Altars: A change in plans

Inspired by Miss Sugars pics and descriptions of her Altars, and since I myself and going through a major Altar upheaval, I am going to make a similar post. In fact, I am just going to go ahead and put a call out to my fellow bloggers to post some Altar pics and make this a meme.

Now a couple months ago I was writing to say how I went from having a dedicated temple space with several altars throughout the room, to wanting to condense the altars into one mega altar so that I could give a wall of the room over to storage of twin-related things.

Before the twins I had a dedicated financial altar space:

Dedicated Buddhist Altar:

A pretty large Client Altar:

A standard CM style altar, in this case set up for Angelic Magic:

Even a little Hindu Altar on the end of a bookshelf:

So anyway, I had a lot of frickin altars, and decided that I should condense them down and make room. posted a pic of the work in progress a couple months back. Here it is again:

 I was gonnna paint the walls blue, get rid of some things etc, no big deal:

Before I could do much of that though the kids had their first birthday and sitting there amidst the carnage of toys, and clothes, and stuff I had an epiphany. One that shocked everyone.

Instead of a temple room filled with Altars, or an office/storage room with one giant mega-altar in the closet, I wanted the room to look like this:

Yep. I am in the process of moving back to having most magic stuff locked away unless needed, and just a few small altars and magic knick knacks throughout the house. Strangely, it is wonderful to have everything so integrated into the rest of the house. I never thought I would say this, but dedicated temple spaces can be over-rated. Don't get me wrong, as soon as we position ourselves to find a bigger house, I will have one again, but if your work really revolves around doing the work, and not around just collecting stuff,. than it is not necessary at all. 

I am still in the process of getting things set up, but do have a few nooks set up:

I have moved the water bowl offering to the bedroom underneath my Longchen Nyingthig Thanka, in a place I am not ready to have a photo of up yet, but downstairs in the living room the new Buddhist Altar is set into a bookshelf and is as minimal as I can make it: 

The new desk is also in the Living room where I will not only write, but do my Kilaya practice and Mary work.

I haven't gotten the new wealth altar completely set up yet, but I did move my Chan-Chu, so that we have a small one near the front door to welcome in new money, and my consecrated one on a shelf where it will draw that flow of wealth from the front door, over the bookshelf and onto my desktop.

Is it ideal? Surprisingly yes. My wife spends a lot of time in the bedroom, so moving downstairs has given me more privacy even though I am in the living room. My morning offerings are almost always outside, so that hasnt changed. I am building a small workshop in the back of the garage where the Oils, Herbs, and other items can be stored and worked with easier and with less hassel than in my temple room. 

For large rituals I can temporarily take over the living room and put it back when I am done, just like I did for most of my life. 

I will post pics of the new wealth nook, the morning offering shelf, the workshop, and the new outside space as soon as they get respectable looking. 

Reconciling the inherent perfection of all, with the harsh realities of evil actions.

In his most recent post about the Helpful Deity, Robert noted a problem that a lot of people run into on their quest for enlightenment. In his words:

"The HD also told me that It is the all. Well not really, Its words were more subtle than that but what was not subtle was, "If you reject anyone, you are rejecting a part of me." Anyone really meant anything. So, here is my conundrum. What human being does not reject the child molester, rapist, holocaust engineer etc.?"

Whether it is a God or Tutilary Spirit telling us this, an established teaching of the path we are working, or a direct realization stemming from your meditation: this is a question that all people seeking enlightenment eventually have to deal with. It is easily dealt with in the subtle mind-space of emptiness/bliss/clarity, but less so when we reach our living levels and need to justify our gnosis to our rational minds and the harsh realities of the day to day.

For me the answer to making this part of your normal view, and not just something that you know while in rapture lies in three things:

1.A correct understanding of Karma - real cause and effect, not this kind of tit for tat crap that gets passed off as karma.
2 Understanding the difference between causation and excuse.
3. Understanding that until ALL sentient being are enlightened, there will remain two truths: an ultimate reality and a relative reality.

For the first, it is a matter of realizing that everyone and every moment is a result of countless causes impacting the present moment and present mind, most of which you had no control over. Indeed when you see that even your generics and upbringing are things that you had no control over, but effect your view, it is easy to see how without a strong way to cut through the mechanistic responses that rule 99% of our lives - everyone is basically just running a program.

The difference between cause and excuse comes in because, even though we can look at a Child Molester and realize that: they have inherited neurological and psychological issues that predispose them to what they do - and thus make them worthy of compassion no matter how heinous the crime - they also have victims and thus need to be dealt with. Sadly we have a very revenge focused justice system, and it is hard for people to wrap their minds around the concept, but it is entirely possible to imprison and even kill someone out of compassion.

The last element comes in because when we realize that everyone has Buddha Nature or Christ Nature or Enlightened Nature within them inherently, and that everyone is in a cosmic sense where they need to be - we are making a realization based on the experience of ultimate truth. While there are many changes that can be made from this point of view - especially within the stream of self - there are many that cannot be made until all other beings have realized ultimate nature.

Its kind of like the "give peace a chance" argument. It would be great if we could all just do it, but the question is how do you get everyone in the world to wake up to that realization at the same time? It cannot be done in a moment. It takes ages and ages, which is the path that we are on not only as a species, but as all sentient beings in all the multiverses. The realization that we are on that track, but not there yet is how we know that we cannot reject anyone, yet must deal with them at the relative level all the same. Our realization behind our actions though is what makes all the difference.

Since this post is ultimately about compassion, I have a picture of Chenrezig up top and will close with the statements that Buddhists know as the Four Immeasurables:

May all sentient beings have happiness and the causes of happiness
May all sentient beings be free of suffering and the causes of suffering
May all sentient beings never be separated from the happiness that knows no suffering,
May all sentient beings be in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion.

Strategic Sorcery 2 week challenge Field Report.

Here is a field report from a student that decided to take my "2-week challenge" approach to a working aimed at helping them deal with ADHD.

I clipped the actual invocations he used but not because it was secret, just that the piece is long even without them.

Great stuff.




Strategic Sorcery Field report


Desired result: Seek out help from Planetary spirits to find new ways to deal with my ADHD. The ease in which I get distracted by things is a major impediment to my practice.


What ended up happening: Turned into several workings on fear. See Moon entry.


Overall methodology: 2 week planetary working using a combination of invocations and petitions. Main invocations would be to Mercury and Saturn to stabilize my mind. The other planets would be petitioned to uncover parts of myself that need to be worked on and assist Mercury and Saturn with their work.


Opening was the following for all seven rites: Pillar and Spheres, Universal Centering, Zone Offering, Rite of Exorcism, Simple Protection Circle. The work I’ve been doing prior to this has been paying off. The visualization is clear and the aesthetic feel of this setup has gelled. I definitely feel the space clearing out.


Closing was the following for all seven rites: Off-the-cuff license to depart and unwinding of the circle. Included a thank you to the local spirits and inviting them back to their normal abodes. No problems to report here.


Intended real-world work: Real-world work would involve doing research on the latest coping strategies, writing out my thoughts, contemplating the advice given by the spirits and lots of meditation. Meditation has helped a lot in this but I’m not as stable in the practice as I would like to be.


Actual real-world work: Series of situations the spirits plopped right into my lap that forced me to confront my fears. Writing and contemplation did happen but it was more getting thrown off the deep end and having to deal with things. Things are still getting shaken up.


-----------------------------


Moon working: August 9th 2010
Day and hour of Moon.


I wanted to work with a minimum of tools as a test for my visualization and energetic ability. The only tools that I used were a wand to assist in laying a boundary and a single candle to read by. The rest was visualization and speech.


Goal: Ask the Spirit of the moon Hasmodai to reveal hidden foundations to my deficit so that I can begin work on them.




Communication::
Said that I would now listen for any messages from the Moon. Closed my eyes and began to meditate. About thirty seconds in I began hearing a clear voice. Clairaudience seems to be the way that I communicate with spirits from my prior experience working with archangels.


I was expecting to receive dreams or to run across a reference that would leave me further on. Hasmodai had other ideas. I asked for revelation and I got a lecture. My internal fears form the foundation of my symptoms. When my fears are triggered my mind races. If I can deal with the fear then I can really work on the deficit issues. The anxiety that I feel about forgetting to do something because of distraction is more important.


I was told to pray and meditate more. I asked if the Headless Rite was appropriate for prayer and Hasmodai said it was okay but my own prayer would be even better and I should seek connection with divinity through prayer and not just through theurgy.


Then I was told I should talk with the Olympic Spirit Phul about this. This is the second recommendation that I’ve received from a spirit to talk with him. I asked Hasmodai what he would like in return and he said I should offer water to the Moon. I tried doing it mentally but he wants a physical offering.


I thanked Hasmodai and bid him to depart. Since the space was still cleared I thought I would try to contact Phul. I had already memorized his seal. I began meditating and visualized the moon and the seal in bright silver. There was an almost immediate connection.


The attitude that I got from “Phul” was like I was talking to House from House M.D. but just the sardonic side. I faltered a bit at the abruptness and stuttered a bit when I asked him why I contacted him. He said that he wouldn’t teach me his abilities until I became less timid and could state forthrightly what I wanted. He was especially peeved when I said that other spirits had asked me to contact him and was told I should just be bold and frank and not afraid to ask for things. This advice is spot-on for me cause I do have a very hard time asking for things.


He also wanted me to relearn to swim and to work harder fighting my fears. During the conversation I felt strong sensations in my throat. He gave me a way to contact him and told me he prefers to be contacted when the moon is above the horizon.


Reflections:
Amazed at how easy contact was achieved. Further reinforcement of the validity of the spirit model for myself. Definitely have a lot of self-work to do and research into spirits that can help with fear. Going to continue with the 2 week working and see what else comes up.


The directness of the Olympic spirit was very surprising to me. He didn’t want to horse around at all.


Results: Posted on the Evocational Magics yahoo group asking about spirits of fear that I could begin researching. Reflected upon my past fears and strategies for me to ask the remaining planets about.


-----------------


Mercury working: Aug. 11th 2010. Day and hour of Mercury


Goal: To help gain the ability to focus my mind and to help my intellect overcome my fear.


Communication: Felt something work on my head. There was some pressure and tingling for about a minute then I felt a presence move away from the area very fast. I asked my HGA if that was a spirit of Mercury and he confirmed it.


Results: Oddly enough, started seeing many references to Chod practice. It was something that I knew of but didn’t know much about. I thought it was a very advanced practice. I ran into a audiobook of Tsultrim Allione called “Cutting Through Fear” that describes a complete yet trimmed down version While I have not done the practice as of yet I have listened through it. Now that this overall working is complete I’m going to start doing that.


------------------------------


Venus working: Aug 13th, 2010. Day and hour of Venus


Goal: Ask Venus to show me how to love myself and to love my fears and my efforts to overcome them. Basically to keep myself from beating myself up when I slip in my efforts. By this point I was working completely on fear.


Communication: One of the most interesting. Pressure on third eye while communication occured. Very encouraging, very loving. Could see an image of an androgynous figure disrobing who kissed me (!) and said she’d be waiting for me (!!) after I learned how to love myself fully. She told me to take time to think of my good qualities and to love myself, and to see how some of my fears have driven the cultivation of some of my virtues. I should sort out the ones that don’t help and work on eliminating those. She also said to keep talking with “us”.


Results: Unsure honestly. I did feel a lot more comfortable in my skin afterward but there was nothing that really jumped out at me after the working. I have been working on being less hard on myself and to catch myself when I disparage my abilities or myself when I make an error with some success.


-----------------------


Sun working: Aug 15th, 2010, Day and hour of Sun


Goal: Gain courage and authority over my mind and my fears.


(By this point when I do the permuations of IAO I get a distinct sensation of the space around me shifting like tumblers in a lock. Most cool.)


Communication: Very short phrases. I’m slowly gaining boldness. Don’t be afraid. We will assist. Pray. Love, for we love you. Keep working with the spirits. No offering is necessary.


Results: Boldness has definitely increased. I will talk about it more later in the post.


-----------------------


Mars working: Aug 17th 2010, Day and hour of Mars


Goal: Ask for further courage and steadfastness in my battle with my fears


Communication:
Was told the following:
That I was weak in the area of Mars
That I must do things that scare me and do them.
Mars’ bravery will mingle with mine when I show bravery.
Fight with both force and strategem.


He also told me a personal item that I cannot divulge


Effect:
The next day I got pulled into a meeting with my bosses to get reprimanded for some recent issues. Normally this would have made me completely break down but I handled it with complete aplomb and dictated to them the changes I would make before they could impose their will on mine. They agreed with the changes and I got back to work. This is huge for me. But wait, even more to come!


------------------------------


Jupiter Working: Aug 19th, 2010, Day and hour of Jupiter


Goal: To grow in wisdom and become larger than my fears




Communication:
Very happy voice, very brief encounter. Said he would assist in growth then asked to leave.


Result:
An ongoing RL situation occurred this day and for the next few foreseeable weeks that is forcing me to apply everything that I’ve learned above in a rapid manner. I can’t go into details other than that I’m playing a mediator role between several angry parties in my religious organization and handling it much better than I thought I would. I’m really surprising myself. Even though things are admittedly falling apart I feel my role is to guide the group to a smooth landing rather than the crash landing that was sure to occur. It almost feels like I needed to do this work at this time in order to be of service. The coincidence is very striking.


-------------------
Saturn Working: Aug 21st, 2010, Day and hour of Saturn


Goal: To ask Saturn and his spirits to show me the proper boundaries for my fears and to bind the unreasonable fears.


Communication:
The voice was faint and old. Said that he had heard of my requests from the others. I assume he means the other planets. He said that while my fears have protected me my call for growth and readjustment has been heard. It is ‘seemly’. Gave me a prediction about a meeting that I was to have that weekend that would show me how much I have grown through this. Absolutely true prediction.


I was told to continue to do magic and perform the great work. I will be aided. He also told me to speak with the Archangel of Saturn for initiation.


Finally, he said “We love you. Don’t stop.”


----------------


Final analysis:


Complete success and still growing!


For being my first long-term working with these spirits I’m very impressed at how communicative they were. Your tech is proving remarkably helpful. Now that I’ve asked all the planets for assistance in something I’m going to investigate using the planetary seals you provided for a goal a little more down to earth.


When I worked with the archangels in the past it felt like they were working on a much more rarefied level of myself. In this working I had both my personal sphere worked on and had life place things in my path that made me use those changes right away. I have a pretty good feeling that this was because of the involvement of the Spirit of each planet.


I’m also intrigued at how eager they all seemed to want to help me and how encouraging they were. I wasn’t expecting that. The messages of love and acceptance from them also was a surprise.


While I have worked on some of the items I was asked to work on by the spirits it’s time to really dig in and see where this goes. Time to really study that Chod CD! Thanks for all the knowledge you’ve given me and I look forward to further magical adventures.

Strategic Sorcery and Student Loans

Here is another testimonial from a student on the course.

Good work people!




Having read your blog post about the pub tonight, I thought I might share too...


I recently consecrated a wand using the methods in your course, and partly to work with it and partly because I needed it, I decided to use the wand to help me get a student line of credit for my upcoming
year of law school. I meditated on the goal and sought out a sigil, which I received. I used the wand to trace out the sigil of Jupiter you sent out, pore-breathed the energy, then sent that energy through
the wand into a nice purple copy of the sigil I received in meditation. I also charged a document I knew the loan officer would touch.


I then went to the bank (did this on a Thursday for more Jupiter power). I got the nicest bank employee I've ever met, and she was able to get me the loan, no problem, way faster than I expected.


As a bonus, my partner also received an unsolicited $1000 scholarship for her degree work, as well as a large low-interest loan.


Great stuff Jason -- thanks


- A


No, great stuff to you A! You took the tech, came up with the strategy, and then did the work.

ADVANCED ENERGY WORK

SEPT 14th 2010

MYSTICAL TYMES
127 South Main Street New Hope, Pa. 18938 215-862-5629



7pm-9pm




ADVANCED ENERGY WORK

In this series of workshops, Jason Miller for the first time is teaching his own personal system of advanced energy work. Drawing upon his experiences with Tantra, Yoga, Taoism, western magic, and teachings from the Dakinis, along with a healthy dose of his own experiments and innovations, this system of energy and astral work is one that will compliment almost any magical practice, or can be used solely on its own.

Because these instructions require a live mind/body transmission, this is something that you will not find in any book. It can only be taught in person.

If you have been hungering for something that gets beyond vague instructions for moving energy that you find in most magic books. If you are looking for something with more punch then watered down reiki. If you are looking for something more direct than westernized descriptions of the chakras, than this may be what you have been looking for.

Strategic Sorcery and an Irish Pub

Although the first cycle of the course is still only on lesson 35, a number of people have already achieved the goals that I asked them to set out at the beginning of the course.

Below is a field report from a student:




When I started the class we were given an assignment of writing down a goal we want to
accomplish - I wrote Own and Open an Irish Pub, well... I now own the Limerick Pub and it's set
to open December 2010.


I chuckle at that date because in Feb during the big snows I trudged out into thigh high snow
with a bottle of Guinness. I called to the quarters and spirits who were present. Then I asked
that the Gods I traditionally work with join in. I opened the bottle and did a magic working using
the Guinness as a gift. With the Guinness I drew the sigil you drew in my book. For every line
I poured I said aloud my goal – and toned it. I said “this year I and the business partners will
open the Limerick Pub” - I wasn't more specific so ... the Gods did this year - ok the end of this
year but....this year none the less. It has taught me to be more specific in my requests. Every
morning while beginning my day I would do specific breathing exercises. With a few exhaled
breaths I would say “The Limerick Pub” and think very positive thoughts about the pub. This
kept me focused. At certain times in the months past I lit a candle, with the same tone I used
when I did the snow sigil and re enforced the goal, letting the flame and smoke carry it upwards.
Using tone, breath, fire and candle I kept the goal alive and in the Universe’s consciousness. At
different times I would go to the garden with a bottle of Jamison’s and offer a tot of whiskey
to the land spirits and fair folk to aid in the process. Speaking aloud & hearing my own voice, I
knew others heard it as well. (Being mindful that all who heard weren’t necessarily there to aid
– I took that into account) All the while I kept believing in the workings, believing in the project
and believing in my own power to make this come about.


Because of these workings and beliefs, things have fallen into to place when they needed to be,
people were where they needed to be to help us and things fell out of place or simply did not
happen when it wasn't right. As annoying as this last part was – I can look back and see it was
for the best.


As an example of this, the first location picked out was "perfect" and we were gung-ho for
it - the landlord, we have since learned, is a real son-of-a-gun and that it was good that we
didn't rent from him. We found an even better location with a landlord (Allan) who wants us
to open so he can walk over from his office to the pub for lunch and have a good burger.
The rent is less than we could have imagined. When financing was needed the bank and state
money fell into place when we began talks with Allen on the new location. The gentleman from
the State even commented that working with Allen is a good indicator of success and he is a
good man to rent from. Fair and understanding.


I wanted to let you know that the magic works if you put real intent into it (offerings and working
it daily).


None of us just sat with our hands in our pockets waiting for it to happen. We went out and
made it happen. Believing all the while it would happen. It has happened. Thank you.


Blessings
M


I was inspired to do the snow ritual after reading about your snow ritual. I’m glad I did it
because not only could I see it until the mounds of snow melted, but others could see it as
well. It really helped with the focus and determination in realigning my magical thinking.

Naga Vase Curse

Chatting today with a friend about the Naga Vase video. He suggested that it could be adapted from a wealth vase to a curse vase.

I thought about it and you wouldnt even need to adapt it. Just give it and don't tell the recipient how to care for it.

Fine Tuning the Planetary Energies through the Elements

I went to the beach with fellow Sorcerer, Ngakpa, and Artist Matt Brownlee to do some meditation and body surfing, so I dont have time for a lengthy post today.

I did however want to share a quick piece of tech that I have been using for years, but which seems to be a new approach to some. Filtering the planetary energies through a specific element.

This came up on the inominandum.com forums because someone had pointed out that Venus might not be the best planet to use for lust, and mercury might have some trickster elements that take hold if you do not define your strategy well enough.

While I agree with Jow that Mars is an excellent planet for men to use for lust - especially when doing inner enchantment on the self - I have used Venus for lust many times, and usually look to the "Fire of Venus".

Common Hermetic Cosmology has the elements as being in the terrestrial realm, lower than the planets which are beyond them.

The way I deal with the elements is a bit different. I see the elements as the higher, more pervasive, and more subtle breakdown than the planets and see all things at every level but the Causal and Perfection level as consisting of the elements. Either view works though, whether you run the planetary energies through the terrestial filter of  the elements or see the planetary forces as having elemental qualities that can be broken down inherently, using the elements is a great way to fine tune the planetary energies.

In the case of needing Venus for Lust, I would invoke the Fire of Venus. On the material level you can do this by building a temple and evocation that aknowleges this for instance, calling upon the Intelligence of Venus to bestow the blessing of Venus as it manifests through the element of Fire. On the energetic level - which is how I mainly work this kind of thing, you would pore breathe fire and attune yourself to that element and than pull in the Chi fromVenus through the gates of the body focusing using the pore breated fire to isolate the fire element within Venus that would be useful for lust. From there, there are a hundred different ways that you could use it.

Any combination has its uses:
Air of Venus can be used as a way to enchant on the intellectual level
Water of Venus could be used as a way to appeal to the emotions and wisdom level
Earth of Venus is a way to ground down flightly feelings and get to the bottom of a relationship dynamic.

What element/planet combos would be useful to you right now?

Lovecraft's Shambling Undead Form is 120 today!

Naga Vase Do's and Don'ts

I work extensively with Nagas in my own practice but rarely offer their services to clients. If you want to know why, here is a great video from Tsem Rinpoche about working with the Nagas.

Basically, they can be persnickety bastards and if it is one thing that clients love it is not following instructions.

Kiyosaki

Monday I noted that in the same week that a couple people had criticisms of Tim Ferris, another acquaintance had some criticisms of another financial author whose books I recommend: Robert Kiyosaki.

Kiyosaki is the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad as well as many other books. I have only read RDPD and Cashflow Quadrant. Where Tim Ferris provides a lot of detailed information on specific steps, Kiyosaki is useful for developing a healthy philosophy about wealth. He is a big picture guy. 

The whole gist of his message is this: Rich people do not primarily earn money from paychecks. They earn it from income generating Assets. These might be businesses that you own but do not work at, intellectual property that generates residuals, properties that you own and rent out, investments that generate dividends etc. The secondary message is that you need to be financially literate. You do not need to be an accountant, but if you do not know how to read a balance steet, income statement, or investment prospectus than you lack the tools to live in the real world. 

The reason that I like Kiyosaki is that he made me realize that his strategy was exactly my Grandfathers strategy for building wealth. My father on the other hand did not follow this strategy and treated money how most people do. Today my Grandmother lives in her home off the interest from her assets. My father is over 60 and is never going to be able to retire on anything other than Social Security (which he is wise enough to realize might go further if he moves to Panama - so even my Dad gets the concept of geo-arbitrage). 

Kiyosaki's books really helped me think about money is a positive way and whereas Tim provided the short term goals, Kiyosaki got me thinking in terms of the overall plan. 

That said, even I have some reservations about some of his points. The difference between me and a lot of his detractors is that I do not expect to love something completely or hate something completely. If I say I like someone or something that does not mean I absolutely endorse everything about him. If I say I dislike something that doesnt mean I hate everything about it. This should be obvious, but it isn't - especially in the magic/pagan community. If I say something nice about Crowley's incorporation of Yoga, they assume that I am a die hard Thelemite. If I say that I do not think of Crowley as a prophet they assume that I hate the man and everything he did. Its called Nuance people, go out and get yourselves some. 

Anyway, Kiyosaki does make some points that don't sit well with people. Among them:

• Your House is not an Asset. This sets a lot of people off because they consider their house their main, and sometimes only, asset. Technically it is an asset. Kiyosaki however defines an asset as something that has a positive cashflow - in this case your house is a liability. Its a liability because you are dumping money into it for upkeep, because you are paying more in interest over 30 years than you are for the house itself, and because even if you pay it off, you still pay hefty taxes on it. Think you own the house when you pay it off? Try not paying the property tax. Someone will sweep in and wind up owning your house for a fraction of what its worth just because they could afford to buy the tax lien.
  
  The problem is that a lot of people seem to say he is telling people not to buy a home! This is not true at all. He is telling people not to rest on your laurels and think that your house is the key to building wealth or that it qualifies as an income generating asset.
   
• He is not a big fan of savings accounts. He points out that if you just have savings sitting in an account or a CD that you are actually loosing money because of inflation. Whatever interest rate you are getting is not going to keep up with the cost of living.
  
  Again, people mistake this message as him telling people not to save. Not true. He specifically says that you should have 6 months to a year worth of living expenses in a savings account for emergencies. What he says is that beyond that you will get a better yield by investing in assets: businesses, real estate, or the market would be prime examples. All reports and statistics I have looked at back this up.
  
• He makes it seem like you are a sap if you have a regular job. Basically he points out that rich people do not work unless they want to. Here I actually tend to agree with the criticism. While he pays lipservice to the idea that there is nothing wrong with being an employee or being self-employed, the books do read that way, and it is a shame.
  
  While I disagree with his attitude, and honestly I still think about going for a good safe state job every now an then, he does make some points that are hard to ignore:
  
  1. Being employed seems like security, but it is not as secure as people pretend. If you work for someone else, you can be let go and have NO control. If you work for yourself you still may fail, but you have a lot more control over it.
  2. Employees who rely upon paychecks often do not even consider other ways that money can come in. In todays economy there are very few defined benefit retirement plans out there, and even the defined contribution plans are getting worse all the time. If you have assets to retire on, than you may find yourself looking for a job at 80 years of age.
  
• He is more or less against diversified investments: Again, I am on the fence about this. There are a lot of people who invest with the sole intent not to lose money. This strategy is not the same strategy that you use if you are looking to make money.
  
  The problem here is that it is a lot easier to make riskier investments if you have money that you can afford to lose. If you are just starting out, this is IMO not the time to risk a lot of money. He is correct in saying that risk is necessary for reward, but doesnt do a great job at pointing out things that are just too risky.
  
• He seems very anti-tax. This is where I join the critics fully. I think is attutude towards taxes is repugnant. He gives a lot of good advice on how to avoid taxes through incorporation, purchasing real estate that gives tax breaks, etc. That is all fine, but it comes with an anti-tax message this is just foul

All that said, I have gotten a lot out of his books and make them work for me in tangible ways. 

Tim Ferris and the Four Hour Work Week

By pure coincidence this week I bumped into criticisms of two authors that have really helped me out in my life: Tim Ferris and Robert Kiyosaki. More importantly, these are two people that I list as recomended reading to Strategic Sorcery students as purveyors of ideas that are easily combined with magical methods. In this post I will talk about Tim Ferris. I'll talk about Kiyosaki in a later post.

For those that do not know, Tim is the author of The Four Hour Work Week and the blog of the same name. Though I had read books on productivity and business before, they mostly all dealt in generalities and vague notions. Lots of "You CAN DO IT!" and not a lot of "Here is exactly how". 4HWW was different. Tim is very specific about how to accomplish anything that he puts out there. As I see it there are three aspects of the book: Business, Time Management, and what we will here call Cheats.

It is the business end where I think that the book really stands out. Instead of just assuming that you had a product in mind, Tim went through steps about how to come up with products, why you might not want to deal with a product that did have in mind, and how to run a business without a product of your own. By the end of the first "Income Autopilot" chapter I had a list on a napkin of 9 different business projects. Among them was the Strategic Sorcery Course. In addition to that, I have used information  from the book to get one friend set up with Guthy Renker to market a product she invented, and helped another friend start a website drop shipping a product that he discovered while traveling.

In addition to this, the book has a lot about time management. Maybe I was not well read enough before, but I had never heard of the Pareto principal before reading 4HWW. It has changed my life. Without that principal, and many other time saving tidbits that Tim throws out there (and a healthy dose of David Allen as well), I would not be able to raise twins, run a course, write books, and serve clients. It just would be impossible.

The last aspect of the book, what I call the cheats, are basically strategies that exploit the rules of a given situation and turn them to your advantage. Want to have a little cred behind your name before you sell that DVD on Yoga for Geeks? Tim has a Four step plan to establish yourself as a credible expert. Want to work from home? Tim has a system for getting your office to let you do that (which I have seen work BTW). Want a little help managing your life and business? Tim has advice on using 3rd world personal assistants. Want to boil an egg without having to work at peeling the shell? Tim has advice for that too.

I have used parts of the book myself, and I have helped other people apply parts of his advice in the course of my work.

So, now let me address the criticism from the blogs. Specifically Gordon, Deb, and an older post by Penelope Trunk that I just read this week.

Gordon, has mixed feelings because he feels his advice only works well for a very specific demographic. He feels that: "There is a definite class barrier to his suggestions which doesn’t sit well with whatever is left of the socialist student in me". I have to say that I just can't see it. Is Tim from a privileged upbringing? Yes, probably, but most of the advice in the book is totally applicable to most people. Do you need to have a certain amount of success before you can afford to outsource? Yes. So that is something that you may not get to use. I haven't used that portion myself. You do not however have to be privileged to find yourself working in an office where you can leverage yourself into working from home. You do not have to be privileged to come up with a product, market it, and sell it.

In fact using todays technology, and a lot of the tech that Tim throws out, you need less money than ever to start a company and start doing business. I forget where I got the statistic from, but something like 60% of the billionaires in America have only a High School Diploma.

I can see how the socialist thinker might get upset if the idea of geo-arbitrage doesn't sit well with you because you feel that you are exploiting people in poorer countries, To that I would just say that business needs to be done using facts on the ground as they are. Also, people in Bangalore do quite well in these call center jobs. Having once lived in Nepal and paid $60 a month in rent I can tell you that a little money goes a long way, so what may seem like exploitation here in America, amounts to a pretty good living elsewhere.

Deb has no mixed feelings about Tim. She hates him. She has not been able to apply any of his teaching because she feels, like Gordon, that the book is disconnected from most people and that Tim "has *no* clue what it means to be really honestly middle class though the re-write claims to". Before I deal with her specific objections, I want to point out that I don't care whether Tim Ferris knows what it is like to be middle class as long as his tech is applicable. He also doesnt claim to know the middle class in the re-write. In fact rather than pretend he has that insight, most of that material in the re-write is stories from other people who have had success with his advice.

The aspects of the teaching that Deb had specific problems with are that she could not afford to outsource small projects. Neither can I, unless you count the graduating college student that built my website as a way to finish his required work for school and now uses it in his portfolio while looking for work. Still though, the outsourcing bit gets a lot of attention, but it is a small portion of the book. I do not expect to be able to practice every last bit of advice in a book myself, but does that mean it shouldnt be there for those than can? Including myself when I CAN afford it?

She also mentions that in her work she is paid by the piece and doesn't see how she would be able to work less. When I read the book I had a job involving installation of high end window treatments at the beach, I also could not get to work from home. I used to have an office job though, and you do not need to be privileged to get one. I worked for AIG and for Net2Phone and if I stayed in that life I could have used that info. Should that advice not be in the book because not everyone can use it?

In a way Deb is missing the whole point of the book. Even the bit about working from home for an office is actually just a tool for eventually moving yourself from being an Employee to Self-Employed to Business Owner. The difference between being self-employed and being a business owner is all about whether you actually work at the business you own. I am friends with a Fire Chief in north Jersey who owns a chain of Bagel shops. He cannot work from home as a fire chief, but he used the principals in 4HWW to open a chain of Bagel stores that will provide for him when he retires in a way that his pension alone never would. How long does he spend working for the Bagel chain? Actually, about four hours a week.

The last blogger is Penelope. I am not going to spend a lot of time on this one because honestly, while Gordon and Deb have specific criticisms of his work, Penelope seems to pretty much be trying to parlay her personal dislike for him into that kind of criticism. Do I believe that he had employees pose as reviewers and posters? Yes, seems like something he would do. Do I believe that he hornswaggled her into a one on one sit down? Yep, if that is what he thought his business required. Personally I couldn't give a shit whether I like him or not. Its the advice I care about and that has worked wonders for me.

Does it work? That should not be the main question.

My entire career in magic people have been telling me "Did it work or not? That is the main question."

When I questioned the efficacy of OTO initiations, people told me: "well they work. Something definitely happens".

When I question whether Scroodge McDuck is as effective a wealth god as Dzambhala, people told me: "but the ritual worked!"

When I question whether it is important to be so traditional that there is no room for creativity or improvisation people tell me: "but it worked"

That used to be the question for me, but I got over it.

See, the way that magic is, just about anything will "work". You can stick your thumb up your ass and dance on one foot while chanting for a result in pig latin and it will work. And yes, I know this from experience.

I assume that when just about anyone does magic, some magic happens. My questions are:

1. Did it meet the stated Goals?
2. How well?
3. How fast?
4. How applicable is it in most situations?
5. Can I do it anywhere?
6. Can I do it anytime?
7. Is it repeatable?
8. How strong was the result?
9. Were there any side effects?
10. Does this work for everyone or just me?
11. Do you need any particular gifts to work this?

Etc, etc.

So when people leave Chaos magic, its not because they think that Chos Magic doesnt work. Its a matter of how well it works vs other things. When people leave the OTO, its not that there is nothing happening at the initiations, its that they are not producing the results in people that is worth continuing on for, When people loosen up about tradition, its that they realize that they arent getting measurably better results using thread spun by a virgin than they were when they were using embroidery thread.

As practical magicians we need to ask ourselves tougher questions than we usually do.

Isaac Bonewits has passed

Isaac Bonewits passed away this morning. He stirred the pot quite a bit while he was here, and whether you agreed with him on things or not, he got people talking, and more importantly thinking about important things. I first heard about him when I was a kid and was absolutely fascinated by a man that got an accredited Bachelors in Magic. People like him inspired me to do what I do now.

I was lucky to have met him several times, and now as an occult teacher and author myself, honored to speak on a few panels along side him.

May peace be with him, and may his family be comforted during their time of mourning by the immense impact he had on our community and the art.




PS: I had to post this photo, because it is IMO one of the coolest photos ever taken of any occultist.

Expectation and Observation

Last week I had a conversation with a guy who mainly comes from a background of energy and astral work. I There is much room in the system that he uses for higher mystical states, transpersonal experiences, non-dual experiences and such. His opinion was that people who have such experiences are actually just mistaking an energetic and spirit process for something more. I had pointed out that if you only look for what you know or accept, than you will only find what you know and accept. The exact quote, if I remember it correctly was:

"We have looked at people on the astral who are claiming to have these intense spiritual or mystical experiences and all that is happening is that their angel is empowering them and they are moving their energy around."

I am sure that what they are seeing IS happening. What they are watching though is a reaction to the experience, not the cause of the experience. During an intense mystical experience the subtle body and associated spiritual powers on the physical, etheric, astral, soul, and mental levels all have a reaction.

Materialists who study these phenomena will notice an increase in Alpha and Theta waves in the brain during these experiences. They will also notice blood flowing away from the parietal lobe, which determines personal boundaries, and into the frontal lobe which controls analysis. Materialists will point to these changes and say:

"Aha! See, there is nothing spiritual going on here. This is just chemistry!".

Again, these are reactions to an experience, not the experience itself, but because the materialist wants a material explanation for everything, they are cling to this as the explanation.

The problem is that when you look at porn your brain also makes changes in waves and blood flow. That doesn't mean that the porn isn't really there on your screen. It just means that your brain is reacting to seeing the porn. You filthy deviants...

It is the same case for the energy/astral worker. He is trained to work in a certain strata and when he sees something happen on that level, he can be quick to dismiss any dimension of that experience that does not fit his view.

So, the lesson I want to get accross here is to always be open to the idea that you are not seeing everything. If you think you have the whole thing mapped out, you are probably wrong. Try to keep in mind that there is not only more than you know, but more than you can know.

Also, try to remember to delete your internet history every now and then...

Customization and Creativity

In my Post "Opere Ex Operato Baby" I made the point that if you over-customize your path to your current personality, productivities, and beliefs you run the risk simply having that path reinforce the status quo, rather than actually using it as a tool for growth. Applying this idea to the field of practical magic, I also pointed out that the relatively modern fixation on belief and intent as the key to magic is bogus. Basically, I find a lot of people are a bit to solipsistic when it comes to magic. There is more involved than just you and your feelings.

Now if I let this post stand alone one might think that I am a hard core traditionalist and believe that everyone must follow instructions to the letter. I do not mean to give the impression that all you need to do are follow pre-set steps all the way to enlightenment. Nor do I mean to say that the individual is un-important in the operation of magic. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, as I recently pointed out in a lesson on working with the Spirits in grimoires, when it comes to the "do it exactly as it says in the book" approach vs the "lets make it better, stronger, faster, we have the technology" approach I lean much further towards the view of the hacker than the traditionalist. In the end I am much more interested in being, and teaching people to become, someone who can author and effective grimoire not just follow instructions in one.

When I would run into people in the Vajrayana who would argue about how one teachers approach was universally better than another, I would love to point out that the only thing that the 84 Mahasiddhas have in common is that none of them attained enlightenment in the same way. They were extremely dynamic and Tantra manifested differently in all their lives. Some became wandering Yogi's, some remained Kings, some worked simple jobs in silence. Some attained through sex, some through mantra, some through contemplation.

In almost all cases in all traditions throughout the world advanced practitioners seem not content to simply follow a path and leave it unchanged, but feel compelled to contribute something new. New versions of old rituals and prayers or entirely new practices that originate from them, it is clear that Creativity is part of the great work. My own course and teachings are an attempt at this.

Once you learn principals of magic, the specific methods can be customized and changed. Just realize that when you are changing it, you are making something new. If you do a prayer to Sophia over your Miraculous Medal, you are no longer doing the Miraculous Medal ritual. If you use your Phurba as an Athame, you are not in any way being a Phurba practitioner. What you do may be awesome, but if you go far enough off the map, it is no longer tapping into the same source as the original.

So, if I accept that creativity and customization are part of the work, why all the bitching about letting a path inform your personality rather than the other way around?

Because in all arts, not just magic, the people who successfully break the mold and create new things, know what it is that they are breaking and bending. The beats broke all the rules of literature and produced masterpieces (well, some of them did). The wanna-be beats that followed didn't even know the rules well enough to break them and ended up producing shit.

So is it necessary to be advanced for creativity and customization to play a role in spirituality and magic? No. Some people will feel those urges right at the start. It is however necessary to learn what it is you are changing and to be honest in your assessment of your changes. Some people claim that any ritual that you write will be better than something someone else wrote. Same with tools: anything that you make will be better than anything that you buy. With all due respect, I have found this to be completely false. The power of DIY is another over-rated factor. It is quite possible to produce something slower, lamer, and weaker than what came before. It is possible to create a tool so ugly that it inspires nothing but shame. Honest assessment is the key.

This skill of honest assessment is needed right from the beginning. After all, before you can let a path challenge you, you need to pick a path to start on. If you choose one that fits your personality, has a strong internal resonance, and offers up a challenging ideal to rise to than its great. When you come accross those aspects that you have trouble with it will be worth the time to try and understand and grow through it. If after an honest assessment you think the tradition needs changing you can do that from a place of knowlege and power. You will be doing the current a service by assisting in its evolution. Any path that is not evolving is dead.

If you chose a path because it is comfortable and requires nothing of you because the essence of it is "do whatever you feel" right at the start, than you are not going to get much from it.

Example of Opere Ex Operato

In my Post "Opere Ex Operato Baby" I tried to point out two principals that I think are essential to magic and spirituality, but which seem to run against the common wisdom of the times. Those points are:

1. People need to stop fixating on customizing a path that fits their personality, beliefs, and proclivities. If you tailor your path to who you already are, it is not going to be a useful tool for transforming you into what you can become.

2. The idea that belief is the key to magic is bogus. There is a lot of magic, most in fact, that will work just fine if you simply follow the instructions. Your belief will be generated by results rather than the other way around.

I will give one example of how these two things work together. I was talking with someone about the pendant I was wearing, known as "The Miraculous Medal". I first learned about it from a group of what must be described as a coven of Catholic Witches at a shop in Pt Pleasant. They regaled me with stories of how The Lady of the Miraculous Medal did amazing things for them and their family. The very next day I was visiting my Grandmother, and noticed that she had one that used to belong to my Grandfather. I told her how just the previous day I had learned about it, so she gave it to me.

This particular medal has a specific history and use. On Nov 27, 1830 a French nun named Catherine Labouré reported seeing the an apparition of the Virgin Mary displayed inside an oval frame, standing upon a globe, wearing many rings of different colors, most of which shone rays of light over the globe. Around the margin of the frame appeared the words Ô Marie, conçue sans péché, priez pour nous qui avons recours à vous (in English, O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee). As Catherine watched, the frame seemed to rotate, showing a circle of twelve stars, a large letter M surmounted by a cross, and the stylized Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with thorns and Immaculate Heart of Mary pierced with a sword. Asked why some of her rings did not shed light, Mary reportedly replied, "Those are the graces for which people forget to ask." Catherine then heard Mary ask her to take these images to her father confessor, telling him that they should be put on medallions, and that all who wear them and speak the prayer as they put it on shall receive great graces.

There are a number of Novenas surrounding the Miraculous Medal as well as shrines dedicated to her. The person who noticed that I was wearing the medal asked if I thought it would be good for her to use for a particular thing. I said of course, and even pointed out a Novena online aimed at exactly what she wanted.

A few months later I was talking to this person and she told me that the Medal did not do squat for her situation. This honestly was the first I had ever heard such a report. I asked if she said the prayer when she put it on, and if she did the Novena I pointed out. She answered  that she doesn't believe in the Virgin Mary like that so she had to change it to Sophia which was an concept that she could deal with. She re-stated the prayer and Novena to refer to Sophia and also to acknowledge other gods that she works with from several different pantheons.

Now, was she doing magic? Yes.

Was she using the Miraculous Medal? NO.

I mean, how hard is it? Enity appears to a mystic and says:" Tell people to do this and say this and I will work for them." But because we in our modern world have allowed the "it's all in your head" and "everything must be customized to fit ME" zeitgeist to run away with the whole of magic, we cannot stop ourselves from tinkering with even the smallest thing.

This person was faced with three good choices:

1. Find a ritual that they jived with better. There are oodles of techniques from all over the world. Find one that you jive with.

2. Suck it up and just do it as described. Mary is there whether you believe in her or not. She loves you whether you believe in her or not. By doing the ritual you are opening yourself - that is all that is required.

3. Write your own thing. Nothing wrong with that, lord knows I do a lot of work that is my own. The thing is I realize that if I re-write the LBRP to use Septagrams and invoke Sumerian Gods, it is no longer the LBRP. It is my own thing.

But no, because according to this person "belief and intent are the most important things anyway, it shouldn't matter". In her mind she was doing the same ritual and so should have expected the same result. The problem is that when you change the ritual keys to that degree, you may be doing magic, but you are not doing THAT magic.

I want to close this post with a personal than you to the Lady of the Miraculous Medal. The reason that this story even came to mind that she has been helping me out recently and turning up results that are , well, miraculous.

Next Post I will be exploring the flip side of this argument: the place of personalization, antinomianism, and customization in magic and spirituality.

Esoteric Conference at the Rosicrucian Library

I wish I could go to this.

http://www.metroactive.com/features/columns/silicon-alleys_20100714.html

Rosicrucian Conference
The Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose delves into ancient mysteries in July 22-25 conference on esoteric influences

IF ANY one slogan describes the Rosicrucian Research Library, it would be "Hidden in plain sight." The library occupies an 80-year-old building at the back of Rosicrucian Park and provides the most comprehensive collection of esoteric readings anywhere in San Jose.

IF ANY one slogan describes the Rosicrucian Research Library, it would be "Hidden in plain sight." The library occupies an 80-year-old building at the back of Rosicrucian Park and provides the most comprehensive collection of esoteric readings anywhere in San Jose.

Anyone from the public is allowed to hang out—it isn't restricted to Rosicrucians—but everything in Rosicrucian Park seems to exist behind some veneer of mystery. It's just how they operate.

These days, once inside the library, visitors are greeted with a display showcasing several copies of a 2009 Wired issue dedicated to esoteric mysteries, the CIA and the Rosicrucians. Also inside the room are portraits of Julie Scott, the current grand master of the English Grand Lodge for the Americas, Christian Bernard, the current Rosicrucian imperator in France, as well as busts of former imperator Ralph Davis and the Greek philosopher Epicurus.

And, of course, there are thousands of books on every occult and esoteric subject imaginable, in every format: ancient treatises, large-bound volumes, magazine articles, collectible Time-Life series, Rosicrucian material in probably 10 different languages, antiquarian volumes behind a glass case, folios and several shelves of new, yet-to-be-cataloged books.

Apparently, since people are donating books at such a frisky pace, the library has outgrown the current building, and the Rosicrucians will eventually move the entire library to the administration building on Naglee.
But there is another reason why I went to the library. There will be a conference, July 22–25, at Rosicrucian Park, five years in the making and commanding a hefty title: "Hidden in Plain Sight: The Influence of Western Esoteric Movements on Modern Thought."

Esoteric voyagers from across the globe submitted academic papers and will be descending upon San Jose to present their research. Everyone paid for their trips out of their own pockets.

"We wanted to reach out to other esoteric groups so that together we could really address the issues existing in the world at this time," said Scott. "For several years, we had a call for papers online. It was totally open. ... There are people from many esoteric groups; there are people not even associated with esoteric groups. It's wide open. There were no restrictions or requirements at all."

The now-sold-out conference features a lineup of highly intriguing individuals. Every man and woman involved will be a star. Here are just a few examples: Dr. Patricia Downes, an organization development specialist with a doctoral degree from George Washington University, will give an interactive presentation titled "The Great Work and the Workplace: Transforming Work and Workplaces Through Stealth Esotericism." Providing guidance for dealing with boring work environments, she will lead an experiment on a "mystical perspective of work which examines work from the inside out, allowing us to open the door to deeper learning, wisdom and the workplace."
Romanian-born Mioara Merié, Ph.D., wrote a paper titled "Christian Esotericism and the Inner Eye: Automatic Drawing, Sciences of the Mind and Religious Innovations in Mid-Nineteenth Century Britain." Her presentation will explore, among other things, the afterlife investigations of Victorian-era Christian spiritualists.

Retired Army Counterintelligence Special Agent, Herm Cardona, MSSI, 32°, will talk about Freemasonry and the Enlightenment; professor Bruce Krajewski, Ph.D., will analyze the unpublished papers of a bizarre castle builder in New Jersey; and Geoffrey Redmond will discuss the I-Ching's influence on Western esotericism. According to Scott, the presentations will be taped and made available on YouTube.

Back at the Rosicrucian Research Library, the shelves are overflowing due to lack of space. Even though the librarian isn't allowed to give me the secret WiFi password, I am at peace nevertheless.

Hekate in the PGM?

I am going over my outline and was looking for a reference to Hekate in the PGM ( Papyri Gaecae Magicae) that I seem to have lost.

I did a quick Google search and came up with a different kind of  Hekate related to a different kind of PGM

The Hecate II is the standard heavy sniper rifle of the French Army, sometimes known as the FR-12,7 (French: Fusil à Répétition de calibre 12,7 mm or "12.7 mm caliber bolt-action rifle").
It is manufactured by PGM Précision of France. This is the largest weapon manufactured by PGM, chambered for the .50 BMG (12.7x99mm NATO) cartridge.
Its design is the same metallic-skeleton as used in other similar rifles in the PGM family, only scaled up. It is equipped with both an adjustable front bipod and a rear monopod for maximum accuracy. The barrel is deeply fluted in order to disperse heat and reduce weight, and is fitted with a high-efficiency muzzle brake which reduces the felt recoil to about the level expected of a 7.62x51mm NATO-chambered rifle. The stock is also adjustable.
It is used as an anti-materiel rifle for demolition shooting at long ranges, harassing fire, counter-sniping and the destruction of unexploded ordnance from a safe distance, with High Explosive Incendiary/Armour Piercing Ammunition (HEIAP).
Standard issue sight is a SCROME LTE J10 F1 10x telescope.

Huxley vs Orwell

Reposting this from Accelerating Future

Financial Sorcery Lecture at Pagan Center of NY Sept 18th

FINANCIAL SORCERY
September 18, 2010 1pm-4pm

Pagan Center of NY
2486-Webster Avenue
Bronx, New York 10458 (718) 892-5350

There are many books on magic and witchcraft that promise material on wealth magick only turn around and say that wealth is measured more in friends and health than in money. Other teachers point out that spiritual people should be beyond money or even that money is the root of all evil. Don't Listen!

Lack of money is the root of far more evil than money itself, and unless you live in a monastery or are a wandering homeless yogi, you end up dealing with finances sooner or later. I agree that no one should be a slave to money, but if you live in the modern world you can’t avoid it, so why not master it instead?

In this class, Jason Miller will share secrets of financial sorcery that actually work. Every witch and magician knows a few good money drawing spells, but few really know how to build wealth using magick while maintaining their spiritual life. Learn how people have successfully used magick to get themselves out of debt, find work, grow wealth, or even escape the need for reporting to a 9 to 5 at all! Never mind the positive-think fairy fluff of The Secret and other wish games, learn how to really take control of your money and make it your slave rather than your master.

Jason Miller (Inominandum) is the author of Protection & Reversal Magick: A Witch's Defense Manual, The Sorcerers Secrets, Strategies in Practical Magick and the Strategic Sorcery One Year Training course. He has devoted the last 20 years to studying magick in its many forms and has traveled to New Orleans to study Hoodoo, Europe to study Witchcraft and Ceremonial Magick, and Nepal to study Tantra.

SPECIAL NOTE: The Pagan Center is above ORIGINALS BOTANICA. This is the largest Botanica on the East Coast, and takes up an entire supermarket sized space. Come hear the lecture AND stock up on supplies.

Keynote speaker at NYC Pagan Pride Day in Battery Park

I have been chosen to be the keynote speaker at NYC Pagan Pride Day in Battery Park on Sept 25th.

Topic for the speech is yet to be announced.


Come down to party with the pagans under the shadow of Lady Liberty. Have me sign a book or two while you are at it. 


The event is right next to Castle Clinton where you get tickets for the ferry to Ellis Island.

Strategic Sorcery Cycle 3 starts today

Today is Lammas, the Feast of the First Harvest. I want to thank everyone that has signed up for Cycle 3 of the course, which starts today. May it be a fruitful part of your harvest.  The response to the course continues to be overwhelming with no signs of slowing down.


Remember, it is never too late to sign up for the course. You will get all back lessons of the current cycle mailed to you at once.

Thanks again for your support.

Happy Lammas