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The ESP Test by Atham-Z (c) 2001

Here are 14 test questions to help you determine if you may be psychic. You can answer these with yes and no answers, and we will talk about scores at the end of the test.

1. Do you sometimes know who is calling before you pick up the telephone?
2. Are there times during conversations when you know ahead of time what someone else is going to say?
3. Do you occasionally experience a sense of "deja vue", the feeling that you have previously experienced something, or have already seen something that is happening to you?
4. Are animals attracted to you, and/or do you silently communicate well with family pets?
5. Are your dreams sometimes prophetic, or a help with problem solving?
6. Do you ever know ahead of time that the phone is going to ring, or that someone is about to enter your office or knock on your door?
7. Have you ever had a presentiment of an unexpected death or other tragedy before it occurred, or simply had a sense that something was wrong and subsequently discovered that you were correct?
8. Have you ever seen or heard or been touched by a ghost?
9. Have you ever shared thoughts or emotions with a close relative or friend over a long distance without using traditional methods of communication, such as telephone or mail?
10. Have you ever "heard" someone else's thoughts in your mind?
11. Do you have periods of heightened sensitivity to noise, lights or crowds?
12. Do you regularly sense the feelings of other people?
13. Do you ever manage to see "things" such as lights or illuminations out of the corner of your eye, usually around other people and animals?
14. Have you ever sensed someone or something around you when you were physically alone?

If you have answered all fourteen of the questions affirmatively, your psychic potential is nearly unlimited.

A score of between eight and thirteen 'yes' answers, places you in the high range of definitely having some psychic skills.

A score of five, six or seven means your ESP powers are lying just under the surface of your consciousness and can be easily called upon to help you achieve your desires and life goals.

All is not lost if you scored four or lower, it just means that you will have to work a bit harder to open your psychic channels and realize your full ESP potential.

Please visit Atham's Member Page by clicking herefor more interesting articles, Atham's Homepage and to subscribe to "The Psychic News", Atham's quarterly e-zine.

Advertisements are available. Please contact her at nstn6717@... for further information.

Belly Dancing - Middle Eastern Art by Kristen Camp (c) 2001

The origins of the ceremony can be traced to classical times. Ancient Thessalian witches were believed to control the moon, according to an old tract: "If I command the moon, it will come down; and if I wish to withhold the day, the night will linger over my head; and again, if I wish to embark on the sea, I need no ship, and if I wish to fly through the air, I am free of my weight."

In the modern rite, the high priestess has the option of reciting the Charge of the Goddess, a poetic address written be Doreen Valiente, a high priestess in the Gardnerian tradition or creating their own declaration .

Drawing Down the Moon is one of the most serious and beautiful rituals in neo-Pagan Witchcraft. Depending on the altered state of consciousness of the high priestess and the ceremonial energy raised, the words that come forth can be moving, poetic and inspiring. During the Drawing Down the Moon, many women connect with the power of the Goddess and therefore with the power within themselves.

To capture more of the essence of this rite the description of it given by Margot Adler in her book Drawing Down the Moon will be paraphrased. After listening to a tape called Drawing Down the Moon sent to her from a coven in Essex, Adler writes: "I did not know it then, but in this ritual, one of the most serious and beautiful in the modern Craft, the priest invokes into the priestess (or, depending on your point of view, she evokes from within herself) the Goddess or Triple Goddess, symbolized by the phases of the moon. She is known by a thousand names, and among them were those I had used as a child. In some Craft rituals the priestess goes into a trance and speaks; in other traditions the ritual is a more formal dramatic dialogue, often of intense beauty, in which, again, the priestess speaks, taking the role of the Goddess. In both instances, the priestess functions as the Goddess incarnate, within the circle."

On the tape the background music sounded as if it might have been Brahms. The voices of the man and woman possessed an English accent. Clear were the words of the invocation:

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who was of old also called Artemis, Astarte, Melusine, Aphrodite, Diana, Brigit, and many more other names…"

Judging from Adler's descriptions this one ritual of Drawing Down the Moon can, and sometimes does, embody many of the major activities of modern Witchcraft. Generally the ritual is conducted within a circle, sometimes called a magic circle. The circle is a place set apart; its physical location makes no difference, because in the mind it becomes a sacred place through its casting and purification. It is a placed between worlds where the gods are met.

Within the circle psychic power is raised, a work that is known as "raising the cone of power." This is accomplished through music, chanting, and dancing that can at times combine the wills of the participants. When the priest or, more often, the priestess senses the cone of power has been raised she can focus and direct it with the mind toward its destination. One such destination, or purpose, is the psychic healing of someone who is sick, or the purpose might be to seek something which is needed by someone.

This is the essential reason why gods and goddesses are invited into the circle. When the moon is drawn down, the high priestess often enters a trance in which the Goddess possesses her. Acting as the incarnate Goddess, the priestess speaks and acts as the Goddess. The circle's psychic power now becomes Goddess power. Frequently this is thought of as a mystical experience, and possibly it could be class as monistic mysticism. Similarly, when the God force is drawn into the circle, the high priest becomes the God incarnate. The latter ritual is known as Drawing Down the Sun or Drawing Down of the Horned God or Calling Down the Moon.

The state of the altered consciousness that the high priest or priestess experience during the ritual determines the after effect that is felt, some priestesses have said they feel the presence of the Goddess within them for days afterwards. Others have reported seeing changes within some persons following such rituals, but also say there are pretenders. A.G.H.

For those of us who use a "normal" Tarot deck such as the Rider Waite or also, as in my case, the Dragon Tarot, one thing is obvious. The deck will have 78 cards, major arcana, minor arcana, trumps, four suits, etc. From time to time someone, somewhere, will devise their own set of cards but this will usually stick to the same "normal" format with the only difference being in the illustrations on the cards and perhaps the suits bearing an alternative name (ie coins instead of pentacles). I think you know what I mean.

Well, now for something completely different…..

The Wisdom of the Four Winds is a 50 card set. No major or minor arcana, no suits either.

( I did say it was completely different).

The reader is confronted with beautifully illustrated cards (really superb and worth the money if only to look at). No "Hanging Man" or "Fool" here folks, instead we read names such as "Child of the North" or "Light Holder of the East".

The reader will notice other exotic features with this deck…..namely the names and illustrations for this deck are based in New Zealand (and its mythology). While there is Lightning, Dragonfly and Earthquake there are also cards such as Kiwi, Tuatara, and Tui.

This very uniqueness is not a hindrance to, say, a reader in Canada or even Swaziland. After all, we all seem to manage worldwide with Ten of Swords or Six of Wands don't we ?

I feel that the deck can be viewed more as 50 trump cards perhaps.

I am still coming to grips with the subtle nuances of reading this deck. My preferred method at present is a 5 card spread (1 card in the centre point with 4 other cards placed at the major compass points around this centre…E, N, S, W.) I read starting with the East card (for the beginning or renewal) and progress through North, South, and finish with the West card (as for the setting of the sun, finish, finality). The centre card I treat as the pivot of the reading (the historic overview). You will devise your own method no doubt.

The author gives a few ideas for spreads in the book but wisely counsels "to use the cards as you will". I think most Tarot readers will agree with this sentiment

Not only do you have a visual experience awaiting you but how about that book ?

Yes gentlefolk, no mere scrappy little booklet here. The set comes with a proper hard bound, slip covered, 280 page real book. The book details each card in colour, plus readings and guidance. This is a beautiful wee book (135mm x 185mm ) that would sit nicely on a coffee table.

I particularly like the Dedication in this book…

To the Ancestors who kept the
dream of peace alive
and carried it forward to this day.
To all who walk the path
of the gentle way.

You also get a black bag (silk ? ) to store your cards in and the whole lot comes in a nicely presented hard cardboard box.

Will you like it ?….

I believe anyone (not only Tarot reader or psychic) would enjoy this set. There is a natural spiritual feeling to the whole experience. Comforting, wholesome, fulfilling.

"Wisdom of the Four Winds……is charged with primal power and spiritual delicacy" - Jean Houston PhD …Author of "A Passion for the Possible" and "A Mythic Life; Learning to live our Greater Story"

"Ancient traditions and wisdoms come together to challenge artificial boundaries….in Wisdom of the Four Winds" - Anne Schael PhD, H.L.D…Author of "Meditations for Women who do too Much" and "Native Wisdom for White Minds".

I have contacted the publishers and they have agreed to a 10% discount if you order a set and say that you saw this review on the Tarot Canada International web page.

The normal price is NZ$84.90 plus NZ$12 for postage. (NZ$ is only about 40 cents US thanks to a decade of bungling politicians). Contact details are….

StonePrint Press Ltd
State Highway 73
Castle Hill Village
Private Bag 55037
Canterbury 8020
New Zealand
phone: 64 3 3187377
fax: 64 3 3187311
e-mail: info@...
website: StonePrint Press Ltd.
My contact was Cushla Denton.

Please : no part of this review may be reprinted without permission. (c) 2001 Kelvin Black.

Thanks to StonePrint for permission to review "Wisdom of the Four Winds" and to Cecilie Okada for permission to reproduce some of her beautiful illustrations.

To see some of the gorgeous images from this deck, please click here. I will be adding more.

The Centre of the Bible

Rev. 11:11
'And after three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet, and great fear fell upon them which saw them'
King James version of the New Testament

Chances are that if you are reading this you already know what I am going to tell you. If not you may want to keep reading as this is a strange, yet not uncommon occurence...........

I experience 11:11, on clocks, on receipts, sometimes within phone numbers, just about everywhere. I work with numbers daily, and often they will add up to 1111. I say I experience 11:11 as opposed to seeing 11:11 because as you already know, if you do too, there is something more to it than mere coincidence. The 11:11 seems to come in waves. Sometimes I do not see these numbers for months, and then all of sudden they are there constantly. It feels like they are shadowing me. It can be scary at times. I have even tried to force my self not to look at the clock, but it still manages to get my attention.

I used to feel alone in this...never really talked to many about it either. Recently I discovered that not only am I far from alone in this, but there are many web pages devoted to this topic. Through these pages I have contacted others who also experience 11:11. Most of these people are ordinary folk who may, or may not have had other paranormal experiences. Most of them are just as confused as I am by the meaning behind 11:11. Why us?

Those who experience it, seem to remember it beginning sometime during our teen years, or early twenties. It can stop for awhile, but never permanently. Most of us feel there is more to it than mere chance.

While surfing on the web, and chatting with others I have come across several theories. I will add some of them here, followed by my own thoughts on 11:11.

The 11:11 Theories

We are receiving a remote transmission from our alien progenitors. They are using us to pave the way for their return to this planet, or to do their bidding. Hence some of us find ourselves doing things, going places, meeting people etc that is out of the ordinary, while experiencing 11:11. Intriguing to me when coupled with the works of Zecharia Sitchin! (see 12th Planet page on my website.)

We are the keys to unlocking the 1111 Gate. There seems to be an entire cult built around this. There was a recent gathering of approx. 140 000 across the globe who's function it was to open this gate. There is an intense explanation behind this, and I prefer to provide the link for this, that way you may read it, and form your own opinions. (see Solara link on my site) We are living in an alternate state of consciousness much like in the movie The Matrix. Those experiencing 11:11 are becoming aware that all is not as it seems.......

The Bible has many 11:11 passages. All of them seem to be an indication of the apocalypse, or of an apocalyptic nature. I was not raised within a religion, nor am I currently of a religious persuasion so I am not in a position to comment further. This is just another scary connection.

11:11 is a message from our higher self, or guardian angel. If we meditate during times of heightened 11:11 experiences we shall receive and understand the significance of these messages within our own life.

It is simple coincidence with no more likelihood of occuring than say 12:12, 1:11 4:44 etc. Subconsciously we have trained ourselves to seeing these numbers all of the time.

We who experience 11:11 are NUTS!!

My Thoughts On 11:11

First off I am not nuts...:) This really is happening to me, possibly to you, and many others. I have no firm idea on the meaning of the 11:11 experience. I will tell you this, I recieved some good advice on how to discover it's importance within my life. The advice was to search my inner self, meditate if you will on the numbers. Also to determine what, if anything of significance was happening within my life that coincided with the 11:11. I have also begun to note what I am thinking about at the moment when 11:11 appears to me. I have considered it being a coordinates, but have since discounted that theory. Unfortunately I am still no closer to solving the 11:11 enigma. All I know is that when it comes in waves I feel that I am supposed to remember something, and I just can't. And it's frustrating!!!

My sister also experiences 11:11, to a much lessor extent than I do. She feels it is coincidence, but still takes it as good luck.