Recently, a friend texted me with the following question. Here is that question and my reply in more-or-less the text format of my responses. I have heard that the Gardnerian tradition is pretty secretive. Is this true, and to what extent are those details secretive? I can’t tell you, because it’s a secret! OK, seriously: The word…
I first met Geela Naiman in the early 1980s. There was an SF fan gathering at my house. Sherry Nehmer, an editor at Analog, was the featured speaker. Near the end of Nehmer's talk, a friend of hers arrived to drive her home. That friend was Geela, though I didn't hear her name at the time. After…
This is a follow-up to my post The Three Doctors. Again, it's not a Doctor Who post. I've got a PhD in particle physics, am a doctor by courtesy with Universal Life Church, and also a doctor by courtesy with the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Why would I want another? The issue is being able…
I've played in World of Warcraft (WoW) since before its formal beginning; that is, I played in WoW beta test in 2004. When you start either a Human or a Dwarf character in WoW, you quickly learn about flying between the Human capital of Stormwind and the Dwarf capital of Ironforge. Your character flies on the back…
The seder on Friday night was grand. It had all the usual elements: Good food, good people, and everyone wincing at the sound of my singing voice. (I can't sing, but I never let that stop me.) One major topic of conversation at this seder focused on the Wicked Son: why do people make a forced distinction…
I've just finished my first color design project for my Shapeways shop, Kickin' Wiccan. It proved to be challenging in ways I did not expect. My goal was to create a full-color three-dimensional model of the Tree of Life. For anyone not familiar with the Tree of Life, it's the best-known design from the Jewish mystical interpretation…
No, this isn't a Doctor Who post! I've performed seven weddings so far. My rate for starting successful marriages is: Three couples are still together, two marriages ended because one of the partners passed on, and two divorces. That's roughly the national average. Note that, in order to maintain my average, Deborah Lipp is forbidden to die.…
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…
Once upon a time, a beautiful witch met a handsome wizard and they fell in love. Together they made great works of magic. They created unicorns and searched for mermaids. Many listened to their words: the seekers, the young, the wise, and the learned. And they lived… …perhaps not “happily ever after.” But they lived indeed! Once…