The Life and Times of an Event Promoter - More Things That Have Gone Wrong

The Life & Times of an Event Promoter – a light hearted look at a promoter’s musings:

More Things That Have Gone Wrong – a trip down the memory lane of my biggest nightmares and some of the things that have provided the steepest and sharpest learning curves!

Following on from last month’s instalment, here is a chronicle of more of the mini-disasters that have befallen us in the run up to shows over the 14 years of show promotion.

As I said last month, retrospectively, these things become funny, particularly when you remember how you were running around trying to sort it out, but at the time, the stress levels are off the scale.

Hopefully we manage to keep a calm, unruffled surface so that neither visitors nor exhibitors have any idea of the panic going on behind the scenes.

Here are a few more of the memorable ones from the ‘casebook’ ………………………….





‘THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF THE MISSING MONK’ –

In 2010, we were approached by a lady who was organising the Western area of a UK tour for Lama Ahbay Tulku Jigme Thupten Rinpoche, a high ranking Tibetan monk.  He was on a fund raising tour for his monastery and she wondered if he could attend the Manchester show and give blessings for a donation.


We were most pleased and excited to have him, but as the Monastery rooms do not seat large numbers, suggested we sold tickets for consecutive sessions throughout the day for a ‘donation’ of £5.  This would prevent a scramble for places and make the whole thing run smoothly, or so we thought.  Ha!  As my old grandmother used to say, “You know what thought did!” Five sessions a day in a room holding 35 people for two days – 350 tickets available and by the last week before the show, not a one left!  We even had a reserve list of names to take any cancellations.


The Thursday afternoon and evening before the Manchester show is spent packing up the ticketing system, loading the van, packing our own personal things for staying away and generally running through everything to make sure nothing vital has been forgotten.  We normally finish all of this by 10 p.m. and then are up at the crack of dawn to travel to Manchester.


At about 4 p.m. on this particular Thursday, just as I was signing everything off and closing down computers etc ready to start this mammoth task, in drops an e-mail from our visiting monk to say there were problems with his visa and he didn’t think he would make it to the UK until the following Tuesday!  This is the sort of e-mail that you read but the brain cannot comprehend what it is saying – so you read it again and realisation begins to dawn.  You have 300 people who have paid for tickets to see a monk who is not going to arrive!  Some are travelling from as far away as Scotland, Somerset and in one case, Europe, especially to see him!  Errr…………………  brain freeze!


Instead of packing and all the other things we were supposed to be doing, Chris and I spent the whole evening phoning everyone on the list, explaining the situation and getting their details to refund their card with the £5.  One of us phoned, one processed refunds – then we would change over and the other one phone etc.  We phoned the last one at 9.30 p.m. and with the exception of about 15, had managed to contact everyone.  We e-mailed those and another half-dozen got back to us, so we had 10 who may arrive not knowing the monk was a ‘no show’.  Not good, but better than we could have hoped.


We then had to start all of the jobs we should have been doing and eventually hit bed at 3 a.m. to get up again at 6 a.m.


Imagine my shock then, when on Saturday afternoon, in walks said monk who after much cajoling of authorities had managed to sort the problems with his visa and get to Manchester.  He wanted to continue with his sessions on Sunday.


There followed one of these surreal conversations through his interpreters while I tried to explain that we couldn’t contact the people that had previously booked and now been refunded, while he wanted us to try – all in the middle of a very busy Manchester Saturday.  Oh boy!  In the end we settled for a few large posters on the two entrance desks and let fate take care of it and his helpers collect cash payments.  He was full all day so it worked – in a fashion!


I recall a lady who stood in front of me at a show and uttered the now immortal phrase:  “I am going to do one of these – well, how hard can it be?  You stick some tables in a hall, charge people to have a table and charge us to come through the door!  How hard can that be – it’s a win-win situation.”  Ha!




‘THE MYSTERY OF THE MARKET LICENCE’ –

I suppose given the size of the Manchester show, the sheer numbers of visitors and the complexities of fitting all those talks into the small rooms in the Monastery, fitting stands in and around pillars and trying to pull the whole thing together, it is bound to throw up more issues than any other show – stands to reason really.

There have been a couple however, that like the missing monk, were totally unexpected and threw us a real curve ball!

The next of began two weeks before our October show one year.  Our advertising hit the Manchester Evening News and one diligent and slightly officious member of staff in the Manchester Markets Department spotted it.  She rang up and asked a few probing questions and then announced, “So in effect, you are running a market”.  I agreed, as this is indeed what we are running –with some additions and trimmings its true, but a market nevertheless.

“You need a licence” was her next one-liner.  I was ready for this – “the Monastery informs me they have checked with the council and hold all necessary licences” I said – ha, that burst your officious bubble thinks me!  She went off to check and came back to announce that in fact, they did not hold a market licence.  Apparently Manchester is one of few cities that hold some particular ancient charter and the granting of licences is a different procedure which can take up to six weeks as a minimum.  By now the rest of what she said was lost in a blurr as the panic and brain freeze kicked in!

We weren’t licenced – the Monastery had let this slip the net – we had two weeks to the show – 8,000+ brochures were in circulation - £3,000 of newspaper advertising was paid for – people were booking hotels, travelling from Europe and the length of the Uk – and they were not going to let me run the show!  Aghhh………………..

A phone call to Elaine Griffiths MBE, the CEO of the Monastery was in order.  I explained the problem – she assured me they were licenced for absolutely everything and not to worry, but she would check it all.  Thirty minutes later she was back – apparently they were not licenced for markets.  She was mortified – completely unable to find out why not, but rather than waste her time on ‘why not’, wanted to get to grips with sorting it.  I mentioned the officious lady and passed over her name “… but she said it will take six weeks” I said “Do I worry now?”

To this day I have the greatest admiration for the determination and strength of Elaine Griffiths!  “I don’t need her name” she said, “I start at the top!”  That is exactly what she did.  I understand she rang the Chairman of the Council (or the CEO or whatever it is on a council), reminded him what a good friend the Monastery is to the Council and got him to sort it!  She made it clear that, to coin a phrase, the show must go on and that she wanted him to pull whatever strings were necessary to ensure it did.

Not sure what he did but I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when the phone call between him and the officious lady took place.  The result was our licence arrived in three days and the show was saved.

I was then presented with a bill by the Monastery for the licence fee, but couldn’t really complain.  Apparently we are their only event that requires one – when they have a handful of stalls at concert or when some speaker visits, it is not enough to require licencing.  As such, as they only need it for us, we have to pay for it every year.  It costs a further £700 a year for the two shows – sigh…!

All of this taking place, and most exhibitors and public blissfully unaware.  Easy this job – stick some tables in a hall…………………………………  ha!

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‘THE CASE OF THE MYSTERIOUSLY SHRINKING HALL’-

We had one attempt at a show in Stoke on Trent, using a sports hall, but one that seemed familiar with running non-sporting events.  Sports halls are notoriously difficult to run shows in – unless you are wearing shorts or lycra and carrying a bat or racquet of some description, they don’t seem to want to know.

When you come to book the show, you speak to a ‘marketing’ or ‘sales’ person, who is eager to get the booking.  He/she promises all sorts of things, yes we can do that, no problem, of course you can have this …………..  and so on.

This is all well and good, until one gets to the weekend of the show and finds oneself dealing, not with this amazingly obliging person, but with the ‘duty manager’ for the weekend.  In many cases this poor soul is well hacked off at having a non-sporting event in his wonderful sports hall to start with.  To add to that, not only does he/she have an event to contend with, but one full of strange things and equally strange people!

Words like energy, atmosphere and ambience clearly have no place in his vocabulary and with a deep sigh, one just knows this is going to be somewhat challenging!

All our sports halls have had similar problems over the years, one reason we have given up on them, but the best of the lot had to be this one we tried at Stoke on Trent.

We had previously viewed a few times of course, and submitted a wonderful floorplan for setting up on the Friday ready for our arrival. We arrive at 10 a.m. on a Friday, make the necessary tweaks to the lay up, put out table names and other newsletters, envelopes etc, and then exhibitors are allowed in from 2 p.m. to start setting up. No one had made any mention of problems, so it was quite a surprise on arrival at 10 a.m. to find a big green curtain drawn, effectively cutting the hall in half.  Not only that, but they had meticulously laid up half the floorplan, even to the point of a double stand having one table in place actually butting up to the curtain, without the other on the opposite side!  It actually looked quite comical, but also rang LOUD alarm bells.

Having tracked down the duty manager and politely enquired about the reason for this, I was informed they had badminton till 9 p.m. and weren’t prepared to cancel it.  The conversation that ensued became a little less polite as it progressed, but the end result was that they simply were not going to budge.  Brain Freeze!

Not for long this time though as it was clearly pointless wasting any more time, so the energies had to be transferred from arguing our corner into resolving the problem.

I decided to separate the exhibitor list into ‘those we knew would definitely arrive that day’, ‘those we knew would definitely not arrive that day’ and ‘those who might arrive’.  A quick look at the floorplan confirmed that ‘sod’s law’ was definitely alive and well and in full swing – the majority of the stands that we knew would definitely arrive and those that might arrive, were in the half we couldn’t use till after 9 p.m.  Wonderful!

I spent the next half hour re-jigging a floorplan that had been carefully pored over for hours previously and managed to fit everyone into the operational half without leaving all the readers who normally are the ones to arrive on Saturday, next door to each other in the other half!

We then had to stay onsite until after 9 p.m. to set up the other half ourselves, ready for the Saturday morning.  No dinner again that night.



 ‘THE ADVENTURE OF THE KITCHEN THAT NEVER WAS’

There are too many of these incidents to relate without getting boring, but a fitting one to end on, was perhaps the one that gave me the biggest episode of brain freeze of any I have encountered.

The Monastery is our biggest show and the most difficult in terms of planning and organisation.  Anything up to 70 workshops and talks spread over two days and 7 rooms, with up to 75 tickets available per session, takes quite a lot of preparation and organisation.

A careful site visit per show takes place, just to make sure there are no changes before we start planning the schedule.  Well, it certainly does now!

There was a show a couple of years ago, where I made the mistake of assuming that as everything had run well for a few times and as the earlier one in the year went well, it would be enough for the October show to exchange a few e-mails with my event contact and go ahead as before.

Imagine the scene when during set up on the Friday of the show, one of my stewards came to find me with ‘a bit of a problem’ in one of the rooms.  “A bit of a problem”?  That had to be the understatement of the year!!!  The room had been booked out for 7 sessions per day for two days, with 65 seats per session, most of which were fully booked.  It now held a bright, shiny new kitchen!  Cupboards, appliances, the full works.

We were at the Monastery, we had no way of contacting all of the visitors even if we had the time.  Too lose 910 seats during a weekend would cause chaos and one of the speakers in that room was flying in especially!  Brain Freeze!  This time, the thaw took some time to set in and I must admit, it was one of the stewards who actually said, ‘isn’t there anywhere else to use’?  That started the cogs whirring, every space that could be used was in use, but after some thought, I hit on the room used by the NFSH at this show (National Federation of Spiritual Healers, now called The Healing Trust).  I hated to do it, but needs must.  I liberated the room from the NFSH and used it for the workshops, installing the poor, long suffering NFSH onto the first floor landing, near to the lift!

This is where they spent the next few shows until fortunately some more changes enabled us to give them a room again this year.  We do thank them for being so obliging in our hour of crisis.  It certainly saved the day on that occasion!

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So there we are folks, just some of the things that can go wrong when you think every ‘I’ is dotted and every ‘T‘ crossed.  Life has a way of keeping us on our toes and preventing us from becoming complacent it seems.

When I recall these incidents, which with the distance of time have now become amusing, I still think of that lady uttered the immortal phrase:  “I am going to do one of these – well, how hard can it be?  You stick some tables in a hall, charge people to have a table and charge us to come through the door!  How hard can that be – it’s a win-win situation.”

I often wonder if she tried, and if so, what she thinks now!





In the next instalment –   The origins of the phrase ‘Floor plan?  What Floor Plan!’ (Occasionally and only in times of greatest stress ‘Floor plan?  What ‘bleep’ Floor Plan!’)

Guest Post - Misty Rae Cech

Essential Oils For Cold Care And A Strong Immune System by Misty Rae Cech

The true medical aromatherapists around the globe tell us time and time again: the most effective use of essential oils for health is the combating of infectious illness. Aromatherapy in the US is still mostly relegated to support of the psyche - which it does quite well - but study after study continues to confirm the antibacterial and antiviral effects of essential oils, along with their great compatibility with human physiology. Many protocols (detailed instructions) have been translated and published from the European medical aromatherapy literature - information which you can personally incorporate into your own natural health and wellness program.

For the uninitiated, essential oils are the volatile aromatic compounds distilled from plants. They are the chemicals that give plants their smell; the luscious aroma of a rose or the sharp scent of peppermint. Plants use these chemicals for, among other things, defense from invaders such as bacteria, fungus and viruses. Each plant's oils have a unique makeup as a result of the plant's own physiology, natural environment, and its potential microbial invaders. Because of their chemical structure, essential oils are easily absorbed into the human body, passing through cell membranes, then further on into the bloodstream due to their 'lipophillic' nature (a structure in alignment with the lipid components of our cell walls). Essential oils can protect us from microbes in many different ways, from keeping the space around us naturally microbe-free, to readying our immune system for defense, to actually destroying the microbes once they've entered our bodies.

For starters, lets look at keeping the air and our environment pure and healthy. A cold-air nebulizing diffuser works best for this, as it creates a fine mist of essential oils which disperse throughout your living or work space. Diffusing essential oils into your environment provides three primary benefits: First, the oils are directly eliminating microbes in the air, thus reducing the concentration of live pathogens you may be inhaling or touching at any time and reducing the load on your immune system. Second, most essential oils, and particularly the strong anti-microbial ones, have an uplifting effect on the psyche and a sharpening effect on the mind. Your space will smell nicer, and generally will be more pleasant to be in. This can be very pronounced in certain workspaces where the air can be heavy. Lastly, in many cases, essential oils will actually fortify your own immune system to prevent you from catching an illness in the first place - some studies have shown mammalian cells having increased resistance to microbial invaders after exposure to essential oils. Many single oils can be used for this - Eucalyptus Radiata or Eucalyptus Globulus are excellent all-around choices, as is Ravensara, and the oil of Rosemary of the Cineol chemotype. A popular oil blend can be made using 3 parts clove bud oil, 5 parts lemon oil, 1 and a half parts Eucalyptus Radiata, 1 and a half parts Rosemary Cineol and 2 parts Cinnamon Bark oil. Diffuse these oils to your heart's content - it's a wonderful combination!

Next, it's important to fortify your own immune system. Medical aromatherapists don't claim essential oils as wonder drugs in this regard - it is important to keep yourself healthy for your immune system to work effectively. Many natural medicine physicians believe it important to keep your own internal 'friendly bacteria' in balance for best protection. This can be done by eating a 'clean' diet with an abundance of natural and organic foods, and consuming intestinal bacterial support in capsule form (available at almost all health food stores). On the aromatherapy front, the essential oil of Niaouli has been considered by some to be the single most powerful supporter of the human immune system. Niaouli essential oil is distilled from the leaves of the Niaouli tree, native to Madagascar, but now being cultivated in Spain for aromatherapy use. According to Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, one of America's leading medical aromatherapists, "Niaouli oil is as complex in its composition as it is in it's uses...One of the fastest-acting and most effective applications of Niaouli is to apply anywhere between 5 and 20 drops to the whole body during the morning shower. This procedure will become entirely holistic if a loofah glove is used and the oil is worked into the skin along the energy meridians. This application...is especially recommended in the flu season, as it stimulates the defense mechanisms of the body." Niaouli would also be appropriate for diffuser use similar to the Eucalyptus varieties.

Once a bacteria or viral infection has set it, treating it with essential oils can be a little more complex. The difficulty lies in finding the proper oil for one's particular illness, as some oils are excellent against certain microbial strains, though these same oils may not be the right choice in other instances. Prevention with immune stimulant oils as above is best; however, at the very first signs, application of 10-20 drops to the skin of both Eucalyptus Radiata and Bay Laurel essential oils to the skin in the steam of a shower (so that the skin is more porous) is called for. Eucalyptus can be applied to the chest and back, whereas Bay Laurel should be applied directly to the lymph nodes to support the immune response. The vast majority of individuals will have no sensitivity response to such application - if, however, any skin irritation is noted, apply diluted to 5% in a carrier oil such as olive oil hazelnut oils. Green Myrtle can be used in cases of bronchial infection where Eucalyptus may be found to strong an aroma. Ravensara used in the same manner is called for in cases of colds and flu - it can be a stronger antiviral than the above mentioned oils, and has a pleasing aroma.

In general, Eucalyptus Radiata and Globulus, Green Myrtle and Ravensara can be applied to the skin (dilute if any sensitivity is suspected) or used with a diffuser or inhaler to loosen mucus and support the body's cleansing process. Rosemary Verbenone is indicated for sinusitis and bronchitis - The medical aromatherapy literature indicates this may be inhaled, applied topically in small amounts, or even ingested (with great caution) one drop two or three times daily. Also, one drop of Bay Laurel can be taken internally at the onset of a sore throat, as it directly supports the lymph system in the area.

When choosing your own self-healing methods as part of your overal natural health and wellness program, it is important to choose the proper modality for each situation. Conventional medicine has it's place, and should absolutely be employed when it will provide the best results. When it comes to common colds, the results have not been so dramatic. Alternative therapies have offered a reasonable solution, and can be effective if used wisely and with discretion. There are many helpful texts available for the use of essential oils as medicines - Advanced Aromatherapy and Medical Aromatherapy, both by Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, are excellent sources for the intermediate to advanced practitioner. Be aware of your own body's sensitivity to any essential oil and adjust usage accordingly, and seek professional advice whenever necessary.

About the Author: Misty Rae Cech ND is the Director of Wellness at the Ananda Apothecary, a resource for essential oil supplies and information.

Article Source: NewAgeArticles.com

Guest Post - Garden Magick

Garden Magick - Transform a Difficult Garden into a Sacred Resort for the Soul by Carolyn Donnelly

Are you establishing a new garden? Are you trying to bring a long neglected or difficult garden back to life again? You can create a flourishing garden anywhere. All you need is loads of desire, a little imagination and an open mind. In this article I briefly summarise some techniques that I have successfully used for encouraging growth in difficult areas of the garden. By adding a little magick to some basic ecological gardening principles your can create a sensation.

There are a few essential requirements for a healthy garden. These are: soil with the correct texture, nutrient levels, and drainage; water; sunlight and the appropriate plant choice for your local environment. Garden bed preparation is of utmost importance and you would be well advised to ensure that you have provided your plants with the best physical environment possible for their successful growth. But getting the physical environment right is just the first step. To get the best out of your garden you need to provide a happy environment, full of positive energy and a little magick.

Visualize

When you first start planting out your garden it doesn’t look much like it will in two, three, five or ten years. Visualization is a crucial part of the garden design and planning process. It is also important for the growing process. To keep your garden growing in the direction would like it to grow, you need to visualize regularly. This is just a matter of looking at the garden and imagining what it will look like when your plants are fully grown. In doing so you are mentally sending your plants messages of encouragement. Make a habit of visualizing your garden on a daily basis and imagine it as it will look in, say, five years of constant and healthy growth.

In the meantime … fake it

While you are in the early stages of garden creation, try making a ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ garden. This simply means creating an interim garden. You can do this by placing pots filled with colourful plants around the area. This will give you some instant gratification for your efforts. It will also give your new plants some company. After all, plants are communal and are not meant to grow alone.

You can quickly and easily create new pot plants by taking cuttings from other plants in your garden or your existing pot plants. Put the cuttings in water until they sprout roots – some won’t grow roots this way, it will be trial and error but many will grow roots within a week. Alternatively, buy some plants, preferably colourful flowering plants. Of course, choose appropriate plants for the location of your garden - shade loving plants for areas with little sun, etc.

Place the pots around the area where you want the garden to be and in between the plants that you have recently planted. If the garden is located in a harsh landscape that is subject to extreme hot or cold or strong winds, you can place the pots so that young plants are protected from harsh winds or direct sunlight. If your environment is particularly harsh, you may consider adding small screens made from bamboo or other natural materials to protect young plants until they establish. In a dark or very shaded area, ensure that your pots will not block any sunlight that your seedlings may be receiving.

Attract Native Animals

Life attracts life, so by attracting as many animals to your garden as possible you will increase the life energy of your garden which will help your plants to grow. Place rocks and logs in your garden to provide shelter and homes for small lizards and insects. If you do not have any tall trees, installing a pole that a bird can perch atop (but a cat can’t climb) is a great idea, as birds will contribute seed laden droppings that can bring additional plants to your garden as well as additional nutrients. Show your delight when you notice a new native occupant and let him know he is welcome.

Allow the ecology of your garden to evolve along with the growth and addition of your plants and other components. Resist interfering by removing or killing particular animals that you don’t like such as spiders. Instead, become curious and learn about them. Talk to them. You will gain an entirely new appreciation for these animals and improve your karma at the same time.

Avoid Using Poisons

Garden shops are full of garden poisons. It’s big business. It would be easy to assume that weed killers, snail killers and the other exterminators are an essential component to gardening. However, the reality is that they are really bad for your plants and the animals that add value to your garden. There is almost always a natural or more gentle alternative to using poisons in the home garden. It is far more effective in the long term to pull weeds out by hand and you will save a lot of money.

Decorate and Communicate

Celebrate your garden area by decorating it with beautiful things, such as hanging pots, statues, bird baths, sculptures and low lighting. These will add positive energy and atmosphere. If possible, include an outdoor table and chairs and spend some time there entertaining friends, laughing and having a good time, or just be there on your own relaxing and smiling upon your garden. Make sure you remove or disguise any ugly or unsightly objects. It is important to keep the area beautiful as you are more likely to spend time in, and give loving energy to, a garden that you like the look of and feel good about.

Take a leaf out of Grandma’s Book

Did your Grandmother speak to her plants? Mine did, and that practice was passed down to my mother and now I do it. It works! You don’t need to spend a lot of time in conversation with your flowers. Simply walk around and admire your plants for a few minutes most days. In the difficult spots, stop and talk to those plants that are struggling. Express pleasure when you see some growth. Smile at your plants and talk to them in a light manner as you are attending to their needs.

Crystals for Positive Energy

Use crystals and semi precious stones to add some beneficial energy to the area. Here are some ideas:

Agate

This crystal is known for its ability to produce abundance and increase yields in crops. It can be used to enhance the health of your pot plants or your garden plants.

Jade

Jade represents life and growth and has been associated with the health of plants and the environment. Place jade statues in the garden or use jade in a decoration that hangs above or nearby your plants.

Moonstone

Moonstone helps to enhance the growth and health of plants. Use it in decoration in your garden or wear it when attending to your plants.

Clear quartz

Quartz will amplify and enhance the qualities of any other stone and can be used to achieve any goal of pure intention. Use it alongside the other stones or alone in your garden to enhance plant growth. I hang crystals over pot plants to improve their performance.

These are examples of stones and crystals that have specific qualities that can assist plant recovery and growth. However, there are many crystals and stones that have healing and nurturing properties so it may pay to experiment. Crystals can be placed in pots, used as a display on a table, in a bird bath or water feature. They are particularly beautiful when they form part of a hanging decoration.

Add a Little Fairy Magick

Fairies have long been associated with gardens. Flower fairies were thought to live in the flowers of plants. They looked after the plant by ensuring it had everything it needed. You can add your own bit of fairy magick to your garden by placing a hanging fairy near the garden that you want to prosper from this energy.

You can also increase the positive energy of your garden area by hanging or placing sculptures of powerful symbols such as the Sun, for positive energy, and the Moon, for receptivity and supernatural powers. Both of these symbols together represent balance and harmony. There are many other symbols of good fortune such as Buddha that will enhance the energy and the feel of your garden. These symbols and bearers of good energy also look great.

Feng Shui Garden

Designing your garden for good Feng Shui

The Feng Shui garden is designed to allow Chi to flow. To create good Feng Shui, design your garden with plenty of curves. If you have a garden with very straight edges, add features that give the impression of curves. You can achieve this by the way you place your garden features and how you locate your plants. Choose rounded pots and curvy furniture to increase the positive Feng Shui in your garden.

Windchime Magick

Another way to increase Chi in your garden is by hanging a windchime or a windchime bell. Windchimes aid in the flow of Chi and add an additional element to your garden through sound. The right windchime can create a sensation of peace through its harmonic tunes. It is worthwhile selecting a well made bell or windchime that you enjoy listening to as this will make a valuable addition to the atmosphere of your home and give you joy every time the breeze blows.

Water Features

A water feature is also extremely beneficial in the creation of a positive Feng Shui garden. The water must be flowing, however, so that Chi can flow and so that it does not become stagnant. The addition of fish to your water feature will provide more positive energy due to the additional life. Be sure to find fish that do not eat the spawn of local frogs. Gold fish, which originated in China, have become an environmental nuisance in some countries and they will eat frogspawn. For frog friendly fish, check with your Government Fisheries Department.

Frog Magick

Frogs represent good luck in many cultures around the world. The first frogs hopped this earth alongside the Dinosaurs. They are wise beings, worthy of respect and they will bring good energy to your garden. Be sure to locate any pond a good distance from bedroom windows, however, as frogs can croak up a storm at night.

Scent

A wonderful way for a garden to enrich your life is through scent. You can create a special atmosphere by planting the shrubs, trees and flowers in your garden that provide certain scents that enhance particular moods. Add some instant inspiration by filling your pots with lavender, jasmine, geranium, lemongrass or whatever your nose desires.

Burn incenses outside or light a scented candle at night while sitting in the garden. Select the scent that will be most beneficial for your garden’s growth. Try gardenia or lavender for love and healing, ginger for success, patchouli or rosemary for love and growth, the invigorating benefits of sweet orange or frankincense and myrrh for healing and growth.

A closing thought ..

Your garden reflects the relationship it shares with you and the other inhabitants of your home. By increasing the positive loving energy in your garden you will create a place for growth and harmony, a place where life will thrive. In return you will receive much enjoyment. By combining good ecological concepts with a little magick you can turn a difficult garden into a sacred resort for the soul.

About the Author: Carolyn is an ecologist, avid gardener and supporter of new age spirituality. Her website, Placid Moon www.placidmoon.com, features a range of products that can assist you in building your ‘sacred resort for the soul’, such as essential oils, incense, scented candles, incense burners, candle holders, oil warmers, crystals, hanging sculptures, windchimes and bells.

Article Source: NewAgeArticles.com

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.

Interview - Simon Goodfellow from October 2013

Re-posting this interview with Simon Goodfellow.  He will be one of the speakers at Newark this month.

To start with could you tell us a bit about yourself (a quick intro, most people know you!)

Simon has been working professionally now for coming up to 14 years.
The Spiritual journey stated when Simon lived in Spain, at the time he was the owner of a very busy and successful bar.
But Simon felt very drawn to crystal healing.
Simon flew back to the UK and went on crystal healing course he sole intention was to work in hospitals and clinics.
However when Simon was healing people he would start to pick up messages for people.
After a while Simon stated to ask the people he was healing about the information he was picking up.
To his surprise the information was spot on.
This then lead Simon to have a reading, Simon was told he needed to develop is abilities.
This Simon did by attending the Arthur Finley college of Mediumship.
Soon after his return to Spain Simon started hosting small Mediumship evenings in his bar, these became very popular and Simon increased these to once a week.
Simon also started one to one readings for customers in the bar.

"The Spiritual work did take over the bar in Spain and because I was flying back to the UK 3 and 4 times a month it was time to leave Spain behind and return to the UK.
I still travel back to Spain to work as I have many clients over there."

You do a lot of different type of work, which do you find most rewarding - readings or developing other peoples skills?

Simon gets great satisfaction from all the aspects of his work but if he had to just pick one it would be developing other people's skills.
Simon does run three levels of Development workshops which are very popular.


What advice would you give to someone who has had some psychic experiences but is a bit scared of it?

The advise would be there is nothing to be scared of, Spirit want to work with you and to develop your abilities, but please don't confuse your self stick to one way of teaching.
There are many mediums and clairvoyants and we all work very differently.
When you want to start developing always go to the person you are drawn too, much like when you want to book a reading.


Do you have any plans to write a book? 

Yes, a book is very much in the horizon but sadly this as not been done as yet.
Dave my partner set the wheels in motion and we will be getting the book done soon.


Which writer/thinker has influenced you the most.

 I love many different books about a very diverse subject range, but I must admit I do love books by Doris Stokes she was an amazing lady.


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

To develop my Mediumistic abilities. The satisfaction I get from bring closure to people is truly rewarding.


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!)

Again my Cd collection combined with Dave's is truly diverse and sometimes a little camp and cheesy but I'm a very big follower of the Eurovision Song Contest.
When I first met Dave he made me a compilation CD for every Eurovision winner since the contest first started.
So the Cd's would be that one plus a little of Susan Boyle, Jane McDonald, Michael Buble.