[Cauldron and Candle Illo]

 

 
Cauldron and Candle
Issue #55 -- January 2005

A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum
website: http://www.ecauldron.com/
message board: http://www.ecauldron.net/

 

Return to Cauldron and Candle Archive

C A U L D R O N   A N D   C A N D L E  #55 -- January 2005

           A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum
                website: http://www.ecauldron.com/
              message board: http://www.ecauldron.net/
             newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/
            shopping: http://www.ecauldron.com/mall.php
          http://stores.ebay.com/Doxys-Bazaar?refid=store

In this Issue:

[01] Editorial Notes
     * Donations Needed For Tsunami Relief Efforts
     * New Book Reviewer
     * New Section: Pagan Webcrafting
     * Cauldron and Candle Submissions Needed, As Always
[02] Cauldron Challenge: January
[03] Cauldron News
     * Message Board Software Update to Beehive Forums 0.5
[04] Cauldron Discussions
[05] Reviews
     [05-1] Essential Wicca
     [05-2] Irish Witchcraft from an Irish Witch
     [05-3] The Magickal Life
     [05-4] Necronomicon
     [05-5] The Real Witches' Coven
     [05-6] Real Witches' Year
     [05-7] Thorsons Way of Wicca
     [05-8] Which Witch is Which?
[06] Articles:
     [06-1] Protection Crystals and Stones
     [06-2] On Pagans and Masons
     [06-3] Ghosts: How Energy Factors Into Their Existence
     [06-4] January -- The Month of Janus
     [06-5] The Deeds of Odin
[07] Columns
     [07-1] Kitchen Witchin
     [07-2] Humor: Qabala Boat Song
[08] Pagan Webcrafting
     [08-2] Make Your Site Quick to Load
     [08-3] The Top Ten List Of Website Annoyances
     [08-1] Why Dreamhost For Pagan Sites?
     [08-4] Cheap Web Hosting Report: January 2005
[09] Support The Cauldron by Volunteering to Help
[10] Newsletter Information
              (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe)

  +++February Issue Submission Deadline: January 25, 2005+++
   Guidelines: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/submissions.php

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

=====
===== Donations Needed For Tsunami Relief Efforts
=====

I'm sure all of our readers have heard of the 9.0 earthquake off
the coast of one of islands of Indonesia and the resulting
tsunamis that killed (at the last report I saw) over 150,000
people in Southeast Asia and parts of Africa, but you may not
know where you can donate for the relief efforts online. Here are
links to some of the charities that have set up relief funds.

American Red Cross International Response Fund 
  https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation-form.asp

Direct Relief International's International Assistance Fund 
  https://www.directrelief.org/sections/support_us/d_donate_now.html

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
  http://www.ifrc.org/helpnow/donate/donate_response.asp

Medecins Sans Frontieres International Tsunami Emergency Appeal 
  http://www.msf.org/donations/index.cfm

Oxfam Asian Earthquake & Tsunami Fund 
  https://secure.ga3.org/02/asia_earthquake04

Sarvodaya Relief Fund for Tsunami Tragedy 
  http://www.sarvodaya.org/

UNICEF South Asia Tsunami Relief Efforts
  http://www.unicefusa.org/tsunami

There are others if you search the web, but these are groups with
reputations known to me. Please give what you can. Every dollar
will help.

=====
===== New Book Reviewer
=====

I'm sure all Cauldron and Candle readers noticed that my marriage
was not good for book reviews. I simply do not have the time
needed to do them right now that I'm married. Last month, I was
looking around USENET for the first time in ages (thanks to
Google Groups). There I stumbled across a large number of reviews
of Pagan and occult books by Mike Gleason.

I liked them and emailed Mike to ask if I could reprint them in
this newsletter and on The Cauldron's web site. Mike agreed. I
found out that Mike doesn't have a web site with all of his
reviews to refer people to, so I will be adding all I can find to
The Cauldron's web site and adding a "Mike Gleason's Reviews"
page indexing them. I hope to add 20 to 30 reviews, old and new,
each month until I have all the old ones I can find available on
the web site.

Mike reviews a wider variety of books than I did, including
Pagan-oriented young adult novels, occasional books on Atlantis,
and the like. I will be putting them all up on our web site and
newer reviews will appear in this newsletter.

Mike is a bit kinder in his reviews than I often was, but he has
no more tolerance for bull presented as fact than I do. I know
you will enjoy Mike's reviews and will find them helpful when you
are deciding which books are worth your money. I'd like to thank
Mike for allowing us to reprint them.

=====
===== New Section: Pagan Webcrafting
=====

Both this newsletter and The Cauldron's web site start 2005 with
a new section on Pagan Web Crafting. Many Pagans have or would
like to have a Pagan oriented web site. Unfortunately, many of
the thousands of Pagan web sites are poorly designed and/or very
hard to read.  

This new section of newsletter and web site is devoted to
articles about web sites and web design. Some of these articles
are written specifically for Pagans, but most are more general
and anyone interested in putting up a web site may find them
useful. (And we would love to consider your articles for this
section.)

To make room for this new section in this newsletter, we have
dropped the "Around the Planes: Notes from All Over" section. It
was getting harder and harder to find five useful and interesting
press release articles each month that did not read like
marketing hype.

You can find the new section of our web site at:

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

=====
===== Cauldron and Candle Submissions Needed, As Always
=====

Submissions really dropped off in December. I hope this was just
because of the holiday season as the submission pile is looking
pretty bare again. While we have a steady source of reviews
again, we still welcome your book reviews -- and really need your
articles on other subjects.

Remember, we even make it easy for you to submit items with a
couple of handy forms on our web site:
     
Handy Article Submission Form:

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

Book Review Submission Form:

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

Bright Blessings for 2005 for all!

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

                      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]
=========
========= CAULDRON CHALLENGE: JANUARY
========= by Star
=========

January's Challenge is a little bit farther-reaching in its scope
than previous Challenges have been. Although it is itself limited
to January, it is intended to lay the groundwork for something
which reaches beyond just that one month. Yes, that's right,
we're talking about New Year's resolutions -- but with a twist.
Your Challenge for January is not simply to make a resolution.

What I am challenging you to do is to take the month of January
to reflect on your life and yourself. Take the month to think, to
ask advice of others, to meditate or perform divination if that
will help you see things clearly. Your goal is to come up with
one single resolution, something which is really important to you
and which you feel you can stick to. Not something you "should"
do, not something that seems important but impossible, and
certainly not a big long intimidating list of things. The goal is
to set yourself up for success in this, not failure. Also, don't
rush yourself; this is an important decision, and important
decisions should not be made in haste.

I know, though, that some of you are saying, "But that's such an
arbitrary time to start a change in my life!" Fear not -- putting
this resolution into action immediately on February 1 is not part
of the Challenge. I do think it would be best if you could pick a
date to start on (Sine suggested that Imbolc might work for those
on a Wiccan calendar, or the Vernal Equinox), but please feel
free to pick a date which feels like a good time for beginnings
to you. It doesn't have to happen right away, just as long as it
does happen.

So -- in order to get to that one resolution, I'm guessing many of
us will probably have to start out with a list of possibilities.
What are some of the things you're considering?

  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3332.6
  

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

             LOOKING FOR A PAGAN FRIENDLY WEB HOST?

       We use DreamHost because it is affordable and
       reliable, but mainly because its terms of service 
       allow web sites with anything legal: our web site 
       will not be pulled because we review a few books 
       on sex magick or an erotic tarot deck. It's a 
       great host for Pagan web sites. 

     http://www.dreamhost.com/rewards.cgi?27905/shared/

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

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

=====
===== Message Board Software Update to Beehive Forums 0.5
=====

Since we moved from DelphiForums last April, our message board
software is a slightly modified version of Beehive Forums 0.4. A
new version of Beehive Forums was released in December.  Since
its release we have been modifying it for our needs and testing
those modifications. We plan to upgrade our forum to this new
version of Beehive Forums soon (probably in the next week or so).

This new version has many new features -- and hopefully will
allow attachments to work correctly on our server. The most
obvious change will be the menu bar.  The current Preferences and
Profile items will be replaced with a single "My Controls" item
that will take you to a framed set of sub-menus where you can set
options and modify your profile. Like in the current version, we
have modified the menu bar to add a few items of our own, but
even these look better.

We disabled a few of the items added in the official Beehive 0.5.
For example, we removed the server-side spelling checker because
it was implemented via a MySQL database and would overload the
database on a busy forum like ours (causing the board to slow to
a crawl when it was very busy). As free client-side spelling
checkers are available for IE, Opera, and FireFox on most
platforms, this feature should not be missed by many members. We
have also disabled attachments in private messages as they could
be easily misused by people who create accounts just to trade
files or the like.

Note: Beehive Forum 0.5 corrected a very large scale problem with
storing single and double quotes which means that material posted
with the 0.4 version we have been using may be subject to
erroneous display (e.g. \' displayed where a ' should be).

The following list of new features and improvements is a slightly
edited version of the official Beehive Forums 0.5 release notes:

- BRAND NEW FEATURES

- Install/upgrade script simplifies installation process.

- Comprehensive user permissions - users can be given/denied
  access to post/read/moderate etc. in specific folders, as well
  as having HTML/sig privileges given/denied.

- As well as per-folder moderators, a user can be assigned as a
  'Global moderator', who can moderate in all folders.

- User groups can be created to help moderation of large forums.

- New 'Forum Links' drop-down in the top frame allows for linking
  other Beehive forums and sites easily.

- New 'My Controls' replaces the old preferences and profile
  sections, incorporating them into a single location.

- Emoticons. Really fancy emoticons. With per-user options to
  display any of several graphical sets, or plain-text, or
  nothing at all.

- Emoticon preview pane on post page for quick reference.

- Users can now perform basic moderation duties on their own
  posts on the new 'Thread Options' page, including changing the
  thread title and moving the thread to different folders. Admins
  can prevent this functionality by 'edit locking' the thread to
  prevent it from being changed.

- Users can access 'Thread Options' by clicking the icon to the
  left of every thread title in the thread list frame. From here
  a thread can be ignored without ever reading it.

- Posts can now be marked as unread, for later reading.

- New 'Reply as PM' link on every post will quickly create a new
  PM addressed to the post author, with the thread title as the
  subject.

- Number of PMs per user can be restricted by the admin.

- PM auto-pruning - messages not in the 'saved' folder can be
  automatically deleted after a certain time has passed.

- Option to reply a PM with the in-reply-to PM's text quoted.

- New user option to change all images embedded into a post by
  users (inc. signature images) into clickable links.

- 'Reply to all' allows a user to reply to an entire thread
  instead of a specific post.

- New tabular polls to compare votes from different poll groups.

- Quick search.

- Per-user word filter.

- Beautifier (www.beautifier.org) integration with BH
   tag.

-  tag to hide text which may otherwise spoil that movie
  you're planning on seeing tonight's killer plot twist.
  He was dead all along!!

-  tag to prevent anything within it from being
  converted to an emoticon.

- New post page preferences which allow you to toggle the HTML
  toolbar, the emoticons preview pane and the signature
  textfield. You can also choose an HTML mode by default; you can
  choose to enable/disable emoticons in your messages by default
  and so on.

- Guest account no longer requires cookies, so that search
  engines can spider Beehive forums. A robots.txt file is also
  included to help search engines spider the right content.

- A user can now set their default start page to be the thread
  list in the left frame, and the forum start page in the right
  frame.

- New thread_rss.php allows recent Beehive threads to be loaded
  into an RSS reader.

- Previous/next post navigation arrows.

- 'Unread Today' threadlist filter option.

- Admin tools to delete all a user's posts in a thread, or
  throughout the whole forum.

- Admin option to delete an entire thread.

- 'Ignore Completely' option allows you to ignore all posts
  to/from a user as well as any threads they create.

- ENHANCED OLD FEATURES

- HTML toolbar is now present for post creation; post editing;
  poll creation; signature editing; PM creation; PM editing;
  start page editing. Can't get enough of that HTML toolbar.

- Slicker HTML integration - // tags won't
  show their innards, for example.

- Better editing page. No longer will you have to toggle between
  a plain-text/HTML version of your post - BH will automatically
  approximoguesstimate what settings you originally posted your
  message with.

- Polls can now be 'soft-edited' - minor edits which won't reset
  the votes.

- Poll options can either be displayed as radio buttons (as
  before) or as a drop-down list.

- Improved word filter that allows you to find and replace rather
  than obscure the filtered words with asterisk.

- Word filter can now be disable without having to clear the
  filter list of the current entries. Useful if browsing from
  different places such as home and work.

- Many pages have had their output tweaked so they fit in with
  the overall style of beehive.

- Attachments now support the uploading of multiple files at the
  same time. Useful for dial-up users who want to attach multiple
  files without having to do each file in turn.

- Alternative attachment method which allows Beehive to make use
  of the old 0.3 and older attachment retrieval method for
  servers that can't handle the newer method.

- The search page has been remade with a better design and better
  functionality.

- 'Page [1] 2 3 ...' on various pages rewritten a bit posher.

- FIXES

- Lots and lots!


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

                 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]
=========
========= CAULDRON 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 too late to
join in.

Thanks to Bloglet, you can now receive an email every night on
days we post new site news items to the main page of The
Cauldron's web site. These emails contain a link to the new item
and the first couple of lines of the news text. You can sign up
for Bloglet's free news delivery via the form at the end of the
site "News and Updates" section of The Cauldron's main web page.

===
=== Gods' Responsibility
===

Following the tsunami disaster in South East Asia, I was asked
several questions by non-Pagan friends, and wasn't sure how to
reply. They basically wanted to know what is the polytheistic
view regarding divine responsibility for the human destiny in
general, and natural disasters in particular.

In other words, are gods responsible for earthquakes, floods,
tsunami waves, etc.? If they are, why do they inflict so much
suffering on humans? If they aren't, why pray to them or worship
them? What "good" are they as gods?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3333.1

===
=== Defining Religious Persecution?
===

I know we've all seen stories or met people in the US who were
convinced they were religiously persecuted. How do you define
religious persecution? Have you met someone who's situation fit
that definition? How or did they resolve it?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3310.1

===
=== Should I Join a Coven?
===

I have been a solitary for quite some time now, and have learned
a lot by reading and talking with you people online. However, I
have always been one of those people who learns better when
something is shown to me. Even if it is shown to me one way so I
get a general idea and then I change it to fit my own standards.

Do you think it would be wise of me to join a coven or a group
circle to learn how they do things in the more traditional
fashions? Then I can twist my own rituals to be more traditional
yet still fit my beliefs.

What, do you think, are the pros/cons of group ritual and honor
vs. being a solitary?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3287.1

===
=== Help Needed to Avoid Connection
===

I am happy in a relationship with a non-pagan, yet he accepts and
is interested in 'you lot' as he calls us.

The problem I face is that there is another, he too is not pagan
as such but has the strongest will I have ever met and although
it is not in my nature to cast I need a protection spell against
this man, he is a friend yet on solstice eve we shared a moment,
nothing more but there was a meeting of minds and I need to cast
against this. In order to stop anything that might start, he is a
friend of my partner and myself so I cannot just cut any ties.

If you can think of a protection spell that will aid me I would
be most grateful.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3272.1

===
=== Wicca Not As Friendly As It Was?
===

I'm new here. Been interested in Wicca ever since I read "Drawing
Down the Moon" by Margot Adler. But all of a sudden, Wicca
doesn't seem as friendly as it once did. Maybe I just haven't
noticed, but as of lately I'm seeing more and more bashing of
Wiccans by other Wiccans.

Silver Ravenwolf-bashing in a particular seems to be in fashion.
I don't get it. I thought Wicca was supposed to be more tolerant
of various beliefs than certain other religions. But there seems
to certain people claiming that Wiccan beliefs are somewhere,
somehow carved in stone.

How can that be? How can any one person claim to know the truth
about Wiccan history/rituals? And correct me if I'm wrong, but at
least to some degree, do not Wiccans make things up as they go
along? (I don't think that's a bad thing. I think the versatility
of Wicca and of all Pagan beliefs are their greatest strengths)
For the record, I do think Wicca is awesome.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3145.1

===
=== Trying Too Hard on Astral Projection?
===

I could use some help learning how to project, I have had the
feeling for a while now that much is to be gained from breaking
this veil, Sort of like there is messages in my inbox and I can't
get my email client to work. I brought this up to a peer of mine
that I was having trouble astrally projecting and he was
astonished that I had not made any trips to the astral, his
advice for me was I was simply trying to hard.

I have read many different methods, I always feel the most energy
the most clarity of sense etc. when using various magickal
plants. Is it possible that I am simply more shaman than anything
else and this is my path? I feel I am polytheistic leaning
between Native American shamanism and thelemic magick, pieces of
my past. Anyway Please help me on my journey to grow up, if you
will.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3200.1

===
=== Colors For Pentagrams?
===

What are the five colors that pentagram sides are colored? The
only time I saw one was in Salem 4 years ago. I think it was red,
orange, yellow, blue, and purple -- but I'm not sure. Anyone
know? Also what does each side signify, if anything?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3096.1

===
=== Outward appearances...
===

Do you wear anything that proclaims your "Pagan identity"? A
Large pentacle, etc ? (Or do you feel it is totally unnecessary?)

If you do, do you get questions etc from folks? How do you handle
that?

I sometimes wear goddess type jewelry...I think it is pretty and
I like it. I also have a couple of pentagram earring sets, and a
necklace...wear them rarely. I almost never get questioned
(Asheville is a pretty Pagan town) but when I do I am pretty
straight-forward and matter-of-fact about it.

So, do you proclaim with your outward appearance your spiritual path?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3076.1
  
===
=== What Do You Think About Nature?
===

Pagans are said to be close to nature, so what do you think about
nature? Is it "It's out there somewhere, and that's where it can
stay" or "I'm so far out in nature I'm just projecting myself
here via the astral!" or somewhere in between?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3062.1

===
=== Good Sources vs Bad Sources
===

How do you determine what is a good source of information? What
do you look for and what are the steps. Just as importantly, how
do you determine what is a bad source? And, do publications that
quote bad sources inherently become a bad source themselves?

What do you do when you're faced with a source that's got both
good and bad information in it?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3028.1


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

         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
       or PayPal and help us pay the web site bills.

                       Donate via PayPal
           http://www.ecauldron.com/donatepaypal.php
                     Donate via Amazon.com
          http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3903JRFVQVDN

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


[05]
===============
============    BOOK AND DECK REVIEWS
=========

Most of The Cauldron's book reviews are now written by Mike
Gleason. If you would like to contact Mike with comments about
his reviews (or about books you would like to have reviewed), you
can email Mike at:

   gleason.mike@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com
    

[05-1]
=========
========= REVIEW: ESSENTIAL WICCA
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Essential Wicca
Author: Paul Tuitean & Estelle Davis 
Trade Paperback, 444 pages 
Publisher: Ten Speed Press 
Publication date: 2003  
ISBN: 1580910998
US Retail Price: $24.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1580910998

I was a little amazed when I saw, on page 17 "...(Ninety percent
of Americans read less than one book a year...) The average
Wiccan reads one book a month, usually lots more." I didn't
realize that the average American read so little. No wonder
people misunderstand our beliefs. And reading 12 books a year
(which seems a little low to me, based on familial experience),
I'm not surprised that Wicca is evolving at a rapid pace.

The short history of Wicca they provide (about 8 pages) is one of
the best summaries I have ever seen. It condenses the past 40
years or so of Wiccan history (post Witchcraft Today [1954]) into
an easily digested, if slightly sanitized, form. It misses
mention of the "Witch Wars" of the '80s and '90s, and tends to
make the evolution of modern Wicca appear smoother than it
actually was, but for all of that, it is fairly accurate.

When they describe the workings of magick I have one minor
quibble, and that stems from a personal attitude. They say you
need "...the belief that what you are doing will work."
Personally, I feel that should be amended to "...the knowledge
that what you are doing will work." Belief, in my experience, is
what comes before knowledge. I don't believe that magick works, I
know it works. They acknowledge this same fact a bit later, but I
wish they had used the acknowledgement the very first time they
used it.

This is a wonderfully practical book. It contains plenty of
sample rituals, and clearly explains not only the steps in those
rituals, but the reason for those steps. It is broken into three
broad divisions: 1) Wiccan Basic, 2) Everything You Need to Know
to be a Wiccan, and 3) Wicca A to Z.

The first segment gives a broad overview of Wiccan thought,
history, philosophy, etc., while the second contains sample
rituals as well as the basics of Wiccan worship. It also contains
valuable advice on setting up a study group, coven, etc. It
covers techniques for ritual planning and all the little things
that "everyone knows" but no one takes the time to discuss
normally.

The final chapter before the Wiccan Glossary is probably one of
the most valuable I have ever seen, simply because it is filled
with common sense tips about items which normally aren't covered
in books - such as practical tips for selecting an athame or
sword; the age appropriateness of rituals (there are beginning to
be more families with children in Wicca); Circle etiquette; and
how to handle "Crash Grounding." It is beneficial to consider all
of these items in a leisurely manner rather than at a stressed
time, but they are the very topics that get put on hold until
they suddenly get shoved into the limelight.

The third segment consists of a fairly extensive Wiccan glossary.
The more than 1000 entries cover 132 pages and run the gamut from
abracadabra to zoomancy. It is extensive enough that it could
stand alone as a book in its own right. This glossary is followed
by "The Advanced Bonewits Cult Danger Evaluation Frame" (ABCDEF)
which can never have too much dissemination, in my opinion.
Anyone considering involvement with any sort of group (religious,
fraternal, or whatever) should have a copy of this document
available, and use it, before committing to join. The 16 items on
the checklist are invaluable in separating the beneficial groups
from the destructive.

I was more that somewhat surprised by the thoroughness of the
coverage in this glossary. There were entries that I definitely
didn't expect to see. I have come to expect that newer glossaries
will include "muggle," but I have seldom seen "fadic numbers,"
"turifumy," or mention of the Church of the Eternal Source
mentioned in books I have been reading. This glossary definitely
increases the value of the work (an it's valuable even before
reaching the glossary section).

I have no hesitation is saying that this book belongs on the
bookshelf of everyone interested in Wicca, whether solitary,
self-Initiated, or a member of a lineaged group.

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


[05-2]
=========
========= REVIEW: IRISH WITCHCRAFT FROM AN IRISH WITCH
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Irish Witchcraft from an Irish Witch
Author: Lora O'Brien 
Trade Paperback, 221 pages 
Publisher: New Page Books 
Publication date: 2004  
ISBN: 1564147592
US Retail Price: $14.99
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1564147592

According to the Foreword, this book is a first, and I can
believe it. There have been many books on the subject of Irish
Witchcraft, and many books about Irish myths. What makes this
book unique in that the author is not only native-born Irish, but
she has spent her entire life living in Ireland.

I am sure that Ms. O'Brien will find many objectors to her
statements about Wicca/Witchcraft/Paganism and the similarities
and differences among them. I don't agree with all of them,
personally, but I must respect her right to state her opinions.
She is careful to make it clear that what she is presenting is
not necessarily facts set in stone, but interpretations of facts
and personal opinions. She does provide a guide to some Irish
pronunciation, which is much appreciated.

It is refreshing for an author to say (on page 32): "Of you want
to do this Irish Witchcraft thing, you will have to do the work
yourself." To that end, there are no sample rituals or
invocations in this book. No matter how often an author says
"These (words, motions, rituals, etc.) are only a suggestion.
Feel free to change to modify them," many people feel bound for
some reason to use only those suggestions. Effective ritual must
be affective. It must cause changes within you. It must mean
something to you, not to someone else.

The first three chapters of the book concern "How It Was", and
cover the myths and legends, the folk and fairy tales, and the
trials of a Witch's life. These aren't the cute little fairy
stories. There are no Tinkerbelles here.

The next three chapters concern "How It Is", and cover the lands
and gods, cycles and sabbats, and stages of a Witch's life. You
will find suggestions for some rituals in this section, but no
suggestions as to how to perform them.

The final chapters are in reference to "How It Will Be." Enough
said.

If you are looking for a "how-to" book on Irish Witchcraft, keep
looking. If you want an authoritative statement of Irish Witch
beliefs, you will probably be disappointed. If, on the other
hand, you want to read an account of one individual's perceptions
of Irish Witchcraft, this is the book for you. Ms. O'Brien writes
an enjoyable book (even if some of her suggestions will have some
readers tearing their hair out). Her resource section is quite
impressive as well.

I have read and reviewed over 100 books this year, and this was
among the ones I most enjoyed.

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


[05-3]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE MAGICKAL LIFE
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

The Magickal Life: A Wiccan Priestess Shares Her Secrets
Author: Vivian Crowley 
Trade Paperback, 304 pages 
Publisher: Penguin Group 
Publication date: 2003 
ISBN: 014219624X
US Retail Price: $15.00
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=014219624X

Each chapter in this book ends with "Pointers for Practice."
These short sections serve to summarize the contents of the
chapter and re-emphasize the important points. The chapters are
kept fairly short and self-contained. They are easy to read and
understand.

Each chapter covers about 13 pages, which increases the ease of
reading of this book. If you are reading and want to finish a
chapter before putting it down, you don't have far to go.

There is a large dose of positive thinking between the covers of
this book. Ms. Crowley draws inspiration from both the mystical
world (the Spiritual Association of Great Britain [who taught her
mediumship]) and the mundane world (Henry Ford [who once said
"whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right."])
and integrates them into a smooth system of magical training.

I wasn't terribly impressed by the "secrets" Ms. Crowley revealed
in this book, but I wasn't expecting major revelations. The
advice she gives; the rituals she outlines; and the magical
information she provides are valuable in their own right, but are
not earth-shaking.

When she gets to the seasonal observances she makes the same
mistake so many other authors do. She assumes, evidently, that
all of her readers will be in the Northern Hemisphere. A simple
not about flipping (or "inverting" to be more correct) the dates
of the observances would be appropriate to make this book more
valuable to practitioners in the Southern Hemisphere.

While this was an enjoyable book to read, I really don't feel it
needs to be on everyone's bookshelf. I would probably put it on
my list of books to be picked up for when I want to read
something light and not terribly challenging.

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


[05-4]
=========
========= REVIEW: NECRONOMICON
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Necronomicon: The Wanderings Of Alhazred
Author: Donald Tyson 
Trade Paperback, 269 pages 
Publisher: Llewellyn 
Publication date: 2004  
ISBN: 0738706272
US Retail Price: $17.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0738706272

Who among us in the magickal community has not heard of, and
laughed about, this book over the years? It is a book which has
never existed, although some paid extravagant prices for leather-
bound copies of at least one of the "translations" offered for
sale over the past few decades.

The original idea for this book blossomed in the mind of H. P.
Lovecraft. He quoted it as a source in some of his stories. Since
the mentions first appeared in print, people have striven to
locate copies of it, even though Lovecraft himself claimed it was
an invented work.

Tyson offers his take on this classic work. He brings to this
task a background of magickal training and an understanding of
the macabre which unite to bring this work to life. Is this the
"true" Necronomicon? Of course it isn't. We all know the
Necronomicon doesn't exist (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). It does,
however, capture a Lovecraftian flavor and tone. The information
contained within these dark covers will not sit well with the
"white lighters" out there, but it isn't meant to.

There are, so far as I can tell, zero resemblances between this
book and that edited by "Simon" and published during the late
'70s and early '80s. This book contains only a few invocations,
no ceremonies, and minimal illustrations. It is, for all of that,
an exceptional book.

It is difficult to classify this book. The publisher puts it
under "Occult;" but its inspiration is fiction; its sources
mythology and history; its general tone, for lack of a better
word, "religious."

If you want the "real" Necronomicon, I'm afraid you must
communicate (beyond the veil) with H. P. Lovecraft. If you want
spells and rituals, there are purported versions of them
available, but not within these covers.

If you wish to understand the foundations upon which Lovecraft
built his concept of the Necronomicon, you will find that here.
Is it certain that he knew all of this data? No. It is likely
that Mr. Tyson has expanded the base of Lovecraft's knowledge. I
feel it has been faithful to the "tone" of the intention of
Lovecraft's work. It tells the story of the wanderings of the
"author" of the Necronomicon; what he experienced. Overall, it is
an excellent book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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

[05-5]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE REAL WITCHES' COVEN
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

The Real Witches' Coven: The Definitive Guide to Forming Your 
  Own Wiccan Group
Author: Kate West 
Trade Paperback, 224 pages 
Publisher: Thorsons 
Publication date: 2003  
ISBN: 0007143893
US Retail Price: $15.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0007143893

Lest you be put off by the title, let me assure you that "Real
Witches" refers not to "the one, correct" way to be a Witch.
Rather, it refers to being a Witch in the real world - the one
with mundane jobs, children, family, etc., all demanding part of
your time and attention. There are few people whose entire lives
are Craft-oriented, and Ms. West shows you how to integrate all
of the aspects of your life.

This is one of the best books I have read lately with the
intention of helping to train those who are responsible for
training the new comers. The author lays out the positive and
negative experiences you might expect to encounter during your
life in a Coven. She explains what should be expected at each
level of experience; what a High Priestess should do to keep her
Coven running smoothly; how to deal with problems (and problem
Covenors) effectively and sensitively; and in the final chapter
sets out a series of guidelines on how to be a good Covenor.

This book will be valuable for those without formal Coven
training, and can be a valuable resource for those who have had
the formal training. Checking the items in this book can serve to
keep things in perspective and help one to avoid over-reacting.
It does not contain all the answers, no single book could. What
it does is to provide a basis for helping to determine what
whether what you experience is "normal" development, or if there
is a problem developing.

If you think you have seen and heard it all, you may be surprised
by some of the things in here. Enjoy this book, I did.

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

[05-6]
=========
========= REVIEW: REAL WITCHES' YEAR
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Real Witches' Year: Spells, Rituals And Meditations For 
   Every Day Of The Year
Author: Kate West 
Hardbound, 373 pages 
Publisher: Thorson/Element 
Publication date: 2004  
ISBN: 0007189516
US Retail Price: $19.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0007189516

If you read my reviews of The Real Witches Coven, you know that
Ms. West's use of the "Real Witches'" in her titles refers not to
"the one, true and only way" to be a Witch but rather to being a
Witch in the "real world" (you know, the one with neighbors,
children, doctor's appointments, family obligations, etc., etc.,
etc.).

If you are used to standard date books (such as those produced by
Llewellyn and others), you are in for a surprise. Each day has a
page devoted to it. The only entries which are date-sensitive are
the Sabbats. Other than those few dates the entries are useable
whenever you wish to use them.

There are entries on stones, trees, animals, and a myriad of
other topics. It is amazing the amount of information which is
contained in this book. The range is extraordinary.

This is the kind of miscellany which deserves to sit on your
bedside table. Each entry ends with a poignant thought. Read an
entry before going to sleep and you may find stimulus for dreams.
Read an entry upon awakening, and you may find stimulus for the
day ahead.

The information is wide-ranging, even if it isn't exactly earth-
shattering. Ms. West's style is that of a friend sharing her
thoughts over a cuupa, which makes it easy to absorb. I am
willing to bet that this will become one of those books which, in
many cases, will become well-worn through constant use.

She provides some recipes, some gardening tips, some ideas for
divination, and methods to sharper your psychic awareness and
intuition.

I was cruising merrily along without and objections until I hit
the entry on August 27 (page 240) on Runes. In that entry Ms.
West writes "This image [Odin on Yggdrassil] can be found in the
first card of the Major Arcana of the Tarot; the Hanged Man or
Fool." I don't know which deck Ms. West is using (or if this was
a simple mental slip), but in all the decks I own, the Hanged Man
is neither the first card of the Major Arcana, nor is it
interchangeable with The Fool - which is the first (or last)
card.. These are two very different cards and two very different
concepts, as I understand them.

           This review is available on our web site at
            http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bkrwy.php
            
            
[05-7]
=========
========= REVIEW: THORSONS WAY OF WICCA
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Thorsons Way of Wicca
Author: Vivian Crowley 
Trade Paperback, 186 pages 
Publisher: Thorsons 
Publication date: 2001  
ISBN: 0007110227
US Retail Price: $12.95
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0007110227

This book is one in a series of books published by Thorsons with
the intent of providing an overview of a particular topic. This
book, by an acknowledged authority in the field of Wicca is short
enough not to be tedious; long enough not to be superficial; and
thorough enough to cover all the essentials.

Although I understand the rationale behind it, I personally have
a problem with her statement (on page 38): "Ideally Witches
celebrate their festivals on the correct date, but there is
flexibility here. If the correct day is impractical we can have
our celebrations as near the date as possible." Personally, I
find that there is far too much allowance for personal
convenience in the Craft today. If something is inconvenient,
don't make a sacrifice, just change it. One should be willing to
put some effort into religious observances. Our Sabbats only come
eight times a year, surely that isn't too often to make an effort
for.

Like most authors on the subject of Wicca and magick, she repeats
the axiom that everything we do returns to us threefold. She
follows that up with the statement that the universe seeks
equilibrium. Those are apparently contradictory statements -
three-for-one is not equilibrium. If, however, you see three-for-
one as reflecting physical, mental, and spiritual results, then
the equation actually works, since magick (and indeed all
actions) affect all three levels of our lives, both going out and
coming back.

Throughout the book, Ms. Crowley provides thought-provoking
insights not only for the inexperienced seeker but also for the
more jaded "old-timers." While many of these are in a mainstream
vein, some of them are quite unusual in a book which is intended
to be read by those who have not committed to following the
Wiccan path. Even after 30+ years of studying, experimenting, and
living as a Wiccan, I found things which caused me to pause and
rethink some of my positions.

Ms. Crowley takes the time to remind her readers that, although
the Craft, as practiced by the majority, originated in the
Northern Hemisphere (Western Europe, specifically), it is now
practiced world-wide, and adaptations should be made as needed.
If the reader lives in the Southern Hemisphere, dates must be
transposed. If the local ecosystem differs from that normally
assumed (warmer or colder, for example), seasonal images may need
to be altered. If you live on the East Coast of the United
States, does it make sense to change the association of the East
with Air and the West with Water? These changes must be
considered by the individuals involved, not by some "authority."

           This review is available on our web site at
              http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bktwow.php
            
            
[05-8]
=========
========= REVIEW: WHICH WITCH IS WHICH?
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Which Witch is Which?: A Concise Guide To Wiccan And Neo-Pagan 
   Paths And Traditions
Author: Patricia Telesco 
Trade Paperback, 256 pages 
Publisher: New Page Books 
Publication date: 2004  
ISBN: 1564147541
US Retail Price: $13.99
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1564147541

I had begun research for such a book many, many years ago. It was
nice to see someone beat me to the punch. The 57 traditions
listed in this book do not represent the totality of the neo-
Pagan experience. No single book could do it justice. There are a
few (about 5) traditions I was completely unaware of, and some I
am aware of that didn't make the cut, for whatever reason.

On a personal level, I wish Ms. Telesco had included a copy of
the "Advanced Bonewits Cult Danger Evaluation Frame" issued by
Isaac Bonewits. It is a valuable tool for evaluating groups in
terms of level of control. While most neo-Pagan traditions would
score low on the evaluation, it never hurts to check out the
particular group you wish to interact with.

The first 36 pages of this book provide a bit of groundwork
before you begin walking a neo-Pagan path. Please take the time
to read them, even if you are, like me, already committed to a
life of neo-Paganism. While Ms. Telesco doesn't say anything
earth-shattering in these pages, she does offer advice that
everyone can benefit from.

A couple of the traditions she included (Cybeline and Mi'nerwen)
immediately raised cautionary flags in my mind. Both of them
claim extensive, hitherto undocumented, existences. While I am
sure there are some groups which have had such existences, I have
been exposed to far too many groups which claim "ancient
lineages", and which have turned out to have been brought into
existence within the lifetimes of the "current" leadership. I
don't say that this is the case with these particular groups, but
I would be very careful of such claims, personally.

While this book is a good start, I would like to see further
volumes, especially considering the number of neo-Pagan and
Wiccan traditions in existence at the start of the 21st century.
I would also like to see a similar volume (or more) covering some
of the traditions which have faded from view already, lest their
memory pass into the realm of myth and legend.

While there are flaws with this book, it is a valuable addition
to any neo-Pagan's library. It will be especially valuable to
those who are searching for an overview of the community. While
almost all of this information is available at www.witchvox.com
(Witches Voice), this book is an excellent resource for those who
either don't have Internet access at a particular moment, or to
help narrow down the potential information overload which may be
experienced while traveling the world-wide web.

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

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

                SHOP ONLINE AT THE CAULDRON MALL

        Shop Amazon, Catalog City, Abebooks, and other
        stores at The Cauldron Shopping Mall. Every
        purchase from our one of our mall links helps
        support The Cauldron and this newsletter.

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

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

[06]
===============
============    ARTICLES
=========

[06-1]
=========
========= PROTECTION CRYSTALS AND STONES
========= by Novitiate
=========

=====
===== All-Purpose General Protection 
=====

General Protection: agate, alum, amber (used extensively by
Ancient Romans), apache tears, aventurine, banded agate, beryl,
black agate, black kyanite, black obsidian, black tourmaline,
calcite, carnelian, cat's eye, chalcedony, chrysoprase, citrine,
chiastolite, coral, emerald, fire agate, flint, fluorite,
fossils, gold, golden topaz, halite (rock salt crystal), heliodor
(golden beryl), hematite, herkimer diamond, holey stones, honey
calcite, imperial topaz, jade, jasper, jet, labradorite, lapis
(lapis lazuli), lava, lepidolite, magnesite (lodestone), mahogany
obsidian, malachite, marble, mookaite, moonstone, nuumite, ocean
jasper, olivine, pearl, peridot, petrified wood, prehnite,
pumice, pyrite, quartz, quartz crystal clusters, red jasper,
ruby, rutilated quartz, salt, sapphire, sard, sardonyx, selenite,
serpentine, shark teeth, snowflake obsidian, staurolite, sulphur,
sunstone, tigers eye, topaz, tourmaline (red and black
especially), tree agate, turitella agate, turquoise, yellow
agate, yellow jasper, zircon (clear and red)

Protection from Negativity: black kyanite, black obsidian, black
onyx, black tourmaline, bornite, celestite, citrine, elestial
crystals, jet (absorbs negative energies), kunzite, peacock ore,
quartz, smoky quartz (especially in healing)

=====
===== Home and Family Protection
=====

Protection for Children: agate, jade, malachite, mother of pearl
(newborn infants in particular), ruby (all family, including
children)

Protection During Childbirth & Pregnancy: ammonite, chrysocolla
(especially for preventing miscarriage), geodes, hematite,
lepidolite, malachite, moonstone, picture jasper (during
childbirth especially), rose quartz

Protection for Homes & Other Buildings: halite, salt, riverstone,
quartz, ruby, witches fingers

Protection of Worldly Possessions: ruby, zircon (robbery)

Protection Against Crime: Sardonyx 

=====
===== Physical Protection
=====

Physical Protection: carnelian, agate, fluorite, peridot, sard,
smoky quartz, zircon

Protection During Physical Travel: amethyst, aquamarine (travel
upon water), chalcedony, garnet, herkimer diamond, jet, malachite
(esp when flying), moonstone (travel at sea), mother of pearl (on
water), pearl (on water) rainbow moonstone, tigers eye, petalite,
yellow jasper

Protection from Disease/Illness: chalcopyrite, jade, cavansite,
zircon

Protection from Poison: diamond, serpentine (particularly snake
venom)

Protection from Injury: turquoise

=====
===== Psychic Protection
=====

Psychic Protection: amber (psychic shielding) amethyst (from
negative psychic energy of all kinds), black obsidian, DT
crystals, elestial crystals (esp psychic attacks), fluorite, jade
(especially vs psychic attack), lapis lazuli, Lemurian seed
crystal, moqui marbles / moki balls (esp during shamanic work),
nuumite, prehnite, pyrite, ruby, seraphinite (serafina,
chlinochlore), sugilite, tiger iron / mugglestone (especialy
during shamanic work)

Protection During Channeling: Angelite, petalite

Protection During Astral Travel: brecciated jasper, kyanite, red
jasper, yellow jasper

Aura Protection (personal energy field): fire agate, labradorite,
sunstone, tigers eye

=====
===== Spiritual Protection
=====

Protection from Possession: chrysoberyl

Protection from Spirits: silkstone, silver

Angelic Protection: anglite, selenite 

Other Types of Protection

Emotional: celestite, kunzite, mookaite, rose quartz, snowflake
obsidian, zircon

While Working in Public: sphalerite 

Against Spells: cat’s eye, fossil, hematite, iron, turitella
agate, sunstone, tiger iron (returns spell to sender)

Protection for Sailors: aquamarine, moonstone (for sailors on the
ocean)

From Political Unrest: blue chalcedony

Envy: carnelian, topaz (greed)

Warrior Going into Battle: hematite

Protection from Danger (dangerous situations): red jasper,
sunstone

Burial: riverstone 

Snakebites & Venom: serpentine


[06-2]
=========
========= ON PAGANS AND MASONS
========= by Kevin the Seeker
=========

With the recent release of National Treasure in the box office
and its three weeks as the top selling movie there has been a
renewal of interest in Freemasonry. Who are the Freemasons? What
is it they do? What is their history? And many more questions are
being asked by people who possibly did not grow up with a Father
or other male family member who was a Mason.
 
All of these questions can be simply found by spending time on
the web and reading one of many sites about Freemasonry and the
Masons. Officially known as Ancient Free and Accepted Masons or
simply the AF&AM, Lodges called Free and Accepted Masons and the
African American Lodges called Prince Hall are also recognized.
But I am writing this with one question more along the theme of
the Cauldron, "Can a Pagan become a Freemason?"
 
Masonry has its roots steeped in history and not only uses
ancient esoteric teaching methods and symbols but the oldest and
longest running men's fraternity in the world. Masonries lineage
beyond the 1400s is unproven some say it came from the masons
who built the pyramids and others say its lineage is from the
Knights Templar. No one really knows for sure and again, the web
is the best place to research their history.
 
One thing you will notice when researching the Masons is that
there are two camps, those sites by people who are Masons and
sites by those who either feel the Masons are a Satanic Cult or a
shadow government bent on ruling the world. Being that a lot of
what Masons do in Lodge is a secret (that no Mason worth his salt
would reveal) does not help with the conspiracy crowd and that
the Masons allow its members to worship the God(s) or their
choosing feeds the Evangelical Christian fire that Masons worship
Satan.
 
So, can a Pagan join the Masons? The answer is a resounding Yes!
Providing two basic things; are you a man and do you believe in
One ever-living and true God? -- and must be able to state this
without mental gymnastics or equivocation. Beyond that as long as
you are an honest and moral person (moral in that you do not
steal, hurt people etc. -- there is no prevision in Masonry that
would prevent a homosexual from joining but that is for another
article) there is no reason why a Pagan could not join the
Masons.
 
So let's talk about Deity. In Masonry one will hear the Deity
referred to as The Grand Architect or Grand Creator of the
Universe (GAOTU for short here). The GAOTU can be any God or
Deity you chose. Brahma, Ra, The God and Goddess (Yep, polytheist
are accepted), Yahweh, Allah or who ever you pray to.
 
Also in a Lodge of Masons there is always a Bible open on the
Altar. The Bible is a big thorn in the side of many Pagans but do
not let that stop you from joining. The Bible is seen by Masons
as a book of sacred text. You may also find a Koran or Talmud in
some Lodges but in the US it's predominately a Bible. When a
candidate takes his Obligation to Masonry (not an Oath but an
Obligation) he is allowed to take his Oath on the Sacred Text of
his choosing but in some jurisdictions the Bible will still be on
the Alter as well. My path does not have a sacred text so I used
the Bible during my obligation.
 
Is the Masons a Christian Organization? No, the Masons do not
promote any one religion but allow its members the freedom to
practice their religion. Yes, Christianity is the predominate
faith of members but there are also Jews, Hindus, Moslems and a
small but growing number of Pagans. One rule of Masonry is that
to keep harmony in the Lodge politics and religion are not
discussed. It is considered bad etiquette to ask another Mason
what church he attends. I have seen that happen and the
questioner was met with a smart reply of "We do not discuss
religion or politics while in Lodge" and that ended that line of
discussion. When a candidate is being investigated he will be
asked if he believes in a Supreme Deity but not what church or
faith he attends. For me the duality of the Pagan God and Goddess
represents a Supreme Deity so there for my answer was "yes" and
that was that.
 
Finally, why join the Masons? Every member has his reasons for
seeking membership. Some come for the Fellowship of other men,
others for the esoteric teaching and some for the community work
they perform. For what ever reason a man may wish to join the
Masons one's faith or religion should not stop him from pursuing
membership.


[06-3]
=========
========= Ghosts: How Energy Factors Into Their Existence
========= by Gloria Young
=========

As a child, my father always told us ghost stories. The stories
were of experiences that he and our family had in homes that they
visited or lived in. I was always fascinated by the thought that
ghosts might be real. It wasn't until I grew up and actually
began having experiences myself that I decided that this was
something I needed to know much more about. It seems the more I
tried to get answers, the more I got questions.

Over the years I have come up with some answers after using the
theories developed by scientists many years ago. Discovering
these answers has made me more aware of what ghosts are and where
they may have come from. Although I don't have the "real" or
"true" answers, this is not because the information is incorrect,
it is because there are no experts in the paranormal field. This
includes me. I am not an expert, however, I have done as much
research, if not more, than some of the paranormal investigators
working today. After working on the research, performing the
investigations and reaching a conclusion, I can bring you some
honest answers to what we believe ghosts are and where they come
from.

Probably since the beginning of time, ghosts have been the
subjects of many conversations. Sometimes these conversations
were done in a hush-hush manner because of the stigma associated
with talking about this subject. Many had to talk behind closed
doors and make sure that it was only with people they trusted.
Nevertheless, talk of ghosts continued and has evolved into a
trendy, get-a-thrill hobby.

So, exactly what is a ghost? Where does a ghost come from? Why
are they here? Let me see if I can make some sense out of
something we don't understand. What is a ghost? It is thought
that ghosts are people. They were once people who lived and
breathed much like you and me and then for various reasons, they
died. It could be a father, mother, brother, sister....well, you
get the point. It could be anyone. Using the mechanics of physics
we understand that people prior to being born, start as energy.
When we are born, we are given a "shell" or a body to live in
although the energy is still within us. Some people or religions
consider this a soul. When the body has finally become worn out
due to years of use or, if something has happened that we die
earlier than our years, the body dies and the remaining energy
removes itself from the body.

Medical personnel have told stories for years of being at the
bedside of a dying patient and at the moment that the person
passes, seeing a "wisp" of something or an energy of some type
floating upward. There have always been stories similar to that
from people who work in similar fields ranging from firefighters,
paramedics, etc. They have related amazing stories from dying
people of seeing the "light", seeing relatives long since
deceased, going through the "tunnel", etc. It is not possible
from a physical point of view that dying patients are able to
acquire the strength to physically open their eyes brightly,
smile, move their mouths and talk or act as if talking, lean up
out of bed when over the course of their illnesses they have lost
the ability to do these things. If they have neared the end of
their lives, it is said that relatives come back to retrieve
their loved ones and "take them home". From a paranormal
standpoint and having witnessed this miracle myself, I must
confess that it is true. These actions do occur. A person who is
nearing the end of their lives will, usually one day prior to
their death, suddenly become alert, sit up, perhaps talk or at
least knowingly acknowledge their loved ones still living and
have a chance to say their goodbyes. It is on that next day that
usually they will die. Could it be a blessing from God? What is
it that gives these people the strength that they probably
haven't had in days, months, years to be able to perform these
tasks? Again, more questions....no answers.

So, why are ghosts here? What is it that compels ghosts to stay
here? Do they have to stay? In my research we have discovered
certain things that we can say with a good amount of certainty
and that is, there are ghosts. Can I say that for a definite
fact? I believe I can. Ghosts are here. They are everywhere. Most
have learned to live around the living without any problem. There
are ghosts that cannot leave the earth. They are stuck on this
earthly plane without the ability to come and go as they please.
We believe that most ghosts are able to do that. We believe they
are able to go from this earth to another dimension or place
whenever they choose.

So why do they stay? Besides the fact that some may not be able
to leave, we believe that they stay to try to communicate. Not
that they have special messages or anything but most are trying
to communicate with the living. There are those that are family
and wish to return to check on their families. There are those
that return to assist. There are those that return to be
mischievous. Some haven't left because they are unaware that they
have died.

In conclusion, the fact that ghosts exist is truly obvious to
those who will see. The signs they leave are obvious. It is
obvious to those who will see but they also attempt to make their
presences known to those who won't or can't. We will never really
know the messages they are trying to convey but we know they are
attempting to do this. If you are a person who is willing to
allow paranormal activity occur in your household, having an open
mind is a start to opening the lines of communication with them.
It takes more than just desire to allow ghosts to begin
communication. There are many other things that can be done. If
you are someone who is willing to allow these visitors into your
home or your life, taking great care to make sure the "phone"
lines are open, will truly help you both.

===
=== About the Author
===

Gloria Young has been a ghost hunter and paranormal investigator
for over 10 years. She has dedicated her life to researching
paranormal activity. She has written, "Faces of a Ghost Hunter"
as well as three other books. She founded the paranormal research
group, "Ghost Trackers". She has co-produced two documentaries on
ghost hunting. (http://www.ghost-trackers.org/)



[06-4]
=========
========= JANUARY -- THE MONTH OF JANUS
========= (Chapter I of The Stories of the Months and Days
========= by Reginald C. Couzens [1923])
=========

The first month was called Januarius by the Romans, after Janus,
the god of doors and gates. We see the same word in janua, the
Latin for a gate or opening. From the idea that a door is a way
in, an entrance, it became a custom among the Romans to pray to
Janus whenever they undertook a new work. He was also the god of
the beginning of the day, and it was only natural that when a new
month was added at the beginning of the year it should be named
after him. During this month offerings to the god were made of
meal, frankincense, and wine, each of which had to be quite new.

Since a gate opens both ways, Janus was thought to be able to see
back into the past, and forward into the future, and he was
usually represented in pictures as having a double head that
looked both ways. On the earliest Roman coins he is drawn with
two bearded faces, with a staff in one hand, and a key in the
other, He was also the protector of trade and shipping, and on
some coins his head is shown with the prow of a ship. When people
wished to picture him as the god of the year, they drew him
holding the number 300 in one hand, and 65 in the other.

Janus was worshiped on the Janiculum (Hill of Janus), one of the
seven hills on which Rome was built. Since he was the God of
Gates, all the gates of Rome were under his care, especially the
archway through which the army marched to war, and by which it
returned. This archway was afterwards replaced by a temple which
was called Janus Quadrifrons--that is, four-sided--because it was
square. On each side of the building there were three windows and
one door, making twelve windows and four doors, which represented
the twelve months and the four seasons. In times of war the
temple gates were kept wide open since people were continually
making offerings to the god, but whenever there came a time of
peace, the gates were at once closed. As we know the Romans were
continually fighting, it does not surprise us to find that the
gates of the temple were closed only three times in seven hundred
years.

Janus was said to be the son of Apollo, the God of the Sun, whose
daily task it was to drive across the sky in his chariot of fire.
Each morning when Aurora, the Goddess of the Dawn, had opened the
gates of the East, Apollo set forth, and when, his task
accomplished, he reached the Western Ocean, he returned to his
palace in the East.

  "And the gilded car of day
  His glowing axle doth allay
  In the steep Atlantic stream:
  And the slope sun his upward beam
  Shoots against the dusky pole,
  Pacing toward the other goal
  Of his chamber in the East."
      MILTON--Comus.

Apollo had another son, named Phaeton, who one day persuaded his
father to allow him to drive the sun chariot. All went well for a
time, and then Phaeton, being a reckless boy, began to drive too
fast. He soon lost control of the horses, which plunged madly
along and bore the chariot far from its track. It went so close
to the earth that the fields were scorched, the rivers were dried
up, and even the people were turned black--and they are black to
this day! The cries of the terrified people attracted the
attention of Jupiter, the king of the gods, who became enraged
when he caught sight of the daring boy in the chariot of the sun.
Taking up one of his thunderbolts, he hurled it at Phaeton, who,
scorched by its fire, fell headlong to the earth.

Another sad story told of Apollo is that of his friendship with a
youth named Hyacinthus, to talk with whom Apollo used often to
come down to the earth. Zephyrus, the God of the South Wind, was
very fond of Hyacinthus too, and one day as Apollo and Hyacinthus
were playing a game of quoits, Zephyrus came by. Filled with
jealousy at the sight of Apollo and his friend, he blew Apollo's
quoit aside so that it struck Hyacinthus and killed him. Apollo
was greatly distressed at his friend's death, and in order that
he might never be forgotten, changed the fallen blood-drops into
clusters of flowers, which we still call Hyacinths.

  "For so Apollo, with unweeting hand,
  Whilom did slay his dearly loved mate,
  Young Hyacinth born on Enrotas' strand,
  Young Hyacinth the pride of Spartanland,
  But then transformed him to a purple flower."
          MILTON.

Another flower which should always remind us of Apollo is the
sunflower. A story says that there once lived a girl named
Clytie, and that each day, with eyes full of love for the fair
sun god, she watched him journey across the sky: but Apollo,
knowing nothing of her love, took no heed of her as he passed.
Clytie watched for him day after day on a river bank, and her
heart sank as each evening she saw his chariot dip down into the
West. She would not leave the river bank, but stayed all through
the cold night, anxiously waiting for the first flash of the
sun's rays from the glowing East. At last the gods took pity on
her, and changed her into a sunflower. Her green dress became
green leaves, and her golden hair became yellow petals. Now was
she happy indeed, for she knew that she could always see Apollo,
and you will find that to this day the sunflower turns its head
towards the sun as it moves across the sky.

Aurora, the Goddess of the Dawn, whom we have mentioned as
opening the gates of the East for the sun god Apollo, married a
mortal, Tithonus, a prince of Troy. In order that their happiness
might know no end, Aurora begged Jupiter to grant Tithonus
immortality. The wish was granted, but in her anxiety that
Tithonus should never be taken from her by death, Aurora forgot
to ask also for the gift of eternal youth. As the years went on
Tithonus grew old and weak and became only a burden to her. At
length, tired of his shrill voice and constant complaints, she
turned him into a grasshopper, whose shrill complaining note is
known to all.

The name for this month among the Angles and Saxons was
Wulfmonath (Wolf month), since it was the time of year when the
wolves were unable to find food, and their hunger made them bold
enough to come into the villages.


[06-5]
=========
========= THE DEEDS OF ODIN
========= (Chapter III of Teutonic Myth and Legend
========= by Donald A. Mackenzie [1912])
========= 

Odin was the chief ruler of the gods. He was tall and old, and
his aspect was wise and reverend. White was his beard and long,
and he seemed ever to brood deeply over the mysteries of life and
death. He had but one eye, because the other he sacrificed so
that he might be dowered with great wisdom. Indeed he had In his
youth drunk deeply of the magic mead of Mimer's well.

Every morning grave Mimer drank a draught with the Gjallar-horn,
and Odin when he was yet young had deep desire to receive the
wisdom and strength which the egg-white mead alone can give. He
entreated Mimer to give him a draught, and the price he paid was
an eye, which was cast into the well. From that hour when he
drained Gjallar-horn he became worthy to rule over gods and men.
'Twas thus he sang in after-time of the powers which the mead
imparted to him:

  Then began I to bloom,
  To be wise,
  To grow and to thrive;
  Word came to me
  From word,
  Deed came to me
  From deed.

Thus Odin taught to all men that in youth there must needs be
self-sacrifice of great account so that wisdom and power may be
obtained.

From the moon-car in heaven did Odin also drink of the song-mead
which was in the pitcher that Hyuki and Bil had carried from the
secret well on the mountain, and Mani, the moon-god, captured.
But wroth was Vidfinner at his loss, and he mourned more for the
mead than for his children. Vidfinner is also called Ivalde, the
sworn watchman of Hvergelmer and the Rivers Elivagar, and another
of his names is Svigdur, "the champion drinker". There came a day
when he broke his oath of fealty to the gods and fled from his
post. Then raging heavenwards he attacked the moon-god, whom he
slew and burned. His son Hyuki fought against him without avail,
and suffered a fierce wound--as a maker of poems has sung--"clean
to the thigh bone". For this dread crime Ivalde-Svigdur was
condemned, but he fled towards Surtur's deep dales and unto the
dwelling of Suttung, son of Surtur, the giant sentinel of
Muspelheim. For Surtur and his clan were at enmity with Mimer and
the Vana-gods, and also with the gods of Asgard since the
creation of Asgard and the dividing of the worlds. To Suttung
Ivalde gave the previous skaldic mead, and for reward he was
promised for wife Gunlad, the giant's daughter.

Odin, seeing all that happened as he sat in his high throne,
resolved to recapture the mead by cunning. So he set out to visit
the hall of Suttung, "the mead wolf". Now the realm of Surtur is
difficult to reach, and full of peril for the gods. It lies in
the dark underworld which is lower than and beyond Hela.
Suttung's hall is within a mountain to which, in a deep abyss,
there is but one entry, and it is guarded by a fierce dwarf
sentinel.

But Odin secured the confidence of the dwarf, who promised to aid
him so that his enterprise might be crowned with success.
Heimdal, the sentinel of Bif-rost, also gave his service. His
other name is Rati, "the traveller", and he bored through the
mountain a narrow tunnel through which Odin might escape in
eagle-guise. Thus, having completed his designs, Odin went
towards the door of the dwelling of the great fire-giant Suttung,
who is also called Fjalar.

A great feast was held within, and the evil frost-giants were as
guests there to welcome Svigdur, the wooer of the giant--maid
Gunlad. Odin assumed the form of Svigdur, and like him he spoke
also, lest he should by uttering words of wisdom and weight be
suspected and put to death. Thus he prevailed against the sons of
Surtur with their own methods, for they were given to creating
illusions and travelling forth in disguise to work evil and
destruction.

A high seat of gold awaited the expected wedding-guest, and when
Odin entered in the form of Svigdur, "the champion drinker", he
was welcomed with ardour. And well he played the part, for he was
given to drink of the nectar of the giants, and partook to the
full, so that he was made drunk. Yet he observed great caution,
that he might not be discovered.

As he sat at the feast, Gunlad came forward and gave him a
draught of the stolen mead. Then was the marriage celebrated with
solemnity and in state. The holy ring was placed upon the finger
of the giant-maid, and she swore to be faithful to him who wooed
her.

Meantime Ivalde-Svigdur, the real lover, reached the door of
Suttung's hall, and came to know that Odin was within. He was
filled with wrath, and he sought to denounce the high god so that
he might be slain by the giants. But the dwarf sentinel
accomplished Ivalde-Svigdur's destruction. He created an
illusion, and opened a door on the side of the mountain which
showed a lighted hall within and the wedding guests as they sat
round Suttung's board. Gunlad was at Odin's side. Ivalde-Svigdur
leapt towards the vision of the high god of Asgard, and thus
dashed himself against the rock. The door was shut behind, and
the mountain swallowed him.

Ere the wedding feast was ended Odin had spoken words which
caused the giants to suspect him. But he retired with Gunlad to
the bridal chamber, and there he found the precious mead which
Ivalde-Svigdur had robbed from the moon-god. Then Gunlad came to
know that her lover was Odin, but she helped him to make his
escape in eagle-guise. So Odin flew through the tunnel which
Heimdal-Rati had made, and reached Asgard in safety with the
precious mead.

In the morning the giants went towards the bridal chamber,
remembering the words that their guest had spoken, and when they
found he had escaped they called him Bolverkin, "the evildoer".

But although Odin conferred great good upon gods and men by
capturing the mead, the consequences of the evil he wrought
towards that end were doomed to bring disaster in after-time,
when Surtur, issuing forth to avenge the wrong done to Gunlad,
set the world aflame. For good cannot follow evil, even although
it is accomplished for the sake of good.

Odin's joy was great when he returned in triumph to Asgard, but
he spoke words of pity for the giant-maid whom he had betrayed,
and who wept because he left her.

Ivalde-Svigdur, who perished in the mountain, was refused an
abode among the blessed dead in Hela's glittering plains. Him the
gods condemned to dwell forever in the moon. There he suffers
eternal punishment for his evildoings, for he is ever drunk with
the stolen mead, which is venom to him, and is ever beaten with
the rod of thorns by the god he slew and to whom life was again
given. Ivalde's son, Hyuki, is revered among men. Another name he
bears is Slagfin, and by Saxon warriors he is called Hengest. He
is also Gelder, and his symbol is the gelding. Among skee-runners
he is the chief upon land and on the sea.

Many names have the gods, and for Odin there are nine-and-forty.
And the reason is, as skalds have told, that people speaking
different tongues must needs call the gods by different names,
while the gods have also been given names according to their
various attributes and the great deeds they have done.

Thus Odin was called All-father, like the Mighty One who was at
"time's first dawn", because he was father of the gods; and Val-
father, the father of the brave who dwell in Valhal in high
Asgard.

When Odin sat in his high golden throne, he wore a cloak which
was striped with many colors of sunset splendour and summer
radiance. Its hood was blue as is the sky, and speckled with grey
like clouds. His hat was blue also, and its broad brims curved
downward like the heavens. When he left Asgard to travel over the
worlds he wore a burnished helmet, and sometimes he went among
men wearing a hat which was tilted to conceal the hollow of his
lost eye.

As Odin sat brooding and listening in Asgard two ravens perched
on his shoulder. Their names are Hugin, which is "reflection",
and Munin, which means "memory". When day dawned Odin sent them
forth, and they returned at eve to whisper in his ears all the
doings of men. Thus was he called Rafnagud, the "raven-god". He
had also two wolf dogs, and they are named Gere, "the greedy",
and Freke, "the voracious". These Odin fed with the food which
was placed before him at the feast of heroes, for he ate not and
for nourishment drank nectar.

When Odin drank of the song-mead he composed poems which for
sweetness and grandeur have never been surpassed. He was the
first poet, and knew well the magic of the mead. For the source
of it was secret, and was discovered only by Ivalde, the watchman
of the primeval fount from which life first came and by which
life is ever sustained. Then was it carried to the beauteous car
of the moon, and from thence to the regions of fire. There it was
won by love mixed with wrong, and when the high god who descended
to the deeps drank of it, he soared as an eagle to heaven, which
he filled with song. From heaven has song descended upon earth,
and in song are all the sufferings which were begotten over the
mead.

Odin is also the friend and companion of the goddess Saga, whose
dwelling in Asgard is Sokvabek, "the deep stream". Precious
thoughts well up from the fountain source and flow along as words
of gold. They tell of things that were, and Odin ponders. Day
after day and night after night the high god sits with the
goddess listening to the flowing stream, which grows deeper and
wider as it wends its way onward, and their minds are refreshed
by the glories of the past.

Secret runes, which have magical influence, did Odin also invent.
For nine whole nights he hung on the high branches of Ygdrasil,
pondering and searching out the secrets of the mind and of the
Universe. For the power of runes was before the beginning of man.
They are mixed with fate, and their potency did Odin discover
when he drank from Mimer's well. They have also power over death
and the world beyond. Runes there are to ward off strife and
care, to charm away sickness and disease, to blunt the foeman's
sword, to break fetters that bind, to still the storms, to ward
off the attacks of demons, to make the dead to speak, to win the
love of a maid, and to turn away love that is not desired. And
many more there be also.

When runes are carved in mystic symbols the powers they convey
are given to the weapons, or to the men that bear them, for they
govern all things and impart power to conquer and power to
subdue. He who has a certain desire shall achieve it if he but
knows the rune which can compel its fulfilment, for the runes
come from Odin, the chief ruler of the Universe, the god most
wise. His power and great knowledge are enshrined in them.

Next to Odin the mightiest of the gods was his son Thor, whose
mother was Jord, "the earth". In Asgard was built for him a great
mansion called Bilskirnir, with five hundred and forty halls and
a roof of shining silver. He drave forth in a car which was drawn
by two goats. Three precious things were his possessions: the
great hammer Mjolnir, which struck fire from the mountains and
has slain many frost giants; the belt of prowess, which gave him
threefold strength; and his mighty iron gauntlets, which he put
on ere he could wield his hammer.

Another of Odin's sons was Balder the Beautiful, whose mother was
Frigg, queen of goddesses, daughter of Nat and sister of Njord.
Fair and comely was Balder, with silver hair that shone like
sunshine. He was full of wisdom and was exceedingly mild and had
great eloquence. In Asgard and Midgard there was no god more
greatly loved than Balder.

Njord of the Vans was in Asgard as hostage to the Asa-gods. He
was father of the god Frey and the beautiful Freyja, who was next
to Frigg among the goddesses. Honer, Odin's brother, was sent to
Vanaheim, where he was made ruler over the Vana-gods. He chose
not his part and his judgments were weak.

Great was Tyr, the war-god, who gave valour to warriors and by
whom he was invoked.

Brage, god of music and poetry, had for wife Idun, Ivalde's
daughter, who was keeper of the apples of immortal youth.


[07]
===============
============    COLUMNS
=========

[07-1]
=========
========= KITCHEN WITCHIN
========= by our readers
=========

===
=== Tangy Sweet Meatballs 
=== Submitted by Mariora
===

1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork (I get bulk pork sausage from the butcher)
2 c. soft bread crumbs (I just cut up bread into chunks)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 tbsp. minced parsely
2 tbsp. margarine
1 jar apricot preserves
1/2 c. barbeque sauce

Combine first 6 ingredients. Mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls
and brown in margarine. Drain on paper towels. Place in 13 x 9 x
2 inch baking dish. Combine preserves and barbeque sauce. Mix
well and pour over meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Yield 5 dozen.

(tip..make the meatballs the night before and refrigerate them.
They don't fall apart when you brown them if you do it that way)

If you want to cheat and make this easier, you can buy the bags
of frozen pre-prepared meatballs and then just bake them in the
sauce. They aren't quite as good, but people who've never had
them won't know the difference.

===
=== Polynesian Sweet Potato Hash Browns
=== submitted by Gwyn
===

3 large sweet potatoes (or yams) cooked until just tender (bake,
   microwave, or boil w/skins on)
Butter, olive oil or coconut oil to fry in 
   (you just gotta judge the amount)
1/2 cup or small can pineapple tidbits
1/2 cup finely diced green or red bell pepper
1/4 shredded coconut
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

Peel cooked sweet potatoes and grate as you would for hash browns
(if you overcooked them you will have a big mushy MESS!) Dry off
potatoes as best you can with paper towel (they brown better) Toss
with all other ingredients (except oil for cooking) Heat
oil/butter in large skillet Toss mixture into skillet...I usually
do clumps of about pancake size. Fry until lightly brown, flip,
brown other side. Drain on paper towel, serve warm.

You can serve on a pineapple ring or garnish with slivered
almonds or make a topping of 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon
brown sugar, 1/4 cup pineapple juice (blend in juice s-l-o-w-l-y
while cooking) 1/2 teaspoon to a full teaspoon cornstarch. Cook
until thick and pour some over each hash brown patty. Or throw on
a couple marshmallows....

===
=== Almond Biscotti
=== submitted by Seichi
===

7oz Almond, sliced/slivered
1 lemon peel
3 eggs
pinch salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp vanilla
3 cups + 3 tbsps flour
1 1/4 tbsp baking powder
1tsp butter

Before beginning toast almonds, either in a skillet or on a
cookie sheet. Add lemon zest and let cool.

preheat oven to 350F

1. Mix together egg yolks, sugar and vanilla (like regular
   cookies)

2. Wisk egg whites and salt to stiff peaks, meringue (sp?)
   essentially

3. Fold into the yolk and sugar mixture gradually.

4. Add baking soda to flour

5. Alternatively add handfuls of the flour and the toasted
   almond and lemon mixture.

6. Knead to smooth dough

7. Divide in two

8. Shape into flattened baguette shaped loaves, (on a lightly
   oiled/butter/pam'd cookie sheet) longer than wide, and about
   1/2" thick.

Bake 35 min, or until golden brown. Upon removing them from the
oven, IMMEDIATELY slice them, as you would a loaf of bread,
slightly on a bias for better visual appeal

Can be dipped in melted chocolate and used for gifts too.

===
=== Cranberry-Orange Relish
=== submitted by Seasons
===

1 bag cranberries
1 big seedless naval orange
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Rinse the cranberries in cold water and mince in food processor.
Process the orange, peel and all. Stir cranberries, orange, sugar
and cloves together, chill well, preferably overnight, before
serving.

===
=== Hungarian Brussels Sprouts
=== submitted by Rowan Rose
===

1 1/2 # of fresh Brussels Sprouts (or 2 - 8oz pkgs frozen)
3 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped (we always use Vidalia)
1 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

1. Heat salted water on stove, add Brussels sprouts to boiling,
   then reduce heat. Cover and cook until tender, about 8 - 10
   minutes.

2. Fry bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove
   bacon, putting it aside and add the chopped onion to the hot
   grease. Gently saute until tender. Stir in the cooked
   Brussels sprouts and pepper.

3. Add in the sour cream and heat until hot, but not boiling. Add
   in bacon and when it's all warm enough, serve and enjoy.

We usually have to have this recipe doubled because it just
doesn't stay in the serving bowl once it makes it to table.
 Even people who hate Brussels sprouts have raved about
these and asked for the recipe. Which amazes us as it is such a
simple recipe.

===
=== Peach Cobbler 
=== submitted by Lunaheart
===

1 stick of butter
1 cup flour
1 cup milk 
1/4 sugar 
3/4 white sugar and brown sugar together
2 tsp baking powder
nutmeg
vanilla
cinnamon
can of sliced peaches drained
chopped pecans 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While warming up oven melt stick of
butter in a 9x13 pan (I have used a loaf pan before too). Mix
sugar mixture, flour, milk, a teaspoon or two of vanilla, a few
dashes of cinnamon, a few dashes of nutmeg and baking powder.
Pour over melted butter. Add peaches then pecans (as many as you
want- I cover the whole cobbler. Sprinkle more cinnamon and the
remaining sugar on top. Bake for around 30-35 minutes. I serve
with vanilla ice cream on top.

===
=== Wild Rice with Cranberries and Caramelized Onions
=== submitted by LyricFox
===

2 c. chicken broth
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup wild rice
3 tablespoons Olive oil
3 medium onions, sliced into thin half moons
2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 cup Sweetened Dried Cranberries
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Combine chicken broth and both rices in a medium saucepan. Bring
to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and
simmer 45 minutes or until rice is tender and the liquid is
absorbed. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
Add onions and brown sugar.

Cook 6 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and onions are soft
and translucent. Reduce heat to low. Slowly cook onions, stirring
often for 25 minutes or until they are caramel color. Stir in
dried cranberries. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes or
until cranberries swell. Gently fold cranberry mixture and orange
zest into cooked rice. Makes 4 to 6 servings.


[07-2]
=========
========= HUMOR: QABALA BOAT SONG
========= Author Unknown
=========

Aeeeooonnnnnn.  AAA-EEE-OOO-NNNNN 
Io Pan, and me wanna go home. 
  
Come Mista Crowley mon, 
Talley me Qabalah 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
Come Mista Crowley mon, 
Talley me Qabalah 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
  
You want Enochian but heed my warning 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
You take two tablet, call me in the morn'n 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
  
Upon the Planes I rise protected 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
By the Pentagon I've erected 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
  
Across the Shining Path lies the Abyss 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
To get to Kether you must cross this 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
  
Malkuth, Yesod, Netzach, HOD 
Quiphoth come an' me wanna go home 
Chochma, Bina Kether, DA'ATH 
Quiphoth come an' me wanna go home. 
  
Come, Mista Crowley mon build the Astral Temple 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
Come, Mista Crowley mon build the Astral Temple 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
  
Of squid-god cities, it's a good example 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
I saw a beautiful Scarlet Woman 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
But I'm not sure that she's even a human 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
  
You mispronounce Abrahadabra 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
You leave a messy cadevera 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
  
Malkuth, Yesod, Netzach, HOD 
Quiphoth come an' me wanna go home 
Crowley mon celebrate lotsa Gnostic Massas 
Quiphoth come an' me wanna go home 
Wear your Rosy Cross and make lotsa mystic passes 
  
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 
Come Mista Crowley mon, 
Talley me Qabalah 
Aeon come an' me wan' go home. 


[08]
===============
============    PAGAN WEBCRAFTING
=========

Many Pagans have or would like to have a Pagan oriented web site.
Unfortunately, many of the thousands of Pagan web sites are
poorly designed and/or very hard to read. (Hint: A black
background makes even white text hard to read, but a black
background with a dark text is almost impossible to read.) This
section of Cauldron and Candle is devoted to articles about web
sites and web design. Some are written specifically for Pagans,
but most will be more general and anyone interested in putting up
a web site may find them useful.

Please note that each article is written from the author's point
of view and goals, and therefore even completely opposite advice
can be sound -- in different situations, of course. These
articles should not be taken as "law" but rather as things to
think about and consider while you are creating and maintaining
your web site. Some articles have a "business" slant, but the
information they contain really applies to all types of web
sites.

For more information and articles on web crafting, see the Pagan
Webcrafting section of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's web site.

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

[08-1]
=========
========= Why Dreamhost For Pagan Sites?
========= by Randall Sapphire
=========

Many people wonder why we have chosen to host The Cauldron: A
Pagan Forum's ecauldron.com web site with Dreamhost even though
there are other companies out there who advertise heavily and
offer more web space, more bandwidth, and/or a lower price.

There are many considerations that go into selecting an
affordable hosting company. Price, bandwidth, and web space --
while important -- are not the only things one must consider. One
must also consider the fit with the special needs of the web
site, one will be creating. This is especially true for a Pagan
web site -- or any web site that deals with a subject that some
vocal groups think should be banned.

The webmaster of The Cauldron has designed and hosted a number of
sites for clients and his own use over the years. He has run
afoul of weird interpretations of content restrictions in web
hosting companies' terms of service a number of times in the
process. For example, he was working with an author who had her
web site canceled by her hosting company because they claimed
the gif of the cover of one of her romance novels violated their
no-nudity rule. The book itself was on display in bookstores
across the country without problems (and the woman on the cover
wasn't even really nude -- she was wearing a body stocking which
was obvious on a full size version of the cover), but these folks
canceled her contract and her lawyer had to threaten a lawsuit to
get them to refund her large advance payment. Another web host
made a client pull a book review because they thought the title
of the book was "obscene" (it used the word "screw" as in "screw
you").

Unlike many web hosting companies who take an "offend no one
attitude" and cancel accounts if anyone complains about their
content, Dreamhost has a very laid back view on content. If it is
legal in California (and is not obviously porn), customers can
host it on their servers. This alone is enough to make Dreamhost
a primary candidate for anyone who supports free speech strongly.
The Cauldron moved to Dreamhost a couple of years ago when our
previous host told us to take down our "pornographic" review of
the book Sexual Secrets: The Alchemy of Ecstasy. Click here and
you can read the review of this book that upset them so -- not a
word or picture has been changed. Go ahead, this article will
still be here when you get back. Did you see anything
"pornographic" -- or even offensive -- in that review? Neither
did we, so we voted with our pocketbook and changed hosts. We
selected Dreamhost because they had many loyal customers who had
hosted with them for years and because we discovered they were
willing to host sex blogs (blogs where people describe what they
did in bed). I figured if they had no problems with that, nothing
a family-friendly Pagan site could do content-wise would be a
problem, no matter how many fundies complained in an attempt to
get the site taken down.

Dreamhost's hosting plans are darn good -- even if they don't
appear to beat out some of the well-advertised low cost hosting
providers in the numbers game. While Dreamhost does not offer the
most for the least, they do offer quite a bit for a low price. As
of November 2004, their basic $9.95 a month plan allows hosting
of up to three full domains (and a total of 15 subdomains) with
800 megs of disk storage, 40 gigabytes of bandwidth, 675 email
accounts (up to 75 of those can have ftp/shell access), unlimited
email addresses and mysql databases, and all the features one
could want on a unix hosting account (php4, cgi, crontab, ssi,
webdav access to your disk space, log files, pop3/imap/webmail
access to email, spam filtering, announcement lists, discussion
lists, and much more). Email traffic does not count against
bandwidth at Dreamhost, so their allotment of bandwidth goes much
further than would at many other hosts. Dreamhost is a good deal
moneywise, although not the best deal available.

Another plus for Dreamhost is great tech support. When we've used
their support ticket system with problems or questions, we've
always received a helpful reply tailored to our level of
knowledge on the subject in question. Yes, they ask about your
experience on the support ticket form and the choices range from
"Please explain everything to me very carefully" to "Not to be
rude, but I probably know more about this than you do." Problems
with their service have been few and far between (unlike with
some of the other hosts we've had). When they occur, however,
they have always been corrected as quickly as possible and
explanations provided on their announcement system.

Their $9.95 a month "Sweet Dreams Insane" account does not have
telephone support, it only has email/ticket support. The Cauldron
used this level of account for over a year and never missed
telephone support. Our current account level, "Code Monster,"
does provide for telephone callback support (they call you back
at a time you request), but we've never had to use it. Their
normal support ticket system is simply that good. Dreamhost staff
can also be found in their support forums and they produce a
wonderful -- and funny -- monthly newsletter.

Dreamhost's basic $9.95 a month "Sweet Dreams Insane" account
would do fine for 95% of the Pagan sites I've seen -- if fact, it
probably has more bandwidth and disk storage than they will ever
need. As upgraded this year (see the next paragraph), this basic
account might even do for The Cauldron for a couple more years.
However, before the 2004 feature upgrades we would have probably
outgrown our "Sweet Dreams Insane" account within a year, so when
Dreamhost put their normally $39.95 a month "Code Monster"
account on sale at 50% off, we just could not resist upgrading
while the upgrading was good.

Dreamhost also regularly adds new features and other upgrades to
accounts -- with no increase in price. Almost every monthly
newsletter announces some new feature. Most of them are minor, of
course. Some, however, are major -- like the 50% increase in disk
space and bandwidth in early 2004 and the bandwidth tripling in
December 2004 (to match what new accounts would be receiving
during their "triple bandwidth" sale that month, 120 gigs instead
of 40 for their $9.95 a month account).

If you are looking for an affordable web host for a Pagan web
site, you really should take a good look at using Dreamhost as
your web host. It's a very well run hosting company with a Pagan
site friendly attitude. Check out what they offer at:

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

===
=== Special Note
===

If you would like to consider some more affordable web hosts (or
even a free web host), read our Affordable Hosting for Pagan
Sites article where we link to some popular web hosts and to
several free hosting indexes.

   http://www.ecauldron.com/web/affordablehosts.php


[08-2]
=========
========= Make Your Site Quick to Load
========= by Michael Kralj
=========

The time it takes to load your site can make or break a visitor’s
first impression of your site. If your site takes too long to
load, the visitor will click "Stop" or "Back" and leave your web
site. If you are a business and offering people important
information, it is critical to have a nice design, with a quick
load time.

You may want to check out the load time of your page, to indeed
see if your site loads quick enough for the average user. A great
site tool can be found at
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/services/analyze/ where you
are able to enter your site and it displays a report on the time
it takes to load your site on different connections, in addition
to tips to decrease load time.

Upon doing a speed test, if your first page takes a great time to
load in the visitor’s browser, it is in the best interest to do
some redesigning to decrease load time and increase the number of
visitors that will not click back on the browser. We must
remember that not everyone is running on DSL or Cable modem. Many
users still dial up using a 56K connection. As web designers and
site maintainers, we want to ensure our site’s load quickly, as
to not lose potential visitors to your site.

Images, Sounds & Animations are the major menaces to download
time. While these add nicely to a site, they may take up a lot of
time to load. If you may avoid large sized files, please do. Many
images may be optimized to look the same, however taking up less
space, and download more quickly. Many image editors such as
Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro can perform these tasks.

Sounds & Videos should be avoided on your main page, as they take
up most time to load. Keep these for inner pages if possible.
Videos and sound files can be from 100 KB to 1 MB in size or
larger. If the user needs to load a 500 KB video file on a 56 K
modem, it will take upwards to 89 seconds to complete. This
definitely could turn the user away from your site. So keep these
files to a fairly small size, or avoid if possible.

Text can also play a significant role in the load time. If you
have a large amount of HTML code and large amount of content on
your main page, it will also increase the load time. Text however
is not as significant, as the entire text you have on the site
may not be even the same size as a couple of pictures combined.

So limit the large sized graphics on your web sites. Your
visitors will appreciate the fast loading site with the
information being presented that they are looking for!

===
=== About The Author
===

Michael Kralj is owner of Emenki Web Solutions and Domains at
Retail. Emenki Web Solutions are web site designers and
programmers based in Hamilton, Ontario, providing businesses with
an informative and strategic approach to establishing an online
presence on the web. Please visit Emenki Web Solutions on the web
http://www.emenki.com Please visit Domains at Retail on the web:
http://www.domainsatretail.com.


[08-3]
=========
========= The Top Ten List Of Website Annoyances
========= by Robert C. Potter
=========

Easy navigation and usability are one of the most important
aspects of creating a "user friendly" website. However, there are
still a "plethora" of web-sites out there that are, to be
politically correct, "functionally challenged." Does your website
keep people captivated, or does it send them fleeing as soon as
they get to the first page? Do you offend your visitors with the
following annoyances?

1) Music or any voice recording that automatically plays when you
   enter a site, without giving me the option of turning it off.
   Yes, there are still website owners who think that putting
   their Midi version of "Play That Funky Music Whiteboy," will
   some how impress their visitors. Always give people the option
   of listening to any recorded information you have on your
   website. Don't automatically assume that your visitors will be
   captivated by your voice, or your music.

2) Spinning or animated GIF's of any type. Websites that have the
   "Under Construction" sign when I hit your homepage. Don't
   promote what you don't have.

3) Any website that looks like it resembles Times Square in New
   York City! Multitudes of "flashing" or "blinking" banner ads
   shoved in my face as soon as I reach your landing page will
   send me running. Flashing banner ads are the equivalent of a
   carnival barker trying to lure people into his sideshow. You
   don't need to shout to people to get you message heard on the
   Internet. Keep you banner ads limited, and your content
   abundant.

4) Website owners that make it too hard to navigate their site.
   If I have to jump through "link hoops" to get to your
   information I am outta there. Make your product, price, or
   service, clear, precise, and easy to find. The "about us," or
   "frequently asked questions" section of some web-sites, leaves
   me with more questions than answers. Design your content so
   that even elementary school children can understand the
   purpose of your website.

5) Pop-Ups... Pop-Ups... Pop-Ups... I don't mind one, or even a
   few. But, if I have to close multiple pop-ups to get to your
   website, I will flee the scene. I have encountered some sites
   that had so many pop-ups they froze my computer screen. And
   yes, I had my pop-up blocking software activated! It doesn't
   always work. The same applies for any of those "fly-in" or
   "hover ads" that bounce across my computer screen. If you have
   to use anything, incorporate a pop-up that loads when a
   visitor leaves, not before, or during my visit to your site.

6) A page full of dead links and constant "Page Not Found" error
   messages. Keep your links up to date and take down the links
   that are no longer active.

7) Cursing or using worn out phrases like "Kick Butt," or "Kick
   Ass." (Example: "Kick Ass Copy-Writing Service," "Kick Butt
   Web Marketing"). I can't get to the close button fast enough
   when I see anyone using that phrase in website advertising
   copy. It maybe an excellent marketing headline, but for me, it
   is a total turn-off. Impress your visitors with intelligent,
   informative, advertising copy and content.

8) AND SOMEONE -- ANYONE -- PLEASE! Stop the "ultra" dark
   background accented with an equally dark font! I have
   discovered many a website in which the background, and the
   text fonts, are indistinguishable from each other. It looks
   like your are staring into a black hole. Lighten things up a
   bit, and don't make me turn the brightness controls on my
   monitor to full. And no, I don't want to highlight the text so
   I can read the information on your website.

9) While I love Marcomedia's Flash, I think it should be used
   sparingly. Unless you have a film site, or a product that
   requires a detailed visual description, just forget about
   using flash for e-commerce. There is a majority of people out
   there who still use those pokey dial-up modems (me being one
   of them) and I "hate the wait!"

   Even when I use the skip feature it still takes to long for
   the page to load. While doing research for The Ultimate Guide
   To Products For Resale I noticed that some designer clothing
   wholesalers where using flash to sell their product. The same
   applied to retail sellers of designer shoes, designer
   handbags, and designer clothing.

   My question is why? If you are using your site to sell a
   product, just stick with high quality, fast loading photos,
   followed up with good creative descriptions of each item. If
   you have to make people wait to buy your product, people will
   buy their product somewhere else! If you absolutely,
   positively, must use Flash, make your files as fast loading as
   possible, especially if you are selling a product.

10) Solid blocks of text with no breaks between paragraphs. The
   only industry that gets away with that format is newspaper,
   book, and magazine publishers. The Internet is a different
   world altogether. People not only want their information
   quick, but they also want to read it in smaller, "bit size"
   portions of content.

   I like to skim over articles for the main points. If I have to
   "slog" through content that looks like a rambling diatribe
   with no paragraph breaks, I'm gone! Make your content clear
   and concise. Break up your paragraphs, and use plenty of
   "white space" when possible.

So there they are. My "Top Ten" pet peeves of dysfunctional
design. Do you incorporate any of them in your website? When it
comes to good design, and great site navigation, think of your
website as if you were having guests over to your house. Make
your house, as well as your website, "neat and ready to greet."
For more information about how to make your site user friendly,
go to Jakob Nielsen's site for tips on better website design and
usability.

===
=== About the Author
===

Robert C. Potter is a wholesale and retail surplus products
specialist. He is the author of "The Ultimate Guide To Products
For Resale!" Over 300 Wholesale & Surplus Supply Sources For Ebay
Auction Sellers, E-Commerce Websites, Flea Market Vendors, and
Retail Store Owners! You can find his 160 page ebook at:
http://www.productsforresale.com/.


[08-4]
=========
========= Cheap Web Hosting Report: January 2005
========= by Gridspace
=========

With thousands of web hosts to choose from, it can be hard to
find cheap web hosting with the quality and dependability you
want. Many web hosts now advertise extremely low prices and
promise more features than anyone could ever want. Unfortunately,
many cheap web hosting offers turn out to be too good to be true.
Either the service is poor or the fine print in the terms of
service make many of the features effectively useless. Low cost
web hosting with excellent service, reliability and features does
exist -- if you are willing to spend many hours researching
offers and user experiences.

Many offer to help you select cheap web hosting by listing 10, 20
or even more cheap web hosting companies with offers they
consider good. However, that's still a lot of cheap web hosting
companies and plans to research. We are more selective in our
Cheap Web Hosting Report. We check out the sites and the user
comments and list what we believe are the current top five
general purpose cheap web hosting plans. We also list several
additional plans that provide special features (such as "root"
access or a Windows server with ASP and an Access database). This
means less work for you.

=====
===== Top Five General Purpose Cheap Web Hosts for January 2005
=====

These are the top five general purpose cheap web hosts selected
for January 2005. All of the following hosting plans include a web
control panel, a cgi-bin directory, php4, perl, and at least 1
mysql database. Many offer a number of additional features. The
prices listed are the monthly price based on the shortest
prepayment period offered (1m = one month, 3m = three months, 6m
= six months) and for annual pre-payment (1y = annual rate). The
setup fees we list are for the shortest prepayment period offered
and for the annual pre-payment plan.

===
=== #1 Dreamhost
===

Price: 1m: $9.95 2y: $7.95
Setup: 1m: $24.95 2y: Free
Bandwidth: 40 GB (December Sale: 120 GB)
Disk Space: 800 MB
Mailboxes: 600

Comments: Dreamhost has long been -- and still is -- listed as
the best affordable web host for unusual content (as they will
host just about anything legal) in the Special Needs Hosting
section of this report. Improvements in their plans in 2004 have
made them very competitive in terms of bandwidth, web space, and
features offered for the price, so they have moved onto and then
rapidly up our "Top Five" list. New and improved features are
announced in the Dreamhost newsletter almost every month. Their
tech support is the best I've seen in the low cost hosting
industry. If you are looking for low cost, high quality web
hosting with truly excellent tech support and very friendly
people, check out Dreamhost. Note: In December 2004, Dreamhost
tripled the bandwidth on all their current accounts and all
accounts purchased in December 2004 which raised the bandwidth on
this, their least expensive account, from 40 GB to 120 GB. This
offer was still active on their web site on 1 January 2005, but
we have no idea how long it will remain. (The Cheap Web Hosting
Report hosts with Dreamhost.)

More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/zdreamhost.php

===
=== #2 midPhase
===

Price: 3m: $11.95 1y: $7.95
Setup: 3m: Free 1y: Free
Bandwidth: unlimited
Disk Space: 1500 MB
Mailboxes: unlimited

Comments: midPhase is a young hosting company (launched in late
2002). They offer a strong hosting package with many features at
a reasonable, although not super-low, price. It has grown quickly
-- and, thus far, without a lot of complaints from their
customers over service. If they can continue to provide good
service, expect them to rise on our list in the future. At the
end of August, they switched to unmetered bandwidth for most
sites (60 gig limit for download sites and image galleries).
While unmetered bandwidth sometimes causes hosting companies
problems, midPhase says that they have been planning this switch
for months and do not expect any problems.

More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/zmidphase.php

===
=== #3 iPowerWeb
===

Price: 3m: $9.95 1y: $7.95
Setup: 3m: $30.00 1y: Free
Bandwidth: 40 GB 
Disk Space: 1000 MB  
Mailboxes: 500

Comments: iPowerWeb is only a few years old, but it already hosts
over 200,000 web sites, has won numerous awards for its service,
and has successfully managed rapid growth with only a few visible
customer service hiccups. The company and its offerings are not
perfect, but they provide featureful, reliable, low cost web
hosting -- and do so very well from the point-of-view of the
average customer.

More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/zipowerweb.php

===
=== #4 Lunarpages
===

Price: 3m: $9.95 1y: $7.95
Setup: 3m: $30.00 1y: Free
Bandwidth: 40 GB
Disk Space: 1000 MB
Mailboxes: Unlimited

Comments: Lunarpages has over 5 years experience in shared web
hosting and hosts over 50,000 web pages. While they have not
pushed for the huge growth of some of the other low cost web
hosting companies, Lunarpages customers seem generally very happy
with their service and appear to this reviewer to be more loyal
to their hosting company than the customers of other hosting
companies. This speaks well for Lunarpages.

More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/zlunarpages.php

===
=== #5 PowWeb
===

Price: 3m: $7.77 1y: $7.77
Setup: 3m: $20.00 1y: Free
Bandwidth: 5 GB /day
Disk Space: 1000 MB
Mailboxes: 650

Comments: PowWeb has been in the low cost web hosting business
since 1999. They are best known for their one-size fits all web
hosting plan. They have recently raised their bandwidth limits
from 45 gigs a month to a whopping 5 gigs a day (but you get an
email warning at 4 gigs in a day according to their policy). We
have seen a few more customer complaints over performance and
customer service recently, which has caused this web host to drop
a bit in our rating, but they are still a good choice for many.

More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/zpowweb.php


=====
===== Special Needs Cheap Web Hosting
=====

If you have special hosting needs, one of the following cheap web
hosting solutions may meet those needs better than one of the
above plans. While the following companies generally do not offer
as much bandwidth and disk space as the Top Five Cheap Web Hosts
listed above, they provide more than enough of both for most
sites and their special features, if you need them, will more
than make up the difference.

===
=== Fewer Content Restrictions
===

Dreamhost
Price: 1m:  $9.95 2y: $7.95
Setup: 1m: $24.95 2y: Free
Bandwidth: 40 GB (December Sale: 120 GB)
Disk Space: 800 MB
Mailboxes: 600

Comments: In an effort to avoid arguments and complaints, most
web hosting companies are fairly restrictive on questionable
content -- to the point that some will terminate a site for
displaying a picture of a classical (but bare breasted) statue
from ancient Greece. Dreamhost not only has an excellent, cheap
web hosting package but is far more liberal than most web hosts
on acceptable site content. Basically, if your content is legal
in the US, Dreamhost will probably have no problems hosting it.
Note: In December 2004, Dreamhost tripled the bandwidth on all
their current accounts and all accounts purchased in December
2004 which raised the bandwidth on this, their least expensive
account, from 40 GB to 120 GB. This offer was still active on
their web site on 1 January 2005, but we have no idea how long it
will remain. (The Cheap Web Hosting Report hosts with Dreamhost.)

More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/zdreamhost.php

===
=== Windows Hosting
===

Easy CGI
Price: 1m: $9.95 1y: $7.96
Setup: 1m: Free 1y: Free
Bandwidth: 50 GB
Disk Space: 3000 MB
Mailboxes: 50

Comments: Easy CGI provides Windows 2000 servers instead of the
standard Unix servers. Their accounts come with ASP and one
Access Database. They are one of the most affordable and most
popular Windows hosting providers. Customer service reports are
spotty, however. Most people report excellent service but
minority report major problems.

More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/zeasycgi.php

===
=== Virtual Dedicated Server Hosting (Root Access)
===

Jumpline
Price: 1y: $9.95	
Setup: 1y: Free
Bandwidth: 5 GB
Disk Space: 500 MB
Mailboxes: 75

Comments: Jumpline uses special technology to provide each
account with its own virtual server. You have your own Apache web
server, your own email servers, your own database server, etc.
and you have root access to the virtual machine running them.
These types of accounts can be more stable and provide better
control, but are best used by Unix experts who understand the ins
and outs of running servers. 

More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/zjumpline.php

===
=== Dedicated Server Hosting
===

ServerPronto 	
Price: 1m: $29.95	
Setup: $149.00	
Bandwidth: 40 GB	
Disk Space: 200 GB
Mailboxes: unlimited	

A dedicated server gives your site its own physical computer as a
server. The upside is that you have full root access so you can
install whatever software you want on it and have very few
restrictions on scripts (even if they hog CPU time). The downside
is that you have to maintain the system yourself. ServerPronto
has some of the most affordable dedicated server prices we have
seen, although there are many options that can increase the
monthly price or the setup fee. Windows and Windows 2003
dedicated servers are also available at higher prices.  In mid-
September, ServerPronto started a special offer of $80 off the
above listed setup fees on several plans. The length of this
offer is unknown, but it was still going at the end of October,
so check their website for more information.

More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/zserverpronto.php

=== Notes

The information in this report was checked for accuracy on
December 31, 2004. Web hosting companies, however, can change
their pricing and plans at any time so the information may no
longer be accurate when you read this report. Gridspace is not
responsible for errors nor for what use you may make of this
information.

Looking for even more hosting options or more information on web
hosting? See the Cheap Web Hosting Report web site at
http://www.cheapwebhostingreport.com/


[09]
=========
========= Cauldron Info
========= SUPPORT THE CAULDRON BY VOLUNTEERING TO HELP
=========

The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum was founded in December 1997 to
provide a friendly but serious discussion area for Pagans on the
Internet. We've grown a bit over the years. We now have an active
message area, a large web site with around 700 pages of
information (including over 300 book and divination deck
reviews), and a monthly email newsletter. To continue to provide
and expand these services, The Cauldron needs lots of volunteer
help from our members and supporters.

Here are some of the things members and supporters can do to help
The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum thrive:

=====
===== Actively Participate In Our Message Board
=====

While our new message board welcomes readers, we encourage
members to actively participate by posting their comments and
views in our discussions. One of the easiest ways to help The
Cauldron is to actively participate in our message board. The
staff especially appreciates members who start new topics for
discussion based on their own questions, opinions, or interests.

http://www.ecauldron.net/

=====
===== 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 either
PayPal or the Amazon Honor System links below (we get about 85%
of what you donate).

Donate via PayPal
  http://www.ecauldron.com/donatepaypal.php
Donate via Amazon.com
  http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3903JRFVQVDN

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

The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum also receives a small percentage
(usually 5%) from most items purchased from Amazon.com when you
go to Amazon.com from one of the links to Amazon on our web site.
If you purchase a lot of books, CDs, and other items from
Amazon.com as many members do, going to Amazon.com through one of
our links when you are going to make a purchase there is a
painless way to help fund this web site.

http://www.ecauldron.com/amazon.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.)


[10]
=========
========= 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)
2004 by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. Copyrights on individual
items in this newsletter are retained by their author, please
contact the editors if you need to contact an author for
permission to reprint an article and the editors will do their
best to put you in touch with him or her. The opinions expressed
herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views of newsletter, The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum, or
its staff. Publication of an article in this newsletter is not an
endorsement of the authors position or any products and companies
mentioned therein. No one involved in producing this newsletter
has any money to speak of so suing us if you don't like something
we do is a waste of time and money.

=====
===== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE OR CHANGE EMAIL ADDRESS
=====

You are receiving a copy of this newsletter because you signed up
to receive it. You can subscribe or unsubscribe to this
newsletter via your web browser at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cauldronandcandle/join

Or you can unsubscribe via email by sending a blank message to

cauldronandcandle-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Be sure to send this message from the email account actually
subscribed to the newsletter. If you have trouble unsubscribing
by email, please use the web browser method mentioned above.

If you need to change your subscription to a new email address,
unsubscribe your old email address and subscribe your new email
address. Note that you have to make these changes yourself. Yahoo
Groups does not allow the list owner to make them for you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Don't forget that your suggestions for this newsletter are always
welcome, either posted on the message board or via email to
LyricFox (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