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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #59 -- May 2005 A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum website: http://www.ecauldron.com/ message board: http://www.ecauldron.net/ newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/ shopping: http://www.ecauldron.com/mall.php http://www.ecauldron.com/doxysbazaar.php In this Issue: [01] Editorial Notes * Cauldron and Candle Submissions Needed [02] Cauldron Challenge: May [03] Cauldron News * Celebrating One Year of Independence! [04] Cauldron Discussions [05] Reviews [05-1] The Knights Templar in the New World [05-2] A Muggles Guide to the Wizarding World [05-3] The Sorcerer's Companion [05-4] The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar [05-5] Survivors of Atlantis [05-6] Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa [05-7] Book of Druidry [05-8] A Wiccan Formulary and Herbal [06] Articles: [06-1] Choosing the Right Deck [06-2] Psychic Self Defense in Real Life [06-3] May -- The Month of Maia [07] Columns [07-1] Poem: This Is The City Where Men Are Mended [07-2] Humor: The Ballad Of St. Anselm [08] Pagan Webcrafting [08-1] Web Page Real Estate 101 [08-2] The Top 8 Website Sins: Part One [08-3] The Top 8 Website Sins: Part Two [08-4] Cheap Web Hosting Report: April 2005 [09] Support The Cauldron by Volunteering to Help [10] Newsletter Information (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe) +++April Issue Submission Deadline: May 25, 2005+++ Guidelines: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/submissions.php [01] ========= ========= EDITORIAL NOTES ========= by Randall Sapphire ========= It's been a quiet month in many ways, so I instead of boring everyone with an editorial just because I can, I'll just let everyone enjoy this issue of the newsletter without having to wade through a long missive from the editor. ===== ===== Cauldron and Candle Submissions Needed ===== We still need submissions. We did not receive any articles last month -- the submission folder on my drive is empty, so if you have an idea for an article, your newsletter needs you. We even make it easy for you to submit items with a couple of handy forms on our web site: Handy Article Submission Form: http://www.ecauldron.com/persontestart.php Book Review Submission Form: http://www.ecauldron.com/persontestbr.php ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [02] ========= ========= CAULDRON CHALLENGE: MAY ========= by Star ========= This month, for the very first time, we're going to have a Challenge that's actually related to the Cauldron. ;) Sometimes, posting here, it's easy to sort of fall into a pattern. There are probably certain folders you read and post in often, and others you read but barely post in, and still others that you don't really care much about. It's easy to get stuck in that. So your Challenge for May is to break that pattern. Pick at least one folder you haven't posted in much, haven't posted in recently, or perhaps have never posted in at all--and post! Start your own thread if you feel inspired to do so, or just join in the existing conversation. The point is to force yourself to break the habit of always doing the same old thing, and broaden your horizons a bit. :) http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=5008.1 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LOOKING FOR A PAGAN FRIENDLY WEB HOST? We use DreamHost because it is affordable and reliable, but mainly because its terms of service allow web sites with anything legal: our web site will not be pulled because we review a few books on sex magick or an erotic tarot deck. It's a great host for Pagan web sites. http://www.dreamhost.com/rewards.cgi?27905/shared/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [03] ========= ========= CAULDRON NEWS ========= by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum Staff ========= ===== ===== Celebrating One Year of Independence ===== Just over a year ago, on April 15, 2004, The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum moved from DelphiForums to a to Bob's server (Thanks again, Bob!) running Beehive Forums. We had finally gotten fed up with anti-paying customer attitudes of the DelphiForums staff, not to mention the DelphiForums price hikes and service cuts. After a year, I think we can pronounce the move a roaring success. We had about 80,000 posts in the last year and have a steady influx of new members. While the open-source Beehive probably has software as many bugs as DelphiForums, they are generally just mild annoyances (like broken attachments in the old version of the software or "high interest: icons that can't be turned off globally in the new version) instead of flaws that frequently brought our DelphiForums board down for hours (or even days) at a time. The fact that all our members have access to things like signatures and attachments is also very nice. To get many of the more interesting features on when we were on DelphiForums, our members had to pay DelphiForums an annual fee. The staff is looking forward to another good year as masters of our own destiny. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CAULDRON AND CANDLE WEB SITE The Cauldron and Candle has its own web site where we store our back issues for easy reading. http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [04] ========= ========= CAULDRON DISCUSSIONS ========= Recent Discussion Topics on our Message Board ========= In an average month, over 150 new discussion topics are started on The Cauldron's message board. Here are a few of the more interesting discussions from the last month. It's not too late to join in. Thanks to Bloglet, you can now receive an email every night on days we post new site news items to the main page of The Cauldron's web site. These emails contain a link to the new item and the first couple of lines of the news text. You can sign up for Bloglet's free news delivery via the form at the end of the site "News and Updates" section of The Cauldron's main web page. === === Wicca and Buffy === I'm taking a class this semester called "Religion and Popular Culture." For my term paper, I'm doing a comparison of Wicca as portrayed on the TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," versus "real-life" Wicca. Half of my paper involves watching Buffy and observing directly how Wicca is depicted on the show--pretty simple, since all I have to do is watch and take notes. The other half of my paper, however, involves finding out how real-life Wiccans feel about the portrayal of Wicca, and/or Wiccan witchcraft, on the show. As I don't know any Wiccans personally, I'm turning to the Internet. So I'd like to ask the Wiccans on this board (specifically those who watched the show): how do you feel about the portrayal of Wicca on Buffy, in terms of the religion and/or the practice of magic? How does the treatment of Wicca on this show compare, in your mind, to other popular-culture portrayals of Wicca (in terms of positivity/negativity and accuracy)? I'd also like to know if and how the introduction of the word "Wicca" to the show changed your perception of the show; if anyone stopped watching Buffy due to the Wicca sub-story, if anyone started watching because they heard there were Wiccans on the show, etc. Also, is there anyone here who can credit Buffy as the reason they decided to start learning about Wicca? Lastly, have you ever used Buffy to teach or explain to young people any aspects of Wicca or witchcraft? I'd appreciate any opinions/thoughts you have on the subject. I won't quote anyone in my paper without first asking permission, so please, feel free to just chat and discuss. I should also note that I am a former Wiccan, so I don't need any info on Wicca itself -- just opinions of Wicca as portrayed on Buffy. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=5054.1 === === Divination and You === There are quite a few people in the forum who utilize some form of divination in their practice. Sometimes it's related to religious worship/practice and sometimes it isn't. Many Recon religions use divination though some forms of it are probably no longer utilized (thinking of entrail reading here). How do you use divination? What type of divination do you use? Is it a part of your religious observations? (Keep in mind that I'm a Greek Recon who's spiritual ancestors made full use of many different forms of divination. I, however, suck at most divination and don't practice it.) * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=5011.1 === === Vegetarians as Pariahs? === I was just wondering if anyone here is a vegetarian or a vegan. I never realized how many reasons there are to not eat meat and milk. There is so much I didn't know about what I was putting in my body.I read some horrible things (cruelty and health-wise) and even watched a few short videos with my eyes half-closed and will never eat meat again. I just decided to make the change and have found that while its not hard to be vegetarian for me because I never liked red meat (so I only have to give up chicken and fish). It is difficult to be a vegetarian socially. My question is: do you ever feel kinda lonely or like everyone thinks your a big freak. People seem to think that just because I love animals and choose not to eat them, I think their rights are more important than human rights. Some take it almost personally when I tell them I can't eat meat. Like it's a "sin" or something (for lack of a better word). Has anyone experienced this? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=5006.1 === === Karma: The Why and How? === I was wondering if anyone new some types of spells useful for wounded animals. You see, I live in north Florida, USA, and last night we were pelted with hail the likes of which I have never experienced. Walking about today, surveying the damage, I found a small sparrow who was apparently struck and wounded in the storm. He could still fly, and I suppose he didn't need any help from me. Nevertheless, I still made a prayer in my own way for the little creature, and offered it. This started me to think though, that it would be nice to be able to heal or at least ease the pain of creatures wounded in the wild. As a child I heard many stories about druids, wizards, and thaumaturges loosening deer locked in hedges, healing birds, and such things like that. Any help you have would be appreciated. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4506.1 === === Meditation Before Practicing? === I have a problem with the concept of 'Karma' and perhaps someone can help me clarify what they mean by it. After all, a lot of people refer to it. There seems to be two kinds that people are referring to. One, is the Metaphysical Karma - ie: If you mess up in this life, you'll keep coming back until you get it right and reach Nirvana. O.K. Now this implies (to me) some kind of meta-mechanism which is somehow observant of how a life is led. It implies (note I said implies) , a deistic genesis. Or perhaps simply a kind of cosmic 'clock-work' that started sometime, somewhere, to which we are all bound. Also, who is to say that coming back as an earthworm is a bad thing? Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe being human is on the lowest 'rung' of all. But for sure, it means that every life is being paid 'attention' to, in order to fix the next 'rung'. What about the 'common' Karma that people speak of . First, it seems that it has 'gradations'. For instance, there is the 'rule of three' (just an example). Or people say 'Don't worry, their 'Karma' will catch up to them". What does this mean? Does this also imply an over-riding cosmic mechanism? And does it apply to everyone? This is important for this reason. If it is an over- riding cosmic mechanism, that means everybody is subject to it. So in a group of ten people, though maybe only one believes in it, all are subject to it. In which case, all the people that suffered with the Tsunami, or 9/11 or any such disaster, did something to bring it upon themselves, even new-born or yet to be born babes. Or, does it only apply to some people? In which case, why? Why has the cosmos singled out just some people to be effected by this phenomena? The man who ran the Treblinka death camp went on to spend 20 more or less happy years in South America, raising his family and making good money before he was caught.Stalin (though it was found he had suffered from brain damage for a long time), just died one night at a not unreasonable old age. Why didn't 'Karma' get them? Or perhaps it is only effective if you believe in it. And the people whom they caused to suffer so horribly? Does the idea of individual Karma absolve those who order the fate of many, because the individuals are merely living out their 'Karmic destiny'? And what about 'gradations' of Karma. Say you have had a nasty visitor. On their way out, you are staring at them and thinking " I hope your tires are slashed". Then you turn around to go in the door and you schuck yourself on the door frame. Lots of people say "Instant Karma"! Or maybe one's mind has been in the thrall of an emotive state and you just were not paying attention. This is another case perhaps for 'only if you believe in it'. And what decides the 'level' of bad Karma which will attach to them? Or good Karma. Some people who live perfectly blameless, kind and giving lives come to horrible ends, suffering unspeakable things until they die. I sometimes wonder, because humans as a whole like a cohesive structure, a story with a middle, beginning and end that contain some kind of continuity of cause and effect, that the fact that sometimes there isn't any demonstrable 'reason' for happenings, serves to increase our feelings of powerlessness in what seems sometimes like a very arbitrary world. Any thoughts? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4985.1 === === Oathbound? === I was just wondering if the people here who are within (or have been within) an 'oathbound' tradition or religion, can explain the function of the 'Oath' to their beliefs. Not articulating this well, sorry. I'm not asking details about 'oaths' but more, why have one? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4927.1 === === Do Pagans Need Apologetics? === APOLOGETICS - from the Greek apologia, meaning literally "words in opposition," and in context "defense." Apologetics is that branch of theology which specializes in preparing or developing doctrinally appropriate responses to questions critical of a religion's beliefs or practices. In my response to a message at another board, I noted that the person posting here in the Daughters of Frya thread did not seem all that prepared to respond to the questions put to her about the beliefs and practices of the DoF, and I then commented that apologetics are an area of theology that most pagans seem to have given little attention to. Is this a real issue? DO pagans need to start thinking about this sort of thing? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4889.1 === === Sacrament of the Bees === If you have never worked with bees, you cannot imagine the sensation. First of all, even not in a hive--just a screened box as they come from the breeder, they smell so very good. I'm not sure how to describe it, this scent that is not really honey scent, but just inhaling makes me smile and every muscle in my body seems to hum with the bees themselves. And they are extremely beautiful, golden bodied and with glistening wings. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4815.1 === === Reconstructionism and Animal Sacrifice === Reconstructionists in the United States (as far as I know) don't sacrifice animals in their worship despite it having been practiced in ancient times. The majority of this has to do with the society in which we live. We get meat from the grocery store. It's difficult, yet not impossible, to get rights to sacrifice animals in a religious context. If you live on a farm, then of course it would be easier to perform animal sacrifice. I don't know of any reconstructionist who has received a request from a deity for an animal sacrifice. So I am guessing that the Gods are satisfied with the offerings (meat from the store etc) that we can get from the market. And it would also be difficult to reconstruct such rituals. Following that, could the same thing be said for the Orisha, Lwa (insert pantheon here) from an indigenous or syncretic faith? Instead of sacrificing a goat for Oya, buy some from the store and offer it to Her as an example. And I'm not saying animal sacrifice is evil or should never be practiced. In certain faiths it does have its place and purpose. What do you think? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4794.1 === === Three Faces? Why Not Four? === I forever see the triple goddess linked with the moon...specifically the moon in its waxing, full and waning stages. What happened to the new or dark stage. I mean, if I'm an ancient and things are appearing in the sky, wouldn't I be concerned about why they disappear? So, does anyone know why there's all this emphasis on the stages of the moon when it's visible? Why not when it's not there? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4807.1 === === Could Magick Be Dangerous For Beginners? === Is there any inherent danger in using magick when you've first started out? Could anything terrible happen if you make a mistake? I tried a spell last week and I'm now seeing the results. As cool as it is that the spell actually seemed to work, it makes me a little bit nervous, like I'm playing with fire when I don't really have a thorough understanding of it or how to control it. On the other hand, if I never do any spells I'm never going to get any experience. Are there any sort of safety precautions I could take? What sort of magicks would you recommend I stay away from until I have a better understanding of how magick works? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4728.1 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DONATE TO HELP SUPPORT THE CAULDRON'S WEB SITE If you like The Cauldron and have a few extra dollars, please donate via the Amazon Honor System or PayPal and help us pay the web site bills. Donate via PayPal http://www.ecauldron.com/donatepaypal.php Donate via Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3903JRFVQVDN ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [05] =============== ============ BOOK AND DECK REVIEWS ========= Most of The Cauldron's book reviews are now written by Mike Gleason. If you would like to contact Mike with comments about his reviews (or about books you would like to have reviewed), you can email Mike at: gleason.mike@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com [05-1] ========= ========= REVIEW: THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR IN THE NEW WORLD ========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason ========= The Knights Templar in the New World: How Henry Sinclair Brought the Grail to Acadia Author: William F. Mann Trade Paperback, 295 pages Publisher: Destiny Books Publication date: 2004 List: US$16.95, C$26.95 ISBN: 0892811854 Amazon Link: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0892811854 Warning: Speculative History How, you might ask, could a group which had been officially suppressed nearly two centuries before the official discovery of America (in 1307 A.D. - 185 years earlier, to be precise) have any connection with the New World? This is a valid question. The answer, or actually one possible answer is contained in this book. If you are unfamiliar with the legend of the Holy Grail, this book may cause some confusion, since most people assume that "grail" equals "cup." There are other potential meanings of "grail" and this author explores some of them. This book, more than others I have been reading on the subject of the Knights Templar, appears to rely more on intuition and assumption than on hard facts and solid research. Apparently unrelated "facts" are drawn together on the basis of nothing more than the author's belief that they are connected. I am not sure that the apparent connections made in this book are accurate. They may be. That is for you to decide for yourself. I am sure that there is a wide variety of hints, clues, and facts drawn together from a large number of sources. I am also reasonably sure that the author is sincere in his beliefs and interpretations. These two items alone make this an interesting book. Mr. Mann makes connections between words based upon their apparent relationships (e.g., d'or (French, meaning "of gold") and door; Hermetica (Greek for "by Hermes" and hermit) which are, in my opinion, stretching a point. While the connections may be apparent to him, they don't hold up based on linguistic comparisons. How well the author succeeds in convincing the reader of the interconnections between such topics as the Knights Templar, Rosicrucians, Masonry, Native American legends, sacred geometry, and various "clues" hidden in paintings by Da Vinci and others, is up to you, the individual reader, to determine. Personally, I still have doubts (but I also have doubts about the theory of evolution, atomic structure, and the meaning of life). The book is fun to red, and offers lots of ideas for further exploration. While it is not an essential book in a collection of Templar- related material, it was an interesting book. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bktktitnw.php [05-2] ========= ========= REVIEW: A MUGGLES GUIDE TO THE WIZARDING WORLD ========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason ========= A Muggles Guide to the Wizarding World: Exploring The Harry Potter Universe Author: Fionna Boyle Trade Paperback, 466 pages Publisher: ECW Press Publication date: 2004 List: US$14.95, C$16.95 ISBN: 155022655X Amazon Link: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=155022655X First things first. This is NOT a serious magical book, so unless you are a fan of the Harry Potter series, or you are the significant other or parent of a Potter fan (and don't share their enthusiasm), you will probably want to give this book a pass. It is a compendium of all kinds of trivia regarding the Potter universe. Like The Sorcerer's Companion (which I have previously reviewed) it is unconnected with, nor is it authorized by, anyone connected with the Harry Potter books or movies. Unlike The Sorcerer's Companion this book is about the series, rather than the ideas behind it. You won't find any magical background here. This work is just for fun. The author is careful not to give away significant plot details (through the use of puns, euphemisms and such) so as not to spoil things for those who haven't read the entire series to date. She also gives very plain warnings when sections contain details when sections contain detail which might be considered as "spoilers." While by no means a replacement for reading the books themselves (nor is it intended to be), it is a wonderful resource to have handy if ".you've forgotten a potion ingredient, can't remember the effects of a particular spell, or are just having trouble keeping all the characters straight." The die-hard Potter fans probably won't need this book, but the casual enthusiast will enjoy having it handy. This guide, like the books themselves, will appeal to all ages. The writing is clear and crisp. The author explains things with a sense of humor. It also includes an abbreviated index of wizarding terms and an equally valuable index of British terms, which can help untangle some confusion on the part of many Americans. This book ends with suggestions for hosting your own Harry Potter party; a "tour" of the sites which figure in the books and movies; a listing of some of the more than 8 million websites featuring Harry Potter; as well as sources, endnotes and an index. It makes a welcome addition to the library of Potter-related books available. I look forward to the updates as the last two books in the Harry Potter series appear. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bkamgttww.php [05-3] ========= ========= REVIEW: THE SORCERER'S COMPANION ========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason ========= The Sorcerer's Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter Author: Allan Zola Kronzck and Elizabeth Kronzck Trade Paperback, 352 pages Publisher: Broadway Publication date: 2004 List: US$17.95, C$24.50 ISBN: 0767919440 Amazon Link: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0767919440 This is a book I ordered from one of the book clubs my family belongs to (Quality Paperback Books) since I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series. This book has no connection with the author or publisher of that series, even though the subtitle of this volume is "A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter." It is a compilation of information elating to the magic referred to in the Harry Potter novels. It makes no claims to being all- inclusive (".we had to leave out far more that we put in.") Nor does it attempt to be a scholarly work. It is designed to be a handy reference for those who would like a bit more information than J. K. Rowling gives. If you are a newcomer to the Harry Potter series, you will find this a valuable book to keep close at hand as you read the books. If, on the other hand, you are already an experienced practitioner of (or reader about) the magical arts, there is little for you in this book. It might be a nice little gift for younger readers, since it is clearly written and easy to understand. It is, obviously, not intended to be read straight through, since it is a reference work. It is, however, light enough in tone and style that it easily read whichever way you wish. The entries end with a symbol and reference to an appearance of the term in one of the five (to-date) Harry Potter books. Some of the information contained herein may surprise the casual reader (like the connection between the current Dalai Lama [the spiritual leader of Tibet] and the art of scrying). Nothing in this book is new, or of major importance; and it is not the most comprehensive book of its type I have seen. Having said that, however, I must say that it is conveniently arranged (and cross- referenced); the size makes it easy to take along, and the information contained within the covers is easy to understand. While it is not a great book, it is well worth the price. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bktsc.php [05-4] ========= ========= REVIEW: THE LOST TREASURE OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR ========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason ========= The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar: Solving the Oak Island Mystery Author: Steven Sora Trade Paperback, 293 pages Publisher: Destiny Books Publication date: 2004 List: US$16.95, C$26.95 ISBN: 0892817100 Amazon Link: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0892817100 Warning: Speculative History I remember first reading about the Oak Island mystery (sometimes called "the money pit") when I was just about becoming a teenager. The idea, at that time, was that it contained buried pirate treasure -- probably that of Captain Kidd. I was intrigued, but then moved on to other topics of interest. Now I'm back to the original mystery, but this time with a different slant. Since this book is subtitled "Solving the Oak Island Mystery," you might expect a majority of it to be devoted to Oak Island. In fact, only about 90 pages are devoted to Oak Island, with the majority of the remainder being devoted to the background of the Knights Templar, the Merovingian dynasty, and other interconnected topics. It, like the book I reviewed previously (The Knights Templar in the New World), is a fascinating compilation of facts and speculation. It is sure to inspire others to their own explorations and seekings. However, its use of the name Knights Templar seems, to me, to be a simple attempt to attract readers who might otherwise pass it by. No one knows what the treasure of the Templars actually was. If it was gold and silver, no one knows how much there was. Many people assume that there must have been huge amounts of it, but the expenditures for outfitting an order of knights, building and maintaining castles, seeing to the care of its older members, and all of the other requirements of the time must have taken up enormous amounts of money. If, on the other hand, it was religious icons and relics, its relevance in the modern world may be questioned. Even as little as 100 years ago, Christianity had a much stronger hold on society than it does today. While icons and/or relics would have a certain amount of historical value, their primary value would be to the church, it would appear. If, as a final possibility, the treasure consists of lost genealogies which might prove embarrassing to the Christian religion, it would not be surprising to find a great deal of effort devoted to concealing them. It is well written and enjoyable. It is not essential to an understanding of the Templars, but it is a good summation of the Oak Island mystery. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bktltotkt.php [05-5] ========= ========= REVIEW: SURVIVORS OF ATLANTIS ========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason ========= Survivors of Atlantis: Their Impact on the World Author: Frank Joseph Trade Paperback, 262 pages Publisher: Bear and Company Publication date: 204 List: US$16.00, C$22.95 ISBN: 1591430402 Amazon Link: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1591430402 Warning: Speculative History I can do no better as a start to this review than to quote the author's opening lines: "Atlantis. No name is so evocative for millions of people around the world after thousands of years." Atlantis has been written about by authors from around the world over millennia. It has been approached from the perspectives of religion, science, myth, and interdisciplinary approaches. The civilization of Atlantis has been credited with military (and/or commercial) world domination, technology far in advance of current (21st century) levels, slavery, human sacrifice and more. It has been described as having an obvious existence (denied by "The Establishment" for unspecified reasons); an obvious non- existence (there is no archeological evidence which can be absolutely attributed to it); and a confused partial existence (yes, it existed, but not in the location or level of sophistication attributed to it). Mr. Joseph has written previously on the subject of Atlantis, although that work (The Destruction of Atlantis) concentrated on the physical downfall of Atlantis. This work is dedicated to showing the effects of multiple waves of immigrants from a more advanced (although not massively more advanced) civilization fleeing the loss of their cultural homeland. Unlike many of the authors who have chosen to write on the subject, Mr. Joseph cites sources which are both accessible and, at least in many cases, produced my members of the scientific community who are considered to be in the mainstream. One could hardly accuse Dr. Thor Heyerdahl, E.A. Wallis Budge, James Breasted or Flinders Petrie of being fringe figures in the academic community. While some of their conclusions have been challenged and/or modified, they are acknowledged as level-headed thinkers. While I am not well enough informed on current thought in the archeological community in regards to cultural diffusionism to be able to comment on the similarities of the various cultures the author cites, he does present a fairly compelling argument, from a lay person's point of view. He lists similarities of words in various cultures, as well as cultural and mytho-historic correlations. His presentation is well though out and reasonable. It is easy to understand. Is it the final word on the subject? Not by any means, I am sure. This is not the story of Atlantis and its downfall. It is a view of the impact of Atlantean culture and civilization on the rest of the Bronze Age world. It is an excellent addition to the library of anyone interested in the subject. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bksoa.php [05-6] ========= ========= REVIEW: FINDING SOUL ON THE PATH OF ORISA ========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason ========= Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa: A West African Spiritual Tradition Author: Tobe Melora Correal Trade Paperback, 182 pages Publisher: Crossing Press Publication date: 2003 List: US$12.95, C$20.95 ISBN: 1580911498 Amazon Link: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1580911498 Over the years, the Santeria/Lucumi/Orisa faith has become a focus of cross-cultural interest. Once the exclusive domain of Afro-Cuban individuals, it has become much more wide-spread in its appeal. It is still controversial (both to "mainstream" religions and Pagan belief systems) because of its association with animal sacrifice. It is not an easy-to-understand religion, and it is not for everyone. The book is divided into three sections: Basic teachings of the metaphysical underpinnings of the tradition; the ancestors and how to build a relationship with the spirits; and an overview of the tradition's structure. This is one individual's relationship to the religion and will not be universally accepted by all the followers of traditions which encompass the worship of Orisa. This is not a book of ceremonies, oracles, and/or magic. It IS a book about bringing our life into alignment. Alignment with what, you ask? Good question. There isn't a single answer to that question. Ms. Correal has ideas which are definitely not in accordance with the mainstream of Orisa-religion. Some of them border on the radical for a follower of Orisa. I am sure that many would view her writing with suspicion because of her attitude. If you have no exposure to the Orisa-culture, I would hesitate to recommend this book as your only source of information. You would be well advised to pick up copies of Santeria: An African Religion in America by Joseph Murphy, Cuban Santeria by Raul Canizares, The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination by Ocha'ni Lele, and at least one book by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler. These offer very different perspectives, and will provide you with a much wider overview. Ultimately, of course, you should seek personal contact with practitioners of the religions. Ms. Correal's works offers a perspective which has been missing from this field. I do not know how much respect she has from fellow practitioners in the Orisa community, but she is, to all appearances, sincere in her beliefs, and confident enough in them to share with others. For that she is to be admired, in my opinion. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bkfsotpoo.php [05-7] ========= ========= REVIEW: BOOK OF DRUIDRY ========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason ========= Book of Druidry Author: Ross Nichols Trade Paperback, 320 pages Publisher: Thorsons/Element Publication date: 1992 List: US$19.95, C$28.50 ISBN: 1855381672 Amazon Link: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1855381672 Over the years, I am sure that hundreds, if not thousands, of books have been written on the topic of Druidry. Some of them have been scholarly, some have been fanciful, and most of them have been written by outsiders. Factual history of the movement is hard to find, for a number of reasons. In the early days there was a reluctance to commit the teachings to writing. Once some of the teachings began to be written down, they were condemned and destroyed by the dominant religion (Christianity). For the safety of its members it disappeared from the sight of the common man. It continued underground, as have many persecuted minorities. This book has one major advantage over many of those other books. It has been written by a Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD). While he acknowledges the lack of historical data from the earliest times (".the gaps are larger than the area covered by what is known."), he has the advantage of access to what records do exist. He makes no claim to an uninterrupted lineage. In the past two hundred plus years, there have been numerous manifestations of the Druidic movement - from the OBOD, the Ancient Druid Order, the Secular Order of Druids, the Glastonbury Order of Druids, to the ADF started in the US by Isaac Bonewits. There have been, and continue to be, differences in emphasis. In the words of Philip Carr-Gomm (one of the editors of this book) "Ross managed to combine three books in one: a history of Druidry, a guide to certain ancient sites, and an anthology of Druid wisdom." It was certainly a necessity when it was written (1975) and it still is. It serves as a counterpoint to much of the romanticized nonsense written on the topic. It is thoughtful, considerate of varying opinions, and presented in a manner which is both educational and interesting. The author perceives Druidry as a philosophy as opposed to a religion, which may offend some readers. Nonetheless, this is an important work on the subject and deserves to be read by anyone interested in the topic. Whether you agree with the conclusions of the author, there is a great deal of information and food for thought between these covers. More modern books tend to confine their notes; it seems to me, to the back of the book, thus necessitating a constant back-and- forth to see what the notes say. Mr. Nichols used footnotes (i.e., notes at the bottom [foot] of the page) thus doing away with this. Personally, I much prefer the footnote style, if you don't, well there aren't a lot of footnotes to deal with, so it shouldn't be too large a problem. The bibliography and index are both short (three and five pages, respectively). While some of the referenced works may be hard to locate, most of them should be accessible through any reasonably large library or on interlibrary loan. In all honesty, I almost didn't order this book, as I wasn't sure if I wanted to tackle the subject - since so much has been written on it in recent years. It was who the author was that decided me. I am grateful now that I did request it. It is informative without boring, and it is a fairly enjoyable read. If you are looking for a good book to read about Druids as they probably were, this is the book for you. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bkbod.php [05-8] ========= ========= REVIEW: A WICCAN FORMULARY AND HERBAL ========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason ========= A Wiccan Formulary and Herbal Author: A. J. Drew Trade Paperback, 240 pages Publisher: New Page Books Publication date: 2004 List: US$19.95 ISBN: 1564147827 Amazon Link: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1564147827 I hadn't planned on reviewing this book, but as I have enjoyed Mr. Drew's other work I decided to put this book in my stack to be reviewed. Every time I get one of his books, I find myself shaking my head. I'm not disagreeing with what he has to say, just that he has the nerve to say it (and in print, no less!!). His positions are always made absolutely clear, with no apologies for making members of the Pagan community uncomfortable. Now if we could get a few dozen more authors like him. This is one of those books which should be in the library of every Witch/Wiccan/Pagan healer out there. In fact, you don't need to be a healer to include this book in your reading. A.J.'s approach to the subject of herbalism and related topics is common-sense based. He explains why he recommends specific actions, herbs, etc. You don't have to agree with him (but I suspect most readers will find lots of reasons to do just that). He explains the difference between gender (masculine/feminine) and sex (male/female) in a way which attempts to be non- offensive. He will still offend some people, he realizes, but makes the effort because it needs to be done. A.J. appears to me to be one of those individuals who "enjoy" the distinction of being too dogmatic for some and too wishy-washy for others. He opposes the "if it feels right, it is right" school of spellcraft (too dogmatic), but won't condemn it if it works for you (too wishy-washy). He knows he can't please everyone, so he doesn't try to please anyone but himself. I don't need to remind you that the information in this book is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical conditions -- the author does that himself. Nor does he pretend that the information assembled here is complete -- that would be an impossibility. It is, however, an excellent reference book, wit h enough remedies, recipes and guidance to be in constant use. I'm sure there are "more complete" herbals available; and "more complete" formularies; but for sheer ease of use and understandability, it would be hard to beat this book. Once again, Mr. Drew has produced an excellent resource for the Pagan community. I hope he continues to produce such valuable books for a long time to come. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bkawfah.php ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SHOP ONLINE AT THE CAULDRON MALL Shop Amazon, Catalog City, Abebooks, and other stores at The Cauldron Shopping Mall. Every purchase from our one of our mall links helps support The Cauldron and this newsletter. http://www.ecauldron.com/mall.php ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [06] =============== ============ ARTICLES ========= [06-1] ========= ========= CHOOSING THE RIGHT DECK ========= by Banshee ========= With the myriad of tarot decks and books that are filling the market, it can be a daunting, and expensive task to find just the right one to fulfil our needs. I once went out searching for The Tarot of the Cat People, thinking that as a cat lover, it would be perfect for me. While it was visually stunning, the way the book was written and the meanings of the cards wasn't what I was really looking for. After many years of the infamous "buy n' try" technique, I now have enough decks to set a small army on the path to divinatory wisdom! So, to all of you who are new to the Tarot, or anyone who is still searching, here are a few hints that will make choosing your special deck a little bit easier. * If you're looking for ease, the Rider-Waite Tarot deck is the best bet. Not only are the pictures easy to understand and interpret, it is also the most widely used deck and therefore is the one most often referred to in Tarot books. * Research the deck. This is best if you've seen a certain deck in a shop and were unable to look at it in full. There are endless Tarot resources online where you can read about decks in detail and see pictures of the cards; you can also get more of a feel for price. Some specialty shops charge outrageous amounts for Tarots decks, so in the end, researching can save you some money. * Trust your intuition. When looking over a wide variety of decks, pick out the ones that grab your attention and really look at them. If there is an accompanying handbook that you need to buy separately, have a quick look at the divinatory meanings and see if they make sense to you when compared with the picture. The cards have to make sense to you, if they don't, readings can be a nightmare. If there isn't a book to look at, then try to narrow your selection down again and again until you have the one that appeals to you the most. * Be prepared for an investment. You might be thinking "what?", but honestly, purchasing Tarot decks can be a financial investment that can easily get away from you if you're not careful ... and practical. While you may only intend to start with one deck, it doesn't take much to begin a collection. This may consist of decks that you've bought previously and don't really use, or decks that have been given to you as gifts. Tarot decks are works of art, and it can be really hard to stop at just one if you're a "visuals" person such as myself. * Cheaper isn't always better. Like most things in life, the saying "you get what you pay for", can certainly apply here. If you don't have a great deal of cash, don't pick up a cheap Tarot deck just for the sake of having one; get an idea of prices and save up. It's better to put it off and buy a good deck rather than waste your money and buy something that won't stand up to use. Well, those are just a few of the things I've learned over the years, and believe me, I'm still learning. That's the key when it comes to the Tarot, or any divinatory craft for that matter: Keep your mind open and never stop learning. Blessed Be everyone! [06-2] ========= ========= PSYCHIC SELF DEFENSE IN REAL LIFE ========= by Dale Power ========= When is the last time you were attacked by a ghost? Or chased down a dark alley by a Werewolf? Think back to the last time your life was ruined by a powerful sorcerer or witch. (No offense to Wiccans here. Let's face it though, not everyone is as nice as you are.) Seriously. Think really hard about it. Been awhile? Most of us need to be a bit more worried about muggers than monsters. Road rage is a bigger danger than demonic possession in day to day life. The point? We need to protect our bodies as well as our minds. While we are at it, maybe we could protect our wallets as well. Most of the time when you read an article on the topic of psychic self-defense, you get lectured about not using a Ouija board and a basic primer on shielding. These are wonderful tools to use if a Svengalli is trying to take over your mind or your pushy neighbor is having a bad day and projecting it full power to everyone within fifty miles, just when you need to go to bed. How about protecting your body though? Can psychic self-defense help you out in that regard at all? Surprisingly, the answer is yes! Here, briefly, are some techniques that can help you protect yourself from physical harm. These are all methods I have used personally and tested in real life situations. One note of caution however, do not take these methods lightly. You must approach these techniques with a serious mind and proper intent if you wish to use them successfully. After all, you are not trying to make a plant grow a little taller or guess who will call you next on the phone, you are trying to protect your life. Do the work and make it count. ===== ===== First Technique: Empathic Field Generation ===== It may sound a little weak at first, but think about it for a moment, most people that are attacked are dealing with an enraged person. If you can produce a feeling of calm in them before the attack takes place, they are much less likely to even try. * Relax and quiet your mind. You will wish to hold a conceptual mind state as much as possible. Think in ideas rather than words or pictures. * Define the space of the effect. To do this hold the idea in your mind of a bubble around your body that goes out about twenty feet or so. Remember, you simply "know" the field is there and how big it is. Your subconscious mind will take care of the rest. This should be done for at least five minutes. * Once you have defined the space you wish to condition to your satisfaction, shift the concept you are holding to one of relaxed calm and friendliness that fills the entire field, make sure you define the idea that it will effect those around you and not yourself, unless you want it to do that as well. This should take around ten to fifteen minutes. * The next step is to make the field self-sustaining. Hold the concept of the field as you have generated it. Then add to the concept the idea that each part of the field will tell every other part to continue to function at full strength at all times. Hold this whole, organized field for at least five minutes. This will give you around a week of very solid coverage. If you wish you can arrange the structure to reflect any emotion or mental state you can think of. It is best to keep the idea simple to start with, a basic field that does what you want is much better than a complex field that has "strange" consequences. Here are some variations you could use just by replacing the central idea you use. 1. Aversion. Hold the idea that anyone who would do harm to others will simply not wish to stay around you. I have used this to very good effect in some very dangerous situations. 2. Confusion. Replace the central idea to one of dangerous people having a difficult time in thinking. You have to be very careful that you are targeting only harmful people and that the field strength is very high and tightly focused!. An enraged person that is a little befuddled can still hurt you. In fact they, are likely to. You have to make sure that they cannot even think about hurting anyone without being distracted and confused. Double the overall time spent on this one if you are going to use it. 3. Fear. You can create a great deal of fear in anyone seeking to do harm. Again targeting is key, and don't forget to control the area of effect! Some situations, such as driving, can be very dangerous if those in other cars start to have panic attacks! ===== ===== Second Technique: Precognitive Warning. ===== If you are not there they will have difficulty harming you. This is a semi-permanent filter designed to bring to your attention anything that might do you harm. * Relax quiet your mind and enter a conceptual state of mind. * This can be a little tricky, as you have to hold several concepts, at one time. Again you will wish this field to be self- sustaining as in the first technique. Generate a field around your mind, or in your mind, it makes little difference, that reflects the raw concept that whenever you are in danger you will know about it and will also perceive what the threat is. This works because you already have this information all the time anyway. What you are doing is just calling attention to it when you need it. Think of it as a set of instructions to your subconscious mind. * Hold the concept in your mind until you feel it lock into place. As it is not externally active you will not have to make it as strong for it to be useful as the other techniques given here. A few minutes a day should work well to enough to keep the field sustained. This is basically just focused intuition. The focusing process makes all the difference though, so make a point of establishing this type of filter each day. ===== ===== Third Technique: Aversion Shielding ===== This is an active psychokinetic shield. A real honest to goodness physical shield, of a sort! When an object is coming towards you to do damage, This field will make it veer away from you missing, if it is at all possible. While I would not personally replace a bullet resistant vest or a flack-jacket with an aversion shield, I would certainly have one going full blast if a fire fight was about to start. As an active PK (a field designed to influence active systems) method it will have to be very strong to have the desired results. I recommend at least an hour be spent on generating and reinforcing the field properties. * Relax, quiet your mind and enter a conceptual state. * Now generate and hold a consistent and self-sustaining field, containing the properties of aversion for incoming objects from all directions at once, with a tight core of aversion around your body and a secondary level about ten feet from your body that will redirect objects before, they can reach the inner core shield. It is important to keep this dual field both conceptual and consistent for best results. * During the last quarter of field generation, add into the process the idea of the field growing in strength rapidly over time. If done well the field will continue to grow in strength, but not size, even after you stop focusing on it. This type of field is very advanced and may take a bit of work before it can be assembled properly. As it is self-sustaining and self-propagating it will become many times stronger than you could generate otherwise. Please be very clear about what you are doing. Mistakes will exaggerate as the field grows in power. Self-defense is sometimes needful, but this does not give us license to harm others out of spite or anger. All of these techniques will help to protect you at the same time as not harming others. For them to work however, you will have to prepare before problems arise. Exactly as with all other forms of self-defense, diligence and discipline will pay well, if used. ===== ===== About the Author ===== Dale Power is a psychic healer, researcher and educator that has been focusing on ways to improve psychic functioning in humans for the last twenty years. This article and other helpful information can be found at : http://healing.worldispnetwork.com/ Please feel free to use this or any other materials on the site as you wish. We only ask that you reproduce this article as a whole, including the above link. Thank you. [06-3] ========= ========= MAY -- THE MONTH OF MAIA ========= (Chapter V of The Stories of the Months and Days ========= by Reginald C. Couzens [1923]) ========= This month is named after the goddess Maia, to whom the Romans sacrificed on the first day of the month. Maia was one of the Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. They were all transformed into pigeons that they might escape from the great hunter Orion, and flying up into the sky were changed into seven stars, which form the constellation known as the Pleiades. On any clear night you may see these stars clustered closely together, but they are not very bright, one of them being very faint indeed. A story says that at first they shone brightly, but after the capture of Troy by the Greeks they grew pale with sorrow. Another story says that all but one were married to gods, and that when they became stars the one who had married a mortal did not shine so brightly as her sisters. Maia was the Goddess of the Plains and mother of Mercury, the messenger of the gods. In order that he might perform his duties as messenger more swiftly, Mercury was given by Jupiter wings for his feet, and a winged cap for his head. He is said to have invented the lyre, or harp, and to have given it to the Sun-god Apollo, who gave him in return a magic wand called Caduceus, which had the power of making enemies become friends. Mercury, in order to test its power, put it between two fighting snakes, and they at once wound themselves round it. Mercury ordered them to stay on the wand, and, in statues and pictures, the god is nearly always holding in his hand this wand with the snakes twisted round it. Mercury was not only the messenger of the gods, but was also the God of Rain and Wind, and the protector of travellers, shepherds, and thieves. Festivals were held every year in Rome in his honour during the month of May. Atlas, the father of the Pleiades, was a giant who lived in Africa and held up the sky on his shoulders. The great Hercules, when seeking for the Golden Apples of the Hesperides (daughters of the Evening Star), came to Atlas to ask him where he could find the apples. Atlas offered to get them for Hercules if he would take his place while he was away, so Hercules took the heavens on his shoulders, and Atlas set off to fetch the golden fruit. But on his return he told Hercules that he must stay where he was, while he himself would take the apples to the king, who had set Hercules the task of finding them. Hercules, as you may imagine, had no wish to spend the rest of his life holding up the sky, and, by a trick, succeeded in getting Atlas back to his place, and so was able to set out on his homeward journey. The last story of Atlas we read in the account of the great hero Perseus, who, after slaying the Gorgon Medusa, passed Atlas on his way home. Now the face of the Gorgon turned to stone all who looked on it, and Atlas, worn out by the terrible burden he had to bear, persuaded Perseus to show him the Gorgon's head. "Eagerly he gazed for a moment on the changeless countenance, but in an instant the straining eyes were stiff and cold; and it seemed to Perseus, as he rose again into the pale yellow air, that the grey hairs which streamed from the giant's head were like the snow which rests upon the peak of a great mountain, and that, in place of the trem bling limbs, he saw only the rents and clefts on a rough hill-side." Thus Atlas was changed into the mountains which bear his name, and are to be found in the north-west of Africa. Hercules, whom we have mentioned in this story of Atlas, is one of the best known of the Greek heroes, and to this day we often speak of an especially strong man as a Hercules, and we also have the expression "a Herculean task". Hercules was a son of Jupiter, and devoted his life to ridding the country of the fierce beasts which brought death and destruction to many of his people. But through the hatred of the goddess Juno, Hercules knew much sorrow, and underwent great trials. To atone for crimes committed in a fit of madness sent upon him by Juno, he was condemned by the gods to become for a year the slave of the King of Argos, who set him twelve labours. The first of these labours was to slay a lion known as the Nemean lion. In spite of the attempts of many brave men to kill this fierce animal, it still continued to carry off men and women, and steal cattle and sheep. Hercules at once set out, and, tracking the lion to its den, seized it by the throat and crushed out its life. He then tore off the lion's skin and made it into a covering which he always wore. The second task was also to destroy a monster--a seven-headed serpent, known as the Hydra. Hercules attacked the serpent with a sword and cut off one of its heads, but was horrified to see seven new heads spring from the wound. Thereupon the hero called to his help his friend Iolaus, who seared the wounds with a lighted torch and thus prevented the new heads from growing. In this way Hercules finally slew the cruel Hydra. Another task set the hero was to capture and tame the horses of the King of Thrace. These horses were fed on human flesh, and the king had ordered all strangers who entered his kingdom to be executed and given as food to the horses. Hercules succeeded in securing these animals, and, after throwing the king to his own horses as a punishment for his cruelty, led them to his master, the King of Argos. Of the remaining labours, one was the fetching of the Golden Apples of the Hesperides, which we have mentioned; but the most famous was the cleaning of the Augean stables. King Augeas possessed enormous herds of cattle, and their stables had not been cleaned for many years. Hercules might well have lost heart at the sight of such a task, but he very cleverly overcame the difficulty. Near by the stables ran a swift river; this Hercules dammed and turned from its course, making it run through the stables, which in time it washed perfectly clean. Then, his task accomplished, Hercules led the river back to its course. After a life of trial and labour, Hercules finally met a tragic death. By a trick he was persuaded to put on a robe which had been stained with poison. The poison ate into his flesh, and all the hero's attempts to tear off the robe were in vain, so at last he resolved to die. He built an enormous funeral pyre by tearing up oak trees by the roots, and then laid himself on the pyre, to which one of his friends put a torch. In a short time roaring flames rose up to the sky and consumed the great Hercules, the man of might. The Angles and Saxons seemed to have called this month of May "Tri-milchi", meaning that, owing to the fresh grass of spring, they were able to milk their cows three times a day. [07] =============== ============ COLUMNS ========= [07-1] ========= ========= Poem: This Is The City Where Men Are Mended ========= by Tex (STARRYWITCH) ========= This is the city where men are mended. This is the place, at the end of the world. This is the home of the dead and the dying. This is the land of the laden soul. This is the city where men are mended; Here is the man with the broken soul. They tore it from him and tossed it back, Like a toy to be broken, beaten and hit. Here is the country lost forever. This is the place at the end of the world. Here is the dark, the grey and the black. Here is the land where you'll never go back. Here are the men who lived in the gutters; Here are the Nazis who killed all the Jews. This is the home of the dead and the dying. Here is the man that fell from the moon. He had it all in his home in the mountains. Yet he gave it up for one moment of truth. Now he knows of the perils of others; This is the land of the laden soul. This is the city where men are mended. This is the place, at the end of the world. This is the home of the dead and the dying. This is the land of the laden soul. [07-2] ========= ========= HUMOR: THE BALLAD OF ST. ANSELM ========= Author Unknown ========= [to the tune of Waltzing Matilda] Once a jolly friar got himself an argument And couldn't get it out of his mind. He thought that he could prove the existence of the Deity Because of the way that the words are defined. CHORUS Thus spake St. Anselm, thus spake St. Anselm, Thus spake St. Anselm, who now is long dead, And we're awed as we read his proof so ontological; Who can deny a word that he said? If that than which nothing greater can be conceived Can be conceived not to exist, Then 'tis not that than which nothing greater can be conceived: This is unquestionable, I insist. For in that case a being greater can be conceived, Whose major traits we can easily list: Namely, that than which nothing greater can be conceived And which cannot be conceived not to exist. For if that than which nothing greater can be conceived Has no existence outside of man's mind, Then 'tis not that than which nothing greater can be conceived, Due to the way that the words are defined. For in that case a greater can be conceived (This is of course analytically true); Namely, that than which nothing greater can be conceived And which exists in reality too! CHORUS Thus spake St. Anselm, thus spake St. Anselm, Thus spake St. Anselm with weighty intent, And we're awed as we read his proof so ontological Would that we could understand what it meant. [08] =============== ============ PAGAN WEBCRAFTING ========= Many Pagans have or would like to have a Pagan oriented web site. Unfortunately, many of the thousands of Pagan web sites are poorly designed and/or very hard to read. (Hint: A black background makes even white text hard to read, but a black background with a dark text is almost impossible to read.) This section of Cauldron and Candle is devoted to articles about web sites and web design. Some are written specifically for Pagans, but most will be more general and anyone interested in putting up a web site may find them useful. Please note that each article is written from the author's point of view and goals, and therefore even completely opposite advice can be sound -- in different situations, of course. These articles should not be taken as "law" but rather as things to think about and consider while you are creating and maintaining your web site. Some articles have a "business" slant, but the information they contain really applies to all types of web sites. For more information and articles on web crafting, see the Pagan Webcrafting section of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's web site. http://www.ecauldron.com/web/index.php [08-1] ========= ========= WEB PAGE REAL ESTATE 101 ========= by Ray Hadorn ========= "The value is in the land" "Location! Location! Location!" "Invest in land..they aren't making any more of it" Those real estate axioms are well known and are even truer today than ever. But they also are applicable to your website. We hear and read every day how our websites are competing with millions of others in the great race to be found online. We have to first work, work and work some more to get our piece of "web real estate" in a position to be found through search engine management and placement. We secure as many quality links as we can get. We meticulously research our ultimate key word phrases and then pay for the best position. All of this just to get your website on the screen in front of a potential customer. Once the customer is looking at your page, you have just seconds to capture enough of her attention to keep her there a few more seconds, then a minute, maybe two or three minutes. Long enough to read your information and then gain enough confidence in you, who you are, and what you are offering to actually place an order or seek more information. Know what the odds of all that coming together are? Ever hear of the lottery? So what does all this have to do with web page real estate? When your landing page pops up on the viewer's monitor, what do they see? Without scrolling down the page, without clicking on any links, what is immediately visible? This initial space, considering a typical browser occupies about one inch at the top can make or break your goal of getting them to hang around long enough to find out what your site is all about. So you can now see how critical it is when designing your main or index page. Give it some serious thought when planning this page. Your subsequent pages are worthless if the viewer's attention isn't held long enough to even discover you have anything else to say. The value of your index page real estate is very high. Make sure that what they see and read from that initial screen view is the best you have. Make it your knock out punch. Do not waste the space with boring, self-indulging rhetoric. Don't fill it up with words about you and your company and how long you have been in business, what your goals are etc. If you want to make that info available do it via a link or popup. On one of my sites, I use an 'about button' that when hovered over with the mouse, a popup displays a brief paragraph about my site and what it will do for them. My 'about' info is there to be read and it does not take my viewer away from my main page. Maybe a good analogy would be a newspaper in a street rack. Publishers discovered a long time ago that what was visible through the paper rack on the top half of the folded newspaper was their billboard to sell papers. The headlines and articles that would show through the rack window had to be powerful and compelling to grab your attention as you walked by and make you drop coins in the slot and buy a paper. The portion of your page that is immediately visible when your page is viewed is very important. It's the most valuable part of your web page real estate. Don't believe that this space should be used for hype, fancy graphics and flashy demos unless those presentations enhance or convey your message. Usually, your visitors are not there to be amused. They are there for information. Give them what they want right away or you risk losing them forever. ===== ===== About the Author ===== Ray Hadorn is a freelance writer, photographer and web site developer. Ray is the owner of www.ALittleExtraMoney.com which provides tips, reports and information useful to help you make your site profitable and www.SaveMyGas.com that provides a very revealing guide to help you save money on your gasoline consumption. [08-2] ========= ========= THE TOP 8 WEBSITE SINS: PART ONE ========= by Niall Roche ========= They say the eyes are the window to the soul. Your website then is the window to your business. What would a passerby think of your "window"? What does your website say about you? About your business? Does your website entice the visitor to pause and take a few moments to look around or does it confuse them so much they click past it without ever looking back. The goal of your website is to make the visitor stay until the desired visitor response has been achieved. That might be that they sign up for your newsletter, complete a survey or make a purchase. If surfer doesn't stay for more than a few moments then all your hard work is for nothing. There are 8 key factors that can prevent people from staying on your site. In extreme cases the key areas below can actually drive traffic away from your site. ===== ===== Sin #1 Provide Useful Content ===== People search for information online. To find that information they use search engines. They type in keywords or phrases to locate items, places or information they require or desire. Google, Yahoo and MSN go through their indexes and present the searcher with the best possible match for their information request. The searcher clicks on the links and visits a few sites. What happens if the searcher doesn't find relevant information once they get to the site? Yup they go right back to their previous search results and go elsewhere. Provide useful content. Don't scam the search engines. Don't churn out another site made up of copied search engine results. Your website is your business. Treat it like one. The two key rules for website content are: 1. Make it useful. 2. Make it easy to find on your site ===== ===== Sin #2 Slow Loading Sites ===== If your site takes any longer than 30 seconds to load then the visitor is gone. They won't be back either. Ideally your website should load in 15 seconds or less. Web surfers will not wait around for your fancy graphics or flash demos to load. They'll get bored and move on. Do not use bitmap graphic files for logos or as part of your site design. They're ugly and take forever to load. Ensure that every single GIF and JPEG is optimized for faster loading. If you don't understand how to optimize graphic files for your site ask somebody to do it for you. It can cut your site loading time by 50%. Keep your site to 20% graphics and 80% text. Text loads faster and gives the web surfer something to read while your graphics are quickly loading in the background. Look at some of the most successful websites on the net - Google, Yahoo and Amazon. Graphically intensive? Absolutely not. These guys realize that every second they waste and visitor they lose is money out of their pocket. ===== ===== Sin #3: Poor Layout ===== A visitor should be able to find what they need on your website in 3 clicks or less. Any more than that and you're losing valuable visitors and the potential income that involves. Your navigation menu should be easy to use and every single link must work properly. Don't just assume that all your links work - check them yourself. Use a sitemap on each and every one of your websites. Do not use fancy mouse pointers - the type with the fancy trails. Do not use complicated menu systems. Text should be legible but not huge. Change your screen resolution to 640 x 480 and 800 x 600. How does your website look now? Keep it simple. Imagine how a new Internet user would react to your website. Would they love it or hate it? Could a new visitor easily find the information they're looking for? If not then why not? Find the problems yourself and eliminate them in advance. ===== ===== Sin #4: Awful Color Schemes ===== There's nothing worse then searching for hours for the information you need and then not be able to read it. You've all been there. You click on the search result and that's when the pain starts. You've just arrived at a page with a light blue background and yellow text. Or maybe it's red text on a black background or white text on a gray background. You stare at the site in disbelief that anybody could ever have thought such a color scheme would actually work. If you need guidance on how to choose colors for your website look at any magazine. Black or dark blue text on a white background is the simplest and most effective color scheme for text presentation. For your menus and other background colours bear the following in mind: Red is stimulating and aggressive. Blue is peaceful and tranquil. Green is calm and refreshing. Yellow grabs peoples attention. Purple is wealthy and luxurious. Brown is solid and reliable. Orange is bright and optimistic. The colors you choose for your website can have a direct impact on how people react to your content or message. It can either attract them or repel them. The choice is yours. Continued in part two of "The Top 8 Website Sins." ===== ===== About the Author ===== This article was provided courtesy of Affiliate-Advocate.com where you'll find tons of information on affiliate marketing ebooks and software. [08-3] ========= ========= THE TOP 8 WEBSITE SINS: PART TWO ========= by Niall Roche ========= ===== ===== Sin #5: Poor Spelling And Grammar ===== We all make mistakes when we write things down or type things out. Nobody is 100% perfect but a huge number of website owners completely ignore the basics of spelling and grammar. If you're selling a product or service online and your website is littered with spelling and grammar mistakes you're losing sales. Plain and simple. You don't need a masters degree in English but poor spelling puts people off. From a visitors point of view if you couldn't be bothered spellchecking your website then how good can your product really be? Here's 4 tips for proofreading your website. 1. Use a spellchecker. Every word processor has one. If you don't have a spellchecker then get one. 2. Proofread anything you write from bottom to top. You'll spot more mistakes that way. 3. Print out important documents and edit them with a pen. Again read from bottom to top when doing so. 4. When you've written an important article put it away for 24 hours. Proofreading it the next day gives you a fresh perspective on your own writing and I guarantee that you'll make improvements on your original text. ===== ===== Sin #6: Flashing And Spinning Graphic Elements ===== Banners or logos that flash, spin, fade in and out or perform any other gimmick are a major No No. Don't use them. Flashing banners and logos say "Look look mom it's my first website! Cool, huh?" It screams unprofessional at anybody looking at your site. Any website with this type of graphic element turns visitors off. A website logo or banner should be a static graphic or text element on the page. Online marketing surveys consistently report that animated icons and graphics on a website do not convey professionalism to visitors. ===== ===== Sin #7: Hit counters ===== Only used by amateurs. Take them off your website. Please. Any decent webhost can provide you with traffic stats which will provide much more accurate information than a hit counter ever could. Having a hit counter on your website was a good idea 8 years ago. The online world has moved on. You should too. ===== ===== Sin #8: Use Their Own Language ===== The reading ability of the average website surfer is in or around high school level. If you're the next Shakespeare that's fine just don't force your visitors to read through mountains of prose that confuses them. Speak to your visitors as you'd expect they speak to each other. Your website content needs to follow the model of TV adverts. Short and snappy. Use catchy writing. Write to be remembered. Write to entertain. Put yourself in the shoes of the surfer. What type of language and slang would they expect to find on your site. Then simply use their own language. There's an old rule of sales: "If I could see through John Smiths eyes I could sell John Smith what John Smith buys". Design your website for your visitors and not for you. ===== ===== About the Author ===== This article was provided courtesy of Affiliate-Advocate.com where you'll find tons of information on affiliate marketing ebooks and software. [08-4] ========= ========= Cheap Web Hosting Report: May 2005 ========= by Gridspace ========= With thousands of web hosts to choose from, it can be hard to find cheap web hosting with the quality and dependability you want. Many web hosts now advertise extremely low prices and promise more features than anyone could ever want. Unfortunately, many cheap web hosting offers turn out to be too good to be true. Either the service is poor or the fine print in the terms of service make many of the features effectively useless. Low cost web hosting with excellent service, reliability and features does exist -- if you are willing to spend many hours researching offers and user experiences. Many offer to help you select cheap web hosting by listing 10, 20 or even more cheap web hosting companies with offers they consider good. However, that's still a lot of cheap web hosting companies and plans to research. We are more selective in our Cheap Web Hosting Report. We check out the sites and the user comments and list what we believe are the current top five general purpose cheap web hosting plans. We also list several additional plans that provide special features (such as "root" access or a Windows server with ASP and an Access database). This means less work for you. ===== ===== Top Five General Purpose Cheap Web Hosts for May 2005 ===== These are the top five general purpose cheap web hosts selected for April 2005. All of the following hosting plans include a web control panel, a cgi-bin directory, php4, perl, and at least 1 mysql database. Many offer a number of additional features. The prices listed are the monthly price based on the shortest prepayment period offered (1m = one month, 3m = three months, 6m = six months) and for annual pre-payment (1y = annual rate). The setup fees we list are for the shortest prepayment period offered and for the annual pre-payment plan. Customer Rating: Beginning with the April 2005 report, The Cheap Web Hosting Report rankings factor in customer ratings -- weighted heavily toward customer opinions of the web hosts' reliability and customer support. Customer ratings are listed in the description and range from a low of 1 to a high of 30. A customer rating of NR means not enough customers responded for a statistically meaningful rating. CWHR Ranking: This number (from a low of 0 to a high of 100) is determined by taking the customer rating, multiplying it by three, adding the result of the staff evaluation of the web host (which can add or subtract up to 10 points) and rounding the result down to the nearest integer. This CWHR Ranking determines the sites we list each month. === === #1 Dreamhost === Price: 1m: $9.95 2y: $7.95 Setup: 1m: $49.95 2y: Free Bandwidth: 120 GB Disk Space: 2400 MB Mailboxes: 600 Customer Rating: 29.0 (out of 30) CWHR Ranking: 95% Comments: Dreamhost has long been -- and still is -- listed as the best affordable web host for unusual content (as they will host just about anything legal) in the Special Needs Hosting section of this report. Improvements in their plans in the last year have made them very competitive in terms of bandwidth, web space, and features offered for the price, and they are extremely well-rated by their customers. New and improved features are announced in the Dreamhost newsletter almost every month. Their customer support is the best we've seen in the low cost hosting industry. If you are looking for low cost, high quality web hosting with truly excellent tech support and very friendly people, check out Dreamhost. Dreamhost offers a 97-day money back guarantee, see their web site for details. (The Cheap Web Hosting Report hosts with Dreamhost.) More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=dreamhost === === #2 NetFirms === Price: 1y: $9.95 Setup: 1y: Free Bandwidth: 100 GB Disk Space: 2000 MB Mailboxes: 100 Customer Rating: 25.9 (out of 30) CWHR Ranking: 82% Comments: Founded in 1998, Netfirms rapidly acquired a reputation for affordable, reliable web hosting. Although aimed at business hosting, Netfirms hosts sites of all types" personal, hobby, business, weblog, and more. Their Netfirms Advantage plan is full of useful features and should handle almost any personal or small business web site. Netfirms offers a 30-day money back guarantee, see their terms of service for details. More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=netfirms === === #3 HostRocket === Price: 3m: $11.95 1y: $7.95 Setup: 3m: Free 1y: Free Bandwidth: 50 GB Disk Space: 1000 MB Mailboxes: unlimited Customer Rating: 24.4 (out of 30) CWHR Ranking: 74% Comments: Founded in 1999, HostRocket is a popular web hosting company that is well-rated by its customers. They greatly expanded their offerings in 1994 and are now very competitive in bandwidth, disk space, and features. HostRocket often runs very nice short-term specials, check their web site for details. HostRocket offers a 30-day money back guarantee, see their terms of service for details. More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=hostrocket === === #4 PowWeb === Price: 3m: $7.77 1y: $7.77 Setup: 3m: $20.00 1y: Free Bandwidth: 5 GB /day Disk Space: 5000 MB Mailboxes: 650 Customer Rating: 22.6 (out of 30) CWHR Ranking: 69% Comments: PowWeb has been in the low cost web hosting business since 1999. They are best known for their one-size fits all web hosting plan. In mid-2004, PowWeb raised their bandwidth limits from 45 gigs a month to a whopping 5 gigs a day (but you get an email warning at 4 gigs in a day according to their policy) and in late 2004 they doubled their disk space to 2 gigs. PowWeb often run specials (usually extra months free if you prepay for one or two years). PowWeb offers a 30-day money back guarantee, see their terms of service for details. PowWeb often has special offers offering extra months free with one and two year prepayment. More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=powweb === === #5 Lunarpages === Price: 3m: $9.95 1y: $7.95 Setup: 3m: $30.00 1y: Free Bandwidth: 40 GB Disk Space: 1000 MB Mailboxes: Unlimited Customer Rating: 24.6 (out of 30) CWHR Ranking: 68% Comments: Lunarpages has over 5 years experience in shared web hosting and hosts over 50,000 web pages. While they have not pushed for the huge growth of some of the other low cost web hosting companies, Lunarpages customers seem generally very happy with their service and appear to this reviewer to be more loyal to their hosting company than the customers of other hosting companies. This speaks well for Lunarpages. Disk Space Note: Lunar Pages is now advertising up to 3000 megs of web space, however, if you read the fine print in their Acceptable Use Policy all you initially receive is what we list here. There are a number of restrictions and hoops to jump through to get more. Lunarpages offers a 30-day money back guarantee, see their web site for details. More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=lunarpages ===== ===== Special Needs Cheap Web Hosting ===== If you have special hosting needs, one of the following cheap web hosting solutions may meet those needs better than one of the above plans. While the following companies generally do not offer as much bandwidth and disk space as the Top Five Cheap Web Hosts listed above, they provide more than enough of both for most sites and their special features, if you need them, will more than make up the difference. === === Fewer Content Restrictions === Dreamhost Price: 1m: $9.95 2y: $7.95 Setup: 1m: $49.95 2y: Free Bandwidth: 120 GB Disk Space: 2400 MB Mailboxes: 600 Customer Rating: 29.0 (out of 30) Comments: In an effort to avoid arguments and complaints, most web hosting companies are fairly restrictive on questionable content -- to the point that some will terminate a site for displaying a picture of a classical (but bare breasted) statue from ancient Greece. Dreamhost not only has an excellent, cheap web hosting package but is far more liberal than most web hosts on acceptable site content. Basically, if your content is legal in the US, Dreamhost will probably have no problems hosting it. The even have a 97 day money back guarantee. (The Cheap Web Hosting Report hosts with Dreamhost.) More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=dreamhost === === Windows Hosting === Easy CGI Price: 1m: $9.95 1y: $7.96 Setup: 1m: Free 1y: Free Bandwidth: 50 GB Disk Space: 3000 MB Mailboxes: 50 Customer Rating: NR Comments: Easy CGI provides Windows 2000 servers instead of the standard Unix servers. Their accounts come with ASP and one Access Database. They are one of the most affordable and most popular Windows hosting providers. Customer service reports are spotty, however. Most people report excellent service but minority report major problems. More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=easycgi === === Virtual Dedicated Server Hosting (Root Access) === Jumpline Price: 1y: $9.95 Setup: 1y: Free Bandwidth: 5 GB Disk Space: 500 MB Mailboxes: 75 Customer Rating: NR Comments: Jumpline uses special technology to provide each account with its own virtual server. You have your own Apache web server, your own email servers, your own database server, etc. and you have root access to the virtual machine running them. These types of accounts can be more stable and provide better control, but are best used by Unix experts who understand the ins and outs of running servers. More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=jumpline === === Dedicated Server Hosting === ServerPronto Price: 1m: $29.95 Setup: $149.00 Bandwidth: 200 GB Disk Space: 40 GB Mailboxes: unlimited Customer Rating: NR A dedicated server gives your site its own physical computer as a server. The upside is that you have full root access so you can install whatever software you want on it and have very few restrictions on scripts (even if they hog CPU time). The downside is that you have to maintain the system yourself. ServerPronto has some of the most affordable dedicated server prices we have seen, although there are many options that can increase the monthly price or the setup fee. Windows and Windows 2003 dedicated servers are also available at higher prices. More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=serverpronto === Notes The information in this report was checked for accuracy on April 30, 2005. Web hosting companies, however, can change their pricing and plans at any time so the information may no longer be accurate when you read this report. Gridspace is not responsible for errors nor for what use you may make of this information. Looking for even more hosting options (such as our five "Honorable Mention" web hosts) or more information on web hosting? See the Cheap Web Hosting Report web site at http://www.cheapwebhostingreport.com/ [09] ========= ========= Cauldron Info ========= SUPPORT THE CAULDRON BY VOLUNTEERING TO HELP ========= The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum was founded in December 1997 to provide a friendly but serious discussion area for Pagans on the Internet. We've grown a bit over the years. We now have an active message area, a large web site with around 700 pages of information (including over 300 book and divination deck reviews), and a monthly email newsletter. To continue to provide and expand these services, The Cauldron needs lots of volunteer help from our members and supporters. Here are some of the things members and supporters can do to help The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum thrive: ===== ===== Actively Participate In Our Message Board ===== While our new message board welcomes readers, we encourage members to actively participate by posting their comments and views in our discussions. One of the easiest ways to help The Cauldron is to actively participate in our message board. The staff especially appreciates members who start new topics for discussion based on their own questions, opinions, or interests. http://www.ecauldron.net/ ===== ===== Articles! Essays! Tutorials! ===== We are in constant need of original, well-written and accurate articles, essays, tutorials, and other written items for both our web site and for our Cauldron and Candle newsletter. There's no real limit on length for web site articles. Here are a few areas in which we always need articles: * information on the beliefs and theology of the various Pagan religions, especially non-Wiccan religions * information on holidays and festivals of the various Pagan religions, especially non-Wiccan religions * recipes for oils, incenses, and food for the various Pagan holidays * magick, spells, and ritual information * herbal information * positive articles on dealing with other faiths * information on historical pagan cultures * editorial/opinion pieces Non-Wiccan material is stressed not because we don't want Wiccan material but because good non-Wiccan material has been hard to find. We have a web form you can use to submit an article for consideration: http://www.ecauldron.com/persontestart.php ===== ===== Book Reviews ===== While The Cauldron receives some review copies from a couple of Pagan publishers, there are many books that can only be reviewed on our web site if a member has a copy and writes a good, objective review. The Cauldron is interested in reviews on the more academic books used by reconstructionist Pagan religions as well as on the books one finds on the Pagan/New Age shelf in the bookstore. We have a web form you can use to submit a book review for consideration: http://www.ecauldron.com/persontestbr.php ===== ===== Graphic Assistance ===== The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum is purposely a low graphics site as we value page download speed over flashy graphics. However, we are always willing to talk with artists who have ideas for well-designed small graphics (small in both physical dimensions and file size) that might enhance a specific article or page. ===== ===== Invite Your Friends ===== If you have friends or acquaintances who you believe would find The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum useful, please tell them about our site. If you are active in our message board and have friends who might enjoy them or have information to contribute, please invite them. ===== ===== Link To The Cauldron ===== If you have a web site where linking to The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum would be appropriate, simply providing a link to this web site is a big help. Our Link to this Site page explains how you can do this if you need help or want some simple graphic buttons to use: http://www.ecauldron.com/linktous.php ===== ===== Donations ===== As The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum uses as many free services as possible, our need for money to operate our site is currently lower than our need for the many items we list above. However, if you have a few dollars to spare, we would be honored to have your help in paying for our web site. You can donate by using either PayPal or the Amazon Honor System links below (we get about 85% of what you donate). Donate via PayPal http://www.ecauldron.com/donatepaypal.php Donate via Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3903JRFVQVDN ===== ===== Amazon Purchases ===== The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum also receives a small percentage (usually 5%) from most items purchased from Amazon.com when you go to Amazon.com from one of the links to Amazon on our web site. If you purchase a lot of books, CDs, and other items from Amazon.com as many members do, going to Amazon.com through one of our links when you are going to make a purchase there is a painless way to help fund this web site. http://www.ecauldron.com/amazon.php ===== ===== Have Questions or Suggestions? ===== If you have specific questions, proposals or other ideas we haven't mentioned here, please email them to rssapphire00@ecauldron.GETRIDOFEME.com. (Unfortunately, Randall has to answer general "Tell me more?" type questions with a request for a more specific question. He's not trying to be rude, he just can't think of anything general and useful to say that isn't said here.) [10] ========= ========= NEWSLETTER INFORMATION ========= (Including how to subscribe and unsubscribe) ========= Cauldron and Candle is a free publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. The Cauldron intends to publish this newsletter once a month and often actually succeeds in doing so. We tried to publish it twice a month for a while, but real life interfered too often. This issue of Cauldron and Candle as a whole is copyright (c) 2004 by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. 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. The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of newsletter, The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum, or its staff. Publication of an article in this newsletter is not an endorsement of the authors position or any products and companies mentioned therein. 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 OR CHANGE EMAIL ADDRESS ===== You are receiving a copy of this newsletter because you signed up to receive it. You can subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter via your web browser at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cauldronandcandle/join Or you can unsubscribe via email by sending a blank message to cauldronandcandle-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Be sure to send this message from the email account actually subscribed to the newsletter. If you have trouble unsubscribing by email, please use the web browser method mentioned above. 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You are also welcome to forward a copies of this newsletter to interested friends and associates provided you forward the entire newsletter. ===== ===== SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME ===== Don't forget that your suggestions for this newsletter are always welcome, either posted on the message board or via email to LyricFox (lyricfox@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com) or Randall Sapphire (rssapphire00@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com). Typos are, as usual, courtesy of the Goddess Eris.

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