[Cauldron and Candle Illo]

Cauldron and Candle
Issue #22 -- April 2002

A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum
website: http://www.ecauldron.com/
mailing list/board: http://www.ecauldron.com/fregmb.php

With a little help from The Witches' Thicket
website: http://www.cros.net/soraya/
message board: http://forums.delphiforums.com/thicket/start


Return to Cauldron and Candle Archive

C A U L D R O N   A N D   C A N D L E  #22 -- April 2002

           A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum
                website: http://www.ecauldron.com/
     mailing list/board: http://www.ecauldron.com/fregmb.php
  delphi forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/start
             newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/

           With a little help from The Witches' Thicket
               website: http://www.cros.net/soraya/
    delphi forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/thicket/start

In this Issue:

[01] Editorial: Help The Cauldron: Volunteer!
[02] Poem: Fire
[03] Article: The Star Ruby
[04] Review: Mudras
[05] Review: The Goddess Path
[06] Review: Wheels of Life
[07] Review: The Magician's Workbook
[08] Review: The Pagan Path
[09] Magick: Circles and Other Kinds of Sacred Space
[10] Magick: A Simple Tool Consecration
[11] PR: Pagan Diversity Campaign Teaches Tolerance
[12] Major Changes For Delphi Forums Message Boards
[13] Humor: Signs That Your Child Might Be A Witch
[14] New Articles on The Cauldron's Site
[15] New Web Polls
[16] Support The Cauldron When You Buy at Amazon.com
[17] Newsletter and Forum Info
              (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe)

   +++ Submission Deadline for next issue: May 25, 2002 +++
   Guidelines: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/submissions.php


[01]
=========
========= EDITORIAL: HELP THE CAULDRON: VOLUNTEER!
========= by Randall Sapphire
=========

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 two
active message areas, a large web site with around 700 pages of
information (including well over 100 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 Forums
==================================

While our mailing list and Delphi Annex message board both
welcome 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
one or more of our forums. The staff especially appreciates
members who start new topics for discussion based on their own
questions, opinions, or interests.

Mailing List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ecauldron
Delphi Annex: http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/start

Articles! Essays! Tutorials!
============================

We are in constant need of original, well-written and accurate
articles, essays, tutorials, and other written items for both our
web site and for our Cauldron and Candle newsletter. There's no
real limit on length for web site articles. Here are a few areas
in which we always need articles:

* information on the beliefs and theology of the various Pagan
  religions, especially non-Wiccan religions

* information on holidays and festivals of the various Pagan
  religions, especially non-Wiccan religions

* recipes for oils, incenses, and food for the various Pagan
  holidays

* magick, spells, and ritual information

* herbal information

* positive articles on dealing with other faiths

* information on historical pagan cultures

* editorial/opinion pieces

Non-Wiccan material is stressed not because we don't want Wiccan
material but because good non-Wiccan material has been hard to
find. We have a web form you can use to submit an article for
consideration: http://www.ecauldron.com/persontestart.php

Book Reviews
============

While The Cauldron receives some review copies from a couple of
Pagan publishers, there are many books that can only be reviewed
on our web site if a member has a copy and writes a good,
objective review. The Cauldron is interested in reviews on the
more academic books used by reconstructionist Pagan religions as
well as on the books one finds on the Pagan/New Age shelf in the
bookstore. We have a web form you can use to submit a book review
for consideration: http://www.ecauldron.com/persontestbr.php

Graphic Assistance
==================

The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum is purposely a low graphics site as
we value page download speed over flashy graphics. However, we
are always willing to talk with artists who have ideas for
well-designed small graphics (small in both physical dimensions
and file size) that might enhance a specific article or page.

Invite Your Friends
===================

If you have friends or acquaintances who you believe would find
The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum useful, please tell them about our
site. If you are active in our forums 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 this 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 this web site. You can donate by using the
Amazon Honor System button below (we get about 85% of what you
donate).

http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3903JRFVQVDN

Amazon Purchases
================

The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum also receive 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/fradambooks.php

Contact Information
===================

If you have specific questions, proposals or other ideas we
haven't mentioned here, please email them to
rssapphire@ecauldron.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.)

       ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
                      SEND A PAGAN POSTCARD

       You can send a Pagan Postcard from the menu of any
       of our web pages at http://www.ecauldron.com/. If
       you haven't tried our postcard site, give it a
       try. It has quite a few nice features.
       ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


[02]
=========
========= FIRE
========= A Poem by Moonsongstress
=========

Melting like wax into the cauldron of change
With ethers intermingling into the wombing
mould waiting, you cast our bronzing forms
and transformed pure spirit into hard matter.

We were made then. Stars shooting through
Swirling depths of space, we descended to
The cooling blue, green places of our self-full
lands, from the source element of all creation.

Fires still burned in our bellies, fanned now by
The sweet kisses of your smiling lips to round,
Orange balls of shining life all a-glitter; and we
Lifted them in our arms and danced with joy.

Hot, licking tongues of liquid orange essence
Curled and caressed with the sound of your
Coming, and we lay warm in the flickering glow
Of red and orange, yellow, white, and black.

You manifested life, injected blood-hot vigour
Through the thirsty veins of trees and animals.
The flames within us drank long and deep on
Rich brown darkness of demerara sugared leaf

Sap and your joy danced high inside us in the
Golden light of glowing newborn sparks of sun.
Our flames burned together then, flickering in
Time, and the strong connection of bursting life

Spoke silently by touch. Little orange leaves
Of light in the spiraling black centre of each
Living, breathing creature fed life and on it
Within the giant, turning, and fluttering cycle.

So we watched, waited, danced and drank, and
Then my time came; and I emerged from the
Brew with blue and gold burning wings, all
Brimming with desire for life, perched high on

Leaves of dark, dripping green, cool under my
Hot-foot stance. The air was so softly thick
With the pollen of plenty that I spread-wing
soared into the light, quick and nimble in my

New world of solid matter. Creatures of flesh
And spirit danced with my new body and the
Food of life was sweet. I took my chance with
Firm hands and rose up, welcoming possibility.

Copyright (c) MoonSongstress 2001


       ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
                 CAULDRON AND CANDLE WEB SITE

        The Cauldron and Candle now has its own web site
        where we store our back issues for easy reading.

                 http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/
       ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


[03]
=========
========= ARTICLE: THE STAR RUBY
========= by Faerie K.
========= Originally published in Finnish in Vox Paganorum 4/00
========= translated from the Finnish by Faerie K.
=========

=====
===== Short Background Info
=====

The first version of the Star Ruby was published in 1913, as the
25th chapter of "The Book of Lies" (BoL) by Aleister Crowley.
Later, there was another slightly altered version of the ritual
published in the Appendix VI of Crowley's "Book 4, Part III:
Magick in Theory and Practice" (MTP). The ritual is also the
Liber XXV in A.'.A.'.'s class D-publications (official rituals
and instructions) and Liber XXV of OTO.

Star Ruby has been left in the shadow of the more widely known
LBRP (Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram), even with
Crowley pointing out in MTP's chapter dealing with banishings and
purifications: "'The Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram' (as now
rewritten, Liber 333, Cap. XXV) is the best to use" (p.104, Liber
333 is the aforementioned BoL). Some Pagans choose to rather use
Star Ruby with its more Pagan symbolism than the clearly
qabalistic LBRP with its archangels. Some Thelemites even
consider Star Ruby as a joke played by Crowley on his students,
which would explain why the ritual is less used. Another reason
might be the less common - for a Ceremonial Magickian - choice of
language and culture (Greek), which makes the symbolism of the
ritual less easy to understand. Crowley didn't explain the ritual
much either, basically only comments on numerological values and
the commentary in BoL: "25 is the square of 5, and the Pentagram
has the red color of Geburah. The chapter is a new and more
elaborate version of the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. It
would be improper to comment further upon an official ritual of
the A.'.A.'."

Analyzing beyond the traditional Thelemite sources combined with
qabalistic analysis on numbers has pointed out that Star Ruby
isn't just LBRP gone Greek, written as a jest with the archangels
of Qabala replaced with Greek "archangels", but a carefully
constructed banishing ritual with thought-out symbolism.

=====
===== The Ritual
=====

The structure of Star Ruby is familiar for those who know LBRP.
It begins with a qabalistic cross, there are pentagrams placed in
each of the quarters, the pentagrams are charged with divine
names, there's a part corresponding with LBRP's "Sign of
Silence", followed by an invocation. The ritual ends as it began,
with a qabalistic cross.

Here are both versions of the ritual, provided with "pronouncing
instructions" and translation. A small guide to read the text:
        BoL-version  / MTP-version in Latin alphabet
                translation

***

Facing East, in the center, draw deep deep deep thy breath,
closing thy mouth with thy right forefinger pressed against thy
lower lip.  Then dashing down the hand with a great sweep back
and out, expelling forcibly thy breath, cry:

        APO PANTOS KAKODAIMONOS
                Completely away (from here), Evil Spirits

With the same forefinger touch thy forehead, and say

        SOI
                Unto thee

thy member, and say

        O PHALLE
                O phallus


thy right shoulder, and say

        ISCHUROS
                strength


thy left shoulder, and say

        EUKARISTOS
                "honor" (blessing)

then clasp thine hands, locking the fingers, and cry

        IAO   (`o' here is omega)

Advance to the East.  Imagine strongly a Pentagram, aright, in
thy forehead.  Drawing the hands to the eyes, fling it forth,
making the sign of Horus, and roar

        KHAOS / THERION

Retire thine hand in the sign of Hoor pa kraat.

Go round to the North and repeat; but scream

        BA-B-AL-O-N / NUIT

Go round to the West and repeat; but say

        EROS / BABALON   (`o' in Eros is omega)eros / babalon

Go round to the South and repeat; but bellow

        PSYCHE / HADIT

Completing the circle widdershins, retire to the center, and
raise thy voice in the Paian, with these words ?? ???  (io pan)
with the signs of N.O.X.

Extend the arms in the form of a ?, and say low but clear:

        Pro mou junges
        Opiso mou teletarchai
        Epi deksia synocheis
        Eparistera daimones / Eparistera daimonos
        Flegei gar peri mou o aster ton pente
        Kai en th stele o aster ton hex esthke

                Before me Junges
                Behind me Teletarchai
                On my right hand Synoches
                On my left  Daimones / Daimonos
                About me flames the pentagram
                And in the column stands the six-rayed star.

Repeat the Cross Qabalistic, as above, and end as thou didst
begin.

=====
===== What Are You Saying and Doing?
=====

The rituals begins with a command, determining the purpose of the
ritual - banishing. In this context "All evil spirits" mean much
more than just the common conception of "evil spirits". It is
used to banish away all spirits that could be harmful or
restricting to the True Will of the person doing the ritual.
Forcing the air out of the lungs symbolizes blowing these evil
spirits away. "Kakodaimon" also refers to "evil genius", the dark
side of the Holy Guardian Angel of the Thelemite world view.

===
=== The Cross Qabalistic
===

The first part of Star Ruby  (SOI - IAO) forms the qabalistic
cross, with the basic form being the same as in LBRP and having
the same purpose.

In the second part of the cross one touches one's genitals,
saying "o phalle". The "o" in front of the word phallus makes
this a short celebration of that part of our bodies. Women don't
say any other phrases here, as in this context phallus doesn't
refer to manhood only, but sexual vitality - the "immortal
essence" of both men and women. The only real explanation of Star
Ruby given by Crowley advises one to search the meaning of this
word by using numerology.

===
=== The Divine Names of the Quarters
===

As in LBRP, the next part consists of drawing the pentagrams and
visualizing them in each of the quarters. The Sign of Horus
mentioned is the same as the "Sign of the Enterer" of LBRP, the
sign of Hoor-paar-Kraat in turn is "Sign of Silence".

East - KHAOS / TERION

Khaos - Chaos refers to "the state of nature in the universe
before order was born", symbolizing the infinite unorganized
dimensions of existence. Furthermore, Khaos is one of the
primitive Greek pre-Olympian deities, the personification of
space. Here, Khaos represents the element of earth.

Therion - "Beast", wild and animalistic, masculine essence.
Element: earth.

North - BABALON / NUIT

Babalon - The mother of mysteries, the great harlot... The
"counter-couple" of Khaos as the primordial and primitive
male/female polarity. Here, Babalon represents the element of
air.

Nuit - The eternally expanding, representing the archetypical
mother. Element: air.

West - EROS / BABALON

Eros - The Greek god of love, sometimes referred to as the child
of Khaos, represents the earthly aspects of love. Represents the
element of water.

Babalon - The significances are the same as those given for
Babalon above - the archetype of femininity, counterbalancing
Therion. Element: water.

South - PSYCHE / HADIT

Psyche - The one complementing Eros, spirit and life - soul as
the counterbalance to body. Represents the element of fire.

Hadit - The counterbalance and complement of Nuit, eternally
contracting. Element: fire.

===
=== Paian
===

The midmost part of the ritual is Paian, celebration of Pan.
Another name for this part is "NOX of PAN", that is "Night of
Pan" (nox = night). In Paian, there are five signs of N.O.X and
while giving each sign one says "IO PAN".

(N) Puer (Boy):
        Standing with feet together and head erect. Let right
hand (the thumb between the index and middle fingers) be raised,
the forearm vertical at a right angle with the upper arm, which
is horizontally extended in the line joining the shoulders. Let
the left hand, the thumb extended forwards and the fingers
clenched, rest at the junction of the things (Attitude of the
Gods Mentu, Khem, etc.).

(O) Vir (Man):
        The feet being together: The hands, with clenched fingers
and thumbs thrust out forwards, are held to the temples; the head
is then bowed and pushed out, as if to symbolize the butting of
an horned beast (attitude of Pan, Bacchus, etc.).

Puella (Girl):
        Standing with the feet together, head bowed, left hand
shielding the area of the groin, and right hand shielding the
breast (Attitude of the Venus de Medici).

(X) Mullier (Wife):
        The feet are wide apart, the arms raised so as to suggest
a crescent. The head is thrown back (attitude of Baphomet, Isis
in Welcome, the microcosm of Vitruvius).

Mater Triumphans (Set Triumphant, Isis Rejoicing):
The feet are together, the left arm is curved as if supporting a
child; the thumb and index finger of the right hand pinch the
nipple of the left breast as if offering it to that child.

===
=== Invocation
===

The fourth part of the ritual is an invocation. The word
translated as "column" means stele as in "Stele of Revealing". A
stele is made of stone often in a shape of a pillar or a post.
They were used as a monument or a declaration of a covenant. The
differing spellings of the two versions, "daimonos" and
"daimones" are not the result of a misspelling. Instead, they are
two different words with slightly differing meanings. Both fit
the ritual in their own ways.

As was mentioned above, the names Junges, Teletarchai, Synoches
and Daimonos / Daimones have been considered to be just
Hellenized names of the archangels. This isn't the case. They
aren't names made up by Crowley either. They originate from the
late Neo-Platonic Pythagorean school's Chaldean Oracles, dating
back to approximately second century current era.

The names aren't those of any singular "beings", but refer more
to "classes" of semi-divine "beings". When reading the Chaldean
Oracles, one should consciously try to distance oneself from the
usual meanings of many words used. For example "intelligible" and
"intellectual" don't refer to the intelligence and understanding
of our common usage of the words. These words are used to mean
the highest accomplishes of consciousness beyond the abyss.
"Father" shouldn't be understood to mean the Judeo-Christian
Demiurgos. It is a gendered - unfortunately so, one could say -
term referring to "the All, the Undifferentiated".

Junges

In the east, the target of the invocation is Junges (alternative
spellings: Iugges, Iuggec, Iunges, Iynges). Aeschylus used this
word to metaphorically refer to "spell, charm, passionate
yearning". The word comes from the Greek word IUGMOS denoting a
shrieking sound and it was used, due to the voice of the bird, of
the wryneck. The wryneck is connected to the symbolism of the
wheel, as it is said that ancient Greek Witches tied wrynecks to
wheels in order for the bird to collect `souls' while turning the
wheel.

Junges is said to be (paraphrased) "the giver of life-carrying
fire. it fills the life-giving bosom of Hekate and plants the
enlivening power of Fire, ended with mighty power, into
Sunoches." According to Pletho, Jungers are "the Intellectual
Species which are conceived by the Father; they themselves also
being conceptive, and exciting Conceptions or notions, by
unspeakable or unutterable Counsels is as much as unmoved, for
speaking consists in Motions";

The possible meanings are connected to a higher class of beings
above the void; love spell; witchcraft or lust; or void or
bottomless depth itself.

Teletarchai

In the west, the target is Teletarchai (alt. spellings:
Teletarxai, Teletarkai, Teletarch`). As the one performing the
ritual is standing towards the east, the Teletarchai in the west
symbolize what he has left behind, that what's behind his back.
The word Teletarchai is thought to mean "those responsible for
initiations", being connected not only to the initiation itself,
but also the result of an initiation. Teletarchai represent the
result of Junges fertilizing Synoches. Placed behind the Mage,
the symbolic value is that of stepping on the initiatory path.

Synoches

In the invocation, Synoches (Sunoces, Synoxec) are in the south.
The word doesn't seem to come directly from any known Greek word,
but it has been deduced that it derives from a word meaning
binding / holding together, referring to the notion of eternity.
Where Junges is a conjuration, Synoches is a binding, with love
(see Love under Will), connecting and strong.

Junges, Synoches and Teletachai are part of the Second Mind,
"Empyrean world", in the system of the Chaldean Oracles. They are
intellectual and intelligible, forming the "Intellectual Triad",
the Supernals.

Daimones / Daimonos

"Daimon" refers to god and goddess. Even though it is the basis
for our term "demon", this more malevolent meaning dates back
only to the times of the creation of the New Testament. Daimonos,
used in the later version of Star Ruby, is the plural of Daimon
and refers to spirits or "beings of the spirit world".

In the system of the Chaldean Oracles, Daimonos are below the
demigods. When compared to the previous three groups of beings,
Daimonos represent a much more "earthly" concept. "The direction
of the greatest darkness", north, belongs to them.

Daimones seems at first to refer to the same beings, but the
meaning of the word is a different one. Hesiod used this word to
refer to ""the souls of men of the Golden Age, forming a link
between gods and men". Daimones is a group of people who have
reached their True Wills - the former masters now gone, who "had
their genius."

=====
===== A Couple of Final Comments
=====

Some people recommend that Star Ruby wouldn't be performed as a
stand alone ritual, but that it should be followed by some kind
of invocation. The reason usually given for this is that Star
Ruby is even more effective as a banishing ritual than LBRP - at
least for those who know and understand it. The ritual creates a
type of "vacuum" and unless you "fill" it with something you've
called yourself, the vacuum may attract less welcome visitors.

As a small hint:  this ritual can be performed dance-like.

Sources included:

Aleister Crowley, The Book of Lies
                  Magick in Theory and Practice
Frater A.L.,An Analysis of the Star Ruby Ritual
E.A.O.A., Ritual of the Star Ruby, Text, Translation, Commentary
William Wynn Wescott, The Chaldean Oracles Attributed To Zoroaster
Discussions on several Thelemite forums.


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       If you like The Cauldron and have a few extra
       dollars, please donate via the Amazon Honor System
       and help us pay the web site bills.

          http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3903JRFVQVDN
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[04]
=========
========= REVIEW: MUDRAS
========= Reviewed by Diane Verrochi
=========

Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands
Author: Gertrud Hirschi
Trade Paperback, 240 pages
Publisher: Weiser
Publication date: May 2000
ISBN: 1578631394
US Retail Price: $14.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578631394/thecauldron


Mudras, hand positions believed to be conducive to physical
health or spiritual states, are ancient in origin, to the extent
that it is difficult to obtain any hard and fast data on where
and when they came into usage, much less why.  However, several
are found in ancient artwork in various parts of the world,
suggesting either a universality of use or a common origin.
Hirschi offers some insight into what is known and what is
speculated of the origins of the art of mudra as well as the more
practical aspects of how to use mudras.

Most importantly, in my opinion, she explains how she was taught
and has researched this art, and provides a bibliography for
further research.  Unfortunately, though understandably, nearly
all of the bibliographic entries are of books and articles
written in German.  This English-speaking reader hopes they may
be available in translation as well.

She also spends some time comparing other systems of healing that
involve the hands, such as acupressure, reflexology, Ayurveda,
palmistry, and deep meridians.  While she does not go into any of
these in depth, a survey of each is presented, along with her
thoughts on what connection, or at least correlation, appears to
exist between that practice and the practice of mudras.

Hirschi presents 50 mudras, along with clear line-art
representations of the hand positions, descriptions of how they
are to be practiced, and suggested visualizations and
affirmations.  Her descriptions are thorough and clear.  This is
a welcome change from the "just put your hands like this" formula
that seems prevalent in current books on the subject.

She includes herbal suggestions for the related physical health
issues, though one could wish she would more carefully advise the
reader to investigate such remedies thoroughly before using them.
This may be a cultural difference, as in Germany, herbal remedies
are handled quite differently than in the US, probably making it
more a matter of course than a necessary caution that one should
learn a bit about an herb before quaffing teas or popping
capsules.

However, I believe it would have been prudent to include such a
caution in the US printing, because while this is touched upon
lightly in the "Dear Reader" section and "Appendix B: There is an
herb for every malady."  Sadly, many readers, at least in the US,
are prone to skipping such sections.

           This review is available on our web site at
               http://www.ecauldron.com/bkmyiyh.php


[05]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE GODDESS PATH
========= Reviewed by Sperran
=========

The Goddess Path: Myths, Invocations & Rituals
Author: Patricia Monaghan
Trade Paperback, 288 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: May 1999
ISBN: 1567184677
US Retail Price: $14.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567184677/thecauldron

If you are looking for a book that would be suitable for a
religious discussion group, you might want to consider The
Goddess Path by Patricia Monaghan.

The book begins with a short (30 page) introduction to the
concept of goddess spirituality and imagery. It briefly mentions
some of the most common types of goddess worship including Wiccan
viewpoints (all goddesses as faces of a single Goddess) as well
as hard polytheism. It also discusses some common portrayals of
goddess imagery, including the ubiquitous maiden, mother, and
crone framework. This section also includes a calendar that gives
dates of holidays appropriate to honor the goddesses discussed in
the book.

The primary sections of the book provide discussion and
activities for twenty different goddesses. Each section adheres
to the same format and includes about 8-10 pages of hymns,
invocations, stories, symbols, feast days, and suggestions for
rituals dedicated to the goddess being discussed. At the end of
each section, a list of discussion questions and activities is
provided. The book concludes with a bibliography and a suggested
reading list.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a great deal. The mythology
presented is brief, and not written in an academic style, but
accurate. I found the activity and ritual suggestions to be
creative, and appreciated that the author found concrete ways to
link goddess worship with modern day life.

While I found this book to be entertaining and useful, it should
be noted that the book does appeal to a somewhat specialized
audience. One should take note of the following features before
purchasing the book.

First, the book focuses very heavily on European deities,
especially Greek deities. (Nine of the twenty goddesses discussed
are Greek.) If you are looking for a book that includes extensive
information about non-European deities, this book is probably not
for you.

Second, the book is quite group-focused. Although the author
encourages solitaries to use the book, many of the rituals and
activities presented are not easily adapted to solitary practice.
In addition, the large sections of discussion questions are
obviously more appropriate to group interaction. As an individual
practitioner, I still enjoyed the book but I recognize it would
be most useful in a group setting.

Finally, the book is very woman-focused. It is not male bashing,
but it does focus heavily on "female" issues, such as female body
image and sexual assault. In addition, some of the activities and
discussion questions are obviously written specifically for
women. Because of this, some rituals might need to be adapted or
activities altered to allow male group members to fully
participate.

In conclusion, I think this book would best find a home in a
women's spirituality group. It is obviously a book that is meant
to be used and shared, not just read. I think the themes of the
book are especially relevant to women and provide concrete ways
to bring spirituality and goddess worship into everyday life.

           This review is available on our web site at
              http://www.ecauldron.com/bktgpmir.php


[06]
=========
========= REVIEW: WHEELS OF LIFE
========= Reviewed by Diane Verrochi
=========

Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System
Author: Anodea Judith, Ph.D
Trade Paperback, 480 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: 2000
ISBN: 0875423205
US Retail Price: $17.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0875423205/thecauldron

This book is, quite possibly, the gold standard for introductions
to the chakra system intended for the lay person or beginning
yoga practitioner or energy worker. It does not require an
intimate knowledge of the Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras, and Tantric
texts, but it does reference them and point the curious reader to
them for further research.  In the sea of popular chakra books
and paraphernalia to be found in the New Age section of most
bookstores, this is often the only book one finds that actually
goes back to these primary sources.

It is not a book meant to be simply read through from cover to
cover, except perhaps as an overview before digging in. It is, as
the title states, a user's guide, and as such is meant to be
worked with, not just skimmed over. The first chapter, "And the
Wheel Turns," explores the basic concepts of the body's energy
system, and refers to other comparable systems, before delving
more deeply into the structure of the chakras, the shushumna, or
column of energy traversing the spinal column, and the
interweaving currents along that column, before delving more
thoroughly into the chakras themselves. This chapter and each
chapter on each of the seven primary chakras (from root to crown)
includes standard and modern imagery, and suggested physical and
meditational exercises.

After each chakra has been covered, the final section of the book
focuses on "Putting It All Together," with chapters on the
journey back down the system from crown to root, something
conspicuously absent from many other books on the subject,
interaction between the chakras, extrapolation to the pattern of
evolution in human society, and suggestions on how to foster
healthy development of the chakras in children.

If I had to find one thing to fault in this book, it would be the
presentation of the yoga postures.  Granted, the preface to the
first edition "strongly stress[es] that any physical exercises
given in this book be done slowly and carefully, and that you
take care not to push or strain muscles, or coerce the body into
positions that are painful or uncomfortable in any way.  If you
experience discomfort, STOP," and the second edition eliminates
two of the more challenging postures best avoided by those
unpracticed in yoga. However, given my cynicism regarding modern
readers and front matter, I fear that many of those most likely
to hurt themselves will never see this caution, and would prefer
to see it reiterated prior to the exercises at the end of chapter
2.

This one concern aside, I strongly recommend this book to anyone
seeking a basic foundation in the history and concepts behind and
experience of the chakra system.

           This review is available on our web site at
                http://www.ecauldron.com/bkwol.php


[07]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE MAGICIAN'S WORKBOOK
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========

The Magician's Workbook: Practicing the Rituals of the Western
  Tradition
Author: Donald Tyson
Trade Paperback, 330 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: September 2001
ISBN: 0738700002
US Retail Price: $17.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738700002/thecauldron


I have had Donald Tyson's The Magician's Workbook: Practicing the
Rituals of the Western Tradition in my review stack for some
time. I have avoided reading it because I was afraid it would be
an introduction to Tyson's personal Mercury-centered version of
magick that he has written about in other books. When I finally
could ignore it no longer, I quickly discovered that Tyson is
using the standard Golden Dawn system (which is Sun-centered).
Sometimes even reviewers forget that you cannot judge a book by
its cover -- or by other books the author has written on similar
subjects.

The Magician's Workbook is a different type of introduction to
the Western Magickal Tradition. There's no theory, no moral
advice, no attempt to analyze or to place things in a historical
context. This book is simply an introduction to the practical
skills one needs to actually perform ceremonial magick in the
Golden Dawn tradition through a series of 40 exercises. These
exercises start out very simple and get progressively more
complex, building on the material in earlier exercises.

Many of the exercises in The Magician's Workbook are Golden Dawn
material. Others are original exercises and rituals based on
Golden Dawn material. Some of the Golden Dawn rituals presented
in these exercises include: the Kabblistic Cross, the Middle
Pillar ritual, the Lesser and Greater Pentagram Rituals, and the
Rose Cross Ritual. Of course, the exercises do not begin with
these more complex rituals. Instead Tyson starts with much more
simple exercises and builds toward these standard rituals. This
is the beauty of this book. Tyson doesn't toss you in the deep
end of the pool and tell you to swim the way so many books on
ceremonial magick do. Instead, Tyson starts you in the wading
pool and allows you to progress in stages into deeper waters.

The major problem I have with this book is the lack of theory and
context. This really is not that important in the early
exercises, but the exercises in the last section of the book
really could benefit from some background and theory. This is
especially true of the the last exercise, a complete magickal
operation to evoke Paralda, King of the Sylphs, into a triangle.
In the introduction Tyson states that theory and background are
available in many other books. The suggested reading list at the
end of the book lists a number of these books. However, I think
the book would have been more useful if some of the more complex
exercises either provided some theory or at least referred the
reader to specific chapters of other books that could provide
this information.

Despite this problem, The Magician's Workbook is a well-written,
practical introduction to the skills needed to practice magick in
the Western Tradition. By focusing exclusively on practical
magickal exercises, it is an excellent workbook to use with any
of the more theoretical books on ceremonial magick (such as
Regardie's The Tree of Life). It should not be used alone,
however, as it provides little of the theory and background
needed to understand the "why" behind the exercises and rituals.
If you are a beginning student of ceremonial magick or have
studied the theory for years but have seldom put much of that
theory to work, The Magician's Workbook is a worthwhile addition
to your library.

           This review is available on our web site at
               http://www.ecauldron.com/bktmw.php


[08]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE VICTORIA REGINA TAROT
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========

The Victoria Regina Tarot
Author: Georg Patterson and Sarah Ovenall
Artist: Sarah Ovenall
Book and Cards Set
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: March 2002
ISBN: 1567185312
US Retail Price: $34.95
View Sample Cards:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/images/samtrtvrt.jpg
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567185312/thecauldron

Usually Llewellyn asks reviewers to request the books and decks
they wish to review, so I was surprised to receive a package from
Llewellyn that I had not requested. Inside I discovered a very
beautiful surprise, the Victoria Regina Tarot deck. My initial
reaction to seeing the deck was positive: my eyes grew big and I
said "Oh wow!" I have been a Sherlock Holmes fan since I was in
grade school, so the Victorian era has always interested and
fascinated me. As I am also a fan of Victorian era line art, this
review may be a bit more biased than usual (you have been
warned).

The art for the Victoria Regina Tarot deck is collages of steel
and wood engravings from the late Victorian era. This was the
height of this style of commercial illustration -- soon half
toning would replace it. Sarah Ovenall's collage work is
excellent. It is generally seamless, unlike some of the other
collage decks I have seen. The Victorian era was an age of
invention and technological progress. The cards capture this, as
well as the lavish elegance of Victorian high society. Even the
velvet deck bag with its tasseled drawstring seems to fit the
Victorian mood.

All the art is black and white. While this may upset some who are
used to the brilliant colors of many tarot decks, it actually
works quite well. The court cards are generally members of the
British Royal family. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are there,
of course, but also some of their children and grandchildren. The
suits of wands, swords, cups, and coins of the standard Tarot are
represented in this deck by pens, guns, mason jars, and pocket
watches respectively. These choices work much better than they
might appear at first glance as they capture the essence of the
era. The cards are larger than the current standard for Tarot
cards. While this is hard on smaller hands, the art needs the
larger cards. Reducing the card size would lose much of the fine
detail lines in the card art.

The companion book, Victoria Regina Tarot Companion, by Georg
Patterson and Sarah Ovenall, is well done. The first chapter sets
the stage, briefly describing the deck and the British Empire
during the Victorian era. The bulk of the volume is card
descriptions. Each card is illustrated, described in a sentence
or two, and provided with a long interpretation that usually
places the card in a historical context and explains how the card
affects the reading. A final paragraph usually notes the sources
of the some of the illustrations used in making the collage for
that card. The book proper concludes with a short chapter on
readings which includes two Tarot layouts designed for this deck:
Victoria's Sceptre and Victoria's Chalice. An appendix discusses
collage art and gives ideas for creating your own collage Tarot
deck.

I said that my initial reaction to seeing this deck was "Oh wow!"
That is still my reaction to it. It's the only collage Tarot deck
I have seen that I truly love. Sarah Ovenall has done a masterful
job of both collage art and Tarot deck creation. It is clear that
she has a real passion for both her medium and the Tarot. Despite
the "different" artwork, the deck looks, feels, and reads like a
Tarot deck -- quite an accomplishment. The only problems I see
with this set are that the size of the cards will make this deck
hard to shuffle and use for all but the large-handed and that the
book really could have used a few pages more of basic instruction
in the "reading" section for those completely new to Tarot. If
you are in the market for a new Tarot deck, I strongly recommend
adding the Victoria Regina Tarot to the list of decks you are
considering.  If you are a fan of the Victorian era or of
Victorian art, you really have to see this deck. If you do see
it, however, I suspect your bank balance will regret it.

(Note that the sample cards had to be reduced much more than
usual to reach our standard sample image size and have lost much
of their fine detail. Please do not judge this deck's art by
these approximately one-quarter size images.)

           This review is available on our web site at
               http://www.ecauldron.com/trtvrt.php


       ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
                         UPCOMING REVIEWS
       Here are a few of the books we'll be reviewing in
       future issues: INVOKE THE GODS, MAGIC OF QABALAH,
       MAKING TALISMANS, MAGICAL USE OF THOUGHT FORMS,
       CANDLEMAS, CHARTING YOUR SPIRITUAL PATH WITH
       ASTROLOGY, MODERNWICCAN CD-ROM. Reviews often
       appear on our web site first, so check there for
       new reviews if you can't wait for the next issue
       of the newsletter.
       ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


[09]
=========
========= MAGICK: CIRCLES AND OTHER KINDS OF SACRED SPACE
========= by Elspeth Sapphire
=========

What is a circle?

Why do Pagans cast circles?

And how does a beginner go about making one?

All those are very good questions!  Perhaps it is best to start
at the beginning and explain what a circle is.

One of the things that makes Paganism different from many other
religions is the lack of a formal 'space' for religious rites.
There are not many Pagan churches, temples, or physical
buildings.  Instead of investing energy in a building of stone
and mortar, many Pagans instead create a holy and sacred area
each and every time they come together.

There are many reasons for this.  One is the tradition of having
such rites and rituals outdoors under the stars and moon.  When
your religious beliefs are based on an appreciation of nature,
worshiping in nature is the way to go.   Paganism has often been
a 'peasant' religion and the money for buildings was just not
there.  Also, historically, Pagan groups have usually been small
and small groups just don't have the needs and resources that a
larger group does.

However, one of the most important reasons is also a magickal
one: casting a circle or creating sacred space forms a ritual
area that is separate from the mundane world and just one step
closer to the world of the gods.  This is usually called the
Place between the Worlds, a construct that allows mortal and
immortal to met.  It is a safe place, protected by Guardians,
which is why a circle is often cast before working magick.

The word circle is actually a misnomer.  A true magickal circle
is more a sphere, so that we are covered underneath and overhead.
After all, we don't want our magick to leak out, do we?

How to cast a circle is not an easy question to answer, since
many groups of people use different methods.  What is usually
accepted as the standard way to cast a circle is to use a wand or
ritual knife to 'draw' a line of energy that forms the walls of
the sphere.  Starting in the East, hold out the wand or knife,
concentrating on your purpose.  Draw in energy from the universe
around you and allow it to flow through you and out your wand or
knife.  That energy is yours to shape and form and as you move
around the area, it becomes a wall, closing off the mundane
world.  When you come back to the beginning point, connect the
energy to make a solid barrier, then expand it to cover you top
and bottom.  Think of yourself as enveloped within an egg --
protected and secured.

Now, depending on the purpose of your circle, you can purify the
area with the four elements of water, air, earth, and fire.  Many
sprinkle the circle with salted water and carry around lighted
incense.  Now you are ready to call on the deities and protectors
you may wish.  Or work the magick that you desire.

Circles are not the only way to create that Meeting Place between
Worlds.  There are numerous ways to create sacred space.  Why
should you create sacred space vs. casting a circle?  Often
creating sacred space is simpler and uses less tools and energy
than casting a circle.  Also, some groups just do not cast
circles.  My Norse friends do not.  On rare occasions they will
cast a rune ring, but mostly they just purify the space and
invite the gods to join them.  Circles can be too confining for
some purposes -- when you need space and the ability to come and
go, sacred space works well.

One of the simplest ways to create sacred space is the bubble.
You visualize yourself [or your group] surrounded by a bubble of
energy.  You then push that bubble outwards, slowly, until it
includes the entire area you wish.  This is also a good way to
create a protected area for yourself if you ever feel threatened.

Taking down a circle or sacred space is as simple as just
reversing what you did.  For a circle, trace the area, opposite
of what you did in casting, feeling the energy drawn back into
your tool, through you, and dispersed back to the universe.  For
sacred space, you use a gesture that will 'pop' the bubble -- I
often just clap my hands or ring a bell.

Casting a circle and creating sacred space is simpler than most
think.  All it takes is the desire and focus to achieve your
goal.


[10]
=========
========= MAGICK: A SIMPLE TOOL CONSECRATION
========= by Elspeth Sapphire
=========

Before using tools for ritual or magick purposes, it is usually a
good idea to cleanse and purify them and set them with purpose.
It is best to do this at a time when you are unlikely to be
interrupted or your focus disturbed.

Set up a ritual space by setting out on a table a bowl of salt,
cup of water, a candle and incense.  Place on the table the tools
you wish to consecrate.

Make your area sacred by casting a circle or creating sacred
space.

Touch the salt, hold it up, and say, "Element of Earth, join me
in this rite."

Dip your finger into the cup of water and say, "Element of Water,
join me in this rite."

Now, light your candle, holding it up, and saying, "Element of
Fire, join me in this rite."

Light the incense, holding it up, and say, "Element of Air, join
me in this rite."

Take up each tool in turn.  Hold it in your hands and visualize
the purpose of that tool.  For example, see yourself casting a
circle with your wand, filling a cup with holy water, or sweeping
an area clean with a broom.  When you have that purpose firm in
your mind, touch the item to the salt.

"Element of Earth, give this tool strength to aid me in all my
rites."

If possible, sprinkle it with water.  If not, then hold it above
the cup.

"Element of Water, give this tool strength to aid me in all my
rites."

Pass the tool in the air above the candle.

"Element of Fire, give this tool strength to aid me in all my
rites."

Pass through the incense smoke.

"Element of Air, give this tool strength to aid me in all my
rites."

Do this for all tools being consecrated.

Thank the Four Elements for joining, then close down the sacred
area.

This tools are now sacred to your use, both magickally and
spiritually.  It is important to treat them with respect.


[11]
=========
========= PRESS RELEASE:
========= PAGAN DIVERSITY CAMPAIGN TEACHES TOLERANCE
=========

March 25, 2002

Pagan Diversity Campaign Teaches Tolerance
New Group Promotes "Freedom Through Understanding"

The Pagan Diversity Campaign (PDC) was announced today to promote
religious tolerance and combat misinformation about paganism in
America. Rather than restricting the word "pagan" to a narrow
band of popular Neopagan religions, the PDC seeks to provide
support for all law-abiding pagans.

This campaign is a joint venture of The Philosophical and
Religious Tolerance Society (PARTS) and the International
Coalition of Reconstructionist Religions (ICORR), as well as
other concerned American pagans. It grows out of a response to
perceived intolerant misinformation being spread by the Pagan
Unity Campaign Political Action Committee (PUC), as discussed on
the Delphi Forums Sword & Shield
(http://forums.delphiforums.com/swordnshield/) and The Cauldron:
A Pagan Forum (http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/).

While PUC claims to be seeking to unite the many, diverse pagan
religions in the United States, the group has actually selected a
narrow but popular style of paganism, identified with
media-friendly buzzwords like "positive" and "life-affirming,"
and is openly hostile to many religions traditionally identified
as pagan. In contrast, the PDC's definition of "pagan" is based
on its widely accepted and attested meaning: "Anyone who follows
a religion other than or in addition to Christianity, Judaism, or
Islam might call themselves a pagan."

"Religious tolerance doesn't just mean tolerating people whose
beliefs you agree with," said Paul Kershaw, ICORR representative.
"Pagan unity should be about uniting all peoples of alternative
religions."

"Many pagan religions do not identify as earth-based or apply to
the previously published PUC standards of 'earth-centric,'" said
Alice B. Jones, PARTS representative. "Diversity is our heritage.
Education is our desire. And tolerance will be our legacy."

The PDC's goal is to unite by stressing the diversity within
American paganism, not by trying to find commonalities that don't
exist. Supporters include Wiccans, Asatruar, Greek, Roman, and
Egyptian Reconstructionists, Druids, witches, Discordians, and
Satanists -- law-abiding, respectful Americans with strong moral
values who just happen to have non-mainstream religious beliefs.

Because of their diversity, Pagan Americans have only one common
need: The need to have their religious rights protected, as
guaranteed by the First Amendment. Protecting this need, and
educating society, are PDC's twin goals: Freedom through
understanding.

PARTS can be reached through http://www.partsociety.org/. ICORR
can be reached through http://www.chotg.org/. For current
information, visit either site.

Pagan Diversity Campaign
Paul Kershaw, Communications Consultant
21005 Parkside
Ferndale, MI 48220
(248) 586-9222
pagan-diversity@partsociety.org
http://www.partsociety.org/pagandiversity/


[12]
=========
========= FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
========= MAJOR CHANGES FOR DELPHI FORUMS MESSAGE BOARDS
=========

Both The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum and The Witches' Thicket have
message boards on Delphi Forums. The Witches' Thicket's only
forum is on Delphi Forums, while The Cauldron's secondary "Annex"
is on Delphi. If you do not visit Delphi Forums regularly, you
may not be aware of the changes the new owners of Delphi Forums
are making.

Delphi Forums will, by mid-April 2002, be charging for most of
its useful features. Free access to forums will still be
available, but only through a somewhat crippled and annoying
interface (where, among other restrictions, you only read one
message at a time).

Delphi Forums describes their levels of service as follows [with
some staff observations in brackets]:

  Delphi Basic is a FREE service that provides limited
  functionality including:

  - Unlimited posting in Basic View only:
    o No HTML posting
    o No attachment feature (you can pick up attachments but
      you cannot attach them)
    o No signatures
      [Basic View has very limited message selection options and
       only displays a single message at a time]
  - Chat
  - No ability to create or host a forum
    [or to be an Assistant Moderator on a forum]
  - Advertising on all pages
    [and via email, we think, given what they say about
     email ads in the DelphiPlus section]

  Delphi Advanced provides all the features you are accustomed to
  plus a new suite of functionality, features, and benefits
  including:

  - Advertising Free Experience (New).
    [Given what they say about Delphi Plus, you still may get
     ads via email]
  - Free Delphi Forums College Seminar participation (New).
    [As of this writing, no one knows exactly what this is]
  - Unlimited listening to Delphi Forums live broadcasts (New).
    [As of this writing, no one knows exactly what this is or
     if it will be available to all users regardless of what
     operating system or browser they use.]
  - A democratic voice in electing leadership and establishing
    Delphi Forums technology development, budgets, and agendas
    (New).
    [As of this writing, no one knows exactly how this will work]
  - Become a Forum Host
  - Forum Moderation Tools (New)
  - Eligible to earn money on Delphi Forums (New in development).
    [As of this writing, no one knows exactly how this will work]
  - For a very limited time, if you register for Delphi Advanced
    you will pay just .99 cents per month and receive two months
    FREE.

  DelphiPlus [a paying level of service Delphi has had since late
  in 2001] will continue to provide the highest level of
  interactive functionality and services including:

  - Instant Messaging [Via a Java client]
  - Spell Checking with Delphi Forums Spell Check
  - Custom email account
  - Five megabytes of web space
  - Three megabytes of attachment space
  - Add special fonts, links, and colors to messages
    [using a program feature which only works for Windows users
     who use the IE browser.]
  - Filter out signatures
  - Participate in and create exclusive DelphiPlus forums
  - No non-Delphi Forums email marketing solicitations (New).
  - Become a Forum Host and receive ongoing revenue sharing,
    Delphi Forums College commissions, book commissions, and
    other opportunities to be announced (New in development).
    [As of this writing, no one knows exactly how this will work]
  - Become a Delphi Forums College Author and receive residual
    commissions and royalties on courses, workbooks, and archived
    services you create (New).
    [As of this writing, no one knows exactly what this is]
  - Four ninety-minute live voice broadcasts (New).
    "Do-it-your-self" live voice events with feature rich
    technology available now.
    [As of this writing, no one knows exactly what this is or
     if it will be available to all users regardless of what
     operating system or browser they use.]
  - FREE eGems search and archive software (New)
    [This looks like a nice program, but it is only available
     to Windows users.]
  - If you register for DelphiPlus today you will become a
    Charter Member and lock in a low life-time rate of just $3.95
    per month. [Well, sort of locked in: Delphi Forums reserves
    the right to adjust it every two years to keep up with the
    published rates of inflation. Charter membership is limited
    to the first 15,000 who sign up.]

As there will still be free access, The Witches' Thicket and The
Cauldron's Delphi Annex forums plan to remain on Delphi Forums
for the time being. Either or both may choose to move at a later
date if new policies and fees Delphi Forums have set do not work
well for these forums.


[13]
=========
========= HUMOR: SIGNS THAT YOUR CHILD MIGHT BE A WITCH
========= Author Unknown
=========

Here are some signs that might mean your child is a witch:

 1) Your child asks to use the broom to cleanse, I mean clean,
    their room.

 2) There is always a steak knife missing.

 3) Your smallest pan keeps disappearing and reappearing, and
    always smells like ashes and potpourri.

 4) All your candle holders are missing.

 5) They now enjoy going to the fabric store with you and they
    want thread, ribbon and cloth of every color of the rainbow.

 6) Their Christmas and Birthday wish lists consist of: a white
    or black full length bathrobe, blank journal books, window
    box herb gardens and a box of candles in assorted colors.

 7) You just figured out that every full or new moon your child
    asks to have 3 friends spend the night; and strangely they
    are very quiet all night.

 8) Your child now says "Merry Meet Again" every morning to you
    and whenever they leave they say "Merry Part".

 9) Your recipe cards are disappearing and when you do find them
    you can't make sense of the recipe since it doesn't require
    any actual cooking.

10) Your child has a new ID bracelet that reads something like
    "RavenMoon" "StarWolf" or "SunDragon"

11) Your child asks you one day for a compass, four pails of
    paint; blue, green, red, and yellow, so that they can paint
    their room correctly.

12) They insist that their first car be the color brown and have
    a license plate that says BROOM.

13) Their pillows are now filled with all your potpourri.

14) You ask your child to rake up the autumn leaves in the yard,
    and they come back with a small stick and a large stick;
    which you later find to have shiny objects on them and
    unidentifiable etchings.

15) Once a jar gets emptied in your house it ends up in your
    child's room filled with various objects like pins, needles,
    hair, honey, paper, and soil.


[14]
=========
========= Cauldron Info
========= NEW ARTICLES ON THE CAULDRON'S SITE
=========

The following new articles have been added to The Cauldron's web
site since our last issue.

 * Reality 101

   Pagan candidates for a Reality 101 class.

   http://www.ecauldron.com/opedreality101.php

 * Brighid Lore for Imbolc

   An article full of folklore on the Goddess Brighid.

   http://www.ecauldron.com/brighidlore.php

 * LyricFox's Signature Image Archive

   Updated with some new images.

   http://www.ecauldron.com/lfsigarchive.php

 * The "Perfect" Leader

   Do some people expect too much from teachers and leaders?

   http://www.ecauldron.com/opedleader.php

The following book and tarot reviews (some included in this
newsletter) are new to the web site:

 * The Goddess Path

   http://www.ecauldron.com/bktgpmir.php

 * Wheels of Life

   http://www.ecauldron.com/bkwol.php

 * The Magician's Workbook

   http://www.ecauldron.com/bktmw.php

 * Victoria Regina Tarot

   http://www.ecauldron.com/trtvrt.php

 * Magical Use of Thought Forms

   http://www.ecauldron.com/muotf.php

 * Making Talismans

   http://www.ecauldron.com/bkmtleop.php

 * Witchcraft and the Web

   http://www.ecauldron.com/bkwatw.php

New Columns have been added to the Columns and Essays section of
the web site:

   http://www.ecauldron.com/gm/index.php


[15]
=========
========= Cauldron Info
========= NEW WEB POLLS
=========

We are trying a new poll program on The Cauldron's web site.
This one isn't quite as nice as our last one, but it works with
the new security restrictions on web hosting company has put in
place.

March 16th Poll:

Question: Do you believe all Pagan religions (e.g. Wicca, Asatru,
  Celtic Recon, Greek Recon, Druidry, etc.) can be accurately
  described as 'Earth-based' or 'Earth-centered' religions?

Possible Answers:

  * Yes
  * No
  * Don't Know
  * No Opinion

Vote at: http://www.ecauldron.com/cldpoll37.php

Current (April 1st) Poll:

Question: Interfaith worship services are:

Possible Answers:

  * Kegs of dynamite waiting to explode
  * So bland/generic they are meaningless
  * A way to find commonality among faiths
  * Best reserved for weddings, funerals, and such
  * Other
  * No Opinion

Our current polls will now appear on our main page in the narrow
right column:

 http://www.ecauldron.com/


[16]
=========
========= Cauldron Info
========= SUPPORT THE CAULDRON WHEN YOU BUY BOOKS AT AMAZON.COM
=========

If you wish to purchase books or other items at Amazon.com, you
can help fund The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's web site by using
this link to access Amazon.com when you make your purchases:

    http://www.ecauldron.com/fradambooks.php

Just use this link to go to Amazon.com via our web site and
almost every purchase you make that visit will earn The Cauldron
a small amount to help pay for our web page -- at no extra charge
to you. You can also use the Amazon link on the menu of every
Cauldron web page and not have to remember this long link.

Unlike the Amazon link listed in some prior issues of this
newsletter, you can simply visit this site and save the link in
your bookmark list. If you then use this bookmarked link every
time you wish to visit Amazon.com, any purchases you make while
there will help fund The Cauldron's web site.


[17]
=========
========= NEWSLETTER AND FORUM INFO
========= (Including how to subscribe and unsubscribe)
=========

Cauldron and Candle is a free publication of The Cauldron: A
Pagan Forum with assistance from our sister form, The Witches'
Thicket. The Cauldron and The Thicket aim to publish this
newsletter once a month and often actually succeed in doing so.
We tried to publish it twice a month for a while, but real life
interfered too often.

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. 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
++++

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 mentioned above.

If you need to change your subscription to a new email address,
unsubsribe your old email address and subscribe your new email
address.

++++
++++ 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/

++++
++++ CONTRIBUTE TO CAULDRON AND CANDLE
++++

Cauldron and Candle is always looking for articles, reviews, and
announcements of interest to the Neo-Pagan community. Submissions
will normally be considered for both the newsletter and our web
site. For more information, please see our submission guidelines
at:

http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/submissions.php


++++
++++ 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.

++++
++++ LINK TO THE CAULDRON: A PAGAN FORUM
++++

If you like The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum please invite your
friends to visit. If you have a web page, we'd really appreciate
it if you put a link to The Cauldron's web site on your web
pages. If you'd like some graphic buttons to use to link to our
web site, check the following URL:

http://www.ecauldron.com/linktous.php

Thanks in advance.

++++
++++ SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
++++

Don't forget that your suggestions for the forum are always
welcome, either posted on the message board or via email to
Elspeth Sapphire (elspeth.sapphire@worldnet.att.net) or Randall
Sapphire (rssapphire@ecauldron.com). Typos are, as usual,
courtesy of the Goddess Eris.

Merry Meet, Merry Part, Merry Meet again!

Return to Cauldron and Candle Archive


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