Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Witch Eye: A Call for Submissions

Crossposted to

Have you always wanted to share your creative Feri-centered spirituality with the world but didn’t know how? Well, why not contribute to the longest running Feri zine?

The deadline for Witch Eye #10 is fast approaching (January 1st) and so we’re getting the word out that we are still accepting submissions. The spotlight theme for this next installment is ‘the Gods of Feri’ although material on any Feri-related subject will be gladly appreciated.

What? You’ve never submitted anything before? Well, why not now?

What? You feel you have nothing to contribute? You have been working on that Pride point, haven’t you?

Well?

Here at Witch Eye we feel that everyone has something to contribute because we each have a unique perspective. Initiates, teachers, students, seekers… it doesn’t matter what your ‘connection’ to the Feri tradition is… if you are called to this work and to these Gods then your voice is just as valid as the next. Why not let it be heard?

Got a new spin on traditional material? We’d love to see it! Have you watched a movie that screams Feri to you? Write a review! Got a great recipe for a ritual food? Send it in! Got a story? Whether fact or fiction we’re interested in hearing it. In a tradition in which we all bring something to the work, the possibilities are literally endless.

Send your written materials to: witcheye@feritradition.org or snail mail them to:

Witch Eye
c/o Faerywolf
PO Box 3736
Antioch, CA 94531

(We’re sorry, but submissions to our PO Box are non-returnable, so don’t send us your originals!)

Artists please email us to determine how best to get your work to us.

For more information regarding our submission guidelines please visit: http://www.feritradition.org/witcheye/submissions.htm

If you have any questions then please don’t hesitate to ask! Let’s get those submissions coming!

Website: http://www.feritradition.org/witcheye
Discussion group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WitchEye

Monday, November 22, 2004

QUIZ: Seven Deadly Sins



You scored as Lust.

Lust

84%

Pride

62%

Sloth

34%

Gluttony

9%

Greed

9%

Wrath

6%

Envy

0%

Seven deadly sins
created with QuizFarm.com

Thursday, November 18, 2004

QUIZ: Eye on the Storm

Because everyone else seems to be doing it, I made a SILLY QUIZ to see how well people know me. 

You can also Check out the Scoreboard!

Thursday, November 11, 2004

A Salty Liberal Shoots Back (Now with Links!)

I was sent this today and thought I'd share it. It's behind a cut-tag for length and expletives. ;)


A Salty Liberal Shoots Back
from http://www.fuckthesouth.com/

Fuck the South. Fuck 'em. We should have let them go when they wanted to leave. But no, we had to kill half a million people so they'd stay part of our special Union. Fighting for the right to keep slaves - yeah, those are states we want to keep.

And now what do we get? We're the fucking Arrogant Northeast Liberal Elite? How about this for arrogant: the South is the Real America? The Authentic America. Really?

Cause we fucking founded this country, assholes. Those Founding Fathers you keep going on and on about? All that bullshit about what you think they meant by the Second Amendment giving you the right to keep your assault weapons in the glove compartment because you didn't bother to read the first half of the fucking sentence? Who do you think those wig-wearing lacy-shirt sporting revolutionaries were? They were fucking blue-staters, dickhead. Boston? Philadelphia? New York? Hello? Think there might be a reason all the fucking monuments are up here in our backyard?

No, No. Get the fuck out. We're not letting you visit the Liberty Bell and fucking Plymouth Rock anymore until you get over your real American selves and start respecting those other nine amendments. Who do you think those fucking stripes on the flag are for? Nine are for fucking blue states. And it would be 10 if those Vermonters had gotten their fucking Subarus together and broken off from New York a little earlier. Get it? We started this shit, so don't get all uppity about how real you are you Johnny-come-lately "Oooooh I've been a state for almost a hundred years" dickheads. Fuck off.

Arrogant? You wanna talk about us Northeasterners being fucking arrogant? What's more American than arrogance? Hmmm? Maybe horsies? I don't think so. Arrogance is the fucking cornerstone of what it means to be American. And I wouldn't be so fucking arrogant if I wasn't paying for your fucking bridges, bitch.

All those Federal taxes you love to hate? It all comes from us and goes to you, so shut up and enjoy your fucking Tennessee Valley Authority electricity and your fancy highways that we paid for. And the next time Florida gets hit by a hurricane you can come crying to us if you want to, but you're the ones who built on a fucking swamp. "Let the Spanish keep it, it’s a shithole," we said, but you had to have your fucking orange juice.

The next dickwad who says, "It’s your money, not the government's money" is gonna get their ass kicked. Nine of the ten states that get the most federal fucking dollars and pay the least... can you guess? Go on, guess. That’s right, motherfucker, they're red states. And eight of the ten states that receive the least and pay the most? It’s too easy, asshole, they’re blue states. It’s not your money, assholes, it’s fucking our money. What was that Real American Value you were spouting a minute ago? Self reliance? Try this for self reliance: buy your own fucking stop signs, assholes.

Let’s talk about those values for a fucking minute. You and your Southern values can bite my ass because the blue states got the values over you fucking Real Americans every day of the goddamn week. Which state do you think has the lowest divorce rate you marriage-hyping dickwads? Well? Can you guess? It’s fucking Massachusetts, the fucking center of the gay marriage universe. Yes, that’s right, the state you love to tie around the neck of anyone to the left of Strom Thurmond has the lowest divorce rate in the fucking nation. Think that’s just some aberration? How about this: 9 of the 10 lowest divorce rates are fucking blue states, asshole, and most are in the Northeast, where our values suck so bad. And where are the highest divorce rates? Care to fucking guess? 10 of the top 10 are fucking red-ass we're-so-fucking-moral states. And while Nevada is the worst, the Bible Belt is doing its fucking part.

But two guys making out is going to fucking ruin marriage for you? Yeah? Seems like you're ruining it pretty well on your own, you little bastards. Oh, but that's ok because you go to church, right? I mean you do, right? Cause we fucking get to hear about it every goddamn year at election time. Yes, we're fascinated by how you get up every Sunday morning and sing, and then you're fucking towers of moral superiority. Yeah, that's a workable formula. Maybe us fucking Northerners don't talk about religion as much as you because we're not so busy sinning, hmmm? Ever think of that, you self-righteous assholes? No, you're too busy erecting giant stone tablets of the Ten Commandments in buildings paid for by the fucking Northeast Liberal Elite. And who has the highest murder rates in the nation? It ain't us up here in the North, assholes.

Well this gravy train is fucking over. Take your liberal-bashing, federal-tax-leaching, confederate-flag-waving, holier-than-thou, hypocritical bullshit and shove it up your ass.

And no, you can't have your fucking convention in New York next time. Fuck off.

Saturday, November 06, 2004

Republicans, and Michael Moore

Today I have two little treats for you all.

First, my little story... Because I am a business owner, I received a phone call yesterday from the Republicans (who didn't at first identify who they were) asking me to attend a Presidential black-tie dinner as an "honored guest". I would get to meet Congress people and make my views heard on issues such as taxes, business, and the economy. (What? No environment and civil rights?) I was told that together we could build on the strengths of the last four years. Along with all of that I would get a signed picture of the President and a replica gold-banded gavel... all for only a $500 contribution! Wow! Think of it.

I, of course said (and I quote) "Hell no! I'm just upset that he was elected!"

The caller was audibly shocked and apologized profusely for calling.

Fucking Republicans.

And now...

17 reasons not to slit your wrists
by Michael Moore

11/5/04

Dear Friends,

Ok, it sucks. Really sucks. But before you go and cash it all in, let's, in
the words of Monty Python, 'always look on the bright side of life!' There
IS some good news from Tuesday's election.

Here are 17 reasons not to slit your wrists:

1. It is against the law for George W. Bush to run for president again.

2. Bush's victory was the NARROWEST win for a sitting president since
Woodrow Wilson in 1916.

3. The only age group in which the majority voted for Kerry was young adults
(Kerry: 54%, Bush: 44%), proving once again that your parents are always
wrong and you should never listen to them.

4. In spite of Bush's win, the majority of Americans still think the
country is headed in the wrong direction (56%), think the war wasn't worth fighting (51%), and don't approve of the job George W. Bush is doing (52%). (Note to foreigners: Don't try to figure this one out.  It's an American thing, like Pop Tarts.)

5. The Republicans will not have a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority in the
Senate. If the Democrats do their job, Bush won't be able to pack the
Supreme Court with right-wing ideologues. Did I say "if the Democrats do
their job?" Um, maybe better to scratch this one.

6. Michigan voted for Kerry! So did the entire Northeast, the birthplace of
our democracy. So did 6 of the 8 Great Lakes States. And the whole West
Coast! Plus Hawaii. Ok, that's a start. We've got most of the fresh water,
all of Broadway, and Mt. St. Helens. We can dehydrate them or bury them in
lava. And no more show tunes!

7. Once again we are reminded that the buckeye is a nut, and not just any
old nut -- a poisonous nut. A great nation was felled by a poisonous nut.
May Ohio State pay dearly this Saturday when it faces Michigan.

8. 88% of Bush's support came from white voters. In 50 years, America will
no longer have a white majority. Hey, 50 years isn't such a long time! If
you're ten years old and reading this, your golden years will be truly
golden and you will be well cared for in your old age.

9. Gays, thanks to the ballot measures passed on Tuesday, cannot get married
in 11 new states. Thank God. Just think of all those wedding gifts we won't
have to buy now.

10. Five more African Americans were elected as members of Congress,
including the return of Cynthia McKinney of Georgia. It's always good to
have more blacks in there fighting for us and doing the job our candidates
can't.

11. The CEO of Coors was defeated for Senate in Colorado. Drink up!

12. Admit it: We like the Bush twins and we don't want them to go away.

13. At the state legislative level, Democrats picked up a net of at least 3
chambers in Tuesday's elections. Of the 98 partisan-controlled state
legislative chambers (house/assembly and senate), Democrats went into the
2004 elections in control of 44 chambers, Republicans controlled 53
chambers, and 1 chamber was tied. After Tuesday, Democrats now control 47
chambers, Republicans control 49 chambers, 1 chamber is tied and 1 chamber
(Montana House) is still undecided.

14. Bush is now a lame duck president. He will have no greater moment than
the one he's having this week. It's all downhill for him from here on out --
and, more significantly, he's just not going to want to do all the hard work
that will be expected of him. It'll be like everyone's last month in 12th
grade -- you've already made it, so it's party time! Perhaps he'll treat the
next four years like a permanent Friday, spending even more time at the
ranch or in Kennebunkport. And why shouldn't he? He's already proved his
point, avenged his father and kicked our ass.

15. Should Bush decide to show up to work and take this country down a very
dark road, it is also just as likely that either of the following two
scenarios will happen: a) Now that he doesn't ever need to pander to the
Christian conservatives again to get elected, someone may whisper in his ear
that he should spend these last four years building "a legacy" so that
history will render a kinder verdict on him and thus he will not push for
too aggressive a right-wing agenda; or b) He will become so cocky and
arrogant -- and thus, reckless -- that he will commit a blunder of such
major proportions that even his own party will have to remove him from
office.

16. There are nearly 300 million Americans -- 200 million of them of voting
age. We only lost by three and a half million! That's not a landslide -- it
means we're almost there. Imagine losing by 20 million. If you had 58 yards
to go before you reached the goal line and then you barreled down 55 of
those yards, would you stop on the three yard line, pick up the ball and go
home crying -- especially when you get to start the next down on the three
yard line? Of course not! Buck up! Have hope! More sports analogies are
coming!!!

17. Finally and most importantly, over 55 million Americans voted for the
candidate dubbed "The #1 Liberal in the Senate." That's more than the total
number of voters who voted for either Reagan, Bush I, Clinton or Gore.
Again, more people voted for Kerry than Reagan. If the media are looking for
a trend it should be this -- that so many Americans were, for the first time
since Kennedy, willing to vote for an out-and-out liberal. The country has
always been filled with evangelicals -- that is not news. What IS news is
that so many people have shifted toward a Massachusetts liberal. In fact,
that's BIG news. Which means, don't expect the mainstream media, the ones
who brought you the Iraq War, to ever report the real truth about November
2, 2004. In fact, it's better that they don't. We'll need the element of
surprise in 2008.

Feeling better? I hope so. As my friend Mort wrote me yesterday, "My
Romanian grandfather used to say to me, 'Remember, Morton, this is such a
wonderful country  -- it doesn't even need a president!'"

But it needs us. Rest up, I'll write you again tomorrow.

Yours,

Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
www.michaelmoore.com

Friday, November 05, 2004

Discordian Book Meme

(Stolen from puckdecoyote's journal)




1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 23.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal...along with these instructions.

My result:
"This exercise is not only a way to remind yourself of your spiritual practice, but a way to notice that you have a place in the larger world."
Evolutionary Witchcraft
by T. Thorn Coyle

Wednesday, November 03, 2004

The (R)evolution begins with us...

So what have we learned from all of this?

I learned that my fellow countrypersons are afraid. Afraid of terrorism… afraid of change… but most of all, afraid of each other.

This was a campaign based on fear. The Republicans preached fear from their spin-room-pulpits, doing their very best to convince the public that the biggest threat to America came in the form of ideologies in conflict with their own. And in this they were largely successful.

But the fear wasn’t exclusive to them. Not by a long-shot. The Democrats preached their own form of fear… fear that four more years of this administration could prove to be the undoing of the very fabric of democracy as we know it. I should know, because I agree with this statement.

In the end I think that the public made a decision to not believe that things could possibly be as bad as they are… opting instead to support the candidate who, in his arrogance, at least put forward the one face that they so desperately wanted (needed!) to see: that of power and righteousness. No matter that it’s all just another lie… no matter that it was this administration that instead of protecting us made things even more dangerous… it’s the spin that counts. Why bother actually studying the issues when you can just watch the bling

To quote from Chas’ journal (who was actually paraphrasing a quote from Janeane Garofalo) “anyone who voted for Bush suffers from a major character flaw”. That flaw is giving in to fear… perfectly human… and decidedly toxic.

We are living in a country where a sizable chunk of the states have just voted to ban gay marriages. The Republican controlled House and Senate are in a good position to help the Bush administration in his neo-conservative campaign to swing this country even farther to the Right in order to satisfy their own religious and socio-economic agendas. Women’s reproductive rights are now in danger. The victories that the GLBT movements have achieved are likewise in peril. The mechanism of the current government is poised to continue the imperialist ideologies that have led us into the current global situation. Most of the world hates us now... and who can blame them? Who shall we invade next?

All this means is that we have much more work to do.

So what exactly do we do now? We vent. We lick our wounds. And then we re-group. We cannot afford to give in to fear… not anymore. That luxury is beyond us now, for there is far too much at stake. The work that we need to do is certainly going to be harder now… but as Victor Anderson once said, “Anything worthwhile is dangerous”. We need to ask ourselves if the work is worth it.

I say that it is… we need to be vocal. We need to be visible… and we cannot allow ignorance and intolerance to go unchallenged. We need to educate people left and right. We need to write letters to our local newspapers. We need to write to our Congress-people and hold them accountable. But most of all we need to live our lives. Openly and unabashedly. We need to align our Triple Souls and polish our Black Hearts and simply be who we are. Because that is the most important political statement that we can ever make. In the end the politics of the moment give way to the evolution of a culture. It is our job to be conscious participants in that evolution. We must remember that in nature evolution happens only when environmental forces become extreme and inhospitable. This observation more than any other gives me hope that we are in the beginning stages of the evolutionary process.

So, we must remain hopeful and not give in to despair. We must keep our sights on what is important, and remember to pray. For we are a powerful force. And we are not going away.

Goddess Bless America.
Goddess Bless the World.

Monday, November 01, 2004

Signed Prints available at Faerywolf.com

Because of repeated requests (and just plain common sense) I have added a shopping cart to my gallery so that you can now purchase signed prints of my artwork directly from my website via PayPal. The same shopping cart will also work for purchasing copies of Witch Eye, and (soon) for purchases on Carnivalia as well, so that purchases from all three websites can be done in a single transaction.

If you have any questions or concerns about placing an order, or an existing order, please email me at orders@faerywolf.com

Reflections (and some pics!) of my Halloween

We tend to separate our Halloween and Samhain celebrations for a couple of reasons. First, I have always been a supporter of celebrating occult holidays closer to the astrological date, rather than the date according to the fixed calendar. This gives us an opportunity to celebrate the secular Halloween complete with horror movies, blood and candy, as well as our religious Samhain, with ancestor reverence and a dumb supper. We get two holidays for the price of one!

Last night was pretty fun…went to DNA lounge with Chas for their Halloween party and met up with Daniel, Ryan and then later Thom. (I was constantly on the lookout for Thorn Coyle, as she had mentioned that she was going to attend, but I never saw her. We'll have to hang out sometime when you're not so busy being famous, Thorn!) J

The music at DNA was pretty good, although they kept playing chunks of one artist all in a row… a few songs from the Cure, then a few from Siouxie, etc. Would have been better with more variety, but still pretty fun just to groove out and watch the cool people in their costumes dancing and otherwise socializing. (I loved a particular Charlie Chaplin who really knew how to work it, and there was a sexy devil chick that, had I been straight, I would have been all over.) Then the band started playing, and while I enjoyed the beginning of their set (complete with Halloween gross-out songs) I appear to have been alone in that, as most of the group decided to take off early to walk around the City. Actually it was a good move… DNA was getting rather hot and stuffy and it was a perfect night to walk around and get some air. We then decided to make the trip back to our place in Antioch so that we could eat snacks and mainly veg-out together. Again, another good move. I really love hanging out with Daniel and Ryan. They're both so cool. We even got some pics of our Halloween costumes! Danial and Ryan went together as Calvin & Hobbes (note the Hobbes costume that Chas sewed together for him, adorned with duct-tape stripes done by Daniel! And doesn't Daniel just look adorable as Calvin? Yummy!) Chas was a jester (adorned with a hat, a mask, and a puppet, all of his own making) while I was your average Horny Gay Devil. (I know... not much of a stretch for me...)

Click images for larger views.

Daniel and Ryan as Calvin and Hobbes... SO CUTE!!! Storm, feeling dark and horny... I'm too sexy for this picture... Chas looking sexy as a jester... talented Chas and some of his creations.

Daniel ended up going home to sleep in his own bed. We crashed pratically the second him and Ryan left, and I slept like a rock… until this morning when I awoke and was reminded that one of my men was missing from my bed. L Oh well… absence makes the heart grow fonder, eh?

Today I am just catching up on housework, so… laundry, bathrooms, vacuuming, grocery shopping. Then maybe some business and art. Oh, and hopefully some good sex thrown in for good measure.