Tenth annual Smashwords July ebook sale

It is once again time for Smashwords annual July ebook sale (July 1st to 31st).

(Some of these books are scheduled to be expanded and updated--if it has an asterisk [*], it is scheduled to be expanded and revised--in other words, if you want to get it cheap before the expansion, do it now because the price will be going up on these ebooks when I update them later.)


Discounted to $1.50 USD

Five Reasons Why Magic Fails

Golden Dawn Rituals--Three Officer Neophyte Script*

Rite of the Magical Images of the Wiccan Sabbats*

Witchy Rants (the Collected MDE Heaarthstone Community Church Newsletter articles)*

Denver Witch Quarterly: To Curse, Or Not To Curse--The Big Cursing Issue (Samhain/Yule 2016)

Denver Witch Quarterly: Wealth and the Lucky Witch (Imbolc/Ostara 2017)

Denver Witch Quarterly: Evil Witches Bind President Trump and His Administration--also Occult Writers and Payment (Beltane and Lithna 2017)

Gaius Corbin: Light Out of Darkness--Lux E Tenebris (Thelema and the Necronomicon)



Free ebooks on Smashwords

Denver Witch Quarterly: A Modest Magazine Proposal

MDE Hearthstone: Pizza Boxes on the Floor (2010)

MDE Hearthstone: Bad Monkey (2011)

MDE Hearthstone: Lunatic With a Soapbox (2012)

MDE Hearthstone: Biggest Witch on the Block (2013)

MDE Hearthstone: Thirteen Signs That Your Occult Teacher is Rotten (2014-2015)

MDE Hearthstone: Hex the Vote--Mad Uncle Morgan Talks About American Politics (2016)

Shakespeare's Monkey (a fiction and poetry collection)*

Esoteric Comedy Show: Assault With a Deadly Taco (Mad Uncle Morgan, I am--Your Face is Going to Freeze Like That)

Esoteric Comedy Show: Free Guns For Everyone--Lap Cats Are Good Too (A Big Gun Control Show)

This is one of my favorite book covers.

October 2017 Blogcation (RAEBNC Halloween Kitties)

It is October, and that means that there is a fifty percent chance that this blog is going to suffer a Blogcation. And the theme of this year's Halloween Kitties is RAEBNC.

What is RAEBNC? Glad you asked.

RAEBNC is a short way of saying, "Read And Enjoyed, But No Comment."

It is something that one would often read in Amateur Press Associations zines. It was used for those times where you read something, enjoyed it, but really could not be bothered to come up with a thoughtful comment.

Kinda like the reaction buttons on Facebook. Or the Love button on Facebook (but with less get-up-and-go).

And there are days when I so want to use RAEBNC on Facebook. But that would involve actually explaining the term...which would be more effort than I would like to make. Still it could be a fun thing to do, especially if I did not have to explain it. Just drop it in multiple discussions.

For instance...

"I am the most powerful magician in the world, chosen by the Secret Chiefs to lead the world into a new age of spiritual freedom!!!" [Pretend that this goes on for another thousand words.]

Just drop RAEBNC in the comment/reply section and move on with your day. What is the worst that can happen? They defriend you? They ban and block you? Sounds like a winning day to me.

So this entire month is going to be devoted to cats in costumes (or not) and strange replies you could just drop into comment sections to amuse yourself. Or me. Or both of us. Long live chaos!

I would comment, but I am too busy cosplaying in this bucket.

My current writing schedule (why only Great Gherkin at the moment) and delay in projects

I been asked about my current writing schedule by more than one person, so I will publicly post my answer.

At the moment, I have no regular writing schedule. Occasionally, I can steal a few minutes to type something up, or to quiet the voice of the Muse; but outside of that, no writing is getting done at the moment.

This means that scheduled projects are being delayed, and certain pre-releases outright cancelled (I de-listed the Mostly True Astrology project yesterday simply because I don't know when I will get back to working on it). And it also means that no matter how tight my budget gets, I can't actually commit to additional projects (I thank people for the job offers, but I can't promise that I will be able to finish even a mere hundred words a week at this point.)

For instance, the overdue (really late) issue of the Denver Witch Quarterly has been re-scheduled yet again, simply because the two outstanding articles that I am supposed to write for it have not been completed. (And the issue can't go out without those articles because they are the signature articles for the issue [Remembering Alia Denny and Esoteric Leadership].) That was what I was working on when my mother-in-law died, taking her own life, and a month and a half later I still have not got around to completing them. (There is actually a chance that the October issue will be released before the July issue, if it hits the word-count target before the July issue is done.)

I simply have to put my wife's emotional needs, mine, and cleaning and prepping my mother-in-law's house for sale, in the top priority slots, followed by housework. (The only reason I have time to write this blog post is that I can't step out of the house before the load in the washing machine is finished.)

So this means that all anyone is going to see from me for awhile is the monthly column for the Hearthstone Community Church's newsletter, and the occasional Great Gherkin related chapter (a lot of the chapters are self-contained, and can stand alone by themselves)--both of which are me getting stuff out of my head, so that I can sleep in peace. And maybe a October blog-vacation project (basically a series of really small nonsensical posts) just to keep the writing flow going until I can get back to my regular writing schedule.

I write to let the voices in my head (aka the Angry Muse) out.

Why occult magazines fail (or Why are there not more occult magazines published)

Here is a short laundry list of problems that all occult themed magazines and journals face:  

1) Lack of sales
2) Lack of contributors
3) Baseline operating costs
4) Lack of advertisers
5) Piracy

Basically, an occult themed magazine is a deep money and labor pit which, more times than not, end up costing the publisher far more than what they are getting back. And these problems have been around since at least the 80s small press market. I can't tell you the number of times I had conversations with local zine publishers during my time as an interested observer that boiled down to this laundry list.

Some occult themed small press magazines from the 90s.

Over half of these were published from someone's dining room table.

[Please note that number five only showed up in the last decade, but would have totally existed earlier if the internet would have been a bigger presence in the 80s and 90s.]

DWQ submission call--esoteric leadership (and remembering Alia Denver OFMs)

Call for submissions: This upcoming issue of Denver Witch Quarterly, in part, is going to pay tribute to Alia Denny, the driving force behind Denver Open Full Moon rituals (Hearthstone Community Church) who died last month. So besides our regular mix of stuff, we are asking for articles that remember her. We are also looking for articles about what good leadership in the esoteric community looks like--how should an esoteric leader/teacher act?

Email submissions to basttemple [at] msn [dot] com

Margaret Alia Denny

Margaret Alia Denny

Submission FAQs.

Our deadlines throughout the year.

DWQ Beltane/Lithna 2017 pre-release sale

Get the latest issue of Denver Witch Quarterly (Beltane/Litha 2017) Witches Bind Trump & Occult Writers and Payment at the pre-release price of 99 cents USD. (Price will increase to $2.99 USD after the April 15th release.)

Contents include the ritual script for the global binding ritual of President Donald J. Trump, dates of said ritual for all eight years of the Trump's presidency (the compiler of the dates offered to figure them out for Trump's third term, but the consulting editor took him outside and beat him to death for making that suggestion), and a commentary debating whether or not it is actually evil to bind the President of the United States of America.

Fiction (two short stories): Water and Dreams— Shea Herlihy-Abba & A Fey Encounter— Misha Sparks

And a debate over whether occult writers should be allowed to charge people for their books--at least three writers weighed in (maybe a fourth, we have not read their submission yet). 

Does this cover make Trump's butt look big?

Amazon (US) 

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

iBooks

Read an ebook week 2017 (Smashwords sale ends March 11)

It is Read an Ebook week.

Because ebooks are also books.

And in celebration, Smashwords is having their eighth annual Read an Ebook promotion (March 5 to March 11) where Smashwords authors are discounting some of their ebooks.

In my case, I am offering a discount on the following ebooks.

Witchy Rants--the first four year collection of the columns that I wrote for the monthly Hearthstone Community Church ("the Open Full Moon ritual people") monthly newsletter. Normally $2.99 USD--50% off (RAE50) $1.50 USD.

Five Reasons Magic Fails--an extended essay on five common reasons that spells fail to work. Normally $2.99 USD--50% off $1.50 USD.

Rite of the Wiccan Wheel of the Year (A Golden Dawn inspired Wiccan ritual)--a Wiccan ritual in which I combined the idea of astrological magical images with the eight Wiccan Sabbats. Normally $2.99 USD--50% (RAE50) $1.50 USD.

Golden Dawn Neophyte Ritual (Three Officer version)--an adaption of the traditional Golden Dawn Neophyte (0=0) lodge initiation ritual rewritten to be performed by only three officers (rather than the six to eleven officers that tradition usually calls for). Normally $5.99 USD--75% off (RAE75) $1.50 USD.

Shakespeare's Monkey--a collection of poems and short fiction that I wrote for a creative writing class at the Community College of Denver over a decade ago. Normally $1.99 USD--50% off (RAE50) $0.99 USD.

Also discounted are back issues of the Denver Witch Quarterly (a magazine devoted to paganism, Wicca, witchcraft, magick, and the occult). [Yes, we are accepting submissions!!!]

A Modest Magazine Proposal (DWQ Prospectus)--in which I talk about my plans for the Quarterly and my background in Denver's amateur pagan/Wiccan/magical magazine scene of the 90s. Includes important information for those who consider submitting material to the ezine. Normally $0.99 USD--FREE 100% off (SFREE).

Want to submit to the Quarterly? Email submissions to basttemple [at] msn [dot] com.

Denver Witch Quarterly most frequently asked contributor questions and answers.

To Curse, Or Not To Curse--The Big Cursing Issue (DWQ Samhain/Yule 2016)--in my primary editorial I ponder the ethics and technique of cursing a convicted rapist (who received an extremely light sentence) as a form of justice. Plus commentaries on Black Lives Matter (BHC); gun violence and gun control (MDE); Fiction: Short stories by A. J. Hallows (The Nightlight) and B. H. Crowley (Basil Unsealed). Plus a poem, Living Art by B. H. Crowley; Rituals: A fairy ritual in poetic form (MDE); An Anubis Samhain ritual and Honoring Horus on the Winter Solstice (Moongazer); Instructional article: Heavenly Watchers—Using the Four Royal Stars (Aldebaran, Regulus, Antares, Fomahault) and Sirius in astrology and magic (MDE); Interview with Gaius Corbin—The Voice of the Necronomicon Translation Project. Also included: Profit and Occult Writers—is it ethical for occult writers to make money? (MDE). Normally $2.99 USD--50% off (RAE50) $1.50 USD.

Wealth and the Lucky Witch (DWQ Imbolc/Ostara 2017)--Editorials: Don't tell me how to vote: Cause I never vote (BHC), Not a big enough safety pin (MDE); Fiction: All Sales Are Final (A. J. Hallows); Poetry: "A Kiss of Bliss, or Misery?" (The Broom Hill Crow),Body of a Goddess (Erin Lale), Blame It on the Wine. Or Kali. Or Both (Shea Herlihy-Abba), My Parents Don’t Like Kali ‘Cause She Drives a Mustang (Shea Herlihy-Abba); Instructional :Luck (Moon Gazer), Some money and luck spell tips and an ethical musing (MDE); Rituals: Shining the light on this year’s plantings at Imbolc (Moon Gazer), Ostara’s Plantings (Moon Gazer). Normally $2.99 USD--50% off (RAE50) $1.50 USD. 

Also discounted is a satire of the Simon Necronomicon--Gaius Corbin's Light Out of Darkness--Lux E Tenebris (Thelema and the Necronomicon): an humorous look at the claims of dark fluff occult books, their advertising and reviewing, and the occult world in general. Focusing on the fifty names of Marduk, this book lists the powers of the fifty-one names (yes, fifty-one), associating each name to verses from the Thelemic Holy Books, while making jokes about some of the odd things that has happened in the occult community. Normally $4.99 USD--50% off (RAE50) $2.99 USD.

My favorite Marduk name description--someone obviously has discovered how smart the dead really are.

How many occult personalities can you recognize?

Weigh in on Should Writers Get Paid (DWQ submission call)

Have a strong opinion about whether or not occult writers should be paid? Can you string together words into readable sentences and paragraphs without Morgan's red pen exploding? If so, the Denver Witch Quarterly is seeking submissions on whether or not, occult writers should benefit monetarily from their occult writing.

Do you believe that society actually benefits and is improving thanks to occult works being free, then write up your argument proving that occultists owe society free occult books.

Likewise, do you believe that free occult books don't benefit society, and that they actually hurt the occult community, then write up your argument and send it in.

Can you see both sides are right in some part, then speculate how occult writers can support their work without actually charging the readers.

Don't let Morgan be the only one commenting on this subject in the next issue of the Denver Witch Quarterly.

[And as always, DWQ is also looking for our usual mix of fiction, poetry, art, photography, editorials, rituals, and instructional articles.]

Email submissions to basttemple [at] msn [dot] com

[And if you are reading this a year from now, Morgan is always willing to consider publishing stuff on this topic, so send it in.]

Some frequently asked contributor questions.

The Contributor Share spread from the Fall 2016 issue of DWQ.

DWQ Wealth and the Lucky Witch release day

Today is the release date for the latest issue of the Denver Wealth Quarterly--Wealth and the Lucky Witch (Imbolc/Ostara 2017).

Get it now at pre-release price. (99 cents USD--regularly $2.99 an issue)

Denver Witch Quarterly is a magazine devoted to paganism, Wicca, witchcraft, magick, and the occult.

In this issue, we explore money, wealth, luck and prosperity, and the magic necessary to obtain such. Also articles on Imbolc and Ostara, as well as editorials about current events in the magical community.

Editorials:
Don't tell me how to vote: Cause I never vote (BHC)
Not a big enough safety pin—MDE

Humor
Totally not a racist (Big Name Occultist)
Seen on the internet: Trump-Pence hair joke

Fiction
[Flash fiction] What do we want—Morgan Drake Eckstein
All Sales Are Final—A. J. Hallows

Poetry
"A Kiss of Bliss, or Misery?"—The Broom Hill Crow
Body of a Goddess—Erin Lale
Blame It on the Wine. Or Kali. Or Both.—Shea Herlihy-Abba
My Parents Don’t Like Kali ‘Cause She Drives a Mustang—Shea Herlihy-Abba

Instructional
Luck--Moon Gazer
Some wealth magic tips--MDE

Rituals
Shining the light on this year’s plantings at Imbolc—Moon Gazer
Ostara’s Plantings—Moon Gazer

Wealth and the Lucky Witch (DWQ Imbolc/Ostara 2017)

 Now available for purchase at the various online ebook retailers. 

Amazon

Apple

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

And coming soon to Scribd!

Pre-release sale Denver Witch Quarterly Samhain-Yule 2016 issue

Denver Witch Quarterly Samhain/Yule 2016 issue

Denver Witch Quarterly is a magazine devoted to paganism, Wicca, witchcraft, magick, and the occult.

Get it now at the pre-release price.

In this issue, we explore the techniques and ethics of cursing and hexing. From the mass hexing of convicted rapist, swimmer Brock Turner, to the global bindings of ISIL, to revenge spells, cursing, hexing, and binding is part of the toolbox of magicians and witches worldwide.

Are public hexings merely exercising one's First Amendment rights? Or are curses effective enough to limit the actions of individuals and organizations?

Plus Samhain and Yule stuff!!!

DWQ Samhain/Yule 2016 issue includes:

Editorials about whether or not, it is ethical to hex a rapist; Black Lives Matter (BHC); gun violence and gun control.

Fiction: Short stories by A. J. Hallows (The Nightlight) and B. H. Crowley (Basil Unsealed). Plus a poem, Living Art by B. H. Crowley.

Rituals: A fairy ritual in poetic form (MDE); An Anubis Samhain ritual and Honoring Horus on the Winter Solstice (Moongazer).

Instructional article: Heavenly Watchers—Using the Four Royal Stars (Aldebaran, Regulus, Antares, Fomahault) and Sirius in astrology and magic (MDE).

Interview with Gaius Corbin—The Voice of the Necronomicon Translation Project.

Also included: Profit and Occult Writers—is it ethical for occult writers to make money? (Morgan Drake Eckstein)

And remember that the Denver Witch Quarterly is always seeking submissions for upcoming issues: editorials and non-fiction articles on paganism, occultism, magic, witchcraft, and Wicca; fiction and poetry; humor and cartoons; artwork and photographs.

The holidays for next issue are Imbolc and Ostara, and the special focus of the issue is on wealth, luck, and prosperity.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Not-Big-Cursing-Issue-ebook/dp/B01LXM5MX0/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-curse-or-not-to-curse-the-big-cursing-issue-denver-witch-quarterly/1124094878

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/to-curse-or-not-to-curse-big/id1133780448

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/to-curse-or-not-to-curse-the-big-cursing-issue-samhain-yule-2016

DWQ Samhain/Yule 2016

Seeking Submissions (DWQ 2017 Issue 01)

Seeking editorials and non-fiction articles on paganism, occultism, magic, witchcraft, and Wicca; fiction and poetry; humor and cartoons; artwork and photographs.

The holidays for next issue are Imbolc and Ostara, and the special focus of the issue is on wealth, luck, and prosperity.

Deadline: December 22nd.
Email submissions to basttemple at msn dot com

Wealth and the Lucky Witch---Denver Witch Quarterly (Imbolc/Ostara 2017)--coming January 15, 2017 (pre-orders available soon)

Smashwords summer sale

It is time for the annual Smashwords summer sale!

My discounted and free ebooks this year are:

Free (normally 99 cents): A Modest Magazine Proposal--Denver Witch Quarterly (Issue .01) [use coupon code SFREE]

Free (normally 99 cents): Thirteen Signs That Your Occult Teacher Is Rotten--A Mad Uncle Morgan essay collection [use coupon code SFree]

$1.50 (50% off, normally $2.99): Rite of the Magical Images of the Wiccan Wheel of the Year--A Golden Dawn Inspired Ritual [use coupon code SSW50]

$1.50 (50% off, normally $2.99): Witchy Rants--Omnibus Edition Collecting the First Four Years of Hearthstone Community Church essays by Morgan Drake Ecksetin [use coupon code SSW50]

$1.50 (75% off, normally $5.99): Golden Dawn Rituals Volume One--Neophyte Ritual: Three Officer Version [use coupon code SSW75]

The Smashwords summer sale ends on July 31st.

Contributors wanted for Denver Witch Quarterly.

And a reminder that Denver Witch Quarterly is accepting submissions.

House of Bast Art Studio Open House Event (July 2 & 3, 2016)

Come join us at the Open House event.

House of Bast Art Studio--Celtic Soul Jewelry and Pottery, and Khari's Wiccan Treasures—July 2016 Open House

July 2nd & 3rd
House of Bast—2727 Cook St., Denver, Colorado USA
Studio is located on the south side next to the alley.

At the Open House & Studio Tour, we will have pottery for sale, pottery throwing demos, pottery lessons, Kid's Clay Korner, and refreshments.

The hours will be 11 am to 6 pm on Saturday, July 2nd, and 12 pm to 6pm on Sunday.

Pottery lessons will be from 1 to 5 pm each day. Come see our studio!

Some of the pottery available for purchase. 

Some more pottery available for purchase. 

Call 303-815-8211 for information if you get lost. 

[In the afternoons, after 2 pm, Mad Uncle Morgan will be around if anyone needs to talk Denver Witch Quarterly business. He will also have some fresh garden herbs (not that type of herb!) and some random fairy fortunes for sale.]

Contributors wanted (Denver Witch Quarterly)

A Modest Magical Magazine Proposal (Volume 1, Issue .1 Prospectus)--Denver Witch Quarterly

A few years ago, back in the Stone Age of Xerox and mimeograph machines, small press occult magazines were locally produced in people's basements and kitchens. I did some of my first writing as "MDE" for some of the ones being produced in Denver. And I thought about publishing my own. But I never did get around to attempting it...

...until now. Behold the Prospectus for Denver Witch Quarterly, a magazine devoted to paganism, Wicca, witchcraft, magick, and the occult.

I am looking for submissions. If you would like to submit something (editorials, non-fiction, rituals, poetry, fiction, artwork, photographs), you can email your submission to basttemple@msn.com

(This may or may not be a paid opportunity--it will all depend on whether or not, anyone actually buys small press magazines anymore.)

The Prospectus is available for purchase from your favorite ebook retailers.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Scribd

Kobo

Smashwords