The candle. September Pagan Challenge # 15.
Candles must be the most versatile magical thing there is.
magic
Waxing and waning Moon
September Pagan Challenge # 11 is about the waning Moon, but it’s actually waxing Moon right now, so let’s talk about both.
Continue readingDivination with runes
Divination. September Pagan Challenge # 10. The runes are my go-to for divination.
Continue readingBooks I read in May
In Satnav We Trust, by Jack Barrow
An enjoyable romp through the historic counties of England, with mad speedboat drivers, curmudgeonly campsite owners, wibbly wifi connections, a serendipitous Satnav with a mind of its own, and ruminations upon rationalism as a possible enemy of the search for meaning.
Having followed the saga of this journey via Facebook updates at the time, it was fun to read the whole thing. If it were my journey, I think I’d have done a bit more research into places of interest before I started, but there’s something to be said for serendipity. And stopping off to see friends along the way.
Open-minded rationalists, skeptical mystics, and ramblers on a shoestring budget will enjoy this book. And doubtless many others too.
Gods of Jade and Shadow, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Absolutely gripping account of what happens when Casiopeia Tun, the poor relation of the Leyva family, opens a mysterious box in her grandfather’s room. It brings to life the world of the Popol Vuh and the gods of jade and shadow, the mysterious landscape of the Yucatan peninsula, and 1920s Mexico. If you like Neil Gaiman, Ekaterina Sedia, Seanan McGuire, or Katherine Arden, you’ll love this book.
The Book of Dreams
I have started created a new website for the esoteric writings of Mark Goddard: The Book of Dreams.
The Book of Dreams was an unfinished typewritten manuscript by Mark Goddard. He had wanted it to be published, and gave it to his friend, Art Quester, who gave a copy to me after Mark was tragically killed in a car accident in 1988.
The book was intended as a linked series of visualizations and (if I recall correctly) was partly inspired by Mark’s spirit guide.
I only met Mark a few times but he was a friend of two of my dearest friends, and I know that he loved Jack Scout Cove in Lancashire, which is where I did my first ever Pagan ritual.
I sent it to a publisher in the mid 1990s but they said it was not commercially viable. I have kept it ever since, wondering what to do with it.
Finally it occurred to me that if he was around now, he would have put it all up on the internet.
I hope that he would approve of his writings finally being available in this form.
How I discovered the Craft
Not the messiah
A few years ago, I organized an event where Philip Heselton gave a talk based on his excellent multi-volume biography of Gerald Gardner. He was looking for a title and said that the talk was about the murkier aspects of Gardner’s life. I suggested calling it “He’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy” which I’m sure you will recognize as a line from The Life of Brian by Monty Python. So that was the title of the talk.
Continue readingQueer Magic Interviews
I’m doing a series of interviews with queer magical practitioners. So far there are three published: River Enodian, Fire Lyte, and Misha Magdalene.
Coming soon: Enfys Book, Cassandra Snow, Soli, Julian Vayne, and more. Subscribe to my YouTube channel so as not to miss them.
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