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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #46 -- April 2004 A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum website: http://www.ecauldron.com/ message board: http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/start newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/ In this Issue: [01] Editorial Notes [02] Reviews [02-1] Before You Cast A Spell [02-2] Tarot of the New Vision [02-3] Divination for Beginners [02-4] Success Cards [02-5] Leonardo da Vinci Tarot [02-6] Goddess in the Grass [02-7] The Spirit of Flowers Tarot [03] Articles: [03-1] You and Your Library (Part II) [03-2] The Buried Moon [04] Columns [04-1] TarotDeevah on the Tarot [04-2] Humor: Signs That You're In The Wrong Religion [04-3] Poetry: To Pallas [05] Support The Cauldron by Volunteering to Help [06] Newsletter Information (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe) +++ Submission Deadline for next issue: April 15, 2004 +++ Guidelines: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/submissions.php [01] ========= ========= EDITORIAL NOTES ========= by Randall Sapphire ========= As predicted last month, this newsletter is much shorter than usual. LyricFox and I moved in the middle of March and everything is still in boxes. Unfortunately, there is a chance the May issue will be short too. The message board is still going strong, however. For those wondering, LyricFox and I are getting married on April 6th at 1pm Central Daylight Time. Good thoughts are welcome. See everyone next month! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SEND A PAGAN POSTCARD You can send a Pagan Postcard from the menu of any of our web pages at http://www.ecauldron.com/. If you haven't tried our postcard site, give it a try. It has quite a few nice features. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [02] =============== ============ BOOK AND DECK REVIEWS ========= [02-1] ========= ========= REVIEW: BEFORE YOU CAST A SPELL ========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire ========= Before You Cast A Spell: Understanding the Power of Magic Author: Carl McColman Trade Paperback, 190 pages Publisher: New Page Books Publication date: October 2003 ISBN: 1564147169 US Retail Price: $13.99 Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1564147169/thecauldron Before You Cast A Spell: Understanding the Power of Magic book takes a different approach to magick by discussing the theoretical and ethical underpinnings of magick. While most people interested in magick would probably prefer to start with a more practical book, I think books like this are a great idea when done well. Unfortunately, this book is not done all that well. While it claims to be about magick in general, the information and ethics presented in it only make sense from a fairly modern, "New Generation" Wiccan point-of-view. The author sees magick as "spiritual power," teaches Wiccan Rede/Threefold Law-based (and read literally) ethics, and otherwise has a point- of-view that will make sense more to Neo-Wiccans than ceremonial mages, atheistic magicians, or magick workers following non- Wicca-like Pagan religions. Even more traditional Wiccans will have problems with it as they do not take the short form of the Wicca Rede as absolute and literal law (just as a "rede" -- "good advice"). The authors gives thirteen laws of magick. Unfortunately, many of them are only laws of magick from a very modern Wiccan point-of- view. Not all people who use magick believe in the Goddess, in karma, that the power of magickal tools is only in your mind, that you have to be able to meditate to do magick, that the best spells are ones you personally create, that there are no exceptions to the Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law, or that the laws of nature are the laws of the Goddess and cannot be countered by magick. Some types of magicians believe in some of these laws, but the only ones I know of who probably believe in all of them are "New Generation" Wiccans. The author, however, presents his thirteen laws as the absolute laws of magick. From practical experience, I know they are not. Unfortunately, the entire book is riddled with problems like those above as the author has apparently decided that all magick is subject to a "New Generation" Wiccan world view. For example, the author translates the short form of the Wiccan Rede ("An it harm none, do what ye will") as "Harm none, and act according to your will." This is a very non-traditional, Rede as law "translation." Most traditional Wiccans will tell you that it reads as it is written but the word "An" is an old word for "If" and that it is good advice, not law (If it harms none, do what you will). I had high hopes for this book when I saw it as I really liked the author's When Someone You Love is Wiccan; unfortunately, these hopes were quickly dashed as I started to read it. This book should be avoided by everyone who isn't a "New Generation" Wiccan. Had this book been titled something like "Before You Cast a Spell: Magickal Ethics for the New Generation Wiccan" and the author had limited himself to discussing magick from the point of view of New Generation Wicca instead of magick in general, I would not have had nearly as many problems with it. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/bkbycas.php [02-2] ========= ========= REVIEW: TAROT OF THE NEW VISION ========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire ========= Tarot of the New Vision Author: Pietro Alligo Artist: Raul and Gianluca Cestaro Card Set Publisher: Llewellyn (Lo Scarabeo) Publication date: 2003 ISBN: 073870413X US Retail Price: $19.95 View Sample Cards: http://www.ecauldron.com/images/samtrttotnv.jpg Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/073870413X/thecauldron The Tarot of the New Vision deck is one of the most original and interesting ideas for a new Tarot deck I've seen in many years. It takes the familiar imagery of the Rider-Waite deck and turns it around. Literally. The images on the cards are those of the Rider-Waite deck with the point of view rotated 180 degrees. Most obviously, this means that the figures are seen from the back instead of from the front. Less obviously, it means that many cards have a different background as you can now see the scene in front of the figures in the standard Rider-Waite deck. Take a look at the sample cards for a better idea of what I'm trying to say. This deck builds on the familiar Rider-Waite symbolism, while introducing new symbolism and new ways of looking at the cards. While I find myself disagreeing with a bit of the symbolism and scratching my head over some more of it, in general it provides a refreshing addition to the Rider-Waite symbol set. The artwork on this deck is good and matches the style and feel of the original Rider-Waite deck (and many of its close copies). The booklet that comes with this deck doesn't do it justice, unfortunately. It's one of Lo Scarabeo's standard multi-lingual booklets so there are only about 14 small pages devoted to the deck. For those familiar with the Rider-Waite deck, this is enough, but this deck really cries out for a full book where the designers can explain why they selected the symbolism they did. If you like the Rider Waite deck (or one of its close variants) as I do, this deck is definitely a worthy addition to your collection. It can be read like a standard tarot deck, but the most interesting way I've found to use it is to do a reading with the Rider-Waite deck, then use the cards from this deck to complement the reading. For example if I draw the three of swords in the Rider-Waite deck, I'll find the three of swords in the Tarot of the New Vision and use the symbolism in both cards for my interpretation. While this isn't a deck for beginners and probably will not be all that useful to people who don't like the Rider-Waite deck, I love the Tarot of the New Vision deck. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/trttotnv.php [02-3] ========= ========= REVIEW: DIVINATION FOR BEGINNERS ========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire ========= Divination for Beginners Author: Scott Cunningham Trade Paperback, 240 pages Publisher: Llewellyn Publication date: June 2003 ISBN: 0738703842 US Retail Price: $9.95 Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738703842/thecauldron Divination for Beginners: Reading the Past, Present, & Future is not a newly discovered Scott Cunningham "lost" book. It is the new Llewellyn edition of a book that has preciously been published by Crossing Press as The Art of Divination and as Pocket Guide to Fortune Telling. While I've always thought that this book was a bit skimpy and superficial in the details of the various methods of divination it covers, I've also considered its first seven chapters on the theory and practice of divination to be an excellent introduction to the basics of divination for the beginner. This first section covers the history of divination and practical things like how to prepare for divination, understanding symbols, the tricky nature of time, how to decide what type of divination is best for a question, and the important question about whether the future is fixed or changeable. Cunningham does an excellent job here. The second section of the book deals with various less complex methods of divination. It briefly touches on things like water gazing, omens of many different types, casting lots, crystal gazing and much more. The third part deals with more complex divination techniques. It has brief chapters on Tarot reading, palmistry, and the I Ching. Brief is the operative word here. None of these three chapters gives enough information for a beginner to actually use one of these methods. Appendixes define many different words for types of divination and provide a fairly lengthy bibliography. If you are a complete beginner at divination, you will find that the first part of this book provides you with a strong background in divination theory. However, this is not the best book available to the beginner on the practical aspects of divination. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/bookmr05.php#dfb [02-4] ========= ========= REVIEW: SUCCESS CARDS ========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire ========= Success Cards Author: Giuseppe Ricci Artist: Sandro Beltramo Cards Set Publisher: Llewellyn (Lo Scarabeo) Publication date: August 2003 ISBN: 0738704121 US Retail Price: $19.95 View Sample Cards: http://www.ecauldron.com/images/samtrtsc.jpg Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738704121/thecauldron The Success Cards are not a Tarot deck. The 64 cards in this deck are an attempt to translate the I Ching into a pictorial form and to westernize it somewhat. The cards are numbered 1 to 64. Each features a large picture and a word or phase summarizing the intention of the card, for example: "Creativity" (card 1), "Enjoy the mystery" (card 25), "Walk without feet" (card 44). The artwork is varied, both in quality and in subject. Most cards have an oriental picture, but some do not. Card 25, for example, depicts Albert Einstein. This deck comes with a 96 page booklet that explains the background of the I Ching and these cards, provides two methods of reading, and gives a westernized I Ching-style interpretation of each card. The first method of reading selects from the card directly. The second suggests using coin flips to create one of the 64 I Ching hexagrams in a manner similar to one of the standard methods of consulting the I Ching. Unfortunately, the text does not really describe how to select the card that corresponds to the hexagram generated. This unfortunate omission will make the second method unusable for most people, but the booklet is otherwise complete and gives enough information to begin using the deck. I like the I Ching. I find it a helpful, if somewhat hard to interpret at times, advisor. Despite their obvious I Ching connection, I really don't like the Success Cards. They strike me as a somewhat bastardized version of the original, with pictures. I might like this deck better if the art style was more to my taste, but I doubt it. I simply prefer the I Ching. If you aren't familiar with the I Ching, but would like a taste of it, the Success Cards may give you that taste, but I personally think you'd be better off putting the money toward a good translation of the I Ching. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/trtsc.php [02-5] ========= ========= REVIEW: LEONARDO DA VINCI TAROT ========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire ========= Leonardo da Vinci Tarot Author: Giordano Berti and Rodrigo Tebani Artist: Iassen Ghiuselev and Atanas Atanassov Cards Set Publisher: Llewellyn (Lo Scarabeo) Publication date: August 2003 ISBN: 0738704091 US Retail Price: $19.95 View Sample Cards: http://www.ecauldron.com/images/samtrtldvt.jpg Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738704091/thecauldron The Leonardo da Vinci Tarot is a standard Tarot deck illustrated after the style of Leonardo da Vinci. The Major Arcana was created by Iassen Ghiuselev in the early 1990s. The deck was completed ten years later when Atanas Atanassov created the Minor Arcana. Although one can tell that different artists did the two sections of the deck, both did such a good job of the "da Vinci" feel that it is not as noticeable as one might expect. The artwork is excellent and quite evocative of Leonardo da Vinci. Art lovers will want to consider this deck for the artwork alone. If this deck has a fault, it is lack of symbolism. The cards, although lovely, do not have the depth of symbolism common to many modern decks. There is certainly more symbolism than in decks with just pips for the Minor Arcana, but I wish more symbols could have been worked into the cards. Unfortunately, the artists really could not do so and maintain the da Vinci feel. Despite this minor fault, the deck is fairly easy to read with if the reader is familiar with the standard Tarot. A beginner would have problems as the included multi-lingual booklet only provides sketchy information. The spread provided is interesting, unusual, and seems fitting for a deck inspired by Leonardo da Vinci: the final card of the reading is selected by numerological methods. While the lack of symbol depth means the Leonardo da Vinci Tarot will never be one of my favorite reading decks, the elegant artwork endears it to me. This deck is certainly worthy of a look when you are in the market for a new deck. If you are a fan of Leonardo da Vinci, it's probably a must have for its excellent da Vinci style artwork. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/trtldvt.php [02-6] ========= ========= REVIEW: GODDESS IN THE GRASS ========= Reviewed by Alex Allen ========= Goddess in the Grass: Serpentine Mythology and the Great Goddess Author: Linda Foubister Trade Paperback, 216 pages Publisher: Ecce Nova Publication date: October 2003 ISBN: 0973164824 US Retail Price: $19.95 Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0973164824/thecauldron Refeminizing the Serpent: If you would like to learn more about both ancient and modern goddesses, you will enjoy Goddess in the Grass: Serpentine Mythology and the Great Goddess by Linda Foubister (published by Ecce Nova Editions. Foubister explores the archetype of the Great Goddess in myths and art. Modern theorists contest the view that there was a universal Great Goddess in prehistoric times, but Foubister presents the Goddess more as a psychological concept. I appreciate that the author took an inclusive approach to the investigation of the Serpent Goddess. Goddess in the Grass, by including myths from cultures around the world, including Africa and the Americas. I especially enjoyed the fairy tales about Snake Queens, such as the French fairy tale, Melusine. A fairy who became a demi-snake on Saturdays, Melusine married a nobleman who eventually violated her taboo about not seeing her on a Saturday. This story was paralleled by the popular Chinese folk tale of Lady White Snake, who also married a mortal who was unaware of her true form as a snake. Both of these wives had hidden serpent natures, but were credited with bringing prosperity. The Dictionary of over 100 forms of the Serpent Goddess would be useful to artists. For example, the Greek goddess, Hygieia, could be illustrated to symbolize healing, the Mayan goddess Ix Chel to symbolize fertility, and the Celtic goddess, Rosmerta, prosperity. The book could also inspire ideas for pagan rituals. Snake dancers, too, may be interested to learn about some of the meanings of female face of the serpent. Over all, I recommend Goddess in the Grass: Serpentine Mythology and the Great Goddess. It is thought-provoking, leading to questions about the why some legends included snake maidens, why images of ancient goddesses included serpents, and why serpent goddesses are worshipped to this day. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/bkgitg.php [02-7] ========= ========= REVIEW: THE SPIRIT OF FLOWERS TAROT ========= Reviewed by Randall Sapphire ========= The Spirit of Flowers Tarot Author: Laura Tuan Artist: Antonella Castelli Card Set Publisher: Llewellyn (Lo Scarabeo) Publication date: 2003 ISBN: 0738704113 US Retail Price: $19.95 View Sample Cards: http://www.ecauldron.com/images/samtrttsoft.jpg Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0738704113/thecauldron The Spirit of Flowers Tarot deck consists of cards inspired by flowers. Each card depicts a different flower in lovely pastel colored artwork. The setting for the deck art is a world of child-like fae generally smaller than the plants surrounding them. The fae are often illustrated with, or even riding, small animals or insects. The artwork has a dream world effect that some will love and others will hate. This deck is lovely, but the symbolism is more flower-oriented that standard Tarot-oriented. While the creators made an effort to incorporate some of the standard Tarot symbolism, especially in the Major arcana, I found the deck hard to use, perhaps because I do not speak the language of flowers. The minor arcana were particularly hard for me as the symbols of the suits are not present in the illustrations for the most part -- so the only way I could tell which suit I was looking at was by the color of the flowers (all flowers selected for a single suit are the same color) and the name printed on the card. I found this lack of standard Tarot symbolism distracting, although those who understand the symbolism of flowers may have less trouble as each card displays a specific flower. This deck comes with a small multi-lingual booklet describing the cards and giving very basic interpretation instructions and a single layout designed for the deck. This booklet does name the flower shown on each card and gives the meaning associated with that flower. While I liked the art of The Spirit of Flowers Tarot, I really could not read with this deck. Flowers are pretty, but they just don't speak to me divination-wise. If flowers speak to you, you'll want to take a look at this deck as you will probably have much better luck with it than I did. This review is available on our web site at http://www.ecauldron.com/trttsoft.php ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ SHOP ONLINE AT THE CAULDRON MALL Shop Amazon, Catalog City, Abebooks, and other stores at The Cauldron Shopping Mall. Every purchase from our one of our mall links helps support The Cauldron and this newsletter. http://www.ecauldron.com/mall.php ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [03] =============== ============ ARTICLES ========= [03-1] ========= ========= YOU AND YOUR LIBRARY (PART II) ========= Using Your Library to Your Best Advantage ========= by Jenett ========= You're not going to get much use out of your local library if you don't know how to use it. This means that you should be familiar with your library, be familiar with search terms that are the most useful, and know what other library resources besides your public library you can make use of. Your local library: First, get familiar with your local library. If you live in a city, there's probably a branch library near you. But if you're near a big central library, it's probably also worth heading into the city and taking a look there. While your local library (or branch library) can often get books for you from other libraries, sometimes it's just fun to wander around and browse things. Being familiar with how things are set up, where the people you can ask for help are, and what kinds of material they have are the best things you can do to help yourself use a library effectively. What catalog system does your library use? Your library, if you're in the United States, is probably set up using one of two different methods of organizing books. If you're not in the United States, then you should consult your librarian on how your cataloging system works. (Dewey is commonly used in other English speaking countries) A cataloging system is simply a way for the library to organize the books, so that you can find the books you want. They may sound a little complicated, but once you get the hang of them, they're pretty easy to use. The older of these, the Dewey Decimal system, is still used in many school libraries, and in a number of smaller libraries. The newer, the Library of Congress system, is used in most US colleges and universities, as well as many larger libraries or library systems. (There's a reason for this - it's a lot easier to get cataloging data - the stuff that helps librarians organize the books and find them again - for the Library of Congress system, and the LoC cataloging system allows for more flexibility in some ways). Neither one of them is inherently *best* though, and particularly in small libraries or those not associated too strongly with other library systems, it may not have made sense to switch from one to the other. (This takes a lot of time, money, and frustration.) How does the Dewey system work? The Dewey system uses three digit numbers (starting with 000 and going through 999) and then decimal places to indicate where a book is, as determined by the primary subject of the book. Usually this is followed by the first three letters of the author's name. So, for example, a fair number of books about witches turn up in 133.4. The 100s in Dewey are the Philosophy and Psychology section, the 200s are Religion. Esoteric and occult generally ends up in 100, though, and so Witchcraft (and by association, Wicca and some books on Paganism) often do too. Mythology will often be in the 290s, and history will be in the 900s. In a Dewey system, theoretically, each book has a unique number (that's why some numbers run to so many decimal places). However, for various reasons (imagine keeping track of all that, when you may be getting cataloging information from a company or different library...) many Dewey libraries don't do that anymore and use a simplified version. You can read more about the basic divisions here: http://www.july15.com/julia/ddecimal.htm How does the Library of Congress system work? The Library of Congress system first starts by assigning different subjects to a different letter of the alphabet (or rather most - there are a few letters missing) and then adding letters for a subclass in that area. After that, you have a series of numbers, then a decimal, then some more numbers, and finally a letter and often the year of publication. Most books on Witchcraft and Magic and Religion will be found in B, which is for Psychology, Religion, and Philosophy, and more specifically in BF, which is where you can find things on Parapsychology and Occult Sciences. Specifically, you'll probably be looking somewhere in the BF 1562.5 - BF 1779 for most related subjects. You can read about these classes and sub-classes here: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/lcco/lcco.html What you *really* need to know about this is how to find a book. Simply (and in both systems), you work from left to right within the call number (the call number is the number in the catalog that tells you where to find the book on the shelf). That means that you start at the left, at the letters in LoC, and at the first three digits in Dewey. You then move progressively through the section of the books as you work your way through the number. 0 comes before numbers, so if you have a sequence of 133.1, 133.04, 133.4 and 133.401, you'd see them in this order: 133.04, 133.1, 133.4 and 133.401. Fiction books are often shelved separately in public libraries (usually with the equivalent to the numbers being FIC and then three letters (usually the first three of the author's name) or something similar - SF for Speculative Fiction, ROM for Romance novels, and so on are also common. Biographies are also often separated out. These vary from library to library, so if it isn't obvious to you on a walk around your library space, ask a librarian. What if you can't find the book? Some libraries have what are called "Closed stacks" You usually won't see these in small or midsize public libraries, but you may see them in really large public libraries, or university libraries. This means that you give a request for specific books to a specific desk, and they go and retrieve the books. This usually takes a half hour or so, sometimes less. This is usually done because of the configuration of the space, or for a need to preserve materials from people handling them just to see what they are. If your library has closed stacks, you should both see a notice or information about it clearly posted, and a note when you look up a book. If your library has open stacks, and you can't find a book that's supposed to be on the shelf or checked in, then you should ask one of the library staff. Sometimes it's waiting to be shelved, sometimes they can help you find it. Asking for help: Public libraries are quite aware that many people don't know how to find books easily, so there should be lots of information to help you locate what you're looking for - instructions on using the online catalogs, signs or maps of where books are located, etc. It's worth reading through these instructions if you can find them, but you can always ask a librarian for help or just directions. ("Hi, where're your non-fiction books? I'm looking for something in the 100s...." or "Hi, I'm looking for something in the BF section....") Now, you can just browse the shelves, or you can actually search for specific books. Searching for books: Your library quite probably (if you're in a city or a good sized suburb or town) has either switched to an online catalog or is in the process of doing so. This makes searching a lot easier. If your library still has a card catalog (they're lots of fun, too), then you can ask your librarian for some help using it. Generally, you can look up books by subject, by title, or by author's last name. Using the right words: If I look in my local city library's catalog, and search on "Wicca" as a keyword, I get 11 books, some of them with multiple copies. If I search on Paganism, that gets me 20 copies (some dealing with historical movements). "Witchcraft" on the other hand, gets me 225 entries - some on historical data, some including books of interest to Pagans. There's a reason for this. Libraries use what is known as a 'controlled vocabulary' for subjects. This means that they use the same sets of words to describe books on the same subject. For various reasons, "Wicca" isn't one of them, nor is "Pagan", but both "Witchcraft" and "Neopaganism" are. The Library of Congress is somewhat slow to add new subject headings, in part because if they add new ones, thousands of libraries across the US and Canada should change their subject headings for those topics, including *every* book that falls under those topics. As you can guess, that's a pain in the neck, so changes tend to be fairly slow. Figuring it out So how do you figure out the right words, if you're just looking for a book on Wicca? Well, there's several ways to search an online catalog. Generally, you can search by author, by title, by subject, or by keyword. Author, title, and subject searches generally search only a specific part of the cataloging record, keyword searches search more information. To search on a subject, you can try searching as a subject search on 'Witchcraft' or 'Neopaganism' like I suggested above. Subject searches search a specific area in the computer catalog, and this area generally has a very limited set of vocabulary like I talk about above. Often, a subject search (such as on 'Wicca') will point you at the term that books are listed at (it may say something like 'see Witchcraft') That will let you know what to try next. If you want to find books similar to ones you've read already, you can try an author or title search on a book you already know, and then look at what it says for the subjects. In online or web based catalogs, you can often just click on the subjects listed in order to do a search on that subject. If not, just make a note of the subject listings, and look them up. The final part of this series will talk about other things that your library or librarian may be able to do to help you, along with some general books that you may find of use in Pagan research. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CHEAP WEB HOSTING REPORT Looking for affordable web hosting with lots of features from popular hosting companies? Check the Cheap Web Hosting Report! http://www.ecauldron.com/cheapwebhosting/index.php ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [02-2] ========= ========= THE BURIED MOON ========= by Joseph Jacobs ========= from More English Fairy Tales [1894] ========= Long ago, in my grandmother's time, the Carland was all in bogs, great pools of black water, and creeping trickles of green water, and squishy mools which squirted when you stepped on them. Well, granny used to say how long before her time the Moon herself was once dead and buried in the marshes, and as she used to tell me, I'll tell you all about it. The Moon up yonder shone and shone, just as she does now, and when she shone she lighted up the bog-pools, so that one could walk about almost as safe as in the day. But when she didn't shine, out came the Things that dwelt in the darkness and went about seeking to do evil and harm; Bogies and Crawling Horrors, all came out when the Moon didn't shine. Well, the Moon heard of this, and being kind and good -- as she surely is, shining for us in the night instead of taking her natural rest -- she was main troubled. 'I'll see for myself, I will,' said she, 'maybe it's not so bad as folks make out.' Sure enough, at the month's end down she stept, wrapped up in a black cloak, and a black hood over her yellow shining hair. Straight she went to the bog edge and looked about her. Water here and water there; waving tussocks and trembling mools, and great black snags all twisted and bent. Before her all was dark -- dark but for the glimmer of the stars in the pools, and the light that came from her own white feet, stealing out of her black cloak. The Moon drew her cloak faster about and trembled, but she wouldn't go back without seeing all there was to be seen; so on she went, stepping as light as the wind in summer from tuft to tuft between the greedy gurgling water-holes. Just as she came near a big black pool her foot slipped and she was nigh tumbling in. She grabbed with both hands at a snag near by to steady herself with, but as she touched it, it twined itself round her wrists, like a pair of handcuffs, and gript her so that she couldn't move. She pulled and twisted and fought, but it was no good. She was fast, and must stay fast. Presently as she stood trembling in the dark, wondering if help would come, she heard something calling in the distance, calling, calling, and then dying away with a sob, till the marshes were full of this pitiful crying sound; then she heard steps floundering along, squishing in the mud and slipping on the tufts, and through the darkness she saw a white face with great feared eyes. 'Twas a man strayed in the bogs. Mazed with fear, he struggled on towards the flickering light that looked like help and safety. And when the poor Moon saw that he was coming nigher and nigher to the deep hole, further and further from the path, she was so mad and so sorry that she struggled and fought and pulled harder than ever. And though she couldn't get loose, she twisted and turned, till her black hood fell back off her shining yellow hair, and the beautiful light that came from it drove away the darkness. Oh, but the man cried with joy to see the light again. And at once all evil things fled back into the dark corners, for they cannot abide the light. So he could see where he was, and where the path was, and how he could get out of the marsh. And he was in such haste to get away from the Quicks, and Bogles, and Things that dwelt there, that he scarce looked at the brave light that came from the beautiful shining yellow hair, streaming out over the black cloak and falling to the water at his feet. And the Moon herself was so taken up with saving him, and with rejoicing that he was back on the right path, that she clean forgot that she needed help herself, and that she was held fast by the Black Snag. So off he went; spent and gasping, and stumbling and sobbing with joy, flying for his life out of the terrible bogs. Then it came over the Moon she would main like to go with him. So she pulled and fought as if she were mad, till she fell on her knees, spent with tugging, at the foot of the snag. And as she lay there, gasping for breath, the black hood fell forward over her head. So out went the blessed light and back came the darkness, with all its Evil Things, with a screech and a howl. They came crowding round her, mocking and snatching and beating; shrieking with rage and spite, and swearing and snarling, for they knew her for their old enemy, that drove them back into the corners, and kept them from working their wicked wills. 'Drat thee!' yelled the witch-bodies, 'thou'st spoiled our spells this year agone!' 'And us thou sent'st to brood in the corners!' howled the Bogles. And all the Things joined in with a great 'Ho, ho!' till the very tussocks shook and the water gurgled. And they began again. 'We'll poison her -- poison her!' shrieked the witches. And 'Ho-ho!' howled the Things again. 'We'll smother her -- smother her!' whispered the Crawling Horrors, and twined themselves round her knees. And 'Ho, ho!' mocked the rest of them. And again they all shouted with spite and ill will. And the poor Moon crouched down, and wished she was dead and done with. And they fought and squabbled what they should do with her, till a pale grey light began to come in the sky; and it drew nigh the dawning. And when they saw that, they were feared lest they shouldn't have time to work their will; and they caught hold of her, with horrid bony fingers, and laid her deep in the water at the foot of the snag. And the Bogles fetched a strange big stone and rolled it on top of her, to keep her from rising. And they told two of the Will-o-the-wykes to take turns in watching on the black snag, to see that she lay safe and still, and couldn't get out to spoil their sport. And there lay the poor Moon, dead and buried in the bog, till someone would set her loose, and who'd know where to look for her. Well, the days passed, and 'twas the time for the new moon's coming, and the folk put pennies in their pockets and straws in their caps so as to be ready for her, and looked about, for the Moon was a good friend to the marsh folk, and they were main glad when the dark time was gone, and the paths were safe again, and the Evil Things were driven back by the blessed Light into the darkness and the water-holes. But days and days passed, and the new Moon never came, and the nights were aye dark, and the Evil Things were worse than ever. And still the days went on, and the new Moon never came. Naturally the poor folk were strangely feared and mazed, and a lot of them went to the Wise Woman who dwelt in the old mill, and asked if so be she could find out where the Moon was gone. 'Well,' said she, after looking in the brewpot, and in the mirror, and in the Book, 'it be main queer, but I can't rightly tell ye what's happened to her. If ye hear of aught, come and tell me.' So they went their ways; and as days went by, and never a Moon came, naturally they talked -- my word! I reckon they did talk! Their tongues wagged at home, and at the inn, and in the garth. But so came one day, as they sat on the great settle in the inn, a man from the far end of the bog lands was smoking and listening, when all at once he sat up and slapped his knee. 'My faicks!' says he, 'I'd clean forgot, but I reckon I kens where the Moon be!' and he told them of how he was lost in the bogs, and how, when he was nigh dead with fright, the light shone out, and he found the path and got home safe. So off they all went to the Wise Woman, and told her about it, and she looked long in the pot and the Book again, and then she nodded her head. 'It's dark still, childer, dark!' says she, 'and I can't rightly see, but do as I tell ye, and ye'll find out for yourselves. Go all of ye, just afore the night gathers, put a stone in your mouth, and take a hazel-twig in your hands, and say never a word till you're safe home again. Then walk on and fear not, far into the midst of the marsh, till ye find a coffin, a candle, and a cross. Then ye'll not be far from your Moon; look, and m'appen ye'll find her.' So came the next night in the darklings, out they went all together, every man with a stone in his mouth, and a hazel-twig in his hand, and feeling, thou may'st reckon, main feared and creepy. And they stumbled and stottered along the paths into the midst of the bogs; they saw naught, though they heard sighings and flutterings in their ears, and felt cold wet fingers touching them; but all at once, looking around for the coffin, the candle, and the cross, while they came nigh to the pool beside the great snag, where the Moon lay buried. And all at once they stopped, quaking and mazed and skeery, for there was the great stone, half in, half out of the water, for all the world like a strange big coffin; and at the head was the black snag, stretching out its two arms in a dark gruesome cross, and on it a tiddy light flickered, like a dying candle. And they all knelt down in the mud, and said, 'Our Lord', first forward, because of the cross, and then backward, to keep off the Bogles; but without speaking out, for they knew that the Evil Things would catch them if they didn't do as the Wise Woman told them. Then they went nigher, and took hold of the big stone, and shoved it up, and afterwards they said that for one tiddy minute they saw a strange and beautiful face looking up at them glad-like out of the black water; but the Light came so quick and so white and shining, that they stept back mazed with it, and the very next minute, when they could see again, there was the full Moon in the sky, bright and beautiful and kind as ever, shining and smiling down at them, and making the bogs and the paths as clear as day, and stealing into the very corners, as though she'd have driven the darkness and the Bogles clean away if she could. [04] =============== ============ COLUMNS ========= [04-1] ========= ========= TAROTDEEVAH ON THE TAROT ========= by TarotDeevah ========= === === Tarot of Northern Shadows === by Howard Rodway Published by AG Muller (Switzerland) Copyright 1997 by AG Muller ISBN 3905219123 See Cards From This Deck: http://angelfire.com/la2/tarotdeevah/tarot/northernpics.JPG Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/3905219123/thecauldron Tarot of Northern Shadows is a Rider Waite style deck depicting Norse Gods and Goddesses, Mabinoguion culture, British Celtic and Continental legend, and Irish Celtic personalities (according to the illustrator). Being Cajun French, I'm not familiar enough with these cultures to say whether the depictions are accurate or not. I like the deck, though. It can be a bit gruesome at times, but the Norse are not exactly battle shy. The art is lovely and interesting, and the images do inspire. The cards are quite readable, even for those who know little or nothing about the cultures it depicts. The cards measure about 2.75 by 4.75 inches, which is slightly large for me, but certainly normal as far as tarot decks go. The stock is ideal, and the cards are quite durable. I recommend this deck for those interested in Norse and Celtic cultures, provided it is a reasonable representation. I also recommend it for collectors. Beginners may have a bit of a difficult time with the deck, as symbolism is not abundant (although it is present). === === Tarot of the Sephiroth === by Josephine Mori and Jill Stockwell Published by US Games Systems, Inc. Copyright 1999 by US Games Systems, Inc. ISBN 1572812516 See Cards From This Deck: http://angelfire.com/la2/tarotdeevah/tarot/sephirothpics.JPG Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1572812516/thecauldron This is not your average tarot deck. It reminds me of Thoth Tarot, although I'm not sure why. It isn't really like Thoth, but that's the feel I get from this deck. The deck generally follows Rider-Waite style with only a few changes. The world is the universe, pages are princesses, knights are princes, and pentacles are discs. Pip cards are not fully illustrated. Too bad, because the art is very interesting and quite inspiring. I would have really liked this to be fully illustrated. Cards measure about 3 by 4.5 inches and handle well. Card stock is ideal, perfect in my opinion. The cards seem to be durable, although I haven't had my deck long enough to know for sure. I recommend this deck to anyone who loves the feel of Thoth Tarot. Collectors will also want a copy. Beginners may have a little trouble since the pips aren't fully illustrated. === === Tarot of the Trance === by Eva Maria Nitsche Published by US Games Systems, Inc. Copyright 1998 by US Games Systems, Inc. ISBN 1572810947 See Cards From This Deck: http://angelfire.com/la2/tarotdeevah/tarot/trancepics.JPG Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1572810947/thecauldron The creator of this deck states that this deck was created during a trance state and that she encountered and entire submerged world of forms and figures. Personally, I think the figures should remain submerged. That's actually too harsh. I should just say that this deck is not for me. I find it much too busy, and most of the symbolism is in a language I just dont get. Looking at the cards reminds me of how I feel when I go to a museum annd try to decifer abstract or impressionist art. You can actually see the giant question mark over my head. This deck just might be very good ... I don't know. I get the same feeling looking at something by Dali or Picasso, and their work is supposed to be good. The deck follows the Rider Waite style in order and naming. The cards measure about 3 by 5 inches, which is very large for me. The stock is durable, but not too thick. I suspect they will stand up to frequent use quite well. I recommend this deck for those who love Dali and Picasso! Beginners will find it too difficult to decode, as may intermediate readers. Collectors will find it an interesting addition, though. === === Tarot of the Witches === Published by AG Muller (Switzerland) Copyright 1974 by Stuart Kaplan ISBN 0913866539 See Cards From This Deck: http://angelfire.com/la2/tarotdeevah/tarot/towpics.JPG Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0913866539/thecauldron I dislike this deck. I find the symbolism inadequate and the art odd. The people are oddly shaped, with really broad shoulders ... even the women. Strength is a circus strong man, which doesn't suit the card at all. It looks like it was created by a high school art student. The deck is in the Marseilles style. Justice is VIII and Strength is XI. The majors and the courts are illustrated, but the pips are not. Cards measure about 2.75 by 4.25 inches and handle well. Card stock is perfect. The cards are durable. I don't really recommend this deck for anyone but collectors. I just don't like it. ===== ===== About This Column ===== TarotDeevah's column will feature monthly articles or reviews selected from her web site or written for this newsletter. You can find TarotDeevah's web site at: http://www.angelfire.com/la2/tarotdeevah/home.html [04-2] ========= ========= SIGNS THAT YOU'RE IN THE WRONG RELIGION ========= Humor by an unknown author ========= * Prayer books contain nothing but show tunes. * In church, they pass a "specimen plate." * Their main prophet is scamming on your girlfriend. * You must kneel and pray five times a day facing Redmond, Washington. * The *only* food that you're allowed to eat is pork. * "The first reading is from the Book of Newt..." * Your position in the afterlife depends on how many cleaning products you sell here on earth. * Larry King's birthday is the High Holy Day for the year. * Your new messiah claims to have fed the multitudes with a bucket of chicken, some fries, and a Big Gulp. * Even though they taste heavenly, you're pretty sure Malomars are not a sacrament. * All the commandments begin, "You might be a sinner if..." * "Sinner of the Week" eligible for valuable prizes. * Constant fear that the elders will discover the laptop you've got squirreled away in the buggy shed. * Frequency of circumcision increased from once in a lifetime to once a year. * Communion performed with tortilla chips and a shot of Cuervo. * A goat is involved in worship in any way. [04-3] ========= ========= POETRY: TO PALLAS ========= from The Hymns of Orpheus ========= translated by Thomas Taylor [1792] ========= Only-Begotten, noble race of Jove, Blessed and fierce, who joy'st in caves to rove: O, warlike Pallas, whose illustrious kind, Ineffable and effable we find: Magnanimous and fam'd, the rocky height, And groves, and shady mountains thee delight: In arms rejoicing, who with Furies dire And wild, the souls of mortals dost inspire. Gymnastic virgin of terrific mind, Dire Gorgons bane, unmarried, blessed, kind: Mother of arts, imperious; understood, Rage to the wicked., wisdom to the good: Female and male, the arts of war are thine, Fanatic, much-form'd dragoness, divine: O'er the Phlegrean giants rous'd to ire, Thy coursers driving, with destruction dire. Sprung from the head of Jove, of splendid mien, Purger of evils, all-victorious queen. Hear me, O Goddess, when to thee I pray, With supplicating voice both night and day, And in my latest hour, peace and health, Propitious times, and necessary wealth, And, ever present, be thy vot'ries aid, O, much implor'd, art's parent, blue eyed maid. [06] ========= ========= 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 Delphi message board welcomes readers, we encourage members to actively participate by posting their comments and views in our discussions. One of the easiest ways to help The Cauldron is to actively participate in our message board. The staff especially appreciates members who start new topics for discussion based on their own questions, opinions, or interests. http://forums.delphiforums.com/CUSTOM7999/start ===== ===== Articles! Essays! Tutorials! ===== We are in constant need of original, well-written and accurate articles, essays, tutorials, and other written items for both our web site and for our Cauldron and Candle newsletter. There's no real limit on length for web site articles. Here are a few areas in which we always need articles: * information on the beliefs and theology of the various Pagan religions, especially non-Wiccan religions * information on holidays and festivals of the various Pagan religions, especially non-Wiccan religions * recipes for oils, incenses, and food for the various Pagan holidays * magick, spells, and ritual information * herbal information * positive articles on dealing with other faiths * information on historical pagan cultures * editorial/opinion pieces Non-Wiccan material is stressed not because we don't want Wiccan material but because good non-Wiccan material has been hard to find. We have a web form you can use to submit an article for consideration: http://www.ecauldron.com/persontestart.php ===== ===== Book Reviews ===== While The Cauldron receives some review copies from a couple of Pagan publishers, there are many books that can only be reviewed on our web site if a member has a copy and writes a good, objective review. 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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.) [07] ========= ========= 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. 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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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