I found this analysis of gender in comics to be fascinating.  In many categories, I've written against the mainstream pattern, such as having females with super-strength and males with psychic powers.  In a few areas I may have replicated the pattern; with pheromone control and prehensile hair, I could only think of female characters, although I'm sure there are males with pheromones.

Tags: entertainment, fantasy, gender studies, magic, networking, reading, writing
Current Mood: busy

In case you're wondering what I did last week, my partner Doug went to the IBM/SAM magic convention in Louisville, Kentucky. We met up with friends, and I spent several days exploring the tourist attractions ...

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Tags: magic, personal
Current Mood: busy

I just got the first message from one of my editors at Llewellyn Publications, and another one will be making assignments in May.  So far I'm talking about the Witchy Tips for the Witches' Datebook, September in the Witches' Calendar, and ideas for the Magickal Almanac. The Herbal Almanac isn't scheduling yet as there will be some changes to it.

Tags: magic, paganism, personal, writing
Current Mood: busy

It's not often you get to participate in a real live myth. (Some things are true more than once.) One of Doug's favorite magic supply companies, Card-Shark, suffered a warehouse fire that took out all of their raw materials and production equipment. :( Fortunately their finished goods are stocked elsewhere and survived. This is the company that makes, among a variety of elegant card tricks and delightfully geeky magical supplies, the Phoenix Decks of cards for magicians. They do plan to rebuild, and could use funds to help buy new materials and equipment. We have seen their display table at a magic convention and plan to shop with them at another event later this year.

How you can help the Phoenix rise from the ashes:

* If you are a magician, and have been eyeing their products, buy something.

* If you are not a magician, but have friends who are, pass the word to them also.

* Take advantage of their Rise from the Ashes program to buy discounted vouchers good for future purchases:
Silver
Gold
Platinum

These would also make nice gifts if you're shopping for a magician friend who likes this company -- or for that matter, a card collector, which is a somewhat different focus.  Phoenix really is a pretty line of cards.  

This isn't quite crowdfunding, but it serves a similar purpose in drawing on community resources to accomplish something both creative and practical.  Card-Shark has not yet updated their homepage or added a "fire new" page, but they might do so in the future, so keep an eye out if this interests you.

Tags: cyberfunded creativity, magic, news, shopping
Current Mood: busy

This poem came out of the January 3, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from callibr8 and my_partner_doug. It also fills the "magic" square in my 1-1-17 card for the Dark Fantasy fest. Based on an audience poll, this poem is the free epic for the March 7, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl meeting its $200 goal. It belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics.

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Tags: cyberfunded creativity, fantasy, fishbowl, magic, poem, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

I was amused by this article about a wizard war between two guys who make comics.  This explains so much of the mayhem in the multiverse.  ;) 

Tags: art, entertainment, humor, magic, news, writing
Current Mood: amused

For those of you wishing that #45 would go away ...

"Anyone do magic out there? I guess there's a spell being cast to bind Trump worldwide at midnight (EST) tonight. So if you have an orange candle, a tarot deck, and an "unflattering photo of Trump (small)" you can join in. :-D There are instructions in this news article as well as unflattering photo of Trump (small)."

Tags: magic, news, politics
Current Mood: busy

This poem is from the January 24, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from kyleri and nsfwords.  It has been sponsored by kyleri.

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Tags: cyberfunded creativity, environment, fantasy, fishbowl, gardening, history, magic, nature, pagan, poem, poetry, reading, spirituality, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

This poem came out of the January 24, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from alexseanchai and alatefeline. It also fills the "liminal time" square in my 11-1-16 card for the Fall Festival Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles.

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Tags: cyberfunded creativity, ethnic studies, fishbowl, history, linguistics, magic, poem, poetry, reading, spirituality, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

 The Imperator card is now in crowdfunding for Tarot Apocalyptica by Angela Hunt.

Tags: cyberfunded creativity, magic, networking, projects
Current Mood: busy

This is from the January 3, 2017 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from corvi. It also fills the "gods / goddesses" square in my 1-7-17 card for the Dark Fantasy Bingo fest.  This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles.


"Loopholes and Destinies"


The thread of fate is unbreakable,
but it always has loopholes.

Clotho smiles, and pushes her hook
into the burlap backing of her rug.

For every prophecy, there is
some way to avoid it and
get by on a technicality.

For every impenetrable protection,
there is a donut hole it doesn't cover.

For every curse, there is
a means of breaking it.

For every all-knowing program,
there is a glitch in the matrix.

Lachesis winks, and
her silver needle twinkles
as she crochets.

The hero's journey is not
about destiny, self-discovery,
getting the girl, or even
saving the world.

At its heart, the quest is really
about finding the loopholes in fate.

Atropos laughs, and
sharpens her scissors.

* * *

Notes:

The Three Fates are goddesses of life, death, and fortune.

Latchhooking is done by knotting short yarns through a mesh to make a rug. Read instructions or watch a video on it.

Crochet uses a hook to loop yarn into cloth.  This site has all kinds of introductory material. See a video or read a tutorial about this craft.

Tags: crafts, cyberfunded creativity, fishbowl, magic, poem, poetry, reading, spirituality, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

 wyld_dandelyon is holding a one-card draw to welcome in the new year.

Tags: cyberfunded creativity, holiday, magic, networking
Current Mood: busy

This poem is spillover from the October 6, 2015 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from technoshaman and janetmiles. It also fills the "hex" square in my 10-1-15 card for the Halloween / Samhain Bingo fest, and the "possession / mind control" square in my 6-16-15 card for the hc_bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by technoshaman and ng_moonmoth. It belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics, and tells part of the background about how Easy City came to be.

Warning: This poem contains some intense topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It features evil hexes, a bokor, mind control, vulgar language, sexual assault, street fighting, use of superpowers to hurt people, temporary cardiac arrest, voluntary possession, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before reading onward.

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Tags: cyberfunded creativity, fantasy, fishbowl, holiday, magic, poem, poetry, reading, spirituality, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

This poem is spillover from the July 5, 2016 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from librarygeek and technoshaman. It also fills the "be here now" square in my 5-1-16 card for the Solo Celebration Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. It belongs to the Shiv thread of the Polychrome Heroics series, and comes after "Calming the Agitations."

Warning: This poem contains some intense topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes introversion, feeling drained and irritated, anxiety over the future, solution-caused problems, deep philosophical discussions which are needful but Shiv is in no way prepared for, confusion, reference to past injuries and almost dying, followed by past medical abuse, cape politics, fate and free will, self-blame, self-hate, discussion of zetetic terror weapons, past traumatic amputation, the difference between legality and morality, purpose, existential angst, and other challenges. On the whole, it's pretty positive, just overwhelming for Shiv. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before moving onward.

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Tags: cyberfunded creativity, fantasy, fishbowl, magic, poem, poetry, reading, spirituality, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

balsamandash will be doing one-card draws and other Tarot readings. 

Tags: cyberfunded creativity, magic, networking, projects
Current Mood: busy

This poem has been selected in an audience poll as the freebie for the October 4, 2016 Poetry Fishbowl making its $200 goal. It's spillover from the November 6, 2014 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from thnidu. It also fills the "entheogens" square in the public card for the Science Bingo fest. This poem belongs to the series Beneath the Family Tree, which you can find on the Serial Poetry page.

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Tags: cyberfunded creativity, fishbowl, gender studies, history, magic, nature, poem, poetry, reading, spirituality, weblit, wildlife, writing
Current Mood: busy

This poem came out of the October 4, 2016 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from corvi and Shirley Barrette. It has been sponsored by ng_moonmoth. This poem belongs to the series P.I.E.

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Tags: cyberfunded creativity, fantasy, fishbowl, magic, poem, poetry, reading, weblit, writing
Current Mood: busy

This performance is probably the best communion of natural and technomagic shamanism that I've ever seen.  Even I cannot make all of those animal sounds.  Oh, and that's not just "techno beat" music.  Some of those sounds are for spirit and technomagical elementals.  The iron horse toward the end is pretty iconic.  

Tags: ethnic studies, magic, music, networking, spirituality, video
Current Mood: impressed

"Cut and Restored Rope" is a basic trick in stage magic, with many variations.  My partner Doug found this one, which is the best I've seen.  It's more impressive if you are already familiar with the more common presentations.

Tags: entertainment, magic, networking, video
Current Mood: impressed

Sometimes people zone out or otherwise enter a fugue state in which they do not seem to register what is happening around them. This can happen due to mental hyperfocus, zoning on sensory input, trance, flashbacks, dissociative experiences, multiple system issues, variations in metabolism, etc. Other people are heavy sleepers, and many of the same techniques work for rousing them. Some conditions have specific circumstances that cause fugue states, and those often have specific solutions. Some techniques are contraindicated in some cases. If you know that someone you hang out with has a tendency to drift out of body, or you do it yourself, then communication is advisable regarding appropriate responses so that it gets handled safely and effectively.  

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Tags: how to, magic, safety
Current Mood: busy