I want to take a few moments and just be frank with you all. I don’t have the patience right now to make this post all official-like, minding my diction and so forth. So I’m just going to tell you what’s what, and trust you to make the best of any minor grammatical errors which may intrude. This magazine was my baby for a long time; this past September marks five years for us. I took a hiatus about a year ago with the promise to update in a year’s time, regarding the future of this publication.

Right now, my heart is not in it. It many never be again. I honestly cannot predict what I may feel in the future, but if I were to continue stringing you all along with promises that never materialize, I would feel guilty for every day in which I wasn’t dedicating my energy to this end. Currently, in my life, I have school (I’m going full time for my Bachelor’s in Small Business Administration), my other business (aside from this ‘zine, which doesn’t make money), my family, a house and yard to remodel, and an honest-to-god social life that actually requires my time to maintain. School intrudes upon other things a great deal, as I’m sure you’ve experienced yourself. I’ve started investigating local hauntings and helping people here with spirit-related problems. This magazine is at the end of a long to-do list, and I’m not sure I’m ever going to get back to it.

Besides feeling guilty, going along with a “maybe we’ll be back” just keeps the pressure on me to decide one way or the other, to catch up with so much work (like restoring the now fabled archives) in order to feel I was doing my minimal duty. So, without even consulting my authors, who’ve been supportive for all my decisions, I am closing this magazine until such a day as I want to pick it up again. When I get the urge and when I have the time (and when both of these things coincide), I will restore the archives at my leisure. Ironically, this probably means they’ll be done sooner. But, I’m making no promises of adding new content — if it comes, you’ll see it when it shows up. If not, well, I won’t be breaking any more promises.

If I ever get my life together and have the time, energy, and drive to spare, I may pick this up again someday. I’ll be leaving the site up — it doesn’t hurt me in any way to do so — and keeping the domain name, so at least you’ll still have access to what you can read here now. I’m sorry for letting everyone down, but sometimes you just have to let go of something or you never make real progress anywhere.

My best to you all,
Sheta

• No deadlines!
• Less stress on writers and artists — submit when you like!
• No long waits for your material to show up!
• Less stress on admin! (Yay!)
• More stuff, more often for readers! (Yay!)
• A much more peaceful RTV existence overall!

I’ll be appending here as news comes in. Right now the move to Patheos, which I thought was a done deal, has been derailed by legalese. I’m not yet sure what the outcome will be, but I’ll let you know as soon as I do.

We will be kicking off the new setup in October, so watch for that. Until all of the archives are restored (even the bits that haven’t ever been restored here), we’ll be setting up a redirect on the front page, but leaving the content pages up until the move is complete. So at some point, when you go to “www.rendingtheveil.com” you’ll find yourself at the new site; however, if you click a link in Google to an actual article, it will continue to load the same as always. Redirects will be added once the content itself has been moved over. What does all this gobbledygook mean? It means you won’t find broken links, but that the various pages of the site might look either new, or old (like now), until it’s all been moved over… but you shouldn’t find anything unavailable that is available now. In addition, you’ll find older stuff restored.

Once we’re moved over and we’ve launched with a Samhain extravaganza, we’ll be going to an ongoing submission format, so no more quarterly issues. You’ll receive content as soon as I do. This is gonna be great!

If you haven’t been to Patheos yet, I recommend it! We’ll be their first ritual magick/Thelema magazine, so it’s good for us, and for them. The VP of Content told me he was “thrilled” that we were interested in joining them. Awesome!

I screen all calls so either email me your area code and the time you need to call, and I’ll watch for it. Or just leave a voice mail and I’ll call you back.

Sheta Kaey, that’s me, will edit an anthology of nonfictional content focused on the most important information you’ve ever learned with regard to esotercism and the occult. I’d like to receive submissions beginning at 750 words and up. Longer submissions must maintain the readers interest and keep him involved. Humor is always a pleasant addition.

Consider a bullet or numbered list in which you briefly state a few words of straightforward advice, then go on for a paragraph and explain what you mean or why it is such a crucial thing to understand. What changes are wrought by that understanding? These examples should at least get you wondering what list you have that is dying to be represented.

• 7 Things you can find in your nearby woods that can upgrade or benefit your herb garden.
• 25 Things I learned while working with Enochian angels and the aeythyrs.
• 14 Assumptions I used to make and how I learned to XYZ.
• A list of ironic political and religious quotes and the ironies they represent.

Payment will be a copy of the book.

Deadline for submissions is November 1st. If you want to include something but aren’t sure of your time, write me, and update me often so that I know you haven’t forgotten. If deadline approaches and we still need your piece, we’ll work together to figure out a solution.

Edit to add: This place is not a “content farm.” I took a closer look. The posts are screened by staff members and I have approval control before they’re posted. So, it should be fine.

Be of good cheer — We may get back sooner and we may be switching to a post-’em-as-they-arrive format, similar to other sites. And stay tuned later this year for a call for volunteers.

You can keep submitting, meanwhile, to submissions@rendingtheveil.com. See you soon!

How do you feel about changing from an issue format to an ongoing format? In other words, content would be added individually as it was submitted, as opposed to held back to be released in a multi-article issue.

Thanks!

Working Title: Calls to Our Ancestors

An anthology of prayers, poems, devotional pieces, essays, personal experience, and/or artwork in honor of our Ancestors. This anthology draws from a variety of sources and authors, and may include Ancestors worship with Gods, spirits and/or human Dead.

What is not desired: fanfic, ego-stroking, self-aggrandizement. It’s one thing if you believe you’re sired by a God/dess, it’s another to treat other humans as lower than yourself.

Word Length: 800 words minimum for essays. Long essays welcome and encouraged. Please submit with no specialized fonts, in .doc, .docx, or .rtf file format. Any devotional pieces, artwork, and other visual submissions need to be no less than 300 dpi, preferably .tiff or .png for lossless quality.

Contributors will not be paid for this contribution. This is a one-time publishing opportunity, so you retain all rights to your piece and can use it as you wish after publication.

Any contributors need to give their legal names and addresses in the email for a release form for their work.

The deadline for submissions is June 2nd, 2011 at 11:59pm, Eastern Summer Time (GMT-4)

Interested parties may email Sarenth@gmail.com.

Happy November!

— Sheta

— Sheta

First of all, the Autumn issue of Rending the Veil will be out on November 5. I realize this is four days late, but I’m working with a serious lack of spare time these days. Secondly, due to this lack of time and to serious burnout, I am putting the magazine on hiatus following the Autumn issue. I am planning on a year-long break, but it may be shorter than that or I may decide in that year to shut it down. For now, the hiatus is to give me a chance to restore the archives and to work on any other aspects of the site that may occur to me, such as the once-planned art gallery that never got off the ground. I debated about shutting the site down, but several people have urged me not to do that, so the hiatus is the alternative.

The site will remain up and functional, and I will work on the archives. I will also be trying to find volunteers to help with the site, something I’ve been unsuccessful at so far. If you’re interested, watch this space for when I put out the call for new volunteers.

Enjoy the Autumn issue, and I’ll see you folks in future News posts. Take care.

— Sheta

On Monday, September 27, Sheta will be interviewed live for the Paranormal Noise internet radio show. You can tune in here, as well as join the chat room during the show, at 11 p.m. Eastern. Odds are this interview will be the first of several; Sheta will be discussing spirit contact and sex with spirits, and it’s possible that her spirit companion, Meridjet, will be featured on a future show.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

I’m doing the best I can. I am in the process of switching bedrooms with her so she can have more space. I have the entire apartment for my “stuff,” so I don’t mind it and honestly should have thought of it before. But this need (or rather solution) is one in a series of solutions after a series of traumatizing “discussions” with her that eventually led to epiphanies of what each problem actually was. . . so I think you might have an idea of why I’ve been lax in updating the Summer Issue. I’m currently on day 3 of who knows how many, moving rooms with her. The entire house looks like somebody shook it and then kicked it down a couple of flights of stairs. My ability to cope is at about 5% of normal. So all I can say is, I’ll be back when this passes, hopefully within a few days. Getting her settled in a new space should help for a while. I’ll finish the issue then, and I’m sorry this has created problems for our readers.

Your continued patience is sincerely appreciated.

— Sheta

Thank you for your patience.

There are minor changes in progress on the site, and I’m asking as well (again) for volunteers to lend a hand in a few things, which I’ll describe below. If you’re interested in donating a little time and effort, it could go a long way toward getting things in order and helping us move on to better things for the future rather than Sheta spinning her wheels trying to catch up… endlessly. I’m going to take the plunge and write this post like a human being, so if you’re expecting spit and polish, forget it. Ha. First, the changes:

• Tags updated: I’ve removed any tags that were duplicates of the categories. Categories are listed in the top navigation bar. Tags are in a cloud in the sidebar. This makes it easier to find content by our contributors. Click on a person’s name to see the content currently available.
  
• Issues reduced: Due to burnout (mine; not sure about yours), we’ve reduced the number of issues per year to 4 (from eight). If all goes well, we’ll bring that number up again when things are running more smoothly. If things go badly, we may yet fold altogether due to lack of interest (yours; I’m still interested, even if I find it challenging doing all the site upkeep alone). Since comments on content are few and far between, and not many people log in as a general rule, we have little by which to gauge the collective interest. If you are interested, the best thing you can do is to comment on things you enjoy — or on things that you take issue with. Whatever. We’re not picky.
  
• I’m sure there was something else, but damn if I can remember what it was. Is anyone even reading this? I’m reminded of Bob Uecker in Major League when he curses inappropriately on the air and nobody notices. I sure would like to see us win the pennant. So to speak.
  

Okay, now for the begging part, or something. (I don’t have to sound professional, damn it. I’m just one person here.) While I love dearly our contributors and my co-admins Gerald, Caliedo, and Sarenth, I do everything on the site, except submit the actual content, by myself. As you can imagine, this is lonely work. (Gerald is Class A inspiration, though, I have to say.) I used to have editors who helped me edit the submissions, but most of them had to be rechecked and those who were actually good at it have moved on to other things. So.

Among the tasks I have yet to complete is the restoration of the archives. I have truly dropped the ball on this. I do have a volunteer to help out with this task; however, there are other areas in which I could use help to free up more time to actually work on said archives, areas that demand attention and contribute to my general burnout. If I had help, I might actually want to do more. You know how that works from your own experience, right?

We have forums. Yes, we do. They are the veritable Dead Zone™, and in fact there is still a bit of “news” in the sidebar from December 2009 telling people about the “new” forums. They still qualify as new because no one uses them — at least that’s been my logic. All those magicians out there who need places to flame each other — why not do it here? We’re ripe for the, er, ripening. This is an area in which help would be profoundly appreciated. Obviously, we need people to post in them. We also need people to keep an eye on them and ensure that the posts get replies. We need moderators. We need people to make them interesting. And so forth.

We need more content, and as long as the article isn’t all “I know the One True Way” and is decently written, we’re game. Assuming it’s on topic, of course. Ditto for art, photos, etc. If it doesn’t suck, send it in. We’re not scary. Surely you can tell by this post that we’re not scary.

You know, about a year ago I added amusing little alt tags to the categories and sub-categories in the top navigation bar, and not one person has ever mentioned them to me. I deliberately told no one to see if they’d be noticed. I was looking forward to a smile when someone found them funny. All of you, go read them right now. *stomps feet* I’m sick of being sly.

It’s funny. Now that I’m writing this post, I am having trouble coming up with specific things to ask for help with. I’ve got a whole list on the Volunteer page. It’s been so long since I looked at it that I can’t remember what’s there. But what I really need more help with than anything is ideas and enthusiasm. If you’ve got any to spare, drop me an email or, better yet, leave a comment. I think I spotted a tumbleweed a minute ago. The wind has that ghost-town-whistle sound to it. Our egregore is dying of starvation. We need an injection of new blood, and I’m flexible. Give me your ideas, and I’m sure we’ll find something to toast to down at the saloon. Or maybe we’ll just hang up our spurs and call it good at four years. We’ll remember you fondly, RTV. What was your name again?

— Sheta

However, unlike most paganesque magazines that put out four issues, we are not going with the traditional solstice/equinox format. We love our Samhain and Beltane issues! So we’re going to publish on what Gerald calls the cardinal points (I’m unfamiliar with the label, offhand) of basically Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain. Imbolc and Lughnasadh are boring, so we’re going to call our issues simply “Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring.” This will also have the distinction of not competing with any other publication that releases on the solstice/equinox schedule.

IMPORTANT:
Deadlines and release dates for this new schedule have been encoded to deliver automatic reminders to the Yahoogroup. If you have not joined, please consider doing so if you want to receive reminders of deadlines. Otherwise you may miss them, if I grow to rely on the auto updates. Join at this link: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/rendingtheveil/ Anyone who has contributed or intends to contribute either content or labor is welcome on this list.

Here’s the calendar, beginning with the next upcoming date. This will be the same each year. Yay for simplicity!

• July 1 – Final deadline for Summer Issue
• August 1 – Summer Issue premieres
• September 1 – Proposal deadline for Autumn Issue
• October 1 – Final deadline for Autumn Issue
• November 1 – Autumn Issue premieres
• December 1 – Proposal deadline for Winter Issue
• January 1 – Final deadline for Winter Issue
• February 1 – Winter Issue premieres
• March 1 – Proposal deadline for Spring Issue
• April 1 – Final deadline for Spring Issue
• May 1 – Spring Issue premieres
• June 1 – Proposal deadline for Summer Issue

You might notice that each 1^st of the month has something associated. Nice and easy to remember. We should have thought of this before.

As always, thanks for reading and for your infinite patience.

Happy Ostara to all, and may your spring be inspiring!

— Sheta and Crew

Famous comic illustrator, Jim Balent, and Hollywood actress, Tonya Kay, team up to create a story that will “break Medusa’s spell”.

Broadsword Comics (November 25, 2009) 34 pages The Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose comic series is the story of Tarot, a warrior witch, and her family, foes and Lovers. Featuring stories of fantasy action and adventure, frequent scenes of nudity have grown progressively stronger as the series has gone on. Each issue is backed up with interviews with actual magicians and spells written by actual witches, whom sometimes choose to pose nude themselves. One of the strongest aspects of the Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose series is the reader community which has developed around it. Community readers are often included in photographic as well as drawn-in publication.

In Issue 59, “Medusa’s Stare”, Tonya Kay, (featured in Stan Lee’s Who Wants to Be a Super Hero, and an actress and chaotic witch) finds herself trapped in a nether world of despair with Tarot. Queen Medusa rules in this underworld and intends to turn both witches to stone, preventing them from shining their inspiration and light to the waking world forever more. Surrounded by living stone serpents, the two witches must battle for their freedom or face eternity as statues by the magick of the Medusa.

More below.

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