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Cauldron and Candle
Issue #57 -- March 2005

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

 

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C A U L D R O N   A N D   C A N D L E  #57 -- March 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://www.ecauldron.com/doxysbazaar.php

In this Issue:

[01] Editorial Notes
     * Annual Cauldron Donation Drive Report
     * Cauldron and Candle Submissions Needed, As Always
[02] Cauldron Challenge: March
[03] Cauldron News
     * New Chat Coordinator
     * "SPAM" Rule Revised
[04] Cauldron Discussions
[05] Reviews
     [05-1] Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Samhain to Ostara
     [05-2] The Meaning of Witchcraft
     [05-3] The Sea Priestess
     [05-4] Meditations with the Cherokee
     [05-5] Medicine of the Cherokee
     [05-6] The Witch's Shield
     [05-7] Green Spirituality
     [05-8] Self-Initiation for the Solitary Witch
[06] Articles:
     [06-1] Online Witchcraft and Pagan Courses
     [06-2] Common Questions About Paganism
     [06-3] Feng-Shui for Business and Office
     [06-4] March -- The Month of Mars
     [06-5] Tarot Decks Come in Three Flavors
[07] Columns
     [07-1] Kitchen Witchin
     [07-2] Humor: Pagan Questions and Answers
[08] Pagan Webcrafting
     [08-1] The Proper Way to Use The Robots.txt File
     [08-2] Three Tips To Improve Your Web Site's Usability
     [08-3] See RSS Feeds From Your Website 
     [08-4] Cheap Web Hosting Report: March 2005
[09] Support The Cauldron by Volunteering to Help
[10] Newsletter Information
              (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe)

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

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

=====
===== Annual Cauldron Donation Drive Report
=====

Our annual donation drive for ecauldron.com (the main web site
with our articles, reviews, newsletters, etc.) is over and I am
happy to report we received enough donations to pay our annual
web hosting bill. We did not get the huge individual donations
that put us over the top in a week in 2004, instead we received a
large number of smaller donations from a larger number of members
over the entire month. To be honest, that's probably better for
everyone as more people are investing in the board which makes it
more of a community effort.

I'd like to thank everyone who donated for making it very easy
for us to pay the annual web hosting bill, but I'd also like to
thank those who could not donate cash, but through their message
board posts, articles, book reviews, etc. help make The Cauldron
a fun and informative place to be.

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

We still need submissions.  We did not receive any recipes last
month so our Kitchen Witchin' column is empty this month. We did
receive several nice articles and this issue of the newsletter is
much better for them. The submission folder on my drive is just
about empty, however, so if you have an idea for an article, now
would be a great time to write it up.

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


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       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
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[02]
=========
========= CAULDRON CHALLENGE: MARCH
========= by Star
=========

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, spring is on its way. For most
of us, it's not quite here yet, but I think it will be here for
many of us by the end of March. Soon, there will be nice green
growing things all over the place--plants sending shoots up,
seeds sprouting, trees budding out. In that vein, your Challenge
for the month of March is to make something grow.

Now, I hear all of you who have black thumbs like me protesting
already. :)  Don't worry--I'm very aware of the fact that some
people (myself included!) are just lethal to plants. Therefore,
I'm going to specify that the "growth" need not be of the
strictly literal kind relating to plants. If you prefer, you
could choose to interpret "growth" as relates to this Challenge
in a different way. You might choose to make your confidence
grow, or your savings, for example. And of course there's always
the literal interpretation, planting something and coaxing it
along.

So--what are you going to make grow?

  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4128.1
  

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       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/

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

=====
===== New Chat Coordinator
=====

After serving as Chat Coordinator since we started chats back on
DelphiForums a couple of years ago, Shadow has decided to step
down as Chat Coordinator. I'd like to thank her for getting our
chats up and running and making them successful. Chats were her
idea and she and the chat staff have done a great job of it.

Chabas has volunteered to take over at Chat Coordinator. She is a
regular chatter, host of one our current chats, and a long-time
member of both The Cauldron and Cauldron staff. Our chats are in
good hands.

Shadow isn't stepping completely away, however -- she will be our
Assistant Chat Coordinator.

=====
===== "SPAM" Rule Revised
=====

Due to the large number of Spam (unapproved unsolicited
advertising) messages that have been posted to The Cauldron's
message board over the past few weeks (and the confusion some of
our regular members have experienced trying to figure out if some
innocent post of theirs will be considered Spam) we have revised
our rules to make the "No Spam" rule stand out and revised and
lengthened our Advertising Rule Notes to give much more info

Our New no spam rule bluntly reads:

'Unapproved unsolicited advertising (aka "spam") is not allowed
on this forum. See Advertising Rule Notes below for details and
for how to request approval to post an advertising message.'

The "Advertising Rule Notes" now reads:

Advertising Rule Notes:

* Unsolicited advertising (commercial or non-commercial, pagan or
non-pagan) messages not approved in advance in accordance with
the procedures in this paragraph is generally considered "spam":
the content of the message is deleted and our members post Spam
(the Hormel product) recipes and otherwise make fun of the post.
Spam messages posted as one of the first ten messages posted by a
new member may result in a ban. If you really think your ad would
be of interest to our members, please query the Message Board
Coordinator (or the Hosts as a last resort) in email with a copy
of the ad text you wish to post and request permission to post
it. They will look at the ad and make a decision. The only
exception to this rule is that regular posters on our message
board are usually allowed to make short, one time informative
announcements of new non-commercial forums, mailing lists, or
personal item sales of direct interest to Pagans in our Internet
folder without obtaining advance permission.

* It is not considered advertising to post a direct link to (or
information about) a business or product in response to bona fide
question in a message thread (as long as one discloses any
interest one might have in the business/product). Nor is it
considered advertising for regular posters on our message board
to post a link to an item or business to discuss it.

* Reasonable links to one's business are allowed in signatures
provided they are links and not ads. Note, however, that
affiliate links are not allowed in messages or signatures if they
conflict with the affiliate relationships of The Cauldron: A
Pagan Forum. Exceptions to this affiliate link rule may be
granted by the Hosts in special cases (e.g. an author linking to
his/her own books), talk to the Hosts if you think an exception
is warranted.
  

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                 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/

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[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.

===
=== Deity Love Without Limits?
===

I recently ran into a website that claimed: "The love of the
Pagan gods and goddesses is without limits". Do you agree with
this statement? From your experience with various deities - is it
true? Do you feel that the gods you work with have unconditional
love to you? Will they love you no matter what you do?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4164.1

===
=== Fluff Bunnies as Laity?
===

This idea first came up a couple of weeks ago in another online
community I frequent. At first I thought it was silly, but
reading through the "Ranting Witches" thread, I've given it some
more thought.

Could it be that the proliferation of fluff-bunnies indicates the
formation of a Neo-Pagan/Wiccanesque laity? Granted, I'm not
talking about people who base their practice on *false*
information, but rather on people who don't wish to go any
deeper, serve as priests, or do much research about the
subtleties of ritual and the origin of myths?

Are we painting all "fluffs" with a broad brush? Should we
distinguish between those who refuse to learn or acknowledge
false information and those who simply wish to stay with the
basics because it's enough to satisfy their spiritual needs?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4160.1

===
=== Wiccan/Pagan Authors to Avoid?
===

My question here is: What authors or books should people avoid
due to misinformation, poor credibility, and general fluffiness?
I know, for example, Silver RavenWolf is a no-no to quote as an
authority on anything, but I was really surprised that DJ Conway
had a bad reputation as well. I'm personally interested in
finding out about authors I already own, Ted Andrews, Sirona
Knight, DJ Conway (I'd like to hear more about Conway), Amber K,
Raymond Buckland, Francesca De Grandis, Scott Cunningham, Caitlin
and John Matthews, and Vivianne Crowley.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4134.1

===
=== Your Daily Religious Practice?
===

Is there some religious act or ritual or exercise that you do on
a daily basis? And if so, would you care to share?

I start my morning with centering, grounding and a few simple
breathing exercises (goes well with my morning coffee). I then go
outside and say a short hymn to my goddess while watering the
flowers that I planted in the garden for her. If it's a rainy
day, I say the hymn indoors, on a lit candle. Also every day
before bedtime, I center ground and shield again.

How about you?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4061.1

===
=== Is Witchcraft Dangerous?
===

Some people say that magic, witchcraft or various occult
practices are "dangerous". Such statements aren't only made by
people who misunderstand magic, but can also be found in various
witchcraft 101 books. Do you agree? Is there danger in practicing
magic? Which aspects of practicing magic could be dangerous?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4046.1

===
=== Big Fat Religious Copouts
===

I thought it would be fun for folks to post their favorite
religious copouts. What I'm talking about here is when people
justify their theological positions or behaviors that don't match
the tenets of their faith with lame responses.

Some examples:

Q: If Christianity says "Thou Shalt Not Kill", then how do you
explain the Crusades?

A: Oh, those people weren't really Christians. Real Christians
wouldn't do that sort of thing. (I've actually heard this
exchange, believe it or not.)

or

Q: If Wicca is really an ancient religion, then why his there no
evidence of it before this century.

A: Oh, all those ancient people worshipped One Goddess and One
God, they just didn't know it. That, and they used herbs, so they
must have been Wiccan.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4032.1

===
=== Wicca and Homosexuality
===

Someone recently asked me a question that I was not 100% sure on
how to answer, and since this is a rather diverse group here, I'd
thought I run it by you all and get your thoughts, opinions,
suggestions, etc.

The question was about Paganism (or rather Wicca) and
homosexuality. The person asking wanted to know how a belief
system so focused on balance between God and Goddess, masculine
and feminine, male and female could be so accepting of same-sex
unions and the GLBT community in general.

The answer I was able to come up with was about how each of us
has both God and Goddess, masculine and feminine, male and female
within us and our outward, physical gender (aka "plumbing") is
not as important. Love the person for who s/he is, not weather or
not s/he stands up to pee or not. (Y'know what I mean.)

Does this make sense? Do you, any of you agree with this
statement of mine? Would you have answered it differently? Please
let me know. I'm eager to read your opinions.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4017.1

===
=== Opinions on Alternative Medicine?
===

Alternative medicine has in the recent few years become the rage
across the planet. Virtually every patient I meet if you start to
thoroughly go across their medical history would confess to
trying a form of alternative therapy or the other in the past.
Some are actively on it, while some come in with end stage
disease after avoiding medicine and going for the alternative and
at the last minute practically come limping to the hospital for
treatment.

Question, given that this forum is frequented by Wiccans,
Asatruars, Druids, Kemetics, etc.. and that given a lot of this
"alternative" therapies seem to be rather popular among NeoPagans
of all walks, I would like to hear what Pagans here believe about
alternative therapy, its role in medicine and society, regulation
of alternative practices and what is real, what may be real and
what is complete nonsense.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3958.1
  
===
=== Unbelievable Occult Claims
===

In the 6 years I have been studying Wicca and magick, I've met
people who have claimed some strange things. For example, that I
was one of a special group of 6 people that reincarnated every
life with the task to stop some great evil from taking over the
world. (Of course, this special group included the claimant as
well) One of my friends knew a girl in high school who claimed to
have a wind demon for a boyfriend. I've known people online who
claimed they were really shape shifters. Not in the metaphysical
"I took on the body of my animal totem in trance" sense, but in
the real, "I become a bird and fly around" sense.

So the question is: What is the most unbelievable occult thing
anyone has ever claimed to you?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3950.1

===
=== Walking Away From Others Over Religion?
===

The other morning I was listening to the radio and the DJs did a
5 minute Hollywood gossip. They brought up a story about Madonna
and how she is now cutting friends and family members out of her
life if they do no follow the Kabbalah as she, herself, does.

First I rolled my eyes, but then I began to wonder if there are
others who, while maybe not taking it to as drastic extremes as
she seems to be, have considered backing away from relationships
with others who do not hold the same spiritual beliefs as they
do.

If someone you are close with, a sibling or life long friend,
brings up the fact that what you believe and practice are total
opposites of their own belief system, would you feel that it was
a big enough difference to walk away from them unless they agree
to reform to your way of thinking?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3898.1


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[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: CELEBRATING THE SEASONS OF LIFE: 
=========         SAMHAIN TO OSTARA
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Celebrating the Seasons of Life: Samhain to Ostara: Lore, 
   Rituals, Activities, and Symbols 	
Author: Ashleen O'Gaea
Trade Paperback, 221 pages 
Publisher: New Page Books 
Publication date: 2004 
Price: US$14.99, C$22.50 
ISBN: 1564147312
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1564147312

I read Ashleen's first book (Raising Witches) years ago, and was
impressed by her common-sense approach to conveying information,
so I was looking forward to seeing this first half of her work on
the Sabbats (the second half, Celebrating the Seasons of Life:
Beltane to Mabon is due out this fall).

By dividing the year into two parts, as did our ancient Celtic
ancestors, Ashleen accomplishes several different things: she
gives herself more space to discuss each Sabbat; she restricts
the space she can devote to each Sabbat; she reinforces the
ancient perception of the division of the year into Winter and
Summer; and she can make it easier to compare rituals, symbolism,
and activities among the Sabbats. Doing it this way also makes it
more convenient for the reader - at a bit more than 200 pages
each book is a more convenient size. If some of these
accomplishments (especially the first two) seem to be
contradictory, that is simply an illustration of life itself. No
one ever claimed that life had to make sense.

Dedicating 40 to 50 pages to each Sabbat -- its lore, rituals,
activities and symbols, allows for an adequate development of a
feeling for the Sabbat while still leaving a thirst for more. It
is that thirst which impels the personal development of Witches
and Wiccans. Too little information frustrates and too much
stifles individual creativity. Ashleen seems to have found a
happy medium in this book. While there are no startling
revelations, it is not a lot of rehashing of other authors. What
you have here is Ashleen's personal take on the topic. Whether
you agree with her or not, you have to respect her desire to
share her own experiences and knowledge, as well as her ability
to convey that knowledge clearly.

She wants to plant ideas in your mind and allow them to grow
within you. I think she does this very well. Her suggested
activities for each Sabbat are fun (and that is, after all, an
important connection to the gods) and easy to do. They can
involve all ages.

This is not the final word on Sabbats. As Ashleen says in the
conclusion "By this time next year, you and I both will be able
to say more about the Sabbats, and how we celebrate them, than we
can right now." It is, however, a good start. If the second book
is as good as this, and I have no reason to doubt that, they will
form a good basis for learning about the relationships among the
Sabbats.

She includes suggestions for casting a circle (for the newbies
among her readers) and suggestions for conveying age-appropriate
information to children about the Sabbats, as well as a short
list of correspondences in the appendices. All of these, as she
reminds us, are simply suggestions, and need to be viewed through
our own experiences.

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


[05-2]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE MEANING OF WITCHCRAFT
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

The Meaning of Witchcraft 	
Author: Gerald Gardner
Trade Paperback, 288 pages 
Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser 
Publication date: 1959, 2004 
Price: US$19.95 
ISBN: 1578633095
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1578633095

If you have been trained in a lineaged tradition of Witchcraft,
you have probably read this book. If you joined the Craft more
than 10 years ago, you have probably read this book. If you don't
fall into either of the above categories, or if you simply
haven't gotten around to reading this book, it is time to pick up
this reprint by Weiser. This was only the second public statement
of Witch beliefs in the modern English-speaking world.

Over the years I have heard a lot of people dispute Gardner's
claims (and claims about Gardner); mostly from people I strongly
suspect have never taken the time to actually read this book.
While we can never know for sure how much Gardner inherited from
his initiators and how much he cobbled together on his won, at
least in this book we have his statements first hand.

I first read this book more than a quarter of a century ago.
Every time I got a copy into my library, I made the mistake of
loaning it out (and losing it). With this reprint, I can now tell
my students where they can get their own copies. It belongs in
the library of every serious student, if only for the historical
value.

One of the things which struck me as I began this book was how
little things have changed in four and a half decades - Churchmen
still preach against the "devil-worshipping Witches," and if
something goes wrong in a locality with a publicly known Witch
anywhere in sight, you can be sure who will get the blame for
"causing" the misfortune.

Say what you will about Gerald Gardner, he knew human nature. He
knew that the public, although curious about Witchcraft, was
reluctant to grant it legitimate religious status. It was all a
thrill to read about in the Sunday papers near Halloween, but no
rational person could possibly believe in it; could they? In his
time, there was no one to present the Witches' side of things.
Nowadays there are too many people presenting "the Witches'" side
of things, and most of them disagree with each other.

In Chapter II ("Witches Memories and Beliefs") the author makes a
statement which many of his detractors seem to have missed: "It
is just what I think, not what I know, because I do not see how
anyone will ever find the first beginnings." [emphasis his] So,
although his religious descendant might treat his theories as
holy writ, he didn't see it that way. Let us grant him the same
consideration we would any other researcher. His beliefs may, or
may not, be disproved, but they at least provided a starting
point for further inquiries.

It is all too easy to dismiss Gardner's writings and speculations
as being his own inventions, but further research has both
supported and supplanted them. He is meticulous about reminding
his reader that these are his ideas about what may have happened.
He should not be held accountable for the actions and beliefs of
those who followed him. He, personally, expresses a level of
tolerance which could be profitably imitated today.

The only thing which current readers may have a problem with is
caused by Gardner's education. He was educated at a time when the
ability to read Latin was a given. Consequently he includes some
quotations from older works in Latin (and some in French) without
providing translations. These instances are few, however, and do
not detract from the value of the work.

Many other authors cite Gardner, and now Red Wheel/Weiser has
made this valuable text easily available. Buy this book. Read it.
You will gain a better understanding of the early days of modern
Wiccan existence.

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


[05-3]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE SEA PRIESTESS
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

The Sea Priestess 	
Author: Dion Fortune
Trade Paperback, 320 pages 
Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser 
Publication date: 1935, 2003 
Price: US$14.95 
ISBN: 1578632900
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1578632900

I have two confessions to make to start this review - First, as
is obvious from the copyright data cited above, this is not a new
book; Second, this is not the first time I have read this book
(although it has been more than 20 years, so it might as well
have been)

Dion Fortune wrote in a time when things were very different; a
time between wars; a time when esoteric matters were held closely
and not discussed in public. The proliferation of texts on
magical matters could not have been imagined. Secret societies
were just that - secret. Their activities were not even hinted at
beyond the membership.

The nonfiction that she wrote was, to describe it politely,
barely informative. Things were hinted at, but no examples of
actual works were given, it wasn't considered proper to put that
information before the public. Her fiction works contained the
examples of practical working, safely "hidden" in the guise of a
novel. Her book The Mystical Qabalah dovetails nicely with the
information in this book. It provides the theory, while The Sea
Priestess provides rituals to apply that theoretical information.

Of course, as a psychologist, she had to be most circumspect. It
would do her professional reputation no good if she appeared too
involved in unorthodox beliefs. Still, her profession gave her an
understanding of the human mind and allowed her to cloak many of
her teachings in ways which would be acceptable to the public.
She did the precaution of writing under a nom-de-plume (besides,
Dion Fortune sounds more appealing to my ears than Violet Firth).

Her descriptions are vivid. If you allow her words to seep into
you, you can see, hear, and smell what she is describing.
However, I have to warn you that if you are looking for a novel
full of "magical warfare," dueling magicians, and lots of
Hollywood-style special effects, you are going to be
disappointed. This book was written as a teaching novel. It is
"Occult Fiction," but has no hint of an "action novel" about it.
It is not a thriller in any sense of the word. It was not
designed to appeal to the masses, but to a select audience
instead. There is no violence; there are no mysteries; no action
sequences. It is, by modern standards, very tame. No sexual
innuendo covering furtive gropings. So why read it?

There are a number of good reasons to read this book. First of
all, it was written before the modern occult revival, so it draws
from older sources. Secondly, the author was a competent magician
in her own right. Thirdly, as a psychologist, she had a real feel
for what makes humankind tick. Finally, it contains very clear
accounts of rituals which many practitioners today would be well
advised to perform - it might help out the world situation.

If, like me, you read this book many years ago, it may be time to
pick it up once again and rediscover forgotten truths. It amazed
me how much more I got from this latest reading of this novel.

If you have never read it before, you might be surprised at the
amount of information contained in this book. Some of that
information has made its way into some of the "traditional"
teachings given to Wiccan students today (often without any
acknowledgement of the source of said information, I might add).

It is well worth the cost, as are any other books by this author.
I recommend that you add this book to your library, or at least
to your list of books to borrow and read. I must warn you,
however, that if you loan it out, you may need to get another
copy. They tend to disappear.

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


[05-4]
=========
========= REVIEW: MEDITATIONS WITH THE CHEROKEE
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Meditations with the Cherokee: Prayers, Songs, and Stories of 
   Healing and Harmony 	
Author: J. T. Garrett
Trade Paperback, 144 pages 
Publisher: Bear & Co. 
Publication date: 2004 
Price: US$12.95, C$20.95 
ISBN: 1879181592
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1879181592

The author is a member of the Eastern band of Cherokee from North
Carolina. He is a public health director in that state, and has
worked for the U.S. Public Health Service, Indian Health
Services. He has trained as a practitioner of Cherokee Medicine.
All of this gives him a unique perspective, as well as a highly
individualized approach to sharing that knowledge with others. He
obtained permission from various elders to share this information
with non-Native Americans, so to fail to do so would be the
height of rudeness.

Unlike many authors, he strives to make the subject of meditation
not only accessible, but fun as well. There are no long, drawn
out preparations is this book. Nor are there dire warnings about
the need for protective preparations. Instead there are simple
directions; easy to understand descriptions; and constant
assurances about the ability of anyone to engage in the practice
of meditation.

The meditations are simple and easy to follow, but that does
nothing to decrease their effectiveness. The purpose of these
meditations is to show, in the words of the Cherokee, "We are all
related." These are meditations which anyone can undertake and
benefit from.

In the New Age community, as well as in the Pagan/Wiccan
communities there has been a great deal of assimilation (or as
some have referred to it, theft) of Native American spirituality.
If one wishes to use Native American imagery and ritual work in
their own workings, there is an obligation to observe a couple of
major points: First, one should familiarize oneself with the
culture being borrowed from, to make sue that things remain in
context (more about this in a moment); and Second, one should
acknowledge the source of the borrowed material and offer
appropriate thanks. Less importantly, but still not to be
overlooked (in my opinion) is the fact that there is not, and
never was, a "Native American religion", There were, and are,
ways of life specific to the tribes, and these vary.

We now return to the context issue. In most Western magickal
traditions there are certain colors associated with the
directions (blue in the East, red in the South, green in the
West, and black in the North as one set of examples). Native
Americans have different associations (the Cherokee use red,
gold or yellow in the East, white or green in the South, black in
the West, and purple or blue in the North). It is obvious, at
least to me, that it could be jarring to the spirits invoked if
the colors they are used to being associated with are not used by
a practitioner. This is where the problem of mixing systems
raises its head. If you use Native American imagery, use the
appropriate symbols and colors. If you don't feel comfortable
doing that, then you shouldn't use that imagery.

If you take the time to do the meditations Mr. Garrett presents,
with an open mind, you will find yourself being drawn into a much
more intimate relationship with the world around you. You will
find that it is easier to bring yourself into balance with life.

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

[05-5]
=========
========= REVIEW: MEDICINE OF THE CHEROKEE
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Medicine of the Cherokee: The Way of Right Relationship 	
Author: J. T. Garrett and Michael Garrett
Trade Paperback, 220 pages 
Publisher: Bear & Co 
Publication date: 1996 
Price: US$14.00, C$22.95 
ISBN: 1879181371
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1879181371

Truth to tell, I know very little about Native American religious
beliefs. That is one of the reasons I requested this book (and
the next one I will be reviewing). The authors are members of the
Eastern Band of Cherokee from North Carolina, and thus have the
advantage of speaking from traditional teachings and knowledge,
even though they have developed their own techniques for passing
that knowledge along to those who do not share the same
background and upbringing.

This book, which is divided into two separate parts, is very easy
to read and, if you read it with an open mind, full of valuable
information. Although it is not the ultimate reference on the
topic, it is a good starting point, and well worth the small
cost. It is important to realize that the authors use the term
"medicine" to mean more than just healing. In the Native American
experience "medicine" is about the individual's relationship to
the world and all its inhabitants. If you want to learn about
healing techniques, this book is not for you. If you wish to
learn about your place in the world, open this book up and begin
the learning process.

They do not share the rituals and procedures -- those are held as
intensely personal and private, so if that is what you are
looking for, you won't find it here. What you will find is a
wealth of stories and experiences which can be related to by
anyone. Native peoples around the world share a common heritage
which permeates, and indeed is, the natural world we all inhabit.
The words used to describe that world and our experiences in it
might be different, but not the actuality of it.

The goal of the authors is to help their readers find the most
harmonious way of living. One of the problems they encounter is
that the techniques they describe are too easy. Many people today
expect to have to "work hard" to gain any useful knowledge. They
expect to be challenged and tested. Learning from stories is
foreign to their experience, they want to be given facts and
figures. This modern way is not the way such knowledge has
traditionally been imparted in the families and villages of the
past. One learned from personal experience, and from listening to
those who were older and more experienced as they discussed their
own growth and learning experiences.

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

[05-6]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE WITCH'S SHIELD
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

The Witch's Shield: Protection Magick & Psychic Self-Defense 	
Author: Christopher Penczak
Trade Paperback, 203 pages 
Publisher: Llewellyn 
Publication date: 2004 
Price: US$19.95, C$26.95 
ISBN: 073870542X
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=073870542X

The CD that comes with this book is like attending a class taught
by Mr. Penczak. There is an extremely subtle background of music.
Chris speaks in a controlled, pleasant voice and allows plenty of
time to attune oneself to his style and the experiences being
undergone. While nothing can replace the person-to-person
interplay of a "real" class, this CD/book combination comes
close. It is the first in a projected series designed to bring
his classes to those unable to attend in person, for whatever
reason.

Unlike many authors, Christopher admits to not being perfect. He
makes mistakes, has doubts, and, in general, comes across as a
real human being; unlike many other authors who strive to hide
their imperfections from their readers. This makes his lessons
all the more accessible and believable, since the reader can
understand how he arrived at the information he is passing along.

While I do not share all his attitudes regarding shielding and
healing (we have had very different training and life
experiences), I am familiar with his sources and know that they
are effective. The single most important part of this kind of
working is confidence in yourself and the techniques you use.
Christopher works hard to instill that confidence. The techniques
he teaches are relatively simple, and highly effective. If you
want to learn simple, effective methods of shielding yourself,
this is an excellent book to own.

Listening to the CD which accompanies this book will provide you
with a template for your own rituals. Christopher's voice will
gently lead you through the rituals and the intonations. I do
wish, however, that he had inserted notes in the text referring
the reader to the appropriate track when discussing the
techniques. That was my only quibble with this combination, which
I hope inspires other authors to include CDs with books on ritual
techniques. Not having a feeling for cadence, or pronunciation of
unfamiliar terms is often a deterrent for learning new techniques
when just starting out.

           This review is available on our web site at
              http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bktws.php
            
            
[05-7]
=========
========= REVIEW: GREEN SPIRITUALITY
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Green Spirituality: Magic in the Midst of Life 	
Author: Rosa Romani
Trade Paperback, 217 pages 
Publisher: Green Magic 
Publication date: 2004 
Price: US$16.99 
ISBN: 0954296362
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0954296362

Ms. Romani starts this book with an idea which is seldom
expressed in today's world - religion and spirituality are not
necessarily synonyms. That assumption underlies the foundation of
this book. The desire to connect with divinity often inspires us
to look to mythology, the deep recesses of the earth and the
furthest reaches of the vastness of space. She suggests that we
look a bit closer to home -- to the other inhabitants of this
world through which we travel daily. Let us look to all the
creatures that move upon the face of this planet, as well as to
the forces which shape the planet. And let us not forget the
planet itself -- the rocks and waters, the winds and fires. All
of these have much to teach us, if only we will open our minds to
hear what is being offered.

She is well aware of the differences which go into making up
humanity. No -- not gender, race and nationality, but different
abilities. Many authors have written about the necessity of
reconnecting with the natural world, often by taking a walk in
the forest or on a sea shore without offering alternatives for
those who, for whatever reason, are incapable of enjoying those
activities -- those who are crippled, those who are deaf, etc.
Ms. Romani acknowledges these differing abilities and makes
accommodations for them in her suggestions.

There are no gods or goddesses mentioned in this book. It is not
about worship in any way, shape, or form. It is about working
with the inhabitants of the land -- plant, land, animal, and
human constructs. As such, some Pagans may find this book not to
their liking. The ideas contained within this book are well
within the ethics of Paganism.

Ms. Romani has a tendency to see our ancestors as having lived in
a low-impact relationship with the environment, which I am not so
sure is in tune with reality. There is no doubt that
industrialization had major impact on the quality of our
environment, but so to did slash and burn land clearing which
came much earlier. As the human population expanded, so did the
degradation of the environment. That occurred long before the
impact of non-Pagan religions. Let us not over-idealize our pagan
ancestors.

Ms. Romani advocates a lifestyle which represents a major
alteration in attitude for the vast majority of her readers.
Although she stresses that, in her opinion, it is a necessary
part of reclaiming our connection to the energy of the world
around us, I suspect that many readers will be put off by the
hints of radicalism which permeate this book. That doesn't make
it any less valuable, just less palatable to many readers.

Unfortunately, I suspect that this is book which will be agreed
with, in principle, by a large number of people, but followed by
very few. She represents what, I feel, is a very small segment of
the Pagan population. I'm not sure if that segment is growing at
this time or not, but I have the personal feeling that it will be
a very long time before it can be considered anything but a
fringe element in the worldview, regardless how many adherents it
picks up, simply because of the inertia of Western society at
large.

It is a valuable, well-written book, well worth the time and
effort to read and absorb it. My only regret in regard to it is
that it will probably be overlooked by a lot of folks who would
find it valuable in their own lives. It doesn't contain any of
the "buzz" words on the front cover (Pagan, Wiccan, radical,
etc.), the cover is fairly subdued in appearance, and there is
nothing to indicate how life-altering the information within can
be.

If readers turn to the back cover, they will see that this book
is classified, by the publishers, as "Spirituality/Green
Awareness/Wildwood Magic", which does nothing to clarify the
issue. Many people will assume that it has to do with landscaping
or similar ideas, I fear.

Take the time to read this book and you will find yourself
questioning your beliefs about the relationships between humanity
and the "natural world." It may not change your mind, but it
might make you rethink your reasons for believing as your do. If
for no other reason, that makes this a worthwhile book.

           This review is available on our web site at
            http://www.ecauldron.com/mg/bkgsmitmol.php
            
            
[05-8]
=========
========= REVIEW: SELF-INITIATION FOR THE SOLITARY WITCH
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Self-Initiation for the Solitary Witch: Attaining Higher 
   Spirituality Through a Five-Degree System 	
Author: Shanddaramon
Trade Paperback, 256 pages 
Publisher: New Page Books 
Publication date: 2000 
Price: US$14.99, C$20.95 
ISBN: 1564147266
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1564147266

Wicca as a system of five degrees? Why not? It seems to be the
growing trend nowadays. The degree system, even less then any
other aspect of Wicca is not set in stone. I have worked in
systems using one, three and five degrees each, myself.

If one correlates the degrees to the elements within a five
degree system, my only disagreement with the concept of this
particular layout is with the starting point. I feel, personally,
that the first degree should be Earth - for the grounding and
stability it brings, not Air. Still, if the system works, and
only time will tell about that, what I feel isn't important.

One thing I have a real problem with, regardless who the author
or publisher of a book might be, is sloppy reporting of facts.
The section of this work entitled "Wiccan History" (pages 71-76)
gave me such a problem. On page 71 the author refers to some
claims as "...dating back before pre-Christian times." So, what,
exactly, was before "pre-Christian times"? -- except for
everything prior to the incarnation of Jesus? It doesn't get any
better. Page 73 identifies 1692 as "The Burning Times". Funny, I
remember the Burning Times as being during the Medieval period of
history (well before the 17th century); 1184 as "Founding of the
Hermetic Society" - did he mean the Hermetic Order of the Golden
Dawn? On page 74 he says in regard to 1947 - "It is commonly
believed that Gardner and Dafo start the New Forest Coven,
England." The coven was well-established before Gardner joined.
Page 75 has, for 1971, "What Witches Do by Stewart Farrar -
Comprehensive discussion and rituals of Gardnerian tradition."
Sorry, the topic of the book was the Alexandrian tradition. None
of these, it is true, and major problems, but with so many slips
in only 6 pages, it makes me wonder how accurate other
information in this book actually is. When attempting to lay a
foundation, particular attention must be paid to the details.

I understand the concepts of self-empowerment, and of self-
initiation. However, telling the student to write a First Degree
Initiation without, at least, a brief listing of items of
importance in such a ritual is just a bit wide of the mark, in my
opinion. Of course, I come to this topic as a lineaged initiate,
so I do have a bias to overcome. I would have suggested that it
should revolve around the concepts of death and rebirth, if
nothing else. The format is not as important as the theme, in my
experience.

I really appreciate the fact that he stresses, throughout the
book, the need for experience as well as, if not more than,
intellectual knowledge. That, plus the fact that he reminds the
student that self-written rituals are far more powerful than any
you might find in a book, goes a long way towards making this a
worthwhile resource.

I'm not sure why he chose red light as a symbol for using your
aura as a shield, but it makes sense. If someone is directing
energy at you, and they sense a red color, it may trigger a
normal "red equals danger" though, and cause them the back away.
It isn't the way I was trained, but it makes sense, and I will be
experimenting with it.

In the chapter on Third Degree, the author makes a suggestion
which many practitioners would do well to adopt. He refers to the
creation of magickal books, such as one devoted to ritual use,
one listing the books you have read (with a commentary on what
you found useful, etc.), a divination notebook, one devoted to
symbols, etc. Quite often people find themselves searching for
one particular bit of information that seems to stay just out of
reach of their memory. By sorting this information into separate
books, it can narrow down the search area and time. Plus, as
one's experiences and researches grow, trying to keep it all in a
single book becomes quite cumbersome. Further, if you decide (at
some point) to teach you can use the appropriate books as an aid
without overwhelming a student.

As a plan of study and growth, this book offers a good deal to
think about and incorporate into a personal development plan. I
have a few reservations about some of the sequencing, but there
is no reason it wouldn't work as planned. So long as one is
capable of being honest with themselves when it comes to
evaluating their needs and progress, it will aid development.
Whether you plan to continue as a solitary, or found your own
group, the training outlined in this book is worthwhile.

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

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

[06-1]
=========
========= ONLINE WITCHCRAFT AND PAGAN COURSES
========= by Jenett
=========

There are some great courses out there, and some questionable
ones. It's not always easy to tell which is which. (A note: when
I say 'courses' in this article, I mean witchcraft, Pagan, or
related classes, not academic classes.)

=====
===== The issue of text
=====
 
All the online witchcraft/Pagan courses I've seen are text based
(sometimes with illustrations). This means that they can only
teach things that can be put into words or pictures. Someone can
be a good teacher without being a good writer.
 
There are lots of different writing styles. Some work well
online. Others don't. Different styles can work best for
different topics. Writing for beginners is different than writing
for people familiar with a topic. It's fairly easy for a decent
teacher who's also a decent writer to teach factual material
online (information about a particular culture, folklore,
history, etc.) It's harder to talk about practical or
experiential learning.
 
It's possible to effectively teach basic herbal information or
safety concerns through text. It's harder to teach someone to
make herbal preparations, or for a teacher to give feedback.
(It's also harder to learn to identify plants if you can't hold
them and smell them.)
 
The same goes for teaching energy techniques or ritual methods.
In in an online class, you may not think to mention a particular
impression or feeling. You may not have words for it. In a face
to face class, a teacher might notice a glitch even if you can't
find explain it.
 
There are also subjects that can't be taught, such as religious
mysteries. Part of this is definitional: mysteries are something
you need to experience. But there's another aspect that people
sometimes forget: text-based teaching (as online classes pretty
much have to be right now) puts us in a intellectual mindset.
This works great for some kinds of learning, but not for all.
Part of designing a good course is making sure you're using a
format that suits the material.

===== 
===== The quality of the teacher
=====
 
Successful online teaching means that the teacher has to know
their subject, and be comfortable communicating about it online.
Unfortunately, a number of online classes don't manage this well.
  
In some cases, teachers have only been studying that subject for
a year or two. They don't have a wide range of experience. They
often don't have much practice dealing with less common
questions, concerns, or problems.
 
It takes time to develop a deeper understanding of a subject. It
also takes time to learn how to teach a topic. Teaching in person
gives the teacher feedback they need to improve as a teacher.
It's much harder to get that online.
 
Other teachers of online classes have extensive in-person
teaching experience. However, their online interactions sometimes
show that they're not very comfortable communicating online, or
with people from a range of different backgrounds, technical
abilities, or communication styles.
 
Sometimes they aren't very familiar with online group dynamics.
Maybe they aren't good at reading for tone, or using tools to
help avoid misunderstandings. They don't always understand the
different ways people interact online. These types of problems
can definitely get in the way of learning.
 
There's nothing wrong with informal or casual writing, as long as
the meaning is clear and the student can find the information
they want or need. The problems start when there's confusion,
ambiguity, or poor communication.
 
Finally, sometimes people claim skills or training they don't
actually have. For example, people have claimed to offer training
and initiation in the Gardnerian or Alexandrian traditions solely
through online interactions. That just isn't how those traditions
work. If you're interested in learning about a particular path,
research the path first.
 
=====
===== The question of time
=====
 
Most people write more slowly than they talk. It therefore takes
the teacher more time to write an email than to have that
discussion in person. How much information can they share,
especially if they've got other obligations (a job, family, or
other commitments)? In a face to face class, other students hear
all the questions, answers, and discussion: there's less
repetition and the conversation goes faster.
 
How much does the teacher go beyond the pre-written material? If
you ask a question, do you get a quick, superficial answer, or a
more involved one? Do you get some pointers, or are you brushed
off?
 
I've seen a number of very generic, superficial answers to
questions. Often, there's not even an acknowledgement that
they're doing a surface answer and there's to learn about that
topic. That's not very good teaching.
 
=====
===== Original material
=====
 
These days, there are many books out there on a variety of Pagan
topics. What does this class or this teacher offer that books don
t?
 
In some cases, the answer's obvious. They're teaching how a
specific group does things, or they're providing information that
isn't readily available in book form (such as some Kemetic
online classes do). This is an excellent reason for an online
class. Classes can also offer a chance to talk to like-minded
people.
 
In other cases, the answer is harder. Sometimes people put a lot
of time and effort into their material, but what they're teaching
is available in a number of other sources. What added value do
you get from the class? Access to an involved, experienced
teacher who's good at communicating online or an ongoing active
community are great reasons to take a class. But is that really
what you're getting?
 
=====
===== Evaluation
=====
 
How does the teacher decide if you've learned something? Many
students like feedback. However, a lot of online classes use some
flawed evaluation methods.
 
Some classes use multiple choice questions. These may be easy to
answer if you've read the material. To test true understanding
and analysis, you usually need other kinds of questions: short
essays or some application of the material.
 
However, it's also easier to grade and correct multiple choice or
short answer tests than it is to grade even short essays (ask any
school teacher). If you've got one volunteer teacher, 20
students, and lots of questions, that can take time. On the other
hand, more in-depth questions and responses generally result in
better understanding.
 
What happens if you're trying to teach skills, not just
knowledge? How do you tell (online) if your student is able to
ground, center, or do various ritual or energy tasks? Some kinds
of assignments from the teacher (keeping a journal, describing
the process, asking them to teach the method they use in their
own words) give a much better idea than others.
 
What does completing the class really mean? If you're learning
for yourself, this may not matter. If you're expecting benefits
or recognition in other parts of the community, look carefully.
 
=====
===== Practicalities: Scheduling and money
=====
 
Scheduling can work two ways: classes are offered at specific
times, or people work at their own pace. The first one is hard if
something comes up (even for a very good reason) for either
teacher or student. In an online setting, it can be hard to catch
up.
 
Does the teacher keep going on schedule? What happens if people
don't turn in assignments? How do they feel if no one responds?
(It can be awfully disheartening.)
 
Working at your own pace, these things aren't a big problem.
However, you may not have immediate access to a teacher if you
have concerns or questions. This makes more of a difference with
types of content than others.
 
Charging for teaching is a huge issue in the Pagan community, and
it doesn't go away online. When you pay, what are you paying for?
Do all funds go for expenses? Are teachers paid for their time?
It can be a warning sign if some people in a group get paid for
their time, but teachers are volunteer. If you're paying a lot of
money, how much time with the teacher do you get?
 
=====
===== Conclusion
=====
 
If you're looking at a course, think about what you really want.
Are you looking for information, community, or help with a
specific topic? Can you find those things elsewhere? If you want
interaction with a teacher, does that course really provide it?
Or would you better off reading books and finding a forum to
discuss them?
 
Once you look at specific courses, does a particular teacher know
what they're doing? Do they have a reasonable amount of
experience? If they're new to teaching, what support do they
have?
 
How do they communicate? Do they seem secure, even if you ask
questions? Do they seem to understand and use subtlety in their
online writing? Or is everything very concrete?
 
Does the course seem fair to the teacher, as well as to you?
Trust your instincts. If something seems odd or weird, don't make
commitments until you've figured out why. Take the time to find
the right place for you.


[06-2]
=========
========= Common Questions About Paganism
========= by Sasha
=========

If you are just discovering paganism, the wealth of information
may seem overwhelming. I have compiled a list of questions that
are often heard from newcomers. These are broad questions that
can be hard to answer with specific information tailored to each
individual. Hopefully, this FAQ will give you information you can
use to narrow down your search.

Q. Where do I start?

A. This is a near-universal question. I recommend a little
introspection. Are you looking for a religion (consisting of
worship of deities) or are you interested in a magical craft?
While some pagan religions blend the two, many do not. Pagan
religions range from reconstructionist to eclectic. Many practice
witchcraft or ceremonial magic without religious overtones. Where
do your interests lie?

Becoming familiar with the lingo of paganism and the definitions
of often-used terms is important. You will discover that
definitions vary (and often result in heated arguments). As you
are starting out, learning to differentiate between pagan,
Wiccan, and witch is important. Which leads us to the next
question. . .

Q. What is the difference between a pagan, Wiccan, and witch?

A. Contrary to the opinion of some popular authors, the terms are
not synonymous. Paganism is often used as an umbrella term to
describe pagan religions. Wicca is but one of these religions.
Reconstructionist religions (Hellenismos, Asatru, Kemeticism,
etc.) are another kind. Wicca and recon religions have very
little in common with each other as religious practices. Still
other types of pagan religions exist, such as Gywddon, Feri,
Discordianism, and Satanism.

Wicca is one practice of religious witchcraft. (Dianic paganism
is often considered another.) While all Wiccans are witches, not
all witches are Wiccans (or even pagan). Witchcraft can be
practiced in conjunction with any compatible religion, or as a
practice unto itself.

Q. Do all pagans follow the rede?

A. No. Each religion has its own system of ethics, many of which
are antithetical to "harming none." Also, Wiccans themselves
disagree as to the meaning and importance of the rede. Many note
that "harm none" is a shortened version that does not faithfully
encompass the whole poem's meaning. There is a wealth of articles
on the web that provide more information.

Q. How can I find a coven or group to practice with?

A. The first stop for finding someone in your area is
www.witchvox.com. Their directory is the most complete one on the
web, especially for Wicca. However, many people are not listed in
the directory. If you live in a rural area, it may be difficult
to find someone to practice with. If you do find someone, he or
she may not have the same beliefs or practices that you do.

Patience is a virtue in finding a coven or group. It may mean
networking or searching for a long time to find the group that
you fit with. It may be best to remain solitary rather than
becoming part of a group that does not meet your needs, or, even
worse, is unethical.

Q. The coven I found says I'm too young. Now what?

A. Many covens and groups have an age requirement due to legal
fears. Some have the limit because they feel that an underage
person does not have enough maturity to practice with them.
Whatever the reason, don't be discouraged: the religion will
still exist when you are older.

Many of our members have excellent ideas for how you can begin
your training while still underage. Sana's page,
http://www.homecircle.info/Ayoungletter.html, is pertinent for
aspiring Wiccans, although some of her advice applies to other
religions as well. Ready mythology and history, learn languages.
Being well-read will give you an excellent foundation for future
pagan studies (and it doesn't hurt for other aspects of your
life, either!).

Q. What are your beliefs in deity?

A. There are many kinds of belief. Some believe in the gods as
archetypes. Others believe that gods have many facets and that
all gods are really one. Still others believe that each god is a
separate and distinct entity. These are just three types of
belief. Others include monotheism, pantheism, and henotheism.

Exploring how you see deity may help you in your search to find
the religion that best fits you. For example, reconstructionists
tend to be overwhelmingly hard polytheists.

Q. How do I determine which god(dess) to worship?

A. There are many ways to connect with deity. On the historical
level, a first step includes reading the myths associated with
those gods that you are interested in. Read modern takes on myths
and talk with people who worship those gods today. This may be
difficult if you are interested in a culture with few written
records or have been called by a deity whose name you don't know.
Praying to that deity and honoring him or her will help you
develop a relationship with that deity.

Many will tell you that you don't choose which deity to worship;
the deity will choose you. Don't feel disappointed if this
doesn't happen right away (or ever). Some pagans don't ever get
called by a particular deity.

Keep in mind that you might not end up worshipping the deity (or
pantheon) that you initially chose. This is a common occurrence
as well.


[06-3]
=========
========= FENG-SHUI FOR BUSINESS AND OFFICE
========= by Lynn Ristich
=========

Feng-Shui in your place of business is as important as in your
home. The most important determinant is to try to protect your
back from either an open door, other desk or a window. Try to
place your desk in a commanding position, but not aiming at
colleagues because this could create an unconscious feeling of
hostility.

The area around your immediate work space should be neat and free
from clutter. Especially at floor level it is helpful to group
together wires to that they don't create a mass of crossed and
conflicting energies.

"Desk clutter" might be near impossible to avoid, but you should
try to guard against semipermanent piles of paper. Try to sort
through it at least once every few days. Any pile of paper that
is consistently ignored will accumulate a negative chi.

If you have an office to yourself, you have the opportunity to
work in the northern sector to enhance your career or the south
east sector to enhance your wealth. Try to avoid sharp angled
desk lights. A curved neck banker's lamp is better. Book cases
should be kept neat or be cover by doors to avoid cutting Sha,

The attractiveness of the entrance to the place of business
cannot be over -stressed. The reception area just inside the door
should be welcoming and free of clutter.

Obviously for a business the southeast sector, the wealth sector,
is the relevant one. Here the element is wood, and wood is
produced by water. A fountain, a fish tank or pond placed in this
sector will improve the wealth potential of the business.

If you Don't have much control over office decor there are still
effective changes you can make at home.

For career advancement, first analyze the external influences on
the northern side of your home. Check all windows facing this
direction for visible secret arrows. Any invisible "secret
arrows" which are screened off so you cannot see them, have no
effect.

If improving your career is your goal, then plan to stimulate the
northern sector identified with water. What produces water?
Metal. A suitable metal Chi enhancer is a hollow, metal wind
chime placed in this sector. Do not over emphasize the earth
element in the northern sector by use of crystals or other earth-
oriented items. The color of this sector is dark blue or black.
Adding a blue light in this sector is helpful. A fish tank
directly symbolizing water is also good, but you should choose
blue or black fish, avoiding red or gold fish.

Do not place plants in the northern sector at home nor work as
they will sap the vitality of water in this sector

Applying these Feng-Shui principles will enhance your career
opportunities, prosperity and luck.

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

Mrs. Lynn is a Feng-Shui consultant with more than 25 years'
experience. Author and lecturer. Seen on CBS Morning News. Writer
of "Ask The Psychic" in the Chicago Suntimes. Recently published
in "Crain's Chicago Business". For more information visit 
http://www.asklynn.net/


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

This month, originally the first in the year, is named after
Mars, the God of War. He was the son of Jupiter and Juno, the
king and queen of the gods, and was generally represented in a
shining suit of armour, with a plumed helmet on his head, a spear
in one hand, and a shield in the other. His chariot was driven by
the Goddess of War, Bellona, who also watched over his safety in
battle; for the gods often took part in the battles which were
constantly raging on the earth. During the great fight between
the gods and the giants to decide who was to rule the world, Mars
was captured by two of the giants, who bound him with iron chains
and kept watch over him day and night. After over a year of
captivity he was freed by the clever god Mercury, who succeeded
in loosening the chains so silently that the giants heard no
sound. Mars also took part in the Trojan War, when he was
actually wounded.

Mars was loved by Venus, the Goddess of Beauty, but wishing to
keep their love a secret from the other gods, they met only
during the night, and Mars appointed his servant Alectryon to
keep watch and to call him before the sun rose as he did not wish
Apollo, the Sun God, to see them. One night Alectryon fell
asleep, and so was too late to warn Mars of the sun's approach.
Apollo saw them from his chariot as he drove across the sky, and
told Vulcan, the God of Fire, who caught them in a net of steel,
and thus held them prisoner, while the other gods made fun of
them. As soon as he was set free, Mars, who was filled with anger
against Alectryon for failing in his duty, changed  him into a
cock, and driving him into a farmyard, condemned him to give
warning every day of the sun's rising--a fanciful explanation why

      "the cock with lively din,
  Scatters the rear of darkness thin".
          MILTON--L'Allegro.

The gods, though they themselves were immortal--that is, could
never die, nor even grow old--yet sometimes married mortal, the
men or women whom they found on the earth, and Mars fell in love
with a beautiful girl named Ilia, who had given up her life to
serve in the temple of Vesta, the Goddess of Fire. It was the
duty of these priestesses of Vesta to guard the fire which
continually burned on the altar of the goddess, for the safety of
the people was thought to depend on this sacred flame. No Vestal,
as these priestesses were called, was allowed to marry, under
penalty of death. Ilia, however, in spite of her solemn promise,
consented to marry Mars, and keeping her marriage a secret,
continued to live in the temple. In course of time she had two
sons, Romulus and Remus. Her father and mother, hearing that she
had broken her vow, ordered the full punishment of her crime to
be carried out; the mother was buried alive, and the children
were left in the forest to be killed by the wild beasts.

Thus Ilia perished, but the children were wonderfully saved, so
the story tells us, by a wolf, who cared for them as if they had
been her own young. They were soon after found by a shepherd, who
took them to his home, where they grew up to be strong and brave
men. As soon as they had reached manhood they left their home and
went out into the world to seek their fortune. Coming to a
beautiful country of hills and valleys, they decided to build a
great city; but before they had even finished the outer walls,
they quarreled about the name which was to be given to it when
it was built. Romulus lost his temper and struck his brother
Remus, so that he fell dead to the ground. With the help of a
band of wicked and cruel men like himself, Romulus at last
succeeded in building a city, which, called Rome, after its
founder's name, was to become one of the most famous cities the
world has ever known.

Romulus became the first king of Rome, but he ruled so harshly
that the senators, the chief men of the city, determined to rid
themselves of him. During an eclipse of the sun, which darkened
the city just at the time when Romulus and the senators were
assembled in the marketplace, the senators fell on the king with
their swords and slew him. They then cut his body into small
pieces, which they hid beneath their cloaks. When the light
returned and the people found that their king had disappeared,
the senators told them that Romulus had been carried off by the
gods to Mount Olympus, and ordered a temple to be built in his
honour on one of the seven hills of Rome.

Mars took the city of Rome under his special protection, and is
said to have sent a shield from heaven, during a time of plague,
as a sign that he would always watch over the city. The Romans,
afraid lest the shield should be stolen, had eleven other shields
made, so like the first that only the priests who guarded them in
the temple of Mars could tell which was the one sent from heaven.
These priests were called Salii, the Leapers, because they danced
war dances when, during the month of March, the shields were
carried in a procession through the streets of Rome.

To Mars, as the God of War, the Romans naturally turned for help
in war-time, and a Roman general, before setting out, went into
the temple of Mars and, touching the sacred shield with the point
of his spear, cried "Mars, watch over us!"

The training-ground of the Roman soldiers was called Campus
Martius (the Field of Mars), in honour of the God of War, and it
was commonly believed that Mars himself led their army into
battle and helped to give them the victory. March was named after
Mars because of its rough and boisterous weather, and we find the
same idea in the minds of the Angles and Saxons, who called it
Hlythmonath--the loud or stormy month. Another name for it was
Lenctenmonath, the lengthening month, because it is during March
that the days rapidly become longer.


[06-5]
=========
========= TAROT DECKS COME IN THREE FLAVORS
========= by Joey Robichaux
========= 

Interested in learning how to read Tarot cards? If so, one of
your first decisions will be "What style of deck should I use".

Although there are now hundreds of brands of Tarot decks, most
fall into one of three general styles -- Marseilles, Rider-Waite-
Smith (also called Rider-Waite, or just RWS), and Thoth.

There are 78 cards in a Tarot deck -- 13 cards in each of four
different suits, plus an extra 22 cards called the "Trump" cards.
These 22 trump cards are known as the Major Arcana, the remaining
56 cards are called the Minor Arcana. It's the treatment of the
Major and Minor Arcana that determines which general style your
deck follows.

The first style -- Marseilles -- follows the traditional, old-
school style found in early Tarot decks. The artwork on the Major
Arcana tends to be simple and limited to only a few colors. The
Minor Arcana looks much like ordinary playing cards -- there are
four face cards (King, Queen, Knight, Page) and 10 "pip" cards
(Ace through Ten). Again, the artwork on the face cards tends to
be simple. The pip cards don't have artwork other than a "pip"
count. For instance, a Five of Swords will have five swords
depicted on the card.

The Marseilles style looks so much like playing cards because
Tarot decks were originally used to play a card game! It wasn't
until later that mystics began to use these decks for divinatory
purposes.

The second style of deck -- RWS (After Rider, the publisher,
Waite, the designer, and Smith, the artist) -- was published in
the early 1900's. It was designed from the very beginning for
magickal use.

Because of this, the artwork is much more complex and symbolic.
The Major Arcana and the face cards are much more colorful,
lifelike, and detailed. It's the Minor Arcana, though, where
you'll find the main difference.

Rather than use simple counts, the artist (Pamela Coleman Smith
-- who also illustrates children's adventure stories) decided to
draw vignettes of people engaged in some phase of everyday life.
Because of this, the pip cards are highly enriched and yield many
thoughtful perspectives -- what are the people thinking, what are
their motivations, what are their fears, etc -- to enrich Tarot
readings.

The final deck style is the Thoth style -- named after a deck
designed by Aleister Crowley and painted by Lady Freida Harris.
The Thoth deck was intended for magickal use from the very
beginning. The paintings are surrealistic and highly symbolic.
Thoth adds a new technique to the mix, though. Each card of the
Minor Arcana has a subheading describing some motivation or
aspect -- Lust, Fear, blah, blah, etc. Because of this, some
readers find it easy to read with Thoth decks. Thoth decks also
make it easy to draw from other esoteric disciplines --
astrology, for example -- in order to create inspired Tarot
readings.

Most decks you'll find in a bookstore will follow one of these
three basic styles. Marseilles styles will use pip counts, RWS
styles will use pip scenes, and Thoth styles tend to be
surrealistic but label the Minor Arcana with additional
descriptions.

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

Joey Robichaux rides the weekly consultant road warrior circuit.
He uses Tarot to find perspectives on business problems and also
maintains dozens of web sites, including one of the oldest sheet
music websites on the Internet -- Free Sheet Music at
http://www.freesheetmusic.net/ -- and also the Woodsong Tarot site
at http://www.woodsongtarot.com/


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

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

There were no recipe submissions this month.


[07-2]
=========
========= HUMOR: PAGAN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
========= Author Unknown
=========

Q: What do you say to an angry witch?
A: Ribbit

Q: What's the best thing about Pagan friends?
A: They worship the ground you walk on.

Q: How can you tell a blonde pagan closed the circle?
A: There's white-out on the floor

Q: Why do witches use Brooms?
A: Because nature abhors a vacuum.

Q: What do ya' call 13 Witches in a hot tub?
A: A Self-Cleaning Coven

Q: What happens when a Ceremonial Magician gets angry?
A: He goes Qua-ballistic.

Q: What do you get when you cross a Zen Buddhist and a Druid?
A: Someone who worships the tree that is not there.


[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]
=========
========= The Proper Way to Use The Robots.txt File
========= by Jimmy Whisenhunt
=========

When optimizing your web site most webmasters don't consider
using the robots.txt file. This is a very important file for your
site. It let the spiders and crawlers know what they can and can
not index. This is helpful in keeping them out of folders that
you do not want index like the admin or stats folder or content
that they can not index.

Here is a list of variables that you can include in a robots.txt
file and there meaning:

1)User-agent: In this field you can specify a specific robot to
describe access policy for or a “*” for all robots more explained
in example.

2)Disallow: In the field you specify the files and folders not to
include in the crawl.

3)# the number sign represents comments 

Here are some examples of a robots.txt file for redball.com

User-agent: *
Disallow: 

The above would let all spiders index all content.

Here another example

User-agent: *
Disallow: /cgi-bin/

The above would block all spiders from indexing the cgi-bin
directory.

User-agent: googlebot
Disallow: 

User-agent: *
Disallow: /admin.php
Disallow: /cgi-bin/
Disallow: /admin/
Disallow: /stats/

In the above example googlebot can index everything while all
other spiders can not index admin.php, cgi-bin, admin, and stats
directory. Notice that you can block single files like admin.php.

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

Jimmy Whisenhunt is the owner of VIP Enterprises


[08-2]
=========
========= Three Tips You Can Use Right Now to Improve 
=========    Your Web Site's Usability
========= by Jason Mann
=========

Three Tips You Can Use Right Now to Improve Your Web sites Usability   
by Jason Mann

Studies done by Jakob Nielson the man touted as the, "King of
usability" by Internet Magazine showed that people do not read on
the web like they would normally read offline.

So what does this mean to you and why should you care?

Visitors to your web sites are in a rush, they want the
information you promised and they want it NOW.

If they don't get the information they want they will leave and
this means you lose the sale, the opt-in or whatever action you
want the visitor to take while at your site.

The following 3 tips will help you give your visitors what they
want and in a way that will increase your web sites usability.

=====
===== 1. Concise Text
=====

By keeping your paragraphs down to one single idea you can help
speed up how your visitor absorbs your information.

For example, instead of:

"In today’s market place many people tend to become overwhelmed
with the over hyped and highly charged writing that most web
sites employ to gain visitors business. This causes people to be
turned off by the sites language and ultimately they will click
the back button on their browser and leave."

Why not say,

"Today more than ever people are turned off by over hyped
marketing language of websites they visit and because of this
frustration they will end up leaving your site."

See how that short, to the point paragraph says the same thing
but quicker?

Go through your home page first and take out long, multiple
thought paragraphs and edit them down to be precise. One idea per
paragraph once you finish your thought (in 3-4 lines) start
another paragraph.

=====
===== 2. Scannable Text
=====

Web site users do not read online text. They scan it.

Use short bold text, for example in the form of a hyperlink, to
make important information stick out from the page.

Bullet lists are an invaluable tool as well. Put your important
sets of words in bullets. For example instead of,

"You will learn how to create your own web site, design pages
that load faster, pick the right color scheme, and improve your
sites navigation."

Use this,

"You will learn:

How to create your own web site

Design pages that load faster

Pick the right color scheme

And improve your sites navigation."

Use Subheadings through out the page.

As you go through your pages pick out the important points and
put them in heading tags. Heading 2 and 3 work the best but the
heading 1 tag will also work.

This will break the page up for the reader and they will be able
to get the information they want simply by scanning your pages.

=====
===== 3. Be Objective
=====

Far to many web sites are "me" oriented. In other words your site
is about making money for you and you want your visitor to stay
at your site and buy from you.

So what do you do?

You force them to stay at your site even if they are not
interested in your product or service any longer.

Doing this only serves to damage your reputation and cause
visitors to leave with a bad taste in their mouth.

Being objective means putting links to other related sites
through out your web pages and allowing the visitor the free will
to either stay at your site or leave and find the information
they are looking for somewhere else.

In the end this is not a bad thing because you, as the site
owner, can direct them to the sites you want them to go to.

However, seeding your pages with a bunch of recommendations to
other sales sites is not the smartest way to do this.

Offer them free information along with sites that you receive
compensation from as well.

This way you are being objective and offering your visitor
valuable information they can use at the same time.

In Conclusion

Take a few days and walk through your web site and find the long
paragraphs and make them more concise.

Bold important text, create subheadings for extremely important
points and create more bullet lists where needed.

Finally, add more out bound links to your information and show
them you are objective and care about their needs.

Internet users are getting tired of the hype and they are
speaking out with their browser’s back button.

By taking the time to make these changes you will improve your
sites usability and your visitors will thank you for it by doing
business with you.

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

Jason Mann is a profitability consultant for online businesses
who specializes in finding untapped profit areas and showing
business owners how to increase their revenues by tapping these
unseen resources. For more web business articles visit:
http://www.majorprofitmargins.info/


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

John Calder is the owner/editor of The Ezine Dot Net. Subscribe
today and get real information you can use to help build your
online business today! http://www.TheEzine.Net RSS feeds are
available.


[08-3]
=========
========= See RSS Feeds From Your Website
========= by Sanjay Johari
=========

RSS feeds have made it so convenient to gather current
information. If you have an RSS Reader on your desktop, then from
this one window you can get up-to-date information from any
sources of your choice, such as:

1. Latest news from news agencies
2. Last articles published on ezines such as this one
3. New products at retail outlets
4. New movie reviews
5. Recent entries in blogs

The list is endless, but you get the idea. 

How would you like to give this convenience to the visitors of
your website? Your visitors can see RSS feeds with latest info
right on your web page instead of going from site to site. And it
is very easy to install.

Before you start I suggest that you see some sites which display
RSS feeds just to get a feel of it. You can see your My.Yahoo
page from where you can subscribe to any RSS feed you want. Or,
if you like, you can see some popular feeds on my website:

http://sanjay-j.com/feed.html

Ok, let's get started with these easy steps. 

1. Click open this page: http://www.feedroll.com/rssviewer/

2. From "Step One" of this page select just one RSS feed out of
the dropdown list.

3. Lower on the page in "Step Two" you will see some options. In
these options you can fill in your values or leave them at
default setting.

4. Click on update button.

5. A similar looking page opens. Down below on this page in "Step
Three" there is a code which has to be installed on your website.
Copy this code and paste it on a text editor. On right side of
the page you can see how the feed will look on your page.

6. Go to step 2 and select some other RSS feeds. Repeat steps 3
to 5 and you will have a collection of codes to be installed on
your website.

7. Select the web page where you want to install RSS feeds. I
would suggest creating a new page exclusively for RSS feeds.

8. Decide the location on the web page for installing RSS feed.
In the HTML code of the web page, paste one of the codes of RSS
feeds at the location you have decided.

9. See how RSS feeds looks on your page. You will need to be
connected to the net to see the feeds. You can make necessary
corrections until you get the right appearance.

10. Add all other RSS feed codes below the first one. Separate
each code with breaks. This will put all the feeds in one column.

So that's it. Simple steps. This will display some popular RSS
feeds on your web site using Java. From this starting point you
can think of installing other Java scripts or PHP scripts to
display any RSS feeds of your choice.

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

Sanjay Johari contributes articles regularly to several ezines.
See his site for articles and other information relating to small
business. http://sanjay-j.com/



[08-4]
=========
========= Cheap Web Hosting Report: March 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 February 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 (Sale to March 20: 120 GB)
Disk Space: 800 MB (Sale to March 20: 2400 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. (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 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

===
=== #5 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. Disk Space Note:
Lunar Pages is now advertising up to 3000 megs of web space,
however, if you read the fine print in their Acceptable Use
Policy all you initially receive is what we list here. There are
a number of restrictions and hoops to jump through to get more.

More Information: http://www.ecauldron.com/zlunarpages.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 (Sale to March 20: 120 GB)
Disk Space: 800 MB (Sale to March 20: 2400 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.
(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: 200 GB	
Disk Space: 40 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.

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

=== Notes

The information in this report was checked for accuracy on
February 28, 2005. 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.

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