Now I focus exclusively on personal 'guardian' angel paintings and oracle card design. 

4 - Do you have plans for any more cards?

 I am just starting deck 7 which has been commissioned by Soul and Spirit magazine. It will be my fourth set with them, and is going to be an angel deck. I have an animal deck called 'reflections of nature'  being published with Soul and spirit in their November issue this year.

5 -Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.

 I have enjoyed the works of Paulo Coelho for many years and also angel books. Angela McGerr's book, 'an angel for every day' has been a huge inspiration for me and I refer to it in my talks and workshops. I have bought several copies over the years as I keep giving it away!  

6 -What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given.

The best advice I've been given was by a lovely man called Jabar (Shifa Meditation) who also exhibits at the shows, and whom I met in the very early days of exhibiting. He advised me to give something back. I make a point of donating to charity throughout the year and try to give an annual Christmas donation to my local hospice (where my mum passed away). I have realised its actually about giving back so much more than money though; it's about giving of self and I realise I am just at some shows to speak to someone, to give them a hug or to simply let them talk to me so that I can help. My whole way of thinking has changed now. Before I was very materialistic; now my greatest riches are my beautiful family and friends, my health and just simply being. I live my life with gratitude, and I've never been happier. 

7 -Would you name 6 “Desert Island” books or films (ones you would like if you were stranded on a desert island - for young ones who don’t know about Desert Island discs!)

I'm not a huge reader, but I do enjoy good films. There are so many to choose from that its difficult to select just a handful. I think I'd probably just have something that makes me laugh. I have always found laughter the best healer. When my mum was seriously ill, the whole family would go in to see her and we'd laugh so much that the nurses would have to tell us to come and be quiet! If I was stranded on a desert island then laughing would certainly help me cope. Having said that, I've learnt these last few years to enjoy the sound of silence and to just listen to my breath and the sounds of the world around me. My life and outlook has certainly changed!

Jacky Newcomb Interview

Our  interview today is with Jacky Newcomb, a favourite and regular BSSK speaker.  Many thanks to Jacky for taking the time for our little interview, it's been a great read!  Jacky can be found next at Elsecar this weekend with her workshop "Meet Your Guardian Angel"  She can be found online at jackynewcomb.webeden.co.uk

To start with could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your work?

I published my first book of angels back in 2004 and began a column for Chat it’s Fate magazine just before that. My column was called, ‘Dear Angel Lady’ and the name ‘Angel Lady’ stuck after that.

I am now a full time columnist for Take-a-Break’s fate and fortune and many more books followed! I’ve appeared on numerous television programmes including ITV’s This Morning, Channel 5 Live with Gabby Logan and SKY TV. I feel privileged to have been a guest expert on hundreds of radio shows all around the world and am frequently featured in the national press.

Despite all of that, my favourite thing is to give talks and run workshops all around the country. I’ve spoken to thousands and thousands of people about working with their guardian angels. And love to meet fans. They are so kind and generous and often bring me gifts of angels and jewellery!

- You have 17 books out, full of peoples angel experiences, do you have a favourite?

My favourite is usually the one I am currently working on or the latest release! My next book is actually about clutter clearing (Become a Clutter Clearing Angel)! They are all different and like children, it’s hard to choose which one you love the most. I guess if you really pushed me I would pick the book I co-wrote with my sister Madeline Richardson about the paranormal experiences that happened to my immediate family and friends after my Dad passed away. Dad always promised he would come back from the other-side and help me to write a book. That book is called, ‘CALL ME WHEN YOU GET TO HEAVEN’. People find it really moving and comforting and healing; it makes them cry and laugh.

- You've been told you have "great stage presence" is that a natural gift or have you cultivated it (this is from someone that can't talk if there's more than 3 people in the room, lol)

Thank you! Well at first it was really scary. I remember when I first began that only one person turned up to hear me talk at a show, and I was probably more scared than I have ever been before and since. You get more confident with time and I always had big audiences at the BSSK shows. To be honest, now I actually find it easier to chat to bigger numbers of people, hundreds! I’m very bouncy and pace up and down in front of the audience with my microphone in hand. Standing behind a podium is my worst nightmare! I hate it when I have to stand still.

- You've met a few celebs in your career, is there anyone you would love to meet?

I have! It’s been a lovely ‘extra’ side to my work. I already met my idol; Peter Andre was a dream to work alongside, and I wasn’t disappointed. Myleene Klass was so sweet too. I’m also honoured to have several celebrity clients; once you have one they pass the word around to their celebrity friends. It’s nice to know people trust me.

I’d love to meet Dawn French. I lived in Cornwall for around 18 months (where Dawn lives) and walked into a shop once, picking up a gift item and taking it to the till. I was told, ‘oh, Dawn French was in the shop 5 minutes ago and she bought the exact same thing!’ I was so close ...! I think she is such a talented woman but I have no idea if she believes in angels. Weirdly, Bill Clinton is on my hit list; I think he is so charismatic!

I’d love to meet the Italian actress Sophia Loren. When my husband was about 2, she boarded the aeroplane he was on. She picked him up and kissed him and he’s never forgotten it. As he’s usually with me when I do events it would be great to let her know how important that meeting was with a little boy all those years ago, and for her to come face-to-face with the man himself!

- which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.

If I’m honest I tried very much not to be influenced by anyone as I wanted to do my own thing, writing about angels and the afterlife in my own way, my own style. I do respect very much the work by Dolores Cannon and Dr Michael Newton. Both have published scripts of conversations of clients under deep hypnotic trance relating to lives between lives and even previous alien existences. Dolores calls it ‘recovering lost knowledge’ and it’s fascinating.

Also, when I first started writing I used to pretend I was Carrie Bradshaw the columnist in the TV show Sex and the City. I could hear her voice as I wrote my own notes – of course Carrie wouldn’t have written about angels as I did, but I found it helpful. Later the ‘voice’ just turned into mine and I wasn’t even sure how it happened. One minute Carrie was there and the next it was just me!

- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given.

I used to sell costume jewellery years ago and in time built a big team. We used to listen to all the American author and motivational speakers and I picked up so much brilliant advice which has helped me in my career. You never stop learning and that’s how it should be. One that really stands out is, ‘keep going until you succeed!’ That made a lot of sense.

- Would you name 6 “Desert Island” books or films (ones you would like if you were stranded on a desert island - for young ones who don’t know about Desert Island discs!)

I love the movie ‘Pretty Woman’; it’s like a modern day Cinderella. Another favourite is Groundhog Day. I like the idea that you can keep trying until you get it right – it’s rather spiritual in that regard, just like life itself. Books? Well I’d simply read everything by Dolores Cannon and Michael Newton all over again!