When I was very young, because of the death of my father, my mother, brother and myself were very poor. My grandfather had made a deal with the bank (they did that back then) so we could stay in our house until my mother was able to get her life together and earn money. Still, although we had a nice, small house, we lived in poverty for a long time. I remember driving in our old, smelly (the upholstery was molding) Plymouth to the Fairfax district where my uncle worked in a butcher shop. I believe he probably gave us food for free or at a deep discount. I always hoped to get a piece of spicy, smoked meat known as a "schtickle for a nickle." For me that was a great treat. My "new" clothes

In recent days I've been thinking a lot about alternative forms of divination. Most of you reading this are familiar with Tarot and astrology. Some of you may also be familiar with how to use runes, palmistry or ways to "read" a crystal ball. There are, however, some lesser-known forms of divination that are every bit as powerful as the better-known methods. One form I've been looking at has intrigued me since my parents took me to L.A.'s Chinatown when I was a child. It's a sort of silly, fatalistic game consisting of a bunch of narrow wooden strips each having a number printed on it. These were all kept within in a cylindrical container. You'd think of a question and shake the

I live in Southern California, about 30–45 minutes from the City of Pomona. Pomona was founded in 1888 on a trade route used by indigenous Americans. In the 1700s it was known as the Rancho San Jose. Later, it became known as the Mission San Gabriel Grazing Lands. It was later "given" (albeit not by the rightful inhabitants or owners) to two Spanish soldiers. By the 1800s it became known for its rich citrus crops, and when train transportation arrived in the 1870s, its future was set. Today, Pomona is highly urbanized. Its big money maker is the Los Angeles Fairgrounds, known as the "Fairplex," which includes a horse racing track. My wife Holly and I are planning on going to the Los

The tools of magick—wands, chalices, robes, altars, pentacles and more—can be daunting to an aspiring magician. If you read some books such as those involved with Solomonic magick or Enochian magick, these are just the beginning tools. If all you want to do is perform a few spells or begin to move along on your magickal path, that's a lot of stuff to find or make. Some of the things that are required for more advanced, specialized, or group work can be expensive (banners, triangles of the art, rings) and rare (a lion-skin belt). When I started with magick I was eager to obtain all of the appropriate tools. I sewed my own robe. I built an altar. I bought an expensive dagger to be my