Saturday, September 30, 2006

Prosperity

The Chinese believe that it is important to have living plants in the home to keep the Ch'i moving and alive. What better way than to also promote prosperity! The Chinese Money Tree is commonly used to draw money into a home or business. Its 5-leaf stems and bamboo-like trunk remind us that the 5 elements come together to look delicate but are actually very strong. This is a hardy plant that grows well here in Canada both indoors and out (but bring it in for the winter). It likes all kinds of lighting making it ideal for any indoor location. Water it well with good drainage and let the soil become dry before watering again. The plant will actually tell you when it is thirsty by being droopy. Oh! It is also non-toxic should your pets eat it... but damage to the plant can indicate damage to your finances. So please be careful.

I think I will have to get one for our store. The photo below is the one next to my work computer at home.

Friday, September 29, 2006

Rainy Day Spells

Here is where the 'of Shadows' part of our Blog begins!

A simple spell for rainy days: (ie, to make the rain go away.)

For this spell you will need Broomtops (an herb), charcoal, air oil and a yellow or light blue candle.

Do you remember the childhood rhyme of 'Rain, rain, go away, come again another day'? This spell is very much in a similar spirit, and you can even use this rhyme as a little chant when you are invoking the spirits.

Go outside and set up your charcoal on a heatproof plate or in a heatproof container or bowl. Light it, and sprinkle the broomtrop over it. The the smoke flow over you and up into the sky. annoint your candle with the oil and light it as well, asking the spirits of air to accept your offering, and to blow the stormclouds away for today*. Once the herb is burnt, and the candle is out, bury the ashes and any left over wax in the earth to ground the energy you've raised.

* It is important to be specific in your spell in naming your location (where you want the storm to go away from) as well as the duration of the spell (how long you want the storm to go away for. Never say 'forever', though. Think of the reprecussions of never having any rain!

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

More Jewelry in!

We finally got in some of the pretty pewter pendants again! Goddesses, talismans, Celtic knotwork and more. Each one comes with a little explanation of what the symbol means. And best of all? Totally affordable. Only $12.95 each.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Plain Beeswax candles now available!

We now have beeswax candles available that are unscented and that come in a variety of colors. For only $1.95 each, they're quite the deal. And I know first hand that they're hand made, since I rolled them all myself only yesterday!

Monday, September 25, 2006

October Workshops

Please remember, just like CMS, prepayment for a workshop is necessary to secure your place. Your payment must be in at least 48 hours before the workshop. The workshops require a minimum of three preregistered students to be held. Less than three students will mean the class is cancelled and the students will be called and refunded. If a student wishes to cancel their registration, they must do so in advance in order to be refunded. Cancellations at the last minute or no-shows cannot be refunded.

Now that the nitty-gritty stuff is said... here is a list of the great upcoming workshops!

Developing Psychic Abilities
(Catharine & Claudia)
Being able to tell the difference between intuition,
prediction, clairvoyance, predictive dreams, deja
vu, gut feelings etc. is essential to developing your
abilities. We will discuss the various ways psychic
abilities manifest and do hands on exercises to test
your present level. At the end we will have a
message circle where each participant will receive
messages from Spirit with Catharine and Claudia.
Thursday October 5th, 7-9 pm 30$

Astrology Intensive Workshop
(Catharine)

Come learn the essentials of astrology...its history
and evolution, the basics of each sign and planet,
how to interpret the planets in the signs, the
ascendant or rising sign and much more. Role
playing and discussion will empower you to
interpret your chart and that of others
Saturday October 7th, 2-4 pm 45$

Ancestral Shrines Workshop
(Scarlet)

Samhain/Halloween is a time to honour our
ancestors. In this workshop, learn how to set up
an ancestral shrine. We will discuss various types
and their decor and offerings. We will also discuss
what NOT to put on them. Just because our loved
ones are gone in body, it does not mean their
spirit has left us. They are often still around,
interested in our lives and watching over us. What
better was to honour them than with a shrine
dedicated just to them!
Friday October 20th, 7-9 pm 30$

Spellcrafting Workshop
(Arin)

Join Arin Murphy-Hiscock, author of Power
Spellcraft for Life, for a workshop on spellcrafting!
Saturday October 21st, 3-6 pm $60

Developing Psychic Abilities
(Catharine & Claudia)
Being able to tell the difference between intuition,
prediction, clairvoyance, predictive dreams, deja
vu, gut feelings etc. is essential to developing your
abilities. We will discuss the various ways psychic
abilities manifest and do hands on exercises to test
your present level. At the end we will have a
message circle where each participant will receive
messages from Spirit with Catharine and Claudia.
Thursday October 26th, 7-9 pm $30

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Le Mélange fleurit malgré l'automne

Le magasin fleurit ces temps si! Les séminaires, les nouveaux produits, les calendriers, les agendas, les tarots, les cartes de souhaits, plein de belles choses pour que vous venez nous voir et discuter avec nous!

Séminaires
Il va il y avoir quelques séminaires pendant le mois d'octobre. Malheureusement, ces séminaires seront en anglais. Désolé! Si vous voullez des séminaires en français, venez mentionner au magasin que vous en voullez et si la demande est assez grande, on va essayer d'en avoir. Pour plus d'information sur les activités, vous avez qu'à appeller au magasin.

- Developing Psychic Abilities (avec Catharine & Claudia)
- Astrology Intensive Workshop (Catharine)
- Ancestral Shrines Workshop (Scarlet)
- Spellcrafting Workshop (Arin)

Livres
Nous avons plusieurs livres en magasin que nous allons sûrement pas tenir bien longtemps. Ces livres ont été commandés spécialement pour Samhain. Voici quelques exemples:

- "Dracula - The connoiseur's guide" par Leonard Wolf
- "The pagan book of Halloween" par Gerina Dunwich
- "The vampire watcher's handbook - A guide for slayers" par Constantine Gregory

Venez voir ces livres, ils valent la peine d'être au moins feuilletés!

Autres trucs mignons et intéressants
Sans commencer à décrire TOUT ce que nous avons eu, en voici deux qui m'impressionnent le plus!
- Nous avons une grandes quantités de plumes véritables maintenant. Pour ceux qui aime bien les récréations médiévals, ces plumes sont parfaites pour plusieurs occasions.
Les colliers de cranes cravés à la main dans des os se vendent très bien, nous en avons reçu d'autres!
- Les calendriers, qui passe de calendriers de fées aux calendriers lunaires, sont arrivés et attendent d'être achetés. Venez avant qu'ils soient tous vendus! Il y en a un qui donne la phase de la lune pour chaque jour ET les phases de la lune "glow in the dark". C'est trop cool!!

Bon, je pense que c'est assez pour tout de suite. Je vais vous laisser sur une petite note: "N'ayez pas peur de nous laisser des commentaires. Ca va nous faire vraiment plaisir d'avoir vos opinions et/ou commentaires!"

Friday, September 22, 2006

Fall Newsletter available!

The store's new fall newsletter is available to download here: http://www.themagicalblend.com/themagicalblend.samhain.2006.pdf

In it you will find recipes, mask design ideas, workshops and more! Check it out!

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Merry Mabon!

As if the weather itself were not ample reminder, Saturday will mark the Autumn equinox, and the harvest festival of Mabon. At a time when the light and dark are in balance with one another, we celebrate the second harvest of the year, and a time of introspection of what one has harvested in themselves over the past year. What seeds did you sew that bore you fruit? What endeavors were successful? Perhaps it is time to reconsider certain projects you have undertaken and let those 'fields' lie fallow for a season before you try again. It is also a good time to begin thinking ahead to the coming winter, and what you will need to prepare in order to endure the darker, colder months.

New Harvest / Autumn WynterGreene has arrived!
The new WynterGreene issue has arrived! It's chalk-full of interesting articles, such as Embracing the Darker Aspect of Brighid by Arin Murphy-Hiscock, Silence and Symphonies by Amanda Strong and Ancestral Shrines: Honoring Those Who Have Gone Before by our own Scarlet! With beautiful cover art by Annika Diehl, it is a good read and reminder of the turning of the seasons.

Let there be light!

I have spliced my very first wire! Go me! The celtic jewelry case is now lit anew.

My father would be so proud.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Wow!

I am away for a few days and the store explodes!! I came in to discover feathers and more feathers and MORE feathers and calendars GALORE! And then new books... and THEN... new NOTECARDS!! Yup... we got new things in again. The feathers are gorgeous. I am so pleased with this company as their colours are vibrant and clear. I also love the owl and pheasant feathers. I wish I could buy some and take them home, but I have two cats who think feathers are the new favorite food treat. *pout* So today I made these discoveres and enjoyed looking through the new notecards as I put them out.

While doing my store walkthrough, I saw (for the secind time today, the first being my drive in) Police Officers... on HORSEBACK!! Neat!

Ok, back to the store stuff.

New books. I must tell you about some of the new books that came in. I wish I could tell you about all of them, but there is not enough room. That... and... someone bought out several of the new ones before I came in today. So what have we got?

Dana Paxson's "aking Up the Runes"
One of the most complete and thorough looks at Runes and their uses in spells, magic, divination and lore that I have ever seen. I know it is not new per se... but I have not seen it in the store before. I is definately on my wishlist!

"Kabbalistic Cycles" and "Kabbalistic Handbook" by Joseph Lisiewski
For the hard core Ceremonialist, these two books are supported by Christopher Hyatt. They are concise but well-researched. I hope someone in the field of Ceremonial Magic or Golden Dawn can review them and get back to us.

Sally Morningstar's "The Art of Wiccan Healing"
This one caught my eye. She was part of the production team for the Wicca Pack divination cards. She teaches and is a healer herself. It looks at various aspects of healing that Wiccan incorporate and how to incorporate them. It is a simple practical guide, though not a very in depth book on healing.

Ted Andrew's "The Art of Shapeshifting"
For those of you who have loved his other book on animal lore and magic, this is his newest! It looks at both historical and modern shapeshifting and techniques. This is NOT a beginner's book. It is the next step after understanding the meaning of totems and animal spirits. Excellent... must add this to my wishlist when I get home tonight!

Christopher Penscak's "Mystic Foundation"
Yet another great book by Penczak! We are still waiting for his last "temple" series book, but in the meantime he has givin us this to wet our appatites. It springboards from his other works and goes off onto the tangent of mysticism from many different religious traditions and what we can learn from them. My wishlist is getting long...

"Ritual Craft" by Amber and Azrael Arynn K
They do not publish works often, but when they do, it is well worth getting a copy! In Amber K's first book she had a small chapter on crafting rituals. Now we have a huge in depth book on ritual design that rivals D. Lipps "Elements of Ritual" book. Yup... my wishlist is growing.

Silver RavenWolf's "MindLight"
This is her new book on the "Secrets of Energy, Magic and Manifestation". Here she leaps into the world of magic and Quantum Physics. My first recommendation would be to watch the film "What the Bleep Do You Know?" and then read this book. And while you are at it... bug us at the store to host a Quantum Magic workshop again!!

Richard Webster's "Color Magic for Beginners"
Color is so important to us. We use colors for our candles, aura work, chakras and much much more. So here is a great beginner's book on the use of color in magic. Webster is becoming almost as good a basic staple in Pagan beginner and foundational texts as Scott Cunningham.

"Witches' Sabbats" by Mike Nichols
Nichols work on the Sabbats has come HIGHLY recommended and this is the first time I have had the chance to see it in print!

"The Witches' Dictionary" by Victoria Danann
This is a little booklet that is a concise dictionary of Pagan and Witch terminology... a dictionary.

Phyllis Curott's "The Love Spell"
This is her newest book written like a novel/autobiography about love in her life. If you loved her previous works, I am sure you will love this one. "An erotic memoir of spiritual awakening".

And now I come to a close as the Level 1 CMS class arrives. They are still going strong and sound like a great group! It is one of the larger classes. It had to be locked down from further registrants. Anyone else interested will have to put their names on the waiting list for the next session in February.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Did you know...

...that you can have rune sets custom carved for you here at Melange Magique? I got to carve a set of runes for a client today on a set of polished river stones. I'm very pleased with the results, too!

This service is only available to in-store clients (meaning, they cannot be ordered over the web or by phone) and is a new feature that we are offering. We also custom carve stone talismans and symbols, too.

2007 Calendars have arrived and MORE new stock too!

Today we were flooded with boxes and boxes of calendars and agendas for 2007. There are so many in that I can't list them all, but a few notable favorites are the Llewellyn Witches' Calendar & Agenda, the Llewellyn Astrological Calendar & Agenda, The We'Moon Calendars & Agendas, The Seasons of the Witch Calendar & Agenda... and MANY more! We had a rough time making a display to fit them all, but we managed it and it looks fantastic.

We also received a whole bunch of new books today (three whole shelves full of new titles to explore!)

We also receeived NEW colors and styles of feather quills: natural Eagle-Owl feathers, peacock feathers (both long and short), and some other fancy styles as well.

In addition, there are also strands of bone skull beads, new stone pendants, new chakra wands, semi-precious stone rune sets, stone obelisks and energy generators and probably even more new stock that I'm forgetting too.

What a day!

Nouveau look!

Nous avons recu nos décorations pour Mabon et Samhain (en gros, pour l'automne!). YAY!
Tout le magasin est maintenant dissimulé derrière des feuilles, des vignes, des nappes avec des citrouilles ou des petits chats et autres décorations embellissantes. Est-ce que nos vignes et feuilles sont vrais? Venez au magasin pour le savoir, c'est tout!

Nous allons recevoir de plus en plus d'articles saisoniers sous peu. Nous en avons déjà recu quelques uns. Nous avons recu des cornes de bouc, des vrais. Elles sont vraiment mignonnes, je vous l'assure. Nous avons aussi plusieurs livres intéressants liés au créatures mythiques que l'on voit souvent dans le coin d'Halloween (vampire, loup-garou, esprit, ect.). Je vous suggère de venir faire un tour, ca vaut la peine!!

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Premier poste en francais!

Bonjour tout le monde!

Voici le premier poste en français de l'histoire du blog du "Mélange Magique". Par manque léger d'inspiration et à la demande de plusieurs personnes, je vais traduire le poste à propos de nos locataires félins.

Nous avons 3 chats en magasin. 2 plus vieux et un tout nouveau arrivant.

Knick Knack
Elle est notre chatte ainée de 13 ans d'age. C'est une tabby brune avec des rayures fines et de merveilleux yeux verts. Elle adorent les calins lorsque vous la prenez dans vos bras, surtout si vous êtes un gars. Elle aime les enfants aussi, s'ils ne sont pas trop durs, par contre elle va griffer si elle se sent emprisonée ou si vous tirez sa queue. Son nom complet est KnickKnack-Pattywack-Give-a-cat-a-Spanking. Elle est le genre de chat qui aime un nom si étrange. Maintenant, elle commence à monter des de l'age. Elle souffre de hyperthyroïdisme et de crises d'épilepsie. Elle prend des médicaments chaque jour et mange de la nourriture spécial. Nous avons craint pour sa vie il y a quelques temps, mais elle s'est très bien rétablit.

Tequila
Lui, c'est notre GROS tabby brun avec un museau blanc et les pattes blanches. Il est juste un peu plus jeune que Knick-Knack (11 ou 12 ans) . Il a enménagé dans le magasin lorsque nous avons déménagés au 1928 St-Catherine. Après le déménagement, lors d'un party, il s'est endormis dans une boite utilisée pour apporter les bouteilles de Tequila. Voila, Tequila fut nommé! Il n'aime pas beaucoup les mains des étrangers, mais il aime bien frotter sa tête contre vous. Il chialle et il se plaint lorsque vous essayer de lui donner des calins, mais ce n'est qu'une facade.

Little-Kitty
Oui... C'est bien son nom, pauvre chat. C'est le petit nouveau du magasin. Et... C'est la fille de 4 ans de la propriétaire qui l'a nommée.C'est un chat errant qu'ils ont adoptés, mais un de leur chat ne tolerait pas le nouveau. Il a maintenant 1 an et fait partis de la famille féline du magasin. Il porte maintenant une clochette pour nous permettre de le suivre dans le magasin car il cours partout! A son arrivé, il était très timide, mais il commence à prendre sa place. Il a même oser se promener dans le magasin remplis de client! Il va surement devenir un tit calineux, apprécié de tous. Il est presque identique à nick-Knack, c'est facile de se tromper en les regardant, mais il n'a pas les yeux verts brillants de Knick-Knack.

Dynamique féline
En général, les chats s'entendent bien. Little Kitty est encore jeune et veux jouer, mais les 2 plus vieux n'ont plus vraiment la tête à ca. Le petit nouveau commence à prendre sa place dans le magasin, commencant à essayer de forcer les deux autres chats à jouer avec lui. Knick-Knack et Tequila l'ont rapidement remis à sa place! Ils sont quand même gentil avec lui.

Friday, September 15, 2006

All Dressed up for Fall Equinox

Today was a FUN day! Staff were all dressed in fancy medievalish fall colours. Some of us were not even "on duty" but showed dressed up anyways! The store is also getting dressed up!! Out came the Fall Decor box full of cloths for shelves and tables and full (like stuff packed full) of viny orange and yellow leaves.

The store houses a few different services for the community:

Shrine
There is a public shrine near the front window next to the fountain.

MPRC
The Montreal Pagan Resource Centre is the store space donation to this organization that serves the community with its little library and knowledgeable volunteers. They will let you sit and read, chat and discuss, seek counselling and advice, help you coordinate events and rituals, and keep you up to date with the activities going on in the Pagan Community. The volunteers have already started trickling in to hold open shifts. The MPRC will officially open in October. Go to their website to keep up to date with them.
http://www.paganuniverse.com/mprc/

CMS: Classroom
Crescent Moon School is back in full swing. This year the store houses its new classroom space as set up by the staff of CMS. It has a huge Marker board (a donation from the Level 2's several years ago), tables, chairs, TV & VCR (curtesy of the MPRC) & DVD (this uear's newest addition). Currently there are 3 classes going on: 2 Level 1 classes (English-Wednesdays 6-9pm & French-Fridays 6-9pm) and a Level 2 class Saturdays 11am-2pm. This great classroom is also available for discussion groups (sometimes hosted by the MPRC), seminars and workshops. The new list of public workshops will be available soon. If you want to rent the space for an activity, just come see Robyn or Scarlet here at the store.

And so we are getting all dressed up to have a great new season.
See ya there!

Fundraiser Success!

Last weekend was the store's 15th anniversary, and so we decided to celebrate by holding a weekend long fundraiser for one of our favorite charities, the SPCA. From friday evening through to Sunday afternoon we had workshops, a drumming session, a book signing (with the lovely Arin Murphy-Hiscock), and a divine-in.

We got this e-mail from the SPCA co-ordinator that I thought I would share:
I must say, you do have a very generous clientele and at the end of the weekend we received $380 in donations. Thank you very much for all your help.
A very big and heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone involved for making our anniversary fundraiser a success.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Store Cats

Because you asked!

We have three store cats. Two older cats and one brand new arrival.

KnickKnack
She is our eldest at 13 years of age. She is a brown tabby with fine this stripes and the most stunning bright green eyes. She loves to be picked up and cuddles, especially if you are a guy. She likes kids too if they are not too rough, but will scratch if they torment her or pull her tail. He full name is KnockKnack-Pattywack-Give-a-cat-a-Spanking. She was that kind of cat that liked it. Now though she is growing old. She suffers both hyperthyroidism and siezures. She is on meds and special food. There some periods where we were seriously worried for her life, but now things have balanced out and she is doing quite well. She is mellow, but alert.

Tequilla
He is our BIG FAT brown tabby boy with a white muzzle and white paws. He is just a little younger KnickKnack (11 or 12). He was brought to the store when it moved from 1954 to 1928 St-Catherine West. On that moving day during the after move party, he fell asleep in a box where the tequilla bottle had been. Thus he is named Tequilla! He is shy of hands when you try to pet him, but loves to butt and rub heads. He is whiny and complaintive when you pet and cuddle him... but it is all a facade, for you can hear him purring just the same.

Little-Kitty
Yes... that is his name, poor thing. He is our newest arrival. And... he was named by the owner's 4-yr-old daughter. He was a stray they had adopted, but one of their cats just didn't tolerate the new guy. He is now a year old and has joined the store family. He now wears a harness and bell so we can hear him moving about. He started out very timid but is growing bolder. He is extremely affectionate. Today he was feeling bold enough to wander the main store area while clients were about. I am sure he will become quite a regular and be well loved by all! Little-Kitty looks almost identical to KnickKnack, easy to mix them up, but he does not have her stunning green eyes.

Feline Dynamics
On the whole, the cats are getting along remarkably fine. Though the new guy is more energetic and wants to play. He is fast discovering that his elders are not particularly keen on this notion. They don't want to play with him. At least they are not mean to him and vice versa.

New Arrivals!

So many new things have arrived in the store its difficult to know where to begin!

Feather Quills
We have received a number of new styles of writing quills this week. I'm particularly enamoured with the burgundy colored large quills with brass fittings myself, but we also have smaller dip-quills and even large fanciful pheasant feather quills, too.

New Mortars and Pestles
Today we received grey marble mortars and pestles as well as -beautiful- wooden mortars and pestles. Worth a look at for anyone interested in crushing and mixing herbs, resins and other spell components.

Rams' Horns
Decorate your altar with these genuine ram horns to honor the God in all His forms.

Suede covered Journals
These new journals will make ideal books of shadows! Very fancy. I may want to pick up a few as gifts for friends (they're so cheap! Only $10.95 each!) so you had best come get yours before I take them all myself.

Little Kitty
That's right! Melange now has a new cat in store! Come and meet our newest member of the family. He loves to be cuddled and seems endlessly fascinated with exploring the store's hard to get-at nooks and crannies. He's also quite the talker! Meow at him and you can almost be certain he'll meow back!

NEW BLOG

AHA! At last the store has a blog for all our little secrets! Journals of the really nifty things that arrive at the store and the bits of interesting activities, news, products, etc. will get posted here by staff... hopefully on a daily basis.

STAY TUNED!