A poem

Opening the Way

Sun that shines within my chest
illuminates the moon below
that calls with lust unto the heavens
To seduce the stars
and so in rapturous love they fall.

Holy star above my head
shining down upon my path
where grows the tree of tombs and starlight
where cross the roads of worldly form.

A breath! All is One!

The liquid diamond
Rises like fire
A whirlwind of force.

A breath! All is One!

The heart that now blazes
that knows joy and sorrow
and steers a clear course.

A breath… 

Eyes of starlight.
Crown of diamond.
Aligned in power.
The Sight awakened.

A light…

From the darkness
The universe born.

A song…

from you all things emerge
to you all things return.

A form…

By the earth, Her fertile body
By the air, Her vital breath
By the fire, Her quickening spirit
By the water, Her teeming womb
By stars above,
By stones below,
And heart within
This place prepared.

Blue Fire Reiki

I am now able to offer attunements into Blue Fire Reiki in addition to the traditional (Usui) lineage. For more information, click here.

Poem: The Story of Melek Ta'us

The Story of Melek Ta'us
7/22/2010

Born of beauty and of pride
Melek Ta'us, the Peacock Angel
Gleaming jewel amongst the stars
Created from the smokeless fire.

Chieftain of the angels seven
By God so ordered not to bow
before another, before another
Adam's birth disturbs this now

As other angels turn and bow,
The Peacock Lord faces the sun
Righteous pride prevents his bowing
And so free-will has now begun

Confusion in the ranks of heaven
Conflict born from unity
A fall from grace, to fall in love
with precious jeweled humanity.

The world knows not his sacrifice
and condemns his act of will as evil
and though he strives to save our souls
still is he cast as the devil.

Even though they know him not
The Peacock Lord maintains his place
The King of Earth, a light from Heaven
The guiding star of the human race.

Seven jars have been thus been filled
with his tears to save the world,
to quench the fires of hell and loathing
to douse the flames; to wash them clean.

Melek Ta'us, the Peacock Angel
Spread your painted fan and make
the seven heavens with thunder tremble
and help us rise, so to awake.  

 

A Witch by any other name...

My article, Crafting the Warlock, is live on the Witches Voice. Check it out and tell a friend! (No, really... I want it to have lots of "hits".)  ;)

The F(a)eri(e) "Community" (and why I am against it)

It happens every so often; an issue rises to the attention of some Feri initiates that ruffles their feathers and soon people are grabbing torches and pitchforks. It's a pattern. It's predictable. You can practically set your watch by it.

This latest incarnation of ego-driven fundamentalism deals with an essay written by a Feri student. One of my students. Entitled "The Beast and the Bride: The Divine Marriage, Fetchwork, and the Feri Tradition" it is an exploration of "hedgeriding" of traditional witchcraft and how the heirogamos intersects with the Feri world view of the Three Souls and recently published in "To Fly By Night" by Pendraig Publishing. (Available from Amazon by following the link.) It is a thought-provoking piece that serves to draw comparison between myth, magic, and the practices of pre-Gardnerian witchcraft, of which Feri is most definitely a part. I read the article soon after he submitted it for the collection and, finding it to be both accurate and insightful, I gave my approval (though I let him know that my approval was not required for him to speak his truth).

Months pass. Maybe a year. Now that the book has been published it draws the attention from some Feri initiates who express outrage that a non-initiate would be speaking about the Feri tradition publicly. As a footnote, I myself spoke and wrote publicly about Feri tradition for years before I was an initiate --(See Witch Eye #1, "What is the F(a)eri(e) Tradition?") and no one ever said "boo" to me. This, in turn, spawns a discussion about secrecy in the tradition and that those of us who are moved to be more public should, "out of respect", curtail our drive toward openness and adopt a more restrictive view. It's an argument that has been around for years, and will never go away. I used to participate in the discussion, but after having been attacked and slandered several times have learned that this particular online initiates "community" is anything but. With 130+ members (and now dropping) only about half of the known Feri initiates are there anyway, and yet discussions there tend to be seen as representing the tradition as a whole, especially when accentuated with insults, lies, and rhetoric.

Often, when the issue of how the different lines of Feri should approach the issues of what is secret and what is not, the following story is invoked: In February of 2002 a meeting of Feri initiates occurred in which many things were discussed, mainly the issue of secrecy, since the various lineages each hold different material to be secret. During this meeting, one initiate (whom I love and respect) spoke from her heart about how certain liturgy was sacred to her line and only used at the initiate level but that she had encountered it outside of Feri and that it had caused her distress. In response to this another initiate stood and proclaimed that since it caused her sister distress that she now would hold this as secret as well, out of respect for her sister. Much rejoicing was made.

It was a wonderful gesture and many people felt empowered by it. But now I find that this wonderful gesture has been corrupted into a tool of manipulation and control. Let me explain...

Now, when the issue of secrecy arises this particular event is cited as being THE ONLY ONE TRUE AND RIGHT WAY that those of us trained and initiated into more open styles of worship can adopt in order to remain "respectful" of those who do not share our open view. When those of us are more open with what we share we are told that we are "going against tradition"... never mind that this IS traditional for us as this was how we were taught! We are "asked" to remain quiet and to take down liturgy, exercises, and other materials without regard to our personal drives, inspiration, or gnosis. It's a demand veiled as a request. It's bullshit, plain and simple.

The argument has been made that since some hold certain pieces of the tradition to be secret (such as the Goddesses of the Elements that were published in The Spiral Dance more than 30 years ago) then if, for example, I was to write about them publicly then it is automatically a disrespect to those who hold it as secret. I think that is quite a leap.

I have heard a lot from the side of secrecy. My general attitude has been to let people do what their true Will dictates, without judgment. This is not a value that some others seem to share. So to this I want to be very clear about my view: I think that the mindset that would encourage individuals within our tradition to demand that others adopt their world view is actually a harmful one, and because of this I wholeheartedly and proudly stand against it.

I mean no disrespect to anyone in the tradition. I love the Feri tradition and it is precisely because of this love that I teach publicly and share the tools with whomever will take the time to listen and do the Work.

I often warn my new students about "the Feri community", letting them know that there are a lot of really dysfunctional people operating within it. I'd like to think that if only they would practice the tools and philosophies that they give lip-service to then things would be better... but perhaps that's wrong. "The Feri community" is really no different than, say, "the academic community"; there is quite a large spectrum of ideas and opinions within and it would be foolish to think that there ever could be consensus.

If we think of "community" as a group of people with shared interests who also look out for each other, then Feri is a tradition that encompasses several different communities. There are major differences that go beyond even just the issue of what is secret and what is not... some lines of Feri administer Oaths upon initiation (while others do not) and yet there are those amongst those of us who did take Oaths who regularly demand that it is "the" Oath that binds us together and even use their Oath as an excuse to manipulate, berate, and intimidate those who do not share their view. (In one creepy case at least one initiate has proclaimed that they would "kill" in order to protect fellow initiates. No, I am not kidding.)

When Feri is seen as a singular community then inevitably there are those who feel that whatever anyone else in the cult is doing is "their business" regardless of whether or not it affects them personally. But we are not a singular community. In a post elsewhere Feri Priestess Valerie Walker (aka "Veedub") used the phrase "co-religionists" to describe our ilk. I think that this describes us much better without the creepy family metaphor that is often used to excuse bad behavior. 

So where is the mutual respect that is supposed to be at the heart of our "brothers and sisters of the Craft"? I've tried respectfully expressing my personal views... and listening to theirs... but the end result is always the same: "Storm, if you really respected us and the tradition then you would become secretive, too."

I do respect the tradition. Enough to transmit it just as I was taught it: as a relatively open system of tools and practices that leads (for some) into a mystery priesthood. I submit that there are many paths to respect, but denying my personal gnosis in order to make those whom I strongly disagree with more comfortable in their fundamentalism is not an option for me. If you want to be secretive... be secretive. If you want to be open... be open. If you want to be a radical, or a follower, or a leader, or a fundamentalist.. then, hell.. do what calls to you. But DO NOT expect that I will adopt your views just because you are loud and think you have numbers on your side. Even if I was the only one who felt that way that I do I would still do it all the same way. Why? Because THAT'S Feri to me. Do what thou wilt. All else is simply a distraction from the Work.

This idea that the entirety of Feri has always been secret until recently is quite frankly, revisionist history. When speaking to Cora Anderson in the years before she passed she was quite clear that there were very few secrets in Feri; that if people were more secretive in the past it was mainly due to practical concerns: back in the 50's and 60's if people knew you practiced witchcraft then there was a very real concern of you being targeted with violence. Thankfully, in the bubble that I live in (the Bay Area of California) we no longer live in that world and as a result have the ability to be more open about who we are and what we do.

As I bring this to a close let me state once again that I love the Feri tradition. It provides a system of tools and practices for cultivating one's Divine Authority, which in the end is all that really matters. Agree, disagree, try to shout me down... it doesn't matter. I return to my work and continue to do my True Will. And whether or not you agree with me I will stand up for your right to cultivate your own Divine Authority as it manifests for you.

Hoodoo and the Roots of Feri Tradition

Here's an article that I wrote a few months back that some have found interesting. Hopefully you will too. :)

Hoodoo and the Roots of Feri Tradition
by Storm Faerywolf

I am often telling my students that if they are really interested in the Feri tradition, then they need to expand their magical studies to include hoodoo. When I first came to Feri it was often described by initiates as being a "Left Hand Path". I understand this to mean that it is a path that is primarily concerned with one's material existence. Practitioners of this particular strain of magical work routinely perform magic in order to improve one's "mundane" life in a practical way, such as working for increasing one's wealth, health, love life, etc. To this we can add the obviously more disturbing (and popular) connotation of the LHP designation: it being a path of necromancy, and demonology, as well as  of manipulation --such as controlling and compelling—binding, and even the more sinister art of hexes, jinxes, and curses. A "Right Hand Path", comparatively, is one that focuses exclusively on the spiritual development/evolution of the practitioner, and usually shies away from magics concerned with the material, which it views as a distraction or even a detriment to one's "higher" spiritual nature.

My personal experience has taught me that neither path is opposed to the other. Instead of having to choose one over the other it is perfectly possible (and I would argue, even more desirable) to practice both together in order to deepen one’s spiritual practice. Practical concerns are no less important or “spiritual” than any other, even of those other concerns are wholly of divine service. That one can scarcely enjoy the privilege of a spiritual practice were it not for the money necessary for food and shelter should be argument enough for those who would otherwise insist on demonizing money in a way most befitting their inevitably Christian upbringing. Were that not reason enough to advocate the use of spells there is another: the repeated use of spells and magic will increase your spiritual power and bring you closer to your own divinity. Where an extreme devotion to the Right Hand path can at times align one’s life so that mundane concerns seem to be taken care of, devotion to the Left likewise brings you into a more balanced space between them. Like Thomas the Rhymer of the old faery lore we find ourselves where many roads meet: From that which leads from the world of men we see the road that leads to Heaven and the road that leads to Hell… and the road that leads to Faery, fittingly, in between them.

While much of what has been published and publicly talked about the Feri tradition over the past decade has been centered around its movement toward the right (which I believe has been a necessary evolution of Feri tradition work and practice) one would be remiss to ignore the more practical side to our tradition. And if for no other reason than simply holism, one would be remiss not to include hoodoo along with their other magical studies.

But a well-rounded magical education is only one of the reasons that a Feri practitioner might be advised to study hoodoo. In fact it is a significant part of our magical and spiritual heritage.

While it is generally understood that our tradition has many roots, extending back into many different cultures, some of them tend to get forgotten when the histories are retold. While much emphasis has been placed on certain European and Celtic influences of our tradition (much of which centers around the Welsh/Irish/Scots stories and their customs and beliefs surrounding the faery beings and races) our spiritual and magical lineage follows a split and parallel path. The late Victor Anderson (1917-2001) often taught that the origins of Feri go back to Africa and from there branched out into various cultures and traditions worldwide. While both of these paths originate from Africa and culminate in the United States (one directly to North America, and another indirectly via Irish immigrants) it is where these two paths reunite that is of particular interest to us here. In the hotbed of oppression that was the American south during times of the slave trade, African slaves, Native American peoples, and Irish immigrants found themselves thrust together, each practicing their own cultural style of folk magic to ease their suffering and maintain a relationship with the “supernatural”. What emerged from this cultural sharing was a unique and powerful form of syncretic magic that in the early 19th century came to be known as ‘conjure’ or ‘hoodoo’.

It should not surprise us that the Celtic folk customs and beliefs surrounding the magical use of herbs and charms were and remain to be remarkably similar to their African counterparts. After all, many of these practices originated in Africa, as that continent is known to be the cradle of civilization. From this cultural origin point a journey began that spanned the globe, leading through Europe and beyond, informing the spiritual traditions of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, to name a few, this last a major area of interest for Feri as it is often taught that the tradition comes to us via the low lands of Scotland. From there it immigrated to the United States where it eventually travelled through the south and to the west coast. Victor claimed that he was initiated as a child by a “small dark woman” from the Congo. Later he worked with the Harpy coven in southern Oregon who practiced a syncretic form of witchcraft that involved devotional practices and altered states of awareness. It is from the convergence of these streams of lore and power that our tradition comes to us, authentic and very much alive.

As if this weren’t enough reason to familiarize oneself with hoodoo as a practice, there is one more reason that I stress the importance of the practice to my Feri students: it works.

Witchcraft as a magical practice has long been about getting results. Whether the goal is to put food on the table or to achieve a higher level of consciousness, witchcraft offers some time honored and effective means to obtain ones’ desires. While some neo-pagan practitioners might be put off by the Christian overtones that often surround hoodoo, it is entirely possible to have a full and rich hoodoo practice without so much as cracking open a Bible. (With this in mind, however, I am reminded that Victor himself thought that more Pagans should study the Bible in order to learn more about their own magic.) Hoodoo itself is not a religion, but can draw upon the spiritual currents of the various religious or spiritual practices of its practitioners to the end of charging the magic with power. Hoodoo draws just as easily from the spiritual currents of Christianity for a follower of Christ, as it does for followers of Voodoo, Judiasm, or witchcraft. The spiritual connection is the required component for the conjurer to be able to cast a spell or “work a trick”, but a specific religion (or even religion itself) is not required.

Modern witchcraft (even outside of Feri) owes much to the development and practices of hoodoo, though much of it is often ignored or miscatagorized. For example, the common practice of dressing and burning candles of various colors for magical purposes is directly from hoodoo, having entered into the magical toolkit of European practitioners only after the cultural syncretism that took place in the American south.

So… we can see that hoodoo played a role in the development of Feri craft and that it offers some unique practices and lore to which we are heir. Where do we go from here? What follows is a brief list of specific areas in hoodoo tradition that the Feri practitioner should familiarize themselves in order to deepen their Feri practice.

1.      Rootwork, Spells and Conjure. The use of roots, herbs and other natural objects in magic stems back hundreds of thousands of years. By entering into energetic communion with a particular plant spirit we can better direct those energies into our spell so as to maximize our chances of obtaining the desired result. Usually there are two major schools of thought on this. In Western Occultism it is usually thought that the power resides in the practitioner and that the herbs or objects used in a spell are mere symbolic triggers to allow us deeper access to our own magical and divine potential. In hoodoo I was taught that the power resides in the plant or object itself and that the practitioner must be someone who has the gift of bringing out the spiritual properties of the objects in question. My opinion is that there is truth in both approaches. While true that in the tradition of conjure it is usually taught that the practitioner must be born with the gift, it is my experience that it is possible for this gift to be bestowed later in life, or learned by way of another magical or energetic practice such as ritual magic, shamanism, Chi Gong, or even Reiki. The practitioner, skilled at the cultivation and direction of life-force in its many forms, may then use this skill to enter into spiritual communion with the herbs, roots, or objects in question, and thus be able to direct their power in the ways necessary to bring the magic spell to fruition.

2.      Necromancy, or working with spirits. Hoodoo has a long and rich tradition of working with the spirits of the dead in order to cause change in the world of the living. Reverence for ones ancestors plays a central role in both Celtic and African cultural and magic. Both cultures developed an extensive technology for consulting the dead and obtaining their assistance to both bless and to curse alike.

3.       Crossroads magic and the power of liminal spaces. In hoodoo much is written about the infamous crossroads rite, in addition to stressing the importance of these places as being prime locations for prayer and magical work. In addition to the crossroads, other spaces of liminality (where two worlds meet and intersect) include seashores, bridges, and graveyards, as well as certain times, such as dawn, dusk, and true midnight.

4.      Sex magic. Both Feri and hoodoo recognize the primal power of sex and its use in magic. Where hoodoo teaches how to increase and harness one’s sexual power or “nature”, Feri explores how to better direct that power, as both communion and celebration of the divine presence within corporeal pleasure.

5.      Divination. Cards, stones, candles, bones… in witchcraft as well as conjure the art of reading signs, omens, and symbols is an integral part of magical practice. In most cases readings are done prior to any magical working to ensure the best course of action. While individual disciplines offer much in the ways of preparing a student for their particular method of divinatory skill, hoodoo, being open to any and all forms divination and psychicism offers some unique perspectives on the process. Everything is read in hoodoo; cards, tea leaves, the drippings of a candle… conjurework, like witchcraft, encourages the cultivation of a “magical awareness”, a state of mind in which the current of events, energies, and possibilities can be partially glimpsed so as to better inform the individual.

6.      Attitude (Binding, Reversing, Hexing, Jinxing, and Cursing). Both hoodoo and Feri tend toward the amoral, leaving the development of personal ethics to the persons involved. That said, both make no qualms about doing whatever is necessary for self defense. Sometimes your best defense is a good offense, and you may need to kick some ass in order to protect you and yours. Whatever your personal take on the practice, the art of cursing is something that every witch and warlock should be familiar, if for nothing else than to be prepared in the event we find ourselves on the receiving end of one. The simple and straightforward approach to hexing found in hoodoo is amongst the most potent and reliable if put into practice.

Whether for academic curiosity, cultural exploration, or personal development, I hope this brief examination may serve as a means to inspire others to seek out the rich, beautiful, and potent magical practices espoused in hoodoo and the traditions of conjure and be able to draw further inspiration from the supportive resonances these seemingly different paths share. For more information about hoodoo and the practices of conjure I heartily recommend you explore the resources of Lucky Mojo http://www.luckymojo.com where you will find the writings of cat yronewode. Her correspondence course in rootwork and hoodoo magic is unparalleled and if nothing else will serve as a means to strengthen whatever sorcery work you may be practicing. For more information about Feri tradition, please visit http://www.FeriTradition.com.

©2010 Storm Faerywolf
www.faerywolf.com 

Classes at The Sacred Well

I am happy to announce that this fall I will be teaching classes in Oakland at The Sacred Well.

Join me in September for :

Introduction to the F(a)eri(e) Tradition
Thursday Sept 9
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
$25

The F(a)eri(e) tradition is a mystical path of spiritual development unlike any other.

An initiatory mystery tradition of modern witchcraft passed down by Victor and Cora Anderson and those who have been initiated in a lineage tracing back to them, hallmarks of Feri include shamanic practices, as well as specific symbolic, meditational and inner exercises. A highly personal path, it has old and strange roots that include influences or similarities such as Huna, Afro-centered spirituality, Celtic symbolism, sexual mysticism, esoteric Christianity, Middle-Eastern mysticism, ecstatic practice, and others.

In this class we will learn how Feri differs from other paths of the Craft, and explore some of the core tools of self-development as well as sorcerous exploration.

Foundations of F(a)eri(e): The Iron Pentacle
Thursdays Sept 23 to Oct 28
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
$200 for 6-part class

The Iron Pentacle is one of the most important tools of self-transformation that the Feri tradition has to offer. In this six-part class we will delve each week into the five points of Sex, Pride, Self, Power, and Passion, to see how they play out in our lives and where we might be holding resistance or losing our power.

Using chanting, energy-work, and ritual we will invoke this powerful symbol and cleanse our relationship to these powerful points of consciousness. The final class will be a ritual of connection, release, and self-possession.


***


And then in November I will be offering Reiki I and II there as well:

Reiki I
Monday, Nov. 1
5-9pm
$100

Reiki is an initiatory form of traditional Japanese energy practice used for both healing and spiritual development. A Reiki practitioner has been energetically attuned to channel a spiritually guided form of universal life-energy which facilitates the healing process and quickens spiritual evolution. In this introductory class you will learn some of the history and practices of Reiki as well as receive a Reiki Level One attunement, complete with certification (Mailed to you after the class is complete).

Reiki II
Monday, Nov. 29
6-8:30pm
$200

Reiki is an initiatory form of traditional Japanese energy practice used for both healing and spiritual development. A Reiki practitioner has been energetically attuned to channel a spiritually guided form of universal life-energy which facilitates the healing process and quickens spiritual evolution.

A Reiki Level Two practitioner has had traditional symbols ritually placed into their energy-body, thus widening their channel for the Reiki life-force energy, and giving them special tools for working with the Reiki energy in deeper ways such as working specifically with mental and emotional issues as well as performing sessions via long distance. You will learn the three traditional symbols of Reiki 2, along with some practices for working with Reiki in new ways. Class will culminate in a Reiki Level Two attunement, complete with certification. (Mailed to you after class is complete.)

***

I hope to see some of you there!

UPDATE

I have released a "preview version" of my latest article for Witch Eye, "Crafting the Warlock". You can see it here.

The print version will contain artwork and a ritual. Stay tuned for details!

UPDATE

I have updated my class schedule for the summer.

This summer I will be offering the following classes at The Mystic Dream:

• Reiki I
• Reiki II
• Making Mojo: Spell Pouches for Practical Magic
• Holy Writes: Written Spells and Sigil Magic
• Candle Magic: An Introduction to an Ancient Practice
• Advanced Candle Magic
• Journey Into Faery
• Soul Alignment
• Spiritual Cleansing & Protection

Check the links above for more information.

Also, as of today (7/6/10) I have just 1 space left for my in-person, 2 year, once-monthly F(a)eri(e) Tradition, Level One class to begin THIS SATURDAY at 12 noon at The Mystic Dream. If you are interested, get in touch with me ASAP. Cost is $200 per semester, or $40 per month. Download, print, and send in (or drop by) an application to the store.

New F(a)eri(e) Tradition Class forming...

Crossposted to :

I have decided to start a new in-person Level One BlueRose Feri tradition witchcraft training course to begin July 10, 2010 at my store in Walnut Creek, CA.

BlueRose Feri Training with Storm Faerywolf
Level One
(4 semesters: Roughly 2 Years, monthly sessions)    
$200 per semester, pre-paid -or- $40 per month
Location: The Mystic Dream

This foundational class deals with the basics of Feri practice. Using discussion, guided trance, energy work, art projects, and ritual, we will experience various aspects of the tradition culminating in the establishment of a Feri tradition spiritual practice. Students who complete this course will receive a certificate of completion. This class does not offer Feri initiation. All Three Levels are required for consideration of initiation into Feri tradition.     

Covered topics include:

* History of the Tradition
* Meditation
* Cleansing/Kala
* Aligning the Three Souls
* The Iron and Pearl Pentacles
* The Black Heart of Innocence
* The Elements of Feri
* Opening the Crossroads
* Spellwork, Sorcery, and the Left Hand Path
* Basic Feri Ritual/Casting the Circle
* Working Tools
* The Guardians
* The Divine Twins
* Basic Sex Magic
* Ancestral Work
* The Infinitum (Gods of the Feri Lemniscate)

Each monthly session consists of an optional open ritual on the 2nd Friday night of each month, with a 4-6 hour private session the next day (Saturday), followed by an occasional private ritual that evening. Students will have access to my private class email list and will be expected to make regular check-ins to the group detailing their current work. Students who complete this course will receive a certificate of completion and be eligible for enrollment in my Level Two course. To apply, please print and complete the application and mail to:

Faerywolf
1437 N Broadway
Walnut Creek, CA 94596

If you have any questions please email me or call 925-933-2342 during business hours.

Storm Faerywolf is an artist, writer, poet, teacher, healer, and initiate of the F(a)eri(e) tradition of witchcraft. He has been practicing the Craft for nearly 25 years and teaching for more than 15. He has lead open circles, given lectures, and taught classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the U.S. He holds the Black Wand of a Master Sorcerer, an honor bestowed by several initiates from different lines of the tradition, most notably Feri Grandmaster Cora Anderson. He has studied diverse practices from various branches of the tradition which he incorporates into his own line of Feri, BlueRose. He is the author of The Stars Within the Earth, and is the editor of Witch Eye: A Journal of Feri Uprising. For more information about his classes or his art visit his website at www.faerywolf.com.

Post-Pantheacon thoughts (2010)

I sit here this morning in my store, sipping coffee and taking a moment to reflect on all that happened during the convention this year. I was so happy to be able to see so many friends, many of whom I don't see any other time, and (as always) was happy to have made some new friends as well. True, some "staple" people were not able to make it this year, and they were missed (Christopher, Steve, and Adam, this means you).

It was a bit of an acrobatic act, making sure that everything was covered at home so that we could go, and part of this circus event was that Chas was to stay and run the shop by himself for the weekend, while our boyfriend, Devin, and I went to schmooze, and generally promote the store.

I had one presentation: The Dance of the Peacock Angel, which was well attended. (I heard anywhere from 75 to 100 people in attendance.) This was part exercise, part ritual in which we invoked the Divine Twins as the Red Serpent (as our primal life-force, our shadow, and immanent spirit) and the Blue Dove (as our beauty, our light, and our transcendent spirit). While drummers provided a backdrop of sensual sound, a couple of my students embodied the Serpent and the Dove in intuitive dance, while I led the other participants to connect to these dual powers on their own. After some time summoning these powers to just beyond our own bodies, we called them in so that they could move through us and meet in our hearts, where they made love and merged together, becoming (as the lore in some lines of our tradition dictate) Melek Ta'us, the Peacock Angel, lord of beauty and of pride, lord of light and of darkness, he who is humanities' fullest potential. After allowing this energy/being to manifest within us we allowed him to unfurl his tail feathers and expand our sense of presence as we looked into a mirror carried around the circle by the Twins, and as we gazed in we contemplated the words of our Peacock Lord: "Behold how beautiful I am!". Then we allowed that presence within to dictate our movements, and we sang and chanted and danced the Blue God into being, before allowing the power to settle down, and generally closing the space.

I got some really good feedback (and would love more) but I wanted to address one thing that I heard second hand. I was told that some were confused as to something that I described during the Serpent invocation. Specifically, the Serpent rising from the earth below to emerge from the surface of the earth to just under our perineum, hissing and ready to strike. I heard that this made some people uncomfortable and they were confused (and maybe even potentially upset) by the imagery. To this I want to be very clear: IT WAS *SUPPOSED* TO BE DISTURBING. :) It is, after all (as I described before the rite began) our guilt, our shame, our fear: our SHADOW. If your shadow doesn't disturb you then guess what? It's not really your shadow, but a convenient mask that you use to cover it up. Feri isn't interested in coddling weakness, but in exposing it so that we can learn from it, work with it, and integrate it fully into our system so that we can utilize the fullest extent of our power.

This year was the first P'con experience for our boyfriend, Devin. He assisted me in my presentation by keeping me on time (a little too well, perhaps, but everyone seemed to have had enough time to get their work done and at least I wasn't late!) as well as by selling by books and magazines after it was over. I got to have my "rock star moment" by signing books and such (always a strange experience for me) and then we had pretty much the rest of the con to hang out and "see and be seen". ;)

I didn't attend very many things this year, but I am glad I got to go to the Dustbunnies Ol' Time F(a)eri(e) Tent Revival, which (contrary to the popular belief of those who have never attended) was not a parody, but an actual, meaningful, and powerful ritual that would have made Victor & Cora proud. It used methodology and imagery not commonly associated with rituals of the Craft in such a way so as to get right into fetch and work its magic. The sermon was about love; how it can raise you up, and tear you down, and even referenced briefly my presentation with the Serpent, Dove, and Peacock (thank you, Brother Philip). Singing, dancing, and a Halle-fuckin'-lujah later and a good (and transformative) time was had by all. Good work, Dustbunnies! You are doing the (Peacock) Lord's work. :)

I also got to attend a Sex Magic workshop by Donald Michael Kraig, which had some good bits but ended up really sounding more like a commercial for his books than anything else. Oh well... he did have some good things to say and he was funny. I loved the power-point presentation when it came to describing the power of the perineum and a huge image of a man's naughty bits became emblazoned upon the screen, with a little star superimposed on the spot in question that came to life with sparkles and fire! That got a laugh.

I was happy to get my (limited edition) copy of Heart of the Initiate: Feri Lessons by Victor & Cora Anderson. There are some real gems in this little book. You can order copies from Air and Fire. Hurry! Once they're gone, they're gone!!! EDIT: They're gone. :(

One thing that I would have liked is more time to hang out with some friends... I just didn't have enough time! My pledge for next year is to plan a bit better so I can better connect with everyone.

All in all a good time was had by all... I am really wanting to make sure that we do a GLBT Hospitality suite next year, though. Brotherhood of the Satyr needs to get organized (and have a fund raiser) I guess.

Oh, also: I started a Fan Page for myself on Facebook. Please (if you are so inclined) "Become a Fan". It will be easier for me than managing a huge friend's list comprised mostly of people I don't know.

Thanks!
 

The Stars Within the Earth

Awhile back I posted an announcement letting people know that my book, The Stars Within the Earth, was now available from Amazon.com. I asked people to post a (hopefully nice) review, if they were so inclined... and a couple of you did. But then Amazon (or Lulu) did something funky and the link that lead to my book started showing up as "Currently Unavailable" even though under a NEW link it was all fine.

The problem is that the new link has zero reviews. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. That's where you come in.

Please, if you are so inclined, (and if you have something nice to say) please review my book on Amazon. I'd really appreciate it. :) And if you already posted a review, do you think you could copy it over to the new link/entry?

Thank you so much!

New Tarot Images

It's been awhile since I've updated my blog... well... I really don't have anything all that terribly interesting to say, expect perhaps maybe here are a few new images from my tarot collection.

New images: The Moon, Three of Swords, The Page of Cups, The Devil ... and new versions of The High Priest, The Emperor, and The Empress!

More to come later...