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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #85 -- July 2007 A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum website: http://www.ecauldron.com/ message board: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/ 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: Better Late Than Never II [01] Cauldron News * HeartShadow Now Acting Message Board Coordinator * New Standard Pagan Symbol Avatars Available [02] Interesting Recent Cauldron Discussions * Magic Without Religion? * Magick for "Sale"? * Simplicity * Akashic Records? * Do Tarot Decks become Entities? * One Type of Divination Superior? * Are Young Children More "Connected"? * Summoning Unfamiliar Entities? * What Religious Book Has Influenced You The Most? * Correspondance: Subjective or Objective? [03] Articles * How to Keep Your Coven from Being Destroyed: Part V * A Brief History of Weirdness and The Cauldron * Reading Tarot Cards - An Introduction * Review: The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures * Review: Ritual Magic of the Golden Dawn * Review: The Tarot Bible * Review: Greek Gods in Love [04] Flamekeeping: Divine Relations [05] Software Gadgets: The Column * TiddlyWiki -- Local Wiki * FilterFox -- Free Content Filter for Firefox * Urban Terror 4 [06] Grimoire: The Well of Forgiveness [07] Recipe: Bundt Cake Bread [08] Support The Cauldron [09] 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 July 2007 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. It's July. In fact, it is right in the middle of July. We are very late again -- just like last month. With any luck will we be a bit more on time next month. I'd like to welcome a new staff member to this newsletter. Moon Iny has volunteered to be our "Acquisitions Editor." Thids means she is in charge of hitting people up for articles. Most of the time, this means that if you write an interesting "article-like" post on our message board, Moon Ivy will be sending you a PM or email asking if we could use it in this newsletter. This means you should be seeing more articles from Cauldron members -- starting this issue! We hope you enjoy them. 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 ========= ===== ===== HEARTSHADOW NOW ACTING MESSAGE BOARD COORDINATOR ===== As you may know, Star is expecting her first child in mid-August. Because of this, she will be stepping back from her duties as Message Board Coordinator temporarily until after the baby is born and life settles back down a little. For the time being, she will be moving to Reserve Staff. Effective immediately, HeartShadow will be assuming Acting Message Board Coordinator duties, with Ocelot helping her out in his new position as Assistant Message Board Coordinator. LyricFox and I would like to thank Star for all her hard work and wish her a safe delivery of a healthy and happy baby about a month or so from now. ===== ===== Cauldron Message Board Info: ===== NEW STANDARD PAGAN SYMBOL AVATARS AVAILABLE ===== We've added A new collection of standard avatars (that is, those available to all members): 50 or 60 Pagan-related symbols. This is a slightly edited version of a set uploaded to the SMF mod site. I removed a few images I considered inappropriate for this site (a few that were used by the Nazis in some form and a couple I just did not like). You will find these in the "PaganSymbols" set in the avatar selection area of your profile. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ PAGAN-FRIENDLY WEB HOSTING 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 * 150 gigabytes web space * 1500 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. ===== ===== Magic Without Religion? ===== I've been wanting to start using magic for quite a while now, but everything I find is so deeply entrenched with a religion or religious set of standards that I just don't get into it. Mostly I'm finding Wiccan or Wiccan-esque magic and rituals... My question is, how can I find magic that is religion-neutral (as much as possible) so that I can just do the magic? I don't want some rule or oath that I don't agree with as part of my religion hanging over my head while I essentially use a skill. My Google- fu is not enough. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=1745.0 ===== ===== Magick for "Sale"? ===== I'm not talking about the tarot shop that you drive by every day or the place where you buy your incense. I am talking about the seemingly endless supply of "enchanted" rings/necklaces/dolls/etc... that is all over eBay and other places on the Internet. I remember when the whole "selling haunted things on eBay" was a new craze, but to me this seems like a whole different level. I am talking about the countless items listed every day on eBay that are supposedly bound with spirits, demons, djinn, or magick powers. Obviously there are a lot of snake oil salesman and that is to be expected. But more and more I see sellers who have created a veritable BUSINESS of selling things that are imbued with magickal powers, and somehow, most of them have a pretty respectable feedback rating. I'm not just talking about the eerie looking doll someone finds in their garage and lists as haunted, I am talking about people who are listing all sorts of amulets/talismans/rings for certain purposes or to "control royal djinn" or something similar. To me, this says one of two things. One, eBay (or the Internet in general) is filled with people looking for a miracle and desperate to try anything. People who will buy one of these items and think that they are experiencing something when in reality there is nothing going on. Or two, there are some practitioners of various magickal paths who are running some sort of assembly- line chop shop just putting spells and binding spirits to every little trinket they can find. Personally, I wonder if it is a bit of both But I really wonder what kind of karmic repercussions these purveyors of magick trinkets are raking up (if any)... Karma aside, you would think that whatever spirits, deities, etc. these people are dealing with would be able to stand up and realize the blatant abuse of knowledge and act accordingly. But there's a never-ending stream of these items and happy buyers all over the place. Of a different ilk, there are people who are more than happy to sell you a magick working that they and their "coven" or magick group of friends will do just for you, once you send them a hundred dollars through PayPal. I'm not surprised at how rampant the buying and selling has become, rather, I can't believe how many people are buying into this, not thinking they were conned, and becoming repeat customers. I will be the first to say that I am not experienced in magick at all, I am just getting acquainted to the ritual side of Wicca like the Sabbats. But every thing I've read, from fluff- bunny Wicca books to serious magick texts I've seen online make a couple things very clear... That being that magick is much more powerful when worked by YOURSELF and also that it is rarely given with "no strings attached." How then, is all of this working (or isn't it) Any thoughts on this? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=1718.0 ===== ===== Simplicity ===== A simple question to ponder.... What little occurrences have or still do reinstill your faith every day? I thought it would be nice to have a smile and share something that is meaningful to each of us. I'd say every time I see a newborn baby smile, when I can smell the rain before it hits the pavement, when I look into someones eyes and just feel this amazing connection with them, the tingling feeling I get when I read Tarot, the feeling of service when I help someone/ an animal out, when I feel dew on my toes when I walk barefoot out at my mothers house, but especially when i look up at the sky and immediately smile...without knowing quite why. Just to name a few. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=1686.0 ===== ===== Akashic Records? ===== Has anyone heard of those? According to Edgar Cayce, the Akashic Records are huge database that exists on the astral plane, which apparently contains information about everyone and all of their lives and accomplishments,including people who have yet to live. Has anyone ever accessed these? Can you explain your experience? Or for that matter, what are everyones thoughts on the topic to begin with? I have found it fascinating and want to know more. Me and astral travel don't mesh well,lol... so any information would be helpful. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=1687.0 ===== ===== Do Tarot Decks become Entities? ===== I've been wondering when you ask a tarot deck a question does it really answer you, or is it just a tool you are subconsciously using to answer your own question? It strange but after a while of using cards I feel like I'm praying to a "Tarot God" or something. My decks seem to have their own personality after I?ve bonded to them. Does the bonding process of putting your personal energy in to the cards actually then makes them an entity or just a personally synchronized tool? Any thoughts on the matter? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=1649.0 ===== ===== One Type of Divination Superior? ===== What makes one form of divination better than another? F'ex, I've seen/heard a lot of disparaging of ouiji boards over the past few years, but tarot decks, runes and pendulums seem to be viewed as not only legitimate, but also superior forms of divination. I'm curious, why is that? Is it because there's more history to them? Or are they just popular? Maybe it's because they're more portable? (It is pretty hard to hide an ouiji board!) * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=1643.0 ===== ===== Are Young Children More "Connected"? ===== I'm mostly here today because of several things that have happened over the past couple of years with my daughter (now 4 years old) and her apparent (perhaps) connectedness to something that I've either never had or have lost with age and upbringing. So, of course, it's no surprise that children have a much larger capasity to imagine and make up things, and I'm confident that 99% of what flows from my daughter is nothing more than her ability to imagine herself somewhere doing something and not actual spiritual connection of some kind. It's the 1% that has shocked me to the core on more than one occasion that brings me here, out of convenient and clean atheism. And my question is if you think that children in general stand closer to Spirit than adults do? And if you think they do, how do you (as a parent or teacher) go about retaining that closeness as the child ages? And maybe some other day I'll ask about how an adult who's lost nearly all of whatever connection they might have possessed gets theirs back. I'm hoping it's more of a flowing process instead of a fight. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=1597.0 ===== ===== Summoning Unfamiliar Entities? ===== Let's discuss summoning unfamiliar or unknown entities (demons, angels, spirits, fairies, etc) for the purposes of doing our bidding. I don't mean calling on deities for assistance or invoking the help of an entity known or familiar to you. I'm talking demanding the presence of something which you have no personal experience with ("I read about xxx in a book, so I think I'll try summoning it for help" type of thing). So where do you weigh in on the subject? Good idea or bad idea? Do you or would you do it? Why or why not? Secondly, for those who have summoned (or plan to summon) unknown entities: What, if any, ethical rules would you apply in doing so? What limitations or boundaries do you set for yourself (I will summon x but not y, etc)? What is your attitude toward the entity being summoned? What made you decide to summon something rather than using an alternative method to accomplish what needed to be done? Let's talk... I know there are at least a couple of people with strong opinions on the subject. Here's your chance to express them! * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=1551.0 ===== ===== What Religious Book Has Influenced You The Most? ===== What religious book(s) have you read that have really influenced the way you think about religion? I love to know what other people have read. I would have to say Wicca For the Solitary Practicioner, The Spiral Dance and Why I am not a Christian. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=1467.0 ===== ===== Correspondance: Subjective or Objective? ===== It doesn't matter what it is - color, scent, herbs, whatever - it has a correspondence. I've seen so many lists of what certain colors mean that I've noticed they rarely agree on the finer points. I've started my own list of what colors bring to my mind, and I'm finding it to be very, very different from the lists I've found online and in books. It's made me wonder, are these correspondences subjective or objective? If I were to do a spell for courage, should I use the general agreed-upon color of red or my personal color of orange? Would that even affect the spell at all? Or does the color even matter if the intent is the same? If that were the case, then I could just as easily use a white candle for every spell, regardless of correspondence. (Which would be far easier - it's hard to find colored, unscented candles!) I'm curious for opinions. Does using a specific color for a specific purpose matter in a spell? Or is it simply a subjective thing that can vary wildly from person to person? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=1398.0 [03] ========= ========= ARTICLES ========= ===== ===== HOW TO KEEP YOUR COVEN FROM BEING DESTROYED ===== Part 5 (of 7): Trools in Groups ===== by Eran ===== This series explores how to deal with destructive people within your Coven or Pagan group. There is a class of people who are driven to tear down things which others have built, usually by making unfair and unreasonable attacks on those in leadership positions. I've called these people "trolls", making use of the very powerful and very old European image of forces which are destructive and chaotic - yet easily outwitted, if you know a little about their habits. Previous installments of this series have given hints and techniques for identifying trolls, warning signs to watch for and ways to recognize the sort of person who is going to thrive on causing you trouble. The basic technique in dealing with trolls is to simply get rid of them. Trolls who ask for membership in your Coven should be firmly turned away. A troll who stays disguised long enough to become a Coven member should be told to leave once unmasked. Handling trolls can be uncomplicated, if done early enough, because in a Coven, the Coven Leaders have the unquestioned authority to take action. But trolls can find their way into larger Pagan organizations, where the authority is more diffuse, and where there are procedures and red tape. Trolls also delight in throwing hand grenades into conversations in a magazine's letters-to-the-editor column, or on Internet newsgroups or e-mail lists, where it may be impossible to easily get rid of them. There is also the question of how to handle trolls on a Tradition-wide basis, or within the large and growing Pagan community as a whole; what's to prevent a troll from simply going down the street and mucking up the Coven next door? This installment will talk about dealing with trolls in Pagan organizations. The next one will have a discussion of online trolls and some suggestions for community networking. Even if you're not a member of a large Pagan organization, some of the information here might be useful, for it describes principles which can be applied to other situations as well. Any data about how a troll is likely to act - or about how to effectively react to a troll - can wind up being valuable elsewhere. === === An Organizational Procedure === The following bits of advice are based on real-life cases, examples taken from observing actual Pagan organizations trying to deal with trolls - and, usually, failing. Be warned; these things really do happen. By far the most important and useful way to deal with trolls is to insure the organization's members understand the issues and know what to look for. Have workshops and discussions on trollspotting and trollhandling. Perhaps run an annual refresher course on the subject. You want the organization's members to recognize trolls and trollish scams. If and when a troll gets in and starts operating, you want the critter to be recognized. But, education, while necessary, is not enough. You also need ways to handle the things. Before you join or start up any Pagan organization larger than a single Coven, be certain there's a procedure for handling ethics violations. Sooner or later, a troll will target someone in your Pagan organization. You will need a way to deal with it. If you don't have a procedure, you're really asking for trouble. In one national organization, a troll managed to get elected to high office; as one of the troll's first official actions, the organization's rules for handling ethics complaints were repealed. The organization was utterly destroyed and dissolved within six months. You must have rules and procedures for ejecting people for defamation of character, for unethical activities inconsistent with the goals of the organization, and for violation of the organization's rules. The organization must be willing to exercise those provisions, and to actually eject people who really need it. Any system for handling complaints must include safeguards, because trolls are very good at manipulating rules. In addition to having procedures which allow you to kick a troll out, you also needs shields to prevent trolls for abusing those very procedures. Trolls have two common ways of manipulating the complaint process. The first way is to foul up the process when a complaint is filed against them. The second is to abuse the process by filing a complaint themselves, against someone they wish to target. Any process for dealing with complaints against an organization's members has to take both of these possibilities into account. In most cases, a complaint will be filed by someone who feels he or she has been harmed by the person named in the complaint. Emotions are bound to run high, and trolls will do their best to play on those emotions, regardless of which side of the matter they're on. This is why any procedure must have strict rules, carefully followed, and enforced almost mechanically: strict procedures are harder to manipulate. So make sure your complaint process takes all this into account. Here is an example of a complaint process which should work pretty well; adapt it to your organization's needs: 1) Filing. A member of the organization may file a written ethics complaint against another member. The complaint must state what specific actions are being complained about, and must provide details (what exactly happened, where, when, who was present, and so on). The complaint must also include a brief explanation of why the particular action should be of concern to the organization. 2) Preliminary hearing. The complaint is given a preliminary hearing by the organization's governing board. The board needs to determine whether the complained-about action really does represent a violation of the organization's ethics rules, and whether the accuser has provided or can provide reasonable evidence or testimony showing events to have actually occurred as described. If the complaint does not describe unethical actions, or if the accusations appear to be unsupportable, the complaint is dismissed. Otherwise: 3) Presentation and response. A small panel (three or four people) is appointed to process the complaint. This panel is charged with delivering a copy of the complaint to the person accused, and then obtaining a written response from that person, within a firm and set time frame. Thirty days is a good maximum period to give the panel to do its work. During this time, other written testimony or documentation can also be provided to the panel by either party, subject to the Rules of Evidence (which are discussed below). 4) Delivery. If the person accused refuses to submit a reply within the allotted time, the complaint is declared "proven by default". Otherwise, at the end of that time, all of the written evidence is distributed to the organization's governing board. The board is given a specified period - two weeks is probably sufficient - to read and become familiar with the evidence. 5) Consideration and resolution. At the next regularly-scheduled meeting of the organization's governing board, the complaint is considered in detail. Both sides may present witnesses and additional testimony, subject again to the Rules of Evidence. If the accused refuses to participate, the complaint is declared "proven by default". Otherwise, the board takes a vote (according to whatever voting procedures the organization uses) to determine whether the complaint has been proven. === === Rules of Evidence === Trolls love to distract complaint procedures by bringing in all kinds of irrelevant details or imagined slights from months - or years - before. Don't let this happen. The panel processing the complaint should accept all written testimony presented to it, but should declare irrelevant anything which doesn't directly apply to the matters dealt with in the complaint. Any testimony deemed irrelevant should afterwards be made available to the governing board, to insure nothing was withheld improperly. When oral testimony is presented to the governing board, there should be a chairperson who is empowered to rule evidence to be improper or inadmissible. There are five important areas to watch for: * Focus. Both written and oral testimony must pertain to the actual matters dealt with in the complaint. Don't allow unrelated bitching to distract you from the matter at hand. * Verification. Hearsay and unnamed sources are disallowed. In general, limit a person's testimony to things which that person actually saw or participated in. It's okay for a witness to describe things he or she was told; but be sure to find out who did the telling, and verify it with the person named. Trolls love to invent tales like, "Well, someone told me Zelda did this and that; no, I can't say who told me about it, because I promised to keep their name in confidence." If a witness is unwilling to provide the source of testimony, then the testimony itself should be disallowed. * Specificity. Insist on examples and specifics. If a witness says, "Edgar was mean and hurtful," demand specific examples of Edgar being mean and hurtful - if it's relevant to the complaint. If not, ignore it. If there are no details to be had, such statements are meaningless and inadmissible. * Manipulation. Whether accusing someone else, or defending themselves, trolls appeal almost exclusively to emotion, and will do everything they can to get you angry at the other party. Disallow attempts at emotional manipulation. Concentrate on what really happened. * Attacks. When accused of wrongdoing, trolls will frequently respond with an counterassault upon their accusers, charging senseless malice or spite or jealousy. Trolls have even been known to use the existence of the complaint itself as evidence of malice against them! Don't fall for this sort of ploy. Simple name-calling is also disallowed; trolls like to defend themselves by insisting the accusers are just being petty or "mean-spirited," or characterizing the other party with violent and ugly labels. Pagan trolls love to invent charges of "One- True-Wayism", and to compare others to Inquisitors. Ignore that nonsense. All of these ploys are used to hide the fact that the person using them really has nothing tangible or reasonable to say. They are all simple manipulation. If either the accuser or the person accused insists on violating these rules repeatedly, it should weigh heavily against them in a determination of the believability of their position. === === Commentary on Procedure === This commentary is numbered in parallel to the steps in the procedure above. 1) Filing. Ethics complaints are always a bit problematic. They are often very subtle things; they seldom involve obvious or direct violation of an organization's rules or procedures. Ethics can also be individual, and an act which one person considers to be unethical may be seen as reasonable by someone else. Things which one organization might consider unethical might not be seen as unethical by some other organization. In the heat of the moment, someone may feel wronged, but may really need just to calm down. There even are occasional misunderstandings which get blown out of proportion. On the other hand, genuine unethical acts should not be tolerated, particularly not by a spiritual or religious organization. All this is why a complaint must describe specific actions in detail, and why an explanation must be provided for why the organization should consider the complaint at all. The organization's constitution and bylaws should list some general guidelines and examples of actions it will not tolerate, and it should also make plain that the guidelines and examples are not exhaustive. 2) Preliminary hearing. The complaint must be about actions, not motivations. Trolls will accuse other people of doing something which is really pretty reasonable, but for ugly or sinister motives, and then they'll expect others to be upset about those bad motives. But if an act is not unethical in and of itself, then it's not unethical. And unless a person can prove infallible psychic powers, any intimation of someone else's state of mind (i.e., motive) is irrelevant. As examples: One troll complained about being kicked out of a Coven, alleging all manner of petty or ugly motivations on the part of the Coven Leaders. Another troll bitterly complained about not having been given some of a tradition's written material, and claimed this was done merely because the Coven Leaders disliked her. Yet Coven Leaders are, in fact, empowered (even required!) to make exactly these sorts of decisions. Ejecting someone from a Coven is not an ethics offense, and neither is handing out or refusing to distribute a Tradition's private material. Trolls have viciously criticized other people for the way they said "good morning," or for the kind of birthday parties they throw. If the act specified in a complaint is not, in itself, a violation of the organization's ethics guidelines, then the complaint should be dismissed as being frivolous. Don't try to crawl into anyone's head to determine motive, and don't let an alleged motive be the basis for an ethics violation. 3) Presentation and response. Make sure there is more than one person involved in handling and processing ethics complaints. If this responsibility falls upon one person alone, that person will be targeted for a troll's manipulative schemes. Picture this scenario: Zelda realizes Edgar has been spreading false rumors and otherwise engaging in generally destructive behavior. So Zelda files a complaint, and Fred is the person appointed to do the paperwork and such. Edgar immediately cozies up to Fred, and insists Zelda's charges are founded merely on petty personal disagreements. In order to protect poor Edgar, Fred loses the paperwork and manages to stall the process in every way he can. Meanwhile, Edgar continues his behind-the-scenes attack on Zelda. More than one Pagan organization has been torn apart under circumstances like this. Once they've taken sides, people processing complaints have been known to edit, distort, withhold, or solicit evidence in order to prove or disprove the claims of one side or the other. Some of these dangers can be lessened by having a small group of people - three or four, beyond that it gets clumsy - who are jointly responsible for making sure the complaint process proceeds properly. They can each serve as reality checks for the others. The responsibilities of this small panel must be carefully defined and limited. They should have particular dates by which complaints and responses must be filed, and they must operate in the open with no hidden agendas or secret investigations. If given too free a hand, they will be too easily distracted from their duties. If the panel does not perform its duties properly and in a timely manner, there should be stiff consequences for the panel members, such as immediate and automatic revocation of organizational membership. 4) Delivery. Someone accused of an ethics violation should not be allowed to stall the process merely by refusing to cooperate. Trolls are good at coming up with reasons why they can't attend meetings, or don't have time to respond. Don't let this slow things down. Organizations have been known to grind to a halt under this kind of manipulation. Now, if a complaint is filed by a troll, the target may want to refuse, on principle, to grace it with a response; but if the processing panel keeps things calm and steady, there's no need for such a drastic reaction. Of course, someone can choose to resign from the organization rather than respond to a complaint, in which case the matter would be dropped. But if a response is simply not forthcoming - even if excuses are made - the governing board should assume the worst, and unceremoniously revoke the membership of the person named in the complaint. (There may be exceptions to this, but they'd have to be pretty extreme - such as if the person is in a coma.) 5) Consideration and resolution. Detailed consideration of the complaint should take place at a regularly-scheduled meeting. This makes it harder to manipulate the process by holding special sessions in which one party or the other is excluded. It eliminates excuses about either party not knowing when or where the meeting was going to take place, or not having sufficient warning. It avoids the atmosphere of panic and emergency which will always accompany special sessions and emergency meetings. You want the whole process to be carried out very matter-of-factly, which makes it harder for a troll to play on the emotions of the participants. In determining whether the complaint has been proven, rely on the believability of the evidence and the credibility of the sources. Remember: you're not going to be incarcerating anyone, or depriving anyone of life, limb, or property. At most, the organization will be able to restrict someone's membership benefits, or curtail someone's membership in the organization. This is not the end of the world, so don't be afraid to exercise these options if the complaint seems to be reasonably proven. Frequently, a complaint of this type will come down to the word of one person (or small group) against that of another. Ask yourself: whose story seems to hold together best? Who gains by lying? The stories trolls tell will frequently seem to be missing something, or to not quite make sense. Actions will be alleged all out of proportion to the supposed provocation. One dispute revolved around the claim of Person "A" that Person "B" had provided an Initiation of a specific type several years before. "B" denied having done so. "A" insisted "B" was just mad about an argument they'd had involving literary preferences. Who's telling the truth here? It's not clear why anyone would believe "A's" story; "B" has nothing to lose either way, whereas "A's" version is classic trollish misdirection into motive rather than action, and a classic trollish tale where the supposed motivation has no reasonable relationship to the alleged actions, or to the real issues. Generally, an organization will want to have both more and less severe consequences depending on the nature and seriousness of the unethical actions, beginning with a restriction of privileges, up to and including revocation of membership. If a complaint is considered to have been proven, it may be desirable to have a second vote to determine the seriousness of the response. But trolls have been known to foul up this process as well, so be certain there is a minimum level of consequence in the case of a "guilty" verdict. Even if found guilty, a troll can sometimes walk away with no consequences whatever, merely by preventing a final vote. So the default action should be ejection from the organization; votes should provide lesser levels of sanction (but never should reduce the sanction to zero). That way, there is no incentive for a troll to interfere with or to postpone this vote. Finally, after all is said and done, the governing board should examine any evidence which the processing panel had ruled to be irrelevant. If anything improper is found in the panel's rulings, the board's decision can be reconsidered. This holds true in general as well; if more information on the matter later becomes available, the decision can be rescinded. That's the nice thing about not depriving anyone of life or limb; any errors made can actually be corrected. So don't be afraid to proceed, and don't hesitate to take the actions which seem to be necessary and appropriate. === === Trollish Strategies === When a troll files an ethics complaint, it's usually baseless, unsupported by evidence, irrelevant to the organization and its purposes, or centered around the imagined motives of the complaint's target. That's why the suggested procedure includes a way of considering the appropriateness of a complaint before the process itself gets started, so frivolous complaints can be dismissed (and, from then on, the person who filed such a complaint should be watched for further signs of trollhood). In considering any complaint, carefully distinguish between non- issues and genuine ethics violations. Trolls are very good at making other people's most innocent actions or decisions seem scandalous and sinister. Examine behavior, not alleged motives. If an alleged act itself is not an ethics violation, then it's not a valid complaint. But in general, trolls are not really very likely to file ethics complaints, because if you demand evidence, it is usually difficult to prove someone committed an unethical act if they didn't really commit one. Trolls, however, do have imaginative ways of defending themselves from ethics charges made against them. The two most common methods are to countercharge simple malice on the part of the accuser, or to play with the rules for processing ethics complaints. When a complaint is filed against a troll, the troll's initial reaction will probably be to insist the complaint was filed just because the accuser is "mean." In most cases, an ethics charge against a troll will be made by a person the troll has been targeting with rumors and innuendo, someone the troll has been attacking for several months already. Thus, the troll will have no shortage of examples of the accuser doing or saying things the troll objected to, even things the troll had to make up. Almost invariably, the troll will insist the complaint was made because of some silly personal disagreement, and will try to present the whole thing as a manifestation of the accuser's malice and pettiness. Don't be distracted by this detour into motivation. The real issue is the alleged unethical actions on the part of the person accused. Unethical acts are still unethical, even if the accuser is supposed to be making an accusation for the wrong reasons. Be sure to stick to the timetables and procedures which are established for dealing with complaints. Carefully-constructed procedures and an atmosphere of impartiality will go a long way toward protecting everyone. Don't allow a troll to call special sessions, postpone meetings, instigate investigations into the motives of the other party, or interfere with other business of the organization while the complaint is being processed. In one case, a troll responded to a complaint by making a violent series of threats and demands, and submitting voluminous innuendoes and slanders against the accuser. Such violent and angry reactions and attempts to derail the process should set off alarm bells indicating the presence of a particularly nasty troll; the processing panel should insist all the more on following the established procedures. (This is one sort of case, by the way, in which testimony which is irrelevant to the complaint itself should actually be considered - though not in the way the troll intends. Threats, demands, slander, and name-calling should be taken as evidence of further unethical actions on the part of the person making them. After all, such things are usually considered unethical, no? Indeed, a reaction like this is itself a rather blatant ethics violation, and it provides its own ironclad proof. Anyone so abusing the testimony process should immediately be ejected from the organization without appeal.) Sometimes, a well-meaning person will insist it'd be too cruel to eject someone. Shouldn't we just forgive and forget? Shouldn't we move past this petty bickering and get on to What We're Really Here For? Indeed we should; but we needn't allow trolls to damage us while we do it. The whole point is to treat everyone in ways appropriate to who and what they are. Though it may be cruel to refuse to tolerate the presence of a rabid mongoose in your house - particularly in the middle of winter - letting it stay would be even more damaging to yourself and to your loved ones. The Rede's injunction to "Harm None" includes you. If you allow a troll to remain within your organization, unchecked, you'll have to devote increasing amounts of time to cleaning up after the darn thing, which will most certainly interfere with What We're Really Here For. === About the Author Copyright (c) 2002 David Petterson May be recirculated as long as this information is included ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ 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: 160 gigs web space -- 1600 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 +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===== ===== A BRIEF HISTORY OF WEIRDNESS AND THE CAULDRON ===== by Everfool ===== A friend of mine has a saying: "never underestimate human stupidity." I have come to the conclusion that the general strangeness of people should not be underestimated either. Unfortunately, each time I think I have become used to what people are capable of, someone manages to raise the bar. Since I started posting at The Cauldron in 2002 I have seen people who thought Atlantis is real, a girl who thought she was the reincarnation of Isis, a guy who thought he was half-demon (and wanted to 'awaken his powers') and so forth. Given that The Cauldron was founded in 1997, there is a certain amount that I was 'sadly' unable to witness at the time they occurred. The purpose of this article is to help new members experience some aspects of The Cauldron's history, and also to remind old members of things they probably would prefer not to remember. Due to the nature of this kind of article, it will inevitable resemble a list. === === We're Doomed: === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?df=10257.1 This is far from early in the board's history, but does seem a very important part of the culture. If you're reading this, you've probably been cursed. At first it was suspected that a regular member was making a joke, but no-one claimed responsibility. This leaves us with the terrifying possibility that there are people out there who a) believe they can curse an entire forum and all past/present/future members to 'grey mists,' and b) would do so because we debate. This is not infrequently referenced on the forum, and this thread has also given us the name of our chat area. === === Fluffy bunnies and Atlantean Dolphin Masters: === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?df=1341.1 This thread started out with an anecdote of a 'fluff bunny' that blamed a member's illness on disrespect of the Atlantean Masters. The thread proper combines a discussion on fluff bunnies (and how to deal with them), the history of Atlantis (or rather, the basis for the myth), and joking responses to the original claim. This is the first known reference to the Atlantean Masters, but the phrase 'Atlantean Dolphin Master' appears to have come later in the boards history. However, it is now something of a running joke. It is traditional that they should only be mentioned in whispers, and only if you're very daring. === === Super Mage! === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?mb=1776.1 http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?sb=1427.21 Apparently Super Mages have been scattered across the world and are trying to find each other. One such 'Super Mage' decided our forum was a great place to look for similar individuals. She made it to at least two different topics, possibly more. She generally disrupted said topics with bizarre talk about Super Mages, apocalypses, and well... Read the threads. Note that according to the Super Mage herself, the smart ones don't advertise themselves to other people. === === How dare we criticise Silver Ravenwolf: === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?mb=1799.1 This is only one thread, but we have had many people in the past who were not happy about the fact that a majority of members at The Cauldron will recommend against Silver Ravenwolf. However, this thread is notable in that the original poster repeatedly engaged in personal attacks that resulted in his getting banned in just over one hour's time of starting the thread. So far, only spam advertisers have been banned quicker. It is worth noting that disagreeing with the majority view is fine so long as one can do so civilly. However, what makes this thread a classic is that the second line avows that the article is not worth the poster's time. If that's the case, why start a thread? Because of many threads like this, Silver Ravenwolf can be a sore topic. If you say 'why do you guys hate her,' and get jumped on by twenty posters, bear in mind that they're not jumping on you as such. Rather people are responding to the large numbers of people who posted before you. Unfortunate as this even is, it shouldn't be taken personally. === === Capital Letters are Bad === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?mb=2409.64 This particular oddity nearly didn't come to light. A poster asked permission to not use capital letters in his posts. This was granted, on the assumption that his caps key didn't work, or some other reasonable thing. No. When asked, as a point of curiosity, why he did not want to post in capitals, it was revealed that the basis for the habit was a protest against the Roman empire, which apparently forced people to use capital letters. This thread stands as an excellent example of the many bizarre viewpoints we've encountered over the years -- and there have been a lot. Part of the board's culture is a sense of exasperation at the ideas people come up with and attempt to foist upon others. === === I can't understand the words that are coming out of your === mouth: === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?ab=8801.1 http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?ab=8672.1 The above are two threads that a poster going by the name of 'Arawn' got involved in. There are many more samples of his... genius... available on the old forum if you do a search on his username. In any case attempts to decipher his sayings were generally futile. At one time this style of poster was not uncommon. As a result long-standing members of The Cauldron can be identified by their occasional facial twitches. === === Tolkien wrote fiction. FICTION: === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?ab=6593.1 This is another poster who got involved in a number of threads. In this particular thread he attempts to prove that Tolkien was writing about Atlantis. Which was real. As in Middle Earth. If you can read through the posts without your eyes glazing over, or losing the will to live, I will award you a gold star. In a similar vein the poster attempted to find a link between Mayan and Egyptian calendars. http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?ab=6593.1 As may be surmised, he was not a fan of 'coincidence' explanations. === === Elven Goddess of the Earth? === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?df=9089.1 Initially a poster asked for information about the 'sisters of silence,' something we had difficulty with since no-one had ever heard of them. The original poster claimed that she and a friend were at risk from some coven, but was vague on details. A google on the afore-mentioned sisters found mainly sci-fi related links. When people made cautious posts requesting information, the poster took offence. She later implied that she (or possibly her friend) was an Elven Goddess on the earth side, whatever that means. === === Am I a vampire? === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?ab=8077.1 No. You aren't. === === Demons ahoy! === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?ab=3151.1 It's difficult to say if this is one of the more infamous threads, but it should be. A new poster declared that he was a half-demon, and wanted our help in awakening his powers. Although this kind of claim doesn't tend to appear on the forum so much now, there was a time when it seemed that some outlandish claim or another was being made two or three times a month. Personally I was always amazed that someone thought people would want to unlock demon powers. ===== ===== People who wanted to inform us... ===== This gets its own subsection, because a number of people have come to the forum hoping to correct misconceptions (in some cases misconceptions the majority of the forum did not have in the first place). Sometimes this goes well, and we do learn something from the experience. Sometimes people don't like us asking the wrong questions, and it all goes a bit wrong... === === The Narnia Flounce: === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?ab=8109.1 A young Christian girl offered to answer questions about the Bible. As we pride ourselves on being an interfaith forum, this wasn't a problematic thing. In fact, for a few posts it looked like it would go well. People asked questions. None of these appeared particularly harsh, but the original poster didn't take them too well. The poster apparently thought we were the forces of darkness, and expected to be martyred. To say that the flounce confused us is putting it lightly. === === We're too dumb to be Satanists: === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?mb=926.1 In this thread a Satanist offered to answer questions about her religion. Problems arose when some members noticed anti-Semitic material on a web-site that was referenced. Many pointed questions were asked, and this apparently proved that we were 'too retarded' to be Satanists. === === Learn about Islam... oh === http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmess.php?mb=1865.1 This was another thread that might have gone well. Unfortunately the original poster claimed that people had attacked Islam and Muslims in other posts. Naturally the hosts and staff wanted to know where this had happened, and who had done it, so that the situation could be resolved. Some discussion did go on, and some questions were answered. However, the question of locating the source of a problem, and arguments with the hosts over moderation led to the poster being gagged. This became a permanent ban when he created new accounts to get around the gag. ===== ===== Conclusion ===== Hopefully this presentation has brought back old memories for some long term members of the Cauldron, and given a quiet chuckle to some new members. Alas, there were many 'odd' threads that were not included here due to space constraints. Others were not included, much as it would have been nice to, because Delphi's search function does not go back further in time than 3 months unless you are a paying customer. However, feel free to browse the old forums -- you might find something I missed. I would like to conclude by saying that it's been interesting being a member of the Cauldron -- if occasionally a little worrisome. === === About the Author === Everfool has been a regular on The Cauldron's message board since 2002. He is currently a member of our message board staff. ===== ===== READING TAROT CARDS - AN INTRODUCTION ===== by Marilyn ===== For those of you who don't know me, I'm Marilyn, and I've been a Tarot Reader for a little over twenty years, not counting the six I spent learning my craft. Since I've been writing a series of short essays to describe what I do, it was suggested to me that I should write some kind of introduction for the benefit of anyone who has never had a card reading and is not sure they want to. I can only speak to my own methods and experiences, so that is all I will try to do. Querents come to me in a variety of ways. Some are referred by long-standing clients, some are given my card at the local shop, and some come to the occasional open day I hold. The first and third are possibly the best ways to find me, because a referral to me usually means the original querent has vouched for me, and an open day is a day of short, inexpensive readings for walk-ins. Open days are opportunities for a trial-run where a new querent doesn't have to spend a lot of money to learn if they trust me to read for them. Trust is very important. Once the initial testing stage is done and the querent is satisfied that I am the Real Thing(tm) he/she usually relaxes the natural barriers everyone has and the information flows freely. It flows before that, of course, but I have found that most people tend to have natural shields against intrusive psychic practices, which cause most initial readings to only 'hit the highlights' of a querent's past, present, and future. With the relaxation of barriers comes depth and detail. While there are differences in cost, length of session, and complexity of readings between an open day and a private consultation, the basic method is the same. When you enter my tent or parlour I will greet you and introduce myself. I will not shake hands if I can avoid it because touch initiates an information flow I can neither stop nor control. I spent many years trying to learn to control this, and the migraines it causes. In fact reading cards is the most effective way I have ever found for this. It creates both a buffer and a focus to make the information manageable. Most of what is acquired by touch, at least of a person, and at least by me, is useless and irrelevant. I have found that the useful and relevant come much better through the cards. I will invite you to sit and ask anyone who is with you to wait outside. Once we are private, I will usually ask if you want your companions to be present. I simply wish to do this out of their hearing so you can choose without offending them. In some cases I will not offer this choice. I allow myself to be guided by intuition on this, and if you wish to insist that they stay I will allow it, but will not edit my reading to take their presence into account. When the companion is a mate or family member this can cause awkwardness, but ultimately it is the querent's choice. Normally I will have an array of different decks for you to look at, more at a private consultation than at an open day. I will invite you to choose a deck that appeals to you, but if you have no preference I will almost always use my prime deck for the initial reading. I will ask if you have ever had your cards read before, and if you haven't I will explain the steps as we go along. Different readers have different methods, so some explanation is always forthcoming, but my explanations for a beginner are much more detailed unless the querent indicates he/she would rather not have it explained. At an open day, most people will come in with a specific question. If you seem comfortable with me as a reader, I will ask you to tell me your question. Sometimes I will ask you to write it down as well. I rarely use a significator (card that represents the querent) but will often use the written question as the central 'card' of the reading. I will have you shuffle the cards and cut them into three piles. It does not matter to me if you cut to the left or the right, as long as I see which way you do it. I do prefer that you cut with your non-dominant hand, however. This allows less interference from your conscious mind regarding the size or evenness of the stacks and causes a more instinctive cut. Sometimes, because an open day is a day for 'cheap' readings, I will have people come in and pay their money specifically to test me. This is usually apparent, either because they tell me so or because their attitude makes it clear. In this case I will often not ask for a question, instead offering to do a general reading and see what shows up, or asking what area of their life they wish to have read. I always include a reading of the past in a first reading because that is immediately verifiable for the querent. The present can be vaguer because the querent is not always aware of everything about his/her current situation. Predictions of the future, of course, can only be checked when they happen, and for most simple readings that can take up to six months. The procedure for a private consultation starts out in exactly the same way. I have fewer antagonistic testers in a private session simply because most people are not willing to invest that much money to play games. The ones who do will get the same care and attention that a sincere querent gets, and often become regular clients once their fears of a 'rip-off' are laid to rest. Except with very long-term regulars, I always start off a private session with a general reading, then move from there to specific questions or problems. Simple yes/no type readings are saved for the end of the session. For some reason, too many simple questions seem to irritate the cards, so I prefer to address more complex issues first. If the main thrust of the session is yes/no or a choice of options, however, I can start with the initial decision question and move from there. Seriousness of intent seems to matter, at least to my decks, and the yes or no questions at the end of a reading are often frivolous, or seeking confirmation of what has already been said. There are some special cards used in many readings. The most common is the significator, which, as I have said, I rarely use. If the question involves a third party, I will sometimes choose a card to represent that person. It helps the focus of the reading, which is actually the main intent of a significator. My reasons for not using one ordinarily are that, since the querent is present with me and shuffling the cards, he/she is already focused, and the card taken out of the deck to represent him/her could have a useful place in the reading that will be filled less clearly by another card. Another special card that some (but by no means all) readers use is known as a ghost card. This is a card that is not a regular part of the deck. Since most decks include a blank card in case you lose one, or an information card about the deck's maker, that is what is most commonly used as a ghost. One of my teachers absolutely forbade this practice, regarding it as sloppiness or laziness on the part of the reader, but I consider it a huge time-saver. Sometimes readers fail, or questions cannot be properly answered. Rather than wading through spread after spread of gibberish, I watch for the ghost. Depending on placement within the spread, or frequency of appearance, I know that I cannot help in the given situation. Since I do give refunds, this prevents the wasting of my time or my client's money on a fruitless pursuit. Most private sessions last an hour, as compared to the ten or fifteen minutes of an open day reading. The initial spread usually gives rise to more questions, or the querent may come in with several to begin with. It is best if you write them down before you come, in that case, because it is easy to forget what you wanted to ask when new questions come up as you go. I prefer clients to write down their readings, either after each spread or after the whole session. I don't mind recording equipment but I have a long history of adversely affecting it. Putting in your tape later and finding only static or garbled noise is disappointing, especially since I forget readings as soon as I finish speaking, and thus can rarely help you recover what you've lost. I have no forbidden categories of questions, but I need my querents to understand that I will not lie about what the cards are saying. I may try to soften certain things, or look for alternatives, in meanings or options, but I cannot, with integrity, simply 'leave out' the bad things. If you ask about a sick relative or are sick yourself, I will tell you exactly what the cards tell me. It is the same if you ask about the fidelity of your mate or the habits of your children. I will not make things up to give you drama, and I will not hide negative meanings. Many people find themselves disappointed with a reading that says, in essence, 'today is the same as yesterday, and tomorrow will be the same as today' but they happen. Readings are best used to examine the events happening in your life - they cannot manufacture interesting events that are not there. I have never predicted a lottery win or a plane crash. Real life shows up in my readings regularly; drama is more apt to be given a mundane overview than increased with mysterious, cryptic pronouncements. I am a pragmatic reader, and a peasant. I will probably never be on television. I worked as a telephone reader for a little while, but the ethics of my employers made that a very unpleasant and, for me, impossible job. I do hope to have a website, and the readings will be as much like my personal practice as I can make them. On my website, if I ever get it up, I will probably charge per reading and give the option of a set number of additional related questions for free. I feel this is only fair, due to the fact that many readings bring things up that the querent was not aware of initially. When I do online readings I find that I can shuffle for the client, given a minimum amount of information. Often the request itself is enough, but of course having specific questions or background information will allow me to interpret the cards in a more direct and relevant fashion. I plan to include a spread diagram, card list, and hopefully a picture with each reading to help the querent see what I see, and to make it more like a reading in person would be. Querents with some experience reading for themselves will find that some of my interpretations will differ markedly from their own. This is a natural variance since different readers build up different 'associations' for certain cards over time. This is how I do it. Other readers have different methods. I am not trying to indicate that someone who does things differently is wrong. Each reader tends to do what works for them, and what results in the most meaningful readings for their clients. Most of us are sincere, but it is best to do as much checking as you can anyway. If you know other people who have been to the reader, ask them about their experiences. Attend an open day and test the reader. Don't try to make a vague or just plain wrong reading 'fit', and don't allow your reader to do so either. Looking for meaning in a confusing spread is one thing - trying to convince you that blatantly wrong information is right is completely different. I try to impose a three month interval between readings, but there are situations in which I will do them more often. You should not trust someone who wants you to come in every week for 'guidance'. === === About the Author === Marilyn is a professional Tarot Reader and a member of the Message Board staff at The Cauldron. ===== ===== REVIEW: THE ELEMENT ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MAGICAL CREATURES ===== by Mike Gleason ===== The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z of Fantastic Beings From Myth and Magic by John & Caitlin Matthews published 2005 by Sterling Publishing Company Paperback 704 pages ISBN: 140273543X See this book on Amazon: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=140273543X Obviously, since this is an encyclopedia, it is not a book which is intended to be read straight through. Find a topic or two which interest you and dive right in. It is important to remember that these are "magical" creatures, not necessarily "mythological" creatures. Hence there are entries on cats and dogs, horses and toads, carp and frogs as well as centaurs and kelpies, yeti and cameleopards, and griffins and krakens. With nearly 2000 entries covering cultures from ancient Greek to Inuit as well as Oceanic and African there is no doubt in my mind that there is something between these covers which will be a surprise to everyone. I've read several books listing magical and mythological creatures and I found myself learning a great deal. There are occasional errors (page 16 - ALABASTOR: "Its origin is said to be the souls of baptized and illegitimate children." Which I am sure should be "unbaptized. children"), but John and Caitlin Matthews are well-respected authors, and such errors are few and far between. Considering the sheer volume of material contained in this work, I am amazed at the scarcity of errors. While I am sure that this book will not appeal to everyone, there are multiple types of people who will find it invaluable - people who love reading mythology and D&D-style games among them. In addition, people who enjoy books relating to cryptozoology will also find a use for it. And finally, on a more mundane level, it should appeal to many people simply because it contains a wealth of obscure information in one easy-to-find and easy-to-use source. However, as the authors clearly state, this is not the final work on such creatures. New creatures are constantly emerging from the human imagination and have yet to be describes and catalogued. We see some of these on the big screen (George Lucas' creations for "Star Wars"), the small screen (almost any "supernatural" or science-fiction series) and on the printed page (does the name H. P. Lovecraft ring any bells?). So this book won't introduce you to every magical creature, but it will certainly be an interesting way to begin your journey. My one complaint about this book is the lack of illustrations. While the authors vividly describe many of these creatures, illustrations would be nice. That may be an idea for a future volume - find an illustrator (or several) who would be interested in translating those descriptions into visual images. It could then be issued as a supplement to this volume. This is a book which, while not being a "must have" for the average reader, is certainly a fascinating addition to any library. Since it includes entries from ancient legends up to (and including) chupacabras and Moth-man there is literally something for everyone in it. I highly recommend it. ===== ===== REVIEW: RITUAL MAGIC OF THE GOLDEN DAWN ===== by Mike Gleason ===== Ritual Magic of the Golden Dawn: Works by S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Others by Francis King published 2007 by Destiny Paperback 288 pages ISBN: 0892816171 See This Book at Amazon: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0892816171 First and foremost, a warning. If you are only marginally interested in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn; if Ceremonial (Ritual) Magic is strictly theoretical in your way of thinking; if you feel that "magic" books should be filled with spells, rituals and correspondence charts, save your money - this book is not for you. This book is a supplement to the Golden Dawn system of magic. It consists of the Flying Rolls, most of which have never before been published. These were side lectures dealing with various aspects of magical-alchemical tradition. As such, unless you are working the Golden Dawn system of magic, or wish to do so, this book will hold minimal interest for you. That is not to say that it is not valuable. A great deal of Ceremonial/Ritual magic which is performed today finds its inspiration in the techniques developed by the Golden Dawn and its offshoots. These documents are of interest both from a historical perspective and from a magical perspective However, since many of the Flying Rolls printed in this volume (not all of them are - some few have been previously printed and even fewer have vanished without a trace) are elaborations of, and refer to, lectures which form the bulk of the specific teachings of the Golden Dawn and its derived offshoots, they will be of greatest interest and value to those with access to these lectures. ===== ===== REVIEW: THE TAROT BIBLE ===== by Mike Gleason ===== The Tarot Bible: The Definitive Guide to the Cards and Spreads by Sarah Barnett Published 2007 by Sterling Publishing Company Paperback 400 pages ISBN: 1402738382 See this book at Amazon: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1402738382 Over the years I have given hundreds of Tarot readings; have owned and used several different decks and have probably read dozens of books on the subject, so I'm not sure why I was drawn to this book when I saw it. To be sure, it is colorful and has very clear illustrations. And it is a heavy book (I mean that in a physical, as opposed to a philosophical way). I'm not sure I agree with the subtitle: "The definitive guide to the cards and spreads." I always have a problem with any book which claims to be "the" anything. This book is profusely illustrated with examples from different decks, although the dominant illustrations come a Waite-Rider variant deck (The Universal Tarot). Each of the Arcana (both Major and Minor) contains some key words and key phrases as well as an in-depth analysis of the card and what it may indicate in a variety of positions in a reading. All of this is accompanied with an illustration from the Universal Tarot. The explanations are clear and concise. These two sections, plus the introductory section, take you a bit beyond the middle of the book. The remainder of the book is dedicated, primarily, to the various layouts. It contains some correspondences and other suggestions to expand your experience with the Tarot. Many of the spreads illustrated are very simple and easy to use. Especially for those who are just starting to use the tarot these spreads help to build confidence and experience. Some of them are truly unique and offer insights into relationships and personalities. On a personal level, I have a problem with some of the instructions - including the author's insistence on sitting on the floor to do your readings - but I freely acknowledge that as a personal bias. Overall, I found the book to be clearly written, informative, and quite a valuable resource. The final 50 pages of this book give information on using the cards for spell work as well as giving information on combining astrology, numerology, the Kabbalah and crystals with the Tarot. Obviously, these are only basic suggestions, given the space limitations, but they should help to inspire further personal research. ===== ===== REVIEW: GREEK GODS IN LOVE ===== by Mike Gleason ===== Greek Gods in Love by Barbara Stacy Published 2007 by The Witches' Almanac Paperback 171 pages ISBN 0977370313 See this book at Amazon: http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0977370313 Is this the best of all possible books on Greek mythology? No, it isn't. Is it an excellent resource on the amorous adventures of the Greek gods? Absolutely, and without reservation. Might there be a better book on the subject? I suppose so, but I haven't encountered it yet and I doubt that anyone could convey the information as entertainingly and as easily as Ms. Stacy does. The stories are drawn from classical sources; illustrated with photos and drawings; and presented simply and clearly. There is wit and a fresh viewpoint. Ancient sources are cited (Homer and Hesiod, among others), but not slavishly followed. Fully 40% of the book is devoted to the erotic exploits of Zeus. Considering that he was first among the Olympians, it is not surprising that so much space is dedicated to his loves. That does not mean that the rest of the pantheon is ignored, by any means. While this book doesn't need to be in every library, it would certainly be a welcome addition to many. It is not pornographic, nor are the illustrations at all graphic. It is merely a collection of stories about the interactions (on a "romantic" level) of the Greek gods and goddesses with each other, and with humanity. Enjoy it. [04] ========= ========= FLAMEKEEPING ========= DIVINE RELATIONS ========= 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/ ===== ===== Divine Relations ===== Our relationship with the Divine is complex. All that we are is of the Divine, as the Divine is the entire Universe. However, our own ego and masks block us from the Divine, leaving it a thread that runs through us but not our entire personality. We put faces on the Divine to separate ourselves from it, to relieve ourselves of the responsibility of recognizing that we are faces of the Universe. And we relate with those other faces as though they are separate beings, not a part of ourselves. While there is nothing wrong with relating with the Divine in this way, it is a fallacy and it does need to be recognized as such. We are the Divine, we are the Universe, and we cannot neglect this reality for the comfort of distance. We are called to be greater than we are, to strive to make the Universe around us better. We do this through internal and external action, neither neglected for the other. We see the face of the Divine in our mirrors and in those we pass on the streets, and it is how we treat them (and ourselves) that is how we treat the Divine. Prayer, while important, cannot ever replace action and interaction. No amount of debasement can make up for refusing to take action when action is called for, and in fact, debasement goes against what we�re called to do. When we debase ourselves before the Divine, we also debase the Divine itself. There are no simple answers for what the Divine is, for every definition merely excludes. There are no boxes in which we can place the Divine, and there are no boxes we can place in ourselves that we can remove from the Divine. We need to accept that we cannot hide from reality, cannot hide from ourselves, cannot hide from the Divine. There can be a hundred thousand views of the Divine, and all of them correct. We cannot declare the Divine is as we view it, because we all see with the eyes of the Divine, and these eyes see different things. While we can misinterpret what we see, none of us are capable of verifying another�s view. The Divine can only be discussed remotely accurately in metaphor, allusion, and contradiction. There is simply no way to boil down such a being into the mundane world of language, because every word we use limits. Our relationship with the Divine, similarly, evades language. I can give ideas and hints, but there is no way to accurately describe a relationship with the Divine, other than the fact that it must be sincere and it cannot help but be life- altering, or it�s only a relationship with yourself. ===== ===== Questions ===== * How do you see the Divine? Do you feel words are accurate, or do they fall short? * What do you wish you could hide from the Divine? What does it mean that you can�t? * What do you think is an appropriate relationship between yourself and the Divine? Why? What does it mean to mess that relationship up? [05] ========= ========= 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/ ===== ===== TIDDLYWIKI -- LOCAL WIKI ===== With the popularity of Wikipedia, wikis are all the rage. TiddlyWiki is a wiki designed to run in a browser from a single file on your computer � all the code is in javascript and is contained in the document. You can use it for notekeeping or to design a one page dynamic web site that you can upload to a server for others to view (but not modify). Here are some of the major features of a TiddlyWiki from the web site: * Browsable with the vast majority of modern desktop browsers on Windows, Macintosh and Linux * Ability to SaveChanges on: o FireFox under Windows or OS X o InternetExplorer under Windows o Opera under all operating systems o Safari and Camino under OS X o Minimo on Nokia 770 * Rich formatting including MonospacedText, ExtendedFormatting, NonWikiWordLinks, WikiWordEscape, PrettyLinks, SubHeadings, BulletPoints, NumberedBulletPoints, Tables, BlockQuotes, HorizontalRules and the ability to use a CustomCssClass. * Various InterfaceOptions, including the ability to GenerateAnRssFeed, SaveBackups and AutoSave * KeyboardShortcuts so you can finish editing a tiddler with Control-Enter or abandon it with Escape * InlineHTML * EmbeddedImages * Macros providing rich interactive features, including Sparklines and Gradients * a flexible OpenSourceLicense * a liquid CSS layout that can be customised with a CustomStyleSheet * Extensive StartupParameters to control the behaviour of TiddlyWiki through specially crafted URLs * There are translations of TiddlyWiki available in many languages, including Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese Operating System: Any with a modern browser Price: Free Web Site: http://www.tiddlywiki.com/ ===== ===== FILTERFOX -- FREE CONTENT FILTER FOR FIREFOX ===== While nothing can replace parental supervision, a filtering program can help prevent stumbling across content unsuitable for your child. You can pay money for a content filter and often have little control over what it filters -- some commercial filters protect from political and religious sites that upset their corporate leaders as well as from p*rn, for example. FoxFilter is a free content filter extension for the Firefox browser that you control. From the FoxFilter web site: FoxFilter is a personal content filter and parental control tool, specifically for the FireFox Web browser, that helps prevent stumbling onto inappropriate content and block access to specific content and Web sites. FoxFilter also includes security features which require a password to change settings, access Tools/Add-ons and access �about:config�. FoxFilter utilizes customizable filtering preferences including keyword filters, sensitivity settings and URL exceptions. Designed primarily as a parental control tool, FoxFilter has also become very popular in schools and corporate environments as well. If you are going to let your children roam the Internet unattended, this filter may not provent them from, seeing material you do not want them to see, but it sounds like a great back-up for parental supervision. Operating System: Any running Firefox Price: Freeware Web Site: http://inspiredeffect.com/FoxFilter/ ===== ===== URBAN TERROR 4 ===== Urban Terror 4 is a "total conversion" for Quake 3 Arena. Unlike most First Person Shooter mods, Urban Terror does not require that you own a copy of the original Quake 3 Arena game to play. If you do not own a copy of of the commercial game, you can download ioUrbanTerror -- created from the open source version of the Quake 3 code. Downloading ioUrbanTerror only adds about 6 megs to the 550 meg Urban Terror 5 download. Operating System: Windows 2K, XP Price: Free Web Site: http://mirror.urbanterror.net/ [06] ========= ========= From the Spell Grimoire: ========= THE WELL OF FORGIVENESS ========= You need: red ink Piece of paper small jar vinegar To enable you to forgive someone who has wronged you write their name nine times with red ink on the piece of paper. Place the paper into the jar and cover it with the vinegar. Secure the lid on the jar. Bury the jar away from your home. === === 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 [07] ========= ========= From the Cauldron Cookbook: ========= BUNDT CAKE BREAD ========= submitted by Texas Red ========= === Ingredients 1/2 c. margarine 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp. Oregano 3 (7 oz.) cans biscuits === Directions Melt margarine in bundt pan. Season butter with Parmesan cheese and oregano. Open cans of biscuits and place in bundt pan, without separating biscuits. Bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven. Invert into basket or tray. Pull bread apart and serve hot. === === 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 [08] ========= ========= 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/forum/ ===== ===== 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.) [09] ========= ========= 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) 2007 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 (lyricfox01@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com) or Randall Sapphire (rssapphire01@.ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com). Typos are, as usual, courtesy of the Goddess Eris.

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