Cast A Spell!

With Halloween just around the corner, I thought it might be fun to share a little magic with you, particularly if you’re hoping to attract a certain someone! The following (discovered at http://www.romantic-lyrics.com/love-spells.shtml) are ancient potions, supposedly conjured up by witches long ago:

Love Potion #9: In a small pot, simmer a half cup of jojoba oil and, moving your spoon clockwise, stir in 9 drops each of the following essential oils: ambergris, cinnamon, frankincense, jasmine, lavender, musk, orange blossom, rose, violet, and ylang ylang. Let cool and store in a dark glass container. Dab yourself with it as you would your favorite perfume before a night out (or a night in) to drive your loved one wild with desire.

Enchanting Brew: Pour a quart of red wine or grape juice in a non-reactive pot and warm to a near simmer. In a doubled piece of cheesecloth place two cinnamon sticks, a teaspoon of rose petals, one teaspoon each of ginger and cloves, a wedge of orange peel and a piece of fresh ginger. Gather and tie the bundle tightly with butcher's string, and place it in the liquid to steep. Taste the brew every few minutes until the flavors have been infused, but remove the bundle before they become overpowering. Chill if desired. Share a glass with your loved one and toast to an enchanting evening.

Herbal Bath: In a piece of doubled cheese cloth, place a tablespoon each of dried rose hips, lavender buds, and bay leaves. Wrap the herbs in the cloth and tie at the top with a pink ribbon. Fill a tub of hot water, toss in the herbal bath and sink into it to awaken loving energies.

Love Charm: To draw love into your life, cut a three by three inch square of aluminum foil. All metals have attractive properties, and work much like a lightening rod which draws electricity from the atmosphere. Sprinkle a pinch each of dried parsley, rosemary, and thyme onto the center of the foil. Carefully fold the foil to keep the herbs sealed inside. Keep it against your heart to attract loving energies to yourself.

Now, I don’t know if any of the above are guaranteed to attract love and attention, so I’d like to share my own spells to help you become truly bewitching:

Always act like a lady: The number one question I hear from men of all ages is, “Where are the ladies?” I sincerely believe a man wants a woman who is charming and consistently minds her manners.

Always speak like a lady: Soft-spoken, thoughtful, and kind remarks are far more appealing than foul language, tasteless comments, and verbal, bombastic assaults.

Always dress like a lady: It really is best to ere on the conservative side. And, yes, you can be superbly chic and conservative at the same time!

Respect yourself…and others: Taking advantage of people is a no-no, as is rudeness. Realize you don’t have to adopt the dreadful ‘diva’ attitude to get what you want.

Nothing more powerful exists than the law of attraction, which states that we get what we give, through our actions and our thoughts. Do focus on attracting treats rather tricks, and enjoy a fabulous and fun-filled Halloween!

Ps…If you’re planning to dress up Halloween night in anything associated with ‘pimp’ or ‘ho’, I implore you to reconsider!

Beth Newman
www.newmanimage.info
Look, feel, and live your absolute best!

Glamour's Glory Days

I love old Hollywood. The stars of the day knew how to dress and knew how to carry themselves. We don’t see that so much anymore, and it makes me sad. Celebrities today just don’t seem to put forth the effort that was expected back then. I’ve often wondered if that’s why many of us regular folks just don’t make the effort anymore. Or is it vice-versa?

There’s something to be said for putting forth effort. I’m amazed (and skeptical) when someone tells me they simply don’t care how they look. For good or bad, our appearance is the first thing people notice about us; call me shallow, but I believe trying to look one’s best is important.

I also believe that what’s on the outside is an indication of what’s going on inside. Think about it: what’s your initial thought when you see someone who’s sporting ill-fitting sweatpants and flip-flops?

Carriage is also important. While I commend First Lady Michelle Obama and her handlers for attempting to present her as a fashionista, I can’t help but wish she’d stand up straight. Poor posture is an insult - to ourselves and to our clothing.

Back in the day, we wouldn’t see Audrey Hepburn walking barefoot across a gas station parking lot in a pair of cut-off jeans. We wouldn’t see Ava Gardner in a slogan t-shirt. And something tells me that Sophia Loren always remembered to wear underwear out in public.

You could blame today’s paparazzi, tabloid press, and “reality TV” for giving us easier access to our stars. Consider this, though: everyone in show biz has a handler and someone to take care of their PR. Jennifer Aniston is still getting press for being dumped by Brad Pitt, yet we’re finding precious little new information about the David Letterman scandal. I think the folks who continuously grace the magazine covers know exactly what they’re doing – perhaps that’s why those Kardashian girls are the hottest thing going right now in spite of the fact that they haven’t actually done anything.

Old Hollywood offered us an air of mystic. Today, everyone –celebrity or not – possesses a willingness to purge even the most personal of details. To me, mystic is a vital component to glamour, and glamour is something we’re missing as a society. Celebrities don’t have the only claim to glamour, though; we ‘common folks’ can just as easily adopt it in our manner of dress, behavior, and discretion.

I’d like to start a movement to bring glamour back. Let’s say sayonara to those reality shows and make our celebrities work for us by giving us true entertainment in the form of movies, music, and television shows. Let’s insist that because we’re making an effort to look great and behave ourselves, they must, too.

Who’s with me?

Coventional Living

My husband and I don’t necessary have what one might call a conventional lifestyle. He makes his living playing rock and roll; I make mine telling people how to dress and behave. We don’t have children. His hair is longer than mine. We seem to prefer evenings at home rather than ones spent hitting the town. We don’t make a tremendous amount of money, but we have every material thing we need (a comfortable home, running vehicles, hair care products….), and we enjoy a few small luxuries along the way (dinners out, trips to the beach, and a lovely woman who – God bless her- comes to our house and cleans up after us every week). We don’t necessarily fit society’s suit, but that’s okay, because we’re blissfully and unapologetically happy.

The standard nine-to-five, make X amount of dollars, have X amount of children lifestyle never appealed to either of us. It’s a fantastic lifestyle for those who really want it, and I commend them for it. It takes an awful lot of drive, determination, and dedication to make it all happen. It’s not a fantastic lifestyle, though, for those who merely think they want it or think that it’s the right thing to do. They may be living it, but they’re missing the key factor: happiness.

I know people who have lots of stuff but are missing the happy factor. Somewhere along the way they got the idea that being normal was the only way to go. Now they’re stuck with mortgages that they don’t want, spouses they don’t really like, and children who are far more work than they ever imagined. Blame it on parents who told them what to do. Blame it on schools that encouraged them to move in a certain direction based on test scores (my test scores were so poor, my high school counselor had no clue what to tell me, and for that, I’m grateful). Blame it on television for making everything a competition these days. I don’t know whose fault it is, really; all I know is that too many folks are doing what they’re supposed to do and remain unhappy.

Perhaps if parents/schools/media promoted the try this method rather than the do this method, the definition of the word conventional would change. We just might see an explosion of people who are truly living rather than existing. We might finally learn that we cannot count on other people or outside factors to make us happy. It has to come from within. We simply must know ourselves and go from there in order to find joy and our passion. It’s a pretty unconventional idea, but why not give it a shot?

A Charmed Life

A flower without perfume is like a personality without charm (Eileen Ascroft)

Through her teachings of etiquette and charm, Ms. Ascroft stressed one thing: no woman, no matter how beautiful or clever she may be, can live her life fully without utilizing charm. The good news, of course, is that every woman is born with charm; it’s our birthright. Today’s society, however, doesn’t necessarily lend itself to charm, and this is unfortunate.

With a little guidance and patience, tapping into charm can be quite easy.

The first step is in getting to truly know ourselves. Too often, we merely say to ourselves, “I’m this…” or “I’m that…” without taking the time to reflect in silence our likes, dislikes, beliefs, and ideals. Most of us spend precious little time in the mirror determining ways in which to enhance and improve our outer beauty. We allow magazines and television to guide us, and as a result end up in unflattering outfits and displaying unflattering behavior.

We spend an outrageous number of hours flitting from one bad relationship to the next, hoping to find our new best friend or soul mate. This futile endeavor leads us to frustration and trust me, there’s no charm in that. Spending our time wisely with positive, uplifting people is certainly a better route, don’t you think?

Poise has certainly gone by the wayside these days. Many women proudly display the diva or bitch (pardon my language, please) badge and honestly feel that their loudness, their rudeness, and their overall bawdiness is endearing. It’s not. (A side note: these seem to be the same women who complain incessantly about not having a man…hmm…I wonder if there’s a connection.) The charming woman is the woman who knows how to enter a room gracefully, turning every head as she does so, without having to say a word.

The charming woman is also the one who is looked upon favorably because she’s kind, speaks ill of no one, and smiles genuinely. She’s dressed conservatively yet spectacularly. She stands up straight and sits like a lady. She dances like a lady, too – no rumpy pumpy pole moves for her!

You’ll discover, too, that the charming woman has a wonderful sense of humor. She’s witty, and would never resort to cruel or crass jokes.

Most importantly, the charming woman enjoys her own company and feels truly happy on the inside.

I firmly believe, as Ms. Ascroft did, that every woman wants to get the best from life and make the most of her opportunities, appearance, and abilities. Charm is the magic key to happiness and success. Every woman possesses the seeds of charm within her. She has only to learn to liberate it.

Beth Newman
www.newmanimage.info
Look, feel, and live your absolute best!
The Magic Key to Charm online course coming soon. Visit www.newmanimage.info for details.