As I described in a previous post, I gave one workshop in 2008 for “New Age Self-Help Guru” James Arthur Ray. Ray recently led a sweatlodge for what seems to have been an abnormally large number of people, at the end of which, it has been reported, almost 20 people were hospitalized and 3 people died. This is a terrible tragedy and I have been following the reporting about this event that has been taking place. At first, the reporting was, in my opinion, pretty good. Unfortunately, this has changed. In journalism, you are supposed to be objective and report the facts. To do this you are supposed to answer six questions, known as the "six w's" of the journalist: Who; What; When;

To all my current friends in Florida—and new friends I hope to develop—hello! I'm coming down to the Florida Pagan Gathering in just a couple of weeks, November 5–8. For details, see this link. For people in the Southeast, if you haven't been to a Pagan festival before, this is a very friendly one to attend. I'll be giving three workshops there: Experience Your Past Lives You may have read about past lives. You may have even taken workshops on past lives. But have you ever actually experienced a past life? In this workshop you’ll discover what past lives are and have the opportunity to actually experience one or more with the aid of hypnosis. You’ll also discover the

Let's face it. If I went by what most media outlets—newpapers, magazines, radio, TV, movies, books—said about magick, I'd hate us (or be afraid of us), too. Even movies that are supposed to be pro-magick or pro-Pagan are usually barely—and I mean just barely—positive. As occultists, mystics, Pagans, and magickal folk, we just don't have a positive media image. Interviews in the news media are often not very good. The reporter has usually determined the story he or she wants to tell, and the questions lead you in the direction that supports their story, no matter how silly, how wrong, or how inflammatory it may be. If you don't give the answers the reporter wants, your segment

In an earlier post, "No Mirror Spells, Please!" I gave three reasons why using that type of spell is not a good idea. However, I did not mean to imply that you should not protect yourself. One of my favorite forms of protection is known as a Guardian. A Guardian is simply a type of amulet (talismans draw things to you, amulets keep them away) with an extended life. As I described in a previous post, magickal goals should have a time frame. With a guardian, you supply new protective energy monthly, so it has no specific date for achieving its protective goal. The fun part of this is to find something to be your Guardian. It could be as simple as a small object you keep on your