It almost always happens that when I go to any event, someone tells me they'd like to write a book. Sometimes their approach is one of looking for advice. Sometimes they are more aggressive ("I can write a book better than that!"). I always encourage them and offer to help. This is because when it comes to occult books, there really isn't any competition. You see, I don't know of anyone who buys just one occult book. When someone gets one of my books they end up buying books from other writers. And if they buy a book by someone else, they eventually get one of my books, too. Even if someone is writing on the same topics as I do, their book is publicity for my books and my books are

In this blog I have repeatedly pointed to the difference between what I call "true skepticism" and debunking. When a person is a true skeptic, he or she simply holds a neutral position and requires proof before accepting or rejecting a theory as to why something occurs. For example, is reincarnation a reality? For a true skeptic, the proof that goes "beyond a shadow of a doubt" simply doesn't exist. That doesn't mean reincarnation isn't a reality, just unproven. It doesn't mean we cannot act as if reincarnation is a reality and make use of information gained from past life experiences in our current life. Indeed, I believe we not only can do so, but as a hypnotherapist find it to be a very

Many years ago there were two bookstores in Hollywood that I would frequent. One, just east of Cahuenga on Hollywood Blvd, was Gilbert's Books. This was a full bookstore that offered both new and used books. It also had a large selection of occult books, some of which were quite unusual and rare. I've heard that Israel Regardie used to quietly hang out there, listening amusedly to what some self-styled experts would say concerning those occult books. When going book shopping in Hollywood, I'd hit Gilbert's first. It was a slightly further trip than to the second store, but its prices on rare and used books were more reasonable. The second store, Cherokee Books, was also on Hollywood

Happy Beltane, Everyone. Beltane, occurring at the mid-point between Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice is always a wonderful Pagan holiday, filled with joy and exuberance, both for children—with games such as circling the Maypole—and for adults who will be playing, uh, more adult games to bring the summer in. Dancing Round the Maypole From A Little Pretty Pocket-Book by Isaiah Thomas, 1767 Beltane is one of the Pagan holidays not fully absorbed as part of Christianity. As most of my readers know, holidays on the Christian calendar are almost exclusively taken from earlier Pagan holidays. The goal was to get Pagans to worship the Christian God. "Oh, you're not really worshiping the