Morbid Outlook - Ask Witch Hazel - The Questions on our Readers' Minds

Greetings to our readers! Welcome to the February column, and with thoughts of Valentines all this month, I have a heavy duty, action packed column of questions and answers that have been on your minds:

Dear Witch Hazel,
What is your opinion on Wiccans serving in the military? G.W. Bush has voiced his disapproval of Wiccans having the same religious rights as others in the army, but doesn’t the Wiccan Rede proclaim “an ye harm none, do what thou will”?

The Wiccan Rede is quite clear on harm none, so those who opt for military service make a choice for themselves. Some can argue that when in harms way, one can opt for self defense. In this instance, it is defense of our country which in the long run is meant to defend the future generations to come. Sometimes ideologies fall within a gray area and it is up to the individual to make up their mind as to what is right for them.

Dear Witch Hazel,
I found your recipe on bath salts, and I have just started making my own, but I was wondering if the essential oils need to be diluted in a carrier oil (such as sweet almond oil) before being added to the salts?
Sincerely,
Chinmayee

Essential oils usually need to be diluted because at full strength, some can burn the skin. Sweet almond oil is excellent for diluting the product without losing the fragrance.

Dear Witch Hazel,
I’m a sixteen year old girl, born on the 8th of June. I have a birth mark on my right hand which looks like a four. I am always sad, unhappy and upset. i don’t want to live. I like to help people yet I’m not satisfied. What do i do? I cry a lot. I hate to live in this family. I always think I am standing in front of a mirror that doesn’t reflect me but someone else. I’m lost. I often see myself flying in my dreams to the end of the earth. I get weird dreams and once I also felt somemone’s presence and I don’t know what happened. I was frozen and a hand of someone passed through my belly. After I thought of God it was gone. Please help!

You might want to discuss some of these issues with a guidance counsellor or other trusted adult. First of all, at 16 you have hormones that are playing ping pong with your brains. We have all been there at one time, so I feel for you. However, these feelings of suicide are not healthy and this concerns me. You seem to be experiencing symptoms of depression and you should really seek out help before it gets worse.

Flying dreams have a number of meanings. In this case, however, because of your overwhelming sadness, it seems as though your subconscious is longing to be free of trouble and is acting it out through the dream state. Sometimes freezing in the dream state is known as a night terror which usually results when one is at odds with what their conscious and subconscious mind are fighting over.

I was wondering – as you must know, there are creams that are supposed to help get rid of cellulite. From what I have heard they do not work. Is there anything natural that would help instead?

Most of those creams are merely gimmicks to get the consumer to part with their dollar. Some may shrink the fluid out of the skin to temporarily make it feel like it is shrinking the cellulite. The important thing to always remember with any cosmetic is that it cannot alter the physical in any sort of internal way, otherwise it would have to be considered a medication.

Dear Witch Hazel,
I have a bunch of allergies to very random things. I was wondering if a spell could get rid of them.
Thanks, Baddy Apple

I just had a small heart attack about a week ago, is it okay to drink peppermint tea?

Mint, as well as chocolate and caffeine products or known to open the lower sphincter muscle at the base of your esophagus just before entering the stomach area. If you had a heart attack, consuming mint could cause you to have reflux which in turn could lead to what is commonly called “heartburn.” If you drink one cup and it doesn’t bother you, then you should be okay. If you feel uncomfortable, then it might be best to wait a while before nipping into the mint.

I casted more than a couple of love spells years ago on more than three guys. They didn’t work as planned but I got what I asked for. Now my love life is a downward spiral. I was wondering why it is a bad idea to cast spells over another? Also is there a way to cleanse myself from my horrible cycle? Please help.
Naima

Casting love spells falls under the guidelines of manipulation. When you seek power over another, you are not letting them exercise free will. As you have now seen, it does indeed backfire on you.

You will naturally have to go through the karmic cycle of your choice. However, it wouldn’t hurt to take a salt water bath with some sage leaves. Also, burn some sage around the home to fumigate any negative vibrations that may have built up in the environment. (Be forewarned, it isn’t the most pleasant scent in the world.) Also, you might want to take a jar of water and add kosher salt to it. Hold the jar in your hands and visualize all the negative energy that you brought about to fill into it and leave it by a window that receives direct sunlight. Leave it there until it fully dries and then refill it again to recharge it to protect you.

Dear Witch Hazel! My name is Mila and I am miserable with my 22-year long marriage. I love when my husband is at work and hate whenever he is at home. Throughout all these years, I have been through emotional abuse from controlling and jealousy. He has the “golden hands” talent, is able to fix and do everything, and I am the wimp and too afraid to leave and be on my own. He is very well aware of that. Is there any way that he can disappear and never come back, sort of forget that this is his house, even going to another dimension? I don’t want any harm done to him, just for him to “get lost forever”. He is excellent at making me feel degraded and helpless. I always apologize for everything I do (what a pitiful coward I am). I am afraid just to leave, or to start a horrifying divorce process. Please, help me!

You need to seek a counsellor to find out why you need to be this man’s doormat. As long as you feel inadequate, it doesn’t matter if he forgets where he lives or not. You have to feel good about you so you can walk away from this marriage that is obviously causing you too much grief. This is not unusual with a lot of marriages and sadly, too many women choose to stick it out because they fear their own power and greatness and would rather give that up to their man instead of taking care of their own life and their own business.

There are many free counsellors in the phone book, simply call around until you find one. Do not keep this bottled up inside you any longer because sooner or later it could bring you more harm than you have ever thought possible.

Thank you for supporting my column and Morbid Outlook Magazine. Send your questions to me at witchhazel@morbidoutlook.com. I can’t promise a personal reply due to the volume of mail I receive, but I will try my best to answer your questions in an upcoming column.