Still today the stereotypical image of a witch is that of an ugly old hag wearing a broad brimmed, tall, black pointed hat.  But where did the hat originate?

In medieval times, woodcut images of witches show them as wearing a verity of costumes associated with those times, including headscarves and hats of differing fashions.  Many are also shown bareheaded with their hair locks blowing in the wind.

Is it possible that the witches hat is an exaggeration of the tall conical ‘dunce’s hat’, popular in the royal courts during the 15^th century, or the blunt-topped hats worn by the Puritans and Welsh of the same period?  At one point long ago, pointed hats were a fashion icon in the city of London (then the fashion capital of Europe), but it took a long time for fashion to trickle into the country, and by the time they did, they became way out of fashion in the city.  City folk called country folk ‘pagani’ (which means country dweller), much the same as calling someone a ‘hick’ today.

Pointed hats soon became considered something only the ‘pagani’ would wear, most were herbalists and farmers wife’s who lived in the country and understood the land.  Since they were wise to the ways of nature and could grow and harvest herbs, so the pointed hat became associated with the ‘wise woman’ or ‘witch’.  During this same period, the Christian church chipped in and associated pointed hats with the horns of the devil, by which time they frowned upon their use.

Brimless, conical hats have long been associated with male wizards and magicians, Goya the famous artist painted witches wearing such hats.  It is possible that other artists somewhere along the way added the brim to make the hats more appropriate for women.  By Victorian times, the tall, black, conical hat worn by an old crone became readily identifiable as symbols of wickedness in illustrations of children’s stories and fairy tales.

Another possibility is that the witch’s hat may date back to antiquity.  Ancient Etruscan coins from the city of Luna depict a head on one side of the coin; some believe it to be the goddess Diana, who is associated with witches.  The head on the coin depicts the wearer with a brimless, conical hat.

Today most contemporary witches go bareheaded or wear ritual headgear such as headbands with a crescent moon or other religious symbols on it.  Normally the symbol is positioned on the forehead.  During rituals in which the Goddess and Horned God are represented, the high priestess may wear a headband or a crown, while the high priest may wear a helmet with horns or antlers.

by George Knowles

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Mercury, the planet of communication, turns retrograde in Virgo from August 20 to September 12.

Three or four times a year, Mercury appears to move backwards in the sky for approximately three weeks. This is an optical illusion since no planet actually moves backwards or even slows down in their orbits around the Sun. However, it appears to move backwards from our perspective on planet Earth, since the planet may be orbiting at a different speed than the Earth’s orbit around the Sun.

Mercury retrograde periods introduce a certain level of confusion for us earthlings. As the planet of communication, Mercury rules speech, our listening abilities, negotiations, buying, selling, travel formal contracts and documents amongst other things – all of which are affected when Mercury seems to slow down. Mercury rules how we perceive and interpret information and how we in turn act and react to that information as we interact with others.

The Leo Sun also opposes Neptune on August 20, which can have a lackluster, low energy, and marginally disappointing influence leading to muddled thinking and lack of motivation as we start this retrograde period. However, Neptune can be healing and very spiritual, and this can be an excellent time to chill out. August 20 can also have the thrill and flavor of romance about it and definitely a time to make your feelings known since we have a delightfully passionate and enthusiastic meeting of Venus and Mars in an exactly aligned conjunction in Libra.

Mercury retrograde periods affect each one of us differently depending on the placement of this planet in our individual birth charts. The effect on Gemini and Virgo signs, ruled by Mercury, will be stronger, but for other signs it is a time of trivial irritations. Being forced to slow down and develop patience can, however, be a blessing in disguise. It gives us all time to stop, go inward and reflect. Mercury retrograde periods can be times of heightened awareness and creativity, and an excellent time for out of the box thinking, which can sometimes lead to startling revelations.

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When entering a hotel (where she and her husband were staying), Gladys, a devout Baptist, noticed a shabbily dressed man lounging idly in front of the newspaper stand in the lobby.  She noticed that several men stopped to talk to him and gave him a little money.  He seemed so cheered by the encounters.  She impulsively put $10 in an envelope, wrote “God Bless” on the outside and handed it to him.

The next day, the man stopped her on the street.  “Here’s your $250,” he said, cheerily.  “God Bless won, 25 to 1!”

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Do guardian angels exist? Do they sometimes come to the aid and comfort of humans in need? Why do they appear to and help some people and not others? Do you have a guardian angel? If so, how can you find out? And how can you contact yours?

A recent poll published in Time magazine revealed that 69% of Americans believe in angels, and 46% of that group believe they have a personal guardian angel. Ultimately, angels are most often a matter of faith, and many believers have offered their opinions on what a guardian angel’s role can be in a person’s life and even how you can enlist their help.

What Are Guardian Angels?

Guardian angels are thought to be spiritual beings that are ‘assigned’ to assist people here on earth in various ways. Whether there is one angel per person, one angel for several persons or several angels for one person is open to question. But whether you believe in them or not, or whether you want one or not, believers insist that you do have a guardian angel.

What is their assignment? According to “Encounters of the Angelic Kind” at Future365 (now defunct), “they intercept at many junctures in our lives and help wherever they can to make our lives run smoothly. Sometimes this is by inspiring a thought to spur us into action, at others it is to lend us super-human strength, such as in the case of a woman being able to lift a car long enough to free her trapped child. Or we hear of a runaway truck, with an unconscious driver at the wheel, inexplicably swerving sharply at the last moment to avoid a bus stop queue of people. In fact, there are many instances, which are often put down to luck, coincidence or even a miracle, but which have the touch of a hand of light behind it.”

So, why don’t angels come to a person’s aid every time it’s asked for? Sometimes, the article contends, “angels must stand back, whilst giving loving support only, as we work things out for ourselves – these are the times when we feel alone, the dark before dawn.”

How Do We Know Angels Are There?

Even those who believe in the existence of angels concede that they rarely make a physical appearance. However, there are other ways guardian angels can make their presence known, they say.

“Some people say that they hear angelic sounds totally beyond human description,” according to the article “Angels” at Future365. “Others have a feeling of sudden warmth or comfort, or, in times of sadness or grief, a gentle cloak of feathered wings wrapping softly around them. Sometimes angel energy may feel entirely different – like a sudden rush of air created by the passing by of an ‘angel on a mission’ at the speed of light. This is often noticed at times of impending disaster. At other times, simply an inexplicable presence is felt.”

How To Contact Your Guardian Angel

Robert Graham, in an article for Psychic Journal, suggests that we all have guardian angels that are willing to communicate with us, but that most of the time we are just too busy to listen. If we are attentive, he says, and are willing to remain open to this communication, we can receive subtle messages that can help us in our daily lives.

“If you want a clear and concise message from your angel,” Graham says, “you must ask a direct question. Your angel will always answer your questions. You must ask your question out loud. Clear, concise questions will get you clear, concise answers. Answers will always be tangible and explicit, something you can put your hands on. The answers I’ve gotten I could pick up and examine. Asking a frivolous question will get you a silly answer. The universe will match your level of sincerity.”

Angels are always willing to help us, according to Doreen Virtue, but we have to be willing to accept the assistance since we have free will. “To ask for angelic assistance, you needn’t conduct a formal invocation ceremony,” Virtue says. The methods she suggests are likely to be much more familiar and comfortable to most people, including writing a letter to your guardian angel – spelling out your problem and your need, visualising – ‘see’ protective angels around you in your mind’s eye, call them mentally – think your plea to the angels, speak aloud – state your case verbally.

“Connect with Your Angel” suggests yet another method: meditation. “Make yourself comfortable, sitting or lying down. Be aware of your breathing. Let your body become limp and relaxed. Empty your mind; create space, just as though the whole of the universe was there, inside you. Now just be. No doing. Only being.  Communicate to your angel that you wish to connect with her/him. Wait in peace. Be aware of what happens. It may not seem much at first. Be patient. Subtle changes will occur. You may see light, colours or form. You may be aware of a presence. You may feel tingling sensations. You may feel emotion. You will feel love.”

Is all this just superstitious folly? Is the idea of guardian angels just a human invention designed to help people cope with difficult problems? Or are they real beings? The matter cannot be proved or disproved definitively. Perhaps only your own faith or experience can determine their reality for you.

Click on the Guardian image at the top
to purchase this gorgeous fantasy art wall print to watch over you.

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