But, as I developed I tried out lots of other tools and methods of divining answers, the tarot cards ended up lost at the back of a cupboard for many a year. When I found them again I found that I no longer used them the same way as before. No more regimented spreads, no more book learned meanings, in fact no more rigidity. The information would come more fluidly, the interpretations would be more personal and meaningful, but still the pack felt wrong for me, so it was not only put away, it was thrown away.

A few months after discarding the deck I was still failing miserably at finding myself a new deck, yes I had wicca cards and angel cards, but I still wanted a tarot deck. And before anyone tells me, I know that as the owner of The Covenstead I have plenty of new packs to choose from! Even so, not a single deck felt comfortable in my hands. Then Christmas arrived, and although I frown upon tarot decks being given as gifts (I believe it should be a personal selection) I did in fact receive a pack.

What caught me of guard was the fact that this new deck bore an amazing resemblance to the deck I had discarded. In fact many of the cards used identical imagery though the artwork had an added depth to it. because I hadn’t chosen the deck for myself I never felt comfortable enough to use it, and I have had it now for at least three years with it being practically unused. Until the lase couple of weeks, that pack has been handled, shuffled, spread and read more times than I can count.

Now the readings are fluid again. I still don’t go in for the regimented spreads much but the cards are definitely making more sense to me than they used to, and definitely not a hand book in sight!

Would you be the the pretty little fairy with shimmering wings that spends her days amongst the wild flowers, all pastel pinks and lilacs? The type of fairy whose figurines grace the bedrooms of pink princesses, their wings glistening and their faces a picture of innocence and purity. A real fairy tale fairy.

Or would you be the fairy with wings like autumn leaves and and an outfit to die for? These are the fairy more akin to those from myth and legend. The fairies that danced around the fairy mounds at midnight  in days long past.

You could even go to right to the opposite end of the twinkly fairy scale and opt for a more of a dark fairy look, complete with stockings, bodice and sex appeal!

Fairy art has come a long way from the Victorian images of Flower Fairies, or the sweet and innocent incarnation of Disney’s Tinkerbell, so take a look at what is available before you glibly say ‘Oh I don’t like fairies!’

Water Dragon Art Scroll - Anne Stokes

Beautiful art scrolls, candle holders, wall plaques, mugs and figurines all bear her mark and will all add a certain something to your home whatever style you have. Anne’s range is very competitively priced and if you have friends and family that are fans of the genre, her items make perfect gifts whatever the occasion.

Her fairy images have a darkness to them which is very alluring and her dragons look like you could take them home and keep them as pets – well the smaller ones at least! The Gothic horror items have a certain classical styling to them which will never lose its charm and her mugs are far too nice to be kept hidden from view in a cupboard!

What am I talking about? Well we have just taken delivery of a new range of clothing designed by Vince Ray. We have included a brief biography of this unique designer in his section of the store. Vince is not only a designer but also a musician, a mix of Motorhead meets Rockabilly, so that should give you some idea of his type of designs! This range is sure to prove popular, but as we only have a couple of each design if you want one you’d better act fast!

I tried to explain the designs to someone yesterday and the first phrase that I came up with was “Think of Betty Boop on a bad acid trip!” Which of course was met with some very confused looks! Whilst they are not your traditional Gothic style they are certainly statement making shirts and will definitely get you noticed where ever you go.

Hopefully if this selection proves popular enough, we can expand on our range to include some of the fantastic belt buckles and other items from his range.

Crystals and gemstones have been prized by mankind for centuries, not just for their beauty but for they ability to fight illness, combat depression and boost confidence. All of these fantastic qualities combined with silver to make a stunning piece of jewellery. If you are unsure which crystal you require let your intuition be your guide, let their colour, size, shape and setting attract you to them, or if you have a specific need look up their benefits and qualities in a crystal directory (ours is currently under construction).

Crystal and gemstone jewellery is relatively inexpensive and will last you longer than any prescription medication or therapy session!

Nemesis Now are renowned for making items that that are not only beautiful but also eye catching and thought provoking, and having a piece of their furniture in your home will certainly be making a bold statement. Whatever you chose to grace your living area you can be sure that it will be a talking point for a long time to come!

These stunning items are crafted from resin and therefore have some significant weight to them, as such we do not hold them in stock and arrange for them to be shipped directly to you from Nemesis themselves.

The Spectre Table shown is a personal favourite, I can just imagine this taking pride of place especially on a Halloween party evening, laden with all of the ghoulish treats and favours that the holiday brings with it. There are so many spectral faces peering out from the folds of this billowing shroud that we are sure that you will see a new on every time you look at it.

Xander playing in Gunnersbury

During our week away in London we paid a visit to Gunnersbury Park, a park close by to my father in Laws home and where our little boy could run off some energy. The park itself is huge, with some lovely grounds to walk around as well as a play area for the kids to let off some steam. We took bread to feed the geese and ducks on the old boating lake and saw quite a lot of other wildlife as we walked around.

Knowing my interest in historic buildings and the spectres that they harbour my partner suggested that we take a walk up to the main house. Being impressed by the grounds and lake I have to expect I was expecting more of the house. There are two large houses on the estate, one of which is in a total state of disrepair, which is a great pity as it could be beautiful and be put to so many uses, especially as its frontage looks out over a stunning open aspect that just stretches out in front of it. The other house, which I suppose could be called the main mansion is situated at the end of a long drive and has in part been converted into a ‘Museum’. it was a disappointment.

The Old Boating Lake at Gunnersbury

The house itself felt dead, to be honest there more of a resonance at the old boat house on the lake. I would have assumed that a ‘in house’ museum would be focussed on the families and events that happened there, instead of some generic period set pieces.

All that I could pick up on in the main house were faded images of the past, meals held in the dining room, the impression of a piano being played and the faint aroma of old cigars. I was expecting more. Perhaps I expected too much, I am used to visiting places and being able to interact with the energies that abide there, or at least leave with strong impressions of the life of the place. To me the soul has been stripped from Gunnersbury.

Today I have to get on an aeroplane, with a small child who has never flown before, and who, as I type, still has no idea what today entails. I’m not a fan of flying, I used to love it as a child though. It was exciting, and adventure, plus my brother and I would play games that would stress out our mum and make passengers around us giggle. Is it me or where people generally ‘nicer’ thirty years ago?

It’s not that I’m scared of flying, of being in the air. I’m quite settled once it’s on route, I’m not fearful of crashing to Earth in a fireball or anything, the landing makes me nervous but not to the point of panic. My problem is with the take off. Tears start to fill my eyes as soon as I board the plane and by the time those engines rev up I’m a mess. How do I NOT fall apart in front of my son? As that hulking machine hurtles down the runway I grip the armrests and physically pull upwards on them in a vain attempt to help the plane lift off the ground – mad or what? As I sit there crying I say a silent ‘good-bye’ to everything I am leaving behind, just in case I never come back. Not a positive behaviour to exhibit in front of an impressionable five year old.

So its 8.30 in the morning now and panic is already firmly settled in the pit of my stomach. I have an extensive to-do list to work through before its time to leave and that should help me focus somewhat, but once my dad arrives to take us the airport that’s it, panic will take over again. On the plus side, its only a short flight and its only one way. Anyone got a Valium?

Forest Pentagram Dragon - Anne Stokes

It’s not very often that an item comes into stock and I immediately think ‘I want one!’ Then follow the urge until I have it safely ensconced in my home. To be honest the objects that I sell are not to my partners taste, although I suspect he does indulge me more than he perhaps should. I have a beautiful ‘Forest Pentagram Dragon‘ on the wall above my kitchen table, loving referred to as Malcolm, who according to my son protects the house while we sleep, unfurling from his perch and scaring away any would be intruders. An outdoor wall plaque of the ‘Green Man’ in his folate form, and if I’m lucky,I’ll soon be adding ‘Arachnafaria‘ to my collection.

Arachnafaria - Anne Stokes

Now I’m not generally ‘into’ fairies as such, but Arachnafaria has certainly attracted my attention, I think perhaps it’s because it incorporates a feature from Whitby Abbey. I love Whitby, I have links to the place through a life long past and can literally sit on the cliff top, in the cemetery, by the Abbey ruins and watch the sea for hours. I’m sure part of me is still feeling the desire to see a certain ship appear upon the horizon, in full sail, bringing my lost sweet heart back home to me. Sadly, for my past distant counterpart that ship will never sail into the harbour, but the longing attached to that place certainly stirs my emotions and tugs at my heart.

The collection of Anne Stokes items currently appeal to a wide section of the public, from fairy and dragon enthusiasts to heavy metal rockers, I’m loving the Art Scrolls that we have in stock too, but somehow I don’t think I’m going to get away with hanging one at home, my plan? Keep it subtle, introduce new items gradually and spread them about the house!

However, any normal five year old boy loves to spend one on one time with his dad and last weekend he had the perfect opportunity – camping at the bottom of the garden with his dad. Now we are not and ‘outdoors’ family by any means, we’re far too fond of indoor plumbing and central heating, but we do have a tent. It was bought originally for Glastonbury but never made it out of the bag. So daddy would put this tent up, a totally new experience for him, and to his credit the swearing was minimal even with our sons help! It didn’t help that as soon as his started the heavens split open and he got soaked so the skin, it also didn’t help that the instructions that came with the tent got so waterlogged they were illegible. But to his credit, the tent went up.

Camping With Daddy

We just looked at each other and started laughing. No missed calls? From where? From who?

Even though he slept, his dad had another sleepless night, as the small child asleep next to him was giggling and laughing out loud, laughing so hard in fact that he had tears streaming down his face, whilst sound asleep. Needless to say the tent was taken down the following morning and there are no plans for another camp out any time soon.