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Cauldron and Candle
Issue #59 -- May 2005

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

 

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C A U L D R O N   A N D   C A N D L E  #59 -- May 2005

           A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum
                website: http://www.ecauldron.com/
              message board: http://www.ecauldron.net/
             newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/
            shopping: http://www.ecauldron.com/mall.php
              http://www.ecauldron.com/doxysbazaar.php

In this Issue:

[01] Editorial Notes
     * Cauldron and Candle Submissions Needed
[02] Cauldron Challenge: May
[03] Cauldron News
     * Celebrating One Year of Independence!
[04] Cauldron Discussions
[05] Reviews
     [05-1] The Knights Templar in the New World
     [05-2] A Muggles Guide to the Wizarding World
     [05-3] The Sorcerer's Companion
     [05-4] The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar
     [05-5] Survivors of Atlantis
     [05-6] Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa
     [05-7] Book of Druidry
     [05-8] A Wiccan Formulary and Herbal
[06] Articles:
     [06-1] Choosing the Right Deck
     [06-2] Psychic Self Defense in Real Life
     [06-3] May -- The Month of Maia
[07] Columns
     [07-1] Poem: This Is The City Where Men Are Mended
     [07-2] Humor: The Ballad Of St. Anselm
[08] Pagan Webcrafting
     [08-1] Web Page Real Estate 101
     [08-2] The Top 8 Website Sins: Part One
     [08-3] The Top 8 Website Sins: Part Two
     [08-4] Cheap Web Hosting Report: April 2005
[09] Support The Cauldron by Volunteering to Help
[10] Newsletter Information
              (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe)

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

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

It's been a quiet month in many ways, so I instead of boring
everyone with an editorial just because I can, I'll just let
everyone enjoy this issue of the newsletter without having to
wade through a long missive from the editor.

=====
===== Cauldron and Candle Submissions Needed
=====

We still need submissions.  We did not receive any articles last
month -- the submission folder on my drive is empty, so if you
have an idea for an article, your newsletter needs you.

We even make it easy for you to submit items with a couple of
handy forms on our web site:

Handy Article Submission Form:

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

Book Review Submission Form:

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


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                      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.

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

This month, for the very first time, we're going to have a
Challenge that's actually related to the Cauldron. ;)  Sometimes,
posting here, it's easy to sort of fall into a pattern. There are
probably certain folders you read and post in often, and others
you read but barely post in, and still others that you don't
really care much about. It's easy to get stuck in that. So your
Challenge for May is to break that pattern. Pick at least one
folder you haven't posted in much, haven't posted in recently, or
perhaps have never posted in at all--and post! Start your own
thread if you feel inspired to do so, or just join in the
existing conversation. The point is to force yourself to break
the habit of always doing the same old thing, and broaden your
horizons a bit. :)

  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=5008.1


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

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

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

=====
===== Celebrating One Year of Independence
=====

Just over a year ago, on April 15, 2004, The Cauldron: A Pagan
Forum moved from DelphiForums to a to Bob's server (Thanks again,
Bob!) running Beehive Forums. We had finally gotten fed up with
anti-paying customer attitudes of the DelphiForums staff, not to
mention the DelphiForums price hikes and service cuts.

After a year, I think we can pronounce the move a roaring
success. We had about 80,000 posts in the last year and have a
steady influx of new members. While the open-source Beehive
probably has software as many bugs as DelphiForums, they are
generally just mild annoyances (like broken attachments in the
old version of the software or "high interest: icons that can't
be turned off globally in the new version) instead of flaws that
frequently brought our DelphiForums board down for hours (or even
days) at a time. The fact that all our members have access to
things like signatures and attachments is also very nice. To get
many of the more interesting features on when we were on
DelphiForums, our members had to pay DelphiForums an annual fee.

The staff is looking forward to another good year as masters of
our own destiny.


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

                 CAULDRON AND CANDLE WEB SITE

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

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

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

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

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

===
=== Wicca and Buffy
===

I'm taking a class this semester called "Religion and Popular
Culture." For my term paper, I'm doing a comparison of Wicca as
portrayed on the TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," versus
"real-life" Wicca. Half of my paper involves watching Buffy and
observing directly how Wicca is depicted on the show--pretty
simple, since all I have to do is watch and take notes.

The other half of my paper, however, involves finding out how
real-life Wiccans feel about the portrayal of Wicca, and/or
Wiccan witchcraft, on the show. As I don't know any Wiccans
personally, I'm turning to the Internet. So I'd like to ask the
Wiccans on this board (specifically those who watched the show):
how do you feel about the portrayal of Wicca on Buffy, in terms
of the religion and/or the practice of magic? How does the
treatment of Wicca on this show compare, in your mind, to other
popular-culture portrayals of Wicca (in terms of
positivity/negativity and accuracy)?

I'd also like to know if and how the introduction of the word
"Wicca" to the show changed your perception of the show; if
anyone stopped watching Buffy due to the Wicca sub-story, if
anyone started watching because they heard there were Wiccans on
the show, etc. Also, is there anyone here who can credit Buffy as
the reason they decided to start learning about Wicca?

Lastly, have you ever used Buffy to teach or explain to young
people any aspects of Wicca or witchcraft?

I'd appreciate any opinions/thoughts you have on the subject. I
won't quote anyone in my paper without first asking permission,
so please, feel free to just chat and discuss. I should also note
that I am a former Wiccan, so I don't need any info on Wicca
itself -- just opinions of Wicca as portrayed on Buffy.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=5054.1

===
=== Divination and You
===

There are quite a few people in the forum who utilize some form
of divination in their practice. Sometimes it's related to
religious worship/practice and sometimes it isn't. Many Recon
religions use divination though some forms of it are probably no
longer utilized (thinking of entrail reading here).

How do you use divination? What type of divination do you use? Is
it a part of your religious observations?

(Keep in mind that I'm a Greek Recon who's spiritual ancestors
made full use of many different forms of divination. I, however,
suck at most divination and don't practice it.)

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=5011.1

===
=== Vegetarians as Pariahs?
===

I was just wondering if anyone here is a vegetarian or a vegan. I
never realized how many reasons there are to not eat meat and
milk. There is so much I didn't know about what I was putting in
my body.I read some horrible things (cruelty and health-wise) and
even watched a few short videos with my eyes half-closed and will
never eat meat again.

I just decided to make the change and have found that while its
not hard to be vegetarian for me because I never liked red meat
(so I only have to give up chicken and fish). It is difficult to
be a vegetarian socially.

My question is: do you ever feel kinda lonely or like everyone
thinks your a big freak. People seem to think that just because I
love animals and choose not to eat them, I think their rights are
more important than human rights. Some take it almost personally
when I tell them I can't eat meat. Like it's a "sin" or something
(for lack of a better word).

Has anyone experienced this?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=5006.1

===
=== Karma: The Why and How?
===

I was wondering if anyone new some types of spells useful for
wounded animals. You see, I live in north Florida, USA, and last
night we were pelted with hail the likes of which I have never
experienced. Walking about today, surveying the damage, I found a
small sparrow who was apparently struck and wounded in the storm.
He could still fly, and I suppose he didn't need any help from
me. Nevertheless, I still made a prayer in my own way for the
little creature, and offered it.

This started me to think though, that it would be nice to be able
to heal or at least ease the pain of creatures wounded in the
wild. As a child I heard many stories about druids, wizards, and
thaumaturges loosening deer locked in hedges, healing birds, and
such things like that. Any help you have would be appreciated.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4506.1

===
=== Meditation Before Practicing?
===

I have a problem with the concept of 'Karma' and perhaps someone
can help me clarify what they mean by it. After all, a lot of
people refer to it.

There seems to be two kinds that people are referring to. One, is
the Metaphysical Karma - ie: If you mess up in this life, you'll
keep coming back until you get it right and reach Nirvana.

O.K. Now this implies (to me) some kind of meta-mechanism which
is somehow observant of how a life is led. It implies (note I
said implies) , a deistic genesis. Or perhaps simply a kind of
cosmic 'clock-work' that started sometime, somewhere, to which we
are all bound. Also, who is to say that coming back as an
earthworm is a bad thing? Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe being
human is on the lowest 'rung' of all. But for sure, it means that
every life is being paid 'attention' to, in order to fix the next
'rung'.

What about the 'common' Karma that people speak of . First, it
seems that it has 'gradations'. For instance, there is the 'rule
of three' (just an example). Or people say 'Don't worry, their
'Karma' will catch up to them". What does this mean? Does this
also imply an over-riding cosmic mechanism? And does it apply to
everyone? This is important for this reason. If it is an over-
riding cosmic mechanism, that means everybody is subject to it.
So in a group of ten people, though maybe only one believes in
it, all are subject to it. In which case, all the people that
suffered with the Tsunami, or 9/11 or any such disaster, did
something to bring it upon themselves, even new-born or yet to be
born babes.

Or, does it only apply to some people? In which case, why? Why
has the cosmos singled out just some people to be effected by
this phenomena? The man who ran the Treblinka death camp went on
to spend 20 more or less happy years in South America, raising
his family and making good money before he was caught.Stalin
(though it was found he had suffered from brain damage for a long
time), just died one night at a not unreasonable old age. Why
didn't 'Karma' get them? Or perhaps it is only effective if you
believe in it. And the people whom they caused to suffer so
horribly? Does the idea of individual Karma absolve those who
order the fate of many, because the individuals are merely living
out their 'Karmic destiny'?

And what about 'gradations' of Karma. Say you have had a nasty
visitor. On their way out, you are staring at them and thinking "
I hope your tires are slashed". Then you turn around to go in the
door and you schuck yourself on the door frame. Lots of people
say "Instant Karma"! Or maybe one's mind has been in the thrall
of an emotive state and you just were not paying attention. This
is another case perhaps for 'only if you believe in it'. And what
decides the 'level' of bad Karma which will attach to them? Or
good Karma. Some people who live perfectly blameless, kind and
giving lives come to horrible ends, suffering unspeakable things
until they die.

I sometimes wonder, because humans as a whole like a cohesive
structure, a story with a middle, beginning and end that contain
some kind of continuity of cause and effect, that the fact that
sometimes there isn't any demonstrable 'reason' for happenings,
serves to increase our feelings of powerlessness in what seems
sometimes like a very arbitrary world.

Any thoughts?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4985.1

===
=== Oathbound?
===

I was just wondering if the people here who are within (or have
been within) an 'oathbound' tradition or religion, can explain
the function of the 'Oath' to their beliefs. Not articulating
this well, sorry. I'm not asking details about 'oaths' but more,
why have one?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4927.1

===
=== Do Pagans Need Apologetics?
===

APOLOGETICS - from the Greek apologia, meaning literally "words
in opposition," and in context "defense." Apologetics is that
branch of theology which specializes in preparing or developing
doctrinally appropriate responses to questions critical of a
religion's beliefs or practices.

In my response to a message at another board, I noted that the
person posting here in the Daughters of Frya thread did not seem
all that prepared to respond to the questions put to her about
the beliefs and practices of the DoF, and I then commented that
apologetics are an area of theology that most pagans seem to have
given little attention to.

Is this a real issue? DO pagans need to start thinking about this
sort of thing?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4889.1

===
=== Sacrament of the Bees
===

If you have never worked with bees, you cannot imagine the
sensation. First of all, even not in a hive--just a screened box
as they come from the breeder, they smell so very good. I'm not
sure how to describe it, this scent that is not really honey
scent, but just inhaling makes me smile and every muscle in my
body seems to hum with the bees themselves. And they are
extremely beautiful, golden bodied and with glistening wings.

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4815.1

===
=== Reconstructionism and Animal Sacrifice
===

Reconstructionists in the United States (as far as I know) don't
sacrifice animals in their worship despite it having been
practiced in ancient times. The majority of this has to do with
the society in which we live. We get meat from the grocery store.
It's difficult, yet not impossible, to get rights to sacrifice
animals in a religious context. If you live on a farm, then of
course it would be easier to perform animal sacrifice.

I don't know of any reconstructionist who has received a request
from a deity for an animal sacrifice. So I am guessing that the
Gods are satisfied with the offerings (meat from the store etc)
that we can get from the market. And it would also be difficult
to reconstruct such rituals.

Following that, could the same thing be said for the Orisha, Lwa
(insert pantheon here) from an indigenous or syncretic faith?
Instead of sacrificing a goat for Oya, buy some from the store
and offer it to Her as an example.

And I'm not saying animal sacrifice is evil or should never be
practiced. In certain faiths it does have its place and purpose.
What do you think?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4794.1

===
=== Three Faces? Why Not Four?
===

I forever see the triple goddess linked with the
moon...specifically the moon in its waxing, full and waning
stages. What happened to the new or dark stage. I mean, if I'm an
ancient and things are appearing in the sky, wouldn't I be
concerned about why they disappear?

So, does anyone know why there's all this emphasis on the stages
of the moon when it's visible? Why not when it's not there?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4807.1

===
=== Could Magick Be Dangerous For Beginners?
===

Is there any inherent danger in using magick when you've first
started out? Could anything terrible happen if you make a
mistake? I tried a spell last week and I'm now seeing the
results. As cool as it is that the spell actually seemed to work,
it makes me a little bit nervous, like I'm playing with fire when
I don't really have a thorough understanding of it or how to
control it. On the other hand, if I never do any spells I'm never
going to get any experience.

Are there any sort of safety precautions I could take? What sort
of magicks would you recommend I stay away from until I have a
better understanding of how magick works?

* Read (or join in) this discussion:
  http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=4728.1


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

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

   gleason.mike@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com


[05-1]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR IN THE NEW WORLD
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

The Knights Templar in the New World:
  How Henry Sinclair Brought the Grail to Acadia
Author: William F. Mann
Trade Paperback, 295 pages
Publisher: Destiny Books
Publication date: 2004
List: US$16.95, C$26.95
ISBN: 0892811854
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0892811854
Warning: Speculative History

How, you might ask, could a group which had been officially
suppressed nearly two centuries before the official discovery of
America (in 1307 A.D. - 185 years earlier, to be precise) have
any connection with the New World? This is a valid question. The
answer, or actually one possible answer is contained in this
book.

If you are unfamiliar with the legend of the Holy Grail, this
book may cause some confusion, since most people assume that
"grail" equals "cup." There are other potential meanings of
"grail" and this author explores some of them.

This book, more than others I have been reading on the subject of
the Knights Templar, appears to rely more on intuition and
assumption than on hard facts and solid research. Apparently
unrelated "facts" are drawn together on the basis of nothing more
than the author's belief that they are connected. I am not sure
that the apparent connections made in this book are accurate.
They may be. That is for you to decide for yourself.

I am sure that there is a wide variety of hints, clues, and facts
drawn together from a large number of sources. I am also
reasonably sure that the author is sincere in his beliefs and
interpretations. These two items alone make this an interesting
book.

Mr. Mann makes connections between words based upon their
apparent relationships (e.g., d'or (French, meaning "of gold")
and door; Hermetica (Greek for "by Hermes" and hermit) which are,
in my opinion, stretching a point. While the connections may be
apparent to him, they don't hold up based on linguistic
comparisons.

How well the author succeeds in convincing the reader of the
interconnections between such topics as the Knights Templar,
Rosicrucians, Masonry, Native American legends, sacred geometry,
and various "clues" hidden in paintings by Da Vinci and others,
is up to you, the individual reader, to determine. Personally, I
still have doubts (but I also have doubts about the theory of
evolution, atomic structure, and the meaning of life). The book
is fun to red, and offers lots of ideas for further exploration.
While it is not an essential book in a collection of Templar-
related material, it was an interesting book.

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


[05-2]
=========
========= REVIEW: A MUGGLES GUIDE TO THE WIZARDING WORLD
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

A Muggles Guide to the Wizarding World:
  Exploring The Harry Potter Universe
Author: Fionna Boyle
Trade Paperback, 466 pages
Publisher: ECW Press
Publication date: 2004
List: US$14.95, C$16.95
ISBN: 155022655X
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=155022655X

First things first. This is NOT a serious magical book, so unless
you are a fan of the Harry Potter series, or you are the
significant other or parent of a Potter fan (and don't share
their enthusiasm), you will probably want to give this book a
pass. It is a compendium of all kinds of trivia regarding the
Potter universe. Like The Sorcerer's Companion (which I have
previously reviewed) it is unconnected with, nor is it authorized
by, anyone connected with the Harry Potter books or movies.
Unlike The Sorcerer's Companion this book is about the series,
rather than the ideas behind it. You won't find any magical
background here. This work is just for fun.

The author is careful not to give away significant plot details
(through the use of puns, euphemisms and such) so as not to spoil
things for those who haven't read the entire series to date. She
also gives very plain warnings when sections contain details when
sections contain detail which might be considered as "spoilers."

While by no means a replacement for reading the books themselves
(nor is it intended to be), it is a wonderful resource to have
handy if ".you've forgotten a potion ingredient, can't remember
the effects of a particular spell, or are just having trouble
keeping all the characters straight." The die-hard Potter fans
probably won't need this book, but the casual enthusiast will
enjoy having it handy.

This guide, like the books themselves, will appeal to all ages.
The writing is clear and crisp. The author explains things with a
sense of humor. It also includes an abbreviated index of
wizarding terms and an equally valuable index of British terms,
which can help untangle some confusion on the part of many
Americans.

This book ends with suggestions for hosting your own Harry Potter
party; a "tour" of the sites which figure in the books and
movies; a listing of some of the more than 8 million websites
featuring Harry Potter; as well as sources, endnotes and an
index.

It makes a welcome addition to the library of Potter-related
books available. I look forward to the updates as the last two
books in the Harry Potter series appear.

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


[05-3]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE SORCERER'S COMPANION
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

The Sorcerer's Companion:
  A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter
Author: Allan Zola Kronzck and Elizabeth Kronzck
Trade Paperback, 352 pages
Publisher: Broadway
Publication date: 2004
List: US$17.95, C$24.50
ISBN: 0767919440
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0767919440

This is a book I ordered from one of the book clubs my family
belongs to (Quality Paperback Books) since I am a big fan of the
Harry Potter series. This book has no connection with the author
or publisher of that series, even though the subtitle of this
volume is "A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter."

It is a compilation of information elating to the magic referred
to in the Harry Potter novels. It makes no claims to being all-
inclusive (".we had to leave out far more that we put in.") Nor
does it attempt to be a scholarly work. It is designed to be a
handy reference for those who would like a bit more information
than J. K. Rowling gives. If you are a newcomer to the Harry
Potter series, you will find this a valuable book to keep close
at hand as you read the books. If, on the other hand, you are
already an experienced practitioner of (or reader about) the
magical arts, there is little for you in this book. It might be a
nice little gift for younger readers, since it is clearly written
and easy to understand.

It is, obviously, not intended to be read straight through, since
it is a reference work. It is, however, light enough in tone and
style that it easily read whichever way you wish. The entries end
with a symbol and reference to an appearance of the term in one
of the five (to-date) Harry Potter books.

Some of the information contained herein may surprise the casual
reader (like the connection between the current Dalai Lama [the
spiritual leader of Tibet] and the art of scrying). Nothing in
this book is new, or of major importance; and it is not the most
comprehensive book of its type I have seen. Having said that,
however, I must say that it is conveniently arranged (and cross-
referenced); the size makes it easy to take along, and the
information contained within the covers is easy to understand.

While it is not a great book, it is well worth the price.

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


[05-4]
=========
========= REVIEW: THE LOST TREASURE OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar:
  Solving the Oak Island Mystery
Author: Steven Sora
Trade Paperback, 293 pages
Publisher: Destiny Books
Publication date: 2004
List: US$16.95, C$26.95
ISBN: 0892817100
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0892817100
Warning: Speculative History

I remember first reading about the Oak Island mystery (sometimes
called "the money pit") when I was just about becoming a
teenager. The idea, at that time, was that it contained buried
pirate treasure -- probably that of Captain Kidd. I was
intrigued, but then moved on to other topics of interest. Now I'm
back to the original mystery, but this time with a different
slant.

Since this book is subtitled "Solving the Oak Island Mystery,"
you might expect a majority of it to be devoted to Oak Island. In
fact, only about 90 pages are devoted to Oak Island, with the
majority of the remainder being devoted to the background of the
Knights Templar, the Merovingian dynasty, and other
interconnected topics.

It, like the book I reviewed previously (The Knights Templar in
the New World), is a fascinating compilation of facts and
speculation. It is sure to inspire others to their own
explorations and seekings. However, its use of the name Knights
Templar seems, to me, to be a simple attempt to attract readers
who might otherwise pass it by.

No one knows what the treasure of the Templars actually was. If
it was gold and silver, no one knows how much there was. Many
people assume that there must have been huge amounts of it, but
the expenditures for outfitting an order of knights, building and
maintaining castles, seeing to the care of its older members, and
all of the other requirements of the time must have taken up
enormous amounts of money.

If, on the other hand, it was religious icons and relics, its
relevance in the modern world may be questioned. Even as little
as 100 years ago, Christianity had a much stronger hold on
society than it does today. While icons and/or relics would have
a certain amount of historical value, their primary value would
be to the church, it would appear.

If, as a final possibility, the treasure consists of lost
genealogies which might prove embarrassing to the Christian
religion, it would not be surprising to find a great deal of
effort devoted to concealing them. It is well written and
enjoyable. It is not essential to an understanding of the
Templars, but it is a good summation of the Oak Island mystery.

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


[05-5]
=========
========= REVIEW: SURVIVORS OF ATLANTIS
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Survivors of Atlantis:
  Their Impact on the World
Author: Frank Joseph
Trade Paperback, 262 pages
Publisher: Bear and Company
Publication date: 204
List: US$16.00, C$22.95
ISBN: 1591430402
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1591430402
Warning: Speculative History

I can do no better as a start to this review than to quote the
author's opening lines: "Atlantis. No name is so evocative for
millions of people around the world after thousands of years."
Atlantis has been written about by authors from around the world
over millennia. It has been approached from the perspectives of
religion, science, myth, and interdisciplinary approaches. The
civilization of Atlantis has been credited with military (and/or
commercial) world domination, technology far in advance of
current (21st century) levels, slavery, human sacrifice and more.
It has been described as having an obvious existence (denied by
"The Establishment" for unspecified reasons); an obvious non-
existence (there is no archeological evidence which can be
absolutely attributed to it); and a confused partial existence
(yes, it existed, but not in the location or level of
sophistication attributed to it).

Mr. Joseph has written previously on the subject of Atlantis,
although that work (The Destruction of Atlantis) concentrated on
the physical downfall of Atlantis. This work is dedicated to
showing the effects of multiple waves of immigrants from a more
advanced (although not massively more advanced) civilization
fleeing the loss of their cultural homeland.

Unlike many of the authors who have chosen to write on the
subject, Mr. Joseph cites sources which are both accessible and,
at least in many cases, produced my members of the scientific
community who are considered to be in the mainstream. One could
hardly accuse Dr. Thor Heyerdahl, E.A. Wallis Budge, James
Breasted or Flinders Petrie of being fringe figures in the
academic community. While some of their conclusions have been
challenged and/or modified, they are acknowledged as level-headed
thinkers.

While I am not well enough informed on current thought in the
archeological community in regards to cultural diffusionism to be
able to comment on the similarities of the various cultures the
author cites, he does present a fairly compelling argument, from
a lay person's point of view. He lists similarities of words in
various cultures, as well as cultural and mytho-historic
correlations. His presentation is well though out and reasonable.
It is easy to understand. Is it the final word on the subject?
Not by any means, I am sure.

This is not the story of Atlantis and its downfall. It is a view
of the impact of Atlantean culture and civilization on the rest
of the Bronze Age world. It is an excellent addition to the
library of anyone interested in the subject.

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


[05-6]
=========
========= REVIEW: FINDING SOUL ON THE PATH OF ORISA
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa:
  A West African Spiritual Tradition
Author: Tobe Melora Correal
Trade Paperback, 182 pages
Publisher: Crossing Press
Publication date: 2003
List: US$12.95, C$20.95
ISBN: 1580911498
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1580911498

Over the years, the Santeria/Lucumi/Orisa faith has become a
focus of cross-cultural interest. Once the exclusive domain of
Afro-Cuban individuals, it has become much more wide-spread in
its appeal. It is still controversial (both to "mainstream"
religions and Pagan belief systems) because of its association
with animal sacrifice. It is not an easy-to-understand religion,
and it is not for everyone.

The book is divided into three sections: Basic teachings of the
metaphysical underpinnings of the tradition; the ancestors and
how to build a relationship with the spirits; and an overview of
the tradition's structure. This is one individual's relationship
to the religion and will not be universally accepted by all the
followers of traditions which encompass the worship of Orisa.

This is not a book of ceremonies, oracles, and/or magic. It IS a
book about bringing our life into alignment. Alignment with what,
you ask? Good question. There isn't a single answer to that
question.

Ms. Correal has ideas which are definitely not in accordance with
the mainstream of Orisa-religion. Some of them border on the
radical for a follower of Orisa. I am sure that many would view
her writing with suspicion because of her attitude.

If you have no exposure to the Orisa-culture, I would hesitate to
recommend this book as your only source of information. You would
be well advised to pick up copies of Santeria: An African
Religion in America by Joseph Murphy, Cuban Santeria by Raul
Canizares, The Secrets of Afro-Cuban Divination by Ocha'ni Lele,
and at least one book by Migene Gonzalez-Wippler. These offer
very different perspectives, and will provide you with a much
wider overview. Ultimately, of course, you should seek personal
contact with practitioners of the religions.

Ms. Correal's works offers a perspective which has been missing
from this field. I do not know how much respect she has from
fellow practitioners in the Orisa community, but she is, to all
appearances, sincere in her beliefs, and confident enough in them
to share with others. For that she is to be admired, in my
opinion.

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


[05-7]
=========
========= REVIEW: BOOK OF DRUIDRY
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

Book of Druidry
Author: Ross Nichols
Trade Paperback, 320 pages
Publisher: Thorsons/Element
Publication date: 1992
List: US$19.95, C$28.50
ISBN: 1855381672
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1855381672

Over the years, I am sure that hundreds, if not thousands, of
books have been written on the topic of Druidry. Some of them
have been scholarly, some have been fanciful, and most of them
have been written by outsiders. Factual history of the movement
is hard to find, for a number of reasons. In the early days there
was a reluctance to commit the teachings to writing. Once some of
the teachings began to be written down, they were condemned and
destroyed by the dominant religion (Christianity). For the safety
of its members it disappeared from the sight of the common man.
It continued underground, as have many persecuted minorities.

This book has one major advantage over many of those other books.
It has been written by a Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards,
Ovates and Druids (OBOD). While he acknowledges the lack of
historical data from the earliest times (".the gaps are larger
than the area covered by what is known."), he has the advantage
of access to what records do exist. He makes no claim to an
uninterrupted lineage. In the past two hundred plus years, there
have been numerous manifestations of the Druidic movement - from
the OBOD, the Ancient Druid Order, the Secular Order of Druids,
the Glastonbury Order of Druids, to the ADF started in the US by
Isaac Bonewits. There have been, and continue to be, differences
in emphasis.

In the words of Philip Carr-Gomm (one of the editors of this
book) "Ross managed to combine three books in one: a history of
Druidry, a guide to certain ancient sites, and an anthology of
Druid wisdom." It was certainly a necessity when it was written
(1975) and it still is. It serves as a counterpoint to much of
the romanticized nonsense written on the topic. It is thoughtful,
considerate of varying opinions, and presented in a manner which
is both educational and interesting.

The author perceives Druidry as a philosophy as opposed to a
religion, which may offend some readers. Nonetheless, this is an
important work on the subject and deserves to be read by anyone
interested in the topic. Whether you agree with the conclusions
of the author, there is a great deal of information and food for
thought between these covers.

More modern books tend to confine their notes; it seems to me, to
the back of the book, thus necessitating a constant back-and-
forth to see what the notes say. Mr. Nichols used footnotes
(i.e., notes at the bottom [foot] of the page) thus doing away
with this. Personally, I much prefer the footnote style, if you
don't, well there aren't a lot of footnotes to deal with, so it
shouldn't be too large a problem.

The bibliography and index are both short (three and five pages,
respectively). While some of the referenced works may be hard to
locate, most of them should be accessible through any reasonably
large library or on interlibrary loan.

In all honesty, I almost didn't order this book, as I wasn't sure
if I wanted to tackle the subject - since so much has been
written on it in recent years. It was who the author was that
decided me. I am grateful now that I did request it. It is
informative without boring, and it is a fairly enjoyable read. If
you are looking for a good book to read about Druids as they
probably were, this is the book for you.

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


[05-8]
=========
========= REVIEW: A WICCAN FORMULARY AND HERBAL
========= Reviewed by Mike Gleason
=========

A Wiccan Formulary and Herbal
Author: A. J. Drew
Trade Paperback, 240 pages
Publisher: New Page Books
Publication date: 2004
List: US$19.95
ISBN: 1564147827
Amazon Link:
  http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1564147827

I hadn't planned on reviewing this book, but as I have enjoyed
Mr. Drew's other work I decided to put this book in my stack to
be reviewed. Every time I get one of his books, I find myself
shaking my head. I'm not disagreeing with what he has to say,
just that he has the nerve to say it (and in print, no less!!).
His positions are always made absolutely clear, with no apologies
for making members of the Pagan community uncomfortable. Now if
we could get a few dozen more authors like him.

This is one of those books which should be in the library of
every Witch/Wiccan/Pagan healer out there. In fact, you don't
need to be a healer to include this book in your reading. A.J.'s
approach to the subject of herbalism and related topics is
common-sense based. He explains why he recommends specific
actions, herbs, etc. You don't have to agree with him (but I
suspect most readers will find lots of reasons to do just that).
He explains the difference between gender (masculine/feminine)
and sex (male/female) in a way which attempts to be non-
offensive. He will still offend some people, he realizes, but
makes the effort because it needs to be done.

A.J. appears to me to be one of those individuals who "enjoy" the
distinction of being too dogmatic for some and too wishy-washy
for others. He opposes the "if it feels right, it is right"
school of spellcraft (too dogmatic), but won't condemn it if it
works for you (too wishy-washy). He knows he can't please
everyone, so he doesn't try to please anyone but himself.

I don't need to remind you that the information in this book is
not intended to diagnose or treat any medical conditions -- the
author does that himself. Nor does he pretend that the
information assembled here is complete -- that would be an
impossibility. It is, however, an excellent reference book, wit h
enough remedies, recipes and guidance to be in constant use.

I'm sure there are "more complete" herbals available; and "more
complete" formularies; but for sheer ease of use and
understandability, it would be hard to beat this book.

Once again, Mr. Drew has produced an excellent resource for the
Pagan community. I hope he continues to produce such valuable
books for a long time to come.

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

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

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

[06-1]
=========
========= CHOOSING THE RIGHT DECK
========= by Banshee
=========

With the myriad of tarot decks and books that are filling the
market, it can be a daunting, and expensive task to find just the
right one to fulfil our needs.  I once went out searching for The
Tarot of the Cat People, thinking that as a cat lover, it would
be perfect for me.  While it was visually stunning, the way the
book was written and the meanings of the cards wasn't what I was
really looking for.  After many years of the infamous "buy n'
try" technique, I now have enough decks to set a small army on
the path to divinatory wisdom!

So, to all of you who are new to the Tarot, or anyone who is
still searching, here are a few hints that will make choosing
your special deck a little bit easier.

* If  you're looking for ease, the Rider-Waite Tarot deck is the
  best bet.  Not only are the pictures easy to understand and
  interpret, it is also the most widely used deck and therefore
  is the one most often referred to in Tarot books.

* Research the deck.  This is best if you've seen a certain deck
  in a shop and were unable to look at it in full.  There are
  endless Tarot resources online where you can read about decks
  in detail and see pictures of the cards; you can also get more
  of a feel for price.  Some specialty shops charge outrageous
  amounts for Tarots decks, so in the end, researching can save
  you some money.

* Trust your intuition.  When looking over a wide variety of
  decks, pick out the ones that grab your attention and really
  look at them.  If there is an accompanying handbook that you
  need to buy separately, have a quick look at the divinatory
  meanings and see if they make sense to you when compared with
  the picture. The cards have to make sense to you, if they
  don't, readings can be a nightmare.  If there isn't a book to
  look at, then try to narrow your selection down again and again
  until you have the one that appeals to you the most.

* Be prepared for an investment. You might be thinking "what?",
  but honestly, purchasing Tarot decks can be a financial
  investment that can easily get away from you if you're not
  careful ... and practical.  While you may only intend to start
  with
  one deck, it doesn't take much to begin a collection.  This may
  consist of decks that you've bought previously and don't really
  use, or decks that have been given to you as gifts.  Tarot
  decks are works of art, and it can be really hard to stop at
  just one if you're a "visuals" person such as myself.

* Cheaper isn't always better.  Like most things in life, the
  saying "you get what you pay for", can certainly apply here.
  If you don't have a great deal of cash, don't pick up a cheap
  Tarot deck just for the sake of having one; get an idea of
  prices and save up.  It's better to put it off and buy a good
  deck rather than waste your money and buy something that won't
  stand up to use.

Well, those are just a few of the things I've learned over the
years, and believe me, I'm still learning.  That's the key when
it comes to the Tarot, or any divinatory craft for that matter:
Keep your mind open and never stop learning.

Blessed Be everyone!


[06-2]
=========
========= PSYCHIC SELF DEFENSE IN REAL LIFE
========= by Dale Power
=========

When is the last time you were attacked by a ghost? Or chased
down a dark alley by a Werewolf? Think back to the last time your
life was ruined by a powerful sorcerer or witch. (No offense to
Wiccans here. Let's face it though, not everyone is as nice as
you are.) Seriously. Think really hard about it.

Been awhile?

Most of us need to be a bit more worried about muggers than
monsters. Road rage is a bigger danger than demonic possession in
day to day life. The point? We need to protect our bodies as well
as our minds. While we are at it, maybe we could protect our
wallets as well.

Most of the time when you read an article on the topic of psychic
self-defense, you get lectured about not using a Ouija board and
a basic primer on shielding. These are wonderful tools to use if
a Svengalli is trying to take over your mind or your pushy
neighbor is having a bad day and projecting it full power to
everyone within fifty miles, just when you need to go to bed.

How about protecting your body though? Can psychic self-defense
help you out in that regard at all?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes!

Here, briefly, are some techniques that can help you protect
yourself from physical harm. These are all methods I have used
personally and tested in real life situations. One note of
caution however, do not take these methods lightly. You must
approach these techniques with a serious mind and proper intent
if you wish to use them successfully. After all, you are not
trying to make a plant grow a little taller or guess who will
call you next on the phone, you are trying to protect your life.
Do the work and make it count.

=====
===== First Technique: Empathic Field Generation
=====

It may sound a little weak at first, but think about it for a
moment, most people that are attacked are dealing with an enraged
person. If you can produce a feeling of calm in them before the
attack takes place, they are much less likely to even try.

*  Relax and quiet your mind. You will wish to hold a conceptual
   mind state as much as possible. Think in ideas rather than
   words or pictures.

*  Define the space of the effect. To do this hold the idea in
   your mind of a bubble around your body that goes out about
   twenty feet or so. Remember, you simply "know" the field is
   there and how big it is. Your subconscious mind will take care
   of the rest. This should be done for at least five minutes.

*  Once you have defined the space you wish to condition to your
   satisfaction, shift the concept you are holding to one of
   relaxed calm and friendliness that fills the entire field,
   make sure you define the idea that it will effect those around
   you and not yourself, unless you want it to do that as well.
   This should take around ten to fifteen minutes.

*  The next step is to make the field self-sustaining. Hold the
   concept of the field as you have generated it. Then add to the
   concept the idea that each part of the field will tell every
   other part to continue to function at full strength at all
   times. Hold this whole, organized field for at least five
   minutes.

This will give you around a week of very solid coverage. If you
wish you can arrange the structure to reflect any emotion or
mental state you can think of. It is best to keep the idea simple
to start with, a basic field that does what you want is much
better than a complex field that has "strange" consequences. Here
are some variations you could use just by replacing the central
idea you use.

1. Aversion. Hold the idea that anyone who would do harm to
   others will simply not wish to stay around you. I have used
   this to very good effect in some very dangerous situations.

2. Confusion. Replace the central idea to one of dangerous people
   having a difficult time in thinking. You have to be very
   careful that you are targeting only harmful people and that
   the field strength is very high and tightly focused!. An
   enraged person that is a little befuddled can still hurt you.
   In fact they, are likely to. You have to make sure that they
   cannot even think about hurting anyone without being
   distracted and confused. Double the overall time spent on this
   one if you are going to use it.

3. Fear. You can create a great deal of fear in anyone seeking to
   do harm. Again targeting is key, and don't forget to control
   the area of effect! Some situations, such as driving, can be
   very dangerous if those in other cars start to have panic
   attacks!

=====
===== Second Technique: Precognitive Warning.
=====

If you are not there they will have difficulty harming you. This
is a semi-permanent filter designed to bring to your attention
anything that might do you harm.

*  Relax quiet your mind and enter a conceptual state of mind.

*  This can be a little tricky, as you have to hold several
   concepts, at one time. Again you will wish this field to be
   self- sustaining as in the first technique. Generate a field
   around your mind, or in your mind, it makes little difference,
   that reflects the raw concept that whenever you are in danger
   you will know about it and will also perceive what the threat
   is. This works because you already have this information all
   the time anyway. What you are doing is just calling attention
   to it when you need it. Think of it as a set of instructions
   to your subconscious mind.

*  Hold the concept in your mind until you feel it lock into
   place. As it is not externally active you will not have to
   make it as strong for it to be useful as the other techniques
   given here. A few minutes a day should work well to enough to
   keep the field sustained.

This is basically just focused intuition. The focusing process
makes all the difference though, so make a point of establishing
this type of filter each day.

=====
===== Third Technique: Aversion Shielding
=====

This is an active psychokinetic shield. A real honest to goodness
physical shield, of a sort! When an object is coming towards you
to do damage, This field will make it veer away from you missing,
if it is at all possible. While I would not personally replace a
bullet resistant vest or a flack-jacket with an aversion shield,
I would certainly have one going full blast if a fire fight was
about to start. As an active PK (a field designed to influence
active systems) method it will have to be very strong to have the
desired results. I recommend at least an hour be spent on
generating and reinforcing the field properties.

*  Relax, quiet your mind and enter a conceptual state.

*  Now generate and hold a consistent and self-sustaining field,
   containing the properties of aversion for incoming objects
   from all directions at once, with a tight core of aversion
   around your body and a secondary level about ten feet from
   your body that will redirect objects before, they can reach
   the inner core shield. It is important to keep this dual field
   both conceptual and consistent for best results.

*  During the last quarter of field generation, add into the
   process the idea of the field growing in strength rapidly over
   time. If done well the field will continue to grow in
   strength, but not size, even after you stop focusing on it.

This type of field is very advanced and may take a bit of work
before it can be assembled properly. As it is self-sustaining and
self-propagating it will become many times stronger than you
could generate otherwise. Please be very clear about what you are
doing. Mistakes will exaggerate as the field grows in power.

Self-defense is sometimes needful, but this does not give us
license to harm others out of spite or anger. All of these
techniques will help to protect you at the same time as not
harming others. For them to work however, you will have to
prepare before problems arise. Exactly as with all other forms of
self-defense, diligence and discipline will pay well, if used.

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

Dale Power is a psychic healer, researcher and educator that has
been focusing on ways to improve psychic functioning in humans
for the last twenty years. This article and other helpful
information can be found at : http://healing.worldispnetwork.com/
Please feel free to use this or any other materials on the site
as you wish. We only ask that you reproduce this article as a
whole, including the above link. Thank you.


[06-3]
=========
========= MAY -- THE MONTH OF MAIA
========= (Chapter V of The Stories of the Months and Days
========= by Reginald C. Couzens [1923])
=========

This month is named after the goddess Maia, to whom the Romans
sacrificed on the first day of the month. Maia was one of the
Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. They were all
transformed into pigeons that they might escape from the great
hunter Orion, and flying up into the sky were changed into seven
stars, which form the constellation known as the Pleiades. On any
clear night you may see these stars clustered closely together,
but they are not very bright, one of them being very faint
indeed. A story says that at first they shone brightly, but after
the capture of Troy by the Greeks they grew pale with sorrow.
Another story says that all but one were married to gods, and
that when they became stars the one who had married a mortal did
not shine so brightly as her sisters.

Maia was the Goddess of the Plains and mother of Mercury, the
messenger of the gods. In order that he might perform his duties
as messenger more swiftly, Mercury was given by Jupiter wings for
his feet, and a winged cap for his head. He is said to have
invented the lyre, or harp, and to have given it to the Sun-god
Apollo, who gave him in return a magic wand called Caduceus,
which had the power of making enemies become friends. Mercury, in
order to test its power, put it between two fighting snakes, and
they at once wound themselves round it. Mercury ordered them to
stay on the wand, and, in statues and pictures, the god is nearly
always holding in his hand this wand with the snakes twisted
round it.

Mercury was not only the messenger of the gods, but was also the
God of Rain and Wind, and the protector of travellers, shepherds,
and thieves. Festivals were held every year in Rome in his honour
during the month of May.

Atlas, the father of the Pleiades, was a giant who lived in
Africa and held up the sky on his shoulders. The great Hercules,
when seeking for the Golden Apples of the Hesperides (daughters
of the Evening Star), came to Atlas to ask him where he could
find the apples. Atlas offered to get them for Hercules if he
would take his place while he was away, so Hercules took the
heavens on his shoulders, and Atlas set off to fetch the golden
fruit. But on his return he told Hercules that he must stay where
he was, while he himself would take the apples to the king, who
had set Hercules the task of finding them. Hercules, as you may
imagine, had no wish to spend the rest of his life holding up the
sky, and, by a trick, succeeded in getting Atlas back to his
place, and so was able to set out on his homeward journey.

The last story of Atlas we read in the account of the great hero
Perseus, who, after slaying the Gorgon Medusa, passed Atlas on
his way home. Now the face of the Gorgon turned to stone all who
looked on it, and Atlas, worn out by the terrible burden he had
to bear, persuaded Perseus to show him the Gorgon's head.
"Eagerly he gazed for a moment on the changeless countenance, but
in an instant the straining eyes were stiff and cold; and it
seemed to Perseus, as he rose again into the pale yellow air,
that the grey hairs which streamed from the giant's head were
like the snow which rests upon the peak of a great mountain, and
that, in place of the trem bling limbs, he saw only the rents and
clefts on a rough hill-side."

Thus Atlas was changed into the mountains which bear his name,
and are to be found in the north-west of Africa.

Hercules, whom we have mentioned in this story of Atlas, is one
of the best known of the Greek heroes, and to this day we often
speak of an especially strong man as a Hercules, and we also have
the expression "a Herculean task". Hercules was a son of Jupiter,
and devoted his life to ridding the country of the fierce beasts
which brought death and destruction to many of his people. But
through the hatred of the goddess Juno, Hercules knew much
sorrow, and underwent great trials. To atone for crimes committed
in a fit of madness sent upon him by Juno, he was condemned by
the gods to become for a year the slave of the King of Argos, who
set him twelve labours. The first of these labours was to slay a
lion known as the Nemean lion. In spite of the attempts of many
brave men to kill this fierce animal, it still continued to carry
off men and women, and steal cattle and sheep. Hercules at once
set out, and, tracking the lion to its den, seized it by the
throat and crushed out its life. He then tore off the lion's skin
and made it into a covering which he always wore.

The second task was also to destroy a monster--a seven-headed
serpent, known as the Hydra. Hercules attacked the serpent with a
sword and cut off one of its heads, but was horrified to see
seven new heads spring from the wound. Thereupon the hero called
to his help his friend Iolaus, who seared the wounds with a
lighted torch and thus prevented the new heads from growing. In
this way Hercules finally slew the cruel Hydra.

Another task set the hero was to capture and tame the horses of
the King of Thrace. These horses were fed on human flesh, and the
king had ordered all strangers who entered his kingdom to be
executed and given as food to the horses. Hercules succeeded in
securing these animals, and, after throwing the king to his own
horses as a punishment for his cruelty, led them to his master,
the King of Argos.

Of the remaining labours, one was the fetching of the Golden
Apples of the Hesperides, which we have mentioned; but the most
famous was the cleaning of the Augean stables. King Augeas
possessed enormous herds of cattle, and their stables had not
been cleaned for many years. Hercules might well have lost heart
at the sight of such a task, but he very cleverly overcame the
difficulty. Near by the stables ran a swift river; this Hercules
dammed and turned from its course, making it run through the
stables, which in time it washed perfectly clean. Then, his task
accomplished, Hercules led the river back to its course.

After a life of trial and labour, Hercules finally met a tragic
death. By a trick he was persuaded to put on a robe which had
been stained with poison. The poison ate into his flesh, and all
the hero's attempts to tear off the robe were in vain, so at last
he resolved to die. He built an enormous funeral pyre by tearing
up oak trees by the roots, and then laid himself on the pyre, to
which one of his friends put a torch. In a short time roaring
flames rose up to the sky and consumed the great Hercules, the
man of might.

The Angles and Saxons seemed to have called this month of May
"Tri-milchi", meaning that, owing to the fresh grass of spring,
they were able to milk their cows three times a day.


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

[07-1]
=========
========= Poem: This Is The City Where Men Are Mended
========= by Tex (STARRYWITCH)
=========

This is the city where men are mended.
This is the place, at the end of the world.
This is the home of the dead and the dying.
This is the land of the laden soul.

This is the city where men are mended;
Here is the man with the broken soul.
They tore it from him and tossed it back,
Like a toy to be broken, beaten and hit.

Here is the country lost forever.
This is the place at the end of the world.
Here is the dark, the grey and the black.
Here is the land where you'll never go back.

Here are the men who lived in the gutters;
Here are the Nazis who killed all the Jews.
This is the home of the dead and the dying.
Here is the man that fell from the moon.

He had it all in his home in the mountains.
Yet he gave it up for one moment of truth.
Now he knows of the perils of others;
This is the land of the laden soul.

This is the city where men are mended.
This is the place, at the end of the world.
This is the home of the dead and the dying.
This is the land of the laden soul.


[07-2]
=========
========= HUMOR: THE BALLAD OF ST. ANSELM
========= Author Unknown
=========

[to the tune of Waltzing Matilda]

 Once a jolly friar got himself an argument
And couldn't get it out of his mind.
He thought that he could prove the existence of the Deity
Because of the way that the words are defined.

CHORUS

Thus spake St. Anselm, thus spake St. Anselm,
Thus spake St. Anselm, who now is long dead,
And we're awed as we read his proof so ontological;
Who can deny a word that he said?

If that than which nothing greater can be conceived
Can be conceived not to exist,
Then 'tis not that than which nothing greater can be conceived:
This is unquestionable, I insist.

For in that case a being greater can be conceived,
Whose major traits we can easily list:
Namely, that than which nothing greater can be conceived
And which cannot be conceived not to exist.

For if that than which nothing greater can be conceived
Has no existence outside of man's mind,
Then 'tis not that than which nothing greater can be conceived,
Due to the way that the words are defined.

For in that case a greater can be conceived
(This is of course analytically true);
Namely, that than which nothing greater can be conceived
And which exists in reality too!

CHORUS

Thus spake St. Anselm, thus spake St. Anselm,
Thus spake St. Anselm with weighty intent,
And we're awed as we read his proof so ontological
Would that we could understand what it meant.


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

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

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

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

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

[08-1]
=========
========= WEB PAGE REAL ESTATE 101
========= by Ray Hadorn
=========

"The value is in the land"

"Location! Location! Location!"

"Invest in land..they aren't making any more of it"

Those real estate axioms are well known and are even truer today
than ever. But they also are applicable to your website.

We hear and read every day how our websites are competing with
millions of others in the great race to be found online. We have
to first work, work and work some more to get our piece of "web
real estate" in a position to be found through search engine
management and placement. We secure as many quality links as we
can get. We meticulously research our ultimate key word phrases
and then pay for the best position. All of this just to get your
website on the screen in front of a potential customer.

Once the customer is looking at your page, you have just seconds
to capture enough of her attention to keep her there a few more
seconds, then a minute, maybe two or three minutes. Long enough
to read your information and then gain enough confidence in you,
who you are, and what you are offering to actually place an order
or seek more information.

Know what the odds of all that coming together are?

Ever hear of the lottery?

So what does all this have to do with web page real estate?

When your landing page pops up on the viewer's monitor, what do
they see? Without scrolling down the page, without clicking on
any links, what is immediately visible? This initial space,
considering a typical browser occupies about one inch at the top
can make or break your goal of getting them to hang around long
enough to find out what your site is all about.

So you can now see how critical it is when designing your main or
index page. Give it some serious thought when planning this page.
Your subsequent pages are worthless if the viewer's attention
isn't held long enough to even discover you have anything else to
say. The value of your index page real estate is very high. Make
sure that what they see and read from that initial screen view is
the best you have. Make it your knock out punch. Do not waste the
space with boring, self-indulging rhetoric. Don't fill it up with
words about you and your company and how long you have been in
business, what your goals are etc. If you want to make that info
available do it via a link or popup.

On one of my sites, I use an 'about button' that when hovered
over with the mouse, a popup displays a brief paragraph about my
site and what it will do for them. My 'about' info is there to be
read and it does not take my viewer away from my main page.

Maybe a good analogy would be a newspaper in a street rack.
Publishers discovered a long time ago that what was visible
through the paper rack on the top half of the folded newspaper
was their billboard to sell papers. The headlines and articles
that would show through the rack window had to be powerful and
compelling to grab your attention as you walked by and make you
drop coins in the slot and buy a paper.

The portion of your page that is immediately visible when your
page is viewed is very important. It's the most valuable part of
your web page real estate.

Don't believe that this space should be used for hype, fancy
graphics and flashy demos unless those presentations enhance or
convey your message. Usually, your visitors are not there to be
amused. They are there for information. Give them what they want
right away or you risk losing them forever.

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

Ray Hadorn is a freelance writer, photographer and web site
developer. Ray is the owner of www.ALittleExtraMoney.com which
provides tips, reports and information useful to help you make
your site profitable and www.SaveMyGas.com that provides a very
revealing guide to help you save money on your gasoline
consumption.


[08-2]
=========
========= THE TOP 8 WEBSITE SINS: PART ONE
========= by Niall Roche
=========

They say the eyes are the window to the soul. Your website then
is the window to your business. What would a passerby think of
your "window"? What does your website say about you? About your
business?

Does your website entice the visitor to pause and take a few
moments to look around or does it confuse them so much they click
past it without ever looking back.

The goal of your website is to make the visitor stay until the
desired visitor response has been achieved. That might be that
they sign up for your newsletter, complete a survey or make a
purchase. If surfer doesn't stay for more than a few moments then
all your hard work is for nothing.

There are 8 key factors that can prevent people from staying on
your site. In extreme cases the key areas below can actually
drive traffic away from your site.

=====
===== Sin #1 Provide Useful Content
=====

People search for information online. To find that information
they use search engines. They type in keywords or phrases to
locate items, places or information they require or desire.
Google, Yahoo and MSN go through their indexes and present the
searcher with the best possible match for their information
request. The searcher clicks on the links and visits a few sites.

What happens if the searcher doesn't find relevant information
once they get to the site? Yup they go right back to their
previous search results and go elsewhere.

Provide useful content. Don't scam the search engines. Don't
churn out another site made up of copied search engine results.
Your website is your business. Treat it like one.

The two key rules for website content are:

1. Make it useful.

2. Make it easy to find on your site

=====
===== Sin #2 Slow Loading Sites
=====

If your site takes any longer than 30 seconds to load then the
visitor is gone. They won't be back either.

Ideally your website should load in 15 seconds or less. Web
surfers will not wait around for your fancy graphics or flash
demos to load. They'll get bored and move on.

Do not use bitmap graphic files for logos or as part of your site
design. They're ugly and take forever to load.

Ensure that every single GIF and JPEG is optimized for faster
loading. If you don't understand how to optimize graphic files
for your site ask somebody to do it for you. It can cut your site
loading time by 50%.

Keep your site to 20% graphics and 80% text. Text loads faster
and gives the web surfer something to read while your graphics
are quickly loading in the background. Look at some of the most
successful websites on the net - Google, Yahoo and Amazon.
Graphically intensive? Absolutely not. These guys realize that
every second they waste and visitor they lose is money out of
their pocket.

=====
===== Sin #3: Poor Layout
=====

A visitor should be able to find what they need on your website
in 3 clicks or less. Any more than that and you're losing
valuable visitors and the potential income that involves.

Your navigation menu should be easy to use and every single link
must work properly. Don't just assume that all your links work -
check them yourself.

Use a sitemap on each and every one of your websites.

Do not use fancy mouse pointers - the type with the fancy trails.

Do not use complicated menu systems.

Text should be legible but not huge. Change your screen
resolution to 640 x 480 and 800 x 600. How does your website look
now?

Keep it simple. Imagine how a new Internet user would react to
your website. Would they love it or hate it? Could a new visitor
easily find the information they're looking for? If not then why
not? Find the problems yourself and eliminate them in advance.

=====
===== Sin #4: Awful Color Schemes
=====

There's nothing worse then searching for hours for the
information you need and then not be able to read it.

You've all been there. You click on the search result and that's
when the pain starts. You've just arrived at a page with a light
blue background and yellow text. Or maybe it's red text on a
black background or white text on a gray background. You stare at
the site in disbelief that anybody could ever have thought such a
color scheme would actually work.

If you need guidance on how to choose colors for your website
look at any magazine. Black or dark blue text on a white
background is the simplest and most effective color scheme for
text presentation.

For your menus and other background colours bear the following in
mind:

  Red is stimulating and aggressive.

  Blue is peaceful and tranquil.

  Green is calm and refreshing.

  Yellow grabs peoples attention.

  Purple is wealthy and luxurious.

  Brown is solid and reliable.

  Orange is bright and optimistic.

The colors you choose for your website can have a direct impact
on how people react to your content or message. It can either
attract them or repel them. The choice is yours.

Continued in part two of "The Top 8 Website Sins."

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

This article was provided courtesy of Affiliate-Advocate.com
where you'll find tons of information on affiliate marketing
ebooks and software.


[08-3]
=========
========= THE TOP 8 WEBSITE SINS: PART TWO
========= by Niall Roche
=========

=====
===== Sin #5: Poor Spelling And Grammar
=====

We all make mistakes when we write things down or type things
out. Nobody is 100% perfect but a huge number of website owners
completely ignore the basics of spelling and grammar.

If you're selling a product or service online and your website is
littered with spelling and grammar mistakes you're losing sales.
Plain and simple. You don't need a masters degree in English but
poor spelling puts people off. From a visitors point of view if
you couldn't be bothered spellchecking your website then how good
can your product really be?

Here's 4 tips for proofreading your website.

1. Use a spellchecker. Every word processor has one. If you don't
have a spellchecker then get one.

2. Proofread anything you write from bottom to top. You'll spot
more mistakes that way.

3. Print out important documents and edit them with a pen. Again
read from bottom to top when doing so.

4. When you've written an important article put it away for 24
hours. Proofreading it the next day gives you a fresh perspective
on your own writing and I guarantee that you'll make improvements
on your original text.

=====
===== Sin #6: Flashing And Spinning Graphic Elements
=====

Banners or logos that flash, spin, fade in and out or perform any
other gimmick are a major No No. Don't use them.

Flashing banners and logos say "Look look mom it's my first
website! Cool, huh?" It screams unprofessional at anybody
looking at your site.

Any website with this type of graphic element turns visitors off.
A website logo or banner should be a static graphic or text
element on the page. Online marketing surveys consistently report
that animated icons and graphics on a website do not convey
professionalism to visitors.

=====
===== Sin #7: Hit counters
=====

Only used by amateurs. Take them off your website. Please. Any
decent webhost can provide you with traffic stats which will
provide much more accurate information than a hit counter ever
could.

Having a hit counter on your website was a good idea 8 years ago.
The online world has moved on. You should too.

=====
===== Sin #8: Use Their Own Language
=====

The reading ability of the average website surfer is in or around
high school level. If you're the next Shakespeare that's fine
just
don't force your visitors to read through mountains of prose that
confuses them. Speak to your visitors as you'd expect they speak
to each other.

Your website content needs to follow the model of TV adverts.
Short and snappy. Use catchy writing. Write to be remembered.
Write to entertain. Put yourself in the shoes of the surfer. What
type of language and slang would they expect to find on your
site. Then simply use their own language.

There's an old rule of sales:

"If I could see through John Smiths eyes I could sell John Smith
what John Smith buys".

Design your website for your visitors and not for you.

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

This article was provided courtesy of Affiliate-Advocate.com
where you'll find tons of information on affiliate marketing
ebooks and software.


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

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

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

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

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

Customer Rating: Beginning with the April 2005 report, The Cheap
Web Hosting Report rankings factor in customer ratings --
weighted heavily toward customer opinions of the web hosts'
reliability and customer support. Customer ratings are listed in
the description and range from a low of 1 to a high of 30. A
customer rating of NR means not enough customers responded for a
statistically meaningful rating.

CWHR Ranking: This number (from a low of 0 to a high of 100) is
determined by taking the customer rating, multiplying it by
three, adding the result of the staff evaluation of the web host
(which can add or subtract up to 10 points) and rounding the
result down to the nearest integer. This CWHR Ranking determines
the sites we list each month.

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

Price: 1m: $9.95 2y: $7.95
Setup: 1m: $49.95 2y: Free
Bandwidth: 120 GB
Disk Space: 2400 MB
Mailboxes: 600
Customer Rating: 29.0 (out of 30)
CWHR Ranking: 95%

Comments: Dreamhost has long been -- and still is -- listed as
the best affordable web host for unusual content (as they will
host just about anything legal) in the Special Needs Hosting
section of this report. Improvements in their plans in the last
year have made them very competitive in terms of bandwidth, web
space, and features offered for the price, and they are extremely
well-rated by their customers. New and improved features are
announced in the Dreamhost newsletter almost every month. Their
customer support is the best we've seen in the low cost hosting
industry. If you are looking for low cost, high quality web
hosting with truly excellent tech support and very friendly
people, check out Dreamhost. Dreamhost offers a 97-day money back
guarantee, see their web site for details. (The Cheap Web Hosting
Report hosts with Dreamhost.)

More Information:
     http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=dreamhost

===
=== #2 NetFirms
===

Price: 1y: $9.95
Setup: 1y: Free
Bandwidth: 100 GB
Disk Space: 2000 MB
Mailboxes: 100
Customer Rating: 25.9 (out of 30)
CWHR Ranking: 82%

Comments: Founded in 1998, Netfirms rapidly acquired a reputation
for affordable, reliable web hosting. Although aimed at business
hosting, Netfirms hosts sites of all types" personal, hobby,
business, weblog, and more. Their Netfirms Advantage plan is full
of useful features and should handle almost any personal or small
business web site. Netfirms offers a 30-day money back guarantee,
see their terms of service for details.

More Information:
     http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=netfirms

===
=== #3 HostRocket
===

Price: 3m: $11.95 1y: $7.95
Setup: 3m: Free 1y: Free
Bandwidth: 50 GB
Disk Space: 1000 MB
Mailboxes: unlimited
Customer Rating: 24.4 (out of 30)
CWHR Ranking: 74%

Comments: Founded in 1999, HostRocket is a popular web hosting
company that is well-rated by its customers. They greatly
expanded their offerings in 1994 and are now very competitive in
bandwidth, disk space, and features. HostRocket often runs very
nice short-term specials, check their web site for details.
HostRocket offers a 30-day money back guarantee, see their terms
of service for details.

More Information:
     http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=hostrocket

===
=== #4 PowWeb
===

Price: 3m: $7.77 1y: $7.77
Setup: 3m: $20.00 1y: Free
Bandwidth: 5 GB /day
Disk Space: 5000 MB
Mailboxes: 650
Customer Rating: 22.6 (out of 30)
CWHR Ranking: 69%

Comments: PowWeb has been in the low cost web hosting business
since 1999. They are best known for their one-size fits all web
hosting plan. In mid-2004, PowWeb raised their bandwidth limits
from 45 gigs a month to a whopping 5 gigs a day (but you get an
email warning at 4 gigs in a day according to their policy) and
in late 2004 they doubled their disk space to 2 gigs. PowWeb
often run specials (usually extra months free if you prepay for
one or two years). PowWeb offers a 30-day money back guarantee,
see their terms of service for details. PowWeb often has special
offers offering extra months free with one and two year
prepayment.

More Information:
     http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=powweb

===
=== #5 Lunarpages
===

Price: 3m: $9.95 1y: $7.95
Setup: 3m: $30.00 1y: Free
Bandwidth: 40 GB
Disk Space: 1000 MB
Mailboxes: Unlimited
Customer Rating: 24.6 (out of 30)
CWHR Ranking: 68%

Comments: Lunarpages has over 5 years experience in shared web
hosting and hosts over 50,000 web pages. While they have not
pushed for the huge growth of some of the other low cost web
hosting companies, Lunarpages customers seem generally very happy
with their service and appear to this reviewer to be more loyal
to their hosting company than the customers of other hosting
companies. This speaks well for Lunarpages. Disk Space Note:
Lunar Pages is now advertising up to 3000 megs of web space,
however, if you read the fine print in their Acceptable Use
Policy all you initially receive is what we list here. There are
a number of restrictions and hoops to jump through to get more.
Lunarpages offers a 30-day money back guarantee, see their web
site for details.

More Information:
     http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=lunarpages


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

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

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

Dreamhost
Price: 1m:  $9.95 2y: $7.95
Setup: 1m: $49.95 2y: Free
Bandwidth: 120 GB
Disk Space: 2400 MB
Mailboxes: 600
Customer Rating: 29.0 (out of 30)

Comments: In an effort to avoid arguments and complaints, most
web hosting companies are fairly restrictive on questionable
content -- to the point that some will terminate a site for
displaying a picture of a classical (but bare breasted) statue
from ancient Greece. Dreamhost not only has an excellent, cheap
web hosting package but is far more liberal than most web hosts
on acceptable site content. Basically, if your content is legal
in the US, Dreamhost will probably have no problems hosting it.
The even have a 97 day money back guarantee. (The Cheap Web
Hosting Report hosts with Dreamhost.)

More Information:
     http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=dreamhost

===
=== Windows Hosting
===

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

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

More Information:
     http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=easycgi

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

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

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

More Information:
     http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=jumpline

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

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

A dedicated server gives your site its own physical computer as a
server. The upside is that you have full root access so you can
install whatever software you want on it and have very few
restrictions on scripts (even if they hog CPU time). The downside
is that you have to maintain the system yourself. ServerPronto
has some of the most affordable dedicated server prices we have
seen, although there are many options that can increase the
monthly price or the setup fee. Windows and Windows 2003
dedicated servers are also available at higher prices.

More Information:
     http://www.ecauldron.com/web/goto.php?id=serverpronto

=== Notes

The information in this report was checked for accuracy on
April 30, 2005. Web hosting companies, however, can change
their pricing and plans at any time so the information may no
longer be accurate when you read this report. Gridspace is not
responsible for errors nor for what use you may make of this
information.

Looking for even more hosting options (such as our five
"Honorable Mention" web hosts) or more information on web
hosting? See the Cheap Web Hosting Report web site at
http://www.cheapwebhostingreport.com/


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

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

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

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

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

http://www.ecauldron.net/

=====
===== Articles! Essays! Tutorials!
=====

We are in constant need of original, well-written and accurate
articles, essays, tutorials, and other written items for both our
web site and for our Cauldron and Candle newsletter. There's no
real limit on length for web site articles. Here are a few areas
in which we always need articles:

* information on the beliefs and theology of the various Pagan
  religions, especially non-Wiccan religions

* information on holidays and festivals of the various Pagan
  religions, especially non-Wiccan religions

* recipes for oils, incenses, and food for the various Pagan
  holidays

* magick, spells, and ritual information

* herbal information

* positive articles on dealing with other faiths

* information on historical pagan cultures

* editorial/opinion pieces

Non-Wiccan material is stressed not because we don't want Wiccan
material but because good non-Wiccan material has been hard to
find. We have a web form you can use to submit an article for
consideration: http://www.ecauldron.com/persontestart.php

=====
===== Book Reviews
=====

While The Cauldron receives some review copies from a couple of
Pagan publishers, there are many books that can only be reviewed
on our web site if a member has a copy and writes a good,
objective review. The Cauldron is interested in reviews on the
more academic books used by reconstructionist Pagan religions as
well as on the books one finds on the Pagan/New Age shelf in the
bookstore. We have a web form you can use to submit a book review
for consideration: http://www.ecauldron.com/persontestbr.php

=====
===== Graphic Assistance
=====

The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum is purposely a low graphics site as
we value page download speed over flashy graphics. However, we
are always willing to talk with artists who have ideas for
well-designed small graphics (small in both physical dimensions
and file size) that might enhance a specific article or page.

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===== 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.

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

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

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

As The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum uses as many free services as
possible, our need for money to operate our site is currently
lower than our need for the many items we list above. However, if
you have a few dollars to spare, we would be honored to have your
help in paying for our web site. You can donate by using either
PayPal or the Amazon Honor System links below (we get about 85%
of what you donate).

Donate via PayPal
  http://www.ecauldron.com/donatepaypal.php
Donate via Amazon.com
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=====
===== Amazon Purchases
=====

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

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

=====
===== Have Questions or Suggestions?
=====

If you have specific questions, proposals or other ideas we
haven't mentioned here, please email them to
rssapphire00@ecauldron.GETRIDOFEME.com. (Unfortunately, Randall
has to answer general "Tell me more?" type questions with a
request for a more specific question. He's not trying to be rude,
he just can't think of anything general and useful to say that
isn't said here.)


[10]
=========
========= NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
========= (Including how to subscribe and unsubscribe)
=========

Cauldron and Candle is a free publication of The Cauldron: A
Pagan Forum. The Cauldron intends to publish this newsletter once
a month and often actually succeeds in doing so. We tried to
publish it twice a month for a while, but real life interfered
too often.

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

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

You are receiving a copy of this newsletter because you signed up
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Or you can unsubscribe via email by sending a blank message to

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Be sure to send this message from the email account actually
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If you need to change your subscription to a new email address,
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address. Note that you have to make these changes yourself. Yahoo
Groups does not allow the list owner to make them for you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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