The Promise of A Fresh Day: How to Have the Best Day of Your Life
by Edwige Gilbert

Bonjour, dear reader! How is your day going? Well, I hope! Only so-so? It’s Comme si, Comme ca? Well, things could be worse, right? What’s that? They are worse? Oh Mon Dieu. One of those days, is it? Well then, I’m sorry, I truly am. May it pass, may it pass quickly! Things will be better tomorrow, right? Voila, that’s the spirit!

While I have your attention, though, a question for you, if you don’t mind: did you ever think about the importance of a single day in life? Yes, it’s true: it comes and goes all in a blink, but for all its fleetingness, the day is what it’s really all about, isn’t it? It is the most fundamental, the most natural unit of time we ever experience. There are hours and minutes and seconds, yes, but because a “day” is defined by the rising and setting of the sun, the daytime is elemental. Our minds and our bodies are anchored by it, our lives are made up of it (composed of the many thousands of days we’ve awakened to, worked through, said good night to…). So you’re with me now? Tres bien, dear reader. And have you ever considered how many days there really are? Why, there are legions of them, an entire catalogue: good days, bad days, boring days, days we dread and days we anticipate, days that surprise us, days that terrorize us, days we’ll always remember, days we pray we’ll one day forget. So yes, my friend, these really are the days of our lives, are they not?

On our good days we count our blessings; on our worst days, we console ourselves with ready-made expressions like “I guess it’s going to be one of those days,” or, “well, tomorrow is another day.” Here’s another question for you now, though, dear reader… did you ever wonder why we have the days we have? Is it simply fate, a random accident? What is it that causes us to have the days we have? This is a simple question, but absolutely important, since our days are vitally important to us. Added up and stretched out, our days become our entire lives!

I’m going to surprise you now, perhaps, for I’m going to suggest to you that our days really are ours, that they truly do belong to us, and that ultimately the kinds of days we experience are actually up to us! Yes, things can go wrong, other people and events can make the day difficult, but these external things themselves do not have to mean a bad day… such days become bad days when we allow them to become so, when in our reactions we amplify their difficulty. So how we react is a vital component here. I’m going to go even further, here: I’m going to suggest to you that you can actually become a creator of your days, that it is you, dear reader, who is in control!

So what kind of day would you like to have today, tomorrow, the next day? How about the best days of your life? Okay, you are smiling at me now, aren’t you? What is this woman talking about… creating great days? What planet is she from? She’s lost it completely! But hang on a moment, sil vous plait! It is possible, I assure you. A great day does not have to be one in a hundred. A great day does not have to be an accident! We don’t have to sit idly by and wait for the next one to come down the chute. A great day can be a planned event! Now that’s a powerful thought, isn’t it! But guess what, my friend, it’s true, it’s absolutely true. We have the power to create the days of our lives, the greatest days of our lives, and, therefore, great lives! The only sad and surprising thing here is that this is a secret that only a few of us seem to know! We have the power to create the lives we’d like to live, one day at a time. I’m here today to share this secret with you! I’m letting the cat out of the bag. And though this idea might strike you as a little different, a little revolutionary, even, I assure you it is absolutely possible. I’ve bet my life on it! Come with me now, then, and I’ll teach you how to give yourself the simplest and most wonderful gift possible… the greatest day of your life!

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Llewellyn's 2008 Annuals

Since 1901, Llewellyn has published annuals and almanacs designed to enable you to live your life to the fullest, using the sun, moon, stars, and the magic that is all around us.

Let Llewellyn's annuals guide you into the New Year! Look up facts, spells, astrological data, and information about what is yet to come! Plan your year wisely (and with horoscopes for all!) using the Astrological Calendar, or follow the Wheel of the Year with the Witches' Calendar. The Sun Sign Book places the entire year in planetary context for your sun sign, while the Moon Sign Book helps you take advantage of the Moon's dynamic energy. Up-to-date reviews and information await you in the Tarot Reader. Enhance your day with hundreds of ways to infuse your life with the power of herbs with the Herbal Almanac or use the Magical Almanac to augment your daily witchery. Cast 365 different spells with the Witches' Spell-a-Day Almanac. Finally, keep track of how the planets (the Daily Planetary Guide), the stars (the Astrological Pocket Planner), and the Wiccan sabbats and esbats (the Witches' Datebook) influence your everyday life, all while keeping track of your busy schedule. Complete with information, dates, reviews, and articles, Llewellyn's 2008 Annuals have all you need to design your most magical New Year and then some!

Astrological Calendar The best-known, most-trusted astrological calendar. For beginner or pro, this calendar is complete with horoscopes, lunar planting guide, travel forecasts, moon phases, and more.

Witches' Calendar: With original artwork, provacative ideas, fresh approaches to magic, and in-depth articles on cutting-edge trends, this 12-month calendar is perfect for any witch.

Sun Sign Book: Going well beyond simple horoscopes, this insightful astrological guide includes action tables, rewarding and challenging days for each month, and articles by popular astrologers.

Moon Sign Book: Use the natural flow of lunar energy for better timing and success for everything, from getting married to buying a house. Includes Sally Cragin's New and Full Moon forecasts for all 12 zodiacal signs, a gardening guide, and more!

Herbal Almanac: This treasury of herbal wisdom includes more than 30 articles on using herbs in gardening, cooking, crafts, health, and beauty, as well as herbal myths and lore.

Magical Almanac: From emergency spells to magical body art, beginners and long-time practitioners will find dozens of ways to magically enhance their everyday lives.

Tarot Reader: Get the scoop on the latest and greatest decks, spreads, new card interpretations, and readings, as well as fresh techniques to improve your practice.

Witches' Spell-A-Day: Find a different spell for every day of the year! Contributed by 15 popular authors, this volume is filled with information and spells for beginning and seasoned witch alike.

Witches' Datebook: With a spiral binding and a week-at-a-glance format, this datebook is the perfect way to stay abreast of new magical and witchy information while still remembering dentist appointments and coven meetings.

Daily Planetary Guide: This planner contains an introduction to astrology, as well as data for tracking the Sun, Moon, and planets (including Chiron). With a handy aspectarian and "Opportunity Periods" outlined, you'll be able to plan your days down to the hour and minute.

Astrological Pocket Planner: Featuring 3 years of ephemeris and aspectarian data (2007-2009), you'll learn the best times to do anything. Includes easy-to-read retrograde and Moon void-of-course tables.

Enjoy 20% off of Llewellyn's 2008 Annuals  through January 4, 2008! Click here to peruse our full stock of on-sale calendars and almanacs.

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The Magickal, Spiritual Side of Anime and Manga
by D. Davidson 
There’s something special about anime and manga. Once they were a form of animation and comic books found almost exclusively in Japan, and now they can be found in households all across the globe. These aren’t a bunch of cartoons for little kids, nor are they simple comic books with plenty of pictures and lacking plots. You could say there’s something, well, magickal about them.

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New Worlds of Magic (and Magick, too) 
by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke
Do you believe in magick? Since magick is always happening (everywhere around us, whether or not we believe in it), would it behoove us to understand it so we can be an active controller as opposed to a passive recipient?

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Creating Earth
by Jason Kitchen
The earth is a very strange and wonderful place. It gives us so much in our daily lives, but most of the time we simply do not see what a gift it truly is. The earth has given us a place of creation, where we can create all the things we have dreamed of and beyond. Are we truly creating an earth of magick and power, and if so, how can that magick and power survive?

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Walk Your Way into the Qualities You Desire
by Pat Samples
Is there some quality you’d like to have more of? Patience? Confidence? Focus? That quality may seem elusive – an unreachable ideal, especially if you’ve tried repeatedly to develop it over time without much success. Pat Samples, author of The Secret Wisdom of a Woman's Body, explains how attaining these qualities can be as simple as walking.

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Invocation for Blessing of a New Project

Contacting the Archangel Uriel for Transformation and Prosperity in the New Year

Creating Earth

Walk Your Way into the Qualities You Desire

2008 Newsletter Reader Survey
Please take a few moments to answer this brief online survey to help us improve your experience with Llewellyn's new monthly e-magazine.

Magick
According to the famous occultist Aleister Crowley, magick is "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." In fact, Crowley says that "every intentional act is a Magickal Act." If you follow his line of reasoning, there is a great deal of validity in what he says, although it is not what we are seeking at this time. We need to make the definition of magick a bit longer: Magick is the science and art of causing change (in consciousness) to occur in conformity with will, using means not currently understood by traditional Western science.

Ascendant
The ascendant or rising sign reflects your persona – what you choose to show to the world. Whereas the Sun sign is your individuality and does not change a great deal, you have the capacity to choose the nature and level of expression of your Ascendant. You can choose the most destructive expression, or you may choose to show a side of yourself to the world that is full of optimism and promise...

CAM
Acronym for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This is the currently popular term to describe all non-allopathic forms of healing, ranging from the laying on of hands and acupuncture to Reiki and hypnotherapy.