One of the continued challenges of ritual design is simple: coming up with a good ritual. This has to take in several considerations: Theory/philosophy: Does the ritual you're designing match your understanding of magick? Does it have something that counters your magickal philosophy or it is completely in harmony with what you know? Theatricality: Even the simplest ritual—perhaps burning incense while you meditate—involves some level of theatricality. Drama—the building and releasing of emotional tension—can add or subtract from what you're doing. Let me give an example: In some Wiccan traditions, calling the Goddess and God into your ritual circle involves lighting a

Well, as the old saying goes, this month is roaring in like a lion. A couple of people are arguing over who is the real Golden Dawn. So what else is new? There are Witchcraft groups that are disagreeing with each other and separating. So what else is new? Actually, there are a couple of things I'd like to mention. First I'd like to congratulate my friend, Lon Milo DuQuette for getting some incredible publicity in major media. Lon lives in Orange Country, California (behind the orange curtain), and the "Orange County Weekly" ran a great article on him that you can read via this LINK. Another major newspaper, the Orange County "Register" ran a great article filled with photos, too. Here is

Click-Bait! The expression click-bait, according to The Online Slang Dictionary, means, "the title to an article or webpage [that is] vague enough so that one has to click the title to learn what the destination is actually about." So, by definition, the title of today's post is definitely click-bait. You might be someone with a firm belief in God/the gods wondering if I'm going to denounce the entire concept of some divine entity. You might be an atheist looking for proof of your philosophy or a believer to attack. You might also be wondering what this has to do with magick. Traditionally, people who have practiced magick have believed either in God or in gods. By worshiping or

Those of you reading this probably know that I have been attending the annual Pantheacon convention in San Jose, California, for the past few years. I think it's important to understand the purpose of conventions and festivals like Pantheacon that are open to participation and the sharing of ideas and practices of all attendees. They give teachers and authors, groups and individuals, a chance to share ideas and practices. They give attendees a chance to learn in workshops and participate in rituals they might not otherwise be able to experience. So let's say you are the head of an occult order I'll call "Joe's Crimson Sunset." If you wanted to have a private meeting with other members of