Several years ago I was the editor-in-chief of FATE magazine. It was really a thrill to do that because I had been reading FATE since I was a kid. One of the topics that was always of interest to readers of FATE was the aura. For the Llewellyn Encyclopedia I wrote this about the aura: [The aura is an] emanation or set of emanations that extends around objects and animals, including the human body. There are multiple beliefs as to the number of different types of auras that extend around the body. Some say there are seven, others say five or three. The aura extends from just above the surface of the skin out to infinity. It becomes more and more ethereal as it extends further from the

David Godwin is a brilliant fellow. He's a true expert on all things magickal and his knowledge of esoteric lore is second to none. Most recently he has been working as an editor for FATE magazine and has dug through their decades of files to create three books for Llewellyn, True Ghosts 2, True Ghosts 3, and True UFO Accounts. I was the editor of FATE for three years, so I have a soft spot in my heart for all things ghostly and extra-terrestrial. If you have an interest in documented and sworn stories of ghosts and UFOs these books make great reading. David Godwin David also wrote one of the most important books ever for all occultists. One of the basic concepts in virtually all occult

I have been remiss in my postings because I have been working hard on upcoming books. Oh, you all have so much spookiness in store for 2012! But I felt I should pass along a tidbit that was in Friday's Writer's Almanac. On this day in 1947, the first widely reported UFO sighting occurred. Experienced pilot Kenneth Arnold sighted "a formation of very bright objects" out the window of his plane while flying over the Cascade Mountains of southern Washington state. The Chicago Tribune printed his account on the front page two days later: "The first thing I noticed was a series of flashes in my eyes as if a mirror was reflecting sunlight at me. ... I saw the flashes were coming from a

110 Years of Spiritual Development Part 3 of a 3-part Series Read Part 1 HERE ...........Read Part 2 HERE Going by the Gut. Massive Growth. Unlimited Potential. Historic Overview of Growth of Occultism and Spirituality In my previous posts in this series I have associated historical events with the advancement of spirituality in the West and the growth of Llewellyn. I contend that to really understand what was going on requires this three-fold approach. Therefore, to fully comprehend the development of Llewellyn and its impact on worldwide (and especially U.S.) spiritual growth between 1961 and the present begins with understanding the changes over time in the numbers of people