[Cauldron and Candle Illo]

 

 
Cauldron and Candle
Issue #31 -- January 2003

A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum
website: http://www.ecauldron.com/
message board: http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/start

 

Return to Cauldron and Candle Archive

C A U L D R O N   A N D   C A N D L E  #31 -- January 2003

           A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum
                website: http://www.ecauldron.com/
 message board: http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/start
             newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/

In this Issue:

[01] Editorial Notes
[02] Poem: Lord of the Trees
[03] Cauldron News
[04] Pagan Discussions
[05] Review: Ship of Fools Tarot
[06] Review: Playing Card Divination for Beginners
[07] Review: Ritual: Power, Healing, & Community
[08] Review: The Urban Primitive
[09] Review: Gothic Grimoire
[10] Upcoming Reviews and New Releases
[11] Article: Servitor Creation
[12] Article: Nightmare Banishing Dream Pillow
[13] Column: TarotDeevah on the Tarot
[14] Humor: 25 Reasons Why It Rocks to be Wiccan
[15] Dragon Clan Witchcraft Course: December Lesson Index
[16] Support The Cauldron by Volunteering to Help
[17] Newsletter Information
              (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe)

  +++ Submission Deadline for next issue: January 25, 2003 +++
     Guidelines: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/submissions.php

[01]
=========
========= EDITORIAL NOTES
========= by Randall Sapphire
=========

As this is the first issue of Cauldron and Candle for a new year,
I'd like to wish all our members, readers, and friends a very
happy 2003 on behalf on the entire staff of The Cauldron: A Pagan
Forum.

You'll notice some reorganization and new features in this issue.
We will be probably be experimenting a bit in each of the next
few issues. Please bear with us and don't hesitate to let us know
what you like and don't like on our message board.

As always, we are in need of your articles for future issues.
This is your newsletter and we need your help to fill it with
interesting articles.

       ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
                      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]
=========
========= LORD OF THE TREES
========= A Poem by Alwyn
========= http://www10.brinkster.com/alwyn1/index.htm
=========

Strange how my mind thinks, as I walk beside the trees.
The ancient oak trees forming links, with their breath of wisdom
  reaching me.
Their lineage is unbroken in the vastness of time.
How do I respond as I walk past their line?
My thoughts are of sharing in their wisdom and dark.
Sensations of flotation as my hands clasp around the bark.

Knowledge of ancient wisdom transcends the calm thoughts of time.
A warmth deep inside forms as I acknowledge his sign.
Energy flows upwardly from below my knees.
Awareness takes over me, it comes from the Trees.
Thoughts of yesterday's anger begin to fade.
As the pieces of broken lives are being re-made.

My mind is with the leaves as they float down to the ground.
My pain has all gone without but a sound.
Who can tell me better than the trees?
How to live life, like the birds and the bees?
Knowing always that everything comes in three's,
The words, the wisdom, and The Lord of the Trees.


[03]
=========
========= CAULDRON NEWS
========= by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum Staff
=========

=====
===== The Cauldron's Web Site Changes Web Hosts
=====

After three years with CubeSoft's fairly reliable but quirky web
hosting, The Cauldron moved its web site to DreamHost in
mid-December. Most web site visitors probably did not even notice
the change. DreamHost is a major provider hosting over 40,000 web
sites at very reasonable prices. When asking around about the
company, we discovered they have many very vocal customers who
have been hosting web sites on DreamHost for years. DreamHost
provides far more -- and less quirky -- services than CubeSoft
did.

Some of these new services are behind the scenes webmaster
things. Others will be appearing as new features on our web site
over the next few months. For example, you will soon be able to
sign up for an announcement list and receive an email
announcement when a new book or deck review is added to our web
site.

Two changes to our web site have already been made. First, our
third party site statistics links are gone from the bottom of
each page. DreamHost provides site statistics so we no longer
have to depend on a third party site that places cookies on your
computer for some idea of how busy our site is. Second, our
original web polls from 2001 are back up. They were removed when
our former web host's quirky security measures broke them. The
web polls from the first part of 2002 will be converted to this
format in the future and put back up as well.

I'd like to thank all of our members who have either made
purchases through our Amazon.com links or made donations through
our Amazon Honor System link in 2002. This is the first year that
The Cauldron broke even on our site hosting fees. Doing so is
what allowed us to move to DreamHost. Thank you one and all!

If you are looking for a web hosting company, take a look at
DreamHost. If you sign up with them, list "rssapphire" (without
the quotes) as the person who referred you and The Cauldron will
get a small discount on our hosting bill.

=====
===== Cauldron Delphi Message Board Top Poster -- December 2002
=====

The top poster on The Cauldron's Delphi Forums message board for
December 2002 was Mari (ARIANCRAIDD). The Runner Up was Brock
(BLAKEK). There were a couple of  members hot on their heels:
DRAGONFAERIE and MOONWOLF23. (Cauldron staff members are
ineligible for this honor and so aren't listed.)

=====
===== Cauldron Delphi Message Board Activity in 2002
=====

A total of 42,934 posts were made on our Delphi message board in
2002. Of those, 37,208 were made from May through December after
we decided to move back to Delphi because of all the problems our
Yahoo Groups mailing list was having. That's an average of about
4650 messages a month since our Delphi message board replaced our
mailing list. That's about 3000 messages a month more than our
ecauldron mailing list averaged during its 18+ months of full
operation. Most of our members definitely seem to prefer a
message board to a mailing list.


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

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

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


[04]
=========
========= PAGAN DISCUSSIONS
========= Recent Discussion Topics on our Message Board
=========

In an average month, over 150 new discussion topics are started
on The Cauldron's message board. Here are a few of the more
interesting discussions from the last month. It's not to late to
join in.

===
=== "Stolen" From Christianity?
===

As Pagans, we hear a lot of (not necessarily accurate) stuff
about how Christianity has supposedly "stolen" this or that or
the other from Paganism.  But is there anything that Paganism
seems to have borrowed from Christianity?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7832.1

===
=== Are Gel Candles Safe?
===

Members of The Cauldron discuss their experiences, good and bad,
with gel candles in an attempt to decide if they are as safe to
use as regular candles.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7788.1

===
=== Top Pagan Problems?
===

Pagans often complain about the many problems of following a
Pagan religion. However, one often hears of so many problems that
it is hard to know where to start. This makes one wonder what are
some of the top Pagan problems are. Is it misinformation?
Religious discrimination? Other things?

What do you see as the biggest problems facing Pagans (and do you
have any ideas how to address them)?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7758.1

===
=== One Feature Definition of Wicca?
===

While discussing how to define Wicca on another forum, someone
proposed that defining what is Wicca and what it is not cannot be
done by using a list of features/factors. Instead, one should try
to find one single Wiccan feature, that would set Wicca apart
from - not necessarily all other religions, but at least other
Pagan religions.

Is there such one Wiccan feature? Does this type of definition
actually work? With Wicca or with other religions?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7764.1

===
=== Dion Fortune Books
===

Dion Fortune wrote almost 20 "occult" books during her life, the
most famous of which is probably Psychic Self-Defense. If you
read any of her books, what are your opinions of them? Which
books are worth reading?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7638.1

===
=== Favorite Piece of Bad Information?
===

In the trench warfare of sifting out accurate information on
Pagan practices and beliefs from the reams of dreck, what is your
favorite (favorite, of course, being a relative term) bit of bad
info? Not simply somewhat misguided, or a vague over
generalization, but spectacularly, laughably wrong?  Give it
bonus points if this piece of shoddy research will result in deep
embarrassment, grievous bodily harm, or the enraging of various
deities, if one actually attempted to use it. Talk about your
favorite bit of bad information on our message board.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7617.1

===
=== Worshiping Fictional Deities?
===

What do people think of Constructionism, the worship of gods from
fiction books and gaming?  And as an extension, have fantasy and
science fantasy novels influenced you magical processes?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7635.1


       ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
         DONATE TO HELP SUPPORT THE CAULDRON'S WEB SITE

       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
       ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


[05]
=========
========= REVIEW: SHIP OF FOOLS TAROT
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========

The Ship of Fools Tarot
Author: Brian Williams
Artist: Brian Williams
Book and Cards Set
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: September 2002
ISBN: 0738701610
US Retail Price: $34.95
View Sample Cards:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/images/samtrtsoft.jpg
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738701610/thecauldron


Brian Williams designed a number of Tarot decks during his life.
The Renaissance Tarot and The Minchiate Tarot are perhaps the
best known. Brian passed away in April of this year (2002), but
not before completing an interesting Tarot deck starring the Fool
and based on the woodcut illustrations of Sebastian Brant's
renaissance era German literary classic Das Narrenschiff, or The
Ship of Fools.

The images and text of Das Narrenschiff, like the Tarot deck,
function as a catalog of the human soul. However, it has a
special emphasis on humanity's capacity for foolishness. Brant's
book was very influential in European literature in the 1500s and
was printed in many languages and editions, although it is
somewhat forgotten today (at least in the English-speaking
world).

Williams saw that many of the woodcut illustrations in Das
Narrenschiff conveyed ideas similar to the cards of the standard
tarot deck and that the rest of the deck could be manufactured by
modifications (some major, some minor) to other illustrations.
The Ship of Fools Tarot is the result.

The Ship of Fools Tarot is a fairly standard Tarot deck with the
normal trumps and suits. At first glance the only major
differences you may notice are that the cards are black and white
line drawings and that at least one fool appears on every card.
Some describe a Tarot deck as depicting the journey of the Fool.
In this deck, that is literally true. While the symbolism is
sometimes quite different than that in a more standard Tarot
deck, the scenes depicted in the card art are very close to
"standard" in meaning. Anyone familiar with the Tarot should have
little trouble reading with this deck.

With many Tarot decks the book is an afterthought, containing
little more than basic descriptions of the card and commentary on
the standard divinatory meaning associated with the card. This
cannot be said of the companion book to Ship of Fools Tarot, the
Book of Fools. In some ways the book is the most interesting part
of the set. In addition to pictures of the cards in the deck and
their short descriptions and meanings, Williams talks about how
the images were created from the original woodcut Das
Narrenschiff illustrations and compares the imagery to that of
the Rider-Waite Tarot and/or the Tarot de Marseille, complete
with images of those cards. An illustration of the original
woodcut the card image was based on is also provided. It is a lot
of fun to compare the two and see how small or great the changes
were.

Ship of Fools Tarot is one of the most interestingly different
Tarot decks to come across my desk this year. I find exploring
this deck and its companion book fascinating. It's worth your
time to take a look at this deck when you have a chance. It might
not appeal to you at all, but if it does I suspect it will
fascinate you as much as it does me. My only complaint about this
set is that the book really doesn't give enough information on
how to use the deck. The chapter on reading the cards is only
three pages long. The Ship of Fools Tarot may be Brian Williams'
most unique work. The real shame is that it is his last.

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


[06]
=========
========= REVIEW: PLAYING CARD DIVINATION FOR BEGINNERS
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========

Playing Card Divination for Beginners: Fortune Telling with
  Ordinary Cards
Author: Richard Webster
Trade Paperback,  192 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: November 2002
ISBN: 0738702234
US Retail Price: $9.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702234/thecauldron

When I was a youngster in the 1960s, Tarot decks were something
which I only read about in books and saw in a James Bond movie. I
wanted a Tarot deck so badly, but simply never saw any for sale
in South Texas -- at least at the stores my parents took me to.
However, I did come upon the paperback version of The Complete
Illustrated Book of the Psychic Sciences in 1968. It had a
chapter -- a whole 28 pages of fine print and layout
illustrations entitled "Cartomancy or Fortune Telling with Cards"
-- that told how to use regular playing cards for divination. I
inhaled this chapter and soon was using cards for more
interesting things than playing solitaire. I used playing cards
as my main form of divination for over ten years until I finally
obtained a Rider-Waite Tarot deck when I was in college.

Learning to read cards from a 28 page chapter with card
descriptions that averaged four lines long was not all that easy,
as you can probably imagine. Fortunately, I was a stubborn child.
A book like Richard Webster's new Playing Card Divination for
Beginners, however, would have made learning much easier.

Webster begins slowly with a long introduction giving a history
of playing cards, which does its best to stick to known facts
instead of interesting but improbable legends. The first chapter
discusses the essentials of reading and how to prepare to give a
reading. The second and longest chapter teaches the meanings of
the cards -- or at least the ones Webster prefers (he admits up
front that there are many systems of meaning). I would have
prized this chapter when I was younger. While a few cards only
have five or six line interpretations, many have half a page or
more. What I had to learn from trial and error (mostly error),
Webster provides in black and white. A short third chapter
suggests ways to learn the card meanings with less effort. The
next chapter discusses the meanings of card combinations, for
example what might be indicated if a large number of red cards
appear in a reading or if all four aces appear.

Having discussed the cards and their meanings, the rest of the
book is devoted to how to use this mass of information to give
readings. The fifth chapter talks about how to read the cards for
yourself and provides two sample readings. The following chapter
talks about reading the cards for others and also provides two
sample readings. All four sample readings are detailed examples.
I would have loved to have had such samples when I was learning.
Love and romance, with several special ways to read the cards, is
the topic of the seventh chapter. The eighth and final chapter
provides ten additional card spreads. A short appendix on using
playing cards as an aid to dream interpretation completes the
book.

With Tarot decks so common, I'm sure some are wondering why
anyone would use playing cards. There are many reasons. For
example, playing cards are everywhere and are less frightening
than tarot cards to many who might like to have a reading.
However, the best reason I know of to learn to read playing cards
is that using playing cards improves one's divination ability.
Unlike Tarot cards, playing cards do not have beautiful pictures
which are often designed with deep symbolism to aid in
interpretation. They force one to focus on the meaning and
relationship of the cards themselves.

Books on playing card divination are not as common as books on
Tarot divination. Webster's Playing Card Divination for Beginners
is a good introduction to the subject, although it is not the
best I've read. The best I've read, however, is out of print and
very hard to get. If you are interested is learning the art of
playing card divination, Playing Card Divination for Beginners
should be easy to find and will get you off to a good start -- a
far better start than I had.

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


[07]
=========
========= REVIEW: RITUAL: POWER, HEALING, & COMMUNITY
========= Reviewed by Jen Sokoloski
=========

Ritual: Power, Healing, & Community
Author: Malidoma Patrice Some
Paperback, 112 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication date: December 1997
ISBN: 0140195580
US Retail Price: $12.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140195580/thecauldron

You won't find this slim but powerful volume in the New Age
section of the bookstore, but you may find in it an insight into
why ritual is performed, and how to add meaning to your own
rituals. Malidoma Patrice Some is a member of the Dagara tribe,
in Burkina Faso, West Africa. In Ritual, he describes not only
the ritual practices of the Dagara people, a highly spiritual
tribe of indigenous Africans struggling to maintain their
traditional ways in the face of Western encroachment, but the
larger view of spirituality held by the indigenous African.

Ritual engages the reader in examining the deeper, psychological
reasoning behind the difference between the Western way and the
Dagara way. The book examines the Dagara's theory of the cause of
many problems found in Western society -- lack of ritual. The
social, community, and spiritual effects of ritual are examined
in engaging recollections of rituals and events in the author's
and his tribe's lives and serve to illustrate by example the
difference not only in practice, but in worldview held by the
Dagara as opposed to that held in the Western world.

The author makes a case that the West's disregard for the spirit
world is a key factor in the ills found in the society. In
comparing Dagara societal traditions with Western ones, the case
is rather convincing. However, Ritual is far from being simply
another "Western culture is evil and we must all go live like
stone-age indians" book-length rant. Some breaks down the
elements of ritual, and examines the reasons why community,
family, and individual rituals seem to "work" for the Dagara, yet
don't for the West. The difference in basic worldview here
becomes apparent in its importance not because the author seeks
to claim that the Dagara view is somehow better than the Western
one, but because the Dagara worldview is a framework in which the
spiritual power of ritual is permitted to work.

I would venture to say that this book is essential for anyone
seeking to understand a bit more about the worldview of African
Traditional Religions (Kemeticism/Kemetic Reconstructionism
included). Other Pagans will also enjoy this book because of the
insights into the meaning of ritual within a community structure,
especially when used to gain insight into a pagan group context.
General readers will also gain an understanding of tribal society
through this book--not just African tribal society, but the
tribal society that most of us -- no matter where we are in the
world--seek to find in the groups we join whether they are
religious groups, parenting-style groups, social groups, interest
groups, or family groups.

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


[08]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE URBAN PRIMITIVE
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========

The Urban Primitive: Paganism in the Concrete Jungle
Author: Raven Kaldera & Tannin Schwarzstein
Paperback, 268 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: October 2002
ISBN: 0738702595
US Retail Price: $14.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702595/thecauldron

The back cover copy of The Urban Primitive: Paganism in the
Concrete Jungle by Raven Kaldera & Tannin Schwarzstein makes this
book look very interesting. "You live in a twenty-first-century
city, so become an urban primitive. Learn how to live a magical
life in the concrete jungle..." As most people live in an urban
area, a good book on urban magick would be an excellent addition
to the many books on magick and spellcraft that assume one is in
or has easy access to a rural environment.

Unfortunately, while The Urban Primitive is an interesting
collection of advice and material on urban magick, it has too
many flaws to be more than a fair and somewhat superficial
introduction to the subject. This is a shame because with a
little more care and attention to details, this book could have
been excellent. There is quite a lot of useful information for
someone living in an urban jungle in this book. The authors
discuss magick for getting a job, finding an affordable place to
live and roommates one can live with, for example. They suggest
places in urban areas to honor specific ancient deities. They
touch upon dealing with the many other Pagan religions one may
find in a large city, raising children, and more. While some of
this information lacks depth, it is still more than is found in
many books on the bookstore shelves -- and the illustrations in
this book are excellent.

The flaws in this book, unfortunately, are many -- and some cut
deep. First, the authors have written the book from a fairly
Wiccan point of view. There's nothing wrong with this, except
that they sometimes say "Pagan" when they mean "Wiccan." Second,
the writing style indicates that the book is aimed at the teenage
goth crowd which will grate on the nerves of many Pagans who live
in urban areas but are not teens or who are not goths. The
biggest flaw, however, is superficial information. While this
book seems to be aimed at beginners, it assumes quite a bit of
knowledge that many beginners would not have. No book can contain
everything, of course, but a book aimed at beginners should at
least point the reader to specific other books that fill in the
gaps.

Finally, some parts of this book are just plain silly. For
example, the urban triple goddess (Squat, Skor, and Skram) and
the urban triple god (Slick, Screw, and Sarge) seem like a joke.
I'm sure that if enough people believe in them, calling on them
will produce results. However, they still seem silly. Screw, for
example, is the God of One Night Stands. You pray to him when you
want to get laid and make offerings to him by giving condoms to
people you meet. If I'd have known this in college, I'd have
never spent a night alone. Yeah. Right.

In summary, The Urban Primitive: Paganism in the Concrete Jungle
is an interesting but flawed book. If you are having trouble
seeing how to work magick into city life, you might want to take
a look at this book at one of those nice bookstores where you can
sit down and go through it carefully over a cup of coffee. Only
you can decide if the book's useful information outweighs its
flaws. It doesn't for me, but I'm not the beginner this book was
written for.

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


[09]
=========
========= REVIEW: GOTHIC GRIMOIRE
========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire
=========

Gothic Grimoire
Author: Konstantinos
Paperback, 240 pages
Publisher: Llewellyn
Publication date: September 2002
ISBN: 0738702552
US Retail Price: $14.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702552/thecauldron

The night has been considered mysterious and dangerous since the
dawn of humankind. Many members of the current generation of
teens and young adults have turned a fascination for the night
into a subculture that has spawned everything from a style of
dress to roleplaying games to music. So I wasn't surprised to see
a book tailoring Wicca to this subculture. The Gothic Grimoire is
actually the second book from Konstantinos in this field. While
Gothic Grimoire is listed as a companion volume to Nocturnal
Witchcraft, it stands fairly well on its own. (This is good as
I've never seen Nocturnal Witchcraft.)

The first part of the book summarizes a "Nocturnal Tradition" of
Wicca with a self-initiation ritual and a set of sabbat rituals
customized for the night. There is also a brief discussion of the
advantages and disadvantages of both solitary and group work.
There's nothing really spectacular here, it's just yet another
custom tradition of Wicca. At least the author makes no wild
claims of ancient origins for his version of Wicca.

The rest of the book deals with practical magick. While all the
magick is given a nocturnal flavor, there's really nothing all
that new or special here. However, a wide variety of magick, some
of which would be more correctly considered psychic phenomena, is
presented and explained in a clear and concise manner. There are
chapters on telepathy, intuition, divination, astral travel,
illusion, controlling negative thoughts, creating a magical
servant to accomplish magickal goals, and banishing. There is
also a chapter on specific rituals for aid in dealing with some
of the problems of life. The final chapter deals with contacting
the dead.

The most interesting part of the book is probably the chapter on
"The Nocturnal Servant" as it gives a fairly simple method of
creating a magickal servant to accomplish a magickal end. This is
a very general and useful spell form that is often ignored in
books aimed at beginners.

Gothic Grimoire will definitely appeal to the Wiccan teen and
goth markets. It doesn't talk down to the reader or present
(often silly) "teen" spells as some books aimed at younger
readers do. However, there really isn't anything new in this
book. It's just normal Neo-Wicca and magick given a "night"
flavor. The author does do a good job with the flavoring,
however.

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


[10]
=========
========= UPCOMING REVIEWS AND RECENT RELEASES
========= by Randall Sapphire
=========

===
=== Received For Review
===

The following books and decks will be reviewed in future issues.
This issue lists everything in my "yet to be reviewed" stack.
Future installments will only list new material received for
review. "First Glance Comments" included with these listings are
exactly what they seem to be: my first impression of the item
from a quick glance through the book or deck. Be aware that these
views could change drastically after I a more complete
examination. If you are waiting for a particular review, remember
that reviews appear on our web site as they are finished -- often
a good while before they are published in the newsletter.

Praise to the Moon
  by Ellen Hawke (Llewellyn)
  ISBN: 0738702781
  First Glance Comments: This book explores the phases of the
        moon in a Wiccan context with rituals and Goddess lore.
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702781/thecauldron

Full Contact Magick
  by Kerr Cuhulian (Llewellyn)
  ISBN: 0738702544
  First Glance Comments: The author of Wiccan Warrior writes
        about Wiccan magickal techniques that incorporate the
        Warrior archetype. Looks to be another dose of reality
        for those Wiccans who see their religion as nothing
        but peace and white light.
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702544/thecauldron

The Witches' Craft
  by Raven Grimassi (Llewellyn)
  ISBN: 073870265X
  First Glance Comments: Look, it's another Wicca 101 book by
        Grimassi. If I'm reading it right, he is attempting to
        prove the ancient origins of witchcraft along the way.
        Given my opinion of other Grimassi Wicca books, I'm not
        expecting much here. Let's hope I'm surprised.
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/073870265X/thecauldron

Visconti Tarot
  by Berti, Gonard, Atanassov (Lo Scarabeo/Llewellyn)
  ISBN: 0738702935
  First Glance Comments: This is a nice deck with lots of gold
        foil. Unfortunately, the pip cards are not fully
        illustrated. It's a modern reproduction of what is now
        believed to be the first tarot deck. Nice book included.
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702935/thecauldron

Tarot & Magic
  by Donald Michael Kraig (Llewellyn)
  ISBN: 0738701858
  First Glance Comments: A small book that briefly discusses a
        number of Tarot magick methods. It's Kraig, so there are
        a lot of good ideas, but not in as much detail as I would
        have hoped.
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738701858/thecauldron

Comparative Tarot
  (Lo Scarabeo/Llewellyn)
  ISBN: 0738702811
  First Glance Comments: This deck has the images from four decks
        on each card. Lots of symbolism to draw on in readings so
        I like it. Decks depicted: Universal Tarot, Tarot of the
        Sphinx, Tarot of Origins, Tarot of Marseilles.
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702811/thecauldron

The Tarot of Durer
  by Giacinto Gaudenzi (Lo Scarabeo/Llewellyn)
  ISBN: 0738702455
  First Glance Comments: A Tarot inspired by Albrecht Durer's
        engravings. It's lovely. The suits each have an animal
        which appears, sometimes not obviously, on many of the
        cards.
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702455/thecauldron

Tarot of the Journey to the Orient
  by Severino Baradi (Lo Scarabeo/Llewellyn)
  ISBN: 073870282X
  First Glance Comments: A deck with both western and eastern
        symbolism. The suits depict journeys from the West to the
        East. And interesting idea, but I'm not sure how will it
        will work for me in use.
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/073870282X/thecauldron

Positive Magic (Revised Edition)
  by Marion Weinstein (New Page Books)
  ISBN: 1564146375
  First Glance Comments: While I have always thought Positive
        Magic was a bit on the "white light" side, it's been a
        book I could recommend strongly to newcomers. This
        revised edition looks like it may have made a very good
        book even better. I can't wait to read it.
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1564146375/thecauldron

Wicca for Couples
  by A.J. Drew (New Page Books)
  ISBN: 1564146200
  First Glance Comments: The author argues that Wicca should be a
        religion for family and community instead of for covens
        and solitary Wiccans. This is a different premise and I
        will be interested in seeing how well the author can
        support it.
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1564146200/thecauldron

===
=== Recent Releases
===

=== October 2002 Releases

Spellbound, from Ancient Gods to Modern Merlins: A Time Tour of
Myth and Magic
  by Dominic Alexander
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 0762103795
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0762103795/thecauldron

Zodiac Spells: Easy Enchantments and Simple Spells for Your
Sun Sign
  by Lexa Rosean
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 0312285442
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312285442/thecauldron

The World of Wizards: Modern Magical Tools and Ancient
Traditions
  by Anton Adams, Mina Adams
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 1586637568
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1586637568/thecauldron

The Urban Primitive: Paganism in the Concrete Jungle
  by Raven Kaldera, et al
  Paperback
  ISBN: 0738702595
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702595/thecauldron

Magical Paths
  by Jeff Saward
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 1840005734
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1840005734/thecauldron

Positive Magic: Ancient Metaphysical Techniques for Modern Lives
  by Marion Weinstein
  Paperback
  ISBN: 1564146375
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1564146375/thecauldron

Voodoo Rituals
  by Heike Owusu
  Paperback
  ISBN: 1402700350
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1402700350/thecauldron

Scottish Witches and Wizards: True Accounts
  by H. M. Fleming
  Paperback
  ISBN: 1899874348
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1899874348/thecauldron

Magikal Sex: A Witche's Guide to Beds, Knobs, and Broomsticks
  by Fiona Horne
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 0007141335
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007141335/thecauldron

The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism
  by Shelly Rabinovitch, et al
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 0806524065
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0806524065/thecauldron

The Witches' Craft: The Roots of Witchcraft & Magical
Transformation
  by Raven Grimassi
  Paperback
  ISBN: 073870265X
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/073870265X/thecauldron

Good Witch, Bad Witch: Sweet Spells and Dark Charms
  by Gilliam Kemp
  Paperback
  ISBN: 0821227998
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0821227998/thecauldron

Raising Witches: Teaching the Wiccan Faith to Children
  by Ashleen O'Gaea
  Paperback
  ISBN: 1564146316
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1564146316/thecauldron

Book of Hours: Prayers to the Gods
  by Galen Gillotte
  Paperback
  ISBN: 0738702609
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702609/thecauldron

=== November 2002 Releases

Celebrating Wiccan Spirituality: Spells, Sacred Rites, and
Folklore for Each Day of the Year
  by Lady Sabrina
  Paperback
  ISBN: 156414593X
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156414593X/thecauldron

Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds:
A Sourcebook
  by Daniel Ogden
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 019513575X
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/019513575X/thecauldron

Celtic Plant Magic: A Workbook for Alchemical Sex Rituals
  by Jon G. Hughes
  Paperback
  ISBN: 0892819243
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0892819243/thecauldron

The Inner Temple of Witchcraft: Magick, Meditation and Psychic
Development
  by Christopher Penczak
  Paperback
  ISBN: 0738702765
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702765/thecauldron

Praise to the Moon: Magic & Myth of the Lunar Cycle
  by Elen Hawke
  Paperback
  ISBN: 0738702781
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738702781/thecauldron

Esoteric Magic and the Cabala
  by Phillip Cooper
  Paperback
  ISBN: 1578632366
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1578632366/thecauldron

Merlyn's Magick: The Wizard's Secret Notebooks
  by Joshua Free
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 1890109517
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890109517/thecauldron

Corporate Magick: Mystical Tools for Business Success
  by Bob Johnson
  Paperback
  ISBN: 080652393X
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/080652393X/thecauldron

Candle Magic (The Ultimate Full-Color Guide series)
  by Batia Shorek
  Paperback
  ISBN: 9654941473
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9654941473/thecauldron

Witches of Fife: Witch Hunting in a Scottish Shire, 1560-1710
  by Stuart Macdonald
  Paperback
  ISBN: 1862321469
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1862321469/thecauldron

=== December 2002 Releases

Tarot & Magick
  by Donald Michael Kraig
  Paperback
  ISBN: 0738701858
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738701858/thecauldron

Soapmaking: A Magickal Guide
  by Alicia Grosso
  Paperback
  ISBN: 1564146480
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1564146480/thecauldron

Cunning-Folk: Popular Magic in English History
  by Owen Davies
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 1852852976
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1852852976/thecauldron

Witchcraft and Magic in Europe: The Period of the Witch Trials
  by Bengt Ankarloo (Editor), Stuart Clark (Editor)
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 0812236173
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0812236173/thecauldron

Exorcising Our Demons: Magic, Witchcraft, and Visual Culture in
Early Modern Europe (Studies in Medieval and Reformation
Thought, V. 91)
  by Charles Zika
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 9004125604
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9004125604/thecauldron

The Metamorphosis of Magic from Late Antiquity to the Early
Modern Period (Groningen Studies in Cultural Change, V. 1)
  by Jan N. Bremmer (Editor), Jan R. Veenstra (Editor)
  Hardcover
  ISBN: 9042912278
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9042912278/thecauldron

Behind the Crystal Ball: Magic, Science, and the Occult from
Antiquity Through the New Age
  Paperback
  ISBN: 0870816713
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0870816713/thecauldron

When Someone You Love Is Wiccan: A Guide to Witchcraft and
Paganism for Concerned Friends, Nervous Parents, and Curious
Co-Workers
  by Carl McColman
  Paperback
  ISBN: 1564146227
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1564146227/thecauldron

Werewolves, Witches, and Wandering Spirits: Traditional Belief
and Folklore in Early Modern Europe (Sixteenth Century Essays
& Studies, V. 62)
  by Kathryn A. Edwards (Editor)
  Paperback
  ISBN: 1931112088
  More Info from Amazon.com:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931112088/thecauldron


[11]
=========
========= ARTICLE: SERVITOR CREATION
========= Inspired by Neil Gaiman's Sandman
========= by EverFool
=========

This is an operation designed to create a servitor
elemental/spirit/label of your choice. This operation is
recommended only for those who are eclectics, Chaotes, or other
magick practitioners with relatively loose paradigms. This is
mostly because the operation requires as a mindset that is
comfortable with magick based on fiction.

The technique is inspired by the final graphic novel of the
Sandman series, The Wake. You could read that novel to get a feel
for how this works, but I suggest you only do this after you have
read the rest of the series first!

In any case, it is a simple ritual. If you wish to clear sacred
space/call a circle etc, it may be best to do so in such a way
that does not reflect a specific paradigm (eg, calling God-names
reflects ceremonial magick, calling quarters reflects Wicca,
etc). When I performed this operation, I simply walked in a
circle three times and declared that I had purged all other
influences from the zone.

Once this is done, try to feel the energy of the ground below
you. This may be more effective outside, but I performed this
ritual indoors. Kneel or crouch down, and try to draw some energy
up into your hands. A good image is clay. Now spend a few minutes
"shaping" this into the form of a humanoid. Use your hands to
perform the shaping, this will aid the visualization.

You should eventually have a man figure, standing upright, with
eyes closed. Don't imagine it activating just yet. I visualized
the entity as being black, both as a reflection of the sandman
comic, and also because of the entity being shaped from "Earth".
But it likely does not matter if you want a polka dot servitor!

For those not familiar with Sandman, the series revolved around
one member of the family known as "the Endless" - seven "people"
who represented certain workings of the universe. The main figure
of the series was Dream, but other members of the family were:
Destiny, Death, Destruction, Desire and Despair (who were
"twins"), and Delirium. Only a handful of these were present in
The Wake to help create the servitor, but in this operation I
tried to use the influence of all seven.

First, make a "heart" sign upon the chest of the servitor. If you
wish, you might declare that this represents the influence of
Desire.

The next mark comes from Despair, which is placed in the eyes.
Despair made no sigil, so it is up to you whether you want to.

It is ambiguous whether Destiny made a mark, and the same goes
for Delirium. In both cases, however, it may apply to place their
influence in the mind.

Dream and Destruction were not present at the servitor creation.
I declared the entire servitor to be the province of Dream, as it
was not made of normal matter, and I decided that the hands were
as good a place as any for the influence of Destruction.

Finally, Death does not make a mark on the servitor, but
"breathes" life into it. Thus, you may wish to exhale into the
servitor, possibly while vibrating its name if you give it one.

It isn't necessary to give it a name reflecting the task you
intend to give it. You can call it "Bob" if you really want.

Now imagine the eyes opening. When I performed the operation, the
servitor reached its arms out for me instantly upon being
completed. However, whether it moves or not will probably depend
on the operator.

Now tell the entity what task you want it to perform. As usual
with servitors, try to keep it short and simple. You may also
want to show a certain amount of gratitude and kindness to the
servitor - after all, it is designed to have a certain extent of
emotion and mind. Visualize it going off to its task, and then go
about your normal activities.

Whenever you see evidence that it has accomplished all or part of
its task, thank it and ask it to continue, until you are fully
satisfied with its work.

What you do with the servitor once its task is completed, or it
has run beyond the time limit you set it, is up to you. At the
time of writing, my servitor is still performing its task, but I
shall probably dissipate it back into the ether.

(For those who are interested, I sent it out to provide job
opportunities. It has had a couple of minor successes so far, but
I am awaiting a better achievement still.)


[12]
=========
========= ARTICLE: NIGHTMARE BANISHING DREAM PILLOW
========= by Faerie K.
=========

This nightmare banishing dream pillow was pretty much built "on
the run" while chatting with a friend of mine who had been
suffering from terrible nightmares for a few nights, leading up
to her waking up screaming and feeling like she couldn't breath.
After listening her needs, this is what I wrote to her:

===
=== Materials
===

* Black cloth. (Here, black is used to denote strength,
  protection, calmness, darkness). Natural fibers are best, not
  only because the pillow will be rather close to your head.
  Cotton is a good choice.
* Sewing equipment, either plain old thread and needle or a
  machine
* Embroidery threads or fabric paint
* Herbs

===
=== Starting Out
===

The dream pillow has "two layers". The inner one will be the
pillow itself, with the herbs. The outer one is the "pillow case"
for this inner pillow.

To begin with, you'll need to choose symbols that will be
embroidered or painted on the outer pillow, the pillow case, as
well as colors for the symbols. The symbols should denote
Strength and Protection, the symbols used and their colors should
arise from your own personal symbology and correspondences --
they should speak to *you*. You can add other symbols according
to your own needs and insights.

The pillow's final size should be 11" x 11cm. This strange
mixture of measurement units is because the idea is to use the
number 11. Here, 11 denotes both the pentagram and the hexagram,
it's the number of the Goddess and also refers to one's Great
Work. The purpose is to banish disturbing nightmares and these
nightmares can indeed interfere with one's Great Work, especially
when they're making you too tired to live.

Cut four pieces of the fabric, large enough for you to be able to
get that 11" x 11cm pillow from. Put two of the pieces aside for
a while and start working with the other two -- the pillow case.

Embroider or paint the symbols you chose with your chosen colors
on both of the pieces (right side of the fabric). If you painted
the symbols, let the paint dry completely before starting to sew
and if you're using fabric paints, iron the paint as per
instructions. Then sew the pieces together with the right sides
in. Leave the other 'short end' unsewed. This is where you will
slip the the inner pillow inside the pillowcase. Turn the
allowances on this short end in and sew in place. You can attach
ribbons to the sides of the opening in order to tie it and keep
the inner pillow in place. You can also sew the opening closed
when the pillow is ready, but ribbons make it much easier to
change the inner pillow if needed.

The next step is sewing the inner pillow. Make it a little bit
smaller than the pillow case. Sew the sides, right sides of the
fabric in, leaving a couple of inches on one side for turning the
pillow seams in and then stuffing it. Turn the seams in.

===
=== The Herbs
===

For this nightmare banishing pillow, I selected herbs from the
following group of herbs: Lavender, mugwort, hyacinth flowers,
anise, cedar, rosemary, valerian, hops, marjoram, dittany of
Greece, garlic, thyme. Do take your allergies into consideration
and don't use anything that might trigger your allergies!

Use approximately 50% lavender, with a dash of rosemary and
anise. With others, make a nice and even blend. Remember, you
should be able to sleep on that pillow! Mix the herbs gently,
without using iron/metal bowls or servers.

It is best not to use: Sage, as it may cause haunting feelings in
your dream. Tansy, as it can *cause* nightmares. Artemisia or
laurel, as they can cause dreams with fears. You might want to
remove these from your sleeping quarters as well. Use the herbs
as herbs, not as oils. While some instructions do mention oils in
dream pillows, oils can have too strong a scent and they may
stain.

Fill the inner pillow. It is supposed to be rather flat, not
round. Sew the hole you left for filling and put the inner pillow
inside the pillowcase you made earlier. Tie the ribbons or sew
the pillowcase shut.

===
=== Other Notes
===

While preparing the pillow, concentrate your thoughts on what the
pillow is meant to do. That is, the whole preparing process is
good old fashioned Witchcraft and the pillow itself a kind of
spell wrapped in cloth.

===
=== Then to Banish the Nightmares
===

You're not supposed to just lay your head down to sleep after
making the pillow. You should be preparing yourself for the
forthcoming night, sleeping and dreaming. Before falling asleep,
perform a banishing ritual of the type you are most familiar
with. The purpose of this is to sleep inside a 'circle', within
cleansed space.

If you can, perform the ritual in your mind instead of going
around or on your bed. That is, your mind is doing all the
necessary work, while your body is resting on the bed.

Include the whole of your bed and a little bit of its
surroundings to the area you are cleansing. If your bed is next
to a wall, pull it out a little bit so that there's some space
between the wall and the bed. Otherwise you might be taking a
little bit of your next door neighbor's apartment inside your
circle.

After the banishing, relax your whole body and -- sweet dreams!

===
=== End Notes
===

While I'm writing this English translation, my friend has slept
two nights after making her pillow and doing the banishings. She
said she has had no nightmares at all (although she can't really
remember her dreams, nightmares were absent) and she's had more
than double her normal sleep.

Hopefully, somebody else could find this useful as well!


[13]
=========
========= COLUMN: TAROTDEEVAH ON THE TAROT
========= by TarotDeevah
=========

===
=== Celtic Tree Oracle
===

by Liz and Lolin Murray
Illustrated by Vanessa Card
An Eddison/Sadd Edition
Copyright 1988 by Edison/Sadd Editions Limited
ISBN 0312020325
See Cards From This Deck:
  http://angelfire.com/la2/tarotdeevah/tarot/ctopics.JPG
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312020325/thecauldron

This is not a tarot deck, rather it is an oracle deck.  The deck
consists of 25 cards, each depicting a mostly trees.  13 of the
cards are numbered and 12 are not.  I wish more of the trees were
featured in spring; however, many are depicted in winter ...
without leaves.

The cards measure about 2.5 by 3.75 inches and handle very
easily.  Card stock is very good, and cards are slightly glossy.
I cannot comment on their durability, as I have never used mine.
I have no reason to doubt them.

I cannot recommend or not recommend this deck, as I have never
tried mine.  As a collector, I am pleased to have them.

===
=== Chinese Tarot
===

by Jui Gouliang
Published by US Games Systems, Inc.
Copyright 1989 by US Games Systems, Inc.
ISBN: 0880793732
See Cards From This Deck:
  http://angelfire.com/la2/tarotdeevah/tarot/chinesepics.jpg
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0880793732/thecauldron

I know nothing about Chinese symbolism, legend, folklore or
history; however, I can read with this deck.  I find it colorful,
inspirational, workable, and a joy to use.  I'm a bit of an
escapist, so I really enjoy diving into the unknown.

The deck follows traditional Rider-Waite style rather closely,
with only a few changes (other than the obvious Chinese theme).
In the majors, the Heirophant has been replaced with the Heavenly
Master, the Hanged Man with the Hanging Ghost, Judgement with
Confucius, and the World with the Universe.  Suits are staves,
cups, swords and coins.  Courts are king, queen, knight and page.
I noted something of interest about the pages.  They are older
than is traditionally shown, some of them even graying.

The card stock is sturdy, but not stiff.  The cards are about 2.5
by 4.5 inches and are easily handled.  I got my deck second hand,
and it did not come with an instructional booklet.  I suspect
(but am not sure) that a new deck would have the little white
booklet.  I wish mine did.

I thoroughly enjoy this deck and recommend it for those
interested in Chinese culture, theme deck lovers, collectors, and
intermediate to advanced readers.  I almost recommend it for
beginners, but am unsure about the effect the culture-shock might
have.

===
=== Connolly Tarot
===

by Eileen and Paul Connolly
Published by US Games Systems, Inc.
Copyright 1990 by US Games Systems, Inc.
ISBN: 0880794372
See Cards From This Deck:
  http://angelfire.com/la2/tarotdeevah/tarot/connollypics.jpg
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0880794372/thecauldron

I use this deck a lot when reading for clients.  The colors are
vivid, and the images inspiring.  It closely follows traditional
Rider-Waite style, with only a few exceptions.  Death has become
Transition and the Devil has become Materialism.  I find that
those two minor changes go a long way in eliminating unnecessary
fear in clients, not to mention that I actually find the terms
more "correct."  The suits are wands, cups, swords and pentacles.

These cards are durable, sturdy but not stiff, and handle regular
use very well.  They measure about 2.75 by 4.75 inches, slightly
large for me to handle with ease, but still quite manageable.  It
didn't take long for them to fit perfectly.  =)

I recommend this deck for anyone and everyone.  They can be used
for clients of all walks of life.  There isn't overt pagan
symbolism (not any that a client would recognize as pagan,
anyway).  The only nude is a very tastefully done Lovers, where
the woman's breasts are exposed.  This deck would be ideal to
learn on, so I recommend it for beginners as well.

===
=== Contact Cards
===

by Kim Carlsberg & Darryl Anka
Published by Bear & Company
Copyright 1996 by Kim Carlsberg & Darryl Anka
ISBN 1879181320
See Cards From This Deck:
  http://angelfire.com/la2/tarotdeevah/tarot/ccpics.JPG
Amazon Link:
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1879181320/thecauldron

What an odd deck!  I wouldn't call this a tarot deck, and neither
do its creators.  The deck consists of 60 cards in 5 suits:
aliens, ships, stars, planets and crop circles. As far as I can
tell, there are no elemental associations or symbolism present.
Each card must be memorized.  They do not "inspire" the reader
(at least not me) at all.

Cards are 3.5 inches square.  They handle well, even with my
small hands.  Card stock is very good, and cards are highly
glossed.  I suspect they are durable, but I've never used my
cards.

I recommend this deck for the collector and for UFO buffs.

=====
===== About This Column
=====

TarotDeevah's column will feature monthly articles or reviews
selected from her web site or written for this newsletter.
You can find TarotDeevah's web site at:
http://www.angelfire.com/la2/tarotdeevah/home.html


[14]
=========
========= HUMOR: 25 REASONS WHY IT ROCKS TO BE WICCAN
========= Author Unknown
=========

1. No confessing unless you want to.

2. BELTANE!!!

3. You can't go to any other church nekkid, can you?

4. You can bring up the topic of Aleister Crowley in a mixed
   crowd, and be guaranteed an evening of entertainment.

5. You get to claim bagging rights on your past incarnations.

6. You get all the drama, pageantry, chanting, and incense of
   Catholicism, without the guilt

7. Sex is holy.

8. Aphrodite, baby!

9. Accidental Maypole bondage is all part of the scene!

10. You're not only allowed to manipulate the odds, you're
    expected to!

11. You can make people nervous just by having a black cat.

12. If you're male, you get to scoff at the blunts who don't know
     whether to call you a warlock or a manwitch.

13. You can tell someone the difference between upright and
    inverse pentacles...

14. And no one really busts you out if you make it all up!

15. You can bring a deck of cards to a party and suddenly you're
    everyone's best friend.

16. You get to pick your own name.

17. If your name sounds like you were on peyote when you chose
    it, you're still probably in good company.

18. No one is bothered if you decide to change your circle name
    every other week.

19. You have more fun with Jehovah's Witnesses than anybody.

20. You also have more fun at family gatherings when the topic of
    where Christmas REALLY came from arises.

21. Your medicant skills can have your apoplectic uncle up and
    breathing again after the aforementioned conversation, with
    nothing more than your aunt's common cooking herbs.

22. You may not like your fat thighs much, but you always know a
    Goddess who's WAY fatter!

23. You understand the language of cats, birds, trees, wind,
    faeries, or whatever.

24. If you just pretend to understand the above-mentioned
    language, other pagans won't bust you out.

25. You have more fun at Halloween than anyone else in the world!


[15]
=========
========= DRAGON CLAN WITCHCRAFT COURSE: DECEMBER LESSON INDEX
========= OFFERED ON THE CAULDRON'S DELPHI FORUM
=========

The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum is offering an online witchcraft
course in the Dragon Clan tradition on our Delphi message board.
This course is taught by Jet. While this course formally began on
Monday, May 20, 2002, interested members can join the course at
any time as the course material is in numbered messages in the
Online Witchcraft Course folder on our Delphi message board. You
simply start with the messages with the lowest numbers in the
subject line and work your way through at your own pace. The
final set of lessons, listed below, we posted in December 2002.

8.0 Wheel of Spirit

8.1 Meditations

8.11 The Censer and Spirit
   http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7694.1

8.12 Meditation on the Censer
   http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7695.1

8.13 The Witches' Ladder
   http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7696.1

8.2 Making an Elemental Chart
   http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7697.1

8.3 Reflection before Initiation
   http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7699.1

8.4 Ordeal: Drink Down the Moon
   http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7700.1

8.5 Wheel Measure
   http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/messages?msg=7701.1


[16]
=========
========= 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 well over 150 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 Delphi 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://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 message board and have friends who
might enjoy them or have information to contribute, please invite
them.

=====
===== Link To The Cauldron
=====

If you have a web site where linking to The Cauldron: A Pagan
Forum would be appropriate, simply providing a link to this web
site is a big help. Our Link to this Site page explains how you
can do this if you need help or want some simple graphic buttons
to use: http://www.ecauldron.com/linktous.php

=====
===== Donations
=====

As The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum uses as many free services as
possible, our need for money to operate our site is currently
lower than our need for the many items we list above. However, if
you have a few dollars to spare, we would be honored to have your
help in paying for our web site. You can donate by using 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 receives a small percentage
(usually 5%) from most items purchased from Amazon.com when you
go to Amazon.com from one of the links to Amazon on our web site.
If you purchase a lot of books, CDs, and other items from
Amazon.com as many members do, going to Amazon.com through one of
our links when you are going to make a purchase there is a
painless way to help fund this web site.

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

=====
===== 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.)


[17]
=========
========= 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)
2002 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. 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,
unsubsribe your old email address and subscribe your new email
address. Note that you have to make these changes yourself. Yahoo
Groups does not allow the list owner to make them for you.

=====
===== NEWSLETTER WEB SITE AND BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE
=====

The Cauldron and Candle web site contains information on this
newsletter and an archive of back issues.

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

=====
===== PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO SUBSCRIBE
=====

If you have Pagan friends who you believe would be interested in
Cauldron and Candle please invite them to subscribe. You can
either drop them a note yourself or -- better yet -- send them
one of The Cauldron's email postcards with the information.

You are also welcome to forward a copies of this newsletter to
interested friends and associates provided you forward the entire
newsletter.

=====
===== SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
=====

Don't forget that your suggestions for this newsletter are always
welcome, either posted on the message board or via email to
LyricFox (lyricfox@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com) or Randall Sapphire
(rssapphire00@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com). Typos are, as usual, 
courtesy of the Goddess Eris.

Return to Cauldron and Candle Archive


Top | Home | Message Board | Site Info & Rules | Report Site Problems
Thanks to Cauldron Sponsors
(Sponsor The Cauldron!)

Cheap Web Hosting Report | Pagan & Magick Supplies
Witchcraft Course
Download Hundreds of Magic Spells