Welcome to Geriatrics for Pagans! We’re glad you could make it! This is an actual first group, brand new. We don’t have to tell you to check out the other groups of the same name on other networks. If you are over 60, this group is for you. Some may be under 60, and still want to be in the group. That’s ok too, You may learn something from us old geezers and farts. This group is for Pagan elders. What is it like to be a Pagan elder? “We have all this wisdom, but we never get laid.” That’s Stephen. That’s all he thinks about. And I tell him two things: 1. do what is necessary to make a woman attracted to you. 2. Use the Secret in this, that is, stop complaining about how you never get laid, and start acting and thinking as though you always get laid. You young Pagans believe that once you turn 55 or 60 you no longer have a sex drive. Well, in this case, you are wrong. Especially where Stephen is concerned. “You may venerate us as great sages of wisdom, but don’t make us into eunuchs. One of the things we geriatric Pagans need is veneration and respect, understanding, but realize we are human, not gods and goddesses, with very human needs. Another geriatric Pagan, Isaac Bonewits is concerned about how the Pagan community treats its elders. Stephen gets the distinct impression that the Pagan community just wants us dead, so it can venerate us as honored ancestors and doesn’t have to support us or listen to our wisdom. Stephen is sure that if you reach the age of 60, they want you to die. It’s a bit like the movie Logan’s Run where when you reach the age of 25 you have to participate in the deadly carnival. Isaac and Stephen may be right on a certain level, but I find that I get a lot of respect. Of course, I wish that respect translated into bucks. Stephen says “Don’t we all?”
Pagans by and large have this reluctance to financially support or contribute to the financial wellbeing of other Pagans. Stephen sometimes feels like he is the Rodney Dangerfield of the Pagan community. ”I don’t get no respect.” He really respects Dangerfield for devising that routine.
It wasn’t always this way. At one time, ten or twenty years ago, to be considered a Pagan elder was a status of honor and respect. It seems to Stephen that this is no longer the case. Robert Larson, Stephen’s, Isaac’s and my dear friend, former Arch Druid of the Berkeley Grove, and one of the founding fathers of the RDNA at Carleton College, died alone and unattended in the Emergency Dept. at Highland Hospital in Oakland. This was unconscionable. There are other instances as well. Robert Larson is not an isolated instance. For all I know, Judy Foster (Calypso) died alone as well. She was a leading light in the formation of NROOGD. Is it Stephen’s and my fate to wind up alone and unattended in an emergency dept..in Sacramento? Can the Pagan community rise above this? Can the Pagan community own up to these crimes against their elders, sages and crones? Mind you Stephen is dictating all of this. We have always been an ornery independent sort. Getting Pagans to agree on and get together on anything is like herding cats. Which we here get a lot of practice in, since we have a full coven of cate, or putties as Stephen calls them. Stephen hopes that the Pagan community will wise up and take responsibility for its elders so Isaac doesn’t end up dying alone like Robert Larson did. Stephen fully realizes that he himself is biased in this regard, but he doesn’t care.
For the past 2 hours, we have been watching George Clooney’s Hope for Haiti Now concert, and I have been struck with the strong desire to order the download of the concert, but all my attempts to find the download have come to naught. But it’s a great concert. If you can figure out where on the Itunes site they’re offering downloads of the concert and I want one. If you can figure out how to order email me at the email addy that’s listed on this group’s site. Folks, if you possibly can, dig deep and donate to the Hope for Haiti Now charities. Haiti is the Caribbean center of Vodoun, and has a lot of Pagans who live there. The earthquake in Haiti utterly devastated that country, which was, if not the poorest country in the world, close to it. It’s important that we show our humanity and help these people in their plight because Stephen and I live in California, and we know about these earthquakes. One hundred sixty four people died in the Loma Prieta quake. The Loma Prieta quake was 7.1. The Haitian quake has been variously evaluated from 6.5 to 7.3 So far the Haitian death count is over 100,000. How many animals have died we don’t know.
If anyone would know, it’s Betty White, who just won the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award for her work as an actor for over 6 decades and protecting animals; all animals, worldwide, not just the cute ones. Another person you could check out is Bob Barker, who also has spent his leisure time protecting animals. A third actor who has always been concerned with animal welfare is Brigitte Bardot. You remember her. She was big in the French cinema of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. She also did American films.
It’s very rare to find Pagans, elder or otherwise, anywhere except the Internet. We are basically invisible in the media. When Stephen was living down in San Jose he would appear from time to time on KKUP, a public radio station in Cupertino. My third ex-hubby and I joined him a few times. But since he’s been here in Sacramento, he’s been almost a total recluse. So if any of you have any ideas about elders getting more respect and support, please post here.
I find that I get respect from other Pagans. But it’s respect I earned, not asked for. You earn respect in three ways: 1. By being humble enough to learn 2. By doing things that earn respect such as founding 2 covens, and being in on the founding of a third, in which I still belong. 3. Giving respect to others.
We would like to hear from other sages, crones, elders in the Pagan community. We want to hear whether you are encountering disrespect from other Pagans. Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, are they dissing you? Kitty Crowe, how about you? Robin Goodfellow, Gaia Wildwood, how about you? Are you getting the respect you have earned, or are they treating you like a fossil who should be put out to pasture? Please excuse the mixed metaphor. These are just a few of the crones and sages I know in the Bay Area. I know there are many others whose names I don’t know throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. I didn’t name you, but I want to hear from all of you. We elders should organize ourselves. If we continue to get no respect, we should organize and fight. Stephen feels that it is cowardly and despicable the way the younger Pagans treat us. Stephen feels that it is mostly a matter of gender, what female elders get respect while male elders for the most part do not, but acknowledges that may be female elders who are having trouble getting their respect. I feel that it is a matter of perception. While Stephen does not perceive that he gets any respect, I see that I do.
If you know anyone who wants a fairly cheap housing situation with two congenial Pagan magickal housemates in an ethnically mixed neighborhood in Sacramento, contact me at tezra.reitan@gmail.com or Stephen at abbottsinn_school@yahoo.com or Stephen at his phone number 916-455-2267. Also, we desperately need donations to keep Abbott’s Inn International School of Magick afloat. You can send donations of any size to either Stephen’s Paypal account at abbottsinn@gmail.com or abbottsinn_school@yahoo.com or my Paypal account at tezra.reitan@gmail.com. If it’s for at least $32, you’ll get either a reading or a class from our vast collections of divination decks/methods/tools or for the class, pick a topic from our vast repertoire in the field of magick. For $60, you can actually have both a reading and a class. I don’t have my webcam hooked up yet, or my mic, but with Stephen you can have sound and video on Yahoo IM, Windows Msgr or Skype. With me for a short while, it’ll be just phone or typing on Yahoo IM or Windows Msgr. Thank you for using and disseminating Stephen’s Zodiac referral number 1-800-280-8496. Stephen1580. It helps ever so much when you use it instead of the regular number because you don’t pay any more, but he makes three times as much. We’re both on SSI, thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger drastically cut both of our checks, and Keen isn’t coming up with the paying calls. I haven’t made one cent since signing on with Keen. My clients all demand free five minute readings, and refuse to go over that five minutes for a paid reading. In fact, it’s cost me money to bid so altogether, Keen has been pretty much of a total loss for me. If you need money, kids, mow lawns or babysit, don’t join a psychic reading service, because it’ll just suck in what little money you do have.
Do check out the PaganRadioNetwork.net It’s free, although they certainly do accept donations. Doesn’t everyone? Seems like everyone has his hat out nowadays, and we’re sorry to be part of that, but the situation is dirt. We almost lost our power yesterday. In these times of smaller SSI checks, a bankrupt state, and practically non-existent paying KEEN calls, the prices just seem to be rising all the time for less and less service or quality.
AT&T is offering a “free” cell phone deal. Don’t fall for it. It is a scam. You have to open up a new account for a friend or family member. This will end up costing you more than the phone is worth. So beware of any “deals” AT&T offers you.
In order to keep his computer alive, or perhaps get a new computer, Stephen needs a new battery and Windows 7, because Vista is just too unreliable. Vista is the worst operating system since 98. But first Stephen has to pay off his rent, and so do I. Don’t buy a Dell or do business with Wells Fargo. They’re both ripoffs.
If you’re ever in Sacramento, look up Walter Rhoads and Julie Maahs. Together they own Gallery 14 at 14th St. and 60th Avenue. We’re promoting them big time. Walter Rhoads has a very interesting and different approach to art. He compares himself to the late great Jackson Pollock but there are two main differences: Rhoads is still drawing breath with a healthy 98.6 degrees temperature (except when he’s sick, in which case it’s somewhat higher) and I think Jackson Pollock was gay, and Rhoads is, like us, hopelessly hetero.
We certainly hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Sorry about my negativity up there, but I’ve been very depressed by this economy lately, and wishing I were with Doc in the Summerland.
Tegwedd ShadowDancer
Stephen Abbott
Inky my BFF (BoyFriend Forever)
Little (Big)Boy
Oreo (the Mouser)
Bailee Beasley Beastly
Frikki & Frakki
Dr. Livingston I. Presume aka Prince Henry the Navigator
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
My Take on "Primitive" Paganism
Paganism is perhaps the oldest religion on this planet. It started out with animism and pantheism. Animism and pantheism are concepts which seem to go along together, although they have subtle distinctions from each other. Pantheism is where the Supreme Being is in everything. Animism is where there is an animating spirit inhabiting each thing in nature. Trees, plants, animals, and even stones have spirits or souls.under this belief. This belief originated when primitive people observed steam arising from the wounds of animals in winter. Many of these spirits later became deities, especially the larger forces of nature.
Shamanism is usually a part of these beliefs. The shaman or wise wo/man, or cunning wife/man serves hir community by walking between the worlds, soul journeying to heal members of the community or defend the community as a whole from forces that would seek to tear it apart. S/he is skilled in the arts of spiritual warfare, as well as herbs and healing techniques.
There is a movement within the American Pagan community towards primitive Paganism. Just because it bears the name “primitive” does not mean it is unsophisticated. Its practitioners simply want to balance high tech with a high touch spiritual experience. To that end, many of them have taken to primitive means of permanently adorning their bodies with piercings, scarification, and ancient methods of tattooing.And these are not people who live in the country, forest, jungle, or mountains. These are urban Pagans, who live either in towns or cities. For example, there is a sizable “primitive” Pagan population in San Francisco, which is less than 2 hours by car from where I write this.
There is a growing contingent of techno-Pagans, cyber-Pagans, and cyber-shamans. Because they reside in out lying areas where there might not be physical groups accessible to them, they practice their religion and spirituality online in environments such as IMVU, Second Life, and Red Lantern. Others use chat programs such as IRC, Yahoo, Chatango, and the chat facility available on Paganspace.net. Together with my partner-in-crime, Stephen Abbott, we have done Druidic ordinations online.
As humankind moved from hunting/gathering cultures to settled agricultural communities and cities were built, priesthoods began to be developed. Unfortunately, these often became insular and hidebound, full off their own importance, and forgot their necessary connection with the people they served. In fact, they forgot that it was the people they served, not the gods. The ancient Khemetic priesthood is one sterling example of this. May we who have been called to be priests and priestesses never forget that it is both the people and the Mighty Ones that we serve. Returning to our prehistoric roots and “primitive” Paganism is one way to remember where our duty lies.
Shamanism is usually a part of these beliefs. The shaman or wise wo/man, or cunning wife/man serves hir community by walking between the worlds, soul journeying to heal members of the community or defend the community as a whole from forces that would seek to tear it apart. S/he is skilled in the arts of spiritual warfare, as well as herbs and healing techniques.
There is a movement within the American Pagan community towards primitive Paganism. Just because it bears the name “primitive” does not mean it is unsophisticated. Its practitioners simply want to balance high tech with a high touch spiritual experience. To that end, many of them have taken to primitive means of permanently adorning their bodies with piercings, scarification, and ancient methods of tattooing.And these are not people who live in the country, forest, jungle, or mountains. These are urban Pagans, who live either in towns or cities. For example, there is a sizable “primitive” Pagan population in San Francisco, which is less than 2 hours by car from where I write this.
There is a growing contingent of techno-Pagans, cyber-Pagans, and cyber-shamans. Because they reside in out lying areas where there might not be physical groups accessible to them, they practice their religion and spirituality online in environments such as IMVU, Second Life, and Red Lantern. Others use chat programs such as IRC, Yahoo, Chatango, and the chat facility available on Paganspace.net. Together with my partner-in-crime, Stephen Abbott, we have done Druidic ordinations online.
As humankind moved from hunting/gathering cultures to settled agricultural communities and cities were built, priesthoods began to be developed. Unfortunately, these often became insular and hidebound, full off their own importance, and forgot their necessary connection with the people they served. In fact, they forgot that it was the people they served, not the gods. The ancient Khemetic priesthood is one sterling example of this. May we who have been called to be priests and priestesses never forget that it is both the people and the Mighty Ones that we serve. Returning to our prehistoric roots and “primitive” Paganism is one way to remember where our duty lies.
Monday, January 18, 2010
A History of Pagan Music
Hi! We’re Tegwedd ShadowDancer and DruidMaster. We’re really happy to be on PRN.
We’ve been on for three months since we were reinstated. The music is just beautiful. I especially liked the Volva songs by Kari Tauring. I happen to be half Norwegian, so the Norse tradition really calls to my blood. I lean more towards the Vanir than the Aesir, however. I love that Freyja is the Goddess of fertility, love, and Witchcraft. We had lost our accounts back when everyone had to redo theirs. But that’s in the past. Both Stephen and I would be glad to hear from Lew. Please contact us when you can. Stephen’s phone # is 916-455-2267 cell is 916-612-2504 and email is abbottsinn_school@yahoo.com. My email is tezra.reitan@gmail.com. One neat thing (there are so many) about Freyja is that she is a cat Goddess. Her chariot is drawn by cats. The dwarves bequeathed the magickal necklace Brisingamen. The dwarves bestowed on Her some of their magick so She’d have access to them. Because of what was bestowed upon Her Freyja is now a patroness of the dwarven race. Stephen recommends that you read the book Brisingamen by Diana L. Paxson. If it’s not too much trouble, please play more Celtic music such as Horslips (whom Stephen worked with), the Chieftains, etc. If anyone’s interested, Horslips’ music can be found on YouTude with video, and on Rhapsody. That’s where I got mine. Also you can find it on their official website http://www.horslips.com. To make sure, Google it. There’s at least 8 Horslips videos on YouTube. Stephen was a personal friend of the band from the mid 70s to the early 80s, but lost contact with them. He would like to get in contact with them. For the most part Horslips’ music has a strong Pagan flavor to it. Some members of the band such as Jim Lockhart called him the band’s Druid. Stephen even had a birthday party for Jim Lockhart. Jim was in the Bay Area and said “It’s my birthday. Why don’t you invite a few friends over? “ Stephen did and over 100 people showed up. Jim thanked Stephen on no uncertain terms for the spontaneous birthday party. Many local Pagan musicians came to this party, as well as people who loved Horslips’ music. Some of these musicians actually garnered some fame, such as Gwydion Penderwyn, who unfortunately passed into the Summerland in 1982. Gwydion would later record Songs for the Old Religion and the Faerie Shaman. Gwydion and Jim hit it off big time, and loved to jam together into the wee hours. Stephen worked with them, and wanted to go to a concert they were holding in the Bay Area, but was felled by a serious asthma attack, and had to go to the hospital in Oakland. Horslips dedicated one of their most famous songs to Stephen. The work Stephen did for Horslips was he promoted them, networked for them (before the day of the Internet) and in some cases sold their recorded music. Stephen is so inspired talking about this that when this post is finished, he’s going to reconnect with the band, especially Jim Lockhart on their website.
Gwydion worked with Stephen for several years, and put on at least 2 major Pagan events: the Witches’ Ball with Starhawk and the Midsummer Pagan festival with Steve Godlstone and Bill Coleus. They were very close buds. They also shared several interested: Welsh or Cymric myth, legend and magick, and bardic music. The Witches Ball took place at the haunted Finnish Hall in the Berkeley wharf area. The Witches Ball was a rousing success which inspired them to put on the Midsummer Pagan Festival in Big Trees Meadow in the Oakland Hills. There was a huge after ball party at Stephen’s Orcland (Oakland) house, the site of the aforementioned birthday party. As it was with the birthday party, many other Pagan musicians jammed with Gwydion until the wee hours. Soon after this party, Stephen, Gwydion, Bill Coleus, and Steve Goldstone started working on putting on the Midsummer Pagan Festival. It was decided that Stephen should call Jim Lockhart in Ireland to invite Horslips to play. They worked on the festival for a goodly amount of time then got a call from Jim expressing his regret that the band had broken up and wouldn’t be able to play the festival. This sad news was tempered when Brigit, Goddess of bards smiled upon them and another group stepped in to replace Horslips. The band was Emerald Web. Emerald Web was Bob Stole and his wife Cat Apple, synthesizer and flute. Bob died in the early 80s. Emerald Web’s music enchanted the people at the festival, and Stephen started working for them as he had with Horslips. One attendee came up to Stephen and raved about how much he loved Emerald Web. The man had long hair with a red bandana. With the mist falling from the sky, he felt as he danced as though he were in a faery circle, and that the sidh approved of what they were doing. They had over 600 attendees to the festival, and there were many other musicians besides Emerald Web. Stephen worked with Emerald Web for over 9 years, until the death of Bob Stole, and with his death, Emerald Web. Bob drowned in Carl Sagan’s swimming pool in Florida, a very strange death. Bob Sole and Cat Apple were what we call Pagan sympathizers. Their background was more Eastern, and were both martial artists, but they had very strong ties with the Pagan and so-called “New Age” communities. (Isaac always said that the difference between Pagan and New Age is several decimal spaces to the left of the decimal point) Neither Bob nor Cat liked the term “New Age”, They saw themselves as innovators, and didn’t like to be thus pigeonholed. The one concert that was very popular was the one they did at the Planetarium in San Francisco with the laser lights. Stephen said it was awesome. They also did it at the Oakland planetarium. Stephen sold their music, sold their albums, and accompanied them to numerous gatherings and parties. Stephen worked with many other bands which Bob and Cat turned him on to, chief among which was Ancient Future, which is still going strong today. Another musical group Stephen worked with during this time was Geist, the husband and wife team of Diana Stork and Teed Rockwell. He continued doing this kind of work up until 1992 or 93 when he lost contact with these wonderful bands Now all he has left are his memories and their music on cassette and vinyl, nothing on CD. Since he has a long standing account with Rhapsody, he may be able to get some of this music on Rhapsody. He would love to see Emerald Web, Gwydion, Ancient Future, Horslips, and Geist on the Pagan Radio Network. So Lew, if you are reading this, please know that if he can be instrumental in bringing this music to PRN, please call or email him so you two can set something up. This music deserves to be heard again, Lew, so that a new generation pf Pagans and Pag-symps can appreciate the hard work these people did. May this be done if only for the memory of Gwydion and Bob Stole. His number again is 916-455-2267. Stephen encourages fellow music enthusiasts to call him and talk about the music. .
.
We’ve been on for three months since we were reinstated. The music is just beautiful. I especially liked the Volva songs by Kari Tauring. I happen to be half Norwegian, so the Norse tradition really calls to my blood. I lean more towards the Vanir than the Aesir, however. I love that Freyja is the Goddess of fertility, love, and Witchcraft. We had lost our accounts back when everyone had to redo theirs. But that’s in the past. Both Stephen and I would be glad to hear from Lew. Please contact us when you can. Stephen’s phone # is 916-455-2267 cell is 916-612-2504 and email is abbottsinn_school@yahoo.com. My email is tezra.reitan@gmail.com. One neat thing (there are so many) about Freyja is that she is a cat Goddess. Her chariot is drawn by cats. The dwarves bequeathed the magickal necklace Brisingamen. The dwarves bestowed on Her some of their magick so She’d have access to them. Because of what was bestowed upon Her Freyja is now a patroness of the dwarven race. Stephen recommends that you read the book Brisingamen by Diana L. Paxson. If it’s not too much trouble, please play more Celtic music such as Horslips (whom Stephen worked with), the Chieftains, etc. If anyone’s interested, Horslips’ music can be found on YouTude with video, and on Rhapsody. That’s where I got mine. Also you can find it on their official website http://www.horslips.com. To make sure, Google it. There’s at least 8 Horslips videos on YouTube. Stephen was a personal friend of the band from the mid 70s to the early 80s, but lost contact with them. He would like to get in contact with them. For the most part Horslips’ music has a strong Pagan flavor to it. Some members of the band such as Jim Lockhart called him the band’s Druid. Stephen even had a birthday party for Jim Lockhart. Jim was in the Bay Area and said “It’s my birthday. Why don’t you invite a few friends over? “ Stephen did and over 100 people showed up. Jim thanked Stephen on no uncertain terms for the spontaneous birthday party. Many local Pagan musicians came to this party, as well as people who loved Horslips’ music. Some of these musicians actually garnered some fame, such as Gwydion Penderwyn, who unfortunately passed into the Summerland in 1982. Gwydion would later record Songs for the Old Religion and the Faerie Shaman. Gwydion and Jim hit it off big time, and loved to jam together into the wee hours. Stephen worked with them, and wanted to go to a concert they were holding in the Bay Area, but was felled by a serious asthma attack, and had to go to the hospital in Oakland. Horslips dedicated one of their most famous songs to Stephen. The work Stephen did for Horslips was he promoted them, networked for them (before the day of the Internet) and in some cases sold their recorded music. Stephen is so inspired talking about this that when this post is finished, he’s going to reconnect with the band, especially Jim Lockhart on their website.
Gwydion worked with Stephen for several years, and put on at least 2 major Pagan events: the Witches’ Ball with Starhawk and the Midsummer Pagan festival with Steve Godlstone and Bill Coleus. They were very close buds. They also shared several interested: Welsh or Cymric myth, legend and magick, and bardic music. The Witches Ball took place at the haunted Finnish Hall in the Berkeley wharf area. The Witches Ball was a rousing success which inspired them to put on the Midsummer Pagan Festival in Big Trees Meadow in the Oakland Hills. There was a huge after ball party at Stephen’s Orcland (Oakland) house, the site of the aforementioned birthday party. As it was with the birthday party, many other Pagan musicians jammed with Gwydion until the wee hours. Soon after this party, Stephen, Gwydion, Bill Coleus, and Steve Goldstone started working on putting on the Midsummer Pagan Festival. It was decided that Stephen should call Jim Lockhart in Ireland to invite Horslips to play. They worked on the festival for a goodly amount of time then got a call from Jim expressing his regret that the band had broken up and wouldn’t be able to play the festival. This sad news was tempered when Brigit, Goddess of bards smiled upon them and another group stepped in to replace Horslips. The band was Emerald Web. Emerald Web was Bob Stole and his wife Cat Apple, synthesizer and flute. Bob died in the early 80s. Emerald Web’s music enchanted the people at the festival, and Stephen started working for them as he had with Horslips. One attendee came up to Stephen and raved about how much he loved Emerald Web. The man had long hair with a red bandana. With the mist falling from the sky, he felt as he danced as though he were in a faery circle, and that the sidh approved of what they were doing. They had over 600 attendees to the festival, and there were many other musicians besides Emerald Web. Stephen worked with Emerald Web for over 9 years, until the death of Bob Stole, and with his death, Emerald Web. Bob drowned in Carl Sagan’s swimming pool in Florida, a very strange death. Bob Sole and Cat Apple were what we call Pagan sympathizers. Their background was more Eastern, and were both martial artists, but they had very strong ties with the Pagan and so-called “New Age” communities. (Isaac always said that the difference between Pagan and New Age is several decimal spaces to the left of the decimal point) Neither Bob nor Cat liked the term “New Age”, They saw themselves as innovators, and didn’t like to be thus pigeonholed. The one concert that was very popular was the one they did at the Planetarium in San Francisco with the laser lights. Stephen said it was awesome. They also did it at the Oakland planetarium. Stephen sold their music, sold their albums, and accompanied them to numerous gatherings and parties. Stephen worked with many other bands which Bob and Cat turned him on to, chief among which was Ancient Future, which is still going strong today. Another musical group Stephen worked with during this time was Geist, the husband and wife team of Diana Stork and Teed Rockwell. He continued doing this kind of work up until 1992 or 93 when he lost contact with these wonderful bands Now all he has left are his memories and their music on cassette and vinyl, nothing on CD. Since he has a long standing account with Rhapsody, he may be able to get some of this music on Rhapsody. He would love to see Emerald Web, Gwydion, Ancient Future, Horslips, and Geist on the Pagan Radio Network. So Lew, if you are reading this, please know that if he can be instrumental in bringing this music to PRN, please call or email him so you two can set something up. This music deserves to be heard again, Lew, so that a new generation pf Pagans and Pag-symps can appreciate the hard work these people did. May this be done if only for the memory of Gwydion and Bob Stole. His number again is 916-455-2267. Stephen encourages fellow music enthusiasts to call him and talk about the music. .
.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
My BOS and 2 Other Books
For me, the Book of Shadows has a very narrow focus. A lot of Witches like to put a bunch of stuff in their BOSes: dreams, visions, psychic experiences, experiences while doing a spell, and whatnot. I like to have a separate book for my magickal diary, a separate book for my dream journal, and then there’s my BOS. I also have several Disks Of Shadows, and a Box of Shadows. The Disks of Shadows are floppy disks labeled “Disk of Shadows” and “Daughter of Disk of Shadows.” On these disks are spells and rituals. The Box of Shadows is a Whitman’s Chocolates Sampler box with spells in it, both from the Llewellyn Spell A Day calendar, and a few spells I wrote down on 3 x 5 index cards.
The other books I keep (albeit sporadically) are my dream journal and my magickal journal. The dream journal is a looseleaf binder filled with notebook filler paper in which I record my dreams, and occasionally story ideas that I come up with in the middle of the night. The reason for this is twofold. When you deal with dreams, you’re dealing with the subconscious. The subconscious is an invaluable tool for one who has made friends with hers, and knows how to use it. For the magician or Witch, it is the seat of magick. It is the subconscious which does the magick. To those who follow the Max Freedom Long and Huna tradition, the subconscious is the Younger Self. It is always aged somewhere between the ages of 5 and 12, and never never grows up no matter how old we get on the outside. It loves to do magick and ritual. It loves to get dressed up and play make-believe. But it believes that what it is playing at is literally true. The subconscious has no sense of irony. When I was 45, I suddenly realized what a powerful tool I had in my wonderful wild weird subconscious, and how wonderful it could be if I made friends with it. The subconscious is also the seat of the imagination, and a writer needs her imagination. The subconscious is where all a writer’s ideas come from. If you have voices telling you what to write, that is where your voices come from. My shrink explained to my meds group that creative people often have voices in their heads telling them what to create. Great authors, poets, artists, and musicians call it their muse. The Muses in Greek mythology were the nine daughters of the god Apollo and the nymph Memory. But I think that there are male muses too, for the emerging female artists of our times. I have both male and female muses. One night I awoke to a very insistent woman’s voice speaking with a thick French accent nagging at me to tell her story. Where did this voice come from? Why, it has to be my subconscious. Freudians say it’s through endless psychoanalysis and every dream has a sexual component, but sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, the smell of which makes me gag. You yourself are the best interpreter of your own dreams. Your subconscious is, as you know, a seething broth of everything you’ve ever experienced, whether directly in your life, or indirectly in books, movies, what people have told you, etc. There is also the unconscious which has images we are not aware of but which are in our DNA, and come through to us at times just because we are human. It is in that one percent of our DNA which differentiates us from our closest primate cousins the great apes.
The last book that many Witches include in their Books of Shadows is the magickal diary. This I can see in a way. You want to put in your BOS about how a spell or a ritual went when you performed it. Here again I return to the need for a narrow focus for the BOS and the need for a separate volume. Your magickal diary is a lab notebook which should list the conditions under which you undertook to perform this spell or ritual. This includes any planets transiting that day or night, and your own psychic mood. I follow the Thelemite practice of listing the Sun sign and Moon sign. I refer to the spell or ritual in some way, and describe it. I leave room for results and aftershocks. What I use is one of those composition books with marbleized covers that you can often get 3 or 4 at a time for cheap during August’s getting ready for school sales.
I have decided to give KEEN a deadline. If they don’t get their act together and send me sufficient paying calls to make it worth the trouble to stay with them by March 1st I’m leaving and never looking back. KEEN has been like IMVU to me. It’s been a lot of headaches, hassles, and stress which I don’t need. I had to take my Magicjack off my phone, which means I can’t make long distance calls. All the money I would’ve made from KEEN I had to put back in for bidding, which is a racket. In order to be in a place on the list that is high enough for people to see your listing and call you, you have to bid. Well, I had to bid the money I’d made, and the bid only lasted one day. Did I get any paying calls from it? No! So if you want to earn extra money, find some other way to do it. Do NOT become a reader for KEEN or any other psychic reading service. They exploit their workers, and you don’t get a thing from them. I only joined it because Stephen pestered me so to join it. Well, the next time he comes up with a great scheme for making money, I shall remind him of my KEEN experience and tell him to keep quiet about it. If it works for him, maybe I’ll ask him about it Oh, and if you want to delay my departure from KEEN, call 1-800-275-5336 and ask for Teiweth ShadowDancer 8342 or go to http://www.keen.com and ask for Teiweth ShadowDancer and I’ll give you a good reading. But only call between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. (all times Pacific). That’s when I’m available.
.
The other books I keep (albeit sporadically) are my dream journal and my magickal journal. The dream journal is a looseleaf binder filled with notebook filler paper in which I record my dreams, and occasionally story ideas that I come up with in the middle of the night. The reason for this is twofold. When you deal with dreams, you’re dealing with the subconscious. The subconscious is an invaluable tool for one who has made friends with hers, and knows how to use it. For the magician or Witch, it is the seat of magick. It is the subconscious which does the magick. To those who follow the Max Freedom Long and Huna tradition, the subconscious is the Younger Self. It is always aged somewhere between the ages of 5 and 12, and never never grows up no matter how old we get on the outside. It loves to do magick and ritual. It loves to get dressed up and play make-believe. But it believes that what it is playing at is literally true. The subconscious has no sense of irony. When I was 45, I suddenly realized what a powerful tool I had in my wonderful wild weird subconscious, and how wonderful it could be if I made friends with it. The subconscious is also the seat of the imagination, and a writer needs her imagination. The subconscious is where all a writer’s ideas come from. If you have voices telling you what to write, that is where your voices come from. My shrink explained to my meds group that creative people often have voices in their heads telling them what to create. Great authors, poets, artists, and musicians call it their muse. The Muses in Greek mythology were the nine daughters of the god Apollo and the nymph Memory. But I think that there are male muses too, for the emerging female artists of our times. I have both male and female muses. One night I awoke to a very insistent woman’s voice speaking with a thick French accent nagging at me to tell her story. Where did this voice come from? Why, it has to be my subconscious. Freudians say it’s through endless psychoanalysis and every dream has a sexual component, but sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, the smell of which makes me gag. You yourself are the best interpreter of your own dreams. Your subconscious is, as you know, a seething broth of everything you’ve ever experienced, whether directly in your life, or indirectly in books, movies, what people have told you, etc. There is also the unconscious which has images we are not aware of but which are in our DNA, and come through to us at times just because we are human. It is in that one percent of our DNA which differentiates us from our closest primate cousins the great apes.
The last book that many Witches include in their Books of Shadows is the magickal diary. This I can see in a way. You want to put in your BOS about how a spell or a ritual went when you performed it. Here again I return to the need for a narrow focus for the BOS and the need for a separate volume. Your magickal diary is a lab notebook which should list the conditions under which you undertook to perform this spell or ritual. This includes any planets transiting that day or night, and your own psychic mood. I follow the Thelemite practice of listing the Sun sign and Moon sign. I refer to the spell or ritual in some way, and describe it. I leave room for results and aftershocks. What I use is one of those composition books with marbleized covers that you can often get 3 or 4 at a time for cheap during August’s getting ready for school sales.
I have decided to give KEEN a deadline. If they don’t get their act together and send me sufficient paying calls to make it worth the trouble to stay with them by March 1st I’m leaving and never looking back. KEEN has been like IMVU to me. It’s been a lot of headaches, hassles, and stress which I don’t need. I had to take my Magicjack off my phone, which means I can’t make long distance calls. All the money I would’ve made from KEEN I had to put back in for bidding, which is a racket. In order to be in a place on the list that is high enough for people to see your listing and call you, you have to bid. Well, I had to bid the money I’d made, and the bid only lasted one day. Did I get any paying calls from it? No! So if you want to earn extra money, find some other way to do it. Do NOT become a reader for KEEN or any other psychic reading service. They exploit their workers, and you don’t get a thing from them. I only joined it because Stephen pestered me so to join it. Well, the next time he comes up with a great scheme for making money, I shall remind him of my KEEN experience and tell him to keep quiet about it. If it works for him, maybe I’ll ask him about it Oh, and if you want to delay my departure from KEEN, call 1-800-275-5336 and ask for Teiweth ShadowDancer 8342 or go to http://www.keen.com and ask for Teiweth ShadowDancer and I’ll give you a good reading. But only call between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. (all times Pacific). That’s when I’m available.
.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Passion Magick
We’re glad you could make it! Do check out the other Abbott’s Inn Fine Art of Passion Magick groups on other networks. If you are not at least 18 years of age, change to another group right now. I’m eligible because I’m so far over 18 that my daughter is over 18! Llewellyn has many book titles on the subject of sacred sex and sex magick. Two of my favorites are: Modern Sex Magick by Donald Michael Kraig and Secrets of the German Sex Magicians by Frater U:.D:..
There are many sex positions in tantra. The book Sexual Secrets by Penny Slinger and Nik Douglas is a more accessible version of the Kama Sutra, that ancient Hindu pillow book. A pillow book is a book of instructions in the arts of love, so called because it is often stored under a bed pillow. I have a copy of a translation of the Kama Sutra. It’s a translation because I can’t read Sanskrit any better than you can. My only complaint about it is that it doesn’t have any illustrations.
There are many secret societies in which sexuality play a major role. It was rumored that homosexual sex practices played a major role in the Templars. The Fraterni Saturni also practiced sex magick, as do the I.O.T. The OTO is well known for sex magick, but as a former member, I can tell you that there is precious little sex magick going on. If there is any, the members are doing it on their own, without any official sanction. In fact, the present administration is trying to take all the magick out of it, and make it just like a straight Masonic lodge. I learned very little ritual magick while in its membership. I learned more in spite of them than I did under their tutelage. Much of the Tibetan sex magick practiced there was suppressed first by the Nazis and now by the Communist Chinese, but may still be practiced in exile in India and Nepal. If you know any more about the Tantric schools of India and Tibet, please post here. Or if you know of other magickal lodges or secret societies who practice and teach sex magick please let us know. Jonathan Mumford is a knowledgeable source of information about sex magick and tantra. The one though that I’d like to meet is Frater U:.D:.. I have several of his books on both straight magick and sex magick.
The very subject of sex magick has a bad reputation for 2 reasons. One obvious reason is of course the Christians, who have basically been against anything having to do with sex since about the 3rd century because of St. Anthony. The second reason is that unscrupulous persons have used sex magick in order to compel other people and stay in control over them, when sex magick between loving people is supposed to be a liberating experience, not an enslaving one. If anyone tries to control you using sex magick or any other means, run the other way as fast as you can. Find a Wiccan priestess and have the person blacklisted is what Stephen has to say on the subject. Always use sex magick for positive ends. .Use sex magick for sexual enhancement. Use it to charge sigils for positive ends such as prosperity or healing. One other book, the New Joy of Sex by Alex Comfort, MD has many positions for you to check out and use. I believe it is still in print. You can also find positions in Denning & Philips’ book on sex magick: The Llewellyn Practical Guide to the Magick of Sex: The Book of Creative Loving. Of course, Sexual Secrets is the classic in the field.
Right now our neighbors are setting off fireworks to celebrate the New Year. This isn’t relevant to our discussion of sex magick except that when you have really great sex, and if you have orgasms, it can be as though fireworks were being set off. Neither Stephen nor I like the kinds of fireworks that make lots of noise. I told him that the Chinese light up firecrackers in order to scare away evil spirits. All right, back to sex or passion magick.
Stephen mentioned the use of creative visualization during sex magick. This requires a lot of skill because you have to only superficially pay attention to the sex, but most of your attention needs to be on what you are visualizing. Also you and your partner both need to be thinking of the same visual image. I had a fantasy once of being made love to by a Roman gladiator, and the result was my ebook Roman Rhapsody, which came out in early 2008. In creative visualization, the woman will invoke her favorite aspect of the Goddess, and the man will invoke his favorite aspect of the God, preferably the Goddess’s correct Consort, such as Ishtar’s Consort Tammuz, and so on. Pay attention to your breathing while you’re aspecting. Visualize lofty vistas where your “characters” reside.
Soothing music can also be helpful in setting the mood. If doing tantra, Tibetan drumming or Indian sitar and tabla playing can put you into the right mood. .
If you know anyone who wants a fairly cheap housing situation with two congenial Pagan magickal housemates in an ethnically mixed neighborhood in Sacramento, contact me at tezra.reitan@gmail.com or Stephen at abbottsinn_school@yahoo.com or Stephen at his phone number 916-455-2267. Also, we desperately need donations to keep Abbott’s Inn International School of Magick afloat. You can send donations of any size to either Stephen’s Paypal account at abbottsinn@gmail.com or abbottsinn_school@yahoo.com or my Paypal account at tezra.reitan@gmail.com. If it’s for at least $32, you’ll get either a reading or a class from our vast collections of divination decks/methods/tools or for the class, pick a topic from our vast repertoire in the field of magick. For $60, you can actually have both a reading and a class. I don’t have my webcam hooked up yet, or my mic, but with Stephen you can have sound and video on Yahoo IM, Windows Msgr or Skype. With me for a short while, it’ll be just phone or typing on Yahoo IM or Windows Msgr. Thank you for using and disseminating Stephen’s Zodiac referral number 1-800-280-8496. Stephen1580. It helps ever so much when you use it instead of the regular number because you don’t pay any more, but he makes three times as much. We’re both on SSI, thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger drastically cut both of our checks, and Keen isn’t coming up with the paying calls. I haven’t made one cent since signing on with Keen. My clients all demand free five minute readings, and refuse to go over that five minutes for a paid reading. In fact, it’s cost me money to bid so altogether, Keen has been pretty much of a total loss for me. If you need money, kids, mow lawns or babysit, don’t join a psychic reading service, because it’ll just suck in what little money you do have.
Do check out the PaganRadioNetwork.net It’s free, although they certainly do accept donations. Doesn’t everyone? Seems like everyone has his hat out nowadays, and we’re sorry to be part of that, but the situation is dirt. We almost lost our power yesterday. In these times of smaller SSI checks, a bankrupt state, and practically non-existent paying KEEN calls, the prices just seem to be rising all the time for less and less service or quality.
In order to keep his computer alive, or perhaps get a new computer, Stephen needs a new battery and Windows 7, because Vista is just too unreliable. Vista is the worst operating system since 98. But first Stephen has to pay off his rent, and so do I. Don’t buy a Dell or do business with Wells Fargo. They’re both ripoffs.
If you’re ever in Sacramento, look up Walter Rhoads and Julie Maahs. Together they own Gallery 14 at 14th St. and 60th Avenue. We’re promoting them big time. Walter Rhoads has a very interesting and different approach to art. He compares himself to the late great Jackson Pollock but there are two main differences: Rhoads is still drawing breath with a healthy 98.6 degrees temperature (except when he’s sick, in which case it’s somewhat higher) and I think Jackson Pollock was gay, and Rhoads is, like us, hopelessly hetero.
We certainly hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Sorry about my negativity up there, but I’ve been very depressed by this economy lately, and wishing I were with Doc in the Summerland.
Tegwedd ShadowDancer
Stephen Abbott
Inky my BFF (BoyFriend Forever)
Little (Big)Boy
Oreo (the Mouser)
Bailee Beasley Beastly
Frikki & Frakki
Dr. Livingston I. Presume aka Prince Henry the Navigator
There are many sex positions in tantra. The book Sexual Secrets by Penny Slinger and Nik Douglas is a more accessible version of the Kama Sutra, that ancient Hindu pillow book. A pillow book is a book of instructions in the arts of love, so called because it is often stored under a bed pillow. I have a copy of a translation of the Kama Sutra. It’s a translation because I can’t read Sanskrit any better than you can. My only complaint about it is that it doesn’t have any illustrations.
There are many secret societies in which sexuality play a major role. It was rumored that homosexual sex practices played a major role in the Templars. The Fraterni Saturni also practiced sex magick, as do the I.O.T. The OTO is well known for sex magick, but as a former member, I can tell you that there is precious little sex magick going on. If there is any, the members are doing it on their own, without any official sanction. In fact, the present administration is trying to take all the magick out of it, and make it just like a straight Masonic lodge. I learned very little ritual magick while in its membership. I learned more in spite of them than I did under their tutelage. Much of the Tibetan sex magick practiced there was suppressed first by the Nazis and now by the Communist Chinese, but may still be practiced in exile in India and Nepal. If you know any more about the Tantric schools of India and Tibet, please post here. Or if you know of other magickal lodges or secret societies who practice and teach sex magick please let us know. Jonathan Mumford is a knowledgeable source of information about sex magick and tantra. The one though that I’d like to meet is Frater U:.D:.. I have several of his books on both straight magick and sex magick.
The very subject of sex magick has a bad reputation for 2 reasons. One obvious reason is of course the Christians, who have basically been against anything having to do with sex since about the 3rd century because of St. Anthony. The second reason is that unscrupulous persons have used sex magick in order to compel other people and stay in control over them, when sex magick between loving people is supposed to be a liberating experience, not an enslaving one. If anyone tries to control you using sex magick or any other means, run the other way as fast as you can. Find a Wiccan priestess and have the person blacklisted is what Stephen has to say on the subject. Always use sex magick for positive ends. .Use sex magick for sexual enhancement. Use it to charge sigils for positive ends such as prosperity or healing. One other book, the New Joy of Sex by Alex Comfort, MD has many positions for you to check out and use. I believe it is still in print. You can also find positions in Denning & Philips’ book on sex magick: The Llewellyn Practical Guide to the Magick of Sex: The Book of Creative Loving. Of course, Sexual Secrets is the classic in the field.
Right now our neighbors are setting off fireworks to celebrate the New Year. This isn’t relevant to our discussion of sex magick except that when you have really great sex, and if you have orgasms, it can be as though fireworks were being set off. Neither Stephen nor I like the kinds of fireworks that make lots of noise. I told him that the Chinese light up firecrackers in order to scare away evil spirits. All right, back to sex or passion magick.
Stephen mentioned the use of creative visualization during sex magick. This requires a lot of skill because you have to only superficially pay attention to the sex, but most of your attention needs to be on what you are visualizing. Also you and your partner both need to be thinking of the same visual image. I had a fantasy once of being made love to by a Roman gladiator, and the result was my ebook Roman Rhapsody, which came out in early 2008. In creative visualization, the woman will invoke her favorite aspect of the Goddess, and the man will invoke his favorite aspect of the God, preferably the Goddess’s correct Consort, such as Ishtar’s Consort Tammuz, and so on. Pay attention to your breathing while you’re aspecting. Visualize lofty vistas where your “characters” reside.
Soothing music can also be helpful in setting the mood. If doing tantra, Tibetan drumming or Indian sitar and tabla playing can put you into the right mood. .
If you know anyone who wants a fairly cheap housing situation with two congenial Pagan magickal housemates in an ethnically mixed neighborhood in Sacramento, contact me at tezra.reitan@gmail.com or Stephen at abbottsinn_school@yahoo.com or Stephen at his phone number 916-455-2267. Also, we desperately need donations to keep Abbott’s Inn International School of Magick afloat. You can send donations of any size to either Stephen’s Paypal account at abbottsinn@gmail.com or abbottsinn_school@yahoo.com or my Paypal account at tezra.reitan@gmail.com. If it’s for at least $32, you’ll get either a reading or a class from our vast collections of divination decks/methods/tools or for the class, pick a topic from our vast repertoire in the field of magick. For $60, you can actually have both a reading and a class. I don’t have my webcam hooked up yet, or my mic, but with Stephen you can have sound and video on Yahoo IM, Windows Msgr or Skype. With me for a short while, it’ll be just phone or typing on Yahoo IM or Windows Msgr. Thank you for using and disseminating Stephen’s Zodiac referral number 1-800-280-8496. Stephen1580. It helps ever so much when you use it instead of the regular number because you don’t pay any more, but he makes three times as much. We’re both on SSI, thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger drastically cut both of our checks, and Keen isn’t coming up with the paying calls. I haven’t made one cent since signing on with Keen. My clients all demand free five minute readings, and refuse to go over that five minutes for a paid reading. In fact, it’s cost me money to bid so altogether, Keen has been pretty much of a total loss for me. If you need money, kids, mow lawns or babysit, don’t join a psychic reading service, because it’ll just suck in what little money you do have.
Do check out the PaganRadioNetwork.net It’s free, although they certainly do accept donations. Doesn’t everyone? Seems like everyone has his hat out nowadays, and we’re sorry to be part of that, but the situation is dirt. We almost lost our power yesterday. In these times of smaller SSI checks, a bankrupt state, and practically non-existent paying KEEN calls, the prices just seem to be rising all the time for less and less service or quality.
In order to keep his computer alive, or perhaps get a new computer, Stephen needs a new battery and Windows 7, because Vista is just too unreliable. Vista is the worst operating system since 98. But first Stephen has to pay off his rent, and so do I. Don’t buy a Dell or do business with Wells Fargo. They’re both ripoffs.
If you’re ever in Sacramento, look up Walter Rhoads and Julie Maahs. Together they own Gallery 14 at 14th St. and 60th Avenue. We’re promoting them big time. Walter Rhoads has a very interesting and different approach to art. He compares himself to the late great Jackson Pollock but there are two main differences: Rhoads is still drawing breath with a healthy 98.6 degrees temperature (except when he’s sick, in which case it’s somewhat higher) and I think Jackson Pollock was gay, and Rhoads is, like us, hopelessly hetero.
We certainly hope you’ve enjoyed this post. Sorry about my negativity up there, but I’ve been very depressed by this economy lately, and wishing I were with Doc in the Summerland.
Tegwedd ShadowDancer
Stephen Abbott
Inky my BFF (BoyFriend Forever)
Little (Big)Boy
Oreo (the Mouser)
Bailee Beasley Beastly
Frikki & Frakki
Dr. Livingston I. Presume aka Prince Henry the Navigator
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