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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #98 -- March 2009 A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum website: http://www.ecauldron.net/ message board: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/ social network: http://tcn.ecauldron.net/ newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.net/cnc/ Please DONATE to Support our NEW SERVER http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?page=62 In this Issue: [00] Editorial Notes [01] Cauldron News * New SIG: College Pagans SIG * New SIG: Pagan Parents SIG * Renamed Board: Teen Pagans SIG * Soon: Chavi Memorial Chronic Illness SIG [02] Interesting Recent Cauldron Discussions * Ritual with Children * College School Work and Path Intersecting? * Latest on the Shape of Religious Belief in the US * Disposing of a Spell * Blending Divination Techniques * Working on Behalf of the Gods? * Wiccans, Do you Prefer Coven or Solitary? * Speaking/Singing in Tongues * Your Name, Your Avatar, and Your Sig? * Do You Believe in an "Ultimate God?" [03] Phyllis Vega's Tarot Talk: The Fool's Journey [04] Flamekeeping: Knowing, Truth, and Unknowable Reality [05] Articles * A Quick Guide to Cartomancy Readings [06] Support The Cauldron with Donations [07] Support The Cauldron with Assistance [08] Newsletter Information (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ LOOKING FOR PAGAN SUPPLIES? Visit The Cauldron's Pagan Supply Store http://www.ecauldron.net/esesf.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [00] ========= ========= EDITORIAL NOTES ========= Welcome to the March 2009 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 is a another thin issue because I have had yet another very busy real life month. Lyric and I have been painting and I've been working on a few must-be-done-now non-Pagan projects. April looks to be another very busy month. 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 ========= ===== ===== New SIG: College Pagans SIG ===== College Pagans often have a lot of issues to discuss that are different from those of Pagans not attending college (like dealing with non-Pagan dorm mates, forming Pagan college groups, dealing with parents, living away from home for the first time, etc.) and that people not attending college tend not to be interested in. This Special Interest Group is the place to discuss the issues Pagans face at college with other Pagans attending college (and those who used to attend). SIG Boards are available to all members of The Cauldron. http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?board=71.0 ===== ===== New SIG: Pagan Parents SIG ===== This Special Interest Group Board is for Pagan parents as well as those planning to become Pagan parents. It's a place to discuss both general child rearing issues and the specific religious issues faces Pagan parents. SIG Boards are available to all members of The Cauldron. http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?board=72.0 ===== ===== Renamed Board: Teen Pagans SIG ===== Our "Teen Place" board has been renamed as the "Teen Pagans SIG" and moved to our SIG category. SIG Boards are available to all members of The Cauldron. http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?board=16.0 ===== ===== Coming Soon: Chavi Memorial Chronic Illness SIG ===== If you were a member of The Cauldron any time from about 2003 to early 2006, you will remember Chavi (aka Storyteller Cat and, in offline life, Cathlene Patricia McKenna) and starting in early 2005, her ever positive reports on her battle with a rare form of cancer. (You can read some of those posts on our slow 2005 Archive Board: http://www.ecauldron.net/ab/index.php?webtag= CAULDRON&msg=3427.1) The odds were against her from the beginning, but that did not stop her from fighting hard to turn out to be one of the rare survivors. And for a time it looked like she really might overcome those long odds. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be so. Chavi lost her battle with cancer on April 1, 2006. We've honored Chavi every year on this date with a "round the world" 24 hour candle vigil. We'll be doing that this year, but we will also be opeing a special SIG named after her for Pagans and their friends who are fighting longterm or chronic illness and for their family members, friends and caregivers. We plan to have this new SIG open on or about April 1, 2009 -- the third anniversary of Chavi's passing. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ PAGAN-FRIENDLY WEB HOSTING http://www.ecauldron.net/web/zdreamhost.php Dreamhost offers high-quality, low cost web hosting with a dedication to free speech. Pagan sites are welcome! 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Visit Dreamhost for Affordable, Pagan-Friendly Hosting http://www.ecauldron.net/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. ===== ===== Ritual with Children ===== How much do you include your children in ritual, worship, or other aspects of your religious path? Do you have special rituals or practices that are for the little ones, in addition to your solitary or group ritual/worship? What are some ways you share your religion with them? I am not raising my children (ages 6, 4, 2, and 14 mos) to be any particular religion; but I'm also not raising them with no religion. We attend an awesome UU church and they are exposed to, and free to explore, any and all paths. I've no interest in indoctrinating them; it's not my path to convert anyone to anything. there is a lot of value in what I believe (or I wouldn't believe it, LOL) and I think that it can apply to - or at least inform - their own unique paths. I'm pretty adept at answering questions, and introducing concepts, and having discussions with them. However, I've only been Pagan for a year and a half... any kind of Pagan Smiley. So while my children hear lots of discussion about different theology and beliefs, and they have their questions answered, I haven't really succeeded in building a practice that truly includes them. Starting out, I read a bit of Circle Round and it seemed good. I wasn't at a place to even begin It's been a while now though, I would have to borrow it again to see if it has ideas that are relevant to my path now (which started out being "earth-based, maybe Wiccan?" and has developed into something different.) * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=8575.0 ===== ===== College School Work and Path Intersecting? ===== Does anyone ever find the work or reading they need to do for school intersecting with their path? For example, I am taking Theatre History, so I've been doing some reading on Dionysus, and now I'm thinking I'd like to start doing devotions to Him (well, I am in theatre, so it would be logical Wink -- but moreover I just think I should do so, which may be a not-so-subtle hint). This is probably because I have been trying to be as scholarly as possible with regards to the Gods I honor and work with, and the ways in which I do so. When I'm engrossed in academia (and have access to such a lovely library) it just seems to be a logical next step. Anybody else find this? Conversely, does your path enhance your school experience in any way? Do you find it influencing the choices you make with regards to classes or even majors/minors? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=8562.0 ===== ===== Latest on the Shape of Religious Belief in the US ===== From today's (9 March 2009) USA Today: Most religious groups in USA have lost ground, survey finds http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03-09-american- religion-ARIS_N.htm "The percentage. of people who call themselves in some way Christian has dropped more than 11% in a generation. The faithful have scattered out of their traditional bases: The Bible Belt is less Baptist. The Rust Belt is less Catholic. And everywhere, more people are exploring spiritual frontiers ? or falling off the faith map completely." I think more people exploring--rather than thoughtlessly adhering to what they've been brought up with--is probably good news. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=8501.0 ===== ===== Disposing of a Spell ===== I often use tealights, and a few days ago I cast a tealight petition spell. It was only a simple good luck spell, where I added a little note and some spices to the tealight. The only problem is I seem to be having a hard time throwing the now-burnt out tealight into the trash. I've never had this happen before, but for some reason it just doesn't feel right- almost as though the spell isn't quite finished or something. And so it's sat on my shelf up until I feel able to throw it out. Does anyone else ever feel a little funny about disgarding magic items? What do you usually do with your finished-with items? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=8456.0 ===== ===== Blending Divination Techniques ===== Questions about divination: * How do people feel about combining different types of divination together in one reading? * Why? * If you do combine, what kinds of divination do you use together and/or that you feel work especially well together? * Is one kind your "primary" divination technique, and the other used to check the accuracy of the first? * How do you reconcile them if you get opposite answers? * Do you use one type to expand on or clarify the reading received with the other type? * Are there any divination techniques you would NOT use together?l information, as your questions I will answer as best I can. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=8392.0 ===== ===== Working on Behalf of the Gods? ===== Earlier today, I read an email from a friend who mentioned in passing the idea that, if we need the Gods, it might also be true that the Gods need *us*. This comment was in response to my whining about feeling somewhat deserted by, or at least disconnected from Brighid lately because some things in my life have tanked (or it seems that way at the moment, anyway). I've been thinking all evening about what She might need from me. It doesn't seem like She particularly needs offerings (of food anyway -- although I think offerings in the form of donations or volunteer work for related causes might be a good thing). What do you think? Do the gods need us, and if so, for what? I know Shad, f'ex, has a theory that we are the eyes and hands of the gods. What does that mean in practice? Are there specific activities or things that you feel you are encouraged or even required to do for your god/dess(es)? What happens if you don't do them? How do you know what you're supposed to do? For Cill members and others who have a relationship with Brighid: Do you feel Brighid needs you/us to do specific things? If so, what? Are they *required* or just encouraged? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=8385.0 ===== ===== Wiccans, Do you Prefer Coven or Solitary? ===== Just curious... do you prefer solitary work or coven work if you're Wiccan? Just curious what other people's experiences with covens were. I've heard positive and negative, but I've always been a little nervous about seeking out a coven. Plus I like the freedom of solitary work. But I also feel a bit isolated, cause I know no one who is pagan. If you are solitary, how do you keep from being isolated? How have you found other pagans to associate with in your areaded. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=8351.0 ===== ===== Speaking/Singing in Tongues ===== I have some totally random questions about speaking in tongues in a pagan context. (As opposed to the Pentecostal Christian context) Specifically I'm talking about Glossolalia: speaking in a "holy language" composed of what appear to be non-sense syllables that nonetheless sound much like some sort of fluent language and the sometimes incorporated Xenoglossy: spontaneously speaking in a real language which is completely unknown to the person speaking it. I got curious about the topic after seeing a documentary that discussed it recently and looked it up on Wikipedia (not the most impressive of sources, I know). At the bottom of the entry, they noted that this sometimes shows up in pagan and shamanistic faiths (also possible in voodoo). Have you ever had experiences with either? Is speaking in tongues a part of your path? If so, how do you use it and why? Does it have a historical basis in your tradition or is it a modern/UPG add-on? On a related note, if you do speak in tongues, do you consider what you say a product of purely Glossolalia or do you suspect it might be Xenoglossy, that is to say, do you believe the language you are speaking is or was at one time a real language (such as an unlearned or undiscovered language you cannot identify)? If you don't speak in tongues, what do you think of the practice? Have you ever encountered it outside the Christian faith? Do you believe it can serve a purpose or do you see it as nonsense? And although I'm not specifically talking about constructed languages or "Conlangs" in this post, I could see how the topics might be related and wanted to throw that out there too. Do you think there is any relationship between speaking in tongues and inventing fantasy languages? Why do humans feel the need to do either? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=8342.0 ===== ===== Your Name, Your Avatar, and Your Sig? ===== I see so many interesting names, avatars, and sigs. I'm just wondering about the stories behind them. I would just like to know why you chose what you did to help define you. Everyone has a story! * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=8295.0 ===== ===== Do You Believe in an "Ultimate God?" ===== Ultimate God" is my son's term, but it works because I don't have another workable term. Do you believe that there is a Greater Power/Being than the god/desses of your pantheon? Personally, I do believe in an "Ultimate God," and the other god/desses are kumu, or teachers, but they are manifestations of the Ultimate God, just as we are, but to a greater degree. I believe everything is a kinolau (other body) of God--rocks, trees, people, god/desses. Because of this, I don't pray to Pele to grant me anything, but I ask Her for guidance and to help me connect with God (Ultimate) both within myself and without. Pele's a harsh, but loving, mistress and reminds me of a Catholic nun teacher--when She whacks you across the knuckles, by gum, you know it! Ignore Her at your peril! So, do you believe in an "Ultimate God?" * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=8287.0 [03] ========= ========= PHYLLIS VEGA'S TAROT TALK ========= The Fool's Journey ========= by Phyllis Vega ========= In the language of the tarot, The Fool's Journey refers to the metaphorical trip that The Fool takes through all the cards of the major arcana on his way to enlightenment. By addressing each card in sequence, the innocent Fool learns the lessons implicit in that card. By the time he reaches the last card, The Fool is no longer a fool. The Fool in the tarot deck stands for each of us at the beginning of any new venture; his journey represents the challenges and opportunities we encounter and the qualities we acquire on the road to knowledge and understanding. The World card represents the fulfillment of The Fool's quest, the cosmic consciousness to which all the other cards have led. We begin each new life phase as The Fool, nothing, the un- manifest entity. We move through the lessons and trials of the initiate or seeker, until tempered by the trials of experience we emerge whole and complete as The World. Each of the trumps of the major arcana cards stands for specific qualities or situations that we meet along the way. The cards mirror our different stages of development, and offer insight into our patterns of growth. Together the cards of the major arcana form a cycle that represents birth, life, death, and rebirth. It is useful to study the major arcana in order to determine how far along the path you have come. By using the cards for meditation, and in readings, you can learn a lot about yourself and your personal direction. Are you, like The Fool, just starting out on a new path? Have you reached the halfway point of some facet in your life? Are you just completing one phase and getting ready to begin another? In understanding the journey of The Fool through the major arcana, you begin to understand more about yourself and your reason for being. As you become a more complete person you are better able to discern your life purpose and fulfill your individual potential. The descriptions that follow show how each of the majors is connected to The Fool's Journey and to the cards that come before and after it in the sequence. The meanings of each card and its relationship to The Fool's Journey are based on the keywords most often used to describe the trump cards. === The Fool (Key 0): The Fool is a card of beginnings, and stands for each one of us at the beginning of life's journey. Actually The Fool is no fool, but rather an inexperienced innocent. At the start of his trip, The Fool is fresh, open, spontaneous, and ready to embrace whatever comes his way. Seemingly oblivious to the cliff edge he stands upon, The Fool is unaware of the possible hardships and pitfalls that lay ahead as he ventures out to learn the lessons of the world. === The Magician (Key 1): Analogous to the legendary sorcerer Merlin, The Magician is both teacher and wise man. As communicator and keeper of the ancient mysteries, The Magician is The Fool's guide. He represents the force of the creative impulse. He is also the conscious awareness of the ego or outer self. The power of The Magician is his ability to employ a dynamic combination of concentration and creativity to manifest wishes and dreams. The Magician's message to The Fool is that all the tools of life are at our fingertips, and we can manipulate them at will to create the desired outcome. === The High Priestess (Key 2): As chief feminine elder, The High Priestess corresponds to all the virgin goddesses of the ancient world. Her primary association is with The Moon and the concept of reflected or borrowed light. Through her connection to occult, secret, and esoteric matters she symbolizes potential, untapped talent, and latent ability. She represents the nurturing and birth of spiritual, creative, and artistic ideas that cross the threshold from the unconscious to the conscious mind. The High Priestess is The Fool's unrealized potential waiting passively for an active principle to bring it to expression. === The Empress (Key 3): The Empress is the Great Mother Goddess, the biological and earthly mother of all living things. In her guise as Ceres/Demeter who created the seasons, The Empress is mother- nature herself. As the representative of fertility, art, and beauty she is nurturing and seductive; like nature she symbolizes the earth from which all life comes. For The Fool, The Empress represents the loving mother who nourishes and cares for him, but also Mother Earth, who nurtures and cares for us all. === The Emperor (Key 4): Next, The Fool encounters the father in the figure of The Emperor. He is the representative of structure and authority. As he moves out from the safety of The Empress' arms, The Fool begins to see that there are patterns to his world. Objects respond in predictable ways that can be explored and understood. He also learns that there are rules to follow, and that his will is not always paramount. These restrictions can be frustrating, but through the patient direction of his father The Emperor, The Fool begins to understand their purpose. === The Hierophant (Key 5): As keeper of the sacred keys and the religious authority in society, The Hierophant is the other face of the paternal principle represented by The Emperor. Together they share responsibility for The Fool's material and spiritual needs. When The Fool ventures out into the wider world, he is exposed to the beliefs and traditions of his culture. Since The Hierophant is the representative of society's organized belief systems, he is the one who interprets arcane knowledge and sacred mysteries for The Fool. === The Lovers (Key 6): The Lovers represent the duality in life, particularly that brought about by another person entering the individual's personal sphere and awakening love and desire. Eventually, The Fool faces the challenge of his urge for union with another person. Up to this point, he was mainly self-centered. Now the balancing tendency pictured in The Lovers impels him to reach out and become half of a loving partnership. The Lovers duality can also indicate a time of choice between two lovers, or the need to decide whether or not to continue a relationship. === The Chariot (Key 7): The Charioteer stands for ambition, action, change, and new experience. Like the great classical heroes of mythology, this trump represents victory, willpower, and the courage and heart of a warrior. The modern meaning of this card has less to do with war, battles, and victories, and more to do with work, aspiration, self-control, and success in the world. The encounter with The Chariot puts The Fool on notice that he is now an adult and ready to take charge of his own life. === Strength (Key 8): Originally numbered 11, A. E. Waite shifted the Strength card to number 8. As a result, the card that relates to the energy and resilience of the unconscious succeeds the representative of the outer power of the ego's will. While The Chariot refers to the male archetype of action in the world; Strength relates to the female archetype of internal power. From them The Fool learns that harmony is attained through the integration of inner and outer consciousness. Instead of fighting the beast within, you tame it and it becomes your source of strength. === The Hermit (Key 9): The Hermit represents The Fool's inner teacher, higher self, or spirit guide, that part of him that is continually searching for the meaning of life. Connected astrologically to the planet Saturn, The Hermit serves as the representative of Father Time. He teaches The Fool about the passage of time and the inevitability of change. As a result of this encounter, The Fool begins to look inward, trying to understand his feelings and motivations. He is now ready to seek out a teacher or guide who can provide advice and direction. === The Wheel of Fortune (Key 10): In many early decks, the image of this card was that of a blindfolded woman representing the Goddess Fortuna in her guise as fate or destiny. She's shown turning the wheel of life. When the wheel turns, everything changes. Periods of happiness and good fortune follow seasons and intervals of bad luck. From this trump, The Fool learns about life's ups and downs. However, in today's world many accept the idea that the fall of the wheel is not so much determined by destiny, as it is the result of individual thoughts, ideas, beliefs, feelings, and choices. === Justice (Key 11): The astrological counterpart of Justice is Libra, the scales. The double-edged sword depicted in most versions of this card represents choice, and indicates that Justice is a two way street. Its influence is impartial, objective, detached, and nonjudgmental. The justice represented by this card is legal or karmic justice, not social justice, which is in the realm of The Emperor. The scales of justice refer to balance and harmony. From his encounter with this key, The Fool learns to weigh all factors in order to make informed choices and equitable decisions. === The Hanged Man (Key 12): This card symbolizes the sacrifice of the god Odin, who hung upside down from a tree. He suspended himself between the forces of heaven and earth in order to learn the wisdom of the runes. The Hanged Man denotes the transformation from ordinary consciousness to spiritual consciousness. He introduces The Fool to the need for letting go control of the ego, in order to surrender to the intuitive knowledge of the inner self. This key corresponds to a time when, with his life in suspension, The Fool sees things from a new vantage point. === Death (Key 13): Originally associated with the Grim Reaper, Cronos, and Kali, the initial meaning of this card was physical death. However, the modern meaning equates the Death card with Pluto, the astrological planet of death, rebirth, and renewal. As such, it does not signify physical death; but refers instead to metaphorical death; something that transforms and changes you at the deepest level of your being. At this point in the journey, The Fool experiences many endings as he eliminates old habits and tired approaches, putting the outgrown aspects of his life behind him. === Temperance (Key 14): The Temperance card connotes balance through moderation, patience, and composure. Its task is to remind The Fool to always keep one foot firmly planted on the ground. The word temperance derives from the Latin temperare and means "to mix" or "to combine." Symbolically this key represents the creativity and empowerment of Alchemy, and refers to the combination of opposites -- male and female, light and dark, spirit and matter. By recombining and blending the many elements of life in new and different ways, The Fool learns how to create something unique. === The Devil (Key 15): This card personifies temptation, restriction, and misdirection. It reflects belief in the surface rather than in the inner truth of a situation. The Devil represents the individual's own fears. When you believe you can't do anything, you're powerless to exert control over your life. The Devil's purpose is to teach The Fool to recognize and accept all sides of human nature. Because he corresponds to our shadow part, The Devil knows all our shameful secrets, forbidden desires, and taboo fantasies. Once The Fool stops repressing his true feelings, he can start dealing with them effectively. === The Tower (Key 16): Because it denotes the breaking apart of old routines and patterns that restrict growth and development, this key puts The Fool on notice that changes are required. Although the sudden catastrophes associated with The Tower generally appear as external events that seem to come out of nowhere, they're actually a wake up call that tells us everything is not as it should be. Resist necessary change and events slam into your life, forcing change upon you. However, with the smoke cleared and the rubble removed you find that you're free to rebuild your life along more personally satisfying lines. === The Star (Key 17): Beyond the violence of The Tower's blinding flash of lightning, The Fool encounters the peace and calm of The Star. Having passed through the dark trials of The Tower, he now moves toward The Star's gentle light. Bathed in its soft radiance, he is renewed and restored to harmony and balance. Symbolic of faith, hope, and inspiration, this trump reminds The Fool to trust to intuition and his own inner voice. It prompts him to draw on all levels of mind in an attempt to fulfill his highest potential. At last The Fool is ready to follow his star, wherever it leads. === The Moon (Key 18): Beneath The Moon's shimmering glow the familiar realities of daytime and the conscious mind give way to the netherworld of sleep, dreams, and the unconscious. Under The Moon's spell, The Fool enters a labyrinth of illusion and mystery. The Moon's task is to teach The Fool about the mysteries of the female spirit, and the nurturing qualities of emotion and intuition. The Moon stimulates the creative imagination, but she also introduces The Fool to the seduction and paranoia implicit in the unknown. The weird thoughts that bubble up from The Fool's unconscious may provoke a sense of loss and bewilderment. === The Sun (Key 19): With the coming of dawn The Sun is reborn, and the reawakened ego consciousness emerges from the dark of night into the light of day. This key's mythological correspondence is to ancient Sun gods, like the Greek Apollo, who was born of Leto goddess of the night. The Sun equates to wisdom and enlightenment, because in its travels across the planet it sees everything. The Sun's purpose is to teach The Fool to blend unconscious and conscious material. Empowered by his passage through the trials of the night, The Fool now feels strong, confident, and ready to confront any challenge. === Judgement (Key 20): The Fool is nearing the end of his journey. By the time he reaches this point, he has learned how to integrate his everyday awareness with higher consciousness. Moreover, he has changed completely. The Fool now possesses all the qualities that he has been seeking on his pilgrimage: enlightenment, truth, hidden knowledge, and a sense of harmony and contentment. He feels cleansed and refreshed, ready to start anew. He may regret past mistakes, but he knows they were due to his ignorance of his true nature. === The World (Key 21): At last The Fool has come to the final card in the journey. The World card signals the end of his tour of the major arcana. Having attained the goal, he arrives at his destination totally transformed. He is now ready to reenter the world, but this time with a more complete understanding. His former naiveté has combined with the wisdom he acquired along the way. He has mastered the three planes of mind, body, and emotion, and all elements of his existence blend together to form a synthesized whole. === === About Phyllis Vega === Phyllis Vega is a professional astrologer and tarot reader. She is the author of two popular tarot books, Romancing the Tarot and Power Tarot (with Trish MacGregor), with a third book, TarotCraft: How to Use the Cards for Divination, Creative Visualization, and Meditation currently in the works. Contact Phyllis via email at pvega@bellsouth.net or through her website at http://phyllisvega.geocities.com/. Tarot Tarot columns and other works by Phyllis are archived at http://tarottalk.ecauldron.net/. Phyllis Vega's Tarot Talk copyright (c) 2009 by Phyllis Vega. All rights reserved. [04] ========= ========= FLAMEKEEPING ========= KNOWING, TRUTH, AND UNKNOWABLE REALITY ========= 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/ ===== ===== Knowing, Truth, and Unknowable Reality ===== We like to believe we know how the world works. We want to understand and control everything we can, including religious matters. And we want to be right. But who's right? Religions directly contradict each other. There's no way they can all be 100% correct. So how do we learn what is right and what is not? And why do religions hold things that aren't true in them? Faith comes from contact with the Divine. Religion, however, is when that contact is codified and rituals created for people to find that same contact. The contacts themselves are True. But everything we create around that contact is just as flawed as all other human institutions. We place our own preconceptions, our own desires and flaws inside the religion. Over time, some people come to see the preconceptions and other human flaws as the religion and ignore the actual faith aspects, causing schisms and broken faiths. We need to accept that we aren't capable of truly comprehending the Divine. We don't have a box big enough to shove a person in completely, much less a god or all of creation. The more we try to hold all the answers in our hands, the more we're left with smoke and straw. What we can hold is infinitely smaller than what exists, and even what we can hold is larger than what we can express. Humanity as a whole constantly tries to expand its knowledge as to the functioning of the Universe. No religious box can be smaller than our scientific knowledge. Everything that exists needs to be acceptable to religion. The parts that do not match are not Truths, but human preconceptions and flaws that we create to make the world a little smaller and a little easier to hold. We need to accept that we cannot be 100% correct in how we think the world works. The more we try to hold and shrink it, the more it slips through our grasp. ===== ===== Questions: ===== * How do you try to hold the world smaller? How does that limit you? * Do you see a conflict between science and religion? Reality and religion? How do you resolve these conflicts? * Do you see faith as something that needs to be constrained or set free? Do you have the faith to let the Universe be what it is, instead of what you want it to be? [05] ========= ========= ARTICLES ========= ======= ======= A QUICK GUIDE TO CARTOMANCY READINGS ======= by Giovanni Paolo Migliore ======= Cartomancy refers to fortune-telling with the use of cards. This form of divination emerged in the 14th century, right in the heels of the emergence of the playing cards. Those who practice this form of divination are called cartomancers or card readers. Cartomancy is often the choice for some people who like the familiarity brought by the common playing cards, compared with the more alien-quality that the other tools for divination have. === === History of cartomancy === It is believed that card reading initially was for the entertainment of the concubines of the Chinese emperor in the 12th century. Tracing the origins of card reading back to China seems logical enough since it was China that first invented paper. Other accounts place the origin of the first deck of playing cards to 15th century in Italy. A total of 22 more cards were added to the card deck during this time, and it was believed that this is where the first tarot cards first came from. Famous historical figures who used cartomancy to aid them in decision making include Napoleon, the Empress Josephine, and Tsar Alexander of Russia. === === What you can learn from cartomancy readings === Cartomancy readings are useful in times when you need guidance in making decisions, whether you are doing cartomancy readings online or cartomancy tarot reading with the help of a reader. In times of confusion, when we feel like we do not know what the right answer is, or when we feel like we know the answer but circumstances hinder us from making a choice, cartomancy readings can help us put the final nail in the coffin and decide with certainty. A cartomancy reading is also useful during times when we are making decisions that we feel we cannot yet share with the rest of the family. In this case, a professional card reader can help us make those decision without the bias that family members often bring with them. A professional card reader who has had experience helping clients deal with sensitive problems can help by giving an accurate, insightful and objective reading. === === Cartomancy card spreads === Card reading can be done with an ordinary 52-card poker deck, but a better alternative would be tarot cards. There are three popular card spreads used by most card readers today. These are the Celtic cross spread, the horse-shoe spread and the three card spread. In a Celtic cross spread, the reader spread 10 cards on the table, with five set into a cross and four cards placed vertically beside the cross. The last card is placed horizontally across of the central card of the cross, commonly referred to as the significant card. The cards are arranged in a V-shape or in a horse-shoe spread and read from left to right in order to see the past, the present, obstacles and problems, possible solutions, and outcomes in the future. Finally, the three card spread uses three cards, each of which represent the past, the present, and the future. === === Difference between Tarot cards and cartomancy cards === Cartomancy can use the standard deck of playing cards or Tarot cards, which ever the client or the reader prefers.In most cases, however, most readers prefer to use Tarot cards.A deck of Tarot cards consists of the Major Arcana, 21 trump cards and one Fool cards, and a Minor Arcana, composed of 56 conventional cards. Any deck of cards that does not have this number and classification of cards can be used for cartomancy. === About the Author Giovanni Paolo Migliore is the author of various articles on cartomancy (http://psychicreadingsonline.co.uk/cartomancy- readings/) and card reading. He currently writes for online psychic publications. [06] ========= ========= Cauldron Info ========= SUPPORT THE CAULDRON'S SERVER WITH DONATIONS ========= As mentioned in the October 2008 newsletter, we now need over US$60 in donations every month to keep the server online. No donations, no server. No server, no message board. Well, not really "no message board" as there is always the free backup board, but the limitations of the free backup board drive staff and many members nuts. Your donations are needed to keep The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's message board up. We now have two ways you can donate. OPTION 1: Make An "Anonymous" Donation in Any Amount If you are not a member of the message board -- or are a member but do not want a donor button to appear on your posts or wish to donate a non-standard amount, you can make an "anonymous" donation (which will not cause any "donor" notation on your posts) in any amount via the Paypal link below. You do NOT need a Paypal account to donate. After Paypal fees, we get 85% to 90% of the money you donate. http://www.ecauldron.com/donatepaypal.php OPTION 2: Message Board Member? Donate Through Your Profile: Get Bronze/Silver/Gold Donor Levels and Benefits If you are logged into the message board, you can make a donation (via Donation Subscriptions in your Profile) at the Bronze Donor (US$5.00), Silver Donor (US$10.00) or Gold Donor (US$15.00) level and get a special button that will appear on your posts as well have access to our Donor only areas (and more for Silver and Gold Donors, see this post on the board for current information: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=7335.0). These special benefits will last for one month (or one year if you elect the annual donation option) and can be renewed by extending your subscription. You can elect to make a one time donation or to set up a Paypal subscription that will automatically renew your donation each month or year until you cancel the subscription at Paypal. You can find the "Donation Subscription" link in the "Manage Profile" menu on your profile. Payments are made via Paypal but you do not need a Paypal account to donate (unless you wish to set up a recurring donation subscription). If you are a member of our message board, this link will take you directly to the Donation Subscription area of your Profile (with a stop to log in if you are not already logged in): http://www.ecauldron.net/profiledonations.php [07] ========= ========= 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.net/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.net/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.net/linktous.php ===== ===== 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.net/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.net/zamazonuk.php If you use Amazon Canada, you can use this addess: http://www.ecauldron.net/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.net/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.) [08] ========= ========= 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) 2008 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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