Welcome to the 25th edition of the Edge of the Circle Newsletter. This newsletter has come about as an effort to reach out to the Pagan/ Occult community (particularly in Seattle where we are based) to inform the community of what events are happening at our store. I’ve got great plans for this newsletter. Hopefully, as time goes by, it will only get bigger and better. Without further ado, welcome, and enjoy.
Regards,
Erica (Raven) Branch-Butler,
Editrix
WHO WE ARE:
Edge of the Circle Books is Seattle’s resource for Paganism & the Occult. This newsletter seeks to provide the Seattle community with a place to list events, post articles, and do a bit of networking. We are at: 701 E. Pike St, corner of Boylston Ave., just two blocks west of Broadway, on Capitol Hill. Edge of the Circle Books strives to be everything that you could want in a Magical Pagan store.
Open 7 days a week, Noon 'till 9pm.
Call: 206-PAN-1999
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Edge of the Circle Newsletter is looking for writers and artists! Our Focus has been on the Pagan community, Sabbatic Witchcraft, Hoodoo, Western Ceremonial Magic, African Traditional Religions, Asatru and Heathenry, Wicca, Celtic Paganism and more obscure aspects of the Occult. If you have an article or art to share, please email golanv1@yahoo.com with “Newsletter” in the subject line. Please send only original material. All Copyrighted material will be honored and credited to/as the property of the original writer.
BOOK REVIEW:
ATHENE: VIRGIN AND MOTHER IN GREEK RELIGION
BY PHILLIP BERNHARDT-HOUSE
Greetings all!
Just a few reviews I did today of books I read over the last few weeks, all of which have at least some relevance to the Antinoan sphere (if you look or think hard enough!). Enjoy!
Karl Kerényi, Athene: Virgin and Mother in Greek Religion, trans. Murray Stein (Woodstock, CT: Spring Publications, 1996).
Like all of the shorter books by Kerényi, often published in these translations by Spring Publications, my major complaint about this book is that it is too short, and that I could have done with another fifty or more pages because it was so good. I'm not particularly close to Athene myself, nor do I have much experience with her;
but I've noticed in the course of writing poetry over the last few months that almost all of the Romano-British goddesses are syncretized to Minerva, Athene's Roman/Etruscan counterpart.
There are a number of connections in that regard I'm still considering, including the flametending that took place in Athens by Athene's (married) priestess, but it was Hephaistos' flame and it was used in the phratria initiations of young men in Athens. I'm also fascinated by the idea that apart from Demeter and Gaia, Athene is one of the only Greek goddesses who is given the "mother" epithet, even though the idea of her being a "virgin" seems to be emphasized in many myths; even Artemis of Ephesus is just a helper with motherhood, and not a mother herself--interesting point!
So, as usual, Kerényi's work is inspiring and has propelled me to look at a number of things I had not previously considered. I wish I could say more about it than that at this stage, but quite a lot has happened since I read this in late May, and I'm somewhat blanking on a bit of it now. Anyway, it was good, and I recommend it to anyone interested!
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NEW BOOKS:
THE FLAMING CIRCLE
by Robin Artisson (Author), Peter Paddon (Illustrator)
List Price: $21.95
Paperback: 452 pages
Publisher: Pendraig Publishing (July 11, 2008)
BOOK BLURB:
"A Regeneration of the Pre-Christian Spiritual Worldviews and Religious Practices of the Holy Isles."
This book is very different from anything Robin Artisson has written so far, for a very special reason: it is written in the tone of a father to his children. This book is a gift for his children, full of things he would want them to know and things he would want to tell them, to help them through their lives. The book is closer, more intimate, and warmer than most of his work.
But it includes massive amounts of material regarding native British Isles (Britain and Ireland) traditional Paganism and spiritual ecology, and native Gods and Goddesses. Tons of scholarly backing and personal inspiration, as well as a wide and complete selection of traditional Pagan philosophical "points of guidance" are offered, as a father would want to offer his most beloved offspring. A full working reconstruction of the pre-Christian polytheistic religious perspectives and practices of Pagan Britain and Ireland is "taught" in its pages, like a guidebook and a long letter/narrative being sent from father to children.
There is a long occult tradition of such exchanges. All are invited to listen in on a man telling the most important things he can tell his children, and hoping that they remember these things when he is gone and they have children of their own. A very personal project, but one he has wanted to create and write for years, and it deals with years worth of material he has collected.
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POWER AND PRINCIPLES OF THE RUNES
List Price: $19.95
Trade paperback
Publication: April 2008
BOOK BLURB:
This Rune book is written for complete beginners.
Whereas 'Northern Mysteries and Magick presupposes some prior knowledge of Asatru and Runes, 'Principles of the Runes' starts at the beginning and really should have been written ten years before 'Northern Mysteries instead of ten years later.
The only slight criticism of 'Northern Mysteries' ever leveled is that it is inaccessible to people not well versed in Northern and Magickal lore.
This latest book fills in the gap between scholars and psychics; it is somewhat less academic that NM but offers a lot more practical applications for psychically gifted people, enabling them to access the beauty, power and simplicity of the Runes.
More divination and counseling techniques are offered to assist beginners and adepts alike to develop the skill of giving readings to people.
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RUNES FOR TRANSFORMATION: USING ANCIENT SYMBOLS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE
by Kaedrich Olsen
List price: $16.95
Paperback: 229 pages
Publisher: Weiser Books (August 2008)
BOOK BLURB:
Runes have long been used as vital tools for transformation. The Norse employed them as tools for communication, and the Vikings would use them as wisdom before embarking on a journey or entering battle. Runic scholar Kaedrich Olsen reclaims the transformative power of the runes for readers today as a key to unlocking our potential for personal growth and our life's vision. Runes for Transformation is unlike any other rune book on the market, with Olsen's unique techniques and applications for this ancient alphabet including affirmations, NLP, visualizations, and meditation, as well as the historical background essential to embarking on this path. A highly respected teacher and transpersonal path worker, Kaedrich Olsen posits that the time for this "deeper working" of the runes has come and this will aid readers in both personal and collective evolution. Runes for Transformation is a rich resource and excellent guide for readers to take the steps to change their lives with a boldly modern approach to the ancient runes and for "change that really matters."
About the Author
Kaedrich Olsen has studied the runes and Northern mysteries for over 20 years. He also studied spiritually based hypnotherapy and Shamanism in order to become a transpersonal hypnotherapist. Within this practice, he applies runic wisdom to develop powerful techniques his clients use to transform their lives. Kaedrich lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife and two daughters, where he is an accomplished leader in the Nordic spiritual community.
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SUPERNATURAL ASSAULT IN ANCIENT EGYPT
by Mogg Morgan
List Price: $24.99
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Mandrake (May 1, 2008)
BOOK BLURB:
You're in your bed. It's dark, you hear footsteps coming up the stairs and into your room. There's someone there - a presence. They lie on you or beside you, perhaps even gripping you tightly, crushing you into the bed. You can't move. There may be a sound, a grunt or a strange smell. Time passes, you are paralysed with fear. Eventually the entity changes, perhaps expanding or contracting, moving away from you, sinking to the floor. With a great effort of will you manage to move the tip of your finger, then the hand until movement returns to your whole body and the experience ends. You have been visited by the old 'hag'.
Dreams, the real theatre or perhaps battlefield of magick, influenced by cosmic tides that ebb and flow through us as they did the ancient Egyptians. Over the millennia we have lost contact with these tides, and stand alienated from Nature.
To restore that first 'Eden' we must undertake an exercise in the archaeology of knowledge. We must reconstruct the ancient Egyptian Wheel of the Year, revealing archaic, predynastic Mysteries, the Lunar Mysteries of Horus & Seth.
Contents: Kiss of the Vampire / Origin of the Vampire Myth / Egyptian Psychology / Lucky and Unlucky / Supernatural Assault/The Wheel of the Year in ancient Egypt/The Lunar-Stellar Calendar of Horus & Seth/Deities attending the Northern Constellations / Oracles & Lunar Omina / Lunar diary
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SHADOW MAGICK COMPENDIUM:
EXPLORING DARKER ASPECTS OF MAGICKAL SPIRITUALITY
by: Raven Digitalis
Paperback
Llewellyn, September 2008
List Price: $19.95
Embracing the darkness is part of divine balance.
Everyone has a shadow, a dark side. Exploring the shadow self is not only safe, it's necessary for balance and healing. The author of Goth Craft invites you down a unique magical path for navigating inner and outer darkness and harnessing the shadow for spiritual growth.
Shadow Magick Compendium sheds a positive light on this misunderstood and rarely discussed side of magical practice. There are ritual meditations for exploring past experiences, dispelling harmful behavior patterns, and healing a fractured soul. Learn how to safely fast and perform other methods of self-sacrifice, invoke a deity into yourself (godform assumption), get in touch with your Spirit Animal, take advantage of the Dark Moon and eclipses, and perform a unique ritual with your television for a new perspective on society. From astral journeys to sigils to dark herbs, you'll find an array of magical techniques to navigate the shadows and mysteries of yourself and the world at large.
FROM THE PUBLISHER:
In depth description: Shadow Magick Compendium: Exploring Darker Aspects of Magickal Spirituality
In the Depths of the Soul Is an Awesome Power...The Shadow!
Everyone has it. It lurks just behind the veil of consciousness. It's your dark side. It's the thoughts you don't want to acknowledge you have. It's what the psychologist Carl Jung called "The Shadow."
Shadow and Light cannot exist independently of each other. Light results in shadow. Without shadow, you would not know there was light. To stay on only one side, light or shadow, results in imbalance, and without balance there is no true power.
The Shadow we each have is neither good nor evil. It simply is. Unifying with it brings balance to your life and spiritual healing. The Shadow is powerful. And you can use that power to empower your magick.
In Shadow Magick Compendium, Raven Digitalis drives magick to a new era. He dispels the myths of the Shadow and uses its concepts to bring a new, more powerful paradigm to every aspect of magick. In this book you'll learn how to tap into that primal energy and literally blast your way to new levels of magickal power.
• Learn the path of the Shadow and ways of perceiving darkness
• Discover the power of fasting as a form of self-sacrifice
• Analyze and learn to overcome harmful behavioral cycles
• Practice invocations and the assumption of Godforms
• Perform shamanic soul retrieval
• Learn new and obscure forms of divination
• Discover the keys to making magickal sigils
• Work with spirit animals
• Uncover the powers of dark herbs
• Learn to use the power in lunar and solar eclipses
• Celebrate dark holidays such as Samhain and the Day of the Dead
With Shadow Magick Compendium, you'll be able to stare into those parts of you that you've been avoiding, become whole, and find more inner power than ever before.
The Dark Joins With the Light
In virtually all spiritual paths there is symbolism of these two sides of our being. You find them in the pillars of ceremonial magick lodges, the priest and priestess of Paganism, the Yin and Yang of Taoism. This unification of the Shadow and the Light is everywhere. And following the old hermetic saying, "As above, so below," this unification should be within you, too.
Shadow Magick Compendium not only shows you how to do this, but also how to make use of it in your life. As such, it is completely unique in the world of spirituality, magick, and the occult, yet it is also harmonious and familiar. Our minds recognize what we need.
The book is composed of five sections. In the first, on the Internal Shadow, you will learn how to unite with your Shadow, along with purging its unwanted negative aspects. The second section, on the External Shadow, teaches you how to bring that unity, peace, and power outside of yourself and into the world. The third section discusses the Astral Shadow. Here you will learn how to manifest your newly found powers on the astral plane as you learn such things as astral projection and how to meet your spirit guides and other non-physical entities.
The fourth section covers the Shadow of Nature, where you'll learn about the dark cycles of the sun and moon as well as some special herbs. Finally, the last section looks at the Shadow of Society, where you'll learn about what happens when the Shadow is denied and gets out of hand, resulting in such things as the Burning Times.
If you have not been as successful in your magick as you would like or if you have been dissatisfied with your life, Shadow Magick Compendium may hold just the answers you need. Its techniques do not replace what you know: they amplify, balance, and improve them. At the same time they can heal, balance, and bring peace and power to your life.
Author Bio: Raven Digitalis
Raven Digitalis (Missoula, MT) is the author of Shadow Magick Compendium: Exploring Darker Aspects of Magickal Spirituality and Goth Craft: The Magickal Side of Dark Culture (Llewellyn). He is a Neopagan Priest and cofounder of the "disciplined eclectic" shadow magick tradition and training coven Opus Aima Obscuræ, and a radio and club DJ of Gothic and industrial music. Also trained in Georgian Witchcraft and Buddhist philosophy, Raven has been a Witch since 1999 and a Priest since 2003.
Raven holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Montana and is also an animal rights activist, black-and-white photographic artist, and is the co-owner of Twigs & Brews Herbs, specializing in bath salts, herbal blends, essential oils, and incenses. He has appeared on the cover of newWitch magazine, is a regular contributor to The Ninth Gate magazine, and has been featured on MTV News and the ‘X' Zone Radio program.
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CALENDAR: SEPTEMBER
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH
Celtic Reconstructionist Study Group 7-9PM
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12TH
RAVEN DIGITALIS
AT EDGE OF THE CIRCLE BOOKS
Raven Digitalis, author of Goth Craft and the forthcoming Shadow Magick Compendium (Llewellyn, September 2008) will be signing copies of his books at Edge of the Circle Books on Friday, September 12 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.
Please stop by to meet Raven, and/or have your book signed by the author.
For more information call: 206.PAN.1999.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH
Voudoun discussion group, 4pm-7PM , Free.
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 14TH
“Have you always wanted to learn energy work to heal yourself and others? “
Reiki Level I Classes
Shandalla L. Rigby will be holding a Reiki level 1 class on Sunday, September 14th at 12:00 PM at Edge of the circle Books. Only 7 students will be allowed to attend, so please RSVP--(206) 280-3353
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22ND
Aquarian Tabernacle Church Presents: Mabon Ritual, open to all, 7-9 PM. Free.
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ONGOING:
HOLY WELL CIRCLE
http://www.holywellseattle.org/
Open Circle, Wiccan
Meets at the Edge every Sunday from 5PM -8PM
Subject Line: Holy Well
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SERVICES AVAILABLE AT EDGE OF THE CIRCLE BOOKS
TAROT READINGS /SPIRITUAL ADVICE
UnCommonSense Tarot
Tarot readings
Erica (Raven) Branch-Butler
Please inquire about Tarot Parties, classes and other events.
Available every day except Wednesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-8.30PM.
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Kelly Marjorie Kelleher
Daughter of the Ancients
Psychic, Healer, Muse...
Thursdays at Edge of the Circle Books
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Edge of the Circle Newsletter is looking for writers and artists! Our Focus has been on the Pagan community, Sabbatic Witchcraft, Hoodoo, Western Ceremonial Magic, African Traditional Religions, Asatru and Heathenry, Wicca, Celtic Paganism and more obscure aspects of the Occult. If you have an article or art to share, please email golanv1@yahoo.com with “Newsletter” in the subject line. Please send only original material. All Copyrighted material will be honored and credited to/as the property of the original writer.
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This concludes our Newsletter for this month. Look for us again on the first of October.
Sincerely,
Raven
Editrix, Edge of the Circle Books Newsletter
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