Recently, there has been a great deal of blog-flutter concerning whether astral initiations into magickal groups are valid (see, for example, here, here, and here). I'd like to share my ideas as this topic has clearly struck a collective nerve. What is an initiation? According to the free, online Llewellyn Encyclopedia, here is the definition of initiation: A ritual or event that indicates a spiritual and/or psychological change and movement to a new period in life or a new awareness. Traditionally, the candidate for initiation would symbolically die and be reborn into this new way of being. In some traditions, being initiated is supposed to confer various spiritual powers. In magical

I’m going to be interviewed by Dorian Wallace on his Blog Talk Radio program, Desperate Housewitches. Date: Friday, July 12 Time: 9:00 p.m. Eastern— 6:00 p.m. Pacific Here’s the LINK to the show's blog. Here's the LINK to the live show. You can listen through your computer from anywhere in the world. Be sure to tune into this exciting, live program.

Yes, the first prediction contest is still on. The person who makes the most accurate prediction will win a Tarot deck of his or her choice, and that may be chosen from all the decks offered by Llewellyn. To read all of the rules and make your entry, please go to this LINK. This contest will run for several more months. At that time a winner will be selected from among the entries on the page at this LINK. Don't wait until the last minute! A prediction made in January for an event that occurs in December will be considered as stronger than the same prediction made later in the year. Be sure to include dates or a date range when you think your prediction will take place and remember, the

I have the wonderful luck of being able to provide several services to Llewellyn. As you may know, I write some books, I'm an acquisition editor, and I write this blog. What you might not know is that I'm also the editor of Llewellyn's free, online encyclopedia. As the editor of the encyclopedia, my work involves tracking down terms that are associated with occultism, spirituality, the paranormal, and more. Then, I have to assure myself the definition of a term is accurate. Only when this is done do I actually place it in the encyclopedia. The encyclopedia was already started when I became the editor and made my first set of new entries in 2005. Today I made my 50th set of entries,