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C A U L D R O N A N D C A N D L E #70 -- April 2006 A Publication of The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum website: http://www.ecauldron.com/ message board: http://www.ecauldron.net/mb/ newsletter: http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/ shopping: http://www.ecauldron.com/mall.php http://www.ecauldron.com/doxysbazaar.php ======================================== This issue is dedicated to the memory of longtime Cauldron member Chavi Revanna (Cathlene Patricia McKenna) who lost her battle with cancer on April 1, 2006 ======================================== In this Issue: [00] Editorial Notes [01] Cauldron News * Chavi: July 27, 1975 - April 1, 2006 * Elspeth Doing Better * More Recipes * More Spells [02] Cauldron Discussions [03] Cauldron Hosts Selling Used Pagan Books [04] Book Reviews: * A Rosicrucian Notebook * Secret Societies of the Middle Ages [05] Articles * Clearing the Air, by Spring Cleaning * Ophiuchus - 13th Sign of the Zodiac [06] Software Gadgets: The Column * Irfanview -- Graphics Viewer * e-Sword -- Free Bible Software * freeCommander - Dual-Panel File Explorer * Scorched 3D -- Freeware Remake of Scorched Earth [07] Grimoire: Spell to Break Bad Habits [08] Pagan Webmaster: Best Blogging Software [09] Recipe: Baked Salmon with Capers [10] Support The Cauldron [11] Newsletter Information (Including How To Subscribe/Unsubscribe) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ LOOKING FOR PAGAN SUPPLIES? Visit The Cauldron's Pagan Supply Store (An Affiliate of Pagan Shopping Online) http://www.ecauldron.com/esesf.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [00] ========= ========= EDITORIAL NOTES ========= Welcome to the April 2006 issue of Cauldron and Candle. You are receiving this issue because you subscribed. To learn how to unsubscribe, see the last section of this newsletter. If you glanced at the dedication before reading this editorial, you probably already know that long-time The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum member Chavi (aka Storyteller Cat and, in offline life, Cathlene Patricia McKenna) lost her battle with a very aggressive form of cancer on April 1. Thanks to her friend Matthew, we were kept informed of her last few days and many of us even had a chance to talk with her a the phone a couple of days before the end -- before she was completely out of it from pain drugs. As it so often is, I believe losing Chavi is harder on those of us who have to go on living than it was on her. As full of life as she was, she had obviously made her peace with her Gods and wrapped up the loose ends of her life as best she could. She was as ready as one can be for passing over -- even through the rest of us were not really ready for life without her. It's hard to imagine what the board will be like without Chavi. Even during her illness she posted as much as she could -- and not only reports on her treatment progress or her trips to DragonCon and Disney World, but posts in many of the religious discussion topics that are the bread and butter of The Cauldron's message board. Despite knowing from the start that the odds were against her, she was determined to do everything she could to fight the cancer and to continue to live as normal a life as she could. Her progress reports (even when things were not going as well as hoped) were as much an inspiration to us as our replies, prayers, and magick were an inspiration to her. From January 2005, she posted her cancer updates in one thread which is still available on our (old and very slow) "Archive Board" ( http://www.ecauldron.net/cncboard.php?m=3427.1 ). If you read only this one thread, you will get a sense of her determination. But you have to find her "normal" posts in other threads to get a sense of who Chavi really was. Sometimes people with serious diseases "become" their disease with little more to their life than their illness (often through no fault of their own, mind you). But not Chavi. As her other messages throughout our board show, Chavi was still the same woman she was before she was struck with cancer -- full of life, opinionated, and willing to help others with what she had learned in life. People live on as long as they are remembered by others. Chavi will be remembered as long as most Cauldron members who knew her live. We can't forget her even though most of us only knew her from her messages online and occasional phone calls. She made a huge and lasting impression on us even through these limited means. I can only try to imagine the impression she must have made in person. Chavi, we love you. We wish you well on your new journey. We will never forget you. May your Gods think as highly of you as we do. [If you have memories of Chavi you'd like to share, please post them to our "Memories of Chavi" thread: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=404.1 These posts will be shared with her family and will help keep her memory alive.] Randall Sapphire Editor and Publisher, Cauldron and Candle Co-Host, The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum [01] ========= ========= CAULDRON NEWS ========= by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum Staff ========= ===== ===== Chavi: July 27, 1975 - April 1, 2006 ===== We reported that Chavi, a longtime member of The Cauldron, was in the hospital in the last issue. Unfortunately, Chavi lost her battle with a very aggressive form of cancer on April 1. Her friend and spiritual advisor sent us this message the morning of April First: Cathlene Patricia McKenna, better known to you as Chavi Revanna, passed away at 3:13 of April 1st. She was in no pain, and was surrounded by family and friends. She died at peace with herself, her loved ones, and her deity(-ies). The family is still working on the memorial service arrangements: details relating to it, and charities Cat would like you to donate to in her name, will be posted later, as soon as they get decided upon. She wanted it to be known to you that she was thankful to you all for prayers you've made on her behalf, and for your good wishes. Matthew Amason, Cat's Ad-Hoc Spiritual Advisor For more information see this issue's editorial. ===== ===== Elspeth Doing Better -- And Is Finally Awake ===== Last issue we reported that Elspeth, The Cauldron's seldom seen third Co-Host was in the hospital, with kidney, heart, and breathing problems. We are happy to report that she has been moved from the hospital to a long term care/rehab facility. But the best news arrived a few days ago when her husband emailed us to let us know that Elspeth was finally awake. Elspeth updates are being given in this thread: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=240.1 ===== ===== More Recipes ===== LyricFox updated the Cauldron Cookbook with over one hundred new recipes submitted by members of our forum. The cookbook area of our website has also been reorganized a bit. You can find all these new recipes at: http://www.ecauldron.com/cookbook.php ===== ===== More Spells ===== We have added a small number of new spells (and several new categories of spells) to The Cauldron's Spell Grimoire. http://www.ecauldron.com/spells/index.php ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ PAGAN FRIENDLY WEB HOSTING AT DREAMHOST http://www.ecauldron.com/web/zdreamhost.php Dreamhost offers high-quality, low cost web hosting with a dedication to free speech. Pagan sites are welcome! Read why we use Dreamhost for The Cauldron's web site: http://www.ecauldron.com/web/whydreamhost.php $9.95/Month Plan Features: 20000 megs web space -- 1000 gigs/month bandwidth -- 3000 email boxes (POP3/IMAP) -- 75 ftp/shell accounts -- host unlimited domains/subdomains -- php4, php5, cgi, fastcgi, ssi, zend optimizer, ruby on rails -- unlimited MySQL databases -- announcement lists -- discussion lists -- Jabber server -- Crontab and Shell access -- Web-based Control Panel -- One-Click installs of the Wordpress, PhpBB, and many more -- One FREE domain name -- 1 free domain name -- helpful tech support -- much more! Visit Dreamhost for Affordable, Pagan-Friendly Hosting http://www.ecauldron.com/web/zdreamhost.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [02] ========= ========= CAULDRON DISCUSSIONS ========= Recent Discussion Topics on our Message Board ========= In an average month, over 200 new discussion topics are started on The Cauldron's message board. Here are a few of the more interesting recent discussions. It's not too late to join in. Thanks to 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. ===== ===== Scholarship in Religion ===== How does scholarship impact your path? Is academic scholarship a formal part of your religious outlook, a supplement to your UPG, something else entirely? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=393.1 ===== ===== Anti-Neo-Pagan Apologetics? ===== I often find myself debating my Christian friends on the benefits / negatives of poly and monotheism. As someone who likes to debate, I try to find as much information on "the other side" of the argument as possible. I often read Christian apologetics (rhetoric used by Christians to defend their faith). There is one question about polytheism that was difficult to come up with a good response... "If the gods are symbols of a fundamental spiritual reality that transcends the physical world, then it would seem that one is left with a form of fundamental monotheism that is only cloaked with polytheistic symbols. That being the case, why should one use the symbols? Why not worship the Creator directly and explore the question of whether he cares for and has spoken to man, as monotheism has historically claimed? In other words, if Pagan Gods are symbols of nature that equal a divine force, then why not worship a creator outside of nature directly? As a Pluralist, I don't believe in knocking any religion, but as Pagans, we should be able to stand up to these apologetics. I'm having a problem with this one though. I have an answer, but I'd just like some input on how you would all respond. * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=389.1 ===== ===== Weather and Ritual ===== Are there any weather conditions that would cancel a planned ritual of yours? Not because of comfort (like not getting drenched in a rainstorm) I am talking about canceling because the weather that came in made the ritual either un-needed or ill- advised in some way. Are there any weather conditions that would inspire you to do a ritual? Would weather cause you to alter a ritual? (Other than the obvious "move it inside") Add a goddess or god to the ceremony you hadn't originally planned? Do you have any personal rituals connected to weather? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=380.1 ===== ===== On the Edge or Border places... ===== I remember reading... somewhere... may have been a novel or some essay... that at the edges, boundaries or borders of places; strangeness abounds. Towns on the border of another state... neighborhoods *just* outside city limits, borders between countries, etc. Anyplace where there is a close-by well-defined border or boundary... Several authors have noted this and worked it into novels, etc... Stephen King... Clive Barker... a few others... I live in a *border area*. Joplin is close to the Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas borders. Strange things abound here...not nice strange things. Do you think borders can make a difference in behavioral patterns, religious choices, etc? Anybody living close to a National border in their country...is it strange there? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=349.1 ===== ===== Eclecticism, Just A Phase? ===== I've heard people say they hesitate to adopt the eclectic label because of the assumptions that seem to go along with it. One of them is that eclecticism is a stage one goes through on the way to finding one's real religion, a phase of the seeker's journey. Staying in it "too long" may even be regarded with a somewhat jaundiced eye, as if it were a mark of spiritual immaturity, or an indication that one was trying to avoid significant decisions. What do you think of that idea? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=324.1 ===== ===== Striping Down Magic ===== First off, because I'm sure the title will worry some people, this thread is not about going skyclad, or being able to watch people get undressed. If you want a thread about that, start your own. Different systems of magic can vary in how complex they are. Ceremonial Magick, for example, can be pretty damn complex, with the Golden Dawn techniques combining Freemasonry, and many different ideas, cultures, etc. As a result, I sometimes look at a ritual and think 'that can't be the easiest way to do this surely?' I had that reaction when I looked at how I planned to invoke certain planetary influences. I was going to go through the CM method, banishing rituals, invoking rituals, etc. In the past I'v managed to influence myself quickly and easily, without all the bother. An example of which, if I really want to cheer myself up, I draw a golden smily face in my mind, and then absorb it. It's like a nice little happy-dose. So I tried the same, drawing a planetary symbol for the moon today. I have no idea yet if it's done anything, as I'm looking for rather longer term benefits with this one. Anyway, enough rambling. Do you think it's okay to 'strip down' ritual to basics, either to make it easier, mre convenient, etc? If so, how much are you willing/ happy to remove? All of it? Just a little? If you don't, why not? Because you think it's wrong to do so? (if so, what about it is wrong?) Is it a case of simple preference? If you do both, at different times, what do you think are the pros and cons of either option (stripping it down, or keeping it wholly intact)? * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=306.1 ===== ===== Why Oathbound? ===== Why are certain things in some religions oathbound? Is it because it is a Mystery or something else? Are there certain aspects of your religion that are oathbound that aren't abstract Mysteries? An example of this could be a concrete method like a certain ritual or divination system or a certain skill that helps you either get to the Mystery or not, but it is still oathbound material. (I'm not asking anyone to divulge any oathbound material here, so if the answer is, it's oathbound, that's fine). * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncmain.php?m=299.1 ===== ===== Homemade Incense? ===== I am interested in learning to make my own incense, and I was wondering if there were any Cauldronites who do so, and how you do it. Any info (techniques, rituals, anything) you might have would be wonderful! * Read (or join in) this discussion: http://www.ecauldron.net/cncsocial.php?m=223.1 [03] ========= ========= PAGAN BOOKS IN DOXY'S BAZAAR ========= Used books on the Host's Sale List ========= LyricFox and Randall made another pass through the various Pagan and magical books they still had in boxes and found more books that they have not looked at since they moved to Waco. This is a good sign that they will never actually use them, so they added them to the list of books available on the Doxy's Bazaar web page. (They really need to get these out of here and reclaim the closet floor space from the boxes.) Most of these books look as new as books in a bookstore and they are selling them at around half price (or less in some cases). Postage will eat up some of that, but book rate is available in the US and is relatively cheap (For example, 10 pounds of books 3-4 average books is about $5.50 book rate postage.) You can find Doxy's Bazaar at: http://www.ecauldron.com/doxysbazaar.php The here is a list of the books available at the time this note is written. Recently added books are marked "*NEW* Visit the Doxy's Bazaar web page to order. Only one copy of each book is available. Alchemy at Work by Cassandra Eason (2004) Like New $8.50 All Around the Zodiac by Bil Tierney (2001) Like New $10.00 The Ancient Art of Faery Magic *NEW* by D.J. Conway (2005) Like New $9.50 The Angels' Message to Humanity by Betty Schueler, Gerald Schueler (1996) Like New $11.00 Astrology & Relationships by David Pond (2001) Like New $8.95 Astrology for Beginners by William W. Hewitt (1992) Like New $6.50 Between the Worlds *NEW* by Stuart Myers (1995) Like New $12.00 Cakes and Ale for the Pagan Soul *NEW* edited by Patricia Telesco (2005) Like New $8.50 Cauldron of Transformation *NEW* by Lady Sabrina (1996) Used $8.50 Celestial Goddesses by Lisa Hunt (2001) Like New $12.50 Charting Your Spiritual Path With Astrology by Stephanie Jean Clement (2001) Like New $7.50 The Complete Book of Numbers by Steven Scott Pither (2002) Like New $9.95 The Complete Guide to Divination by Cassandra Eason (2003) Like New $8.50 The Complete System of Self-Healing by Stephen T. Chang (1986) Like New $9.95 The Crystal Connection by Randall N. Baer, Vicki Vit... Like New $8.95 Earth Mother Astrology by Marcia Starck (1989) Like New $6.50 The Earth Path (Hardback) *NEW* by Starhawk (2004) Like New $11.00 Ecstatic Ritual: Practical Sex Magic by Brandy Williams (1990) Used $7.50 Egyptian Pyramid Oracle by Verona McColl (2002) Like New $10.95 The Enchanted Diary: Teen's Guide to Magick and Life *NEW* by Jamie Wood (2005) Like New $8.50 Exploring Chakras *NEW* by Susan G. Shumsky (2003) Like New $8.50 Exploring Native American Wisdom by Fran Dancing Feather, Rita Robinson (2003) Like New $6.50 Exploring Numerology *NEW* by Shirley Lawrence (2003) Like New $8.50 Heart of Tarot *NEW* by Amber K and Azrael Arynn K (2002) Like New $8.50 Healing Ground by Myra Dutton, Trish Tuley (2003) Like New $12.50 How to Communicate With Spirits by Elizabeth Owens (2001) Like New $4.95 Llewellyn's 2003 Moon Sign Book by Gloria Star (2002) Like New $3.95 Llewellyn's 2004 Sun Sign Book (2003) Like New $2.95 Magick, Shamanism & Taoism by Richard Herne (2001) Like New $8.95 Magic for Lovers by Selene Silverwind (2004) Like New $7.50 Magic of the Qabalah *NEW* by Kala Trobe (2001) Like New $8.50 Magical Aromatherapy *NEW* by Scott Cunningham (1989) Used $2.50 Making Talismans *NEW* by Nick Farrell (2001) Like New $8.50 Maiden Magick by C. C. Brondwin (2003) Like New $6.50 Making Magick by Edain McCoy (1997) Like New $7.50 One Degree Beyond: A Reiki Journey *NEW* by JaneAnne Narrin (1998) Used $9.00 Pagans and Christians *NEW* by Gus Zerega (2001) Like New $9.00 Past-Life and Karmic Tarot *NEW* by Edain McCoy (2004) Like New $7.50 Putting the Tarot to Work *NEW* by M ark McElroy (2004) Like New $9.50 The Ritual Magic Workbook *NEW* by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki (1986) Like New $8.50 Simplified Qabala Magic *NEW* by Ted Andrews (2003) Like New $6.00 Soul Purpose Astrology *NEW* by Margaret Koolman (2002) Like New $8.50 Spellcraft for Teens by Gwinevere Rain (2002) Like New $7.50 Spells and Charms *NEW* by Nicola de Pulford (1999) Like New $8.50 Tarot for All Seasons by Christine Jette (2001) Like New $6.50 Tarot for Beginners by P. Scott Hollander (1995) Like New $7.50 Tarot for the Healing Heart *NEW* by Christine Jette (2001) Like New $8.50 Tarot for a New Generation *NEW* by Janina Renee (2001) Like New $8.50 The Teen Spell Book *NEW* by Jamie Wood (2001) Like New $7.50 A Time for Magic *NEW* by Maria Simms (2002) Like New $7.50 Totem Magic by Yasmine Galenorn (2004) Like New $9.50 The Urban Primitive by Raven Kaldera (2002) Like New $8.50 Witchcraft from the Inside *NEW* by Ray Buckland (1995) [04] ========= ========= CAULDRON 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 ===== ===== A ROSICRUCIAN NOTEBOOK ===== A Rosicrucian Notebook by Willy Schrodter (Translated from German) published 1992 by Weiser Boos ISBN 0877287570 312 pages Trade Paperback $21.95 (U.S.) http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=0877287570 I have been dealing with translations of foreign language texts which presents certain difficulties. I need to rely on the integrity and ability of those responsible for the translations. I have no reason to doubt their ability and integrity, but I have no personal way of verifying that the translations have not been influenced by the personal beliefs of the translators. This book is over half a century in its German edition and is composed, in large part, of quotations from other works by Rosicrucian authors over the preceding two or three centuries. Many of these books were privately printed and, even when commercially printed, the majority are unavailable in English. This, naturally, makes verification even more difficult. The purpose of this book is not to explain Rosicrucian beliefs, but rather to explore the techniques and knowledge available to them. It does not tell a story. It is a notebook - heavily annotated and referenced. Thus it is possible to look up any topic you are interested in without having to work your way through the entire book. The topics covered range from the mystical (the Life Light) to the practical (magnetic healing) with an emphasis on making life better. After all, that was the expressed goal of the Rosicrucian movement. Many readers will, undoubtedly question the reality behind the author's assertions. Perhaps they should pass on this book. This book is intended to allow easier access to information which has not been easily accessible for many years. The author draws a large number of parallels and connections between Arabian thought and teachings (as claimed by the earliest identified Rosicrucians) and such other diverse groups as the Essenes and Cathars. There is, of course, no way to either substantiate, or to disprove, these allegations. They may be factual or they may simply be the result of similar expression o f ideas. This inability, however, does nothing to detract from the usefulness of this work. For those interested in the subject of Rosicrucian thought, this book will be a valuable addition to the library of available (and understandable) material. It is, as noted previously, heavily annotated and referenced. Even though many of the books cited will be unavailable to any except the most dedicated researcher and scholar, enough excerpts have been provided to allow the reader to get the feel for these obscure works. There are more modern references in this book, although even these are rather dated. These allow the students to pursue their own research with relative ease. This book is not the final word on Rosicrucian thought by any means. Nor is it the most definitive. It is, however, a valuable addition to the library of anyone interested in learning more about this "secret society." It is well worth purchasing and reading. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++ Please support our sponsor +++ NEED PAGAN OR MAGICKAL SUPPLIES? Shop Paganshopping.Com via The Cauldron's Pagan Supplies Store http://www.ecauldron.com/esesf.php +++ Please support our sponsor +++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===== ===== SECRET SOCIETIES OF THE MIDDLE AGES ===== Secret Societies of the Middle Ages by Thomas Keightley Published 2005 by Red/Wheel/Weiser ISBN 1578633346 408 pages Paperback $18.95 (U.S.) http://www.ecauldron.com/cncbook.php?asin=1578633346 First published in 1837 by Thomas Keightley (1789-1872) - and anonymously at that - this book represents one of the earliest working in the English language to examine both the Assassins and the Knights Templar; their foundations and missions; as well as their interactions with their larger societies. With a short introduction by James Wasserman, himself an author on the same topic, this book offers insight into a little understood time in the history of relationships between the Muslim and Christina worlds. This seems especially relevant in today's post- September 11th world. As a result of the "War on Terrorism" in the U.S. we have been exposed to a great deal of propaganda regarding Islam. One consequence of that exposure may have a detriment to those reading this book. Over the past 168 years spellings of words coming out of that region have changed. Thus the author refers to Musulmans (Muslims) of the Soonee (Sunni) and Sheah (Shi'ite) branches, and makes reference to mosks (mosques) and the Kalif (caliph). It takes some time to get used to these archaic spellings, but if you persist it becomes easier. His portrayal in the first part of the book, of the Assassins, is one of the earliest in the English language. It is, for the most part, an apparently even-handed (if not particularly sympathetic) exposition of the known and suspected facts regarding this organization over the course of its existence. The author displays an anti-Catholic bias during the treatment of the Knights Templar. His portrayal of the Knights is reasonably sympathetic, but his disdain for the Roman Catholic Church, its religious orders (which opposed the organization of the Knights Templar), and the Papacy in particular clearly shows his attitude. Both of these organizations have been explored in far greater detail during the intervening years, but this book broke important ground at the time it was published. The third organization dealt with in this book (the Secret Tribunals of Westphalia) was completely known to me before I read this book. Although the closest to the current era, it is the least well documented, and receives less space. Considering the title of the book (Secret Societies of the Middle Ages) I can understand the inclusion of all of these groups, although on other grounds (the sheer secular basis) the Secret Tribunals seems a bit out of place. There were no secret doctrines involved in the Tribunals, although their membership and procedures were hidden from the common man. I'm not sure what I was expecting before actually opening the covers of this book, but I found myself being pleasantly educated. The writing was not entertaining, but it was easy to comprehend. In spite of the frequency of foreign names (especially in the section dealing with the Assassins) every effort has been made to place them in easily understood formats. If you are interested in any of these three organizations (and interest in the Templars seems to be fairly constant), this is an excellent introductory work. You will undoubtedly want to pursue further researches but, unless you have access to older books in German and French, this book is the earliest available resource. It is definitely a worthwhile addition to your library [05] ========= ========= ARTICLES ========= ===== ===== CLEARING THE AIR, BY SPRING CLEANING ===== by Michaela Scherr ===== It's that time again, spring cleaning time that is. Clearing out wardrobes, cupboards, attics, happens now; anything not bolted down is moved, thrown out, donated to charity, cleaned, and dusted. Spring heralds the arrival of warmer weather and with it we become more active. There are so many things to see and do now without the inconvenience of having to rug up before venturing out. Spend some time in your garden and observe its rebirth, with flowers budding, the emergence of butterflies, and other creatures. When you spend a little while in your garden relaxed and open, you might just notice the subtle world of faeries. Spring, I love it! At the beginning of each season spring cleaning happens and as we clean the home in a very physical sense. We vacuum, dust, wash walls, curtains and anything else that stands in our way. It's time for out with the old and in with the new. Something else to consider as a spring cleaning task is that of cleaning the 'subtle world' around us (that which is just beyond our awareness), it's an energy thing. When physical and subtle spring cleaning is done a feeling of calm, peace and comfort is noticed. I've been doing this for many years and after the completion of my spring cleaning tasks, on both levels, there is a noticeable sense of lightness and peacefulness. The first part of this method of spring cleaning is done by cleaning each room in its entirety; windows, walls, curtains, and wardrobes all are cleaned whether they need it or not, before moving to the next room. Items I de-clutter are put in bags for local charity or go into the rubbish bin. The second part has more spiritual overtones and an aspect of aromatherapy (I'm also a qualified aromatherapist) which I love. Before I actually start cleaning any room I mix up an aromatherapy essential oil recipe and as I do so I'll take several deep breaths, centre myself, then say a special prayer requesting protection, healing and love to envelop my home and also give thanks for what I have in my life. The essential oil blend I use for this is 3 drops juniper, 3 drops petit grain, and 2 drops lime which cleans, protects and uplifts all at the same time. As I move from room to room I use an aromatherapy oil burner (electric, they're safer) with my essential oil recipe which remains in the room with me until I've finished cleaning it. I then move it with me to the next room until that one has been cleaned and so on. Not only does this smell divine, it also feels fabulous and above all, the house becomes cleaner, lighter and brighter. As a special note, whenever using essential oils and aromatherapy oil burners please be vigilant toward fire safety (you more than likely are already aware of this). Never have your oil burner near curtains or other materials, have the room well ventilated, never leave candles unattended when leaving the room and read the data sheet of essential oil you purchase. To complete my spring cleaning fest I use Tibetan cymbals or Tingshas (used in traditional Tibetan Buddhist rituals and meditation) to re-balance energy in each room (I also use them when I do space clearing but that's another story). Tingshas come in pairs and are joined by a leather cord. I begin this exercise by taking a few deep breaths, centre myself, and say a silent prayer. With my hand holding the leather cord I have the Tingshas gently strike each, producing a sound that reverberates throughout my body as well as across the room. I continue this exercise as I move from corner to corner of every room until every nook and cranny in the house has been covered. So that is my spring clean, covering the physical, as well as the subtle aspects of the air that I breathe in my home, ready for whatever the new season may bring. === === About the Author === Michaela Scherr is a Transformational Coach, author of self help e-books, and publisher of a monthly newsletter called From My Desk. Michaela is totally committed to helping others create positive and action oriented changes to their lives. http://www.michaelascherr.com/ ===== ===== OPHIUCHUS - 13TH SIGN OF THE ZODIAC ===== by Elizabeth Brodie ===== Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer, is often mistakenly called the 13th sign of the zodiac. In fact despite not appearing on most modern zodiacs it's actually the 10th sign of the Real Solar Zodiac. Aquarius, the water carrier, is the 13th and last sign of the Real Solar Zodiac whereas Pisces is the final sign of the more commonly used zodiac. Ophiuchus is a sun-sign i.e. the sun can be seen against the stars of Ophiuchus between the 30th November and 17th December each year, although the dates that it can be seen there will vary a little from year to year, so it is sometimes quoted as being from 1st December to 18th December. Ophiuchus is an Ancient Greek constellation and one of the original Ptolemy constellations which appear in the Al Magest Star Catalogue c. 130-170 AD. Ophiuchus also appears on the Farnese Globe, which is a roman copy of a depiction of Atlas holding the celestial sphere aloft. The Western Zodiac does not feature Ophiuchus because he does not appear in the commonly used Tropical Zodiac - considered by many to be a huge over-simplification of the heavens. The Tropical Zodiac is considered over-simplified by many as it defines the sun as spending an equal amount of time in the normal twelve astrological signs. The reality is actually quite different. So where did Ophiuchus come from? The name itself is derived from the Greek word for 'serpent handler', hence the depiction of a man supporting a snake. There are various possible sources for this although the most widely accepted in modern times is that Ophiuchus represents Asclepius, a legendary Greek healer who is said to have learned the secrets of life and death. Asclepius was killed by Zeus to prevent him from bringing immortality to the human race. However, in recognition of his great works Zeus placed his form in the stars after killing him. Other possibilities are that he represents the Trojan priest Laocoon or is a representation of Apollo wrestling with the serpent at Delphi. === === About the Author === Elizabeth Brodie, the author of this article, is the owner of Dark Passions Gothic a UK basic gothic jewellery, clothing and gift store. Visit http://www.darkpassions.co.uk/ [06] ========= ========= SOFTWARE GADGETS: THE COLUMN ========= Interesting Items From The Software Gadgets Blog ========= http://softwaregadgets.gridspace.net/ ========= The Software Gadgets Blog aims to present a different "software gadget" every weekday. A software gadget is a program or addon that is both interesting and useful -- and often free. This column highlights four of the programs listed this month. Many more were listed and you'll find more gadgets like these added every week at the Software Gadgets Blog at: http://softwaregadgets.gridspace.net/ ===== ===== IRFANVIEW -- GRAPHICS VIEWER ===== I've used IrfanView to viewing graphics for more years than I can count -- probably since I bought my first computer with Windows 9x on it. It is a very fast, small, compact freeware graphic viewer than can display and work with a huge number (around 100) of graphic file formats. I can download just about graphic file from the Internet and Irfanview will let me see it. IrfanView is regularly updated and has a constantly growing set of features. Over the years it has acquired some basic editing functions as well. It will never be Photoshop or even Paint Shop Pro, but the ability to do basic graphic editing within your graphics viewer is very handy. IfranView can even do batch editing and use many photoshop filters. Some IrfanView features from the list on the web site: * Many supported file formats (click here the list of formats) * Multi language support * Thumbnail/preview option * Slideshow (save slideshow as EXE/SCR or burn it to CD) * Show EXIF/IPTC/Comment text in Slideshow/Fullscreen etc. * Support for Adobe Photoshop Filters * Fast directory view (moving through directory) * Batch conversion (with image processing) * Multipage TIF editing * Email option * Multimedia player * Print option * Change color depth * Scan (batch scan) support * Cut/crop * IPTC editing * Effects (Sharpen, Blur, Adobe 8BF, Filter Factory, Filters Unlimited, etc.) * Capturing * Extract icons from EXE/DLL/ICLs * Lossless JPG rotation * Many hotkeys * Many command line options * Many PlugIns * Only one EXE-File, no DLLs, no Shareware messages like "I Agree" or "Evaluation expired" * No registry changes without user action/permission! * and much much more I use this program almost every day, I've tried a number of replacements, both freeware and payware, and always come back to Irfanview as it lets me do what I need to do without a lot of bloat and without getting in my way. Rating: 5 Stars Operating System: Windows License: Commercial Freeware Price: Free Version Reviewed: 3.98 Web Site: http://www.irfanview.com/ ===== ===== E-SWORD -- FREE BIBLE SOFTWARE ===== There is a lot of commercial Bible software on the market, ranging in price from under $50 to over $500. e-Sword is free and has most of the features that the average user is likely to actually use. It's main disadvantage is that its selection of Bibles and commentaries fails to include many modern translations and commentaries because of copyright issues, but if you own copies these Bibles from several commercial programs (QuickVerse, Bible Companion, or WORDsearch), you can use them in e-Sword. Some of e-Sword's feature as listed on the e-Sword website: * All available Bibles, commentaries and dictionaries are readily viewed without having to "tile windows". * Create your own "parallel Bible" with up to any four translations. Studying the Word of God and comparing passages have never been easier! * Integrated editor for creating your own commentaries or study notes, complete with Spell Checking and a Thesaurus! Notes are "linked" to the Bible for easy viewing and can also be exported for portability. * Comprehensive print capabilities, including print preview, allow you to create impressive Bible study handouts from the Study Notes Editor. * Strong's definitions are displayed as ToolTips! Just place the mouse pointer over a Strong's number and the definition will then be displayed. * Scripture references in the Commentary and Dictionary views are displayed as ToolTips! Just place the mouse pointer over the reference and the passage will then be displayed. To go to the passage, just click it! * Easily compare the various translations to see how they rendered the Greek or Hebrew manuscripts. * Powerful search capabilities, yet simple to use. Enter as many words you want to search for and select the search style and range. You can even search on Strong numbers and exclude words from the search! * Use the Verse List to create your own topical lists of Scripture, or cataloging your discoveries! * Copy and print Scripture in a variety of formatting styles. This is also available for search results and verse lists. * Graphics Viewer for studying maps, charts, and other images. * STEP Reader for viewing the various resources you may have invested in from QuickVerse, Bible Companion, and WORDsearch. e-Sword is designed and programmed by a professional programmer and is regularly updated. Rating: 4.5 Stars (Software) 3 Stars (Available Bible texts) Operating System: Windows (special Pocket PC version available) License: Freeware Price: Free Version Reviewed: 7.7.7 Web Site: http://www.e-sword.net/ ===== ===== FREECOMMANDER - DUAL-PANEL FILE EXPLORER ===== While freeCommander isn't Directory Opus, it is a much better file manager than the builtin Windows Explorer if you do a lot of file organizing. This program will display two directories at once which makes it a snap to move or copy files between directories. A large number of hotkeys make it easy to use this program without having to use your mouse for everything. Here are some of the major features of freeCommander as listed on its web site: * Dual-panel technology - horizontal and vertical * Optional tree view for each panel * Built in file viewer to view files in hex, binary, text or image format * File viewer works inside archives too * Built in archive handling: ZIP (read, write), CAB (read, write), RAR (read) * Nested archive handling * Easy access to system folders, control panel, desktop and start menu * Copy, move, delete, rename files and folders * Wipe files * Create and verify MD5 checksums * File splitting * File properties and context menu * Calculation of folder size * Folder comparison / synchronization * Modification of file date and attributes * Folder / program favorites * File searching (inside archives too) * File filters for display * DOS command line * Multiple language support The program isn't perfect, but is is under curent development (unlike many freeware file managers) and it is so much better than Explorer at file management that it is easy to put up with freeCommander's quirks. Rating: 4 Operating System: Windows 2000 and XP License: Freeware Price: Free Web Site: http://www.freecommander.com/index_en.htm ===== ===== SCORCHED 3D -- FREEWARE REMAKE OF SCORCHED EARTH ===== I remember DOS. One of the good things about DOS was an addictive little shareware game called Scorched Earth. It was deceptively simple. It was a battle between two tanks, you selected the angle and power of each shot and tried to demolish the other tank. Of course, each screen was a different world and things like gravity and wind could vary greatly. And you could get better (and weirder) weapons as time went on. The graphics were primative even by the standards of the day, but the game was great fun to play. You can read a review of Scorched Earth over on Classicgaming.com. While the game is apparently still available for the shareware fee from its author, it has "quirks" in modern Windows systems. Scorched 3D is a freeware "remake" of Scorched Earth updated for the 21st century. As you might guess from the "3D" in the title, the remake uses modern 3D graphics to excellent effect. Personally, I was afraid that they would make the game too different from the original. Much to my surprise, while they do increase the dufficultly level somewhat and take some getting useds to, I like them and think that add a lot to gameplay. From the web site: You can pick up the game and begin playing very quickly. Then, when/if you are interested, you can poke in the dimmer recesses of the game and get into the strategy (or just ignore it altogether!). At its lowest level, Scorched 3D is just an artillery game with two+ tanks taking turns to destroy opponents in an arena. Choose the angle, direction and power of each shot, launch your weapon, and try to blow up other tanks. That's basically it. But Scorched 3D can be a lot more complex than that, if you want it to be. You can earn money from successful battles and use it to invest in additional weapons and accessories. You can play with up to twenty four other players at a time, mixing computer players with humans. There's a variety of changing environmental conditions and terrains to be dealt with. After the end of each round (which ends when everybody dies or there's only one person left), you get to buy stuff using the prize money you won from previous matches. I'm not a gamer, but this is a great game -- and you can't beat the price. There are versions for most major operating systems, so you can play with your friends even if some are on Windows, some on Macs, and some on various Unix boxes. Rating: 5 Operating System: Windows, Mac OS, Linux, BSD, Solaris, and more License: Freeware Price: Free Web Site: http://www.scorched3d.co.uk/ [07] ========= ========= From the Spell Grimoire: ========= SPELL TO BREAK BAD HABITS ========= For getting rid of bad habits, take a black candle which has been ritually cleansed and some anointing oil which has also been ritually blessed. Depending on the desired result, you should choose an oil which corresponds to this end. At the time of the new moon, or when it first begins to wane, cast a circle or use your 9' cord to create a sacred space. Place the black candle (preferable a taper) on the altar with the oil. Cast the circle. Call the Goddess and her consort. Use a burin to engrave the candle with the habit you wish you wish to cast. Now, anoint the candle using the oil. While you anoint the candle with the oil, speak these words out loud: Tonight no moon, tomorrow the first one. Let this be eroded till my will be done. Candle burn down to remove all ill. Let this spell be cast by the power of my will. And once you have anointed the candle, place it in a safe place to it can burn down completely. === === About This Spell === This spell is taken from The Cauldron's Spell Grimoire, a collection of basic spells available on The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum's web site. You'll find more spells at: http://www.ecauldron.com/spells/index.php [08] ========= ========= Pagan Webmaster: ========= BEST BLOGGING SOFTWARE ========= [If you are running -- or thinking of running a web site (Pagan-related or not), you will find more articles, reviews, and other useful information at the following sites: The Cauldron's Pagan Webcrafting http://www.ecauldron.com/web/index.php The Cheap Web Hosting Report http://www.cheapwebhostingreport.com/ The Frugal Webmaster Blog http://www.frugalwebmaster.net/index.html ] The blogging platform wars are getting really interesting and much of the discussion I find myself in lately revolves around what is happening with various CMS systems. The market can essentially be defined into 3 major camps: remotely hosted, self hosted, and community based systems. I have used pretty much every blogging platform available and each of them has its ups and downs. In this article I will cover the best options for each area taking into account price, usability, market share and of course SEO potential. All of these products are either open source, completely free or have a functional free version. Links were stripped from this article so you may want to check out the original best blogging software article at ProfitPapers. === === Remotely Hosted Blogging Software === (Note: I cannot really recommend any of these from an SEO stand point as optimizing a domain you do not own or control is obviously not a good marketing plan.) Blogger Blogger is completely free and currently owns the majority of the remotely hosted user base, but not by a land slide . Bought out by Google in 1999, Blogger essentially fired up the blogging trend we see today. It is by far the easiest overall solution to use and if you are a novice user looking to throw up some recipes or poetry, this is for you. Blogger is completely free and includes some great features like comments, photo blogging, and a basic community feel with user profiles. Because it is so dumbed down there are some features you may not find with Blogger that are only available through 3rd party add-ons. As a side note Blogger weblogs do quite well in the search engines and this was recently exploited with it being the first choice for spam blogs or splogs. A splog is a weblog used for the sole purpose of gaining inbound links or generating thousands of keyword stuffed pages with Adsense and the like. The recent Google Jagger update cleared a large portion of this up. Free. Typepad Released in 2003 Typepad is a product of Sixapart, the makers of Movable Type. it is largely based on MT but there are some major enhancements and differences. Your blog can accomodate one or more photo albums with auto thumbnail generation. You can easily add music, books, and other media to Typelists, which grab a thumbnail from Amazon and other retailers for easily displaying in your sidebar. Typepad is also a great deal more technical than Blogger so a bit of HTML know how is recommended. On that note editing your blog to look the way you want it also quite easy and Typepad blogs are known for being very eye pleasing, intuitive and easy to navigate. In Sixapart's business model Typepad is aimed at regular home and small business users while Movable Type is targeted at larger businesses or for internal intranets. Price: Basic, $4.95 a month; premium, $8.95 to $14.95 a month. Xanga These guys originated back in 1999 as a site for sharing book, music and movie reviews. Although it quickly morphed into a full blown blogging tool Xanga still maintains the ability to run a powerful review site. Xanga pulls data from several retailers like Amazon.com including thumbnails, pricing and a cover. The software also is very usable by novices with a powerful WYSIWYG editor allowing for easy HTML editing, adding smilies, links, and other symbols. By using Blog rings it is also easy to interface with Xanga's other 3 million users to share interests, ideas, and of course traffic. Xanga comes in a free and $25 flavor. Mentions: Blogsome, Blogster, MindSay, Multiply, === === Self Hosted Blogging Software === WordPress WordPress originally began as a mod of an older open source package known as B2. WP is MT's biggest competition and is often the bain of endless Wordpress vs Movabletype style threads around the internet. Although launched just over a year or so ago WP has really taken the blogosphere by storm. And with good reason - Wordpress is completely free under GNU licensing and is packed with many featured you will not find anywhere else. It is also much easier to install and get blogging for novice users and has a very large and helpful community. WP runs on PHP/mySQL and is quite scalable judging from some of the very large and trafficked sites I see using it. It also sports utilities to import files from Movable Type, Textpattern, Greymatter, Blogger, and b2. Wordpress recently upped the ante when Yahoo recently included them on their hosting packages, in addition to MT. I have to admit I am finding myself more and more digging WP and will likely convert Profitpapers to WP as I get time (it can be a biznitch). Wordpress is free. Movable Type Aside from maybe Greymatter (the original open source blogging tool), Movabletype dominated the blogging market share in 2002-2004. Released in late 2001, Perl based Movable Type by Sixapart has maintained a large portion of the blogging market share, due mainly to the fact that there is a free version (supporting up to 3 weblogs) and that it is incredibly powerful, intuitive and easy to customize. Template driven Movable Type also sports one of the largest communities of developers and blogging enthusiasts around, meaning lots of support, idea sharing, and of course plugins. Movable Type can be configured to dynamically generate HTML, PHP or any other kind of pages you like, meaning it is incredibly scalable, fast, and loved by spiders. It is perhaps the most well known blogging software for SEO purposes and it what currently powers Profitpapers and several of my other projects. Moveabletype is either Free with 3 authors, 1 weblog, and no support or $69.95 with unlimited weblogs, authors and full support. Textpattern Textpattern is the brainchild of Dean Allen and was written to ease publishing of content for those not inclined to learn HTML. Like WP and MT Textpattern runs on PHP and mySQL for easy administration, backups, and power. What really sets textpattern apart from the others is the integration of Textile. Textile is a tool for easily formatting content for those who do not know HTML. WP & MT have modules for textile as well but it is native to the Textpattern system. Another bonus of the app is its superior handling of comment spam due to its smaller market share. On a blogs I maintain running WP and MT I often find myself clearing out spam every day, whereas on some very busy textpattern sites I receive only manual comment spam (not bot driven). TP is open source. Mentions: Blosxom, LifeType, Serendipity. === === Community based Blogging Software === Slash Waaaaay back in 1997, Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda launched a website known as Chips & Dips, supplied via his student account at Hope College in Michigan. In 1999 Andover.net acquired Slashdot. Shortly after, the underlying code was released as open source software called Slash. Like Movable Type and Greymatter, Slash runs on Perl, but it also has established hooks into MySQL and a very strong track record of scaling to enormous traffic levels. To give you an idea, the term 'slashdotted' originated from acquiring a link on this now infamous and very popular tech news website - and consequently watching your servers melt. If you have never messed around with Slash, you really should as it is quite a powerful platform. Slash is open source. Scoop Another well known Perl based community blogging software is Scoop. Scoop is the software that powers Kuro5shin, DailyKos and many other busy community weblogs. Scoop took the Slashdot idea and expanded on it, making the discussion rather than the news the focus of the application. Where Slashdot entries tend to have a link with added commentary pointing readers off the site, Scoop points to stories written by members of the community keeping the reader within your own weblog. Scoop is also well known for handling large volumes of traffic and a large very technical community. Scoop is free . Drupal Drupal is a well known open source community blogging platform with a very large community of users and developers. Not only is Drupal free but it is damn powerful. Instead of Perl, which is quite hard to decode at times, even if you are a fluent coder, Drupal uses a PHP/mySQL platform. Drupal is also a very community focused application with a built in forum, download area, and hundreds of other home brewed mods and hacks. If you are looking for a lot of functionality give Drupal a check - the project has become quite mature. It is also much easier to use and customize than either Scoop or Slash. Drupal is also another open source project. Mentions: LiveJournal, PHP Nuke. === === About the Author === Miles Evans writes for ProfitPapers at http://www.profitpapers.com/ where he writes essays on organic SEO, SEM, development and other equally fascinating subjects. [09] ========= ========= From the Cauldron Cookbook: ========= BAKED SALMON WITH CAPERS ========= submitted by LyricFox ========= Ingredients 4 approximately 6 oz pieces of salmon fillet, center cut 2 T capers, drained and coarsely chopped 1 T extra-virgin olive oil and extra for brushing the fillets before baking 1 T lemon juice White wine Salt and black pepper to taste 2 T of parsley, chopped (optional - do not use if winter parsley is strong tasting) Procedures 1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. Smear olive oil on a baking dish. Put fillet pieces on dish (skin side down if they have skin) and brush top with a little olive oil and white wine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If the fillet has skin, flip the skin side up. If fillets are completely skinless, repeat the olive oil, wine, salt and pepper on the second side. 3. Bake for 18-22 minutes. The length of time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillet. For a 1? fillet, you can expect to go 22 minutes for an opaque flesh. 4. While the salmon is baking, mix olive oil, lemon juice, and capers in a small bowl. 5. When salmon is done, remove to plates. If the pieces have skin, remove the skin, and turn over on plate. Spoon some of the caper topping over each fillet piece. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve. Option: You can double the amount of the caper mixture with no trouble. [10] ========= ========= 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/mb/ ===== ===== 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/bnbarticleform.php ===== ===== Book Reviews ===== While The Cauldron receives some review copies from a couple of Pagan publishers, there are many books that can only be reviewed on our web site if a member has a copy and writes a good, objective review. The Cauldron is interested in reviews on the more academic books used by reconstructionist Pagan religions as well as on the books one finds on the Pagan/New Age shelf in the bookstore. We have a web form you can use to submit a book review for consideration: http://www.ecauldron.com/bnbbkreviewform.php ===== ===== Graphic Assistance ===== The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum is purposely a low graphics site as we value page download speed over flashy graphics. However, we are always willing to talk with artists who have ideas for well-designed small graphics (small in both physical dimensions and file size) that might enhance a specific article or page. ===== ===== Invite Your Friends ===== If you have friends or acquaintances who you believe would find The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum useful, please tell them about our site. If you are active in our message board and have friends who might enjoy them or have information to contribute, please invite them. ===== ===== Link To The Cauldron ===== If you have a web site where linking to The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum would be appropriate, simply providing a link to this web site is a big help. Our Link to this Site page explains how you can do this if you need help or want some simple graphic buttons to use: http://www.ecauldron.com/linktous.php ===== ===== Donations ===== As The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum uses as many free services as possible, our need for money to operate our site is currently lower than our need for the many items we list above. However, if you have a few dollars to spare, we would be honored to have your help in paying for our web site. You can donate by using either PayPal or the Amazon Honor System links below (we get about 85% of what you donate). Donate via PayPal http://www.ecauldron.com/donatepaypal.php Donate via Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/paypage/P3903JRFVQVDN ===== ===== Amazon Purchases ===== The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum also receives a small percentage (usually 5%) from most items purchased from Amazon.com when you go to Amazon.com from one of the links to Amazon on our web site. If you purchase a lot of books, CDs, and other items from Amazon.com as many members do, going to Amazon.com through one of our links when you are going to make a purchase there is a painless way to help fund this web site. http://www.ecauldron.com/zamazon.php If you are a regular user of the US version of Amazon, you can help The Cauldron by replacing the URL of your ebay bookmark in your browser with the above link so that TC gets credit every time you visit Amazon.com. To do this in Internet Explorer or Firefox, find Amazon in your bookmark list. RIGHT click on it and select Properties from the popup menu which will appear. A dialog box describing your bookmark will appear. You'll see the standard Amazon url -- probably http://www.amazon.com/ -- in an edit box (labeled "Location" in FireFox and "URL" in IE). Erase that url completely and replace with one listed above, then click on OK. If you use Amazon UK, you can use this address http://www.ecauldron.com/zamazonuk.php If you use Amazon Canada, you can use this addess: http://www.ecauldron.com/zamazonca.php ===== ===== Ebay Purchases ===== Are you an Ebay user? Ebay has a new program that pays affiliates a small percent of the winning bid if the winning bidder enters ebay from an affiliate link (some like how our Amazon.com affiliate program works). So if you visit the US version ebay via the following link, the Cauldron will get credit for your bids: http://www.ecauldron.com/zebay.php If you are a regular user of the US version of ebay, you can help The Cauldron by replacing the URL of your ebay bookmark in your browser with the above link so that TC gets credit every time you visit ebay. To do this in Internet Explorer or Firefox, find ebay in your bookmark list. RIGHT click on it and select Properties from the popup menu which will appear. A dialog box describing your bookmark will appear. You'll see the standard ebay url -- probably http://www.ebay.com/ -- in an edit box (labeled "Location" in FireFox and "URL" in IE). Erase that url completely and replace with one listed above, then click on OK. ===== ===== 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.) [11] ========= ========= 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) 2005 by The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum. Copyrights on individual items in this newsletter are retained by their author, please contact the editors if you need to contact an author for permission to reprint an article and the editors will do their best to put you in touch with him or her. The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of newsletter, The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum, or its staff. Publication of an article in this newsletter is not an endorsement of the authors position or any products and companies mentioned therein. No one involved in producing this newsletter has any money to speak of so suing us if you don't like something we do is a waste of time and money. ===== ===== HOW TO SUBSCRIBE OR UNSUBSCRIBE OR CHANGE EMAIL ADDRESS ===== You are receiving a copy of this newsletter because you signed up to receive it. You can subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter via your web browser at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cauldronandcandle/join Or you can unsubscribe via email by sending a blank message to cauldronandcandle-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Be sure to send this message from the email account actually subscribed to the newsletter. If you have trouble unsubscribing by email, please use the web browser method mentioned above. If you need to change your subscription to a new email address, unsubscribe your old email address and subscribe your new email address. Note that you have to make these changes yourself. Yahoo Groups does not allow the list owner to make them for you. ===== ===== NEWSLETTER WEB SITE AND BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE ===== The Cauldron and Candle web site contains information on this newsletter and an archive of back issues. http://www.ecauldron.com/cnc/ ===== ===== PLEASE INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO SUBSCRIBE ===== If you have Pagan friends who you believe would be interested in Cauldron and Candle please invite them to subscribe. You can either drop them a note yourself or -- better yet -- send them one of The Cauldron's email postcards with the information. You are also welcome to forward a copies of this newsletter to interested friends and associates provided you forward the entire newsletter. ===== ===== SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME ===== Don't forget that your suggestions for this newsletter are always welcome, either posted on the message board or via email to LyricFox (lyricfox@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com) or Randall Sapphire (rssapphire00@ecauldron.GETRIDOFME.com). Typos are, as usual, courtesy of the Goddess Eris.

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