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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #12 -- June 2001
A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum
website: http://www.ecauldron.com/
mailing list/board: http://www.ecauldron.com/fregmb.php
delphi forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/start
newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/
With a little help from The Witches' Thicket
website: http://www.cros.net/soraya/
delphi forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/thicket/start
In this Issue:
[00] Publisher's Note: Important Newsletter and Forum News
[01] Editorial: Christianity does NOT equal Fundamentalism
[02] Poem: A Whisper in the Dark
[03] Eclectic Pagans
[04] Wiccan Sabbat: A Midsummer's Celebration
[05] Review: A Time For Magick
[06] Review: The Tree
[07] Review: Embracing The Moon
[08] Review: A Magick Life
[09] Magick: Modified Assyrian Protection Spell
[10] Magick: Reversing Negative Psychic Energy
[11] Herbal Tea Recipes
[12] Humor: Learning Your ABC's (Wiccan Version)
[13] New Articles on The Cauldron's Site
[14] New Web Polls
[15] Support The Cauldron When You Buy at Amazon.com
[16] Cauldron and Thicket Chats
[17] Newsletter and Forum Info
(Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe)
+++ Submission Deadline for next issue: June 15, 2001 +++
Guidelines: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/submissions.php
[00]
=========
========= PUBLISHER'S NOTE
========= Important Newsletter and Forum News
=========
There's bad news and there's good news.
+++
+++ Bad News: C&C Goes Monthly
+++
The bad news is that one of my predictions of a few issues ago is
coming true. The Cauldron and Candle newsletter is going monthly.
With my engagement and upcoming marriage, your editor/publisher
just doesn't have the time to produce an issue every two weeks.
It takes time that I simply no longer have.
+++
+++ Good News: The Cauldron's Delphi Forum Reopens
+++
The good news is that we reopened The Cauldron's old forum on
Delphi as a secondary message area. We call it our "Delphi
Annex." It's available for people who just can't stand mailing
lists or the Yahoo Groups web interface to them. The Cauldron's
Delphi Annex is a secondary message area because you will not
find the site hosts (Elspeth and Randall) there all that much as
they dislike web message boards as much as some other people
dislike mailing lists.
The Delphi Annex will be moderated by Lyric Fox and Soraya with
the assistance of those members of The Cauldron's forum staff who
like web message areas. Good threads and some good posts will be
shared between The Cauldron's two messages areas at times, but
they will otherwise be fairly independent of each other.
The Delphi Annex reopened for posting on May 28, 2001. There are
already active discussions going on there. If you enjoy serious
Pagan-oriented discussion but mailing lists aren't your thing,
please give it a try. (Don't forgot to visit The Thicket while
you are there.)
Delphi Annex Message Board:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/start
Delphi Annex Rules:
http://www.ecauldron.com/cmrules.php
[01]
=========
========= EDITORIAL:
========= Christianity does NOT equal Fundamentalism
========= by Randall Sapphire
=========
I often hear Neo-Pagans discussing dealing with Christianity as
if all Christians were rabid Protestant Fundamentalists out to
stamp out all other religions. Nothing could be further from the
reality. While fundamentalist Protestant Christians are generally
well-organized and very vocal in the United States, they are a
relatively small minority in world Christianity. They are a
minority among Christians in the US as well, albeit a fairly
large minority.
Let's start by defining just what a Christian Fundamentalist is.
Christian Fundamentalism is an American Protestant theological
creation from the mid-1800s. Fundamentalists believe that to be a
true Christian one must 1) accept that the Bible is inerrant in
its original texts and must also believe in 2) the virgin birth
of Jesus, 3) the substitutionary doctrine of atonement (that is,
that Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice to atone for the sins
of humankind), 4) the miracles of Jesus, and 5) the physical
character of Jesus' resurrection. Most (but not all)
Fundamentalists also believe in an interpretation of the Bible
called Dispensationalism. Dispensationalism was created by John
Nelson Darby in the mid-1800s and popularized in the early 20th
century in the notes in the Scofield Reference Bible.
You will notice that nothing in this description requires
Christians who subscribe to Fundamentalist doctrine to be rude
and obnoxious to everyone who does not believe exactly like they
do. Nor does it require them to try to pressure the government to
impose their beliefs on others via laws and regulations. While
many Fundamentalists do these things, many others do not. Some
people refer to the obnoxious, rude, and intolerant
Fundamentalists as "Fundies" as a way of distinguishing between
those who simply have Fundamentalist religious beliefs and those
who have both the beliefs and a large helping of intolerance.
Now let's take a look at some numbers from the religion section
of 2001 edition of The World Almanac. There are just shy of 2
billion Christians in the world (1,974,181,000 according to page
692 of The World Almanac). Of these almost 2 billion Christians,
only about 337 million are listed as Protestant.
The figures I've seen in articles and news reports indicate that
only 20 to 30 percent of Protestants are Fundamentalists.
However, let's play it safe and say that 50% of Protestants are
Fundamentalists. That would mean 169 million Fundamentalists
(rounding up). 169 million Fundamentalist Protestants out of 2
billion Christians is about 8.5%. That means just over 90% of the
world's Christians are not Fundamentalist Protestants -- even
with our large estimate of the percentage of Protestants who are
Fundamentalists. (Of this 8.5%, of course, not all will be
intolerant Fundies.)
Given these figures it seems silly for Neo-Pagans to base their
ideas and plans for interacting with Christians on what the
Protestant Fundamentalists will think, say, or do. Of course,
many Fundamentalists are going to believe that Neo-Pagans worship
Satan, have no morals, sacrifice infants, etc. While there is
certainly nothing wrong with countering their propaganda when it
is presented, I think it is counterproductive for Neo-Pagans to
base their reaction to and interfaith dealings with nearly two
billion Christians on the beliefs and prejudices of a minority of
less than ten percent.
While most Christians may not understand why we've chosen to be
Pagan instead of Christian, they are probably far more willing to
accept our choices that the average Fundamentalist is. Wouldn't
it make more since to reach out to the 90% or more of the world's
Christians who are not Fundamentalists than to plan all our
dealings with Christianity around the 8% or so who often seem
almost unreachable by any type of religious "live and let live"
proposal?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CAULDRON AND CANDLE WEB SITE
The Cauldron and Candle now has its own web site
where we store our back issues for easy reading.
http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[02]
=========
========= A WHISPER IN THE DARK
========= A Poem by Elspeth Sapphire
=========
Darkness safe sheltered,
Hid from healing sun.
Avoiding unwanted truth;
Cower as each day's begun.
I held my love within me,
Clutched tight to my chest.
I gave nothing away...
In darkness found no rest.
Then into my solitude,
A whisper stroked my soul.
Healed unrevealed wounds
And somehow made me whole.
Shaken, I peered out my walls.
Who could be so very bold?
Why pierce night's thick veil,
Chilling with reality's cold?
The whisper came once again--
Stronger than it was before.
Sound filled an aching heart--
Too insistent to ignore.
Tried to shake it off....
Failed, and tried once more.
In blackness shone the light,
Pouring through the empty door.
"Come...." Our fingers entwined.
He pulled me into the light.
Selfless love held me safe;
Dispelling unending night.
Unbiddened love finally came
No room for pain in my heart!
Forced away by your faith
All darkness told to depart.
All started by a whisper in the dark.....
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SEND A PAGAN POSTCARD
You can send a Pagan Postcard from the menu of any
of our web pages at http://www.ecauldron.com/. If
you haven't tried our postcard site, give it a
try. It has quite a few nice features.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[03]
=========
========= ECLECTIC PAGANS
========= by Faerie K.
========= originally published in Finnish in Vox Paganorum 1/00
=========
++++
++++ What is "Eclectic"?
++++
Explanation, dictionary style:
Somebody who is eclectic, selects from various doctrines,
methods or styles those parts she considers the best. The word
also denotes a whole, constructed from pieces obtained from
various sources.
Definition of a Sort
Eclectic Pagans form a large group, consisting of people with
widely different religious views. This "denomination" or
"group" is not easily definable and one could say that the only
feature binding it together is - being eclectic.
Very simply put, Eclectic Pagans are Pagans who do not adhere to
any given tradition {1} and/or religion, but build their own
religious world view out of pieces they have picked from
different traditions and/or religions, adding to the mix - when
they see a need - features they have developed themselves. Those
Eclectics who do consider themselves as belonging to a given
Pagan religion, combine features from the different traditions of
that religion, often adding also features derived from elsewhere.
Many "basic Pagans not belonging to any religion" are some grade
of eclectics. Many of them identify themselves simply as
"Pagans".
Eclectics are often solitary, but there are also eclectic Pagan
groups, for example Wiccan covens. For the sake of clarity and
simplicity, I will be concentrating on Solitary Eclectic Pagans
here.
++++
++++ Mental Images on the Subject...
++++
I played a game of word association with some fellow Pagans,
asking them to tell their first thoughts on the words "Eclectic
Solitary Pagan". Answers were quite interesting... Here are a few
selected ones:
- "Unrestrainedly rootless free-thinking individual."
- "The 'pick and choose' mentality of consumers."
- "Potpourri. Some mixtures are great, some are awful and some
that I think are eloquent, can in my sister's opinion resemble
an unchanged kitty litter box."
- "Eclectic: Chooses the pieces best fitting to herself, just
like everybody else does, but doesn't feel the need to attach
themselves to any given religious group. Still wants to put
some sort of 'label' on herself. Solitary: Doesn't practice
her religion officially with any given group of people.
Primarily practices alone. Pagan: Gods only know."
- "Abundant "
- "Me."
- "Light bulb."
These comments give some kind of clues on how an Eclectic Pagan
is understood and what an Eclectic Pagan is religiously speaking.
Or, then again, they don't. Pick and choose yourself :)
++++
++++ Taking a Closer Look
++++
Nine words the Eclectic Rede attest:
Steal what works, fix what's broke, fake the rest.
The "Eclectic Rede" above describes the basic starting point
quite well. As a typical Eclectic, I grabbed it along at some
point of my journey (the Eclectic Rede was originally written by
Steve Storm {2}).
At best, the end result is a working and on a personal level very
satisfying whole, which can in some cases even lead to the birth
of a new Pagan tradition/religion, if there are others thinking
the same way. At worst, the end result is a conflict-ridden
mishmash of different parts glued together, which simply does not
work in practice, nor on any level.
For some, the eclectics' religiosity which draws from many
sources, may conjure images of a person with a full-blown
fluffy-bunny attitude of the worst kind, a person who wants
everything to be oh-so-wonderful and therefore chooses "all the
best bits" from all religions available. Using a very simplified
and somewhat made-up example: One picks angels from Christianity
(believing that angels are first, foremost and only kind and
wonderful guardian angels), "an it harm none" from Wicca, Karma
from Buddhism ("I can't do anything remotely resembling bad,
because that would mean I get bad karma"), the omnipotence of
crystals from New Age ways of thinking, all "nice" gods and
goddesses from different old Paganisms, cool names from the
American Indians etc. At the end of the day, the only thing
connecting these different pieces is that "everything has to feel
good, right here and right now".
Oh well, these people do exist and a combination like this can
really be the right one for some of them (at least for a while).
However, Eclectic Pagans are a much more varied bunch and should
not be painted with a broad brush because of how some of them
are, especially as there are "bunnies" in practically every
religion. In many cases, an eclectic world view requires quite a
lot of studying. An Eclectic Pagan can't, in a time of need,
just pick up Spiral Dance, Book of the Law, Satanic Bible,
Mahabharata or the Eddas and do what the book tells you to do,
but she has to take into consideration the viewpoints and
approaches of the different religions and traditions influencing
her religiosity and think which would fit the best for the
solution of the problem at hand, or the accomplishment of the
duty to be done.
For many Eclectics "how" is not the most important question, but
"why". By questioning, asking, listening to other people's
experiences and thoughts and constantly learning something new,
one is better able to find out what fits and what does not. By
studying widely (not just in depth, but not excluding in depth
studies either), one can avoid the "religious cut and paste
syndrome" and be able to create something new and meaningful
from pieces that could otherwise seem disconnected, even if that
means new and meaningful only on the level of one person.
Creating something new from pieces does not mean that the
Eclectic would hold herself higher or better than her sources, or
that she thinks that she's actually creating something brand new
and unique - as if nobody else had ever thought of combining
factor A with factor B. The question is more of a made to measure
mix from available sources. Many others may have made their own
mixes from the same ingredients earlier on, but those are theirs.
Using a very mundane example: It depends on the skills of the
cook and the time taken by her, whether the end result is a new
gorgeous meal - or does it look like the cook got lazy and just
mixed together the ingredients of the appetizer, main course and
dessert?
++++
++++ On a Road to Somewhere, On a Road from Somewhere?
++++
For some people, being eclectic is just an intermediate phase on
their journey from one point to another. After giving up the
faith of their parents and/or the faith they were taught when
they were children, they enter a seeking period. Their process of
defining their own religiosity often starts with negations, for
example: "I am not a Christian". After this, they find a larger
reference group to feel connection with: Pagans and Neo-Pagans.
During the course of religious search, the seeker studies several
different Pagan religions, picking and choosing from each one
some aspects she finds to be most important to herself. Little by
little, the seeker begins to form an eclectic view of life, which
reflects her. After a while, after learning more, the seeker may
start to feel connection with one of the many Pagan beliefs and
starts to concentrate on that. With time, the seeker realizes
that she is no longer a seeker, but somebody who can call herself
as being part of a given (Neo-)Pagan religion, saying: "I am
****!"
An eclectic religious view may also be the end result of
traveling from one religion forward. (I am using the word
"forward" here with no value-setting about forward meaning
better. What I am referring to with this word here is moving to
something more fitting on a personal level). Wicca, with its many
traditions and varied roots can be used as a good example here.
Somebody who has this far identified herself as Wiccan, starts to
research the roots of her religion closer and finds out that she
has entered a phase where she can no longer truthfully (as in
being truthful to herself) call herself Wiccan. She has studied
for example Thelema, Celtic Paganism and other religions where
Wicca - depending on the Wiccan tradition - has drawn from. With
time the Pagan who has formerly identified herself as Wiccan
realizes, that she has walked further and further away from the
Wiccan views and has started to value more some of the aspects
she has found in the "roots of Wicca". She then organizes these
aspects to form a new whole. Unlike when still Wiccan, the
nowadays Eclectic Pagan may emphasize quite different aspects of
the religions and paths that influenced Wicca (traditional and
more Neo-Wiccan) than the aspects adapted to Wicca.
Then there is a third kind of people, the eternal seekers, the
forever walkers of their own paths. These people may not even
believe in ever getting "there", of ever becoming ready to call
themselves practitioners or believers of any given religion.
Their path is one of ever ongoing search. They don't feel the
need to belong to any defined religion, but find it more
important to build a whole that expresses their own religious
needs as well as possible.
++++
++++ How much Can/Should One Mix Traditions/Religions Before
++++ One is an Eclectic?
++++
Opinions on where one stops being a follower of one
tradition/religion and starts being an eclectic vary. A British
Traditionalist Wicca may be of an opinion that if somebody
belonging to tradition A starts incorporating aspects of
tradition B - never mind from a totally different religion, it's
time to stop calling oneself as belonging to tradition A. At the
same time, somebody else may happily define oneself as Christian
Wiccan. The borderline is, as you can see, fluid. This is the
case especially with individual people and their
self-identification, even though for an outsider it may be rather
easy to say "that person over there is actually more of an
Eclectic Pagan than anything else". When it comes to my Christian
Wiccan example, one can wonder if a person like this actually an
Eclectic Pagan at all, or somebody with an eclectic religiosity.
After all, one of the religions incorporated is anything but
Pagan.
To end this short piece - jokes on Eclectics:
Q: What is the difference between an Eclectic and an ethical
Eclectic?
V: References. {3}
Why did the chicken cross the road - Eclectic answer: Because it
seemed right to her at the time. She used some Egyptian style
corn and a Celtic sounding word for the road and incorporated
some Native American elements into her Corn-name,
Chicken-Who-Dances-and-Runs-with-the-Wolves
++++
++++ NOTES
++++
{1} Tradition : In this connection a branch of a Pagan religion
(for example Wicca), like Gardnerian and Dianic Wicca.
{2} Steve, who is himself an Eclectic, wrote the quite fitting
Eclectic's reference: "Part of this may be stuff I stole from
somebody somewhere at some point of my life. Part I made up
myself. Part may be divine revelation (thank you, Goddess!)
and I really don't know how to tell the different parts
apart. Then again, I may remember everything from my past
life, where I was Gerald Gardner. That, of course, would
explain my Eclectic tendencies, wouldn't it."
{3} Taliesin of Earthstar
[04]
=========
========= WICCAN SABBAT:
========= A MIDSUMMER'S CELEBRATION
========= by Mike Nichols
=========
The young maid stole through the cottage door,
And blushed as she sought the Plant of pow'r;--
'Thou silver glow-worm, O lend me thy light,
I must gather the mystic St. John's wort tonight,
The wonderful herb, whose leaf will decide
If the coming year shall make me a bride.
In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year,
there are four lesser holidays as well: the two solstices, and
the two equinoxes. In folklore, these are referred to as the
four 'quarter-days' of the year, and modern Witches call them the
four 'Lesser Sabbats', or the four 'Low Holidays'. The Summer
Solstice is one of them.
Technically, a solstice is an astronomical point and, due to the
procession to the equinox, the date may vary by a few days
depending on the year. The summer solstice occurs when the sun
reaches the Tropic of Cancer, and we experience the longest day
and the shortest night of the year. Astrologers know this as the
date on which the sun enters the sign of Cancer. This year
(1988) it will occur at 10:57 pm CDT on June 20th.
However, since most European peasants were not accomplished at
reading an ephemeris or did not live close enough to Salisbury
Plain to trot over to Stonehenge and sight down its main avenue,
they celebrated the event on a fixed calendar date, June 24th.
The slight forward displacement of the traditional date is the
result of multitudinous calendrical changes down through the
ages. It is analogous to the winter solstice celebration, which
is astronomically on or about December 21st, but is celebrated on
the traditional date of December 25th, Yule, later adopted by the
Christians.
Again, it must be remembered that the Celts reckoned their days
from sundown to sundown, so the June 24th festivities actually
begin on the previous sundown (our June 23rd). This was
Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Eve. Which brings up another
point: our modern calendars are quite misguided in suggesting
that 'summer begins' on the solstice. According to the old folk
calendar, summer BEGINS on May Day and ends on Lammas (August
1st), with the summer solstice, midway between the two, marking
MID-summer. This makes more logical sense than suggesting that
summer begins on the day when the sun's power begins to wane and
the days grow shorter.
Although our Pagan ancestors probably preferred June 24th (and
indeed most European folk festivals today use this date), the
sensibility of modern Witches seems to prefer the actual solstice
point, beginning the celebration on its eve, or the sunset
immediately preceding the solstice point. Again, it gives modern
Pagans a range of dates to choose from with, hopefully, a weekend
embedded in it.
Just as the Pagan mid-winter celebration of Yule was adopted by
Christians as Christmas (December 25th), so too the Pagan
mid-summer celebration was adopted by them as the feast of John
the Baptist (June 24th). Occurring 180 degrees apart on the
wheel of the year, the mid-winter celebration commemorates the
birth of Jesus, while the mid-summer celebration commemorates the
birth of John, the prophet who was born six months before Jesus
in order to announce his arrival.
Although modern Witches often refer to the holiday by the rather
generic name of Midsummer's Eve, it is more probable that our
Pagan ancestors of a few hundred years ago actually used the
Christian name for the holiday, St. John's Eve. This is evident
from the wealth of folklore that surrounds the summer solstice
(i.e. that it is a night especially sacred to the faerie folk)
but which is inevitably ascribed to 'St. John's Eve', with no
mention of the sun's position. It could also be argued that a
Coven's claim to antiquity might be judged by what name it gives
the holidays. (Incidentally, the name 'Litha' for the holiday is
a modern usage, possibly based on a Saxon word that means the
opposite of Yule. Still, there is little historical
justification for its use in this context.) But weren't our
Pagan ancestors offended by the use of the name of a Christian
saint for a pre-Christian holiday?
Well, to begin with, their theological sensibilities may not have
been as finely honed as our own. But secondly and more
importantly, St. John himself was often seen as a rather Pagan
figure. He was, after all, called 'the Oak King'. His
connection to the wilderness (from whence 'the voice cried out')
was often emphasized by the rustic nature of his shrines. Many
statues show him as a horned figure (as is also the case with
Moses). Christian iconographers mumble embarrassed explanations
about 'horns of light', while modern Pagans giggle and happily
refer to such statues as 'Pan the Baptist'. And to clench
matters, many depictions of John actually show him with the lower
torso of a satyr, cloven hooves and all! Obviously, this kind of
John the Baptist is more properly a Jack in the Green! Also
obvious is that behind the medieval conception of St. John lies a
distant, shadowy Pagan deity, perhaps the archetypal Wild Man of
the Wood, whose face stares down at us through the foliate masks
that adorn so much church architecture. Thus medieval Pagans may
have had fewer problems adapting than we might suppose.
In England, it was the ancient custom on St. John's Eve to light
large bonfires after sundown, which served the double purpose of
providing light to the revelers and warding off evil spirits.
This was known as 'setting the watch'. People often jumped
through the fires for good luck. In addition to these fires, the
streets were lined with lanterns, and people carried cressets
(pivoted lanterns atop poles) as they wandered from one bonfire
to another. These wandering, garland-bedecked bands were called
a 'marching watch'. Often they were attended by morris dancers,
and traditional players dressed as a unicorn, a dragon, and six
hobby-horse riders. Just as May Day was a time to renew the
boundary on one's own property, so Midsummer's Eve was a time to
ward the boundary of the city.
Customs surrounding St. John's Eve are many and varied. At the
very least, most young folk plan to stay up throughout the whole
of this shortest night. Certain courageous souls might spend the
night keeping watch in the center of a circle of standing stones.
To do so would certainly result in either death, madness, or
(hopefully) the power of inspiration to become a great poet or
bard. (This is, by the way, identical to certain incidents in
the first branch of the 'Mabinogion'.) This was also the night
when the serpents of the island would roll themselves into a
hissing, writhing ball in order to engender the 'glain', also
called the 'serpent's egg', 'snake stone', or 'Druid's egg'.
Anyone in possession of this hard glass bubble would wield
incredible magical powers. Even Merlyn himself (accompanied by
his black dog) went in search of it, according to one ancient
Welsh story.
Snakes were not the only creatures active on Midsummer's Eve.
According to British faery lore, this night was second only to
Halloween for its importance to the wee folk, who especially
enjoyed a ridling on such a fine summer's night. In order to see
them, you had only to gather fern seed at the stroke of midnight
and rub it onto your eyelids. But be sure to carry a little bit
of rue in your pocket, or you might well be 'pixie-led'. Or,
failing the rue, you might simply turn your jacket inside-out,
which should keep you from harm's way. But if even this fails,
you must seek out one of the 'ley lines', the old straight
tracks, and stay upon it to your destination. This will keep you
safe from any malevolent power, as will crossing a stream of
'living' (running) water.
Other customs included decking the house (especially over the
front door) with birch, fennel, St. John's wort, orpin, and white
lilies. Five plants were thought to have special magical
properties on this night: rue, roses, St. John's wort, vervain
and trefoil. Indeed, Midsummer's Eve in Spain is called the
'Night of the Verbena (Vervain)'. St. John's wort was especially
honored by young maidens who picked it in the hopes of divining a
future lover.
And the glow-worm came
With its silvery flame,
And sparkled and shone
Through the night of St. John,
And soon has the young maid her love-knot tied.
There are also many mythical associations with the summer
solstice, not the least of which concerns the seasonal life of
the God of the sun. Inasmuch as I believe that I have recently
discovered certain associations and correspondences not hitherto
realized, I have elected to treat this subject in some depth in
another essay. Suffice it to say here, that I disagree with the
generally accepted idea that the Sun-God meets his death at the
summer solstice. I believe there is good reason to see the
Sun-God at his zenith -- his peak of power -- on this day, and
that his death at the hands of his rival would not occur for
another quarter of a year. Material drawn from the Welsh mythos
seems to support this thesis. In Irish mythology, Midsummer is
the occasion of the first battle between the Fir Bolgs and the
Tuatha De Danaan.
Altogether, Midsummer is a favorite holiday for many Witches in
that it is so hospitable to outdoor celebrations. The warm
summer night seems to invite it. And if the celebrants are not
in fact skyclad, then you may be fairly certain that the long
ritual robes of winter have yielded place to short, tunic-style
apparel. As with the longer gowns, tradition dictates that one
should wear nothing underneath -- the next best thing to skyclad,
to be sure. (Incidentally, now you know the REAL answer to the
old Scottish joke, 'What is worn underneath the kilt?')
The two chief icons of the holiday are the spear (symbol of the
Sun-God in his glory) and the summer cauldron (symbol of the
Goddess in her bounty). The precise meaning of these two
symbols, which I believe I have recently discovered, will be
explored in the essay on the death of Llew. But it is
interesting to note here that modern Witches often use these same
symbols in the Midsummer rituals. And one occasionally hears the
alternative consecration formula, 'As the spear is to the male,
so the cauldron is to the female...' With these mythic
associations, it is no wonder that Midsummer is such a joyous and
magical occasion!
(This file contains eight seasonal articles by Mike Nichols. They
may be freely distributed provided that the following conditions
are met: (1) No fee is charged for their use and distribution and
no commercial use is made of them; (2) These files are not
changed or edited in any way without the author's permission; (3)
This notice is not removed. An article may be distributed as a
separate file, provided that this notice is repeated at the
beginning of each such file. These articles are periodically
updated by the author; this version is current as of 9/28/88.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CRITICAL READING FOR PAGANS
Learn to tell the wheat from the chaff when you
view a web site or read a book.
http://gleewood.org/writings/critical.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[05]
=========
========= REVIEW: A TIME FOR MAGICK
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========
A Time for Magick: Planetary Hours for Meditations, Rituals &
Spells
Author: Maria Kay Simms
Trade Paperback, 240 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: April 2001
ISBN: 156718622X
US Retail Price: $12.95
Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156718622X/thecauldron
Almost everyone involved in the Western magickal tradition or a
system derived from it has heard of the planetary hours. Each
1/12 of a day's total time of daylight and each 1/12 of a day's
total time of night is a planetary hour, ruled by one of the
astrological planets. Spells performed during a planetary hour
favorable to the goal of the spell receive a boost in power, are
easier to cast, etc. according to the specifics of the tradition
one is working in.
While the chart listing which planet is associated with which
planetary hour is simple, determining when a specific planetary
hour occurs on a given day can require quite a bit of calculation
as the length of day and night are different every calendar day.
While the calculations aren't really complex, they are tedious
and error-prone. Many people simply ignore planetary hours rather
than go through the hassle of computing them every time they need
to perform a spell or ritual.
A major portion of A Time for Magick is a set of tables which
reduces most of the calculations to simply looking up the time in
a set of tables and modifying it to match your location. If you
use -- or would like to use -- planetary hours in your workings,
these tables are easily worth the price of the book just in the
time and effort they will save.
The rest of the book covers issues like what basic astrological
meanings of the planets are and what areas they rule. There are
also rituals and meditations for each planet. If you are a
beginner, this material will probably be useful. If you aren't a
beginner, this additional material will probably be much less
useful to you.
The meat of A Time for Magick, however, is in the charts for
figuring planetary hours. Since using the tables makes
calculating planetary hours a quick and easy task and this book
is far cheaper than the professional astrological programs I've
see which calculate them, it's probably a worthwhile addition to
any magician's bookshelf. It's certainly one of the more
practical and useful books in the magick section of my
bookshelves.
This review is available on our web site at
http://www.ecauldron.com/bkatfm.php
[06]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE TREE
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========
The Tree: The Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft
Author: Raymond Buckland
Trade Paperback, 168 pages
Publisher: Samuel Weiser
Publication date: December 1974
ISBN: 0877282587
US Retail Price: $9.95
Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0877282587/thecauldron
To really understand the influence this book had on Wicca and
Paganism, you have to understand what was happening in the late
60s and early 70s. The "occult" was in the public eye. Hans
Holzer's books, "The Truth about Witchcraft," "The New Pagans,"
and "The Witchcraft Report" had attracted the attention of many
seekers. Suddenly there were many more people wanting to become
witches than there were spaces in covens for them. This was in
the days of the "it takes a witch to make a witch" nonsense and
when there was little or no good, let alone complete, material
available for seekers.
This was also a time of turmoil and problems within Wicca. Witch
wars were common and a few High Priestesses were fighting over
"witch queen" titles. Meanwhile, incomplete versions of
Gardnerian ritual were being published by Lady Sheba and the
Frost's controversial "The Witch's Bible" appeared on newsstands
and bookstores. These books were being snapped up by people
hungry for craft knowledge. Buckland decided to leave Gardnerian
Wicca and start a new tradition. Hoping to avoid the problems
Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca were then having, he wanted to a
tradition which would be open and more democratic. Seax-Wica,
embodied in its published book of shadows, "The Tree," is the
result of that decision.
Seax-Wica broke with a number of what were then Wiccan
traditions. First, its beliefs and rituals were not secret as its
book of shadows was publicly available. Second, Seax-Wica had
only one degree and that degree could be reached either by
initiation by a coven or by self-initiation. Third, Buckland
admitted up front that Seax-Wica was a modern creation based very
loosely on the Saxons in early Britain. Fourth, Seax-Wica covens
elected their High Priest and High Priestess annually.
"The Tree" was one of the first Wicca 101 books, although it
bears little resemblance to what we think of as a Wicca 101 book
today. The Tree wasn't designed to lead the reader by the hand,
explaining everything in detail. Instead, it was written like
most of the Gardnerian and Alexandrian books of shadows,
sparsely. "The Tree" assumed that anyone wishing to use it would
either be well-read on esoteric matters or willing to become
well-read. It was "The Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft" in that
it gave you everything necessary to practice Seax-Wica as an
individual or group. Unfortunately, modern neophytes expect
"complete" to mean "everything you could ever need to know is in
this book" and are therefore often disappointed with this book.
While many traditional Wiccans of the time treated Buckland's new
tradition and its book of shadows like some type of a joke, many
Seax-Wica covens sprang up around the world in the decade after
it was published. The book fulfilled a great need. While there
do not seem to be as nearly as many Seax-Wica groups as there
once were, Seax-Wica is still a solid path. If you are looking
for an example of more traditional Wicca than what you will find
in most 1990's Wicca 101 books, "The Tree" can be very helpful.
If you are looking to start a Wiccan group from scratch and wish
to still be a part of a larger tradition, Seax-Wica is still an
excellent choice.
My only real complaints about this book are that Buckland does
pontificate a bit, although not as annoyingly as in some of his
later works, and that the rituals given really aren't that
inspired. Neither is a fatal flaw. Pontification can be ignored
and rituals can be expanded and/or improved. "The Tree" is an
ignored classic that deserves more attention from modern Pagans
than it seems to get.
This review is available on our web site at
http://www.ecauldron.com/bktree.php
[07]
=========
========= REVIEW: EMBRACING THE MOON
========= Reviewed by AthenaPrime
=========
Embracing the Moon: A Witch's Guide to Rituals, Spellcrafts
and Shadow Work
Author: Yasmine Galenorn
Trade Paperback, 312 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: March 1998
ISBN: 1567183042
US Retail Price: $14.95
Amazon Link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567183042/thecauldron
After a good ten years of being terminally enrolled in the Wicca
101 universe, Llewellyn has finally graduated to Wicca 102. I
enjoyed this book mostly because of its lack of extreme basics.
Galenorn has a nice writing style that reminds me of the
pre-patronizing Silver RavenWolf, with a few small differences.
Galenorn doesn't claim to be your mother, and doesn't claim to be
confidante to the world. She's also not into whitewashing her
experiences. She freely admits that yes, she's made her share of
mistakes, but she doesn't gloss over them.
For the beginning student, I recommend reading this book after
you've read the average 101 book. Galenorn bluntly states that
yes, this is her individual tradition, no, she's not a Wiccan,
and yes, she made most of it up. What makes her extremely
credible in my eyes is the amount of relevant personal
information she includes. She starts out by explaining how she
got into the craft--a late-night walk in the woods during
college, and the resulting experience of seeing a unicorn.
Screamingly flaky? Not in the way she writes it. She doesn't
analyze, explain, or rationalize it, she simply states what
happened to her and how it affected her. She doesn't ask the
reader to believe anything other than the fact that she thinks
she saw a unicorn on a moonlit night and it changed her life
forever. Unlike some of our local color, she doesn't tell us a
fantastic story and wait expectantly while we come to the
conclusion that she is Special.
As far as the usefulness of the book goes, it's more useful than
the average Llewellyn shelf liner, in a conventional manner. She
covers all the typical basics--circle casting, calling elements,
et cetera. The usefulness here is in the volume of variety she
provides. She doesn't bother deconstructing and analyzing
rituals--she'd rather give the reader a bunch of different ways
to cast a circle--it's up to you what you want to do with it once
you've cast it. Refreshing, in my humble opinion. If I wanted
high ritual, there are ceremonial magick books out there who can
blow the most elaborate Llewellyn ritual out of the water. And I
don't know how big the average Llewellyn Author's living room is,
but there's no way I can fit that many people in *my* house!
Galenorn is also nuts about oils. If you're into mixology (not
the bartending kind) and want your house to be filled with smells
other than Eau de Cleaning Solution, or Essence of Pets and Kids,
then pick up this book solely for the cauldron-load of oil
recipes in there. She gives fairly good directions for mixing
them, as far as I can tell in my limited oil-mixing experience,
but I don't use oils in spellwork, so I'm not the person to ask.
I will warn you, though--some of the mixtures use some pretty
exotic-sounding oils, so your cash investment in this could very
easily go through the roof. Essence of new-mown hay? If anyone
knows how to put that in oil form, I'd be interested in hearing
it...
Speaking of spellwork, her method of practicing magick seems
down-to-earth, and a little greenpeacey. She uses a lot of short
chants, which is nice for those of us who dislike the
chanted-spell equivalent to the extended remix of "Freebird."
Some of the more memorable chapters in the book include that of
"Shapeshifting." Apparently, there was a time in her life when
she was into heavy trancework, and had what she believes are a
few shapeshifting experiences. Again, I hovered on the edge of
disbelief, but her description of the experience wasn't for the
purpose of convincing the reader. The mystic in me had no trouble
believing the tale, and yet the scientist in me was left with
enough evidence to explain it away rationally, which, in my
experience, seems to be the way most magick really happens. The
nice thing about this chapter was her honesty about the
experience--she doesn't infer that she did this on purpose, or
she knew what she was doing, or that she does this all the time.
This writer is very emphatically not one of the reincarnated
Atlantean Dolphin Potato Masters, unless she's hiding it very
well.
I, personally, loved another chapter regarding love and beauty
magick. Contrary to the usual Llewellyn template, it's not filled
with silly love spells. It's filled with statements like "love
your body" and "accept yourself" and "if you're in an abusive
relationship, you need a cop and a lawyer, not a witch" which is
my personal favorite.
All in all, she doesn't talk down, shoot sunshine, or wax very
flaky, which is a refreshing change. She touches on the darker
aspects of the Goddess, with abuse recovery and justice rituals
that would make me think twice about recommending this book to a
teenybopper, or even a rank amateur.
Warning: don't read the bibliography, 75% of it made me flinch,
with the requisite Llewellyn mutual admiration society.
Personally, I don't think she got much out of all the DJ Conway
and Edain McCoy books--I think they're a template added in by
Llewellyn during publishing.
At the end, she does include some goddess and god rituals, along
with a very Sierra-Club friendly Save The Endangered Animals
ritual that, quite frankly, I found only entertainment value in.
Imagining adults doing this gave me a laugh, but then again, I am
a cynic. With a little adaptation, I'm sure it would make a nice
ritual for kids, but again--can you fit that many people--even
small fries--in *your* living room?
All in all, this book would make a useful work book. I expect
I'll be using it a lot more for the oil recipes and quick, 4-line
cantrips for elements and circles, than I will for the longer
spells or as a serious trancework guide. It won't become a
classic in the way of early Starhawk, but it isn't a wallbanger,
either. I'd recommend this book to kitchen witches, hedge
witches, and people interested in practical, earthy, yet quick
magick intended to effect personal change. I would not use this
book for summoning or banishing demons, smiting cities, or
stopping the Y2K bug, unless it serves as an adequate prop-up for
the short leg of my altar.
This review is available on our web site at
http://www.ecauldron.com/bketm.php
[08]
=========
========= REVIEW: A MAGICK LIFE
========= Reviewed by Faerie K.
=========
A Magick Life: A Biography of Aleister Crowley
Author: Martin Booth
Hardback, 522 pages
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton (Great Britain)
Publication date: August 2000
ISBN: 0340718056
US Retail Price: No US Edition Yet
[This review first appeared in Finnish in Vox Paganorum 4/00.]
Writing a biography of Aleister Crowley isn't exactly one of the
easiest tasks to do. The reason for this isn't the lack of source
material or books written about the man. The problem is more in
that there is a lot which has been written about this versatile
man, but much of what has been written tends to be quite biased -
including the material "Uncle Al" has written about himself. The
author of the latest Crowley biography, Martin Booth, admits the
difficulty of the subject, the problems of separating facts from
fiction and the hardships of getting past Crowley's larger than
life reputation.
Martin Booth's Crowley biography starts from the time before
Aleister's, or Edward Alexander's, birth and continues to deal to
quite an extent with his early years - rather foreign to me
before reading this book - with his well-to-do parents and
relatives who belonged to a puritanical-fundamentalist Christian
sect called "Plymouth Brethren", dealing with his school-time
problems and the beginnings of his mountaineering career.
Moving on from Crowley's anti-Christian views of his youth and
the beginnings of his interest in the Occult, Booth continues his
exploration of the continuous, twisting ups and downs of
Crowley's life.
The book takes its reader along with Crowley on the strange
journey that was his life, from the harsh life of mountaineering
expeditions to the magickal explorations on a desert, to the
heated world of drugs, easy women and willing men, not forgetting
family relations and different phases of Crowley's literary life.
At the same time, the image of Crowley with his many talents,
many weaknesses and his versatile and often very self-centered
personality gets drawn.
Unfortunately this otherwise quite interesting and captivating
book weakens considerably towards the end. It seems like the
author was given a certain amount of pages he could publish and
that he obeyed the rules.
Where the early and middle parts of Crowley's life are dealt with
quite in detail, including many of his one-night stands, the last
quarter of a century of his life is passed by surprisingly
quickly. 60 pages dedicated to 25 years seems very little,
especially when the previous almost 50 years took well over 400
pages to go through.
The book does give an impression of Crowley's life stopping at
the age of 50 and that he did practically nothing after that
point -- and even if he did, it didn't matter much anyway.
Unfortunately, the speed of the book's latter part means there
aren't any mentions of a question interesting to many Wiccans and
a number of other Neo-Pagans: the connection between Crowley and
Gardner. Gardner doesn't even get a single mention in this book,
which can feel quite disappointing, especially when many contacts
Crowley had in the earlier part of his life where described in
detail -- even when the contact didn't make much a difference to
the lives of either party.
From a magick user's point of view it was quite pleasing that
Martin Booth does not try to evaluate magick and doesn't take any
stand on the question of the realities of Crowley's and his
contemporaries' experiences with magick or events of mystical
nature. He sticks to his role of reporting what was said to have
happened, leaving the evaluation process to the reader.
One of the aspects in this book that felt foreign to me was the
author's clear interest in Crowley's relationships with men and
especially his continuous usage of the term "homosexual" in his
context. Crowley was, as is quite well known, a man who also did
like his women. A bisexual - not a homosexual - man.
All in all, A Magick Life is a book to recommend to those who
wish to get to know Aleister Crowley much deeply than what
gossips and the media tend to say.
This review is available on our web site at
http://www.ecauldron.com/bkaml.php
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
UPCOMING REVIEWS
Reviews of the following are planned for our next
few issues: URBAN PAGAN (Telesco), CELTIC MAGIC
(Conway), GREEN WITCHCRAFT & GREEN WITCHCRAFT II
(Moura), NORSE MAGIC (Conway). Watch The
Cauldron's web site if you can't wait as they will
be appearing there as they are written.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
[09]
=========
========= MAGICK: MODIFIED ASSYRIAN PROTECTION SPELL
========= Author Unknown
=========
This spell should be performed on the night of the full moon, and
is a very intricate spell. All portals and doorways in the
building being protected should be open, including cabinets,
closet doors and windows, Then, as you start the chant below,
close every closet and cabinet door, making the sign of the
banishing pentacle of Earth with your wand, your athame, or your
hand (a stick of patchouli incense may be substituted). Music
should be light. Use a goodly amount of commanding incense as
well as patchouli and sandalwood.
Once you have done the closets and cabinets, go from window to
window outlining the banishing pentagram on each one, and close
and latch each window. Remember to close and latch your
fireplace, as well, perhaps burning some incense there. Once the
windows are secured, do inside doors, then when you reach the
entry ways, state the last ten lines. If performed correctly, you
will notice the difference in atmospheres from the outside
compared to the inside, the moment you walk into the house or
apartment.
Ban! Ban! Barrier That None Can Pass,
Barrier Of The Gods, That None May Break,
Barrier Of Heaven and Earth That None Can Change,
Which No God May Annul,
Nor God Nor Man Can Loose,
A Snare Without Escape, Set for Evil,
A Net Whence None Can Issue Forth, Spread for Evil,
Whether It Be evil Spirit, or evil Fiend, or Hag-Demon, or Ghoul,
or Robber-Sprite,
Or Phantom, or Night-Wraith, or Handmaid of the Phantom,
Or Evil Plague, or Fever-Sickness, or Unclean Disease,
Or That Which May Do Harm in Any Form or Fashion
Which Hath Attacked the Shining Waters of Ea,
May the Snare of Ea Catch It;
Or Which Hath Assailed the Meal of Nisaba,
May the Net of Nisaba Entrap It;
Or Which Hath Broken The Barrier
Let Not the Barrier of the Gods,
The Barrier of Heaven and Earth, Let It Go Free;
Or Which Reverenceth Not the Great Gods,
May the Great Gods Entrap It,
May the Great Gods Curse It;
Or Which Attacketh the House,
Into a Closed Dwelling May They Cause It To Enter;
Or Which Circleth Round About,
Into a Place Without Escape May They Bring It;
Or Which is Shut In By the House Door,
Into a House Without Exit May They Cause It To Enter;
With Door and Bolt, a Bar Immovable,
May They Withhold It;
Or Which Bloweth In at the Threshhold and Hinge,
Or Which Forceth a Way Through Bar and Latch,
Like Water May They Pour It Out,
Like a Goblet May They Dash It to Pieces,
Like a Tile May They Break It;
Or Which Passeth Over The Wall,
Its Wing May They Cut Off;
Or Which Lieth in a Chamber,
Its Throat May They Cut;
Or Which Looketh In at a Side Chamber,
Its Face May They Smite;
Or Which Muttereth In a Chamber,
Its Mouth May They Shut;
Or Which Roameth Loose In an Upper Chamber,
With a Basin Without Opening May They Cover It;
Or Which at Dawn is Darkened,
At Dawn To a Place of Sunrise May They Take It.
Out With You! Spirits of Fear, Spirits of Death!
Give Way to the Sun and the Moon!
For This is a Place Made Safe!
Bright Blessings and Peace Upon Us!
And All Who Reside Here,
Let None Enter Here Unbidden,
Keep Harm and Fear Far from This Place,
May the Gods and Goddesses Bless Us!
So Mote It So!
So Mote It Be!
[10]
=========
========= MAGICK: REVERSING NEGATIVE PSYCHIC ENERGY
========= Author Unknown
=========
Timing:
This spell is done on Tuesday nights, right before you retire. Do
for at least nine Tuesdays in a row. You can also make it a
weekly ritual.
Supplies:
1 large red votive candle
Run Devil Run incense
Reversible oil
A saucer or plate, plain white, reserved for this use only.
Procedure:
Anoint the red candle from middle to top then middle to bottom,
concentrate on reversing all negative psychic messages sent to
you, back to their senders. (Try not to visualize anyone, just
the negativity being reversed away from you.) Light the incense.
You can also carve that desire into the candle with an awl or
knife. Take the wick out of the candle, remove it from the metal
weight at the bottom. Now turn it around and replace back into
the candle. Reversing the wick. Place it on the white plate.
Light the candle and continue the visualization for 7 minutes.
Let candle burn itself out while you sleep. Make sure your candle
is in a safe place. In the morning you can scry in the wax to
find out who is sending you the negativity. Or you can just toss
it! Who really wants to know anyway?
[11]
=========
========= HERBAL TEA RECIPES
=========
=========
=== Herbal Infusion in Water
For leaves, flowers and crushed seeds
1 cup water
2 teaspoons Herb tea
Boil water in a glass, enamel coated or stainless steel pan and
take off the burner. Add the herb tea to the water. Cover, and
let it steep for 10 minutes. Strain into a cup. Can be sweetened
with honey.
=== Cold Infusion
1 quart Water
3 Tablespoon herb tea
Fill jar with water, add herb tea, and let it sit out or in the
refrigerator overnight. Strain into a clean pitcher. This is an
easy and energy efficient way to make tea.
=== Herbal Decoction
For roots, bark, twigs and large seeds.
1 cup water
2 teaspoons Herb tea
Bring water to a simmer. Add herb tea to the water. Cover and let
simmer 10 - 20 minutes. Strain into a cup.
=== Sun Tea
1 quart Water
3 Tablespoons Herb tea
Fill a jar with water. Add herbal tea. Let it sit in a sunny spot
outside for at least 4 hours. Strain into a clean pitcher. This
is another easy, energy efficient way to make tea.
=== Herbal Bath Tea
2 cups water
4 teaspoons Herb tea
Bring water to a simmer. Add herbal tea to the water. Cover and
let simmer gently for 10 minutes. Strain into bath water.
=== Allergy Tea (Infusion)
1 part nettles
1 part peppermint
1 part mullein leaf
1 part comfrey leaf
1/2 part eyebright
1/2 part licorice
1/2 part rosehips
1/4 part marshmallow
1/4 part elder berries
1/4 part hyssop
== Immune Vitalizer Tea (Infusion)
1 part lemon balm
1 part peppermint
1/2 part ginger, dry
1/2 part elder flowers
1/2 part lemongrass
1/2 part yarrow flower
1/4 part Echinacea root
=== Liver Cleanser Tea (Decoction)
1 part dandelion root, roasted
1 part burdock root
1 part chicory root, roasted
1/4 part ginger, dry
1/4 part milk thistle seeds, crushed
1/4 part flaxseeds, crushed
=== Monthly Stabilizer Tea (Infusion)
4 parts raspberry leaves
1 part chamomile
1/2 part burdock root
1/2 part licorice root
1/4 part dong quai, broken into pieces
=== Relaxation Tea (Infusion)
2 parts lemon balm
1 part chamomile
1/2 part catnip
1/2 part skullcap
1/2 part passionflower
1/4 part St. John's Wort
1/4 part lavender
stevia to taste
=== Spring Cleaning Tea (Infusion)
2 parts red clover blossoms
1/4 part olive leaf
1 part nettles
1/2 part chickweed
1/4 part fenugreek
1/4 fennel seed
1/4 part licorice
[12]
=========
========= HUMOR: LEARNING YOUR ABC's (WICCAN VERSION)
========= Author Unknown
=========
To learn your letters you must start
With a clever mind and a willing heart
Each one is special, just like you
And you will learn them all by
the time we are through!
A is Athame, the knife that we use.
B is for Beltaine, when partners we choose.
C is for Circle where we all are one.
D is for Deosil, path of the Sun.
E is for Esbat, when we gather round.
F is for Fire and its crackling sound.
G is the Goddess in beauty and love.
H is the Horned One, our Father above.
I is for Imbolg, candles light the way.
J is for June when it's Midsummer's Day.
K is for Karma, the things that we do.
L is for Lammas, harvest's almost through!
M is for Moon, riding way up so high.
N is for Nighttime, which darkens the sky.
O is for Ostara, when we hunt for eggs.
P is for Pan, with hairy goat legs.
Q is the Quarters and there are just four.
R for the Rites when we open the Door.
S is for Samhain, end of the year.
T is for Tarot cards, futures to hear.
U is Undines from the watery West.
V is Vervain for protection and rest.
W's Widdershins, the path of the moon.
X is the sign that's the sign of the God.
Y is for Yule and the sun's return.
Z is the Zodiac, 12 signs to learn.
To learn them all you will have to try
And now it is time to say goodbye
Merry have we met, and Merry have we been
Merry shall we part and Merry meet again!
[13]
=========
========= Cauldron Info
========= NEW ARTICLES ON THE CAULDRON'S SITE
=========
The following new areas have been added to The Cauldron's web
site since our last issue.
* Reconstructionist Paganism section
http://www.ecauldron.com/reconindex.php
* Humor: The Charge of the Beeotch
http://www.ecauldron.com/humor48.php
* Old Delphi Forum reopened as "Delphi Annex"
http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/start
* Magick: Three new spells in The Cauldron's Grimoire
http://www.ecauldron.com/spells/imulti.php
The following book and tarot reviews (some included in this
newsletter) are new to the web site:
* A Time For Magick
http://www.ecauldron.com/bkatfm.php
[14]
=========
========= Cauldron Info
========= NEW WEB POLLS
=========
Two polls have opened since the last issue of Cauldron and
Candle:
The first new poll, opened May 16, asks:
* Do you believe the Gods are involved in human affairs?
Possible answers include:
+ Yes, nothing happens unless the Gods will it
+ Yes, to punish the wicked and reward the virtuous
+ Yes, but Their actions are not always moral by human
standards
+ Yes, but only to aid or reprimand their chosen humans
+ Yes, but Their hands are only seen in great events
+ No, the Gods generally just observe the universe
+ No, the Gods do not exist
You will find this poll at:
http://www.ecauldron.com/cldpoll21.php
Our newest poll, opened June 1, asks:
* Are some Wicca 101 books really a mild form of
proselytization?
Possible answers include:
+ Yes
+ No
+ Maybe
+ No Opinion
You will find this poll at:
http://www.ecauldron.com/cldpoll22.php
Make your opinion known, take one or both polls today.
You'll find a list of all of our polls (over 20 now) at:
http://www.ecauldron.com/pollindex.php
[15]
=========
========= Cauldron Info
========= SUPPORT THE CAULDRON WHEN YOU BUY BOOKS AT AMAZON.COM
=========
If you wish to purchase books or other items at Amazon.com, you
can help fund The Cauldron's web site by using this link to
access Amazon.com when you make your purchases:
http://www.ecauldron.com/fradambooks.php
Just use this link to go to Amazon.com via our web site and
almost every purchase you make that visit will earn The Cauldron
a small amount to help pay for our web page -- at no extra charge
to you. You can also use the Amazon link on the menu of every
Cauldron web page and not have to remember this long link.
Unlike the Amazon link listed in some prior issues of this
newsletter, you can simply visit this site and save the link in
your bookmark list. If you then use this bookmarked link every
time you wish to visit Amazon.com, any purchases you make while
there will help fund The Cauldron's web site.
[16]
=========
========= Cauldron and Thicket Info
========= CAULDRON AND THICKET CHATS
=========
+++
+++ CAULDRON IRC CHATS: SUSPENDED
+++
Cauldron Co-Host Randall Sapphire has been hosting a one hour
general chat almost every Tuesday evening from 10pm to 11pm
Central (Daylight) Time in The Cauldron's channel (#thecauldron)
on the PaganPaths IRC server. These chats are being suspended for
a couple of months, both to allow Randall to cope with tax season
-- he is a computer consultant with a number of CPA clients --
and to give him a "chat vacation." Randall hopes to resume his
regular chats sometime in this Summer.
+++
+++ THICKET DELPHI CHATS
+++
The Thicket hosts several chats each week in their Delphi
(Java-based) chat area. You have to be a member of Delphi and The
Thicket to participate. You will find the chats by pointing your
browser to The Thicket's Start Page at:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/thicket/start
Chats are normally being held on the following days and times
(all times are Central Time):
* Monday at 11:30pm
* Wednesday at 12:00 noon
* Friday at 11:30pm
Please check on The Thicket's message board for changes to this
schedule.
If "Central Time" doesn't mean anything to you, there's an online
time converter at http://sandbox.xerox.com/stewart/tzconvert.cgi
might help. I think Central Time is listed as something like "US
- Central" in the drop down box.
[17]
=========
========= NEWSLETTER AND FORUM INFO
========= (Including how to subscribe and unsubscribe)
=========
Cauldron and Candle is a free publication of The Cauldron: A
Pagan Forum with assistance from our sister form, The Witches'
Thicket. The Cauldron and The Thicket aim to publish this
newsletter once a month and often actually succeed in doing so.
We tried to publish it twice a month for a while, but real life
interfered too often.
Copyrights on individual items in this newsletter are retained by
their author, please contact the editors if you need to contact
an author for permission to reprint an article and the editors
will do their best to put you in touch with him or her. No one
involved in producing this newsletter has any money to speak of
so suing us if you don't like something we do is a waste of time
and money.
++++
++++ HOW TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE
++++
You are receiving a copy of this newsletter because you signed up
to receive it. You can subscribe or unsubscribe to this
newsletter:
http://cauldronnews.listbot.com/
If you need to your subscription to a new email address,
unsubsribe your old email address and subscribe your new email
address.
++++
++++ NEWSLETTER WEB SITE AND BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE
++++
The Cauldron and Candle web site contains information on this
newsletter and an archive of back issues.
http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/
++++
++++ CONTRIBUTE TO CAULDRON AND CANDLE
++++
Cauldron and Candle is always looking for articles, reviews, and
announcements of interest to the Neo-Pagan community. Submissions
will normally be considered for both the newsletter and our web
site. For more information, please see our submission guidelines
at:
http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/submissions.php
++++
++++ PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO SUBSCRIBE
++++
If you have Pagan friends who you believe would be interested in
Cauldron and Candle please invite them to subscribe. You can
either drop them a note yourself or -- better yet -- send them
one of The Cauldron's email postcards with the information.
You are also welcome to forward a copies of this newsletter to
interested friends and associates provided you forward the entire
newsletter.
++++
++++ LINK TO THE CAULDRON: A PAGAN FORUM
++++
If you like The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum please invite your
friends to visit. If you have a web page, we'd really appreciate
it if you put a link to The Cauldron's web site on your web
pages. If you'd like some graphic buttons to use to link to our
web site, check the following URL:
http://www.ecauldron.com/linktous.php
Thanks in advance.
++++
++++ SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
++++
Don't forget that your suggestions for the forum are always
welcome, either posted on the message board or via email to
Elspeth Sapphire (elspeth.sapphire@worldnet.att.net) or Randall
Sapphire (rssapphire@ecauldron.com). Typos are, as usual,
courtesy of the Goddess Eris.
Merry Meet, Merry Part, Merry Meet again!
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