MARIA BURGOYNE CALLAGHAN
JULY 30, 1920 - SEPTEMBER 27, 2016
A MOST BELOVED AND
CHERISHED MOTHER
8 CHILDREN
NUMEROUS GRANDCHILDREN, GREAT GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT, GREAT GRANDCHILDREN
A Tribute to My Mother who we called "mammy"
A Tribute to My Mother who we called "mammy"
Article: July, 2010
We just celebrated my mother's ninetieth (90) birthday at her favorite tea room and concluded the luncheon by exchanging tealeaf readings, which we learned from mom.
Being a Scottish family a good hot cuppa of black loose-leafed tea blended perfectly with milk and sugar, This was our breakfast brew.
Sometimes when the cups were emptied my mother would read our tea leaves -only for fun she'd remind us, being a good and faithful Catholic. No shenanigans with that "old black magic beliefs!" She was devoted to Mary, Our Lady, Jesus' mother, and when any of her children were in dire need for help Mom would be asked to speak to Our Lady on our behalf. The problem was more often than not cleared up. Now, you couldn't ask too often or for frivolous things. Yes, Mom had an in with Mary.
As far back as I can remember Mom has loved the mysterious and supernatural. Her love for spooky and "unusual" sparked an interest in her children, an interest that continued to grow as we did. Like some of my siblings (the rest are in denial I think) I read the tealeaves, (of course), tarot cards, aura's, and see spirits as did my mother.
Although she'd never admit to having special psychic abilities, Mom also had prophetic dreams and saw spirits - the first she mentioned was her brother Alec who drowned during WWII. Whilst on her honeymoon she saw him appear at the foot of the bed hours before the news of his death came to the family.
When we were kids we'd sit with mouth's hanging open at the breakfast table as she recounted, in great dramatic detail, the previous night's television program One Step Beyond (too late for us kids). Afterward we'd have to scamper down the steep San Francisco hills to a day with the nuns, head full of spooky images with the promise not to speak a word of it.
Friday nights we'd get to stay up late and with her would watch The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
She's not crazy about me being a witch though or preferring the free thinking Rosicrucian knowledge and practice. Mom is mostly dismayed about some of her daughters being witches and pagans, wishing we'd have remained faithful to Catholicism as she has. But on an odd day Mom says, Maybe I'm the head witch, eh? Giving her sweet smile.
Living through the bombings of Glasgow during World War ll, emigrating to Canada on an ocean liner with five kids (father looking for more lucrative work), back to Scotland with one more kid and once again following my father to the USofA now with seventh kid (the one in pic above with Mom) where #8 and last baby was welcomed, surviving the crazy and wild times of her teen children during of the San Francisco 1960s, and all the other things that come with eight kids and a strong-willed husband, I think my mother is a most wonderful woman. Blessed be.
How has your mother influenced your abilities and talents?
MY BOOKS: Available on Amazon, Smashwords, your local bookstores and me june ahern dot com
THE SKYE IN JUNE, my novel, about a Scottish immigrant family in San Francisco with one child that has unusual abilities
HOW TO TALK WITH SPIRITS: SEANCES, MEDIUMS, GHOST HUNTS
CITY OF REDEMPTION (A NOVEL)
THE TIMELESS COUNSELOR: THE BEST GUIDE TO A PSYCHIC READING
3 comments:
Okie dokie - I have an idea for your next book.....
that was me - not Chris
I look forward to hearing about your thought for the "next" book - wait! next? Haven't I said no more books but the sequel to The Skye in June
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