The recent Memorial Day weekend got me thinking about the pentagram. Why? Well, read on... For as long as I can remember, my teachers (and innumerable books) have claimed that the "upright" pentagram is a positive and spiritual image. It's upright. What could be more positive than upright? It's used as a symbol for Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism. It's used for protection as in the famous Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram as well as in other rituals. It is said that the five points of the pentagram represent the five elements: Fire at the lower right, Earth at the lower left, Water at the upper right, Air at the upper left, and Spirit at the top. What a great symbol this

Readers, please enjoy this guest post by Sally Cragin, author of The Astrological Elements. [caption id="attachment_2614" align="alignright" width="147" caption="Image by Zoe Timms Photography"][/caption] One of the really-cool aspects of having a book is bringing it directly to the people in the hopes they will buy your book. Sort of like an infomercial, but live. As a typically indecisive Libra, I decided the best way to go with "my product" is to go full-speed-ahead and find something in (*plug#1!!) The Astrological Elements that will appeal to as many people in the audience as possible! Yes, totally shameless. But look at it this way. Isn't it nicer to be served a piece of cake

Corrine Kenner and Katrina Wynne both suggested that I write about MATS. First of all, you can get all the juicy details here. Also, there are lots of other gatherings that I should at least mention, because not everyone wants to come visit Minnesota, although I don’t know why (because it is quite fabulous here AND you’d be here for the State Fair, which don’t tell anyone, but I love almost more than anything). Bay Area Tarot Symposium Readers Studio (this link is to the 2010 conference; the info for 2011 will be up soon!) Tarot Association of the British Isles (at which yours truly will be teaching two workshops) Tarot Professionals Conference (Tarosophy) I am sure

Now that my blog at Llewellyn is up and running, I'd like to share a bit about my perspective on spirituality -- where I come from and what I've come to believe. Chakras, auras, spirits, and psychics? Five years ago, I would have said no way, no how. Today, my answer is always a curious maybe. You Llewellyn fans probably knew this already. Are you glad I finally caught on? I grew up without spirituality, religion, or much a higher power of any kind. As an ex-Catholic turned nature-worshiper, my mom decided she'd never force religion on me. I read books, hung out at the library, and ran around the park with friends. It's no surprise I studied literature and eventually got a master's