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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #106 -- August 2010 A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum website: http://www.ecauldron.net/ message board: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/ social network: http://ecauldron.ning.com/ newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.net/cnc/ Please DONATE to Support our SERVER http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?page=62 In this Issue: [00] Editorial Notes: No Articles, No Newsletter [01] Cauldron News * Join The New TCN: The Cauldron Network * Changes Coming to The Cauldron's Web Site * Dealing with Spammers [02] Interesting Recent Cauldron Discussions * Does the time of day really matter when spell casting? * Losing a connection? * Getting Old - how do you deal with it? * Pagan Boarding School? * First Books? * What if Paganism were the majority religion(s)? * How do you pray? * Worship is a bad word? * How Do You Know Your Magic Works? * Superstitions * Your definition of Faith [03] Phyllis Vega's Astro Talk: Mars in Astrology [04] Flamekeeping: Fifteen Minutes of Emptiness [05] Articles, Stories, and Poetry [06] Support The Cauldron with Donations [07] Support The Cauldron with Assistance [08] Newsletter Information (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ LOOKING FOR PAGAN SUPPLIES? Visit The Cauldron's Pagan Supply Store http://www.ecauldron.net/esesf.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [00] ========= ========= EDITORIAL NOTES ========= Welcome to the August 2010 issue of Cauldron and Candle. You are receiving this issue because you subscribed. To learn how to unsubscribe, see the last section of this newsletter We haven't put out a newsletter in months. If you check the "Articles" section of this newsletter, you'll see why. There are no articles. It's hard to publish a newsletter when there aren't any submissions. Note, that's not "no useable submissions" it's no article submissions at all. Phyllis Vega's Tarot Talk column morphs into an Astro Talk column in this issue. Which column, Tarot Talk or Astro Talk appears in future issues will depend on what Phyllis decides to write about that month. Be sure to read the Cauldron News section this month as it's one of the main reasons there is a newsletter this month. Randall Sapphire Editor and Publisher, Cauldron and Candle Co-Host, The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum [01] ========= ========= CAULDRON NEWS ========= by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum Staff ========= ===== ===== JOIN THE NEW TCN: THE CAULDRON NETWORK ===== Now on our own server ===== We have restarted TCN (for the last time, we hope) on our own server. We started out with TCN at Kickapps. It wasn't very popular (as it wasn't very good) so we moved to Ning. It was very popular, but Ning moved to a "pay only" system this summer. We tried Spurtz for about 6 weeks. It wasn't well liked and soon put severe limits on free networks. Limits so small we could actually do better on our own server. So we've set up TCN: The Cauldron Network on our server with the open source ELGG software. This is experimental as we have to see what this will do to server load and bandwidth, but so far it looks quite workable. It is not nearly as pretty as Ning or Spurtz (but looks better than Kickapps) and the features very from okay to excellent. The Groups feature is particularly nice. Link: http://www.ecauldron.net/tcn.php === Usage Notes: 1) "Friend" really means follower as it does not require approval by the "friend" (There is an addon to make the friend feature work like most expect, but it does not work with the current branch of the software) 2) Moving from area to area requires using the TOOLS menu. 3) If you want people to be able to see your photos / read your blog entries /etc. without having to be a TCN member, be sure they are set "public" 4) TCN may not look pretty, but the groups have a lot of features. === To create a TCN account: 0) You have to have a message board account. If you don't have one you have to get one before you sign up for TCN. If you do not have a message board account, your application for a TCN account will be denied. 1) Register. 2) Get the email and click on the validate link. 3) AFTER you do that, the admin (me) can activate your account and after I do that you can log in. (NOTE: This is done manually and I only check a couple of times a day.) === Fixing TCN Registration Problems: 1) If it tells you an account exists with your username and you tried to create an account with that name before and it looked like it failed, it actually worked. 2) If you don't get a verification email, try returning to the TCN page and attempting to log in. That sometimes makes it send out the verification email. === In Your Message Board Profile: Once you register, be sure to put your TCN login id in the TCN field of your profile. This will create a link in your profile and in your posts. If you have a link there now to the old TCN on Ning or Spurtz, you need to remove it (unless you used the same login id). Link: http://www.ecauldron.net/tcn.php ===== ===== CHANGES COMING TO THE CAULDRON'S WEB SITE ===== If you have visited The Cauldron's web site over the past few days and paid attention to the address bar on your browser, you may have notice that many parts of our web site have magically move to old.ecauldron.net. You go to an address like http://www.ecauldron.net/bookstore.php and you find yourself on the expected page but at a different address: http://old.ecauldron.net/bookstore.php. We've moved about 2000 "static" pages (like articles, book reviews, and spells) to the "old.ecauldron.com" subdomain as the first step in a major change to The Cauldron's web site. The Cauldron will soon be using the Drupal CMS (content management system) to manage our site. Once the CMS is installed, all new material will appear in the CMS. Old material will be slowly moved to the new CMS, but will remain available at the "old.ecauldron.net" subdomain until it is moved. All current addresses should continue work, they will simply be magically redirected to the "old.ecauldron.net" subdomain. Moving to Drupal will bring The Cauldron's web site into the modern age. It will look better and be much easier to maintain. The current site can only be maintained, updated, and added to by Randall. Everything must be hand-coded in HTML and php, tested, and then uploaded to the server. With Drupal, this will all be done online. Other people can be given the ability to add and edit material on the new version of the web site. Material can be written in a WYSIWYG editor online in any modern browser. Pasting from Word (mostly) works. Knowledge of HTML, PHP, FTP, etc. will not be needed to add articles, book reviews, and the like to our web site. The new Drupal site may take a few months to really get going, but once it does, I think it will make a major improvement to The Cauldron. If nothing else, it will mean that the site -- just like the message board -- is no longer totally dependent on one person. ===== ===== DEALING WITH SPAMMERS ===== Unfortunately, we have started to block IP addresses from countries like Pakistan because people in these countries are being hired to spam message boards and blogs. As they are real people, they can get through captcha and question challenges. While we hate to have to block entire countries from accessing our message board, the only "members" we have ever gotten from these countries have turned out to be spammers. Blocking these countries has cut our spam by over 80%. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ PAGAN-FRIENDLY WEB HOSTING http://www.ecauldron.net/web/zdreamhost.php Dreamhost offers high-quality, low cost web hosting with a dedication to free speech. Pagan sites are welcome! Read why we used Dreamhost for The Cauldron's web site: http://www.ecauldron.net/web/whydreamhost.php Plan Features * unlimited web space * unlimited bandwidth * unlimited email boxes (POP3/IMAP) * unlimited ftp/shell accounts * host unlimited domains/subdomains * php4, php5, cgi, fastcgi, ssi * zend optimizer, ruby on rails * unlimited MySQL databases * announcement lists * discussion (aka mailing) lists * Jabber server * Crontab and Shell access * Web-based Control Panel * One-Click installs of the Wordpress blog & PhpBB forum * 1 free domain name * helpful tech support * and much more! All for $10.95 a month with a $49.95 setup fee. Pay for a year in advance (only 9.95/month) and there is no setup fee. Pay two years in advance and the price drops to $8.95 a month. (And there is a 97 day money back guarantee!) Visit Dreamhost for Affordable, Pagan-Friendly Hosting http://www.ecauldron.net/web/zdreamhost.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [02] ========= ========= INTERESTING RECENT CAULDRON DISCUSSIONS ========= Recent Discussion Topics on our Message Board ========= In an average month, over 200 new discussion topics are started on The Cauldron's message board. Here are a few of the more interesting recent discussions. It's not too late to join in. Thanks to Feedburner, you can now receive an email every night on days we post new site news items to the main page of The Cauldron's web site. These emails contain a link to the new item and the first couple of lines of the news text. You can sign up for Feedburner's free news delivery via the form at the end of the site "News and Updates" section of The Cauldron's main web page. ===== ===== Does the time of day really matter when spell casting? ===== I used to cast all my spells late at night, however, I am trying to fight insomnia by getting up early in the morning and getting to bed before midnight. This is such a basic question and I feel really stupid for asking, but I have never been faced with it before, so I am wondering if I really need to wait for the light of the moon to do my spell work? Would it be just as effective in the afternoon or early in the morning? Or does time of day have a significant effect on spellwork? I should add that doing spellwork earlier in the evening is not an option because my DP is home, and I just do not feel comfortable doing spells in front of him. We live in a studio-like home, so there isn't another room where I could be alone. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=13506.0 ===== ===== Losing a connection? ===== The short question: Has anyone ever lost contact with their god/goddess for an extended period of time? What happened? Did you ever get that connection back? The background, for my specific case: I was first drawn to my goddess about 3.5 years ago. We've had what I can only describe as an incredibly close relationship this whole time. She's always been fantastic about communicating with me, several times a week on average. There are times when we can't talk because she's busy, and it's never really bothered me, since she's really good about following up with me, usually speaking with me a few days after a missed connection. Prior to this year, we've never been incommunicado for more than a month at a time, and we've usually picked up right where we left off. Things changed this year, though. I was really sick for a while. I wrote my senior thesis. I searched for a job. I struggled through classes. I graduated. I moved. I got my life in order. Through it all, I would send the occasional mental note (tinged with guilt and regret), "Sorry, I've been busy, I haven't forgotten you, and I miss communicating with you. Just give me a little more time." I never seemed to have energy or time for any more than that, and I just hoped she'd bear with me. Finally, a couple of months ago, I finally was back in a stable place in my life, so I wanted to get back in regular contact with her. So I sit down, reach out, and get nothing. Complete radio silence. I figure she's busy. So, I wait and try again later. Still nothing. Lather, rinse, repeat for the next 8 weeks. At some point a few weeks ago, I started to get a sinking feeling that maybe something had changed, and whatever connection we had is gone. It's not a thought that pleases me, because I'm not really ready or willing to give this up yet. Usually I'd just ask her, but obviously that's out of the question for this instance. My other methods of divination and answer-seeking have come up with absolutely nothing. I'm really, truly stumped, not to mention a little concerned and confused. Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? I'd love to hear anything that comes to mind. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=13527.0 ===== ===== Getting Old - how do you deal with it? ===== Now yeah, I know there are those of you who go pfffft! 3X- something... OLD. Ha get agrip girleen, but then again I will point to reframe like this. I can only compare then to now and yeah, there are differences. I know there are twenteens who are like dude, you're over. Deal. As one of the families on the front lines of an economic situation that hardest hits those who are educated middle class who fell on the tail end of the dot bomb, I can only say sometimes I feel like I'm aging in ratio to dog years. Procreation and being an allergic anemic person has sort of left me a mess after three kiddos. I've got abdominal hernias, need root canals on most of my teeth, have arthritis and circulatory and dietary issues. Some days I really wanna go screw it and fall into the darkness of accepting that it's just the product of a well used life. I try not to do this. I consider it giving up. I push myself with the modeling stuff but times, I get tired. I see myself and know someday is around the corner. I am both good with this and not. What do you do to feel you're not ready to be wrung out and hung up? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=13450.0 ===== ===== Pagan Boarding School? ===== How many Pagan American citizens are there? According to pluralism.org: "Pagans estimate themselves to be between 768,000 and one million practitioners in the United States. A poll conducted by the Covenant of the Goddess, a national organization, estimates 768,400 Witches and Pagans in the U.S. The Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance suggest a 50% margin of error for all of the widely varying estimates on the number of Pagans. The estimates do not capture the much larger population that is interested in Paganism, as evidenced by the book buying audience and presence and activity on the web." Perhaps if the US Census did not send out a survey asking about the religious preference of American citizens to only 1 in 100 Americans, and actually asked this on the Census, we might have a more accurate number; I bring this up only because if that is the case, and the US population is an estimated 300 million (and probably growing), it is a statistical miracle that I meet so many of them, is it not? Yet, still, 768,000 is arelatively large number of people. I have been told many stories of the horrors of public school attendees who are Pagan, and have read of Pagan discrimination in public schools. Personally, I have experienced the following when I was in middle school and high school: -Called names. -Had a temporary grade reduction in choir for refusing to sing Christian songs. -Had objects thrown at me by a crowd of students who were making fun of me, then made fun of me because I cried. -A teacher made me sit in the front seat of a bus while on a 4/5 hour ride because other students had asked me about spirits, I answered, and another student complained about what I was talking about. -Close friends of mine were told they could not hang around or talk to me because of my religion. In a country where religious freedom is a right, it seems as if not everyone is, "on-board," and persecution is the norm, especially against a religion in which there is an estimated 768,000 practitioners. Teasing is pretty normal in middle and high school, but should such a high degree of teasing normal or healthy? School is a stretched and a bit distorted version of adult social life, in my opinion, and socialization among one's peers is very important in a person's development. However, being Pagan is NOT a bad hair- cut or an ugly pair of glasses, and allowing students, teachers, and school administrators to exercise prejudice against a student for their religious beliefs because it may seem ridiculous and not compatible with the majority of the population is (again, in my opinion) potentially unhealthy. If you grow up in a relatively functional and happy household, why be exposed to such conditions and end up with issues because of prejudice teasing? It doesn't seem to me that many Christians grow in the same school environment. As a matter of fact, there are many Christian private day and boarding schools around. Students and parents probably have many different reasons for attending these schools (or, having their child/ren attend), some good, some...questionable. What is not questionable is the success of Christian schools, at least in the realm of longevity and attendance. Have any of you noticed the, of course purely observational unrelated correlation between low academic achievement and subscribers to the Pagan religion? Please don't get angry, and no, I don't know if I can back that observation up with statistics, but I have seen this correlation in the last few years. There is the issue of personal responsibility, but let's just focus on natural reaction. What if this is because these people relate their experience in academia with personal torture, and eventually drop out of school or have no desire to continue on to college, or the amount of depression and anxiety they have causes their grades to fall and they cannot get accepted into college? I have met another Pagan one year in graduate school, but they're tough to come by. Sometimes, the parents don't help this cause either, of course, not through lack of care, but lack of common sense. I know of a woman (I believe she is a high school drop-out) who took her children out of school because of the bad social experience her children have had, and is now, "home schooling." How do you teach your children subjects that you haven't learned yourself? How are you getting a taste of the real world if there are no other peers around at all? I've brought up a few topics in this post to try to support the main idea of this post: a Pagan private day and/or boarding school. This way, socialization is possible with many different types of people who just happen to share a common belief system for which they may be subject to persecution in a public school. In my opinion, a school of this nature could focus on rigorous academics tailored to each student's potential, prepare students for first tier universities, and also have compulsory classes in Paganism, spanning different pantheons and standard methods of spell casting, learning the history and components of practice and belief. There could be performing arts and sports programs, holidays off from class with celebration, and lots of fun for students. Why boarding? That way children can attend whether they live close to the school or not. Also, boarding schools can sometimes be an ideal environment for academic focus. Any thoughts? Would you send your child to such a private school? Do you think this can be done? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=13309.0 ===== ===== First Books? ===== I am new to Paganism and am still seeking which path I want to follow. I have been researching for quite some time and have gotten book ideas from the forums and book lists. I would like some opinions on the books and if you think that they are good for a beginner. Drawing Down the Moon by Alder The Spiral Dance by Starhawk The Pagan Path by Farrar Voices From the Circle: The Heritage of Western Paganism by Caitlin Mathews Paganism: A Beginners Guide by Mathew Moorey I'm not sure in which order I will/should read this in. Figured once/if I got them that whatever gets my attention first is where I would begin. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=13252.0 ===== ===== What if Paganism were the majority religion(s)? ===== I'm curious to see what others think of the type of situation we'd be in as a society, as diverse nations, as a planet, if varieties of Paganism/Reconstructionism were to become the "majority" religion(s) of the world, displacing Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam. No one particular Paganism being necessarily predominant, but Paganism as a whole becoming by far the majority practice. What would happen to our political systems? What would happen to our communities and neighborhoods? What would happen on a national or local scale? Would everything go swimmingly and peace and joy reign on earth, or would new problems be created, new power struggles, perhaps now among Pagan "factions" or different paths, regarding whose was more "correct."? How would you feel if there was no need to "come out" at work, as a Pagan, but rather it was now the Christians, Jews, Buddhists and Muslims who had to trepidatiously "come out" and risk the wrath of the Pagan majority? Do you think you'd see Christians or any of the others of the formerly mainstream religions differently, if they were in a tiny minority, instead of the vast majority in your daily life? (Is it difficult to even imagine such a scenario...?) How would you personally feel if you were no longer part of a minority or a relatively unknown or questionable group, but were identified with a group that most people knew a good amount about, didn't need to ask you anything or treat you as an oddity, and you became just another Joe or Jill Average as a Pagan? Would Paganism become banal and kitschy when seized by the majority, threatened with loss of meaning , or could it retain its meaningfulness and its numinosity for you? Any other thoughts? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=13231.0 ===== ===== How do you pray? ===== I come from a jewish/catholic background where prayers tend to be a bit more formulaic. A prayerful life has always been important to me, no matter what faith I've practiced, though I tend to be still drawn to the prayers that are a bit more formal. I was wondering if others would feel comfortable sharing their prayer style. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=13153.0 ===== ===== Worship is a bad word? ===== Worship seeing to have a negative connotation to many Pagans. Does worship have a play in your religion? Why or why not? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=13091.0 ===== ===== How Do You Know Your Magic Works? ===== How do you know your magic is working? What counts as successful? For example, if you cast a spell for money and you find a quarter in the parking lot, does that mean the spell worked? What if you cast a spell to draw love and you find an abandoned puppy outside your house? How long to you allow before you stop counting something as a result of magic? For example, if you cast a spell to draw a mate to you and five years later you meet the perfect person for you and you are married within a few months of meeting that person, is that a result of your spell? How do you tell success from wishful thinking/random chance? Back to the found a quarter example from the first paragraph? Is finding that quarter actually a result of your spell or is it just random chance? How do you know? Does it matter?? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=13090.0 ===== ===== Superstitions ===== A friend of mine recently told me that I should never, ever buy books about paganism/occult/anything related for myself. Similarly, I should never buy any magic(k) tools or divination tools for myself. Apparently if you buy them for yourself it diminishes their power. Has anyone heard anything like this, or any other superstitions related to practicing magic(k)? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=12948.0 ===== ===== Your definition of Faith ===== The point I want to make with this topic is what YOUR definition of faith is. People can use the word "faith" differently. The usages include: -Trusting in the outcome of something. -Faith being defined as religion, as in "Many people have different faiths". -Trusting that a certain deity That's all I can really think of at the moment, but I'm sure you guys have different thoughts and definitions about it. So what do you think faith is? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=12898.0 [03] ========= ========= PHYLLIS VEGA'S TAROT TALK ========= MARS IN ASTROLOGY ========= by Phyllis Vega ========= The planet Mars in your birth chart represents strength of will and the desire to win and conquer. It is closely connected to your sense of personal identity and individual level of self- sufficiency. The key Martian qualities are aggression, anger, confidence, courage, independence, leadership, athleticism, passion, sexuality, and masculinity. The zodiacal sign Mars occupies in your horoscope shows your level of energy and how you use that energy to overcome obstacles. If you don’t know the sign position of Mars on the day of your birth, you can look it up in the Mars Ephemeris Tables at CaféAstrology.com: http://www.cafeastrology.com/marssignstables.html The way Mars manifests itself in your chart is a clear indicator of the type of lovemaking you're likely to enjoy. Your Mars sign defines what you desire, how you express that desire, and how you go about satisfying it. Mars also denotes basic survival instincts. It involves things like action, movement, and the "fight or flight" instinct. Because Mars has so much to do with the projection of personality, its elemental position in your horoscope suggests whether your energies are going to be largely physical (Fire), material (Earth), mental (Air), or emotional (Water). People with Mars in the Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) are assertive, daring, optimistic, and impractical. Impulsive and willing to take risks, fire sign individuals seize both the moment and opportunity as it arises. They rarely concern themselves with fortune's ups and downs, because they believe better days are coming and that they will always win out in the end. Those with Mars in the Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) tend to equate security with worldly status, and their focus is on the accumulation of material goods. Inclined to work first and play later, earthy individuals are generally practical and goal- oriented. Willing to work hard, they give their all and expect tangible rewards in return. Individuals with Mars in the Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) are more interested in abstract ideas and artistic concepts than in practical matters. The airy types tend to be motivated by a questing spirit and the ongoing need for communication and social interaction. They strive for intellectual independence, physical freedom, and the opportunity to use their creative imaginations in innovative ways. People who have Mars in the Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) are sensitive, intuitive, changeable, impressionable, and impractical. Emotional security is their main concern, and watery Mars types often equate emotional security with material security. Motivated more by feeling than logic, they sometimes go too far in following their hunches. Nevertheless, individuals with Mars in Water signs are usually able to capitalize on their intuitive understanding of people and situations. ===== ===== Mars through the Signs of the Zodiac ===== Mars in Aries: In Aries, Mars represents high energy, courage, and initiative. Your sex drive is powerful and easily awakened. While living with you is never dull, it can be difficult. Impulsive and supremely confident, you're not inclined to look before you leap. Action is your middle name; when your passions are aroused you don’t stop to consider possible consequences. Mars in Taurus: Mars in Taurus is hedonistic, sensual, and deliberate. Your sex drive is strong, but controlled. Your approach to lovemaking is straightforward and uncomplicated. Never rushed or anxious, you pursue your desires with dogged determination. Once you set your mind on someone, you're not easily discouraged. Patience and persistence allow you to wait for as long as it takes. Mars in Gemini: Your sex drive is fueled by your mind as much as your body. Comfortable routine bores you so you seek out new experiences in order to maintain your interest. Since your intellect is your most active erogenous zone, your preferred form of erotic communication is verbal and your style of lovemaking apt to be playful and inventive. Mars in Cancer: The sensitive feelings of people born under Mars in Cancer are subject to powerful mood swings. Your strong sex drive is tied to your emotions. You must feel safe and secure before you can let go. When you do, your responses are intense, magnetic, and seductive. With encouragement and reassurance, you’re a romantic, thoughtful, and loving partner. Mars in Leo: An affectionate, physically demonstrative lover, you take pride in your sexual prowess. You’re as easily aroused as any Mars in Aries, but your passions generally last longer. Mars in Leo natives enjoy sex more than most, especially when heavy doses of love and romance are part of the package. In love, you follow your heart not your head. Mars in Virgo: An earthy, nervous sexuality characterizes those with Mars in this sign. Although your physical desires are strong, there is a shy, hesitant side to your nature that makes you fearful of letting go. Nevertheless, you are a perfectionist; in your lovemaking, as in everything else, you strive to be as skilled as possible at what you’re doing. Mars in Libra: Aggressive Mars is decidedly uncomfortable in Libra where its assertiveness is impeded by the desire for harmony, cooperation, and approval. More romantic than hot-blooded, you are seeking emotional and mental satisfaction rather than purely physical pleasures. Although you’re generally amiable and agreeable, you are no pushover. There’s a steely will lurking behind your smiling face. Mars in Scorpio: Martian Scorpios display a magnetic sexual intensity with strong physical and emotional needs. Your sex drive is single-minded and passionate. You become deeply attached, sometimes obsessively so, to whatever or whomever you fancy. Outwardly cool and composed, your powerful feelings smolder below the surface. An "all or nothing" extremist, you're not content with halfway measures. Mars in Sagittarius: You approach sex as if it were a game to be enjoyed, but not taken too seriously. Companionship and friendship are as important to you as love. In Sagittarius, Mars is not renowned for constancy in relationships. You value your independence too much. Afraid of being tied down, you may suddenly decide to run off when life gets boring. Mars in Capricorn: Your sex drive is powerful, with a full appreciation of sensual pleasures. Nevertheless, you believe that you must always be in control of yourself and your feelings. Despite your strong physical needs and desires, you generally choose self-discipline over self-indulgence. Yet beneath your restrained exterior, you’re passionate, sensitive, and very much in need of love and affection. Mars in Aquarius: Your sex drive is fueled by intellect rather than physical or emotional responses. The sexual side of love is not all-important to you, yet you’re intrigued by anything new and open to experimentation. Intense involvement scares you, but Aquarius is a fixed sign and you dislike change. When you commit to another, it’s usually for the long haul. Mars in Pisces: The assertive energy of the planet Mars is tempered and diffused in Pisces. Innately romantic, idealistic, and sentimental, your greater need is emotional rather than physical. You “go with the flow,” letting life happen without attempting to control its direction. You look at relationships though rose-colored glasses, with high expectations that are rarely achieved in this world. === === About Phyllis Vega === Phyllis Vega is a professional astrologer and tarot reader. She is the author of two popular tarot books, Romancing the Tarot and Power Tarot (with Trish MacGregor), with a third book, TarotCraft: How to Use the Cards for Divination, Creative Visualization, and Meditation currently in the works. Contact Phyllis via email at pvega@bellsouth.net or through her website at http://phyllisvega.geocities.com/. Astrology and Tarot columns and other works by Phyllis are archived at http://tarottalk.ecauldron.net/. Phyllis Vega's Astro Talk copyright (c) 2010 by Phyllis Vega. All rights reserved. [04] ========= ========= FLAMEKEEPING ========= FIFTEEN MINUTES OF EMPTINESS ========= by HeartShadow ========= HeartShadow is following her own religious path. She calls it FlameKeeping. This regular column will present articles on FlameKeeping, many taken from HeartShadow's FlameKeeping blog at: http://flamekeeping.blogspot.com/ ===== ===== Fifteen Minutes of Emptiness ===== We live in an overscheduled world. Every minute must be filled with something, every moment accounted for. Are we living as fully as we can? Are we busy? Can we prove we're doing something with our time? Do we have an excuse to not do something we don't want to do because there's something better going on? We're afraid of emptiness. Of actively sitting back and letting our mind wander. We're afraid of finding out we're actually hollow inside, that we're nothing more than packaged images from the television and sound bites from politicians. But the more we run from introspection, the more we need it. Introspection doesn't mean that we sit there and beat ourselves up for what we have or haven't done in our lives. It's not a time to be self-critical, but instead a time to be self-reflective. It's a skill many of us aren't quite sure what to do with. After all, if we look at ourselves, we may find something we don't like. And what do we do then? Introspection can be quite scary, when we're not sure what we're going to find. On the other hand, whatever it is we're afraid to see already exists. We are what we are, and the longer we keep from facing ourselves honestly, the longer it is that we may be something we'd rather not exist as. Whatever we are already exists. The question is whether or not we can face it. And, certainly, if what we are is something so terrible we cannot face it, it is also something we should not be anyway, and need to learn to change. "But I don't have the time." We do have the time. We just fill up our time with stuff so we don't have to fill it with thought. We crave and consume entertainment as though we cannot find fulfillment and interest in our own minds. And as long as we fill up our minds with other things, we keep from seeing ourselves. Take fifteen minutes of emptiness, and learn to meet yourself. ===== ===== Questions: ===== * Do you know who you are? Do you like who you see? * What does emptiness mean to you? Stillness? Is it a concept you can deal with? * What are the advantages of taking this time? The disadvantages? How do they look to you? [05] ========= ========= ARTICLES ========= None this month. [06] ========= ========= Cauldron Info ========= SUPPORT THE CAULDRON'S SERVER WITH DONATIONS ========= As mentioned in the October 2008 newsletter, we now need over US$60 in donations every month to keep the server online. No donations, no server. No server, no message board. Well, not really "no message board" as there is always the free backup board, but the limitations of the free backup board drive staff and many members nuts. Your donations are needed to keep The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's message board up. We now have two ways you can donate. OPTION 1: Make An "Anonymous" Donation in Any Amount If you are not a member of the message board -- or are a member but do not want a donor button to appear on your posts or wish to donate a non-standard amount, you can make an "anonymous" donation (which will not cause any "donor" notation on your posts) in any amount via the Paypal link below. You do NOT need a Paypal account to donate. After Paypal fees, we get 85% to 90% of the money you donate. http://www.ecauldron.com/donatepaypal.php OPTION 2: Message Board Member? Donate Through Your Profile: Get Bronze/Silver/Gold Donor Levels and Benefits If you are logged into the message board, you can make a donation (via Donation Subscriptions in your Profile) at the Bronze Donor (US$5.00), Silver Donor (US$10.00) or Gold Donor (US$15.00) level and get a special button that will appear on your posts as well have access to our Donor only areas (and more for Silver and Gold Donors, see this post on the board for current information: http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/index.php?topic=7335.0). These special benefits will last for one month (or one year if you elect the annual donation option) and can be renewed by extending your subscription. You can elect to make a one time donation or to set up a Paypal subscription that will automatically renew your donation each month or year until you cancel the subscription at Paypal. You can find the "Donation Subscription" link in the "Manage Profile" menu on your profile. Payments are made via Paypal but you do not need a Paypal account to donate (unless you wish to set up a recurring donation subscription). If you are a member of our message board, this link will take you directly to the Donation Subscription area of your Profile (with a stop to log in if you are not already logged in): http://www.ecauldron.net/profiledonations.php [07] ========= ========= Cauldron Info ========= SUPPORT THE CAULDRON BY VOLUNTEERING TO HELP ========= The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum was founded in December 1997 to provide a friendly but serious discussion area for Pagans on the Internet. We've grown a bit over the years. We now have an active message area, a large web site with around 700 pages of information (including over 300 book and divination deck reviews), and a monthly email newsletter. To continue to provide and expand these services, The Cauldron needs lots of volunteer help from our members and supporters. Here are some of the things members and supporters can do to help The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum thrive: ===== ===== Actively Participate In Our Message Board ===== While our new message board welcomes readers, we encourage members to actively participate by posting their comments and views in our discussions. One of the easiest ways to help The Cauldron is to actively participate in our message board. The staff especially appreciates members who start new topics for discussion based on their own questions, opinions, or interests. http://www.ecauldron.net/forum/ ===== ===== Articles! Essays! Tutorials! ===== We are in constant need of original, well-written and accurate articles, essays, tutorials, and other written items for both our web site and for our Cauldron and Candle newsletter. There's no real limit on length for web site articles. Here are a few areas in which we always need articles: * information on the beliefs and theology of the various Pagan religions, especially non-Wiccan religions * information on holidays and festivals of the various Pagan religions, especially non-Wiccan religions * recipes for oils, incenses, and food for the various Pagan holidays * magick, spells, and ritual information * herbal information * positive articles on dealing with other faiths * information on historical pagan cultures * editorial/opinion pieces Non-Wiccan material is stressed not because we don't want Wiccan material but because good non-Wiccan material has been hard to find. We have a web form you can use to submit an article for consideration: http://www.ecauldron.net/bnbarticleform.php ===== ===== Book Reviews ===== While The Cauldron receives some review copies from a couple of Pagan publishers, there are many books that can only be reviewed on our web site if a member has a copy and writes a good, objective review. The Cauldron is interested in reviews on the more academic books used by reconstructionist Pagan religions as well as on the books one finds on the Pagan/New Age shelf in the bookstore. We have a web form you can use to submit a book review for consideration: http://www.ecauldron.net/bnbbkreviewform.php ===== ===== Graphic Assistance ===== The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum is purposely a low graphics site as we value page download speed over flashy graphics. However, we are always willing to talk with artists who have ideas for well-designed small graphics (small in both physical dimensions and file size) that might enhance a specific article or page. ===== ===== Invite Your Friends ===== If you have friends or acquaintances who you believe would find The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum useful, please tell them about our site. If you are active in our message board and have friends who might enjoy them or have information to contribute, please invite them. ===== ===== Link To The Cauldron ===== If you have a web site where linking to The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum would be appropriate, simply providing a link to this web site is a big help. Our Link to this Site page explains how you can do this if you need help or want some simple graphic buttons to use: http://www.ecauldron.net/linktous.php ===== ===== Amazon Purchases ===== The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum also receives a small percentage (usually 5%) from most items purchased from Amazon.com when you go to Amazon.com from one of the links to Amazon on our web site. If you purchase a lot of books, CDs, and other items from Amazon.com as many members do, going to Amazon.com through one of our links when you are going to make a purchase there is a painless way to help fund this web site. http://www.ecauldron.net/zamazon.php If you are a regular user of the US version of Amazon, you can help The Cauldron by replacing the URL of your ebay bookmark in your browser with the above link so that TC gets credit every time you visit Amazon.com. To do this in Internet Explorer or Firefox, find Amazon in your bookmark list. RIGHT click on it and select Properties from the popup menu which will appear. A dialog box describing your bookmark will appear. You'll see the standard Amazon url -- probably http://www.amazon.com/ -- in an edit box (labeled "Location" in FireFox and "URL" in IE). Erase that url completely and replace with one listed above, then click on OK. If you use Amazon UK, you can use this address http://www.ecauldron.net/zamazonuk.php If you use Amazon Canada, you can use this addess: http://www.ecauldron.net/zamazonca.php ===== ===== Pagan Supplies Purchases ===== You can now order from Meta Pot via our affiliate links and get the items you need while helping to fund TC (at no extra cost to you). You can go to this page -- Buy Pagan Supplies -- to start shopping. If you like Meta Pot, please bookmark our Buy Pagan Supplies page and use it to shop from so we get credit for your purchases. * Buy Pagan Supplies http://www.ecauldron.net/esesf.php They have a wide variety of Pagan Supplies as this list of Meta Pot item categories shows: * 3 x 6.5 Inches Pillar Candles * 7 Knob Candles * Altar Cloths * Amulets & Talismans * Anklets * Anna Riva Oils * Athames * Bags and Boxes * Bath Oils and Salts * Beeswax Candles * Blank Books, Book of Shadows * Bottles and Containers * Bowls and Chalices * Bracelets * Bumper Stickers A-G * Bumper Stickers H-M * Bumper Stickers N-Z * Candle Holders * Candle Snuffers * Cat Candles * Charmed Ritual Candles * Cloaks & Cologne * Crystal Balls and Runes * Dripless Candles * Earrings * Essential Oils * Foxcraft Oils * Gemstones * Head & Hair * Herbal Teas * Herbs and Powders * Human Figure Candles * Incense Burners * Incense Cast Iron Cauldrons & Charcoal * Incense Cone * Incense Granular * Incense Holders * Incense Powder * Incense Sticks by Others * Incense Sticks by Us * Indian Oils * Jar Candles * Mixes & Aids * Mortar And Pestle * Necklaces * Oil Diffusers, Oil Rings * Oil Essences * Original Oils * Other Candles * Other Wiccan Jewelry * Patches * Pendants * Pentagrams * Pins * Posters * Rings * Ritual Kits * Ritual Tools * Scented Votive Candles * Smoking Herbs * Smudge Sticks * Statues * Taper Candles * Tea Bags & Strainers * Unscented Votive Candles * Wands, Brooms, Mirrors * Writing Tools * Ziplock Herbal Storage Bags Remember, click on the "Buy Pagan Supplies" in the left hand menu of any The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum web page to visit Meta Pot and The Cauldron will get credit for any purchases you make. ===== ===== Have Questions or Suggestions? ===== If you have specific questions, proposals or other ideas we haven't mentioned here, please email them to rssapphire00@ecauldron.GETRIDOFEME.com. (Unfortunately, Randall has to answer general "Tell me more?" type questions with a request for a more specific question. He's not trying to be rude, he just can't think of anything general and useful to say that isn't said here.) [08] ========= ========= NEWSLETTER INFORMATION ========= (Including how to subscribe and unsubscribe) ========= Cauldron and Candle is a free publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. The Cauldron intends to publish this newsletter once a month and often actually succeeds in doing so. We tried to publish it twice a month for a while, but real life interfered too often. This issue of Cauldron and Candle as a whole is copyright (c) 2010 by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. Copyrights on individual items in this newsletter are retained by their author, please contact the editors if you need to contact an author for permission to reprint an article and the editors will do their best to put you in touch with him or her. The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of newsletter, The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum, or its staff. Publication of an article in this newsletter is not an endorsement of the authors position or any products and companies mentioned therein. No one involved in producing this newsletter has any money to speak of so suing us if you don't like something we do is a waste of time and money. ===== ===== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE OR CHANGE EMAIL ADDRESS ===== You are receiving a copy of this newsletter because you signed up to receive it. You can subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter via your web browser at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cauldronandcandle/join Or you can unsubscribe via email by sending a blank message to cauldronandcandle-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Be sure to send this message from the email account actually subscribed to the newsletter. If you have trouble unsubscribing by email, please use the web browser method mentioned above. If you need to change your subscription to a new email address, unsubscribe your old email address and subscribe your new email address. Note that you have to make these changes yourself. Yahoo Groups does not allow the list owner to make them for you. ===== ===== NEWSLETTER WEB SITE AND BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE ===== The Cauldron and Candle web site contains information on this newsletter and an archive of back issues. http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/ ===== ===== PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO SUBSCRIBE ===== If you have Pagan friends who you believe would be interested in Cauldron and Candle please invite them to subscribe. You can either drop them a note yourself or -- better yet -- send them one of The Cauldron's email postcards with the information. You are also welcome to forward a copies of this newsletter to interested friends and associates provided you forward the entire newsletter. ===== ===== SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME ===== Don't forget that your suggestions for this newsletter are always welcome, either posted on the message board or via email to LyricFox (lyricfox01@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com) or Randall Sapphire (rssapphire01@.ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com). Typos are, as usual, courtesy of the Goddess Eris.

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