Jesus the Sorcerer

Exorcist, Prophet of the Apocalypse

By Robert Conner

£12.99/$25 isbn 1869928954

The most complete summation to date of the New Testament evidence for magical practice by Jesus and the early Christians.

The very notion of Jesus being a sorcerer runs so against the grain of the Western cultural myth that even non-Christians are likely to find it far-fetched or even vaguely disturbing. Nevertheless, scholars steadily accumulated evidence for magi-cal practices in the New Testament throughout much of the 20th century . It is that ever expanding body of knowledge that has made this book possible.

This book examines the following:

The nature of the earliest Christian documents, the defects of their trans-mission, and the evidence for the suppression of descriptions of magical acts.

The closely related problem of the New Testament accounts as historical sources.

The radically apocalyptic nature of Jesus’ message and the expectations of the early church.

The failure of the apocalypse to occur and the theological reaction to that failure.

The role of magic and mystery religion in early Christianity.

A revisiting of the story of the “beloved disciple” and what it may tell us about Jesus and suppression of evidence about his life.

Contents:
Documentary Evidence / Infancy Narratives / Confrontation / Resurrection as Ghost Story /Apocalyptic Prophet / Apocalypse Postponed, / Magic and Mystery, / Jesus the Magician / Spirit Versus Spirit, / Ecstatic Inner Circle, / Christian Mysteries, / Secret Gospel of Mark, / Beloved Disciple, / On the Use of youth in Magic, / Apocalypse, Magic, and Christianity, / “son of David.” / Mary Magdalene

R.I.L.K.O

A Short History of Myth (reviewed by Tom Bland)

See end for details of SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE workshop

Karen Armstrong Canongate Books, 2005

Myth is one of the most important subjects for those of us who are interested in spirituality, as myth is a way of describing spirit. For me, there is no difference between spirit and vision, for to encounter spirit, is to encounter a vision of the spirit. Myth is a way of describing the vision, of bringing it into the world, so it can be seen through the world.

An example of this can be seen in the writings of St. Paul, who encountered the spirit of Christ in a vision on the road to Damascus. The vision is always paradoxical as it embraces the tangible and the intangible. On the one hand, it is a vision that is so present, it appears as a tangible presence, but on the other hand, it is intangible, composed of light. Light is a perfect metaphor for visionary experience, for it has substance and transparency to it.

One of the writers Karen Armstrong often refers to in her work is the scholar of esotericism, Henry Corbin, who writes on gnosis in Islam. He writes:

We are dealing with visions, theophanic visions. There is an actual perception of an object, of a concrete person: the figure and the features are sharply defined; this person presents all the ‘appearances’ of a sensuous object, and yet it is not given to the perception of the sense organs. This perception is essentially an event of the soul, taking place in the soul and for the soul. As such its reality is essentially individuated for and with each person; what the soul really sees, it is in case alone in seeing.(1)

Those of us who have had visionary experiences will find our own experiences reflected in Corbin’s words. He describes something quite special in his writings on gnosis. Paul’s vision would certainly be theophanic in essence, although his vision, recited in churches, is only one exoteric expression of such an experience. In his quote, Corbin is referring to the visionary experiences of a group of women, described in the apocryphal Christian text, Acts of Peter, where each of them sees a different Christ, but their visions are united in a common luminosity.

Armstrong is a very readable writer with a vivid and compelling style. Her sources for her books are truly wide ranging from the exoteric to the esoteric, which can sometimes occur in a single paragraph. Although her work is not gnostic, she refers extensively to gnostic currents in the Abrahamic faiths, revealing their mythic and visionary dimensions. In A Short History of Myth, she refers to the kabbalists’ visions of the sefirot as representing an ‘unfolding revelation’ of the divine names of God. (See p. 110) The wonderful phrase, unfolding revelation, is an apt definition of gnosis.(2)

She reveals that myth is still very much present within commonly held faiths, and shows that the polytheistic roots of these traditions, have not been lost, but simply forgotten. She is asking us to remember where our traditions come from, to see into the histories of our beliefs, ideas, thoughts and feelings. It is about understanding the myths of God and the Gods. Her book is about the myths that we live with. It is particularly about those that deepen our presence in the world. She writes:

A myth, therefore, is true because it is effective, not because it gives us factual information. If, however, it does not give us new insight into the deeper meaning of life, it has failed. If it works, that is, if it forces us to change our minds and hearts, gives us new hope, and compels us to live more fully, it is a valid myth. Mythology will only transform us if we follow its directives. A myth is essentially a guide; it tells us what we must do in order to live more richly. If we do not apply it to our own situation and make the myth a reality in our own lives, it will remain as incomprehensible and remote as the rules of a board game, which often seem confusing and boring until we start to play. (p. 10)

I imagine most people with a sense of the spiritual will be able to resonate with her words. I find in it a series of questions concerning myths I live with, in particular do they enrich me and allow me to grow and become? Are they still valid and do they still resonate with me? I won’t bore the reader with my responses to them, but I say this, to show that Armstrong is concerned with myths in an experiential sense, which is, she says, one of the best ways to understand myths.

I find one of the most fascinating aspects of her work, and one that I think is of the utmost importance to us in the present age, is that myths are not fixed in time, but change through history. Although certain archetypal themes can be said to be transhistorical, like a notion of oneness, myths that reveal such richly rewarding themes, manifest in different ways in congruence to the changing nature of history. She writes:

There is never a single, orthodox version of a myth. As our circumstances change, we need to tell stories differently in order to bring out their timeless truth. In this short history of mythology, we shall see that every time men and women took a major step forward, they reviewed their mythology and made it speak to the new conditions. But we shall also see that nature does not change much, and that many of these myths, devised in societies that could not be more different from our own, still address our most essential fears and desires. (p. 11)

And now, I want once again to turn to the vision of Paul. But before I do I first want to quote a contemporary storyteller, who said to me, ‘Stories are about making connections.’ In this regard, he seems perfectly in congruence with Armstrong. In the language of storytelling, she is asking us to address an important and valid question, ‘Do the myths we live with, connect with us?’

I think the question is not so much about believing, or even an accepting a myth, but instead being inspired by a myth. It is about being inspired to tell a myth, not only to myself, but to others who I connect with. One of the myths that intrigue and fascinate me is the myth of Jesus and the resurrection. I see it as being a myth about the nature of the divine living and dying as we live and die. It is a myth that I had a dream about, read through gospels (including the gnostic ones), and discovered a myth I resonate with, even though I am not a Christian.

For me, Paul reveals something of this way of interpreting the myth of Christ. He considers Christ a visionary experience. Armstrong writes:

St Paul did the same with Jesus. He was not so much interested in Jesus’ sayings, which he rarely quotes, or even in the events of his earthly life. ‘Even if we did once know Christ in the flesh,’ he wrote to his Corinthians converts, ‘that is not how we know him now.’ What was important was the ‘mystery’ (a word which has the etymological root as the Greek mythos) of his death and resurrection. Paul had transformed Jesus into a timeless, mythic hero who dies and is raised to new life. After his crucifixion, Jesus had been exalted by God to a uniquely high status, had achieved ‘ascent’ to a higher mode of being. But everybody who went through the initiation of baptism (the traditional transformation by immersion) entered into Jesus’ death and would share his new life. Jesus was no longer a spiritual figure but a spiritual reality in the lives of Christians by means of ritual and the ethical disciplines of living the same selfless life as Jesus himself. Christians no longer knew him ‘in the flesh’ but they would encounter him in other human beings, in the study of scripture, and in the Eucharist. They knew that this myth was true, not because of historical evidence, but because they had experienced transformation. Thus the death and the ‘raising up’ of Jesus was a myth; it had happened once to Jesus and was now happening all of the time. (pp. 107-8)

So, we can see that myth is not about believing it, but living it, and being transformed by it. My dream of the resurrection led me to an insight, that the divine reality lives and dies, for it is a mirror of the world. It exists throughout the world, and experiences itself through the world. I am able to tell this myth, for I have, in some small sense, lived through it, through the dream I experienced.(3)

I think in some respects this is what Armstrong is advocating in her books, for in them, she retells the myths, revealing their importance for our postmodern times, making a case that we have not left myth behind, but simply that we have forgotten its presence, through overt rationalism and an abandonment of the senses. I cannot agree more with this, and I’m sure anyone who picks up A Short History of Myth, will find a rewarding work that speaks to them.

Notes:

1) Henry Corbin, ‘Divine Epiphany and Spiritual Rebirth in Ismailian Gnosis,’ Papers from the Eranus Yearbook, Volume 5, Bollingen, 1964, p. 70.

2) Gnosis is a Greek word that translates literally as ‘knowledge,’ but figuratively means something more akin to ‘insight.’ It is essentially an unveiling of the divine, which lead to insights concerning the origins of the spirit. See Elaine Pagel, The Gnostic Gospels, Penguin, 1990.

3) Such dreams are common to many people undergoing life changes. Petruska Clarkson writes on this in her essay, ‘Metanoia: A Process of Transformation,’ in her book, On Psychotherapy, Whurr, 1993, pp. 67-9.

---

SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE

An Afternoon Workshop

‘There is a light within a person of light
and it shines on the whole world.
If it does not shine it is dark.’
The Gospel of Thomas

An afternoon workshop for anyone who wishes to have a deeper sense of spirit within his or her life. We will be opening a space wherein we can bring spirit into being as a shared experience. We shall do this through specific exercises, such as reading from the heart, storytelling, dialogue and meditation. In this way, we hope to cultivate qualities associated with spirit, like intuition, inspiration and insight.

Facilitator: Tom Bland is a writer, storyteller and group leader. He has a passion for wisdom stories and sayings. He is deeply influenced by the writings of Carl Jung.

Date: 2-6 pm, Saturday 3rd July Cost: £20
Venue: Jung Club Library, 1 More’s Garden, 90 Cheyne Walk, London. The nearest tube is Sloane Square.
To book a place, please contact Tom at inward@... or 020 8686 4373.

The Winter/Spring 06 issue of Ashe Journal is now available at http://www.ashejournal.com

This issue brings together a eclectic collection of spiritual fiction.

Authors include: sritantra Farrell Davisson Craig Laurance Gidney Jay Michaelson Jason Hodges Malcolm Dixon

Plus reviews of Jack Parsons, Oracles of the Dead, The Kabbalistic Tarot, Baba, The Bull of Ombos, Love's Rite and more.

How To Make Your Own McOTO CD

Actually the entire contents is rather interesting - as indeed is the much improved (optional) soundtrack by Pink floyd - 'Shine on Crazy Diamond' which seems appropriate somehow.

The eponymous 'How To Make Your Own McOTO' also known as The OTO Phenomenon Part I by well known researcher of European quasi-masonic cults, P.R.Konig. Back in the 1980s I published several fascicules of Konig's work in Nuit Isis Magazine - some being translated from the German by Shantidevi. I believe that these, along with a lot more did eventually find there way into a published volume which has since disappeared from the bookshop - either because of complaints or more likely just sold out. So it's probably quite handy to have this PDF version available. I remember at the time not being as keen as some on the material - which was well researched but to my eye seemed to be 310 pages of footnote fodder.

This new CD has facsimiles of Theodor Reuss' transcripts of the rituals plus Aleister Crowley's handwritten O.T.O. rituals. Also: Crowley's handwritten Golden Dawn and A.'. A.'. rituals, plus his handwritten ritual for the "Order of Thelema".

But don't worry - if you're not particularly interested in the minutia of OTO history from the pen of one of its most devoted critics, there is a lot of other really handy stuff on this CD including The Blue Equinox.

First published in Detroit in 1919, the legendary Blue Equinox was Crowley's first attempt to publicize the principles and aims of the magical secret society Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) and its allied order the A.A. In it, Crowley laid out the esoteric, social, ethical, and philosophical ideas that he believed provided the framework for a new ethics and the liberated morality of the future. Upon publication, the book was threatened with suppression by the authorities of the day. Many of the papers in the Blue Equinox anticipated social liberties we tend to take for granted today.

PDF Presentation of: Miscellaneous. A collection of documents relating to Aleister Crowley, O.T.O., and Sex Magick. Includes: OTO Rituals Sex Magick: Parts I, II and III. Francis King's 'Secret Rituals of the OTO'. LIBER AL., 777., SEPHER SEPHIROTH. and The Scented Garden.

There is also a fine collection of tasteful pictures - many that are quite rare and seldom seen in books. As before, because the producers are not without humour, several, if not all, have been modified rather in the manner of those 'What the Butler Saw' machines of the past. What's that perched on Kylie Minogue's shoulder - surely it can be - yes it is - AC's helmet! I know these photos have given pleasure to millions - but at the risk of sounding a moaning mini, I'd repeat what I said before in that once you start airbrushing, you do tend to undermine the credibility of the whole series. I was also disappointed that the print function seems to have been disabled - which is a tad inconvenient. But these are mere quibles - for the price its an incredible bargain and will considerable lighten the workload of the academic audience for which this product is destined. If you really want a copy go to http://www.tobew.com/SR.

BTW the first and massive first printrun of the special edition postcard set has already sold out - hardly a surprize as they only did two! The editors promise to do more next time. - Mogg Morgan

Bride's Dreams

Each task of healing, all growth and development gets done by your dream.
You are engulfed in dreams when you sleep and when you wake.
It is your dreams which clothe all memory, define all hope
And nurture the germinal essence of all that is to come.

As a baby floats in the waters of life,
Your mind is large with innocence and unknowing -
Forever steeped in your dream, coloured by your dream,
Immersed, supported and quickened by the sensational love and power of your dream.

Sometimes you may feel lost and sometimes found,
Crossed and crippled, you may touch the ground of your being:
You have been fed through your attachment to your dream
And you will continue thus to feast or starve.

The flow and pattern of your breath, your blood and your spirit
Is both shown and hidden in your dream.
Your path in life is shaped and scraped by your relationship with your dream.
And you are connected to the world only by the nature of your dream.

I can speak in this space in the tongue of dreams:
Stir the passionate heat of love's need and reward,
Fulfil subtle desires be they deep, dark or sparkling,
Inspire tumultuous vocation and ferment wild freedoms!

Just tell me your dream and let yourself be …
Healed and held by that which scares you,
Nourished and refreshed by that which oppresses you,
Stimulated and moved by that which disturbs you.

Engender and enfold within you courage, joy, compassion, love.
Pay heed and homage to your fears, your loathing and despairs.
For your dreams are the momentous and fabulous axioms of your true being
In this time.

jenniespin
January 1998/February 2006

The OTO in Tring

The UK Grand Lodge of Ordo Templi Orientis has chartered Nefertem Camp to operate in Tring, Hertfordshire. We will be running open (and closed OTO only) rituals, as well as free workshops on magic(k) and associated topics. Our meeting space is very near the station, so easy to get to from areas on the line out of Euston.

If you're interested in finding out more about the OTO or our camp and would like to be kept informed about our events do get in touch and feel free to spread the word!

Email nefertem@..., and/or join our livejournal community, at http://community.livejournal.com/nefertem_camp/ - we also have a webpage at http://www.nefertem-oto.org, although that's under development at the moment.

Our first open meeting will likely be an open Pentagram Ritual workshop on 20th May, but we'll be confirming that at a later date. All pagan/magicky types from the nearby area will be welcome to attend, it's free entry.

Groups

Conferences Gatherings

Battle of the Beanfield

21st Anniversary Reunion at the Assembly Rooms, Glastonbury on Thursday June 1st
(see www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,2763,1504893,00.html for history).

There will be a showing of the documentary `Operation Solstice' plus other films, an exibition of photos and a talk about the legacy of the Beanfield by Andy Worthington, memory corner plus DJs and general party.
Ff:Jo at jimwaterworth@... or Phone 01458 834405 / 07761 321341
Be there or be square !

SPIRITED AWAY!

Presents: THE 3rd ANNUAL SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION IN PENDLE PENDLE WITCH CAMP
SUMMER SOLSTICE 2006 From Noon on FRIDAY 23rd JUNE ­ Noon on MONDAY 26th JUNE

SPECIAL GUEST from U.S.A. ­ Lady Passion
Author of ŒTHE GOODLY SPELLBOOK : Olde Spells For Modern Problems¹

Summer Solstice Ritual conducted by Runic John (Shaman¹s Apothecary)
TALKS WORKSHOPS
RUNIC JOHN ­ Seidr: Northern European Shamanism
SUZANNE WHITE ­ Trusting the Tarot / Making Magical Candles
SCREECH OWL ­ Pagan Death: Dying With Honour
OLIVER ROBINSON ­ Sacred Brigantia Trust
TREB0R ­ PaGaianism
MARTIN HAZEL ­ Ritual and Visualisation
LEL HOYLE ­ Shamanic Power Animals
PAUL WATSON ­ Cults Freewill
ANGELA SOUTHAM ­ Paganism the Family
DERYN ASHBY ­ The Theatrics of Ritual
MIKKA THE PAGAN ­ The Divine Goddess
MARTIN EVANS ­ Wand/Staff Making Workshop
MIKE CADMAN ­ Drumming Workshop
JACKUS ­ Dream Healing
MEL ­ Chakra Workshop
DEREK PLEWS ­ Sentry Circle Project
ACTIV8 ­ Wandering Poetry
JOANNA KATE ­ Yoghurt Weaving Workshop
MARK HUGHES ­ Our Changing Environment
SAMANTHA LYCETT ­ Fairy Craft

FIRESIDE ACOUSTIC MUSIC
Josh, Dawn, Southend Bill, Mabel Blue,
The Hootenannies, Marcus James, Mrs Cakehead

STALLS
Murgens Keep, Shaman¹s Apothecary, Widdershines
Weirdigans Café Fireshow Sweat Lodge
ADULT TICKETS (18 and over @ £25 each)
YOUTH TICKET (11 to 17 years old @ £17.50 each)
CHILD TICKET (10 and under @ No Charge for 1st two, then £10.00
each) DAY TICKETS AVAILABLE @ £15.00 per day
Tickets available via website
www.penwitchcamp.co.uk

Esoteric Conference occult book fair

The Esoteric Conference occult book fair is at the Assembly Rooms Ludlow Shropshire Uk on sat 10 June 2006 10.30am-6pm. Tickets £10 pay Verdelet PO Box 58 Craven Arms Shropshire SY7 8WG see also www.theapothecaries.com

Speakers are Nigel Pennick on 'East Anglian Witchcraft', David Rankine 'John Dee and the Enochian System',
Geraldine Beskin 'Spare his Occult Art', Guy Ogilvy 'The Alchemical Artes', Prof Rotherham 'Arthur the Matter of Britain'.

There will be several 2nd hand occult book dealers present and as customary there will be a no dolphin/new age policy. Interest is running high and early booking is advisable. Please do not hesitate if you require more information.

The Lammas Games

Braziers Park
Ipsden
Oxfordshire
Saturday
5 August 2006
noon to midnight

The Lammas Games is a annual charity fundraising event held in South Oxfordshire. At the heart of the games is the Eisteddfod bardic contest for the prized Spear of Lugh. This year we will be raising funds for: Event highlights will include:

Eisteddfod Bardic Contest of Stories, Poetry and Music Games, Stalls and 5-a-side Football to take part in Real Ale Bar and Local Wines Vegetarian Organic Food Café Live Music and Storytelling throughout the day Druid Lammas (harvest) Ritual and Wedding Talks given about the Charities Display of Homage to the Goddess

http://www.lammasgames.org.uk/index.html

THE MERCIAN GATHERING

1st, 2nd 3rd September 2006
Pagan Camp in the Magical Heart of England
Weekend of talks, workshops, magic, ritual, entertainment, camping and fun in the Pagan spirit
Held near Nuneaton, Warks, UK [exact location will be sent with tickets]

SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Michael Dames [Taliesin's Travels]
Nigel Pennick [tba]
Prof. Roland Rotherham [The Grail and the Importance of Relics]
Dr Craig Brandist tbc [The Invention of Tradition]
Anna Franklin [tba]
Bob Trubshaw [Sacred Sites]
Drac Uber [Vodou]
Paul Mason [Illustrated Lecture]
Sara Lee-Smith [The Witch as Shaman]
Rudi Unt [Mediumship]

WORKSHOPS INCLUDE
Silversmithing [Wayne Danewood]
Wand Making [Martin Evans, back by popular demand]
Casting Sticks [Dave Smith]
Flute Making [Dave the Flute]
Herbal Products [Anna Franklin]
Divination [Ayn Tatterhood]
Tarot for the Bewildered [Mary Clarke]
Bardic Workshop [Gary Brienholt]
Stav [Graham Butcher]
Qi Gong [Don Kavanagh]
Journey Through the Cabala [Ann Harris]
Vision Quest [Mick Summer]
Herb Walk and talk on herbalism [with medical herbalist Emma Eastham]

PLUS
Stalls
Archery [extra sessions this year]
Flaming Labyrinth
Wicker Man
Fire shows with Faieena and Rob's Fire Show
Stilt Walkers
Rituals led by Anna Franklin and the Hearth of Arianrhod
Café
Toilets
Wood-fired showers
Children's area with workshops and games
Free holistic therapy tent [reiki, crystal therapy, Indian head massage, reflexology, herbal consultations, etc]

Music
Entertainment with Ash and Ian
Bardic contest [prize of handcrafted silver and blue John cloak pin donated by Wayne Danewood]
Bardic performances
Sunday Market
Viking re-enactment
Tarot readers TABI and Lesley Vann [for a small donation which goes to the charities]
New Anchor Morris Men
New Art Tent
See below for camp rules and environmental policies

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
Sales close 1st August 2006. Selling fast! Get your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Adult £35, child under 16 £12, under 5s free Includes all camping, workshops etc
No day tickets this year- weekend tickets only
Send a cheque payable to 'The Mercian Gathering' to PO Box 12, Earl Shilton, Leics, LE9 7ZZ, UK, include SAE and write your name and address on the back of the cheque. Tickets also available from Spellbound, Abbey Street, Nuneaton, Warks.
Or buy online now
Adult £35
http://www.merciangathering.co.uk

The Big Green Gathering 2006

As the highlight of the annual calendar for thousands of members, activists and supporters of the Green movement, Britain's largest and liveliest Green event returns. This festival offers many of the greener highlights that you might find at Glastonbury or Womad, with the emphasis on a healthy family-friendly atmosphere.

Music, in at least three renewably-powered venues, is eclectic. Rather than concentrating on big-name bands, there is a wide range of genres on offer including traditional folk, well-dread stylie reggae, hip hop, and carnival to Eastern European and tribal dance. Performances take place in the Croisssant Neuf tent and on the Small World Stage and others. Some of the bands have now been confirmed. Click here for details.

There are substantial safe spaces for healing, holistic health workshops and therapies; poetry, comedy, cabaret, and burlesque dance in the theatre areas; singing, dance, drumming and drama workshops; a Green Futures Forum; Green Markets and Crafts area; sustainable homes and permaculture areas; vegetarian food only - and mostly organic; kids' areas for all ages; the bike-powered Groovy Moovie tent; and Rinky-Dink, a mobile cycle-powered sound system.

TICKETS: These are now available to buy online They cost £90 (£95 after 1st May). There's an extra charge for vehicles (£5 - motorcycles, £25 - cars + £25 - caravans /£40 - campervans with an extra £5 charge for vehicles over 5m long) although disabled parking is free. You will still have to pay at the gate if you don't get a pass when you buy your ticket. here... http://shop.big-green-gathering.com/

5th Annual Witchcraft Seminar 2005 (review)

Last year it was 'Faulty Towers' this time 'Little Chef'. The Witchcraft Seminar brought to you in this, its fifth year, (from Jerry Cottle's Wookey Hole.) Even without the glittering cast of speakers, to be able to perform a Hekate fire ritual in the caves, was in itself a bit of a breakthrough. The new owners, well known circus impresarios, with brands such as The Circus of Horrors (soon to be seen at Witchfest), are keen to open the place up and indeed develop it as the spooky/wookey theme park.

First up was Cassandra Eason, her topic, the power of nature, may not have been rocket science (for that you need Jack Parsons), but she was a good sport, warming the audience with a homely style. She finished with an invitation for members of the audience to charge her crystal ball!

Things really begin to loosen up when cunning and mild man of the woods 'Jack Daw' treated us to an urbane journey through the ins and outs of traditional witchcraft - question: 'does a spell return on the sender'; answer: 'only if you regret it'.

More musick to end that days formal session. Evocative lirics drifting our way, glimpsed through the door, as a 'Robert Plant' lookalike, Damn the Bard, strutted his stuff on the mandolin. The musick followed us into the cave. Mesmorised by the cave's resonance, I sang and chanted - only pausing to wind my horn, when as Nemty, the ferryman, I summoned those hardy souls to the invocation of Hekate.

That nite the ritual - 'nuff said - see the pictures, then fish chip supper, and a New Orleans blues band (Hollow Bones) - well Glastonbury actually - but really good - especially the PVC clad gogo dancers. Some were less than impressed by the missmatch between the Legba veve and the Ghede cabaret - others said that it was the spirit that mattered - and there was plenty of that.

I had to drag myself away from the breakfast table gossip just in time to see my old friend, Chaoist and now born ag'in runester Ian Read - looking as dapper as ever - he apologised to me before laying into one of our published theories on Seidr and Seething. His highly engaging talk was on Galdr - (spell casting) - although he admited Seething (Seidr) was a dynamite technique - although some of the 'old guard' have still to bite the bullet, swallow their pride and admit, despite what some supposed 'academics' say, that Jan Fries is right about it afterall. It's a recurring theme these last few years - kind of special pleading some feel they need to make before the altar of academe. Goes like this - 'RH might not agree with this, but I'm going to say it anyway.'

And now the end is near - and to round off, is Cornish wise woman Cassandra Latham. I'd never heard her before and although she might not make it to the cover of the latest Witches and Witchcraft (come to think of it neither would I) - what she said would knock most of those teen witches into the top hat she happened to be wearing. She certainly won me over.

All in all, a fantastic weekend. And that even without that ritual - but there again - you had to be there. Well done to Adrian and Ann (www.witchcraftseminar.com) for another roaring success. Next year it's Waterloo - I mean The Wellington in Boscastle - be there - or else I'll review your event! - mogg