III-17 Beltane 2009

“There are two opinions about the purpose for the circle in ritual magic – the first view is that it is to keep something out, and the second view is that it is to keep something in. Both are correct, and although they may seem contradictory, both views are based on the same principle – the circle is a barrier that divides inside from outside. Take a pencil and a sheet of paper. Draw a line segment …” Read more…

“Previously, I made the point that any theory or description of how magic works will be necessarily subjective, partial and on some level utterly insufficient in fully describing what happens. But I’m going to have a go anyway. So, a magician takes patterns in their mind, forges meaningful connections between symbols, events, people and places and things. This set of patterns, their map of …” Read more…

“Folks frequently wonder what the real utility of convoluted rituals and ceremonies in esoteric workings. Most people find such methods overly elaborate and even stifling to their spontaneity. For myself, I simply don’t have the natural sensitivity of many practitioners. As a result, I need the ritual to act as a check list. By following the ritual script, I ensure that I actually call upon precisely those entities …” Read more…

“As a student of witchcraft, I endeavor to understand not only the practice itself, but also the reasons why witches do what we do. For myself, I find my magical practice much more meaningful when I reflect upon my actions. By meditating upon the nature of my spells, I gain deeper insights about my Craft, and even more crucially, a greater understanding of my unique place within our shared cosmos. …” Read more…

“Jupiter enters Aquarius (Jupiter in Aquarius: January 5, 2009 – January 18, 2010) A technological era of economic advancement begins January 2009 with the planet of luck and fortune, Jupiter, newly entering the constellation Aquarius. Jupiter in Aquarius brings innovative solutions to economic problems. It also allows us to realize our economic strength as whole communities …’” Read more…

“In the beginning Sophia created Lilith and Eve in her image, and set them in an Edenic world of bliss where, in the passion of their love play, new ways of being were brought into existence, incarnating as various animals, plants, rocks, storms, rivers, stars, moods, ideas, flavors, and every conceivable thing. Lilith and Eve were not just the pinnacle of creation, they were active participants in the …” Read more…

“Hettie Rowley is a South African artist and co-owner of the Thelema Trust. Hettie creates all of her work the old fashioned way – by hand, with no computer generated imagery or manipulation. She works in oils, pastels, bronze, pencil, charcoal, watercolor, clay and ink. She collaborates closely with her husband Keith in the production of occult and Thelemic artworks, and also produces a variety of African art …” Have a look…

“Folks passing through on the naked rock under the high sun would joke that Stonehenge had somehow gotten moved to Arizona. But if they walked closer to the double circle of what they thought were stones, they would see that each marker was actually compacted metal, the crushed carcasses of motorcycles and cars. Intuitive travelers wondered what kind of man would build such a place …” Read more…

One of two poetic offerings this issue, check out Judith’s picturesque and evocative offering, Rainbow Wisdom. …Read the poem…

In keeping with the theme of Beltane, Sarenth us offers a taste of Lust …Read the poem…

“Each issue, Gerald del Campo offers up his unique take on ten esoteric terms – some you’re familiar with, and others he’s created. …” See the selection …

“When I moved to Portland, OR in 2007, one of the first locals to greet me wasn’t human. Instead, I found the trees outside my first apartment to be full of scrub jays. These gray and blue corvids have a similar place in the urban ecosystem here that their cousins, the blue jays, did back East. I got a kick out of watching them in their territorial squabbles, raising their young, and making their harsh …”Read more…

“William G. Gray’s books on magic have been one of the foundations of my own practice since 1998, when I was first given his book Ladder of Lights by a mentor of mine. What I’ve found so fascinating with his work is its concise and thorough focus on the process of magic. Gray doesn’t embellish his writing or tell convoluted stories or leave information out to test his readers. Gray founded a magical order called Sangreal …” Read more…

“The world is full of would-be poets. These range from people who are thrilled that they discovered ‘cat,’ ‘flat,’ ‘rat,’ and ‘bat’ all rhyme (and therefore they should throw them all in one poorly written verse), to those who manage to rise above the usual stuff and present something original. P. (Phillupus) Sufenas Virius Lupus is, thankfully, well on the latter end of the spectrum. Given that I am not a huge …” Read more…

“First published in 1630 in French, Gerard Thibault’s Academy of the Sword stands as one of the most lavish treatises ever written on the art of civilian swordplay. This translation was nearly ten years in the works and was eagerly anticipated by the historical fencing community. John Michael Greer’s understanding of the time period, historical philosophy, and language make this text …” Read more…

“It’s a common meme in New Age writing is to use physics paradigms, from vague hand-waving about ‘vibrations’ and ‘energies’ to the movie What the Bleep Do We Know?. Rarely does this go beyond crude wielding of metaphors not actually understood by the proponent. (Fair enough – you don’t have to be a physicist to make use of the metaphor… but most often it’s used lazily.) So it’s a real treat to see this idea explored well …” Read more…

“I think I’ve been a bit spoiled in my reading choices – or maybe I’m just more of a geek than I thought. Here, Phil Farber presents a book that ties together memetics, consciousness and the nature of reality, NLP and other forms of psychology, and magical entities, and I’m thinking over and over again, ‘Wow, I’ve seen this before. I’ve read that, too. Oooh, I’m familiar with this concept!’ And then it dawned on me – Farber’s read a lot of the same stuff, and managed to synthesize it into this …” Read more…

“I’ve been in the pagan community for over a decade, and while I haven’t been a part of any formal group for any length of time, I have seen numerous examples of attempts at creative, unique group rituals. Some of these end up being rehashes of the usual Cunningham-mixed-with-something variety. If you’d like to avoid that fate, Make Merry in Step and Song is an excellent choice …” Read more…