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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #82 -- March 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: Moving to a New Board! [01] Cauldron News * Retiring Staff Members: Osthein and Mari [02] All About The New Message Board * The Basics: Finding the Board and Registering * Intro to SMF: The Bare Bones * New Non-Board Features * Cauldron Community Rules and Policies * Cauldron Netiquette Guide [03] Articles * How to Keep Your Coven from Being Destroyed: Part II [04] Flamekeeping: Dichotomies of Order and Chaos [05] Software Gadgets: The Column * Close All Windows -- With Just One Click * Net Profiles -- Change Laptop Network Settings Easily * Asterisk Logger -- Reveal Passwords Behind Asterisks [06] Grimoire: Broom House Purification [07] Recipe: Lemony Lentils with Black Olives and Tomato [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 March 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. This issue is a special "Moving to SMF" issue with a lot of information about out new Simple Machines message board. Moving took a couple of weeks longer than we planned, but by the time this newsletter reaches your Inbox our old Beehive Forum should be closed for posting and our new SMF message board should be fully open for business. This issue is full of information on our new board as we hope to see many of you there. We also have the usual articles and major features. 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 ========= ===== ===== BEEHIVE BOARD CLOSED TO NEW POSTS ===== As of March 5, 2007, the Cauldron's Beehive Board at http://www.ecauldron.net/mb/ has been closed to new posts. Old posts are still readable, of course. Our new SMF message board is now open for business at http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/ See the special section on the new board in this newsletter for more information. We hope to see you on our new SMF message board soon! ===== ===== RETIRING STAFF MEMBERS: OSTHEIN AND MARI ===== Two members of Cauldron Council have decided to retire completely from staff duties: Osthein and Mari. We'd like to thank them for their years of helping The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. Without their help, The Cauldron would not be nearly as good a board as it is. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ 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 * 160 gigabytes web space * 1600 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] ========= ========= ALL ABOUT THE NEW MESSAGE BOARD ========= ===== ===== THE BASICS: FINDING THE NEW BOARD AND REGISTERING ===== You will find our new message board at the following URL: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/ Just as can on our old Beehive Boards, you can look around and read messages in most of the board (all the public areas) as a guest. If all you want to do is read our board, all you need to do is point your browser to it and enjoy. If you want to participate, however, you will need to register. Registration is easy. There are a few mandatory fields you have to fill out. You will want to pay particular attention to the email field as our new board sends out an activation email which you have to receive, read, and act on to activate your account. Be sure to: a) use a real email address b) use an email address without a lot of server-end spam-blocking as if mail from ecauldron.net is blocked or forced through some silly challenge/response system, you will never get the email and will not be able to activate your account. Warning: Some free webmail places apparently have very aggressive server-side spam filters and filter out our activation emails. c) if you do not find the activation email in your inbox, be sure to check junk mail folder or other folders where mail sorting rules might have mistakenly sent it. Once your account is activated, you will be a regular member. You will be able to read messages in all public areas of the message board, post messages in the "About the Cauldron" and "Cauldron Basics" categories. This limitation will keep you in areas designed for newcomers (to the board and/or to Pagan religions and Magic) where you can learn the ropes with less risk of being raked over the coals for misinformation or for not knowing board culture. There will soon be a message in the Rules and Regulations section of our new board telling you how to apply for a full membership if you want one. ===== ===== INTRO TO SMF: THE BARE BONES ===== by Star ===== [You can read this info as a post on the new message board -- complete with graphic images of some of the buttons mentioned in the text to help you find them. http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=38.0 -- RSS] I know that many of us are so completely used to Beehive, or another system, that we'll find some things difficult to find or understand here on the new SMF forum. I thought I'd post this announcement in an attempt to give you a brief overview of some of the very basics. This isn't intended to be comprehensive; it's just a few pointers. If you need more information, I strongly suggest you check out the Help section. Unlike Beehive's, it's... actually helpful. Smiley You may also find even more detailed help on the SMF web site. === === Some Terms === SMF talks about things in a little different way from Beehive. "Boards" here are the equivalent of folders. "Topics" are threads. There are also a few things SMF has that Beehive didn't. "Child Boards", for example, might best be thought of as sub-folders, folders within folders. "Avatars" are the small personalized pictures in the user info section to the left of each message, as opposed to signature graphics that appear at the bottom of your messages. === === Finding New/Unread Messages === There are two ways to find topics containing messages that you haven't read yet. First, you can browse to them. Any board with a dark blue icon has at least one topic with new messages in it. If you click on the board, it will open up the topic list for that board. Threads with new messages will be on top, just as they are in Beehive folders. If you click on the dark blue icon rather than on the board name, you should get a topic list that shows only topics with new posts rather than all topics. Second, if you look at the very top of the page, in the box that says hello to you and displays your avatar (if you have one), you'll see a link that says "Show unread posts since last visit." If you click on that, you'll get a list of all topics that have new posts in them, regardless of what board they're in. Either way you go, you'll notice this icon to the right of titles of topics that have new posts: If you click on that icon, you will be taken to the first unread post in the thread. === === Starting a New Message === At the top and bottom of each page of topic titles on every board, over to the right-hand side, is a small menu. In this menu, the second button from the right is "New Topic". Click this to start a new topic/thread. (If you don't have a "New Topic" button, you probably don't have permission to post on the board you're in.) === === Polls === To start a new poll, click the "Post New Poll" button in the menu to the right of the "New Topic" button (described above). You will then be allowed to enter your thread title, poll question, possible answers, and a message to kick off the poll thread as well as set some poll options. If you need more than five answers, click the "(Add Option)" link to the right of the final answer to increase how many answers are available. If you need less than five, only enter the answers you want to use; just like in Beehive, blank answers will be ignored. Voting in a poll where you can only choose one option is pretty much the same as on Beehive. However, if you are allowed more than one option, you will notice that the answers have square checkboxes instead of round radio buttons. (The poll should also contain a message telling you how many options you may choose.) Check all of the answers you want to vote for at once and then click the "Submit Vote" button. === === Formatting Messages === Beehive used HTML for formatting. SMF uses BBcode; HTML won't work here. For messages, the easiest thing to do is just to use the toolbar above the area where you type in your message. It will automatically insert the right BBcode for you. The following BBcodes are available to use here: abbr acronym amazon anchor b black br code center email ftp hr img i li list left nobbc pre quote right s sub sup tt table tr td url u (Nope, no font colors, faces, sizes, etc. So many of our members find text outside of the default difficult to read that we've disabled that functionality.) The "amazon" code is a special BBcode that can be used to link to items on Amazon using the Cauldron's book browser. When someone buys from Amazon using one of these links, the Cauldron receives a small donation. The code is as follows, with the number being the ISBN of the book: [amazon=1234567890]Item Title[/amazon] === === Attachments === When writing a message, you should see the text "Additional Options" with a plus sign next to it below the area where you type. If you click this, you will get a few more options, including a place to add attachments. Currently you are allowed four attachments per post with a maximum of 128KB. Important: Image attachments will display as part of your post, so if your image is particularly large, consider uploading it to something like PhotoBucket and linking to it instead of attaching it. === === Replying to Messages === There are two ways to reply to a message. The one we really prefer you use is to click the "Quote" button at the top of the specific post you're replying to: This will quote what you're replying to (you can delete anything not relevant to your reply before posting) and automatically insert a link back to the post it came from. These links are the closest we can get to Beehive's "2331.52 in reply to 2331.49" link-back system, and they will be of great help to anyone who is trying to trace the thread of the conversation backward through the topic. If you're just making a general reply, the sort of thing you would address to ALL at the Beehive forum, you can also use the "Reply" button for the topic. It's at the top and bottom of the topic, in the same menu bar where the "New Topic" and "Post New Poll" buttons were back on the board view. It's the furthest left in that menu. However, remember that this gives no indication of who or what you are replying to, meaning we will have no specific context for your words, so please only do this if your message really is a very general reply. This is a lot more important on SMF than it was on Beehive because without a quote there is no "in reply to" link and no "To" line, so if you make a general reply with no quote we will not be able to tell who you are talking to or what they said to prompt your reply at all. If you don't have "Quote" or "Reply" buttons on a particular topic, you probably don't have permission to post on the board you're in. === === After Posting a Message === By default, SMF will return you to the message index after posting (whether you're starting a new topic or posting a reply). If you prefer to return to the topic you were reading, like Beehive does currently, you can change this from your profile. To get to it, click on your name next to any post you've made, or "Profile" in the menu attached to the bottom of the box at the very top of the page (the one that greets you and shows your avatar and gives you the link to see new messages since your last visit). Once you're in your profile, go to "Look and Layout Preferences" under "Modify Profile" in the menu to the left. On this screen, you'll want to check the box that says "Return to topics after posting by default". Then click the "Change profile" button at the bottom to save the change. === === Canceling a Message === If you decide you don't want to post something after all (after you start writing, but before you hit the Post button), simply navigate away from the page. Hit the Back button on your browser, or click on a menu option somewhere else, anything like that. There is no real Cancel button in SMF, but if you just go away from the page it has the same effect as canceling. === === PMs and Email From the Board === To the left of each message is a space with a little information about the person who posted it. In that space you may see two icons, one like an envelope: and one like a speech bubble: (The speech bubble may have a sort of pale dot on it. The icon still functions the same way in that case; it's just telling you the user is currently online.) Clicking the envelope will allow you to send the user an e-mail. Clicking the speech bubble will allow you to send them a PM. To check your PMs, go to "PM" in the menu attached to the bottom of the box at the very top of the page (the one that greets you and shows your avatar and gives you the link to see new messages since your last visit). It's maybe halfway over, between "Profile" and "Calendar". === === Ignoring Users or Boards === You can control which boards you are ignoring by going to your profile. Click on "Profile" in the same menu bar you use to access your PMs. (You can also access your profile by clicking on your name next to any message you've posted.) Under "Modify Profile" in the menu on the left, you should see "Ignore Boards Preferences" at the bottom of the list, and "Ignore user options" a couple of items up from that. User these sections to ignore other users (except for staff!) or boards that you don't want to read. You can also stop ignore them here if you change your mind. In addition, you can put non-staff posters on ignore directly from their posts. Under the user information on each post, you should see a button like this: Click it to ignore the poster. Their posts will be replaced with "This user is currently ignored" and the image will change to this: Click the unignore button to stop ignoring the user. === === Avatars and Signatures === Avatars are a new thing for TC. They give you a way to express or represent yourself in a graphic, much the way a sig does, but in a way that doesn't take a lot of screen space away from your messages. Since we have this option now, we are encouraging (but not requiring) members to make use of avatars rather than having graphics-heavy signatures. Signatures, like messages, use BBcode for formatting. There's no handy toolbar to help you out here the way there is on a message, though. The simplest way to get around this if you don't know BBcode is to start a new message and use the toolbar there to work out your formatting. Copy the code, cancel the message, and then paste the code into the signature area. (If you use Firefox, you can also get extensions that will help you write BBcode.) Avatar and Signature settings can both be edited through your profile, which can be accessed as described above in the information about ignoring users and boards. They're under the "Forum Profile Information" section. (Full rules and guidelines concerning signatures and avatars can be found on the Rules board; please read them before setting up either item.) On that page, Avatars can be set in the first section at the top of the page. You have two options: to use one of the avatars we provide, or to use an avatar you have elsewhere on the Web. If you're using one of ours, click the circle next to "Personalized Picture" at the top to make sure that option is selected. Then choose a category from the list, and a list of specific pictures will appear beside it for you to choose from. If you're using an avatar that's stored somewhere on the Web, you'll want to choose the option below all that marked "I have my own pic" and enter the address of your avatar in the box provided. When you've chosen your image or entered its address, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the "Change profile" button. You can edit your signature on the same page, about halfway down. (It's in the fourth section of options.) Simply enter the text and/or BBcode for your signature, and then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the "Change profile" button. Then you can go check it out in the Testing Signature thread on the "Test Board" board. I hope this helps get people started! If you have any questions, as I said, I suggest you check the Help section and SMF web site first. If you still can't find the answer, please feel free to post in the "Board Questions, Suggestions and Feedback" folder. The staff will be happy to help you. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ Confidential, and accurate Psychic Readings from Still Waters -- using Tarot, Astrology, Clairvoyance, Mediumship, and many other psychic methods -- giving you a Psychic Reading to remember! http://www.besidestillwaters.co.uk/ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===== ===== NEW NON-BOARD FEATURES ===== by Randall ===== SMF not only gives us a new board with a lot of new features for both members and staff, it provides a framework on which other can add features. We have added a number of new features. === === Article Features === We've added Tinyportal to our board. This finally gives up a much needed feature -- we can allow selected users to write articles which appear directly on our web site without having to wait for the webmaster to find time to manually create a new page for the article and upload t to the web site. Tinyportal also adds a number of other minor features like a Portal Page somewhat like the Start Page of a Beehive forum. === === Arcade Games === We have a small selection of flash-based games that members can play. High scores are recorded so that you can compete with other members for the high score in a game. === === Blogs === Full Members (and above) can start a blog from their Profile page that other members (including regular members) can comment on. It's not a fancy blog with lots of features, but it has all the basic features a blog needs. Members can use their blog as normal blog, a sub-community of Cauldron members around a special interest, etc. Of course, no member has to use their blog. All member blog are subject to the same general behavior rules as the message board. Cauldron Supporters get extra control features on their blogs. === === Flashchat Rooms === We've installed an updated version of Flashchat. Any member can use our Flashchat chat rooms. Doing so is easier than ever before as once you are logged on to the message board, the system automatically logs you into Flashchat when you activate the Flashchat interface. === === Member Links === We have a usable link area where members can propose links that staff can add to an organized list. === === Tags === Staff members can tag important and/or very interesting threads with tags so these messages can be easily found from the Tag index area. It should make older, but interesting, threads much easier to find on the new board. ===== ===== CAULDRON COMMUNITY RULES AND POLICIES ===== The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's community area (message board, flashchat, portal, CauldronMUX, user blogs, etc.) is not a democracy, at best it is a benevolent dictatorship. The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's site hosts have set the rules below for The Cauldron's community areas. Make sure you are familiar with them. Read them daily to remind yourself of them if you have to, because the hosts have given the community's staff the power to limit or deny access to those who insist on violating them. THE "DO NOT" RULES: * DO NOT make personal attacks (name calling, hostile remarks, accusations, etc.). In discussion, attack ideas and opinions, not the people who hold them. * DO NOT make blanket condemnations of peoples, cultures, or religions. * DO NOT post or attach content that is libelous, defamatory, pornographic, harassing, threatening, or hateful (racially, ethnically, or religiously). * DO NOT post advertisements or event announcements (commercial or non-commercial) without obtaining prior approval for the specific item from a Host or Senior Staff member. (See our Advertising Guidelines for more details) * DO NOT post more than a sentence or two of copyrighted material without obtaining specific permission from the current copyright owner to post the material on The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum and posting that permission with the copyrighted material. Link to the material instead. (See our Copyright Guidelines for more information). * DO NOT argue with, comment on, complain about, criticize, or otherwise discuss staff decisions on rules issues in public in Cauldron community areas. If you think a decision that directly affects you is incorrect, you may make an appeal in private in accordance with our Moderation Appeal Guidelines. * DO NOT attempt to moderate other members. Leave the moderating to the forum staff and hosts. If you believe a forum post violates the rules in a major way, you may bring that post to the attention of the forum staff by reporting that message with the "Report to moderator" link. You can bring non-forum problems to the attention of staff by emailing a staff member via their profile. * DO NOT tell others members not to post to you. You can put non-staff members on "ignore" if you do not wish to read their posts. * DO NOT register multiple accounts without permission from the hosts. * DO NOT impersonate other members or otherwise pretend to be someone you are not. * DO NOT use community facilities of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum to violate US criminal or civil law. THE "DO" RULES: * DO reply to specific messages on our message board using the "Quote" button in that message whenever possible (instead of replying to the topic as a whole or using quick reply) as using the "Quote" button inserts links and text that helps others follow the flow of conversation. * DO edit quoted material in your replies to the minimum needed. * DO write in a "normal writing" style. Capitalize the first word of your sentences. Use proper punctuation. Write in short paragraphs and place a blank line between paragraphs (hit return twice). Please do not WRITE IN ALL CAPITALS, in eLiTe LeTtErS, or in odd fonts and colors. Please do not use "Netspeak" (e.g. R U Wiccan) as our community areas are not a cell phone. See our Message Posting Guidelines for more information. * DO be tolerant of religions and opinions that differ from your own. You do not have to agree with them or support them, but you must be tolerant of those who express them. Others have as much right to hold and express their views as you do to hold and express yours. * DO follow our Avatar and Signature Guidelines. * DO try to post new topics on the correct board. * DO remember that other members of The Cauldron are real people just like you with rights and feelings -- treat them as real people even when engaged in heated debate. * DO remember that you are not your opinions and beliefs. An attack on your opinions and beliefs in debate is not an attack on you. If attacks on your opinions and beliefs seem like personal attacks to you, you will probably want to bow out of topics that turn into heated discussions or debates. * DO try to avoid posting already posted information in "pile-ons." If you see a thread where someone has posted obvious incorrect information on hot button issues and there are a lot of posts after that message, please read ahead before posting to avoid posting the 20th reply with basically the same information (as this tends to make the member with the incorrect information think people are ganging up on them). * DO realize that some boards have special rules that apply only to that board and follow those rules when posting on that board -- such rules will be in a clearly labeled sticky post on the board they apply to. * DO expect to be asked for sources to support any unusual factual claims you may make. If you chose to back those claims with poor sources (wikipedia and other encyclopedias, dictionaries, popular press books written by non-experts, out- of-date academic books, etc.), do not be surprised where they are not considered convincing, let alone authoritative. THE RUDE AND ANNOYING RULE: Please do not engage in annoying or excessively rude behavior in the community areas. Annoying and rude behavior includes (but is not limited to): * Editing your messages to significantly change the content after a message can reasonably be assumed to have been read by others (which is 2 or 3 minutes after posting). This is particularly true if the message has already been replied to. * Posting the same message to multiple topics or boards. * Trolling (posting material just to stir up trouble or start flame wars) * Proselytizing for any religion (whether Pagan or not). * Making overly broad "All Pagans believe..." or "All Pagans do..." type statements. Except in the most trivial cases (e.g. "All Living Pagans need to drink water"), such claims are almost always false. * Demanding that others prove your claims wrong instead of supporting those claims with evidence they are correct. * Attacking a post based on typos, poor spelling, or poor grammar, instead of debating its content. Our message board is more akin to a spoken conversation with people from many countries than it is to a term paper. * Oversharing personal details -- posting the intimate details of your life in inappropriate threads. * Use of gratuitous offensive language. We are a PG-13 forum. * Using a offensive or inappropriate username, name, custom title, avatar, signature, etc. * Failing to properly attribute quoted sources. * Having your account set to a false or out of date email address. * Hacking or attempting to hack any part of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. THE "MISCELLANEOUS" RULES: * The Hosts reserve the right to act arbitrarily (i.e. without obvious cause or explanation) if they consider it necessary. This includes deleting any topic or post, editing any message, imposing new or special rules, changing any member's membergroup or otherwise limiting/expanding any member's privileges within the community, or banning any member. There is no appeal from a Host decision. * The Senior Staff and Hosts reserve the right to moderate discussions even if there are no rules violations to preserve the quality of the discussion -- this includes imposing special rules on the discussion or asking unduly upset (or unruly) members to leave the discussion. * Overlooked rules violations do not set a precedent. The fact that a violation was accidentally overlooked does not mean it is suddenly okay to violate that rule. * We do not delete accounts, so please do not ask to have your account deleted. Accounts are never deleted as doing so would completely disrupt every topic the account holder ever participated in. If you wish to leave the board, just go to your profile and turn off all your board and topic subscriptions and set your account to block email from users and announcements. RIGHTS TO CONTENT POSTED TO COMMUNITY AREAS: By posting content to The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's message board or other community areas (or by submitting material directly by email or other means for the Cauldron's web site or newsletter), you are irrevocably authorizing the royalty-free use of that content (or edited material taken from that content) in The Cauldron's web sites, community areas, newsletters, mailing lists, announcement areas, blogs, ebooks, and other online venues. CONSEQUENCES OF COMMUNITY RULE VIOLATIONS Standard consequences for violating community rules include: * Public "Mod Hat On" Warning issued by a Staff Member * Editing or deletion of the offending post * Being put on "post moderation" (a staff member has to approve each of your posts before they appear on the board) * Being gagged (unable to post) for a period of time * Being banned from community areas for a period of time * Loss of privileges to use certain community areas or features * Permanent ban With the approval of a Host, other consequences are possible in specific situations. ===== ===== CAULDRON NETIQUETTE GUIDE ===== by Star ===== These tips were originally posted long, long ago on Beehive. (Technical details have been modified to suit SMF.) The idea is to help you get a feel for how to make the most of interacting on this board by giving an idea of how we usually work around here. It should be most helpful for new posters, but long-time members may find it helpful to review from time to time as well. Enjoy! === === New Posts === We encourage our posters--whether new to the forum or old hands-- to not only jump into whatever conversations interest them, but also post new threads if they want to talk about something not currently under discussion. Here are some tips to help you make the most of new threads. Tip #1: Take a moment to review the archives. While we like new threads, having too many about the same subject at one time can be confusing. You don't have to do a thorough search of everything that's ever been posted, but it does pay to look around and make sure there aren't any recent threads about the topic you want to discuss. You can do this by browsing through the folders to see what discussions are currently active, or you can use the search function to look for a specific term. (There's a search box near the top of each page on the right-hand side.) You may find that someone has recently asked the same question you were going to--and possibly gotten answers. Tip #2: Be specific with the title. We get a lot of threads with titles like "need info" or "Help me please" which don't really give a good idea of what the thread is about. You're far more likely to get the help you need if instead of vague request for information you indicate what you need help with. Not everyone reads every thread, so having a specific title will help attract the people who can help you or answer your questions to your thread. For example, someone reading the forum might pass over a thread called "need info" because they don't know what it's about, so it doesn't catch their interest. If they see "Need Info About Candle Magic" and they know a lot about candle magic, though, they would be more likely to read the thread and maybe provide some of the requested information. Tip #3: Be sure to put the new thread on the right board. Again, this helps people find the thread more easily. Think of the forum as a big library. You remember reading a book about a particular subject, but don't immediately see it when you return to the library later. If it was about pet care, but it gets filed under history, you probably won't be able to find it. Similarly, if you post that thread about candle magic on the Non-Pagan Religions board, someone who stumbles across some helpful information when surfing the Web would have a difficult time finding your thread again so that they can pass the information on to you. This is not an exact science, as often a thread could fit into multiple folders easily. It's best to try to make sure that it does fit into the folder it's posted in, though, and that if there's one folder it fits into best it gets posted in that folder. === === Legibility === Whether you're posting something new or replying to an existing thread, it's important--and in your own best interest--to make sure that your messages can be read easily without eyestrain or confusion. After all, if your posts are difficult to read, people will simply skip over them without reading. These tips will help you understand what you can do to make your posts as easy as possible to read. Tip #4: Put white space (blank lines) in longer posts. In long blocks of text, the lines start to run together and become difficult to follow, so it's a good idea to put in a blank line between paragraphs to break it up a little. If you have a really long paragraph and can't find a logical break point, just put a blank line in after every three or four sentences. Our interaction here is much more like a spoken conversation than like a term paper, so we don't really mind if the structure of the post isn't, strictly speaking, correct. It's more important to be able to read what you're saying than to have it formatted "properly". Tip #5: Don't use Netspeak. Using "u" for "you", "r" for "are", 2 for "too" or "to", and so forth might look cool and mean less typing, but most of our posters are not used to it. Since we're not used to it, we don't read it very well. Many people complain that trying to decipher it gives them headaches. In addition, we are an international community. While many of our members for whom English is a second language read and write it very well, not everyone is so fluent. For those who aren't, the meanings of the Netspeak abbreviations or words in 133t-speak might not be immediately apparent. For that matter, even those of us who do speak English as a first language often find that trying to read Netspeak or 133t is very much like trying to read a foreign language we're only half-fluent in. === === Replying to Messages === Conversations can move quickly, and it's easy to lose the thread of who said what to whom--especially if you come along hours after the fact instead of getting the posts one or two at a time as they go up. Here are a couple of things you can do to help make things less confusing for everyone. Tip #6: Use the Quote button. If you just hit "Reply", your reply is posted with no indication of what specifically you're replying to or who you're "talking" to. That can make keeping track of a conversation difficult. If you use the Quote button, though, SMF will automatically insert a link back to the post you're replying to and quote it for you so that we can all see what exactly you're talking about. If you don't want to quote the whole post, just delete what isn't relevant to your reply. Tip #7: In the absence of a quote, give context. The Quote button is the preferred method of replying here. But if, for whatever reason, you just can't make yourself use it, please at least give some idea of the context of your reply. For example, instead of just saying, "That sounds like a good idea," you might say, "Lyric's idea of looking at Resource X sounds good." Remember that we're not in your head; you may know what you're replying to, but that doesn't mean the rest of us do. On Beehive we had links back to the post you were replying to that we could click on for context. Here we don't have that (unless you use the Quote button or put in links manually), so it's very important to give some kind of context. Tip #8: Take note of what board the thread is on. Mostly this doesn't make a great deal of difference, but there are some boards on which it might. One big one is the humour board. Occasionally, someone will post something there that looks like it might be serious--until you realize what category it's in, and then it usually becomes obvious that the post is satire or something similar. There are also special boards like the 101 folders and the Prayer and Energy Request board on which there are specific things that are appropriate or inappropriate to put into a reply. On any board like these which has special rules, read the special rules (stickied to the top of the folder) before replying to find out what's expected. === === Misc Posting Stuff === There are a few important points that don't really fit anywhere else. So--here they are. Tip #9: Don't make major edits to your posts or delete them, especially after they have been replied to. There's no problem with correcting a typo, of course, but when considering major revisions, remember that we are a very busy board. Chances are that if more than a couple of minutes have passed, someone has already read your post and may be composing a reply to it. Editing it at that point means that different people will see different versions of what you said. This can cause a lot of confusion about what you did or didn't say and throw the conversation off-track. It's usually better just to make a new post with the new or revised information in it. Don't worry about having to correct yourself--the rest of us do it too! We'd rather be able to follow discussions properly than pretend that all of us are infallible and get everything right on the first try. (If you do need to correct a typo, be sure to make a note letting us all know that's all you were doing, so we know we're still all having the same conversation.) Tip #10: Use the ignore feature if necessary. Sometimes someone gets so annoying and so irritating that just reading their posts makes your blood boil. If another poster is stressing you out that much, or if you aren't sure you can follow the rules when posting to them, put them on ignore. You can do this by clicking the "Ignore" button under their user info on any post they've made, or by managing your ignored users through your own profile. (If you don't see an "Ignore" button for a user, chances are good that they are staff; the ability to ignore staff has been removed.) Tip #11: Preview your work before posting. This provides you a chance to proofread, and it will also let you make sure you've done any BBcode in your post correctly. Also, sometimes if you write your post in another program and copy/paste it into the forum, some formatting will disappear. Previewing lets you notice and correct that before the post goes up for everyone to see. Tip #12: Be patient. Online as in real life, you will run into situations that are somewhat frustrating. A little bit of patience will go a long way in these situations. In particular: * Communicating in text is hard. Without the cues of body language, facial expression, tone of voice, and so forth, it becomes easy to misunderstand the subtext of a message. Emoticons help, but they're not foolproof. If someone misconstrues something you've said, chances are they don't mean it personally; it's just a misunderstanding. The best course of action is to try to re-word what you said rather than get too upset with the person who misunderstood you. In order to avoid this problem, it's also usually a good idea to think about what you're posting and consider whether it could be misread easily. If so, you probably want to re-word it so that your meaning is more clear. * People often reply to messages mid-thread without reading the whole thread. For some people, this is the most logical way to read a thread, because it means they don't have to worry about remembering which messages they wanted to reply to so that they can go back and do so after finishing the thread. This means that you might get the same response several times from different people. Generally it's best to just reply to one of those messages and not worry about the rest of them. I hope these tips help! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask on the Board Questions board or contact me privately. (Just click on the little envelope or speech bubble underneath my user info to the left.) [03] ========= ========= ARTICLES ========= ===== ===== HOW TO KEEP YOUR COVEN FROM BEING DESTROYED ===== Part 2 (of 7): Trollspotting ===== by Eran ===== In the previous article, I described some of the attributes of destructive people, the kind who are driven to tear Covens apart, and to break the spirit of people in leadership positions. Really destructive conflict is caused by people who are have a need to engage others in unwinnable contests. Such people generally have very low self-esteem, little regard for those around them, often a rather loose grip on consensual reality, and frequently possess a fair measure of paranoia. Such people are not healthy, they won't get healthy, they don't want to get healthy, and keeping them near you will eventually let them harm you. Treating them as if they were healthy just makes matters worse. For instance, if you respond to such a person's destructive acts with patience and understanding, he or she will learn you respond to destructive acts with patience and understanding, and this will encourage more destructive acts. I've called such people "trolls," using the mythic and folkloric image of chaotic forces which are natural, but often destructive. It's an image well-rooted in European symbolism. The word conveys some of the sense of danger, but also carries a comic side, as depicted in Tolkein's "The Hobbit" and in a myriad of children's stories. Most of the power which destructive people wield comes from the fear and hesitation they can inspire in others. If their comic side is kept in sight, much of this power can be nullified. The proper way to deal with a troll is to simply eject such a person from your group. Small Pagan groups, such as covens or groves, are fortunate in this way. The typical coven or grove is run by one person, or by a couple, who are empowered to make such decisions as who can and who can't be a member. This is in contrast to larger religious organizations - churches or synods or even Pagan umbrella organizations. Once a Coven Leader realizes there's a troll in the midst of the coven, all that needs to be done to get rid of the troll is to tell him or her to go away. There doesn't need to be any red tape or formal hearings or anything of that sort. Trolls love red tape, and can usually tie up a whole organization in such a proceeding for months, or even years. Trolls need conflict the way healthy people need food, and a formal hearing - even one whose purpose is an attempt to eject the troll - is exactly the arena in which they thrive. So, in a nutshell, that's the best way for covens to handle trolls. Just kick them out. All things in nature should be handled in the way appropriate to each kind of thing. You wouldn't allow a tarantula or scorpion to wander about in your sock drawer. This doesn't mean the tarantula is "evil"; it just means that humans don't find a sock drawer to be a convenient place to allow a tarantula to live. Similarly, you want a troll to take his or her destructive tendencies somewhere else, and keep them away from you and your group. The way to do that is to tell such a person to be gone. Don't bother with ceremony or explanations. Such things only provide more opportunities for the troll to engage you in further conflict. They also tell the troll exactly what worked to cause you damage, and what didn't. There's no reason to help trolls improve their trollish skills. But you wouldn't kick a pet hamster out into the woods, and you wouldn't want to treat a healthy and helpful person the way you'd treat a troll. This means it's important to be able to tell the difference between a healthy person and a troll, just as it's wise to know the difference between a hamster and a tarantula. Recognizing the Wild Troll Here are some common characteristics of trolls. Use this list as a guide and as warning signs. But be a little bit cautious. Even healthy people will display some of these traits some of the time. Being Pagans, we're not dualist absolutists here. (As the Books of Raoul say, "Dualism is bad!") If someone displays a couple of these traits every now and then, it could just be a fairly reasonable person on a bad hair day. Use some common sense. Conversely, there are very few trolls who will display all of these traits, or even a majority of them. One or two bad days, every now and then, does not a troll make. Nor does the absence of several traits necessarily mean the person is really a hamster (or even a wise and productive Covener!) What you're looking for in a person is a pattern. If someone reveals several of these traits, and shows them consistently - or if the person shows only three or four, but shows them to excess - then you're dealing with a troll. * Amazingly Likeable. Trolls often have the ability to be liked almost immediately. They can be very ingratiating, and seem incredibly open and friendly. It isn't necessary to be suspicious of someone who gives a very positive first impression. Some wonderful people also have a great deal of personal charisma. Instant, karmic connections can happen (and, in Paganism often do); but coupled with other warning signs, this could indicate an attempt at manipulation. Trolls tend to be likeable - it's what keeps them from being immediately recognized. It probably kept them from being beheaded at a young age. * Gushing Praise. This is related to being Amazingly Likeable. Does the person seem to be trying to butter you up, to identify your insecurities (everybody has some) and to play on them to give you strokes and lull you into acceptance? Does the person give gifts out of proportion to your level of intimacy and acquaintance? * Gotcha. Does the person seem to find joy in pointing out other people's errors or slips, mistakes and goofs, faults and bad habits? Does the person seem to imply these mean he or she is smarter or better suited to be a leader than is the one who goofed? Does the person sometimes ask questions he or she already knows the answers to, just to see if you know? * Coven Hopper. Does this person have a history of moving from Coven to Coven, usually (or always) leaving on bad terms? Does he or she have nothing but negative things to say about the leader(s) of previous groups? Does the person exhibit a dislike of Pagan Leaders in general? * Name Droppers/Initiation Collectors. Does the person expect you to be impressed by the people he or she has met, or the number of groups or Traditions he or she has worked with? Is there frequent reference to his or her marvelous and unmatchable experiences, skills, and knowledge? (Real sages can let their light shine without constant boasting.) * Excessive Rulehating. Many Pagans are very independent people. However, if someone is going to work within an established group, they need to be willing to follow whatever guidelines that group has, however loose or restrictive those guidelines might be. Trolls hate such restrictions. Healthy people who dislike a given group's rules are willing to admit that particular group may not be right for them, and to look elsewhere without animosity. Trolls will be angry at you personally for running a group which does not suit them. * Echoes and Re-runs. Is this person frequently involved in arguments and destructive conflicts? Do conflicts seem always to occur and re-occur when this person is around? Does the person accept responsibility for his or her role in previous disagreements, or are these problems always blamed on someone else? * Unnamed "Others". Are "others" always to blame for this person's problems? Do "others" always agree with this person's concern? Does the person carry tales told to him or her by "others"? Is this person always vague about just exactly who these "others" are? * Living One's Religion. Does this person exhibit unethical or dishonest and destructive behavior in other areas of his or her life? A destructive person won't stop being destructive in Circle, and trolls object to having you look at other areas of their lives. Someone who is destructive or dishonest in their personal lives will be equally destructive and dishonest in their Craft lives. * Liar. Is the person often caught in outright lies? Are there excuses and slick explanations always at the ready? Excuses can get pretty imaginative. A common technique is to frequently claim to have misunderstood or misremembered the conversations in question. One troll even invented the condition of "aural dyslexia" to "explain" his frequent false statements. * Note Takers and Journal Keepers. Trolls like to write things down - slanting the record, of course, to make themselves look good, and to make everyone else look bad. They'll pull out their journals from time to time to "prove" how mean someone else was, or to back up their own incredible claims. Of course, even healthy Pagans often keep magical workbooks and notebooks, so simply keeping a journal - even a highly subjective journal - doesn't make one a troll. But does the person sometimes use these subjective personal accounts to back up a claim? Are these accounts filled with extreme adjectives and intimations of others' imagined states of mind? Does the person seem unable to realize that their journal is subjective testimony, and not an objective and accurate, proven account? * Excessive Sarcasm. A ready wit is a good thing. A consistently sarcastic and caustic wit, which constantly belittles others, is not. Does the person seem unable to comprehend the painful and destructive effects of his or her own sarcastic statements? * Pests. Is the person constantly calling with questions, suggestions, personal problems? Does he or she expect you to be willing to drop everything to deal with any and all concerns? Is he or she offended and angry if you can't? * Causes. A social conscience is a Good Thing, and many Pagans are very active politically. But great social causes can also be a mask for selfish demands, or for a desire for personal power. Does the person heap scorn on those who don't have an equal zeal for the same causes? Does the person use these causes as excuses to start fights - even when it's time to settle down to other work? * Bad Losers/Bad Winners. In arguments or disagreements - or in games and leisure activities - does the person react well to resolutions? What kind of impression does the person give about past conflicts? Is there excessive gloating when the person wins, or harping and whining when he or she loses? Are personal disagreements often depicted in terms of winning and losing, rather than as attempts to resolve differences? Does a loss provoke retaliation? Does the person use various forms of intimidation, or passive-aggressive techniques, to get what he or she wants? * Excessive Privacy or Secrecy. Information management is one of the most powerful tools of a troll. Be wary of anyone who tells you too many things "in confidence," or who warns you away from talking to people he or she knew formerly, or people involved in his or her tales. Of course, this does not apply to legitimate Oaths taken in a religious context. Many paths require Oaths of secrecy, and respect for the privacy of others. However: * Oathbreakers/Braggarts. Is the person only too happy to tell you all the secrets of some other group or tradition? He or she will also treat your privacy with just as much contempt. Is the person inordinately proud of knowing Secrets which other people are not privy to? * Projection and Inconsistency. "When you complain about something, it's malicious gossip; but when I do, it's just sharing feelings, or warning someone about something." "When I call you nasty names, it's just an accurate description; when you talk about me behind my back, it's slander." Trolls are unable or unwilling to apply the same standards to themselves which they apply to other people. They will violently criticize others for actions they engage in themselves. Does the person seem to have an inability or unwillingness to consider other viewpoints? * Change Your Focus. If a new person joins your group, does he or she insist on having a better way to do things? Does the person always want to bend the rules of your group, or do away with them? Remember: Paganism is big, and you have no responsibility to provide for the needs of everyone who comes to you. If your group isn't to the liking of a potential member or a new member, there's nothing in the least wrong with insisting that person seek fulfillment elsewhere. * Inappropriate Application of Pagan principles, such as the value of love and trust, or the Rede, subjective realities and creating your own realities, "going with my feelings," following one's own sense of ethics, 12-step "recovery," and so on. Does the person use Pagan ideals and Newage jargon as excuses and covers for unethical behavior? This last point is a particularly important one. Trolls love to use vital Pagan principles inappropriately to cover their own destructive actions. This technique is often quite effective, because it can make their actions sound reasonable, even to their victims. This makes it harder to justify ejecting a troll from your group, even when the troll is blatantly tearing everything apart. These problems are particularly troublesome in larger umbrella organizations, where you have to use formal procedures to kick out a troll. A troll can manipulate Pagan principles to get a few people actually defending the troll's actions, and cause dissention and outright warfare within the group of people who are trying to figure out what to do. Because this particular trollish technique is so important, I'll devote the entire next article to it. This will also illustrate some of the reasons why Pagan groups are such attractive targets for trolls. Understanding our vulnerabilities will lead to being able to construct effective defenses. There are ways of making your group less attractive to a troll, and there are was of making a troll's impact less damaging. But it's necessary to first understand where our weak points are. === 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 +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [04] ========= ========= FLAMEKEEPING ========= DICHOTOMIES OF ORDER 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/ ===== ===== Dichotomies of Order and Chaos ===== A perfect world, a perfect heaven. The aspiration of so many people, for a perfect life, one without sickness, without death, without chaos. And that is a cruel lie, and a cruel hope, for there is no life without chaos, no order without change. Only nothingness is static, and even that lies full of possibility. So what do we hope for, if not a perfect world to come? Growth can only come out of chaos, although understanding that growth comes from times of order. Our goal, our purpose, is growth and understanding of the world around us and ourselves. To find a static world, or to change to one, would make us useless and our purpose unreachable. Instead, we should hope for learning, for growth, for becoming more than we currently are, as painful as that can be sometimes. That doesn't mean all chaos is good, any more than all order is good. Every change holds within it seeds both of growth and pain, of advantage and disadvantage. And times of order degrade over time, taking what had been good to simply what is, and often what is bad. Chaos and order are both good and bad, depending on what is done with the opportunities, not the fact of order or chaos itself. Order however, is much more comfortable than chaos. We crave order, security, comfort. Even when the order is obviously not serving the people involved, it is still quite difficult to take the risk of chaos and make changes. When we cannot find order, we find ways to force order, see patterns, create comfort out of confusion. We call upon Gods to create order or explain what is, blaming chaos on divine disfavor. We deny growth because it scares us, because the potential for growth is always the same potential as loss. We must learn to embrace chaos as we embrace order, to accept that our lives cannot remain pleasantly constant. To understand that how we deal with change and chaos are the things that truly define us as people. And to accept that our lives are short, and not constant, and that to embrace anything in life is to embrace the fact that it is impermanent. ===== ===== Questions ===== * What are the limits of order? * What are the limits of chaos? * How do we balance our desire for security with our need for change? [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/ ===== ===== CLOSE ALL WINDOWS -- WITH JUST ONE CLICK ===== If you use a lot of programs at once and have to shut them all down in a hurry, you know what a pain this can be. Click on a window, click on the close button. Repeat for each window of each program you are using. Close All Windows is a simple, single purpose tool that allows you to close all your open programs with one mouse click. Create a shortcut to the Close All Windows program in your quicklaunch bar and all you have to do is click on the Close All Windows icon to shut down all your open windows. This small utility program works by sending a close message to each open window, the same message the window would get if you clicked on its close button. You will still have to deal with any "Are you sure" or "Do you want to save" dialog boxes that a program might toss at you when you tell it to close, but Close All Windows can save quite a bit of time and clicking if you regularly have 5 or 10 applications open when it is time to pack it in for the day. Rating: 4.5 Operating System: Windows License: Freeware Price: Free Version: 1.0 Web Site: http://www.ntwind.com/software/utilities/close-all.html ===== ===== NET PROFILES -- CHANGE LAPTOP NETWORK SETTINGS EASILY ===== I received email a few days ago asking if I knew of a program that would allow one to define groups of network settings to make it easy to move a laptop between home and office without having to reconfigure the network settings every time. I don’t have a laptop, so I’ve never experienced this special hell first hand, but with a bit of searching, I discovered a freeware program, Net Profiles, that looks like it should turn network hell into network heaven. The program description from the Net Profiles web site describes the program well: "Net Profiles allows you to create profiles of your network settings, including mapped network drives and default printers, and lets you easily apply those settings. It eliminates the need to manually reconfigure your network settings when you move your desktop/laptop computer to another location and want to connect to another network." Net Profiles has the following features: * Save you network settings as profiles. * Change IP Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, DNS Server, WINS Server, etc. with a click of a button. * Specify different mapped drives for each profile. * Change your default printer based on which profile you're currently using. * Automatically change you profile via shortcuts created with Net Profiles. * Quick List window, a compact interface for selecting profiles. * Change Internet Explorer proxy settings. * Change the default homepage for Internet Explorer. As far as I can tell, this small program only has a couple of drawbacks. This program is apparently Windows XP only and changing the default home page for Internet Explorer did not work on my system. This might because of changes made in IE 7 or it might because I have my XP system locked down tightly against just such changes -- as they are usually made by malware or rogue websites. The program hasn't been updated since 2004, but that doesn't mean much as it does its job well. Rating: 4.5 Operating System: Windows XP License: Freeware Price: Free Version: 1.2 Web Site: http://netprofiles.danielmilner.com/index.php ===== ===== ASTERISK LOGGER -- REVEAL PASSWORDS BEHIND ASTERISKS ===== Many Windows programs (e.g. CuteFTP, CoffeeCup Free FTP, VNC, IncrediMail, Outlook Express, etc.) require passwords and will save them so you don’t have to enter them every time. Of course, if you entered them last six months ago, you probably do not remember them now. There are a number of programs that will reveal these passwords, but Asterisk Logger is one of the most useful if you need to record a lot of stored password (before you reformat the machine, for example) as Asterisk Logger will automatically store the information it finds on a program/password combination in a log file. All you have to do is use your password protected programs and it will log every hidden password it sees and will allow you to save this information as an HTML file or a text file. While this program will reveal most program passwords, not all programs hide their password in a standard way -- Asterisk Logger cannot see passwords from those programs (some examples: Netscape 6.x and Internet Explorer (Passwords in the Web page), dialup and network passwords in Windows 2000, Windows NT/2000/XP user management tools). The nice thing about this program is that it is self-contained (except on NT which requires an additional .dll file). You can download it, use it, and then easily remove it from your computer so others cannot get your passwords. Rating: 4.0 Operating System: Windows 9x, ME,2000, XP (NT with a dll file) License: Freeware Price: Free Version: 1.02 Web Site: http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/astlog.html [06] ========= ========= From the Spell Grimoire: ========= Broom House Purification ========= Supplies: * tree branch * brightly colored long-stemmed flowers * string or thread Procedure: Before dawn, take a branch from any tree. Thank the tree for its gift and leave a coin or semi-precious stone at its base in payment. Next, obtain several brightly colored flowers on long stalks. Tie these flowers to the branch to fashion a sort of broom, then sweep the floor in every room of the house, visualizing the flowers of the broom absorbing negativity and "evil" as you work. Then, still before sunrise, leave the broom at the crossroads. Traditionally this ritual is repeated at the first of each month. === === 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: ========= LEMONY LENTILS WITH BLACK OLIVES AND TOMATO ========= submitted by LyricFox ========= Adapted from Cooking Light === Ingredients Dressing: 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 garlic clove, minced Lentils: 3 cups water 1 cup dried green or brown lentils 1/2 cup chopped carrot 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 thyme sprig 1 rosemary sprig 1/2 cup canned tomatoes, drained, rinsed and chopped 1/3 cup chopped pitted black olives 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped green onions (white and green parts) === Directions: To prepare dressing, combine first 8 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. To prepare lentils, combine water and next 5 ingredients (water through rosemary) in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain; discard thyme and rosemary. Place lentil mixture in a large bowl; stir in tomato, olives, parsley, and onions. Pour dressing over lentil mixture; toss to coat. Yield: 6 servings === === 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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