Berkeley Heretics
As part of my research into the life of Isaac Bonewits, I watched the film Berkeley in the Sixties, At about the 1:39 mark, I grabbed for the remote control and paused the film. I couldn’t believe it.
As part of my research into the life of Isaac Bonewits, I watched the film Berkeley in the Sixties, At about the 1:39 mark, I grabbed for the remote control and paused the film. I couldn’t believe it.
Before we get into the fantasy, let’s deal with the reality: Sarah Avery’s book Tales From Rugosa Coven is an excellent description of what life is like in a Wiccan group. There’s the sense of family, the balancing of work and biological family and coven-mates, the bickering and the sharing, the interaction of Wiccans with other Neopagan…
Short version: Read Heretic’s Heart. Now. Long version: Yesterday, in my post on the death of Margot Adler, I mentioned that her book Heretic’s Heart was next on my reading list. Today, I unexpectedly had a free hour between medical appointments. I had the book on my iPad, so I started reading. I was only a few…
On the evening of Tuesday, July 15, 2014, I interviewed Margot Adler over the phone for my research on the biography of Isaac Bonewits. After the interview, I posted on Facebook: “Wow. It was like my interviews with Oberon and Morning Glory: you want to listen to them forever.” I didn’t learn much about Isaac that would…
Believe me, I wish I was about to describe two mystical experiences in my life. Instead, I’m going to talk about two films named “The Occult Experience.” I watched them because of fuzzy memories of what I read in Isaac Bonewits papers. I knew Isaac had appeared in “The Occult Experience”; I also remembered reading a protest…
When I read the book, the biography famous, And is this then (said I) what the author calls a man’s life? And so will some one when I am dead and gone write my life? (As if any man really knew aught of my life, Why even I myself I often think know little or nothing of…
I haven’t posted recently about my work on the biography of Isaac Bonewits. In fact, you may have noticed that I’ve involved myself with projects that are clearly work-avoidance: the private server and the jewelry shop. I have the mild excuse that the shop might offset the research costs for the biography, but there’s a more direct…
Last night, the Fourth of July, I went to a friend’s house in Ridgewood NJ. Aside from the pleasant company of the hosts and their guests, their home is only a couple of blocks away from the town’s annual fireworks display. When it got dark, we walked to a parking lot and watched the fireworks as they…
This morning, I’m in my podiatrist’s office. It’s one a series of visits I’ve made over the past couple of weeks to deal with the foot problem that kept me from going to Free Spirit. As I’m taking off my sneakers, I hear my sock sticking a bit on the inside of the sole. I think, “My…
Last Friday, I had a chance to consult with the talented artist Vann Godfrey about Kickin’ Wiccan, my jewelry shop on Shapeways. I’ve spent the past few days putting his advice into practice. Vann’s advice was similar to that of Shapeways’ advice to its shop owners. Here’s what I’ve figured out, both from Vann and from my…