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2005 March 28, 2007: Finished reading The Nag Hammadi Library, edited by James M. Robinson, and added my review of it to the Library. I also wrote a follow-up aritcle to "Fairwell To Dionysus." It's entitled, "Breathing The Divine." May 10, 2007: The book has begun. Down at Beltane, I made a promise to Pan, my patron deity. The promise itself is between him and me. But I will share this one detail: it was a bargain. It is so difficult to understand our deities. Some people think that to gain talent, they must sell their soul to some so-called "devil." Others think that devout and slavish service to another deity will gain them some sort of reward. The truth is, it's a little of both. Today marks the day of the beginning of my book, "The Chrysalis Soul." The subtitle, at the moment, is, "Science, Religion & The Unified Path." I'm using the phrase (Unified Path) to illustrate a (hopefully) novel approach to self-transformation. Blessed be, and enjoy. March 15, 2007: Finally got around to writing book reviews. New to the Library are Awakening to the Sacred by Lama Surya Das; Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh; The Analects of Confucius by Arthur Waley; The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles and Stations of the Sun, both by Ronald Hutton; The End of Faith by Sam Harris; and pure piece of drivel called Witches: True Encounters With Wicca, Wizards, Covens, Cults, and Magick by Hans Holzer. I'm also on MySpace! My band (After Never) is going to be in Bloomfield, Indiana on Saturday the 17th for a St. Patrick's Day gig. January 11, 2007: It's been an interesting month since I last updated the Lair. I haven't read much, or done much for that matter. The only update I've got is something I wrote on the home page. Not everything I write needs to be an article on spirituality. What I've written is sort of a medical update. It's more like the conclusion to a month of pain, pills, ER visits and blood labs. I learned that I had pancreatitis, which is basically an inflammation of the pancreas. The doctors pretty much figured I "drank" myself into the condition. While this might make it sound like I'm an alcoholic, you should know a few things. First of all, I'm not. Secondly, alcoholics don't usually get pancreatitis. And third, I'm just very unlucky. Actually, the pessimist in me says that. The optimist says that if we all learn from mistakes, I'm on my way to pure genius! December 10, 2006: Changed the look of the navigation buttons on the left. Removed the "Rituals" section, since I've only posted a single ritual on that page in the two years this site has been up and running. I also added something which should prove to be more interesting: The Random Media page. This is where I will post links to news stories, video, and general entertainment that I feel you should see. It could piss you off, or it could have you laughing your head off. But it won't be a waste of your time. Just a part of my effort to keep you wanting to come back and visit the Lair. December 7, 2006: Removed a vendor link formerly located under the Daily Deity frame on the home page, and replaced it with a link to WitchVox, which was moved from the left hand side to make room for a much overdue front page link to Our Haven! A note to visitors who don't know me that well: None of these links are paid advertisements. They are simply links to places I feel are worth your time to check out. I have a Links page, but links on the Home page are especially wonderful! So GO! Check them out! What are you still reading this for? I also wrote another article (on the Home page) called "The Many Paths." It's a spinoff of an upcoming article of mine in If Journal, but it was inspired by some intolerance I've witnessed in recent years within the Pagan community itself. I reveal no names, because names aren't as important as the ideas that need to be addressed. I hope you read with an open mind! November 19, 2006: Added book reviews to the Library for: The Pagan Book of Living and Dying by Starhawk & M. Macha NightMare, Dreaming The Dark by Starhawk, Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witches' Sabbath by Carlo Ginzburg, The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion by Mircea Eliade, Rights and Symbols of Initiation by Mircea Eliade, and Shamansim: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy by Mircea Eliade. Whew! October 21, 2006: Changed the color scheme around a bit. It was time for a change, and the new colors represent the darker and more mystical time of year we are entering. It also reflects the fact that I actually had time on my hands to do some html coding! I also got rid of that hideous picture of myself on the About Me page. Not that the new one is any improvement, but hey, you can't win 'em all. Or . . . . . can you??? October 15, 2006: Added my review of the Odyssey by Homer and to the Library. September 30, 2006: Added my reviews of On The Good Life by Cicero and The Iliad by Homer to the Library. September 12, 2006: Added my reviews of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and Compendium Maleficarum by Francesco Guazzo to the Library. Is it just me, or is it cool as hell that there's going to be a New Moon and solar eclipse on the Equinox!? What I feel this points to is this: Until the next Equinox (in March), we have time to really work to plant the seeds of change. The New Moon brings new beginnings, and the Equinox symbolizes balance. It's time to take advantage and create that balance for ourselves, because the Universe is telling us, in effect, "Quit putting it off! If you make an effort, I'll help you any way I can!" Who can turn down that offer!? August 19, 2006: Added my reviews of The Egyptian Book Of The Dead translated by Dr. Raymond Faulkner, The Secret Architecture Of Our Nation's Captial by David Ovason, and Bonewits's Essential Guide To Witchcraft And Wicca by Isaac Bonewits to the Library. 140 books reviewed so far! And counting . . . July 10, 2006: Added my reviews of The Secret Doctrine: Anthropogenesis by Helena Blavatsky, and Theogony, Works And Days by Hesiod to the Library. A question for you to ponder: How important are "sacred texts" to you in your spiritual path? The Christian Bible is sacred writ for Christians. What is your sacred text? As for me, nearly everything in my library is sacred. What I've learned so far is that all of those writings - from Lao Tsu to Plato - seek to explain (if they don't fully embrace) the highest spiritual truths. So many people have peeked under different parts of the Veil of Isis, that I believe the true spiritual seeker's path must allow for every possibility, every glimpse, that someone, somewhere, wishes to share with us. As a true spiritual seeker, my best advice is this: Seek the Divine wherever it chooses to expose itself. Perhaps one day we'll all realize that the "One True Religion" is simply religion itself, regardless of whether it is Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Pagan, Agnostic or otherwise. The "truth" is not some private commodity of any religion. The truth is to be had everwhere you seek to find it. July 4, 2006: I thank everyone for signing my guestbook. Which means: all two of you! That's okay, I know where I'm not wanted! hehehe Anyway, I was strangely inspired to write another article. This one deals with time travel and its consequences. I wish all of my fellow Americans a happy Independence Day. And I ask them: Are you happy with what you've done? Don't just blast off $100 worth of fireworks, give a moment's thought to what this day represents, and whether you're happy with the responsibility that comes with freedom. 230 years ago we were not fighting for the right to ban gay marriage, or to declare which religion was right, or for the right to tell anyone how to live. We fought for the right to determine that for ourselves, and we fought it to the death. Reflect on that, and consider what our country has become in almost a quarter of a millenium. In the meanwhile, feel free to read the latest article I've written on time travel. It all ties in to this idea of independence. The question I ask of you is: Are you ready for real independence? June 24, 2006: You know how it feels. You go to Central America, do all the things that you can only read about back home, and come back to a flurry of things to do. Life piles up on us, if we take too long of a break from it. This whole "time" thing has me itching to write another article. Everyone wants time, for themselves and from other people. But how do we deal with this pesky critter in a broadband, fastfood, news-on-demand, instant-message world? Maybe the next step we all need to take is a step back! For those of you whose life, like mine, is merely a constant juggling act, I am currently working on how to live in the fourth dimension - time. I haven't the time, currenty, to offer any guidance to traversing this highly misunderstood path, but you can rest assured that I will shortly give you my thoughts on why Kronos (the Greek god of time) is not a god to be toyed with. He is the father of the gods, but his most powerful daughters - the Fates - have control even over the destiny of Zeus himself. This is a great opportunity to address the paradox of free will, astrology, and fate. When I have an entire night to explore these mysteries to their fathomable depths, I promise you, I will write. Perhaps in the meantime you can reflect on a simple question. Why do you have time for some things, and not for others? Why, in this 80-odd year span we are given to explore the physical universe, are we given so few options when every decision may lead us further to the road of happiness, or deeper into the depths of self-destruction? Before I write this article, I welcome comments. My e-mail address may be found on the main page. And by the way, why haven't any of you signed my guestbook since Starr graced me with her presence in April? What! Are you just popping in to see what the strange guy has to say? SIGN MY GUESTBOOK! Tell me I'm full of shit, tell me I'm dead-on, tell me where I can stick my athame. But, while you're here, at least have the balls (even if you're currently without such equipment) to tell me you were here. The gods don't like sneaky visitors, you know! May 30, 2006: Had to do some catching up on my book reviews. Newly added to the Library are: God's Debris by Scott Adams, Selected Satires of Lucian translated by Lionel Casson, The Biology Of Belief by Dr. Bruce Liption, The Complete Idiot's Guide To T'ai Chi & QiGong by Bill Douglas, and The Secret Doctrine, Volume I: Cosmogenesis by Helena Blavatsky. I wasn't really planning on writing another article, but one just kind of came out on its own. It's called "Think Like A Universe," and you'll find it on the home page. I also got a link up for my fellow musician and friend Brent Miedema on the Links page. Check out his bio and original music, and become another fan! WalMart's photo department is never open when I'm awake, but I swear I'm gonna make it over there to get the Beltane pictures tomorrow! Time will tell, eh? (Yeah, I know, it's almost been a month. Give a procrastinator a break. After all, that's what they're looking for!) May 14, 2006: Began an article (below) that will expound on my experiences at Beltane this year. I'll be updating this particular article as the thoughts organize themselves in my brain. Be sure to check out the audio version of the Hymn To Pan! I'll also try to get the Beltane 2006 pics up as soon as I can. Stay tuned! May 3, 2006: I'm off to Our Haven to celebrate Beltane. The festival runs from May 3rd to May 7th. I'll be back with all the dirty details! Not that I'll write about them . . . but I'll have them! hehehe April 10, 2006: Replaced the picture on the About Me page. You can't really tell, but my hair's basically red now, instead of the previous black (what was I thinking???). Also, I finished reading Pagan Spirituality by Joyce & River Higginbotham and the Popol Vuh translated by Dennis Tedlock and added my reviews of them to the Library. March 21, 2006: Updated the About Me page. March 18, 2006: Finished reading Isis Unveiled, Volume II: Theology by Helena P. Blavatsky and added my review of it to the Library. March 7, 2006: Finished reading Isis Unveiled, Volume I: Science by Helena P. Blavatsky and added my review of it to the Library. February 19, 2006: Finished reading The Uddhava Gita by Swami Ambikananda Saraswati, Consciousness Explained by Daniel Dennet, and Against the Galileans by Julian (translated by R. Joseph Hoffmann), and added them to the Library. February 4, 2006: Wrote "Confronting Our Demons: Where the Power Truly Lies." (See Home Page) January 23, 2006: Finished reading Magick: Book 4 by Aleister Crowley. Actually, I finished it over a week ago, but I've been too busy to write a proper review of it. I still haven't, really. This book deserves several paragraphs, but no review could ever do it justice. You'll find it in the Library. I'm also excited to have joined If . . . Journal as a contributing writer. You'll always find a link to it on the left of my home page. I'll get a link for it on my Links page very soon. January 8, 2006: Posted a new (bad) picture of me with black hair (my "Color of the Moment") on the About Me page. If ya wanna hold your lunch down, don't get curious about it! I also finished reading The Key of Solomon the King by S.L. MacGregor Mathers and added my review of it to the Library. January 1, 2006: Put up a link to my band's website on the Links page. We're called Dope Sick Love. We played a gig last night, and I'm still recovering from it! I wish everyone a most prosperous and happy New Year! |
©Copyright 2005 Syrus Wyndragon