Marley's Ghost - One Love

Here they come! Marley's Ghost!!!!
Appearing August 7 at 7:30 PM in Monterey at Monterey Live (831) 375-5483
Appearing August 8 at 7:30PM in Berkeley at Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse (510) 548-176

Here's a little taste of them at Strawberry on Gospel Sunday...

Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot

A dear friend posted this on a list and I just had to proliferate it! It says nearly all I can think of to say about the human community and where we can 'go' from here.

Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.

-- Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, 1994

Neil Gaiman talks about Lovecraft

I was hunting about on YouTube and came across this interesting interview clip with Neil Gaiman talking about Lovecraft. As some of you may know, H.P. Lovecraft's work seemed to have an influence during the formative years of the Craft in the 20th century... or maybe it was the other way-round, and we had an influence on his writing? 

Here's Neil's interview:

Phython meets Star Trek

If you are a fan of Knights and legends, the Monty Python fellows and of the original Star Trek this You-Tube is a must see!

OMG...LOL

Witchcraft in the Elizabethan Age

I've noticed that some folks seem to be posting the same tired and limited information on the web about Witchcraft in the Elizabethan Age. It was a really good time for Witches to stay underground about their private practices and to profess links to Christianity for their health and well-being. Drawing upon my knowledge of the period, I turned up this very wonderful little piece about a handwritten book of shadows written in 1590.



I am writing an article on my website about this rather exciting time in the Age of Witchcraft. Remember, Queen Elizabeth would regularly consult with Dr. John Dee before she made many major decisions. Practicing Witchcraft in the Elizabethan Age was challenging at the very least, but the Queen always kept her "Astrologer" very close!

Worldwide Web 2.0-the easy way

Hey folks, this a very informative and easy to understand video about

the new Community Worldwide Web 2.0 ... enjoy! 

My friend friend, Mead Rose turned me on to this. His website is New Earth Arts website.

Blessed Beltane 2008

Shifts and Changes as the days grow brighter and warmer....
I had the pleasure of celebrating Beltane twice this weekend. On Saturday, the 3rd, with Community Seed group. I joined with many folk in "dancing and drumming and singing up our creativity", which was the theme of this event.

Then on Sunday, the 4th, FireDrake Grove folks celebrated our Beltane here at Dragondale. The Hunters 'hunted' the pole and brought into the Circle where the Gatherers stroked it with magickal oils and topped it with a ring of ribbons before they stood it erect. It was then the task of the Hunters to entertain the Gatherers with tall stories, songs and boasts, which was very well done. The Gatherers then picked from the Hunters their favorite to become the "Jack-of-the-Green" and to be wrapped to the pole with the ribbons as we wove them, weaving the energy of our joy and laughter into the Earth. Our "jack-of-the-Green" this year was one of our newest participants who was having a birthday that very day and told a marvelous story. After releasing our "jack" by unwinding the ribbons to just above her head, we indulged in a sweet treat of puddings and wine. The puddings were presented on a platter with it's very own little Maypole, from which the spoons dangled on ribbons. Goddess praise our magnificent Cake Maker! The Circle was filled with beautiful folk splendidly topped with head wreaths we created before the ritual began. And ... we danced *barefoot* on a circle of grass planted as sod only 4 weeks previous. Hooray for the Green!

On Monday, I joined many other Feri folk and kin to celebrate Cora Anderson's life at a memorial service in her honour in Hayward. The shifts of her passing will ripple for some long time. Blessings to you, Cora, your gifts and your kindness will live on thru your Kin.