And welcome to a delightful video of me hopping onto the Unpacking Bandwagon while losing my cotton picking mind--ending up with me reviewing the entire Hermetic Tablet (Summer 2015 issue) without ever reading it...because that is how all occult books are reviewed, right?
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Happy Leap Second!
Happy Leap Second!
What the heck is a leap second?
A leap second happens every few years when the standard time around the world is adjusted to account for the slight mismatch between our clocks and the Earth's rotation.
This time around, the leap second was slipped in just before 8 PM Eastern Daylight Time (midnight Coordinated Universal Time/Greenwich Mean).
And if you were like me, you didn't even notice it.
Happy Leap Second!
What the heck is a leap second?
A leap second happens every few years when the standard time around the world is adjusted to account for the slight mismatch between our clocks and the Earth's rotation.
This time around, the leap second was slipped in just before 8 PM Eastern Daylight Time (midnight Coordinated Universal Time/Greenwich Mean).
And if you were like me, you didn't even notice it.
Happy Leap Second!
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Dance with the Devil (Tarot Blog Hop)
Previous/ Masterlist /Next
(It is with great pride that I write my 1200th post on this blog--I was always told by my family that one of my problems is that I do not know how to shut up.)
Welcome to the first Solistice Tarot Blog Hop of 2015--in my neck of the woods, it is the Summer Solistice; meanwhile my friends down under are enjoying the Winter Solistice...though I am not sure that I would recognize it as being winter, given my strange Northern Hemisphere ways.
Today's Tarot Blog Hop is a trip through the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana. If you are doing the hop, you may have just came from Christiana Gaudet's blog, the second Temperence entry in this hop. Or you may be traveling backwards and just left S. Johanna Hill's blog, the second Devil entry of this particular Tarot Blog Hop.
I choose the Devil card because all the cards that I am comfortable with had already been spoken for. And I figured if I was going to deal with a card that I was uncomfortable with, I just as well struggle with the Devil card. After all, I was having trouble trying to figure out what my own version was going to look like.
Five minutes after picking the task of dealing with the Devil card, I knew exactly what my version would look like....
....so I guess that I am far more comfortable with the Devil than I thought I was.
Being Wiccan, and a lifer at that, my vision of the Devil is not your typical Satan. For me, evil is the uglier aspects of nature; in particular, the ugly side of human nature. You know that part of humanity that lusts, becomes addicted, feels greed, and can explode in ugly violence. Quite often this side of humanity is played like a puppet by politicians, religious leaders, and ad executives.
In my version of the card, the mascot of an evil company is sitting on the altar. It might be the mascot of a big box store or restaurant chain. Or it might be an investment company. Or maybe it is the true image of the United States. Hanging from its horns is a bag of loot, and a stick. The bag could be filled with carrots, but it is probably money--money being a carrot that most people chase after.
(For those who are curious, the symbol on the bag is the astrological glyph for the asteriod Isis, the 42nd asteriod discovered by man. In astrology, it relates to issues of fragmentation versus wholeness, sibling issues, and androgyny issues.)
The couple in front of the altar, who are not chained to the altar, represent the voice of society, which informs most of us what is good and what is evil. One does not necessarily have to agree with what the voice of society says.
(The couple I used for this illustration are actually a couple of my friends, dressed up in the clothes that they wear while playing in their band. For the record, I do not think that they are actually evil....but I could be wrong; after all, they are musicians.)
Besides, making my own version of the Tarot card, I also made a Bingo card of some of the things associated with the Devil card. It is part of a larger "art project" that I am working on. I did think about filming myself dancing, hence this post's title, but I decided that I didn't want anyone to go blind.
And because I was thinking about the Devil, alongside of my recent bout of making bad, bad videos, I did consider what I would use to represent the Devil in a video clip---it was not really hard to figure out. I have gotten in the habit of using a rather creepy looking Santa doll for all the really evil people that I have been talking about in my various Mad Uncle Morgan clips.
(No, you do not actually need to watch the video--it is there merely to illustrate my point.)
When you think about it, Santa could be a symbol of the Devil, especially if you are using my version of the Devil card. The modern nature of Santa Claus is pretty much in line with a crossroads demon, full of salesmanship, offering carrots, and torturing people with sticks. But that jaded view of Christmas and Santa might simply be my bad childhood speaking.
Anyways, thanks for reading.
If you are continuing with the Tarot Blog Hop, the next stop is S. Johanna Hill's blog, the second Devil entry of this particular Tarot Blog Hop. Or you might want to travel backwards to Christiana Gaudet's blog, who is talking about the Temperence card.
Previous/ MasterList/ Next
(It is with great pride that I write my 1200th post on this blog--I was always told by my family that one of my problems is that I do not know how to shut up.)
Welcome to the first Solistice Tarot Blog Hop of 2015--in my neck of the woods, it is the Summer Solistice; meanwhile my friends down under are enjoying the Winter Solistice...though I am not sure that I would recognize it as being winter, given my strange Northern Hemisphere ways.
Today's Tarot Blog Hop is a trip through the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana. If you are doing the hop, you may have just came from Christiana Gaudet's blog, the second Temperence entry in this hop. Or you may be traveling backwards and just left S. Johanna Hill's blog, the second Devil entry of this particular Tarot Blog Hop.
I choose the Devil card because all the cards that I am comfortable with had already been spoken for. And I figured if I was going to deal with a card that I was uncomfortable with, I just as well struggle with the Devil card. After all, I was having trouble trying to figure out what my own version was going to look like.
Five minutes after picking the task of dealing with the Devil card, I knew exactly what my version would look like....
....so I guess that I am far more comfortable with the Devil than I thought I was.
 |
| Hello, we would like to talk to you about the Devil... |
In my version of the card, the mascot of an evil company is sitting on the altar. It might be the mascot of a big box store or restaurant chain. Or it might be an investment company. Or maybe it is the true image of the United States. Hanging from its horns is a bag of loot, and a stick. The bag could be filled with carrots, but it is probably money--money being a carrot that most people chase after.
(For those who are curious, the symbol on the bag is the astrological glyph for the asteriod Isis, the 42nd asteriod discovered by man. In astrology, it relates to issues of fragmentation versus wholeness, sibling issues, and androgyny issues.)
The couple in front of the altar, who are not chained to the altar, represent the voice of society, which informs most of us what is good and what is evil. One does not necessarily have to agree with what the voice of society says.
(The couple I used for this illustration are actually a couple of my friends, dressed up in the clothes that they wear while playing in their band. For the record, I do not think that they are actually evil....but I could be wrong; after all, they are musicians.)
 |
| Do you dare play Bingo with the Devil? |
And because I was thinking about the Devil, alongside of my recent bout of making bad, bad videos, I did consider what I would use to represent the Devil in a video clip---it was not really hard to figure out. I have gotten in the habit of using a rather creepy looking Santa doll for all the really evil people that I have been talking about in my various Mad Uncle Morgan clips.
(No, you do not actually need to watch the video--it is there merely to illustrate my point.)
When you think about it, Santa could be a symbol of the Devil, especially if you are using my version of the Devil card. The modern nature of Santa Claus is pretty much in line with a crossroads demon, full of salesmanship, offering carrots, and torturing people with sticks. But that jaded view of Christmas and Santa might simply be my bad childhood speaking.
Anyways, thanks for reading.
If you are continuing with the Tarot Blog Hop, the next stop is S. Johanna Hill's blog, the second Devil entry of this particular Tarot Blog Hop. Or you might want to travel backwards to Christiana Gaudet's blog, who is talking about the Temperence card.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Red Flag--"Magic Garden" photos requested (Creeper Award)
Right up front, I must say that perhaps I am wrong about the following person deserving a Creeper Award. Maybe this person is completely on the up and up. But given the fact that I kinda threw up in my mouth a couple of time when someone brought his antics to attention, I feel that I am probably right that he deserves a Creeper Award. As always, if you think that I am wrong, there is the glorious comment section.
And this Creeper Award goes to Master Golden Wizard Luxas Aureaum, head of the Coven of the Rooting Circle--Witches of Maryland.
Recently he gave some information about membership in his coven to someone who found him though Witchvox. According to this source, he claims that his coven is ALL female, except for him...that might be creepy. He also seems to think that a woman's vagina, as my source put it, was some form of Witch's Rosetta Stone...you can decide how creepy that is when we get to the screenshot of that particular message.
Master Golden Wizard Luxas Aureaum may also be trying to create a teen group, a fact that might not be alarming....except that at no time did he ask my informant if they were over 18, a fact that makes me a little nauseous when I read the following messages that he sent.
The first section of this is not so bad; a lot of more traditional Wicca and witchcraft groups believe that it is ok to be nude. Hell, there are ton of Alexandrian news articles from the 1960s with a naked High Priestess in them. Though in all fairness to the Alexandrians, some of the nudity may have been simple advertising...because sex sells.
But the second screenshot here of the basic information on how to join his coven....well, see if you can read it without saying, "Ewwww!"
Did you manage not to say, "Ewww!"? If so, you have a stronger stomach than I do---and I used to write dubious erotica. And I am not sure that I would believe this story if I found it in the erotica section of a bookstore, or in those special adult bookstores.
So moving on, not only does Master Golden Wizard Luxas Aureaum of the Coven of the Rooting Circle--Witches of Maryland, want a two hundred and fifty dollar donation for the coven, he wants a full frontal photo of the applicant. I guess that all witches must be beautiful---or at least the ones that he admits to his coven.
But wait--it gets better. Again, can you read this without saying, "Ewww!"?
In none of the traditional Wicca/witchcraft stuff in my possession have I found the keys and rules to judge how witchy a woman was based on the appearance of her "garden." Maybe my tradition is not as traditional as I have been lead to believe it is. Maybe Master Golden Wizard Luxas Aureaum is a more advanced witch than I am. Or maybe, I am perfectly correct that he deserves a Creeper Award. Again, if you disagree about him recieving the award, there is the comment section just waiting for your rebuttal.
And I am not sure that I trust this guy to destory the photos after viewing either, despite his honor as a guide and his sacred oath.
Ok, so maybe I am wrong about him being a creeper. After all, I have never been the best judge of character...my regular readers have heard some of my "bad coven and Order" stories. This is probably just how a really traditional group does things. There is probably nothing actually creepy about this guy...
...but honestly, I have yet to convince myself that particular screenshot does not scream, "Danger Seeker! Danger!" While there is a chance that I am misreading the intent and moral belief system behind the statement, personally I think that Master Golden Wizard Luxas Aureaum of the Coven of the Rooting Circle--Witches of Maryland, with that statement alone deserves a Creeper Award.
I am not sure that I trust his instructional material either. I think that it speaks for itself.
And this screenshot from his newsfeed, not troublesome at all if you ignore the ego and slimeness of the statement. Maybe I really do need a second opinion of whether I should reward him with a Creeper Award.
So on the behalf of up-tight witches and magicians everywhere, I proudly present Master Golden Wizard Luxas Aureaum of the Coven of the Rooting Circle--Witches of Maryland, with this Creeper Award.
I also want to give him a little advice:
Stay out of my local area because I will allow the other witches to stab you if you mess with their daughters, nieces, cousins, next door neighbors. and other young lady folk.
And this Creeper Award goes to Master Golden Wizard Luxas Aureaum, head of the Coven of the Rooting Circle--Witches of Maryland.
Recently he gave some information about membership in his coven to someone who found him though Witchvox. According to this source, he claims that his coven is ALL female, except for him...that might be creepy. He also seems to think that a woman's vagina, as my source put it, was some form of Witch's Rosetta Stone...you can decide how creepy that is when we get to the screenshot of that particular message.
Master Golden Wizard Luxas Aureaum may also be trying to create a teen group, a fact that might not be alarming....except that at no time did he ask my informant if they were over 18, a fact that makes me a little nauseous when I read the following messages that he sent.
 |
| Oh yes, I so want a creeper to teach me the ways of Wicca. |
 |
| "The witches life and art is simple. It involves nudity, spiritual and physical self-confidence..." |
 |
| Ok, so the Golden Wizard wants money and a nude picture. |
So moving on, not only does Master Golden Wizard Luxas Aureaum of the Coven of the Rooting Circle--Witches of Maryland, want a two hundred and fifty dollar donation for the coven, he wants a full frontal photo of the applicant. I guess that all witches must be beautiful---or at least the ones that he admits to his coven.
But wait--it gets better. Again, can you read this without saying, "Ewww!"?
 |
| Oh dear, your "garden" tells us everything we need to know about your witchy aura. |
 |
| Uhh, this request sounds like you requesting porn. |
Ok, so maybe I am wrong about him being a creeper. After all, I have never been the best judge of character...my regular readers have heard some of my "bad coven and Order" stories. This is probably just how a really traditional group does things. There is probably nothing actually creepy about this guy...
 |
| Wait, are you saying that society morals are wrong about shielding those below the age of 16 from people like you?! |
 |
| Using this picture in your educational material is strange when the actual genders are accounted for. |
 |
| Hmmm, comparing yourself to Charlie Sheen....not worrisome at all. |
 |
| Creepy Rob Lowe approves of this wizard....which is also alarming. (Hey, it is a joke, ok?) |
I also want to give him a little advice:
Stay out of my local area because I will allow the other witches to stab you if you mess with their daughters, nieces, cousins, next door neighbors. and other young lady folk.
Friday, May 1, 2015
There is always a boom (Tarot Blog Hop May 2015)
Previous/ MasterList/ Next
Welcome to another Tarot Blog Hop.
During the last Tarot Blog Hop, I noticed some comments about needing to keep the distasteful cards in the Tarot deck. That got me to thinking that writing about how to cope with the distasteful Tarot cards would be an interesting topic. And given that I am the wrangler (cat herder) for this particular round of the Tarot Blog Hop---Bwahahaha!
There is a sort-of famous quote from Babylon Five that more or less goes:
No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There is always a boom.
And sometimes I think that this idea applies to the Tarot. One is sitting there doing a reading; everything looks fine, and then you flip over the Happy Squirrel...and you know that your client is in for the worst year of their life.
What? Your deck doesn't have a Happy Squirrel in it? What sad Tarot deck are you using?
But seriously, every Tarot reader has been there, as well as anyone who has gotten at least one Tarot reading. And you do not need a Happy Squirrel to cause problems. Do you want a list of cards that can cause problems?
Of course, you do.
Here is the list of Tarot cards that can cause problems...
All of them.
Given the right circumstances, every card is a Happy Squirrel in disguise.
But some cards are more troublesome than others. Each Tarot reader has their own personal list of cards that scream, "BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!"
One of the cards on my personal list is the Hanged Man. While there are many times when it is to be read as a sacrifice for a higher purpose or a better situation, there are times that it is far more troublesome. And this troublesome nature comes from its origin centuries ago.
In the oldest surving Tarot decks, the Hanged Man is often someone who was a traitor or enemy of the family that the Tarot deck was made for. If Jesus would have owned a Tarot deck, the Hanged Man would have been Judas.
And the possibilities for this type of energy is still rampant. Turn on the news, surf Facebook, look out your window, there are plenty of people to dislike. And today, we have social media...which leads to the caution:
Don't get filmed doing something that you don't want to see on Facebook. Today, angry villagers are not armed with pitchforks and torches; no, it is Facebook and Twitter that you have to worry about. Do you really want your own personal picket line?
Another distasteful card is the Lightning Stuck Tower. While the Hanged Man is the poster child of greed and mistakes, the Lightning Stuck Tower is more along the lines of the hand of God.
Again, social media plays a role in how we encounter the card's energies in the present. One does not need to watch the nightly news to learn of the latest nature disaster sweeping away innocent villagers.
My advice for dealing with the Lightning Stuck Tower is to avoid putting yourself in danger.
Yes, that is easier said than done. But you can minimize some of your risk. For instance, don't scream that God is a Happy Squirrel while on a golf course in the middle of a thunderstorm...because someone might actually get that on film, and you really do not want to star in your own Darwin Reward video, do you?
Thanks for reading the thoughts of my rather nutty mind, and please check out some of the other bloggers who participated in this Tarot Blog Hop.
Previous/ Master List/ Next
Welcome to another Tarot Blog Hop.
During the last Tarot Blog Hop, I noticed some comments about needing to keep the distasteful cards in the Tarot deck. That got me to thinking that writing about how to cope with the distasteful Tarot cards would be an interesting topic. And given that I am the wrangler (cat herder) for this particular round of the Tarot Blog Hop---Bwahahaha!
There is a sort-of famous quote from Babylon Five that more or less goes:
No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There is always a boom.
And sometimes I think that this idea applies to the Tarot. One is sitting there doing a reading; everything looks fine, and then you flip over the Happy Squirrel...and you know that your client is in for the worst year of their life.
What? Your deck doesn't have a Happy Squirrel in it? What sad Tarot deck are you using?
 |
| The Happy Squirrel |
Of course, you do.
Here is the list of Tarot cards that can cause problems...
All of them.
Given the right circumstances, every card is a Happy Squirrel in disguise.
But some cards are more troublesome than others. Each Tarot reader has their own personal list of cards that scream, "BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!"
 |
| The Hanged Man |
In the oldest surving Tarot decks, the Hanged Man is often someone who was a traitor or enemy of the family that the Tarot deck was made for. If Jesus would have owned a Tarot deck, the Hanged Man would have been Judas.
And the possibilities for this type of energy is still rampant. Turn on the news, surf Facebook, look out your window, there are plenty of people to dislike. And today, we have social media...which leads to the caution:
Don't get filmed doing something that you don't want to see on Facebook. Today, angry villagers are not armed with pitchforks and torches; no, it is Facebook and Twitter that you have to worry about. Do you really want your own personal picket line?
 |
| Lightning Struck Tower |
Again, social media plays a role in how we encounter the card's energies in the present. One does not need to watch the nightly news to learn of the latest nature disaster sweeping away innocent villagers.
My advice for dealing with the Lightning Stuck Tower is to avoid putting yourself in danger.
Yes, that is easier said than done. But you can minimize some of your risk. For instance, don't scream that God is a Happy Squirrel while on a golf course in the middle of a thunderstorm...because someone might actually get that on film, and you really do not want to star in your own Darwin Reward video, do you?
Thanks for reading the thoughts of my rather nutty mind, and please check out some of the other bloggers who participated in this Tarot Blog Hop.
Previous/ Master List/ Next
Master List Tarot Blog Hop May 2015
For the May 1st Tarot Blog Hop, we are going to be talking about the
"distasteful" cards---the cards that evoke a strong negative reaction,
and quite often signal that something is about to go Boom! (ex. Tower).
1. Morgan Drake Eckstein http://
2. Alison Coals http://
3. Joy Vernon http://joyvernon.com/Blog/
4. Deirdre http://thewillowpathtarot.com/2015/05/01/beltane-tarot-blog-hop-the-hanged-man/
5. Christiana Gaudet http://www.christianagaudet.com/personal-blog/2015/4/30/shining-a-light-on-the-shadow/
6. Melanie http://
7. Chloe McCracken http://www.innerwhispers.co.uk/the-magic-of-distasteful-cards/
8. Denver Tarot Convention (Richard Hartnett) http://
9. Ania M http://aniam.co.uk/blog/
10. Chloe for TABI http://tabitarot.blogspot.com/2015/05/is-death-distasteful.html
11. Karen Sealey https://
12. Vivianne Kacal http://kismetscompanion.blogspot.com/2015/05/tarot-blog-hop-beltane-2015-yikes.html
13.. USGames Tarot http://www.usgamesinc.com/tarotblog/tarotbloghop-may-2015/
14. Chloe for Celtic Lenormand http://www.celticlenormand.com/2015/05/what-seeds-do-negative-cards-hold.html
15. Joanne Sprott http://cosmicwhisperstarot.com/2015/05/01/exploring-the-disturbing-tarot-blog-hop/
16. Olivia Destrades http://www.firstearthtarotandroot.com/2015/05/may-day-blog-hop-2015-hard-is-real.html
17. Aisling http://tarotwitchery.blogspot.com/2015/05/tarot-blog-hop-bealteine-2015-problem.html
18. Mindy Galloway http://thepureritual.com/tarot-blog-hop-dealing-with-difficult-cards/
19. Arwen http://tarotbyarwen.com/?p=18519
20. MarÃa Luisa Salazar http://www.misteriostarot.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-distasteful-tarot-cards-ingles-y.html
21. Louise Underhill http://www.priestesstarot.co.uk/2015/05/tarot-blog-hop-distasteful-neighbours
1. Morgan Drake Eckstein http://
2. Alison Coals http://
3. Joy Vernon http://joyvernon.com/Blog/
4. Deirdre http://thewillowpathtarot.com/2015/05/01/beltane-tarot-blog-hop-the-hanged-man/
5. Christiana Gaudet http://www.christianagaudet.com/personal-blog/2015/4/30/shining-a-light-on-the-shadow/
6. Melanie http://
7. Chloe McCracken http://www.innerwhispers.co.uk/the-magic-of-distasteful-cards/
8. Denver Tarot Convention (Richard Hartnett) http://
9. Ania M http://aniam.co.uk/blog/
10. Chloe for TABI http://tabitarot.blogspot.com/2015/05/is-death-distasteful.html
11. Karen Sealey https://
12. Vivianne Kacal http://kismetscompanion.blogspot.com/2015/05/tarot-blog-hop-beltane-2015-yikes.html
13.. USGames Tarot http://www.usgamesinc.com/tarotblog/tarotbloghop-may-2015/
14. Chloe for Celtic Lenormand http://www.celticlenormand.com/2015/05/what-seeds-do-negative-cards-hold.html
15. Joanne Sprott http://cosmicwhisperstarot.com/2015/05/01/exploring-the-disturbing-tarot-blog-hop/
16. Olivia Destrades http://www.firstearthtarotandroot.com/2015/05/may-day-blog-hop-2015-hard-is-real.html
17. Aisling http://tarotwitchery.blogspot.com/2015/05/tarot-blog-hop-bealteine-2015-problem.html
18. Mindy Galloway http://thepureritual.com/tarot-blog-hop-dealing-with-difficult-cards/
19. Arwen http://tarotbyarwen.com/?p=18519
20. MarÃa Luisa Salazar http://www.misteriostarot.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-distasteful-tarot-cards-ingles-y.html
21. Louise Underhill http://www.priestesstarot.co.uk/2015/05/tarot-blog-hop-distasteful-neighbours
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Flash review of Liber L vel Bogus
Today, I received my review copy of Liber L. vel Bogus--The Real Confession of Aleister Crowley (Richard T. Cole). The basic premise of the book is that Crowley faked the receivership of the Book of the Law. And here is a flash review of the book that I posted to YouTube.
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