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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #79 -- November 2006 A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum website: http://www.ecauldron.com/ message board: http://www.ecauldron.net/mb/ newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/ shopping: http://www.ecauldron.com/mall.php http://www.ecauldron.com/doxysbazaar.php In this Issue: [00] Editorial Notes: Special Beginner Issue [01] Cauldron News * November Challenge * Message Board Software Update? * Great Hosting Deal from Dreamhost * Buy Holiday Gifts at our Pagan Supply Store [02] Interesting Recent Cauldron Discussions * Types of Initiation * "Repurposing" Religious Objects * Handling Disabilities in Pagan Religions * Skyclad? * Morals without Religion? * What Changed Most in Your Life Because of Your Path? * Faith and Sex * Magic and Morality: Conventional or Otherwise? * What Makes a God? * Secular Christmas? [03] Pagan Announcements * None this month [04] Book Reviews: * 21st Century Wicca * Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft * A Witches' Bible * The Triumph of the Moon * Mastering Witchcraft [05] Articles * Looking for a Group or Teacher? * Scholarly Books and Lookalikes [06] Flamekeeping: Wilderness and Chaos [07] Software Gadgets: The Column * RocketDock -- Freeware Mac-Like Desktop "Dock" * Artweaver -- Paint With Natural Materials * FileZilla -- Freeware FTP/SFTP Client [08] Grimoire: Book of Shadows Blessing [09] Pagan Webmaster: Image Formats and Web Design: JPG, GIF, PNG, and SVG [10] Recipe: Cranberry Salad [11] Support The Cauldron [12] Newsletter Information (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ LOOKING FOR PAGAN SUPPLIES? Visit The Cauldron's Pagan Supply Store (An Affiliate of Pagan Shopping Online) http://www.ecauldron.com/esesf.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [00] ========= ========= EDITORIAL NOTES ========= Welcome to the November 2006 issue of Cauldron and Candle. You are receiving this issue because you subscribed. To learn how to unsubscribe, see the last section of this newsletter. We have had a lot of new people looking into Wicca and/or magick drop by our message board in the last few months, so we have decided to devote the last two issues of 2006 to articles and reviews that will be particularly helpful to beginners. Some of are reprints of articles and reviews we published years ago, but they are still useful to newcomers today. We have not forgotten those who are no longer beginners or who are not on a Wiccan path, our columns and such still have new material that isn't aimed mainly at Wiccan beginners. As I write this editoral, elections in the US in are less than two days away. If you are in the US, please vote on election day this November. This is a very important election. YOUR VOTE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT ONLY IF YOU ACTUALLY CAST IT. VOTE ON ELECTION DAY. Finally, I'd like to remind everyone of a couple of painless ways to support The Cauldron if you are in the market for web hosting or pagan supplies. Buy directly from our links: Dreamhost -- Pagan Friendly Web Hosting * http://www.ecauldron.com/web/zdreamhost.php Pagan Supplies * http://www.ecauldron.com/esesf.php Randall Sapphire Editor and Publisher, Cauldron and Candle Co-Host, The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum [01] ========= ========= CAULDRON NEWS ========= by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum Staff ========= ===== ===== November Challenge ===== Thank you to Mim for this idea. In November, your Challenge is going to involve a bit of creativity, and it's going to be in two parts. Your first task is to imagine that your life is a play, and you've already been through the first two acts. Write the third act. Those of us who don't feel like we're to the third act of our lives yet might find it helpful to imagine that the play doesn't cover our whole life, but a specific period of it, or get creative with the divisions between acts. If you don't like creative writing, don't despair! You don't have to actually literally write a script--the point here is just to come up with some idea of what you want to do with your life. Some of you may already have some idea; well, you have it easy then! ;) Your second task is to do something to make that third act happen. In some cases, anything more than research might be impractical, but don't forget that even research is "something", is a step on the path. You don't have to make a major life change all at once here; just put one foot in front of the other and get yourself started. Keep us posted as you think about this--what third act do you envision for yourself, and what are you doing to make it happen? * http://www.ecauldron.net/cncsocial.php?m=1586.1 ===== ===== Message Board Software Update? ===== As many of you may remember, we had to start a new board last February because version 0.6x of the forum software we use was far too slow on Bob's new server. The developers have released a new version of Beehive Forums, the 0.7x branch. We are currently testing it to see if it looks to be fast enough to run on our server. This process may take a while because we really want to be pretty sure that upgrading will not leave us worse off than we are now. While the old 0.5 version we are now running lacks some very nice features, at least it is fast enough to use. A visit to the old board (our archive board at http://www.ecauldron.net/ab/) will quickly convince you that we what to be very sure this new version is a lot faster than the archive board. ===== ===== Great Hosting Deal From Dreamhost ===== Are you looking for a web host for your web site, your family's web site, or maybe just email addresses for you and your family that you can take from ISP to ISP and never have to worry about small mailbox size limits? Dreamhost has always been one of the best deals in low cost web hosting. However, they've just got to be a fantastic deal. Disk space on their lowest cost account ($9.95/month, $7,95 a month if paid two years in advance) has just gone from 20 gigabytes to 200 gigabytes. To put this in perspective, my hard drive is only 120 gigabytes. Monthly bandwidth has doubled from 1000 gigabytes to 2000 gigabytes. You can still have up to 3000 mailboxes (POP or IMAP). What is means is that most people will never need to worry about running out of space or bandwidth with a Dreamhost account. Best of all, Dreamhost is free speech friendly. Unlike many web hosting companies who try to limit what you can say on your web page with "we don't want to offend anyone" fine print in their terms of service, Dreamhost's position is that if it is legal in California, they will host it. Heck, they will host porn sites (although this isn't something they plug on their home page), so they aren't going to care that the fundies are complaining about your Pagan site and demanding it be removed. Follow this when you sign up with Dreamhost and you will help fund The Cauldron: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/zdreamhost.php To be sure The Cauldron gets credit, use the following code when you sign up: THECAULDRON and not only will you be sure The Cauldron gets credit by using this code, but you will get a small discount off your hosting price. You can't beat this deal -- you help The Cauldron, save a few bucks, and get great low cost web and email hosting. The Cauldron's main web site (http://www.ecauldron.com/) is hosted on Dreamhost and has been for three years now. ===== ===== Buy Holiday Gifts at our Pagan Supply Store ===== As many of you know, The Cauldron has partnered with Paganshopping.com to provide our members with a large selection of Pagan supplies at reasonable prices. When you visit our store at: http://www.ecauldron.com/esesf.php and buy something, your purchases help keep TC "on the net" at no additional cost to you. The holiday season is coming soon, so now is a great time to visit our store and shop for presents for your Pagan friends. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ PAGAN-FRIENDLY WEB HOSTING * * Oct 2006: Now with 200 GB Web Space & 2000 GB Bandwidth * * http://www.ecauldron.com/web/zdreamhost.php Dreamhost offers high-quality, low cost web hosting with a dedication to free speech. Pagan sites are welcome! Read why we use Dreamhost for The Cauldron's web site: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/whydreamhost.php Starter Plan Features * 200 gigabytes web space * 2000 gigabytes/month bandwidth * 3000 email boxes (POP3/IMAP) * 75 ftp/shell accounts * host unlimited domains/subdomains * php4, php5, cgi, fastcgi, ssi * zend optimizer, ruby on rails * unlimited MySQL databases * announcement lists * discussion (aka mailing) lists * Jabber server * Crontab and Shell access * Web-based Control Panel * One-Click installs of the Wordpress blog & PhpBB forum * 1 free domain name * helpful tech support * and much more! All for $9.95 a month with a $49.95 setup fee. Pay for a year in advance and there is no setup fee. Pay two years in advance and the price drops to $7.95 a month. (And there is a 97 day money back guarantee!) Visit Dreamhost for Affordable, Pagan-Friendly Hosting http://www.ecauldron.com/web/zdreamhost.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [02] ========= ========= INTERESTING RECENT CAULDRON DISCUSSIONS ========= Recent Discussion Topics on our Message Board ========= In an average month, over 200 new discussion topics are started on The Cauldron's message board. Here are a few of the more interesting recent discussions. It's not too late to join in. Thanks to Feedburner, 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 Feedburner's free news delivery via the form at the end of the site "News and Updates" section of The Cauldron's main web page. ===== ===== Types of Initiation ===== In reading conversations on TC and other forums, and in engaging in such conversations IRL, I have noticed two distinct attitudes towards initiation. One, somewhat more common among younger people and solitaries, is that initiation is simply an introductory ritual, where one meets the gods and/or dedicates oneself to their service. I'm not saying it's taken lightly by this group, exactly, but generic initiation rituals are shared and used, and self-initiation is considered not only possible, but deeper and more real, in some ways, than group initiation. It seems to be thought that group initiation is initiation into the group, whereas self initiation is initiation more to the Gods themselves. Among older pagans, and those in long-standing covens, circles, study groups, etc. initiation is seen rather differently. While the rituals themselves are not usually shared or discussed in detail, the risks and preparations and potential damage a wrongly done or received initiation can cause seem to be considered in a more in-depth manner. Inititation is not just an 'introduction' but a life-changing experience. Certain changes are expected and looked for, and used as a yardstick to measure the success of the ordeal/ritual. There also seems to be a third viewpoint, somewhere in between, where initiation is required before a person can begin learning, but is not meant to be a formal life-long commitment since, once begun, the student may find that the path is not for them. In this case, it would be the second initiation that would be the more important one, as it is made with actual knowledge, rather than just the desire for knowledge. For this type, it does seem to be initiation into the group that is required rather than anything else, at least for the first one. I am wondering about the pros and cons of each of these types/views of initation. The reasons behind them, the level of dedication or solemnity involved, what people think is a required standard to consider something a true Initiation, rather than Something Else. (My path has a Something Else that I'm not remotely prepared to do for a good long time yet, because of the responsibilities and potential problems involved. An onlooker would probably call it an initiation, although a spare, austere, not-very-interesting- looking one. It has to be done completely alone, though, which I think may disqualify it from the term, but I'm not sure if it qualifies in any other way, either. One of the reasons I'm interested in this discussion is because so many Things People Do that I learned about growing up don't have names and I'd kind of like to place them in a larger context.) What I'd like to learn here is how people view initiation as a whole, how they view the different kinds of initiations people refer to and what the requirements and expectations that surround the different views are. So much of what I, personally, do was just absorbed growing up that I'm finding it fascinating to learn how more structured, thought-out, examined and analysed concepts apply. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=1878.1 ===== ===== "Repurposing" Religious Objects ===== Do you think it is ever acceptable to "repurpose" religious objects for uses other than which they were originally intended? This might be converting from a sacred to a secular use (e.g. turning a baptismal font into a bird bath), or using them in a different sacred context (e.g. using Sabbath candlesticks on a Wiccan altar). If it is somtimes acceptable to repurpose, in what circumstances is it acceptable? Should you do any special rituals before changing the use? Does it matter if the object was previously used or purchased new? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=1880.1 ===== ===== Handling Disabilities in Pagan Religions ===== I dunno that I'm ready, but apparently lots of others are. So, here's the full text of my post that derailed the "Challenges: Greatest Hits" thread over in the social forum. A certain amount of ranting about the ways disabilities aren't accommodated is permissible, since that can point up specifics. But the main idea is to consider constructive approaches: things we can do to improve our understanding of the challenges involved, things we've done or seen others do to accommodate disability, ideas for things we could do. I put the thread in this folder, rather than "Worship and Ritual" or "Faith in Everyday Life" (or anywhere else) because I'd like to see all aspects of Pagan life addressed. Very little in the way of resources? Very well, then, let us be the resource. ("You're the voice you're waiting for!") I'll give folks fair warning: I want eventually to have a section on this subject on my (not yet extant, but I'm working on it) website, and am likely to write an article about it for my LJ (dusty, but when I start posting to it regularly again, I'll let you know where to find it). If you don't want your ideas used, or don't want to be credited by Cauldron alias (either preferring anonymity, or preferring another name), including that info in your post would be handy - I could contact each of you later, but if someone has come up with something really good and has since vanished, that'd be frustrating. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=1870.1 ===== ===== Skyclad? ===== What are everyone's thoughts on practicing skyclad? I don't personally think that it is better, or worse, however I have done it a few times recently (after overcoming my embarassment of being naked) and found that I feel more "magical" than I do in my flannel PJ's and fuzzy socks (of course, a ritual robe would likely have the same effect, but I lack one). I also find, that it's easier to get energy flowing, as the clothing does act as a slight barrier (and the aformentioned fuzzy socks do wonderfully to block some energy flow through my foot chakras) Of course, practicing skyclad is not very beneficial outside in an area where the ritual is likely to be observed by outsiders, or during extremely cold weather. It does work just fine indoors with the heat on (remembering to shut the blinds if you are in town LOL). * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=1842.1 ===== ===== Morals without Religion? ===== I have had a number of philosophical conversations with one of my teachers, I have great respect for his views, though there are very few of them that I agree with. One particular subject that keeps coming up is whether it is possible to have morals without religion. He feels that morals must be based on a religious structure, or belief in a god, I feel that morals are an inate part of each human being, and something that you do not need a god to get you to follow. I simply can't follow his ideas on this subject, and was wondering about other peoples views on this subject. This has kind of seperated from my conversations with him and I am simply wondering about other peoples views.. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=1818.1 ===== ===== What Changed Most in Your Life Because of Your Path? ===== I was going to make this a poll, but there are SO many variables that apply, so, decided to discuss instead! Since most of the folks here came to the path due to choice/chance and not because it was a family thing (i.e., you weren't raised in your particular path), I was wondering what aspects of your life have been most affected by taking the faith- path you are on? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=1808.1 ===== ===== Faith and Sex ===== Got to thinking about the different areas of our lives impacted by the faith-path we wander down as individuals... I decided to start with a primal one...sex. Most of us do it...or want to. But what does your path say about it? Is it okay to be gay in your path or sexually active and not married? Is masturbation a big no-no, or does your path recognize the positive or ritual/magical uses of self-stimulation. Would your path frown on your particular "kink"? Does your path and your sexuality have almost no connection at all? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=1780.1 ===== ===== Magic and Morality: Conventional or Otherwise? ===== Generally speaking, I usually see a consensus on this board that the same morality applies to 'mundane' actions as to 'magical' actions. However, I would like to question whether being capable of performing magical operations or, if you believe that you are more aware of new aspects of reality etc, whether being aware of new facets of existence change your outlook on life and morality? Does having more power than others (however little the difference is) require or suggest a different morality to what is conventional? Has your morality changed since adopting a new path? [Yes, I'm assuming magical practice in this thread, but if you feel that your religious path is appropriate to this discussion, join in anyway!] Are the rules different for magical practitioners? Should they be? If you don't believe in shoulds or should nots, what influences might you expect to alter someone's morality as a result of practicng magic? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=1776.1 ===== ===== What Makes a God? ===== There's a quiz that was posted on the social forum, and I think I've seen it a few other places, that rates gods. It's a severely flawed quiz, and it seems to use the omni-omni-omni style of defining a god. Mine don't pass, but that doesn't make them any less gods to me. It is obvious, therefore, that I have different criteria for what makes a god a god. For example, Old Dog doesn't know everything. (He thinks he does, but that's a different matter entirely) He isn't everywhere at once - sure, he can be a lot of places, or at least seem to, but even in legends he needs travel time. He gets things done, but he's definitely not omnipotent. He uses trickery and persuasion, he steals things when he needs them, he pretends to be other beings to get their followers co-operation. He lies. Omnibenevolent? Forget it. He's not even always benevolent towards me, and I'm his. (or at least I assume I am, since he won't leave) So, in this quiz he fails bigtime. BUT. He knows more than me. He is more powerful than me. And in the end, in spite of his trickeries, etc. he is more moral than me. So, he is a god. Not a deep, mysterious one, like my Ladies, but he has his mysteries too. It's enough. When I try to wrap my head around anything bigger, I get dizzy. My question is: What sets our gods apart? What makes them Gods? We can almost all tell the difference when we encounter a god as opposed to when we encounter other sorts of beings. Where does the difference lie? Is it power? Sphere of influence? I can accept that some people would view Old Dog as an animal spirit rather than a deity, but since humans are more his concern than other animals I place him in the god category. Anthropocentric of me, I know. So. Rate your gods. List your criteria. Give your reasons. It's okay if you don't have any. UPG is perfectly acceptable. But if this quiz is severely flawed, I'm wondering what would have made it better. And just to throw a cat among the pigeons, what would take them off the god-rung of the entity ladder? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=1764.1 ===== ===== Secular Christmas? ===== I know that a lot of folks here celebrate Christmas, and obviously, most of you are not Christian. Some folks say this is because they are polytheists and recognize all gods. Others say that they just celebrate the "secular" aspects of Christmas. What do you consider the "secular" aspects of Christmas, and why? Obviously, some things are definitely religious (like a creche). But what about gift-giving? A lot of folks consider that to be an imitation of the gifts of the wise men. Let me know what you think. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=1762.1 [03] ========= ========= PAGAN ANNOUNCEMENTS ========= None this month. Have any announcement, please submit it for possible publication in the November issue. [04] ========= ========= CAULDRON 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@comcast.GETRIDOFME.net ===== ===== 21ST CENTURY WICCA ===== reviewed by Tony M. ===== 21st Century Wicca: A Young Witch's Guide to Living the Magical Life by Jennifer Hunter Published 1997 by Citadel Press ISBN 0806518871 219 pages Trade Paperback http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0806518871 I will admit to a big bias about this book. I went to college with Jen. I am even in the book, although not mentioned by name. The part where she talks about the Jehovah's Witnesses who came knocking on the door as we were preparing for out Samhain Circle happened in my apartment. I also co-wrote one of the rituals she mentions. I can tell you three things based on my familiarity with Jen to recommend this book. One, she is a good writer. Even back in college she was getting published in several Pagan publications. When you read her stuff it is like having a conversation. Some authors, when you read them, come across like you are getting a lecture, but not Jen. Two, she is very serious about the subject. I don't mean stuffy. I mean she really cares about Paganism in general and Wicca in specific. She is not a fluff bunny, and has many years of experience. Her knowledge is based on many years of very hard work. She has practiced both solitarily and as a member of a Gardnarian Coven, and has gathered many insights from a multitude of perspectives. Three, she is good. I mean really good. I have not just attended rituals with her, but have co-led and written rituals with her. She is not an armchair Witch. She can back up her talk with actions. She has a real flair for ritual, and a deep understanding of what she is doing and why she is doing it. I think this comes across in her book as well. As I admit, I am biased. But I will tell you this. It is rare that I have come across a book on Wicca that gets such a broad range of Wiccans, of all backgrounds and traditions, who praise it. I have heard only one or two opinions from people who really did not like this book. But I have heard dozens and dozens of people who just love it, and with good reason in my opinion. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ NEED PAGAN OR MAGICKAL SUPPLIES? Shop Paganshopping.Com via The Cauldron's Pagan Supplies Store http://www.ecauldron.com/esesf.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===== ===== Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft ===== reviewed by Randall ===== Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft (Second Edition by Raymond Buckland Published 2002 by Llewellyn ISBN: 0875420508 384 pages Trade Paperback http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0875420508 When Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft first appeared on bookstore shelves in the middle of the 1980s, it was snapped up by eager newbies and long time Pagans alike. At the time, it quickly became a staple: a book that everyone recommended to those new to Wicca. After 31 printings, Llewellyn replaced this old standby with a slightly revised second edition in 2002. The major change to the second edition is larger type. This may not sound like much, but the larger type and more consistent formatting make the second edition much easier to read. Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft lost some of its luster in the 1990s, unfortunately in this reviewer's opinion. The more traditional forms of Wicca (which Buckland teaches in this book) went out of style and were replaced by a more sanitized and politically correct form of Wicca. Worse, while Neo-Wiccan authors of the 1990s often sound like they are trying to be a cross between the reader's kindly mother and the reader's best friend and confidant, Raymond Buckland's reserved and slightly superior writing style makes it sound at times like the reader should be ever so grateful to him for writing this book. If you read the customer reviews at this book's page at Amazon.com, you will see that its more traditional Wiccan teachings are apparently offensive to many readers accustomed to the more sanitized and politically correct Neo-Wiccan teachings which became common in the early 1990s. Many reviewers there take the first edition of this book and its author to task for talking about traditional Wiccan things like skyclad rituals or the binding and symbolic scourging of initiates and for including a page or two on sex magick. Admittedly, this book is not perfect. It tries to cover far too much and therefore often ends up spending a few pages on material that deserves a book or two of its own -- in a few cases without taking the trouble to refer you to those extra books. The history of Wicca information in the first lesson is woefully out of date. Buckland gives the now pretty much discredited idea that modern Wicca is a direct survival a pre-Christian "Old Religion" instead of being mostly the invention of Gerald Gardner. Unfortunately, this section was not revised noticeably for the second edition. Also, Buckland still suggests using one of the better herbals "such as Culpeper's" Herbal. I don't know what Buckland was thinking on this point. While Culpeper can be an excellent source of info on the magickal uses of herbs, it is hundreds of years out of date on the safe medical uses of herbs. Nevertheless, Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft is an excellent beginner book for someone interested in traditional Wicca, especially if they are interested in practicing their religion as part of a circle or coven. There is information in here that is often not covered at all in today's more popular Neo-Wiccan beginner books. The wide variety of material covered in fifteen lessons is about what would be covered in a good traditional coven's first degree training program. This book also gives you a complete set of generic, but written along traditional Wiccan lines, coven rituals. While they aren't specifically for Buckland's Seax-Wica tradition, they are obviously designed to fit it with simple changes anyone who has a copy of the Seax-Wica Book of Shadows, The Tree, could make. This volume has one feature which might make it it worthwhile even for Neo-Wiccans who find traditional Wicca not to their taste. Those interested in making their own Wiccan-style working tools will find well-illustrated, clearly-written instructions in Lesson Three. Buckland is an excellent craft writer. I'd love to see a Pagan crafts book by Mr. Buckland. He writes this material well. Buckland describes the second edition changes in his introduction. The main change is the layout and arrangement of material -- which has improved the readability of the book greatly in this reviewer's opinion. Other changes include more pictures and illustrations, revised reading lists and revised information on Wiccan traditions. Buckland says he did not make major changes to the content as doing so would have been unfair to those who had purchased the first edition. Unfortunately, a few parts of this book (such as the history in the first lesson) really needed to be updated to include the results of more recent research. To Buckland's credit, however, he did not remove the small sections that so upset some in the Neo-Wiccan "political correctness" crowd. In summary, if you are looking for a good beginner book on more traditional Wicca and are willing to put up with Buckland's slightly reserved and superior attitude, you'll probably want to snap up the second edition of Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft. If you do not find traditional Wicca (with its emphasis on birth, sex, death, and both the light and dark side of the universe and life) to be your cup of tea, you'll probably want to pass on this volume. ===== ===== A WITCHES' BIBLE ===== Reviewed by Randall ===== A Witches' Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar Published 1996 by Phoenix Publishing ISBN: 0919345921 550 pages Trade Paperback http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0919345921 If you are tired of "Wicca 101" books aimed at the complete beginner (or worse, at "fluff bunnies"), the Farrar's A Witches' Bible might be the book for you. While some of the material seems dated and even slightly offensive in places (e.g. comments that imply there is really no place for homosexuals in Wicca), there is a wealth of information on the Alexandrian branch of British Traditional Wicca and the early history of Wicca in general. A Witches' Bible is really two books under one cover: Eight Sabbats for Witches and The Witches' Way. This is the chief problem with the book. There are two separate tables of contents and indexes. The page numbers start over from one in middle of the volume. Some information is duplicated between the two volumes included. This doesn't ruin the book, but it does make it much less convenient to use. Having to look stuff up in two separate indexes is a pain, for example. The first half of the book, originally published as Eight Sabbats for Witches, discusses each of the eight major Wiccan festivals in detail. The authors examine both the rituals in a fairly typical Gardner-derived Book of Shadows and how they fit into a wheel of the year cycle of myths. Like much of early Wiccan material, there is a somewhat embarrassing reliance on questionable source material such as Robert Graves' The White Goddess. This doesn't really ruin any of the rituals, it just calls into question some of the background material and theory. This first volume also covers in detail the opening and closing of circles, the Great Rite, and rituals for Wiccaning, handfasting, and death. The second half of the book, originally published as The Witches' Way, mainly consists of sixteen chapters on Wiccan beliefs such as reincarnation, ethics, healing, divination, magick, etc. as seen through the eyes of the Farrars. At times, some of these essays seem very dogmatic. There is useful knowledge and information in almost every one of them, even if you do not agree with all the positions the authors take. Approximately one-third of this second volume is ritual material, however, presented and explained with the same detail as the sabbats were in the first volume. You'll find initiation rituals for all three British Traditional Wiccan degrees, information on consecration rituals and various usual rituals. There's also an appendix by Doreen Valiente detailing her attempts to track down Gardner's "Old Dorothy" and the "New Forest Coven." If you are used to 1990's style Wicca 101 books, A Witches' Bible may come as something of a shock to you. It's not written in a "here's how to do this, run out and try it" style. It provides detailed information and opinion that you have to study and think about to get much out of. As one might expect from any form of British Tradition Wicca, its rituals are definitely aimed at group practice. You will not find solitary versions handed to you. With a bit of thought and effort, of course, many of the rituals presented could be adapted to solitary use. While all this material may sound dry and dull, the Farrars manage to make most of it quite interesting to read. If you are interested in the origin and history of Wicca, British Traditional Wicca, or are just tired of Wicca books obviously written so as to not strain the brain of the average "fluff- bunny," I can't recommend this book highly enough. I've had a copy of another publisher's printing for more than fifteen years. I've read it completely several times, and refer to it at least once month. If you are interested in Wicca and ready to move beyond all the "Wicca 101" books on the market, pick up a copy of A Witches' Bible as soon as you can. It's not perfect, but it is one of the few "Wicca 201" books on the market. Even if British Traditional Wicca doesn't really interest you, you'll learn a lot about Wicca by reading and studying this book. ===== ===== The Triumph of the Moon ===== Reviewed by Stryder ===== The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton Published 2000 by Oxford University Press ISBN: 0198207441 504 pages Trade Paperback http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0198207441 This is an outstanding and readable scholarly book on the history of Wicca (Modern Pagan Witchcraft) by a professional historian. Ronald Hutton, Professor of History at Bristol University, has previously authored two rather successful books on the pagan religions of the British Isles (The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles) and the origins of the English folk festival cycle (The Stations of the Sun). If you are familiar with Dr. Hutton’s previous books, you know that he argues rather convincingly that there was no unbroken survival of the pre- Christian religions of the British Isles up to modern times (17th -18th century). From this, he follows the various intellectual and artistic developments that formed the fertile ground that would spring forth Modern Pagan Witchcraft. The book is divided into two halves. The first half traces various threads that led to the formation of Wicca and other neo- Pagan religions in the twentieth century. The major groups that Dr. Hutton focuses on are Freemasonry (and other fraternal organizations spilt from or inspired by them), the pastoral language and poetry of the Romantic literary movement, 19th century study of folklore (Golden Bough, and theories of Great Neolithic Goddess Cult - note that Marija Gimbutas was hardly revolutionary in this area), and the predecessors of Leland and Murray who proposed that the early modern Witch Trials were related to a real religion of the witches. From there he looks more closely at authors that most likely directly influenced Gardner. These include Margaret Murray, Robert Graves, Charles Leland, Aleister Crowley, and Dion Fortune. Dr. Hutton's training in methodology for studying history really comes through in his section on Gerald Gardner. Hutton had access to a number of private documents (The Toronto papers made infamous in Aiden Kelly's book Crafting The Art Of Magic and numerous other personal collections in Great Britain) that made his analysis even more convincing. Hutton's premise is that Gardner entered retirement and quickly began looking for an outlet to his creative energies. After growing tired of archeology (his amateur work on the history and religion of Malaysia are still rather highly regarded by scholars) and volunteering for the war effort, he began studying the occult in earnest. After a failed attempt to revive the OTO in England (with Crowley's blessings) he began working on recreating the Witch religion outlined in Murray’s books. The early work involved a lot of syncretism of existing materials from Freemasonry, the Golden Dawn, the OTO, medieval grimoires, Romantic poetry, etc., but with a new twist. From there, the inspiration of Gardner and his followers soon took the new religion in totally new directions. From here, Hutton traces Wicca's jump "across the pond." He notes that a "new and improved" Wicca made the jump back across the pond to England in the early 1980's. Hutton notes that what was essentially a politically conservative religious movement (stressing a pre-Industrial "golden age," resistance to modernity, and a hint of nature conservation) came back as a liberal/progressive movement of feminist issues, progressive social policy, and self-help/group therapy. He freely admits that he doesn't have the resources or the knowledge to adequately catalog the development of Wicca and Paganism in the US, (and hints that he hopes scholars in the US will fill in the gaps), but he does chart some of the cross-pollination of Wicca with the feminist and ecology movements. He also looks at some of the work seminal writers in these areas such as Starhawk and Z. Budapest and examines their innovations to Wicca. Dr. Hutton also describes the work of other that have preceded him into this field, from Aiden Kelly and Margot Adler to Tanya Luhrmann and others, as well as their influences and the influences of their material on neo-Paganism as a whole. All in all, Hutton maintains a balanced and objective view of the history of Wicca, and always remains respectful of neo-Pagan beliefs. While I don't completely agree with all of his conclusions, I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in the actual history of Wicca and the underlying philosophical and artistic movements that are the parents of neo-Paganism in all its forms. Where Margot Adler simply reported on the state and direction of the neo-Pagan movement in the US as a journalist, Ronald Hutton offers a thoughtful and critical analysis of the origins of the neo-Pagan movement from a historian's perspective. This book is a definite four stars. ===== ===== MASTERING WITCHCRAFT ===== Reviewed by Randall ===== Mastering Witchcraft: A Practical Guide for Witches, Warlocks, and Covens by Paul Huson Published 1980 by Perigee ISBN: 0399504427 256 pages Trade Paperback http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0399504427 The year was 1970. I was 13 years old. I had picked up books on astrology and fortune telling as well as books like Zolar's The Encyclopedia of Ancient and Forbidden Knowledge. This was the first book on witchcraft I had ever seen. I bought a copy. My parents, used to seeing me regularly buy all sorts of strange books with my allowance and newspaper route money, didn't even bat an eye. This book, more than any other, is responsible for setting me on the path I'm on today. Mastering Witchcraft isn't really about Wicca. It is simply a fantastic introduction to Witchcraft as magick, with very little on the religious aspects. Unfortunately, this book has a poor reputation in some sections of the Pagan community because it teaches attack and control magick. Huson leaves the ethical decisions on whether or not to use such magick up to the reader. He usually warns of the possible dangers, but does not make the decision for the reader by leaving the material out or glossing over it as most other books seem to do. The first two chapters introduce the reader to magick and the magickal tools of a witch. The next four chapters contain more actual magick spells than most of the rest of my Pagan library combined. Divination magick, love and lust magick, countermagick and protection, and vengeance and attack magic each receive a long and detailed chapter. The final chapter is on forming a coven. If you are a Wiccan, you may want to avoid this book because of the many ethical problems you will have with it. If you aren't a Wiccan, have an interest in magick, and have the pocket change to buy it, I strongly suggest you pick up a copy. Even if you would never cast a love spell or an attack spell to flatten your enemies, you will probably find a good number of useful spells that you can add to your personal grimoire or book of shadows. I'm one of the people who believes that one's magickal education is not complete if you do not at least know how such things as love and attack spells work. For example, just reading the chapter on attack magick will make you better at defensive magicks as you will know far more about what you are defending against. In summary, Paul Huson's Mastering Witchcraft is a classic and useful text on low magick. If you have a good moral sense, I think it will make an excellent addition to your library. I just wish that it was still printed in hardback. [05] ========= ========= ARTICLES ========= ===== ===== LOOKING FOR A GROUP OR TEACHER? ===== DON'T CHECK YOUR BRAIN AT THE DOOR ===== by SanaCrow ===== There are a number of ways to "check out" groups and teachers -- what's difficult is getting the word out that looking for a group/teacher is a "buyer beware" situation. Too many people are so desperate for guidance that they don't really use the brain power that they would normally apply to a life-changing decision. One of my oft-repeated refrains is that the Gods ask a lot of us, but they never ask us to check our brains at the door. People spend weeks and months checking out what car to buy, or what appliances are most efficient -- why would they spend less effort on checking out their spiritual options? This is what I send out semi-regularly on local lists, and hand out at our open discussion groups to almost everyone who asks us for information: When looking for a group or teacher, there are tools to help sort out the good from the not-so-good... First and foremost, take the time to talk to a good cross-section of people in your community (both meatspace and online), from several groups and paths. Most are more than willing to discuss their experiences with teachers (and others in the area) and the reasons for the choices they have made. Talk to folks who have circled with (or posted with/hung out with online) and who have worked with those you are considering working with. Get lots of opinions of what teachers and leaders are well-trained, who knows their stuff, and why each person you talk to feels that way. Ask around the general community (and on boards like those at The Cauldron - http://www.ecauldron.net/ - and email lists like Witchwars - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WitchWars/ - at Yahoo Groups) to find out as much as possible about who is trusted, who isn't, and why. Keep a good touch on your instincts when you're dealing with each individual. Who sets off the little "I'm not sure about this" warning in the back of your mind? Who do you feel is trustworthy? What is their take on things? There are also a great number of tools on the web to help filter groups and leaders. Some of the most useful are: * The Seeker's Bill of Rights http://www.betwixt.org/AboutUs/seekers.htm * A Pagan Student's Bill of Rights and A Pagan Teacher's Bill of Rights http://www.wyrdweavers.org/files/bor.html * The Advanced Bonewits' Cult Danger Evaluation Frame http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html * The Coven Abuse Self-Help Index http://www.wyrdweavers.org/files/cashi.html There are many more useful links from these pages and sites, as well as good information and suggestions in the Seeker's pages at The Witches' Voice - http://www.witchvox.com/. (Look for the links at the very bottom of the front page.) The website at http://www.factnet.org/ also has a great deal of information about "cult" methods and tactics, and what the warning signs are of unhealthy groups and leaders. One more thing to keep in mind while looking around in the community, and while evaluating who you may want to work with, is that it is much easier to work with someone (and learn from them) if you not only respect them, but like them. Ask yourself if this is someone you would want to be like, and if you would want to relate to others, and to the greater community in the same way they do. We pick up much from our teachers and mentors as well as from those we associate with regularly. It is not always what we think we will pick up from them (or what we want to pick up from them) that ends up becoming a part of us. Make sure you are working with people you are not afraid to pick up attitudes, traits and mannerisms from. === === About the Author === SanaCrow is a traditional Wiccan and a longtime member of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ PAGAN FRIENDLY WEB HOSTING AT DREAMHOST http://www.ecauldron.com/web/zdreamhost.php Dreamhost offers high-quality, low cost web hosting with a dedication to free speech. Pagan sites are welcome! Read why we use Dreamhost for The Cauldron's web site: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/whydreamhost.php $9.95/Month Plan Features: 200 gigs web space -- 2000 gigs/month bandwidth -- 3000 email boxes (POP3/IMAP) -- 75 ftp/shell accounts -- host unlimited domains/subdomains -- php4, php5, cgi, fastcgi, ssi, zend optimizer, ruby on rails -- unlimited MySQL databases -- announcement lists -- discussion lists -- Jabber server -- Crontab and Shell access -- Web-based Control Panel -- One-Click installs of the Wordpress, PhpBB, and many more -- One FREE domain name -- 1 free domain name -- helpful tech support -- much more! Visit Dreamhost for Affordable, Pagan-Friendly Hosting http://www.ecauldron.com/web/zdreamhost.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===== ===== Scholarly Books and Lookalikes ===== by Jonobie Ford ===== A common problem in Neopaganism is that many people seem unclear on what constitutes a credible book. A "credible book" is one that makes believable and accurate statements about a particular field (often history, in Neopagan discussions). Typically, a credible book has the following features: * A bibliography that references works by other credible scholars (i.e., other people who are considered credible by the appropriate academic community). * Quotes, citations or summations of other scholars that correctly convey the original writer's meaning, instead of merely quoting out of context. * An implicit understanding of the idea that "exceptional claims require exceptional proof"; that is, any unusual claims are presented with significant support from other credible sources. * Acceptance in the academic community; at a minimum, the writer has convinced other academics that the majority of the findings were achieved using methods appropriate to the discipline. * A relatively recent publication date; while there are classics in every field, older books must be treated with extra caution and require specific checking with the academic community as to their relevance to the field today. Recognizing credible books requires that a reader be familiar enough with the subject matter to recognize outrageous claims and have some connection to an academic community that studies the field. People who have this knowledge and connection can usually quickly determine books that are not credible, merely by glancing through them. The problem is, this "look" is easy to fake by writers outside of the field. Newcomers or dabblers often know very little about the field being studied and aren't connected with any academic community. So a "lookalike" book can be easily produced by starting with a theory that "sounds good" and then writing about it and adding footnotes, references, and a bibliography. These three components give a book the trappings of a scholarly work, but do not, by themselves, mean anything about the book's accuracy. This becomes a problem when newcomers or dabblers begin discussing a claim from one of these lookalike books. In academically-minded lists and communities, the discussion quickly moves to a comparison of sources, often causing the discussion to become heated. Unfortunately, discussions of these two types of books at a high level (and their ability to support a particular claim) look as if each side is saying the same thing. Consider: * Each side says their book has approval of others. In case of the lookalike book, this approval is from other dabblers and "lookalike" writers, instead of the academic community that studies that field. For example, while one might be able to find a great deal of support for a book titled Aliens have landed and taken over the President!, serious support for the book won't be found among active scholars in the fields of political science, medicine, or astronomy. Credible books receive peer approval from other members of the appropriate academic community, not only from dabblers or the general public. * Each side says that their book has footnotes and references. In the case of the lookalike book, the references merely reference other lookalikes, and following the whole chain of references never puts the reader near a scholarly book. Unfortunately, it can take a significant amount of work to discover this fact and requires more time than most people want to invest. The credible book references other credible books or primary sources. * Each side claims that their book is true, because it is well-footnoted and has peer approval. This typically means that it looks, to the reader of the lookalike book, as if each side is saying the same thing, but the other group is magically claiming victory. The other side isn't magically claiming victory, but it's not worth the time of every enthusiast in the field to explain in detail exactly why every lookalike book that supports a particular flawed theory is really a lookalike book and not a credible book. This is a many-headed hydra, too, because of the high number of lookalike books that repeat information from other lookalike books. And so, the readers of lookalike books may leave, often still convinced that they're right and that people are picking on them. This isn't quickly fixed -- the best we can do is to keep encouraging a culture of scholarship within our community. An easy litmus test is to decide if a book is possibly credible as an academic source is to check where it's shelved in a bookstore. If it is filed under any of the "New Age" or "Spirituality" categories, chances are that any historical or scientific discussions in the book are seriously flawed. It's not that everything shelved under history or science is credible - one still needs to apply the standards above to check. However, it's usually the case that books in New Age or Spirituality sections are best kept for spiritual inspiration, not factual instruction. In the realms of facts, such books are best used as springboards for finding out what the facts are. As an analogy, consider a person discussing the truth of the statement "Wiccans worship the Devil." There are several sources of information about Wicca -- Wiccans, scholars writing about Wicca, but who aren't Wiccan themselves, and Chick Tracks. Someone wanting to argue that Wiccans worship the Christian Devil could cite Chick Tracks as support for their belief. Chick Tracks aren't completely misinformed. For example, they correctly attribute the pentagram as the religious symbol for Wiccans. But using Chick Tracks as a source of information means that unusual claims from that source should be treated with extreme caution, even if supported by other, similar, literature. To be believed, information from Chick Tracks needs to be corroborated with one or more of the other sources (Wiccans, or scholars who study Wiccans). One can possibly use Chick Tracks as a way to learn more about an area ("Chick Tracks say X is true; if I ask the Wiccans and scholars about that, do they agree?"), but they aren't useful for arguing that X is true. Lookalike books are typically as factually accurate as Chick Tracks are -- it's not that they can't be right, but rather, to determine the accuracy of their statements, the statements have to be evaluated against credible sources. Evaluating them against other lookalike books does no more to bolster the original claim than using one Chick Track statement to support another Chick Track statement. This is a serious issue. One of the problems with Paganism becoming mainstream is alarming number of people in the community who embrace flawed and sometimes laughable ideas about history or science -- ideas not limited to to the myth of an ancient religion of the Great Goddess. To outsiders and newcomers to our religions, this has the effect of us appearing, at best, to be ignorant. The claim that "Pagans are usually better-read and better-educated than the average person," is a common one in our community. Let's not make a lie of this statement by reading and perpetuating ridiculous notions from poorly researched books. Learning and teaching others to recognize credible books from "lookalike" books is a good first step. === === About the Author === Copyright © 2002 Jonobie Ford. All rights reserved. May be reposted for non-commerical use as long as the attribution and copyright notice are retained. Jonobie Ford is a former member of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. She welcomes feedback at jdbf@kence.org. Other writings by Jonobie Ford can be found at the web site Jonobie's Writings: http://jford.kence.org/religion. [06] ========= ========= FLAMEKEEPING ========= Wilderness and Chaos ========= by HeartShadow ========= HeartShadow is following her own religious path. She calls it FlameKeeping. This regular column will present articles on FlameKeeping, many taken from HeartShadow's FlameKeeping blog at: http://flamekeeping.blogspot.com/ ===== ===== Wilderness and Chaos ===== We live in a world of rigid order run by external forces. People seem to control us, telling us what we can and cannot do, when we can act and when we must wait. We feel forced to conform in every way, with sanctions for when we behave in some way other than what’s acceptable. So we find places that we feel are safer, places there are no humans to make us conform, and we romanticize them. Currently what we romanticize is the wilderness, a place of unimaginable potential and believed safety. However, this belief of nature as some kind of romantic safe place is incredibly incorrect and historically inaccurate. Our ancestors never worshipped the wilderness. Indeed, they feared it. The idea of worshipping nature as a being to be loved is a completely modern idea, and one usually done from the safety of civilization, or the ability to return to it quickly. Nature is harsh. When we rely upon the weather, we realize that the moods of the Earth can be quite deadly and are completely impersonal. The planet does not care if we live or die, if we eat of other being’s lives or feed the animals with our still-living body. We believe that we’re different, that we’re special to nature itself, but there’s no reason to believe that other than the conceit of viewpoint. We romanticize what is separate from us, what we see as pure. That doesn’t make it true. When we separate ourselves from our reality, and view nature as better than the world we actually live in, we lose a great chance to actually affect our own world. We’ve already written it off as impure, profane as opposed to sacred. And that which is profane is something which cannot be improved, only destroyed or hidden from. We deny our own nature when we deny the world we live in, when we try to recreate reality to degrade the world we live in. It cannot serve us, only cost us dearly. We must learn to accept the world of humanity as sacred as well as the world outside of ourselves, for truly, we are part of nature anyway. The dichotomy is false. === === Questions: === * Why do you think we try to separate ourselves and our world from the natural world? * Why is the Earth impersonal? Why do we believe otherwise? * What happens when we deny the sacredness of our own surroundings? [07] ========= ========= SOFTWARE GADGETS: THE COLUMN ========= Interesting Items From The Software Gadgets Blog ========= http://softwaregadgets.gridspace.net/ ========= The Software Gadgets Blog aims to present a different "software gadget" every weekday. A software gadget is a program or addon that is both interesting and useful -- and often free. This column highlights three of the programs listed recently. Many more were listed and you'll find more gadgets like these added every week at the Software Gadgets Blog at: http://softwaregadgets.gridspace.net/ ===== ===== ROCKETDOCK -- FREEWARE MAC-LIKE DESKTOP "DOCK" ===== Many Windows users seem to be jealous of the Mac desktop's "dock" -- a fancy desktop program launcher with icons that expand in size as you mouse over them. To be honest, it doesn't do much for me, but I seem to be a minority. There have been several attempts to duplicate the dock on Windows. RocketDock is the best attempt I've seen. It is skinable and supports skins made for its competition (Y'z Dock, Mobydock, and ObjectDock skins supported). It also supports some ObjectDock "Docklet" programs. Other features listed on the RocketDock web site include: * Unicode compliant * Simple drag-n-drop interface * True multi-monitor support * Supports alpha-blended PNG and ICO icons * Items zoom on mouse over * Auto-hide * Popup on mouse over * Layering options * Horizontal and Vertical offsets * Fully customizable * Runs great on slower computers * Supports many languages and can easily be translated If you are running Windows 2000 or better and would like to try a Mac-like "Dock" for your desktop, RocketDock is the one to try first. Rating: 4.0 Operating System: Windows 2000+ License: Freeware Price: Free Web Site: http://www.punksoftware.com/rocketdock ===== ===== ARTWEAVER -- PAINT WITH NATURAL MATERIALS ===== Artweaver is a powerful freeware paint program designed to let you paint on your computer as if you were painting with natural materials like chalk, pencils, etc. It's one of the more powerful freeware natural media painting programs out there, yet it is fairly easy to use. Artweaver features include: * Support of many different digital brushes e.g. chalk, charcoal, pencils... * A wide variety of adjustment settings to customize the default brushes or to create new brushes. * Standard image editing tools like gradient, crop, fill and selection tools. * Support for the most common file formats like AWD (Artweaver), BMP, GIF, JPEG, PCX, TGA, TIFF, PNG, and PSD (no layer support). * Transparency and Layers support. * Effect filters like sharpen, blur, emboss and mosaic. * Editable text layers. * Pen Tablet support for a realistic feeling. * History function to und/redo last editing steps. * Expandable by Plug-In modules (Artweaver Standard). * Support for many languages through language files. The program is only a 0.4 version as of this writing, but it is already quite useful -- and it should only get more useful in future versions. Rating: 4.0 Operating System: Windows 2000 or XP License: Freeware Price: Free Web Site: http://www.artweaver.de/index.php?artweaver_en ===== ===== FILEZILLA -- FREEWARE FTP/SFTP CLIENT ===== I've been using CuteFTP Pro for many years. I bought it back at version 3 when it was the cheapest worthwhile program that handled SFTP (secure FTP). As I had to have SFTP for my work, I could not use a freeware client as none available then did SFTP. CuteFTP Pro is now up to version 8. Version 7 did not impress me much and the changes in version 8 make me think the main reason it was released was to provide cash for GlobalSCAPE from those who feel they have to upgrade every program to the latest and greatest version just because a new version has been released. After deciding not to upgrade CuteFTP this time around either, I realized that I had not checked for freeware FTP/SFTP clients in years. I looked around and discovered that there were now several. FileZilla, an open source project quickly captured my attention. It looked to be a nice, modern FTP client that also handles SFTP and FTP over a SSL connection. I downloaded it yesterday and gave it a try. It does everything that I need and more. If it continues to do so after a week or two of regular use, my aging version of CuteFTP Pro will be coming off my hard drive. The main features of FileZilla as listed on the FileZilla web site are: * Ability to resume Uploads/Downloads (if the server supports it) * Custom Commands * Site Manager with folders * Keep Alive system * Timeout detection * Firewall support * SOCKS4/5 and HTTP1.1 Proxy support * SSL secured connections * SFTP support * Upload/Download Queue * Drag & Drop * Multi-language support * GSS authentication and encryption using Kerberos As I maintain several web sites, I've used it enough to know that it works well for everyday operations and actually seems to be a bit faster than my ancient version of CuteFTP Pro. Rating: 5.0 Operating System: Windows 2K, XP, or better License: Open Source (GNU License) Price: Free Version: 2.2.26a Web Site: http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/ [08] ========= ========= From the Spell Grimoire: ========= BOOK OF SHADOWS BLESSING ========= Preparation: At the time of the Full Moon, take your Book of Shadows (one that hasn't been written in yet) and some incense (pennyroyal, anise or rue) outside. Ritual: Under the light of the Full Moon, draw a pentagram on the first page and under this write the following information: date, time, place, your magical name (and sigil if you have one), the moon's phase and any other info you feel is important. Hold the book up to the Moon and say: Here as the Full Moon shines upon me, Bless this Book I've made tonight. I humbly ask this of thee, Underneath your most sacred light. === === About This Spell === This spell is taken from The Cauldron's Spell Grimoire, a collection of basic spells available on The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's web site. You'll find more spells at: http://www.ecauldron.com/spells/index.php [09] ========= ========= Pagan Webmaster: ========= IMAGE FORMATS AND WEB DESIGN: JPG, GIF, PNG, AND SVG ========= by Kevin C. ========= === === JPEG === The JPEG image format was developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group in the early 90s. JPEG images most often end with the file extension .jpg; although .jpeg, .JPEG, .JPG, .jpg, .jpe, .jfif, and .jfi are also used. JPEG is a lossy bitmap compression algorithm meant primarily for digital photos. Lossy means that when JPEG images are saved they are compressed to less than their original size, but this comes with a loss in quality. Generally when saving a JPEG, compression is defined in percentages, with 100% being the highest quality but biggest file size. As a rough guide, 95% to 85% is good for logos and images used in formatting. Images of people or landscapes can go down to as low as 65% without obviously noticeable artifacts on the image. For web designers JPEGs save space and load time, and offer a good general image format for digital photos and some logos. When using JPEGs you must be careful to avoid image degradation. If a JPEG is edited and then saved again as a JPEG, your image will have deteriorated in quality because it has been compressed twice. Sometimes in only two or three generations this can render the image unusable. It is always best to save your images in a lossless format, such as .png, .tiff, .raw, or .xcf, and then, when needed, save the file as a JPEG. JPEG is widely compatible on all modern browsers and one of the most used image formats on the web. === === GIF === The GIF format, or Graphics Interchange Format, was introduced in 1987 by CompuServe and is recognizable by the .gif file extension. It is a lossless bitmap compression format for color images and animation allowing the use of 256 colors out of a palette of 16 million. Lossless means that all of the information in the original image is kept in the saved GIF, although, because GIF only supports 256 colors it won't produce a perfect reproduction in images with more than that many colors. Today, GIF is used to display things like buttons and low/med- quality animation on websites. GIF is not recommended for use with photographs due to the 256 color limitation, although there are workarounds. GIF animated buttons and the like were once popular, now they are fading from use, particularly due to Flash and better taste. Notably, GIF supports transparency, allowing the use of on or off "see-through" effects with images. Currently, PNG and MNG are in the process of superseding the GIF image format. === === PNG === PNG is a bitmap image format with lossless image compression and uses the .png or .PNG file extension. PNG was developed as a license-free replacement to GIF, albeit without animation support. MNG, PNG's cousin, was developed to succeed GIF animation feature. PNG has more advanced transparency options than GIF, allowing a full range of transparency as shown in the picture below. However, Internet Explorer 6 does not support native alpha-channel transparency, however, in Windows Internet Explorer 7 this is remedied. As of now PNG is less well supported than GIF by modern browsers. For web designers PNG is useful for images with varied transparency and screenshots of applications and OSs. In most cases PNG files will be smaller than the same image encoded in GIF format. However, when compressing digital photos (ie. a picture of a field) the file size is often too large for most uses on the web. === === SVG === SVG, or Scalable Vector Graphics, is one of the most interesting, and potentially useful image formats today. Unlike the other formats here, SVG is a XML mark-up language for vector graphics. Vector graphics, according to Wikipedia, is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and polygons to represent images in computer graphics. Instead of having all of the information for each pixel in an image, as all of the prior image formats do, SVG defines things in these geometrical primitives. This means, when you increase the size of an SVG image, it always stays sharp, and never becomes pixilated. This can be quite useful for logos and other simple graphics, allowing for many different sizes of the same image to be used with no loss in quality. Also, SVG images typically have very small file sizes. As seen in the picture, SVG graphics are not photo-realistic. They also require different skills and, generally, different programs to create them. As for web design, SVG files are the dream for quality of images; unfortunately, Internet Explorer 6 and Safari both require plug- ins to view SVG files. Still, SVG images can be used as a lossless image used as the archive version, then converted into JPEG or PNG files for use on the web. There are many SVG images at the Open Clip Art Library which can be opened using The Gimp. === === About the Author === Kevin C. owns and operates Donutey's Web Design Tips (http://www.donutey.frihost.net/) where you can find the pictures mentioned in this article. [10] ========= ========= From the Cauldron Cookbook: ========= Cranberry Salad ========= submitted by Prickle ========= === Ingredients: 1 package lemon gelatin 1 cup water 2 oranges 2 cups cranberries 2 cups sugar === Procedures: Dissolve 1 package lemon gelatin in 1 cup boiling water. Cool. Then add 2 oranges and 2 cups raw cranberries that have been put through a grinder. Stir in 2 cups of sugar and pour into a ring mold. Refrigerate until set. === Comments: My grandmother used raspberry Jello and 2 tart apples instead of oranges and she put it in a flat pan. She also added walnuts (which I’m not a fan of). === === About This Recipe === This recipe is taken from the Cauldron Cookbook, a growing collection of recipes submitted by members of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. You'll find more recipes at: http://www.ecauldron.com/cookbook/index.php [11] ========= ========= 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/mb/ ===== ===== 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/bnbarticleform.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/bnbbkreviewform.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/zamazon.php If you are a regular user of the US version of Amazon, you can help The Cauldron by replacing the URL of your ebay bookmark in your browser with the above link so that TC gets credit every time you visit Amazon.com. To do this in Internet Explorer or Firefox, find Amazon in your bookmark list. RIGHT click on it and select Properties from the popup menu which will appear. A dialog box describing your bookmark will appear. You'll see the standard Amazon url -- probably http://www.amazon.com/ -- in an edit box (labeled "Location" in FireFox and "URL" in IE). Erase that url completely and replace with one listed above, then click on OK. If you use Amazon UK, you can use this address http://www.ecauldron.com/zamazonuk.php If you use Amazon Canada, you can use this addess: http://www.ecauldron.com/zamazonca.php ===== ===== Ebay Purchases ===== Are you an Ebay user? Ebay has a new program that pays affiliates a small percent of the winning bid if the winning bidder enters ebay from an affiliate link (some like how our Amazon.com affiliate program works). So if you visit the US version ebay via the following link, the Cauldron will get credit for your bids: http://www.ecauldron.com/zebay.php If you are a regular user of the US version of ebay, you can help The Cauldron by replacing the URL of your ebay bookmark in your browser with the above link so that TC gets credit every time you visit ebay. To do this in Internet Explorer or Firefox, find ebay in your bookmark list. RIGHT click on it and select Properties from the popup menu which will appear. A dialog box describing your bookmark will appear. You'll see the standard ebay url -- probably http://www.ebay.com/ -- in an edit box (labeled "Location" in FireFox and "URL" in IE). Erase that url completely and replace with one listed above, then click on OK. ===== ===== 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.) [12] ========= ========= 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) 2006 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. If you need to change your subscription to a new email address, unsubscribe your old email address and subscribe your new email address. Note that you have to make these changes yourself. Yahoo Groups does not allow the list owner to make them for you. ===== ===== NEWSLETTER WEB SITE AND BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE ===== The Cauldron and Candle web site contains information on this newsletter and an archive of back issues. http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/ ===== ===== PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO SUBSCRIBE ===== If you have Pagan friends who you believe would be interested in Cauldron and Candle please invite them to subscribe. You can either drop them a note yourself or -- better yet -- send them one of The Cauldron's email postcards with the information. You are also welcome to forward a copies of this newsletter to interested friends and associates provided you forward the entire newsletter. ===== ===== 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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