Where to get your Doctor Who. Part three

Again, for those playing at home, here's Wikipedia's List of Doctor Who Serials.

Season Seven: (1970)

Serial 51: Spearhead from Space Available on DVD or instant play from Netflix.
Serial 52: Doctor Who and the Silurians Available on DVD from Netflix.
Serial 53: The Ambassadors of Death On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 54: Inferno Available on DVD from Netflix.
Season Eight: (1971)

Serial 55: Terror of the Autons On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 56: The Mind of Evil On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 57: The Claws of Axos Available on DVD from Netflix.
Serial 58: Colony in Space On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 59: The Dæmons On VHS and Daily Motion.

Season Nine: (1972)

Serial 60: Day of the Daleks On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 61: The Curse of Peladon On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 62: The Sea Devils Available on DVD from Netflix.
Serial 63: The Mutants On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 64: The Time Monster On VHS and Daily Motion.


Season Ten: (1972-1973)

Serial 65: The Three Doctors Available on DVD or instant play from Netflix.
Serial 66: Carnival of Monsters Available on DVD or instant play from Netflix.
Serial 67: Frontier in Space On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 68: Planet of the Daleks On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 69: The Green Death Available on DVD or instant play from Netflix.

Season Eleven: (1973-1974)Serial 70:The Time Warrior Available on DVD from Netflix.
Serial 71: Invasion of the Dinosaurs On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 72: Death to the Daleks On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 73: The Monster of Peladon On VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 74: Planet of the Spiders On VHS and Daily Motion.

The Fourth Doctor is the longest collection, so I'll be posting it in multiple chunks, starting in mid-November.
Where to get your who, part four

Mongkut the Betta's Lava Lamp

I get almost as many questions about Mongkut the Betta's lava lamp as I do about Pablo and Doctor Who, so I figured I'd answer them:

1. The "Lava Lamp" is a small aquarium. Bettas in the wild live in stagnant pools of still water. It is about four times the volume of a petsstore "betta bowl." It's quite Lux, as digs for Bettas go. It's way better, and more water, than they get in the wild or in a petstore.
   
2. The "Lava" is the bubbles from the airstone, lit from the LEDs below. It's quite impressive in the dark, and keeps the birds in my office from being in total dark at night. You can change the combination of LEDs. Just like in space, there's very little light visible if you're in the aquarium...no feeling of spotlights on the fish, and the lights are cool, not hot.
   
3. We replaced the airstone it is sold with with an Elite spherical stone. It's gorgeous and symmetrical...but the bubbles aren't as well lit because it's big. Might buy a small sphere next time.
   
4. The "Crownfin" mutation in bettas is a swift water adaptation. I would not recommend this tank for regular bettas who might find the bubbles too rigorous. Mongkut loves the bubbles, and I change them from slow to rapid regularly. There is a large "ring" of still water around the base. Again, I don't recommend the bubbles on anything but low for a regular male betta. A "Double fin" would be out of the question.
   
5. Mongkut shares the tank with a snail to gather uneaten food. An algae eater would probably work well, but Mongy's aggressive even for a betta (even at the petstore) and I don't want to watch him kill a fish.
6. Bettas are also known as "Siamese Fighting Fish." Mongkut is the name of the famous King of whom "The King and I" is written.
7. The Golden Apple snail he lives with is named Anna.
8. It takes two 'outlets' one for the light, and one for the air filter.
9. It uses a tiny air pump. Any bigger and the fish could not live.
10. Mongkut gets Aqueon Betta food, which sinks slowly in the Bubbles. Any he does not eat is consumed by Anna.
11. There is a small hole at the top to release air pressure. It's great for feeding, but sometimes food gets stuck there with water. It can mold over in those cases.
    
12. As a Biologist, I'd recommend this tank to anyone wanting a small betta bowl. It evaporates slowly, Ammonia doesn't build up because of the aeration, and it allows the fish a lot of up and down movement, while being small enough to feel secure. I've had a betta in a 55 gallon, and he hid in the corner.
13. You can purchase your own Lava Lamp Aquarium here.
14. Contrary to the views of some so-called animal rights activists, small tanks are not a bad idea for bettas if they are kept clean. A quarter gallon tank with an airpump and gentle aeration, with a snail for cleaning left over food, cleaned whenever it gets a little grimy (and with the clear rocks you can tell, quickly, when that happens,) is better than a five gallon still tank. Bettas, like goldfish, *can* take air from the surface if their water becomes deprived of air, but if your betta has to go up to the surface to breathe, your betta is not in a healthy environment.
15. Ours sits above a hard drive that generates heat. Otherwise, your tank should be kept tepid with a heater. If you can't keep it warm, a small normal-finned gold fish, a single mollie or a couple of guppies would work.
    

And now, for the rest of you...the Mongkut the Betta in...

Betta Lava Lamp: The Movie

[Over 4 minutes of exciting Betta Swimming and color changing footage! It does not get more exciting...really... that's what it does... that's all he does...and every couple of days the snail moves to the top of the tank then back down... that's all they do.... really.... No. It does not get more exciting. ]

THE SLOW AND LOUD (One Minute) VERSION:
(Turn speakers down. camera's next to a speaker and sounds louder than it is.)

Edit: Comments have been deleted because there were 14 comments from TWO IPs, over a 1.25 hour period several months after this post and I don't allow sock puppets to play here.

In honor of Pablo's lack of cageboundness.

He's too sexy...again.

Amazing Footage of Pablo.

This has been an insane weekend in Pablo the cagebound bird land.

FIRST, we now step up. Last week was a major step forward in that you could grab his feet and get him to come out without yelling. Now he has decided that stepping up is better.

SECOND, we now WANT to go upstairs and be away from the cage. We've got two places we like upstairs...on top of the cage of Linnies (who lived with an African Gray and don't seem to freak out) and the playstand, which we've moved upstairs.

THIRD, the bird that won't try ANYTHING new discovered that the 'keets, Linnies and Cockatiels have this thing called spray millet. Okay. The seeds on spray millet are SMALLER than the pupils in this cockatoo's eye. But, he picks off one seed at a time, rolls the seed around to remove the seed coating, lets the seed coating fall out of his mouth, then swallows the seed.

It takes him about 1 hour to do about 1 inch of millet. The noise in this video is because I'm holding the millet bag and the cockatiels, linnies and budgies see the bag. The "pew pew" is linnies, the 'tweet' and scratchy noises are keets and the whistling is 'tiels. Usually they are WAY quieter.

Where to get your Doctor Who. Part Two

As I mentioned in Part One, the problem with the Second Doctor is the BIG HOLE, a collection of episodes not available on film, DVD, VHS or from the BBC, because they'd destroyed the originals and wiped the tapes.

For those trying it on their own: Wikipedia's list of Doctor Who episodes.

Season Four, Continued (1966-1967)

$ Serial 30: The Power of the Daleks available in audio only, as an audiobook from Audible.
$ Serial 31: The Highlanders available in audio only, as an audiobook from Audible.
$ Serial 32: The Underwater Menace available in audio only, as an audiobook from Audible.
One episode survives, and can be viewed on Lost in Time: The Patrick Troughton Years, Disk One, available at Netflix.
Serial 33: The Moonbase, comprised of two surviving and two missing (audio only) episodes, can be found on Lost in Time: The Patrick Troughton Years, Disk One, available at Netflix.
$ Serial 34: The Macra Terror available in audio only, as an audiobook from Audible.
$ Serial 35: The Faceless Ones available in audio as a book from Audible. Two episodes survive, and can be viewed on Lost in Time: The Patrick Troughton Years, Disk One, available at Netflix.
$ Serial 36: The Evil of the Daleks available as an audiobook, from Audible. One episode survives, and can be viewed on Lost in Time: The Patrick Troughton Years, Disk One, available at Netflix.

Season Five (1967-1968)

Serial 37: The Tomb of the Cybermen Perhaps amazingly, it survives COMPLETE, and can be watched online or rented on DVD from Netflix.
$ Serial 38: The Abominable Snowmen available as an audiobook from Audible. If you've got sense, unlike me, you'll notice it's available there as a two-for-one with the Web of Fear, as Yeti Attack! One episode survives, and can be viewed on Lost in Time: The Patrick Troughton Years, Disk Two, available at Netflix.
Serial 39: The Ice Warriors available with 'reconstruction' of two episodes on VHS and Daily Motion.
$ Serial 40: The Enemy of the World available as an audiobook from Audible. One episode survives, and can be viewed on Lost in Time: The Patrick Troughton Years, Disk Two, available at Netflix.
$ Serial 41:The Web of Fear available as an audiobook from Audible, as Yeti Attack! One episode survives, and can be viewed on Lost in Time: The Patrick Troughton Years, Disk Two, available at Netflix.
$ Serial 42: Fury from the Deep available as an audiobook from Audible.
$$ Serial 43: The Wheel in Space is my most annoying find to date, as I had to WAIT and order a copy of the audiobook used from amazon.com Two episodes survive, and can be viewed on Lost in Time: The Patrick Troughton Years, Disk Two, available at Netflix.
Season Six (1968-1969)

Serial 44: The Dominators available on VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 45: The Mind Robber available on DVD or on Instant Play at Netflix.
Serial 46: The Invasion available on DVD from Netflix with totally kewl animated reconstructions of missing episodes.
Serial 47: The Krotons available on VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 48: The Seeds of Death available on DVD or instant play from Netflix.
$ Serial 49: The Space Pirates available as an audiobook from Audible. One episode survives, and can be viewed on Lost in Time: The Patrick Troughton Years, Disk Two, available at Netflix.
Serial 50: The War Games available, complete, as a DVD, from Netflix.

Where to get your who, Part three

Where to get your Doctor Who. Part One.

On my personal mission to survive the complete lack of anything on television until the next series of Doctor Who is available, I made a decision that some of you have been following on Twitter, to watch (where not possible, LISTEN) to every Doctor Who episode from the original series, in order, with one exception- a serial due to be out on DVD in the US in a couple of months.

If it was available for purchase or rental, the BBC/Lionheart got my money. If they have not bothered to release it on DVD, they did not. Hint, Hint, Beeb.

Several people (maybe trying it out themselves?) have asked how I managed to find the episodes without spending gobs of money on out of print videos. For the purpose of this list, I've included where I got the episode, and if I spent money on it. Note that for the purposes of this list I'm considering Netflix rentals as "free" (since I'd use it even without the Who.) If I spent/am spending money on it, I've prefaced it with a dollar sign.

Also, I'd like to add that Mr. Tardismedia is a saint, and if I ever meet him in person I owe him a pint or 12.

For those trying it on their own: Wikipedia's list of Doctor Who episodes.

FIRST (& IMO best) DOCTOR (1963-1967):
First Season:
Serial 1: An Unearthly Child on Doctor Who: The beginning, disk 3 available at Netflix.
Serial 2: The Daleks on Doctor Who: The beginning, disk 1 available at Netflix.
Serial 3:The Edge of Destruction on Doctor Who: The beginning, disk 2 available at Netflix.
Serial 4: Marco Polo
This is the first chronological serial with missing episodes. There is a reconstruction, an audiobook and my source, the 30 minute reconstruction on Doctor Who: The beginning, disk 2, available at Netflix.
$ Serial 5: The Keys of Marinus will be released on a US DVD on January 5th, 2010 Pre-Order it at Amazon.comSerial 6: The Aztecs available at Netflix both on DVD and instant play: http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Doctor_Who_The_Aztecs/60026603
Serial 7: The Sensorites available on VHS, or 10 minutes at a time on Daily Motion.
Serial 8: The Reign of Terror available reconstructed on VHS, audiobook, or 10 minutes at a time on Daily Motion.
Second Season:
Serial 9: Planet of Giants Available on VHS, or 10 minutes at a time on Daily Motion.
Serial 10: The Dalek Invasion of Earth available at Netflix.
Serial 11: The Rescue available at Netflix.
Serial 12: The Romans available at Netflix.
Serial 13: The Web Planet available at Netflix.
Serial 14:The Crusade remaining episodes and soundtrack on Doctor Who: Lost in Time, available at Netflix.
Serial 15: The Space Museum available on VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 16: The Chase available on VHS and Daily Motion.
Serial 17: The Time Meddler available at Netflix.
Third Season:
$ Serial 18: Galaxy 4 original soundtrack available as an audiobook at Audible.
Serial 19: "Mission to the Unknown" available on the Dalek Master Plan audiobook.
$ Serial 20: The Myth Makers original soundtrack available as an audiobook at Audible.
$ Serial 21: The Daleks' Master Plan original soundtrack available as an audiobook at Audible.
$ Serial 22: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve original soundtrack available as an audiobook at Audible.
Serial 23: The Ark available on VHS and Daily Motion. (Which is annoying, as it thinks you want The Ark in Space)
$ Serial 24: The Celestial Toymaker The COMPLETE soundtrack is availble at Audible, and the remaining episode is on Doctor Who: Lost in Time, available at Netflix.
Serial 25: The Gunfighters available on VHS and Daily Motion.
$ Serial 26: The Savages original soundtrack available as an audiobook at Audible.
Serial 27: The War Machines available on DVD from Netflix.
$ Serial 28:The Smugglers original soundtrack available as an audiobook at Audible.
NB: I guarantee, that you will want to backhand Polly if she screams just one more time on ANY audiobook she appears on... At least Victoria (later) is not as shrill when she screams. You may want to consider getting the novelizations of any audiobooks Polly appears in...or playing them softly...
$ Serial 29: The Tenth Planet While partially available online, I didn't want to get to the end of my favorite doctor and *then* lose video, so I went with the original soundtrack as an audiobook, instead, from Audible.

Serial 30 begins the Second Doctor's Tenure, and the "Big Hole" a huge chunk of missing episodes. So expect a LOT of audiobooks in the next list, including one I had to buy from a used book dealer, because even audible lacked it...

Miscellanous Doctor Watching: Very Silly Doctor Who movies from this time frame, which are worth watching unless you're going to be offended, are 1965's Dr. Who and the Daleks and 1966's The Daleks:INVASION EARTH 2150AD. I watched them both, chronologically, from Netflix, during this part of my Whoventure. This second one is teh awesomeness because Tom Campbell is played by the man-who-can-do-everything, Bernard Cribbins, who plays Donna Noble's gramps, giving him more Doctor Who Street Cred than ANYONE except Nicholas Courtney, whose Who street Cred is so huge that he's got to be Tardis-like inside to fit it all. (Insert UNIT salute, here, SIR!)

TO BE CONTINUED, With "Where to get your Doctor Who. Part Two" which will touch upon the second doctor...and a lot more audiobooks.

Activities for New Wiccans who are alone on November Eve

October 31st, or November Eve, which is also (inaccurately) called Samhain, is the cusp of the liturgical year for Wiccans and Pagans who choose to follow the Wiccan liturgical year. It marks the time when the old religious year passes, and the new religious year begins.

Like other such "Year's end" holidays, in other faiths, it is a good time to reevaluate how far we've come in our personal goals and how far we have to go.

New Wiccans, who've just started in the religion, even ones who will begin on October 31st, often want to do some activities that make them feel connected to the day. This list contains some ideas that newcomers to Wicca, and even old hands, can try with little or no background information.

#1. Honor the dead of the year. Pick people you know of who passed on this past year, and even those who you didn't know but who you felt affected by, and light a stick of incense for each one. Say their name, then light the incense, then say "May you pass freely from this world into the next, and find happiness." Then stick the incense in a pot of dirt or other holder. This should be done outside. You could also light tea candles in their names, etc, but the idea is to have a votive sacrifice, something of at least small value you consume in their honor, so don't reuse the candles.

#2. Make a list of things you have done wrong in the year, and how they can be rectified. Those things that you can make amends for either make amends for (For example, if you broke a window, fix it or pay for it to be fixed.) Those things you cannot fix, find a way that you might still make it better or right. Maybe you need to tell someone you're sorry?

#3. Write a list of all the people who have influenced you, either in your life or just this past year, and why they have influenced you. What people should you cultivate in your life (people you should get closer to) and what people are bringing you down (people you should reduce contact with.) How can you improve your influences over the next year?

#4. Come up with three goals for the next 12 months- a hard one, a not-that-hard one, and a fairly easy one. Break the goals down into three sections-what you will do immediately to further them, when you will be half-way there, and what you'll want to be like just before you're finished. Revisit the goals you made last year, if any.

#5. Let "The Dead" become untrapped from your property. Open your front door and your back door simultaneously (You may have to lock pets in another room.) Say "Let those who need pass this space pass freely." After a few minutes, close the doors.

#6. Give something that is not good for you up. Write it on a piece of paper and burn, bury or tear the paper into shreds.

#7. Put on a costume and wander around, with your cell phone handy, and 'police' your neighborhood for injured kids, crime, etc. Become a force for good on a night that some ignorant people will use for pranks and vandalism.

#8. Call up a relative you have not spoken to in a long time and say hi. Relatives become ancestors faster than you realize.

#9. Visit a grave of a lost one and tell them what you need to tell them to move on with your life.

#10. Dedicate yourself to your future, and the future of our people and our planet. Make plans, set goals, and take steps.

All of the above tasks require no special rituals or training, and represent very real things Wiccans do on this holy night. Each can help you "get the meaning" of the holiday, even if it's your first one as a Wiccan.

Housekeeping on Nomicon

I reordered the Nomicon posts so people clicking on the "nomicon" keyword would see them in the right order. Just FYI

Why one cannot be a Christian and a Wiccan- the Y!A cut and paste

Christianity and Wicca as a syncretic, hyphenate religion cannot exist. While there those who very sincerely believe that they are following both, they are not...
The fault rests on how one defines Christian.

If you define Christian as one who believes Christ existed, regardless of whether or not one believes in his teaching, it is possible that one could define oneself as a Wiccan Christian, but most Christians would say, quite rightly, that merely believing Christ EXISTED is NOT what makes a Christian.

Merriam Webster (m-w.com) defines a Christian as " one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ*"

It is possible to PROFESS belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ and be a Wiccan.

..You'd also be a liar.

Because it is impossible to BELIEVE IN or AGREE WITH those teachings as a Wiccan.

One common teaching in Christianity that is used to define Christianity is the Nicene Creed. If we examine it, we can see it is ABSOLUTELY NOT COMPATIBLE WITH WICCA. Observe.

(My comments follow in brackets:)

The Nicene Creed:**
We believe in one God, [Wiccans are polytheists]
the Father, the Almighty,[Wicca does not teach omnipotence]
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
[Wicca does not support Creationism but instead teaches "as above, so below, which includes the idea that the Universe may be interpreted by observation of its parts]

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
[Wicca teaches that there are multiple gods, and that all people are children of gods. Wicca does not mention Jesus at all.]

Through him all things were made.
[Wicca teaches that humankind makes many things.]
For us and for our salvation
[Wicca has no concept of salvation]
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
[Wicca has no heaven, nor a Holy Spirit]
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
[Wicca teaches that humans are born human and gods are born gods. Transformation in one life from one species to another is not a part of Wicca.]
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
[HUGE POINT! Wicca teaches that RESPONSIBILITY for all of a Wiccan's actions are upon that Wiccan, and must be taken care of by that Wiccan. Thus, in Wicca, it is impossible to die or suffer for someone ELSE except in very specific, personal situations (like taking a bullet for someone.) Wicca teaches there are no SINS, so there was literally no reason for Christ to die!]

On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
[This is in no WICCAN Scripture]
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
[Wicca has no concept of who sits to what side of any father deity.]
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end. [Wicca has no teaching about a half-god judging living or dead, and, in fact, has teachings about who judges the dead...There is also no teaching of a Kingdom to Come in Wicca.]

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
[And Wiccans don't]
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
[Which Wiccans don't do.]
He has spoken through the Prophets.
[Who are not Wiccan.]
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
[Which Wiccans do not.]
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
[Wiccans neither baptize nor sin.]
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
[Wiccans do not.]
and the life of the world to come.
[Wicca does not teach of a coming future world, but of NOW worlds.]

I am sure there are some who think they are Wiccan and Christian, but they aren't. Either you think Jesus died for your sins (Christianity) or you acknowledge the doctrine of Self-responsibility as a proper person or adult human (Wicca). They are mutually self-exclusive.

I actually feel sorry for those that do think they are one and the same because every one of them I have met confuses Wicca (Worship of the gods and living by their standards) with magic, and Christianity has a long and perfectly valid tradition of magic that existed BEFORE WICCA ever existed. Here are some books discussing it:
The Magical Writings of Thomas Vaughan:
http://www.amazon.com/Magical-Writings-Thomas-Vaughan/dp/0615149014

Greater Key of Solomon:
http://www.amazon.com/Greater-Key-Solomon-MacGregor-Mathers/dp/142092818X

Ancient Christian Magic:
http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Christian-Magic-Marvin-Meyer/dp/0691004587

The Divine Synthesis and Realization of Magic by the Christian Revelation
http://www.amazon.com/Divine-Synthesis-Realization-Christian-Revelation/dp/1425305385/

"Christian Wiccans" either have Christianity all wrong or have Wicca all wrong, and that's sad. Many have also been unfairly persecuted, and judge all who oppose their claims as discriminating or being mean when, in fact, they are trying to help.


*There are other definitions, but they are specific to sects of Christianity
**http://www.creeds.net/ancient/nicene.htm

What is a Fluffy Bunny?

A Fluffy Bunny is something that comes into your religion, tells you what it's all about, gets it completely wrong and generally attacks the people who know what they are talking about. In short:

Reprint of the Nomicon @ this blog. Pt One: What is a Craft Name?

You can read the whole website on the wayback machine at: http://web.archive.org/web/20060621115703/http://home.att.net/~ladykaat/nomicon/index.html


What is a craft name?
A craft name, or Eke name, also called a Witch name, Wiccan name, spirit name and NAME, is the name you go by as part of a Wiccan (or Pagan, or Magickal) circle, tradition or group. For some people, it is nothing more than a fancy sounding pseudonym that they use to make themselves sound more unique or scary but for other people it is a genuine and heartfelt religious decision.
While it is true that many solitary practitioners (also called "solitaries" sing:"solitary") choose a craft name, they were historically used as part of community identification. Indeed, unless your craft name is known only to the gods and yourself (and some of us do have such names!) you are using the name as part of a community, even if that community is difficult to define.
In general, craft names come in three varieties. While not a definitive list, I identify these three types of names as:

• Names of Choice
• Names of Practice
• Names of Initiation

Names of Choice are names that a person invents or takes as a result of a desire to use a new name. These are similar to screen names, and may reflect the personal likes of the user. A bobcat loving woman, who loves copper and sheep as well, might call herself "Lady Copper Bobcatsheep." As you may expect, these names can get very silly. In my experience, the Lady Copper Bobcatsheep of the world generally are called things like Sarah and Stephanie, and the Lady Bobcat nonsense is used only when writing indignant letters to the press or making websites.
Names of Practice on the other hand are names chosen to reflect a spiritual practice. This may be a dedication name, such as when you say "I am Steve, and from this day forward I shall be known as Dragon fire of the Wicca." These names are similar to the above names in that people usually pick them themselves, but they have an important distinction in that they represent a new name given to recognise a new practice in one's life. In many cultures, people assume a new name at adulthood, and this name of practice is similar to that name... it is a name of "Wiccahood," if you will, a name used to describe the new you who is not the same as the old non-Wiccan you.
Lastly, Names of Initiation are names given on the entry into a coven or tradition. They may be chosen, usually with guidance, or they may be given. An initiation is a formalized entry ritual into a group or tradition, and names of initiation are a group decision. They may be private, or you may have a private and public name.
The choice of such a name is tradition based and often oathbound, but a similar example, from fiction, might make it clear:
Stilgar nodded, tugging at his beard. "I see strength in you... like the strength beneath a pillar." Again he paused, then: "You shall be known among us as Usul, the base of the pillar. This is your secret name, your troop name. We of Sietch Tabr may use it, but none other may so presume... Usul."-Frank Herbert, Dune

Reprint of the Nomicon @ this blog. Pt Two: Why do Wiccans use Craft Names.

Why Do Wiccans use craft names?
Wiccans use craft names for what amount to two sets of reasons, historical reasons and modern reasons. Historical reasons refer to the reasons why they were used in Early Modern Wicca* and Modern reasons are the way they are used now.
Most of the historical reasons are based on the fact that Wicca is an initiatory mystery religion that originally claimed to be based on a religion that had hidden underground for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. By "Initiatory" we mean that early in Wicca membership was only open to those who underwent an initiation rite. In that initiation rite, the person, amongst other things, agreed to abide by the rules of the group, keep the existance of the group a secret and take on a new name, to be used within that group.
This new name served three basic purposes. The first was that it maintained secrecy in the group. In the traditional group to which I was first introduced, calling the leader by her first name within the group was considered bad form. We all knew her name, we were, in fact, at her house, but within the confines of the group, we called her by her craft name. While it is claimed this is one of the reasons the religion survived the Witch Trials (because you can't confess,even under torture, the names of people whose names you don't know) there is little proof this is so, but certainly it is more difficult to trace "Lady Copper Bobcateagle" than it is to trace, oh, Kaatryn MacMorgan. (Especially since I'm on amazon.com, all over the web and listed with the copyright office of the Library of Congress, not to mention the IRS.) So, in addition to privacy, these craft names were said to offer protection from the inquisition which, as we all know (she said sarcastically) is lurking behind every door. In addition to protection and privacy, this craft name also added a sense of equality within the group. Bill Gates and Donald Trump could be in my coven, and they would still be Lord Moonbottom and Lord Fluffyback, or whatever their names were. Their last names, their outside identity, would mean nothing. If you consider that Wicca is, at its heart, a British Tradition, this becomes even more obvious-Spencer, Windsor, Morgan, Campbell, Douglas or Smith, you're all on parr in the circle.
These craft names also often represent the experience of a mystery. A mystery is a rite sacred to a god, pantheon or tradition in particular and undergoing that mystery or even witnessing it (depending on the mystery) changes your status with the divine, either by giving you new information or by assuring you a position in the afterlife. Mysteries are not a Wiccan thing, and I speak here of mysteries in the most general of terms. An example of a mystery, albeit not a very dramatic one, is the Christian ceremony of baptism. During baptism a child is usually given a name, and when an adult is baptised, he often takes a new name. This occurs again if the person becomes a priest or monk, and is no different in Wicca, with many people changing their names as a result of acheiving or undergoing a mystery or mystery rite.
Lastly, some Wiccans use craft names because they are nifty and they think they must have one. I'm no fan of this. As you are reading this on the net, you probably already have a screenname or email name that says something about you. Few of us stay "Bob12346594623@aol.com" for very long. A screenname is a great thing to have for nifty purposes, and you can always find a nom de plume or pen name if you want to sound fun or intriguing... (In fact, I have a couple!) You should not be taking a new name simply because you don't have one. If you are a solitary, and self-dedicated, and want to take a name of dedication as part of your dedication ceremony, that's one thing. Taking a name because it's nifty is another thing.
In closing, I'd like to remind those taking new names that traditional Ceremonial Magick, something many Wiccans practice, requires an old identity not a new one. In the most anceint of metaphysical formulae, the only way to command the powers around you, and the only way to communicate with the powers that be, was to tell them exactly who you are. The more names you have, the harder this is: "Oh great all, I am Stephanie, born Steven, child of Micah the enginneer, and Dora the explorer, called Bessie by the Wicca and Lady Silverbottom by the Magi, called Esmerelda by the coven of the blackened rose," et cetera. It is for this reason that many Ceremonial Magicians use their real names whenever possible...

---

The complete bullshit that might be early Parkinson's Disease.

For those of you keeping track, the Neurologists have the following view:

Percentage of Neurologists saying it could be PD:
66.66666...%

Percentage of Neurologists saying we should reassess how the symptoms look in 10 years:
100%

Percentage of Neurologists saying stress, making me crazy, was more at fault than PD:
33.333%

Percentage of Neurologists saying it's 'just a tremor' with or without 'right now' afterward:
100%

Percentage of Neurologists saying that the extra blood vessels in my forehead look like the Flying Spaghetti Monster:
0%

Percentage of MRI techs and Nurses saying the above:
100%

Percentage of Neurologists saying that a decrease in IQ does not count when you go from genius to still a genius:
100%

Feeling like every time your brain blanks on an easy math problem you've got the worst disorder ever:
PRICELESS.

I was never good at math, but I have a savant-like skill for seeing trends in data, that we discovered in college and high-level statistics comes so fricking easy to me it's not even funny. Tried to explain to the kid how a p-value worked and the brain blanked...it was like not understanding fractions in 3rd grade...all over again....

Reprint of the Nomicon @ this blog. Pt three: should I have a craft name

Should I have a craft name?

The decision to take a craft name upon yourself should not be taken lightly. This is a name you will be speaking to the gods with, so a name that makes you uncomfortable or upset is right out. I really don't want to rehash the previous section, so I've composed this as a pair of lists. Compare your reason to these reasons:
Good Reasons Why People take Craft names:

Coven Members: Because they are members of a tradition that requires them. To maintain secrecy in a group. To indicate they have been initiated into a group. Because they feel their new life as a Wiccan warrants a new name. To have equality in a group. To speak in public as a Wiccan without outting themselves. To indicate they have undergone a mystery.

Solitary Practitioners: Because they are members of a tradition that requires them. Because they feel their new life as a Wiccan warrants a new name. To speak in public as a Wiccan without outting themselves.

Bad reasons why people take Craft names:

• Because someone told them they should have one.
• Because it makes them feel "more Wiccan."
• Because they hate their legal name.*
• To tick someone off.
• To feel more spiritual or special.

Reprint of the Nomicon @ this blog. Pt four:how do Wiccans pick names?

How do Wiccans pick Names?

The problem here is the assumption that Wiccans pick their craft names. In fact, very few names are picked or generated by a random craft name webpage. Most often a craft name is researched, explored and carefully chosen. In a group, this may be done by consensus. Still other times a name is choosen by a coven's leadership. Some groups have strict naming conventions, for example, my inner circle name in one group I was in when younger translates as "Windsinger," this name was given because I met certain attributes and characteristics, and came from a list of about 30 such names. These names, which tangentally resemble the virtue names we are familiar with from the Puritans and other strict Christians (Mercy, Patience, Prudence, Chastity, Faith, Hope, etc,) are typical of a strict naming tradition. Less orthodox groups may dictate that names come from nature or from animals. Still other groups ask that names come from history. As an example, one group I encountered assigned everyone the name of a person hung or burned for Witchcraft.
Still other names are the result of prayers and meditation, Ouiji boards, instinct, picking scrabble pieces out of bags and numerology.
There is no singular right way. There are some wrong ways, like picking a name because the next guy over has it, but there are often very many right ways, especially if you do not belong to a group or tradition that has a singular way. REMEMBER, solitary practioners can belong to traditions. Solitary means without a coven, not without a tradition!

Reprint of the Nomicon @ this blog. Pt five:are there bad craft names?

Are there bad craft names?
I'm assuming here that you've read "Why do Wiccans use Craft names," which is a section before this. If not, go back to the index (click the N, below, that says "HO ME") and read that FIRST.
Even though there are few wrong ways to get a craft name, there are some bad ones. Here, I attempt to make coherance in the jumble of Craft name etiquette abd ethics:
Hubris: It is bad, in most cultures, to call yourself by the name of a god, or even by his or her epithet. (The Merciless is the epithet of Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon, Heavenly Father is one of the epithets of the Christian god.) You may want to take hubris (Excessive wanton pride that offends the gods), disrespect and even irony into account when choosing a name. If not, you may end up like my friend from High school, Cassandra, who once wailed "Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?" Only to have me fall over in hysterical laughter that lasted for ten or 15 minutes.* Basically, you want to take the feelings of the culture you're borrowing from into account. I like virtue and nature names (whether Hope, Imagination, Feather or Sky,) even if they get more complicated in Latin (is it hubris to name yourself Libertas if you mean the quality of liberty not the deified quality?)
Cultural commandeering:Unless you are Native American, by blood or adoption, don't take a Native American name. (One friend tells the old joke of the Tribal leader who named all the white people coming to his home as "red" something. Red Feather, Red Spotted Pony, Red Eagle, because what they wanted wasn't a name but to be "red.") Likewise, if you've no claim to a Clan or tribal name from ANY culture, don't take it upon yourself. (For example, I have a strong claim to the surname Morgan, but I'm so sick of Morgans in Wicca that I'll probably never use the term. Again, the guideline here is to try to be respectful.
Warlock or Witch:Both of these terms have a history of being negative terms. Witch has been reclaimed (claimed, actually) by people and has a broader meaning than it originally did, but still has the weight of history. Warlock is only recently being reclaimed, so in addition to all those years of negative history and an original meaning of "oath breaker" before it reached English as Sorcerer you have numerous Pagans who are prejudiced against it and will tell you it's a poor name. Both of these are good names or things to include in your name if they speak to you, but bad if you want your name to command respect.
Lord, Lady: Speaking of commanding respect, don't use an honorific you haven't earned, whether lord, Lady, or a tradition name.
Amber, Merlin, Phoenix, Silver:Try to avoid names that everyone else has. Definately don't take Kaatryn.

Last Lightsaber.... How bad was I as a tween?

From Mr. Stevens, Head of Catering

Biologist joke: Well, what other color would he have? He is a vervet!

this one is for Phoenix....quick and dirty...

The statistucal likihood of "bukka" and "Nancy" Being the same person.

I used the gender guesser to evaluate two writing samples from this troll and her alt. It was obvious that Bukka and Alexis were the same person because they were posting the same links, and quoting the same websites, and this would have shown in the comparative samples.

Sample One, from Bukka, was:

"She's 16 years old and was caught arressted fro violating curfew laws. She was given the opportunity to complete a Diversion program in order to avoid Juvenile Court and a fine. This is her first offense and she lives in San Diego. She also was diagnosed with Major Depression. As she attended her Diversion Program class she was kicked out because she felt disrespected and gave the staff attitude. I believe that her Depression plays into why she was even more angry. Well, now she has to go to court and is really worried about rather or not she will be sent to Juvenile Hall or if the fine will just have to be paid. Has anyone experienced this situation and what actions do Judges usually take uopn failing a diversion program? I would perfer answers from people have been in this situation or know much about the law. Thank You!
Actually I'Do NOT! think that you have too many piercings. I'Have &&nd I'm still going to get many of them. They look wonderful! on me &&nd people ALWAYS! compliment them. Keep your Nose'Ring in if you would like. I'Believe that piercings define people. Get as many as you like. I've had the bottom Monroe Piercing &&nd it left a tiny &&nd very Un-Noticeable scar. However, everyone else's body is different. But, DON'T! worry . . . a Bizzare scar WON'T! form, unless it gets very infected which is very UN-Likely! to happen. I'LOVE! piercings so much. But to sum it up: Go for it! It's very! cute.
Source(s):
My'Self / Personal Experience &&nd it's a VERY! good source.
Well, I'Do still believe that it is messing with his free will. You've stated, "but the guy i'm doing it on i think likes me." Notice that you've used the word,"Think," this means that you're NOT! sure if he likes you are not, meaning that there is still a huge possibility with messing with his free will. Before you try casting a love spell on him you should really consider the consequences. I'Have once been in your shoes. I've tried casting a love spell on a guy and I'Do believe that it Bacc-Fired on me because NOT! to long afterwards 2 of the pets that I'Love past away. I'Do believe that the spell you are using can work. However, the chant does NOT! mention that you will harm none, which is something that it should mention. Perhaps this spell works and he falls in love with you and becomes very OBSESSED! with you, in which he starts to call you constanly, check up on you constantly, try to control you constantly this would not be of your plan. These actions even may cause you to fall out of love with him while he is still in love with you. In addition, your spell does NOT! state exactly how you want his love to be directed to you. It can come in MANY! forms. Be careful with what you DON'T! know. In addition, if you believe that he likes you, why can't you just wait on him? Obviously, there's a chance that he's going to be with you anyways. Try talking to him about performing a spell on him, then it WON'T! be taking his free will away."

The results were as follows:
Genre: Informal
Female = 1026
Male = 1044
Difference = 18; 50.43%
Verdict: Weak MALE
Weak emphasis could indicate European.

Sample # 2 was her "nancy" character:
"So you think that I am BukkaCapri./ Alexis? Please lets grow up.?
Well, If you believe that I am BukkaCapri, Alexis or whomever. This shows your maturity. There are many people out here who are going to post negative remarks about Wiccans, Christians, Muslims . . . etc. What are you going to do follow each person and tell them how wrong they are? Obviously if you hate what BukkaCapri./ Alexis is saying why endulge in hateful comments? Grow up seriously. Just because I respect and did not see her as rude or a pest that does not meant that I am an imposter. I'm not sure how I can prove this to one. Compare the writing style please do? If you're going to assume that everyone on here is going to be one person due to the comments that they make about Wiccans then you need help. Why would a Christian be interested in Wicca? How would you appreciate it if I said that Wiccans were interested and wanted to parctice ways of Christianty. Plase explain to me how this person meant to force someone to cast spells for them? Just because I am trying to keep the peace and stop all of this, this means I am the same person? I am very dissapointed and have never seen such negativity come from this community ever. Maybe many of you actually aren't Wiccans or are pretending to be. I'm shaking my head at you guys. Well if you want to keep this negativity going please do. Karma comes back around. Seriously why are you all mad? You have no reeason to be. This is why I choose to not hang among other Wiccans as they can be very snobby.
Remember you are judged by many people. Remember the struggle that we have been through, how many people believe us to be evil. Lets not prove them right.
Blessed Be!
This is my new account. I had to delete the old one because there was too much negativity going there. I've received an E-Mail from someone in need of spellcasting and I've seen what the the Wiccan has said about this. I am alarmed at all of the hate messages you guys posted. Yes, I do understand your frustration with this person but please if you send these type of negative messages out there you are just as guilty as you say he/she is. Don't give people the right too believe that we are mean agressive demented toads. That is not what I want for my fellow friends. I try to be as peaceful as much as I can. The poster should be ashamed of posting this question and so should the fellow rude answers. We are not about getting upset and trying to deterorate people. The ones who claim to be Wiccan are you really Wiccan? Why would you stoop so low. He/ She asked for help. I do not personally cast spells for others because I do not want to be responsible for anything if something goes wrong. And a spell is best performed when ones own energy is used. You blame he/ she for ranting and raving, but what are you doing yourself? You een took it this far. Please do not makes us look bad. I encourage people not defeat them. And the message that she has sent me was was polite. I saw no need to use the term, "Stranger." Please let's stop this nonsense. If you were frustrated so be it, but don't act like this and give bad names to our community. People already believe that we are evil, let's not do this. We do not need to scold people when asking for help but simply break it down so one can feel satisfied and helped. I don't know about you others but I am a Wiccan that is here to help.
Blessed Be!"

The results were as follows:
Genre: Informal
Female = 1403
Male = 1696
Difference = 293; 54.72%
Verdict: Weak MALE
Weak emphasis could indicate European.

As you can see, the difference between the perceived gender of the author of these parts is less than 1%.... to give you an example, between the first chapters of my five books, I vary as much as 10% from one to the other... I promise that you can evaluate any two people from any forum the same way and *not* see this high a correlation, no matter how hard you try, but if you'd prefer we can evaluate the grammatical mistakes and the idiomatic (I'd say unique) view of the word stranger as an insult.

On an aside, I'd like to thank Aaron for emailing me her alt's writing samples, as she blocked me for daring to question she was a sock puppet.

If you think *I'M* a bitch.

Down the chain of friends I managed to find out a dedicated student of Thelema I know, a person who knows more about Crowley than 3/4 of the people I know, who has publicly and regularly said he wishes he could've been taught by him, said he was amazed I had so many students because 'even though [I] know a lot about magic and Wicca...[my] personality made me too hard to learn from.'

Because, you know, being intellectually rigorous and having a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism.... that's WAY worse than anything Crowley ever did....

I've got to say, there is no person in the history of the universe I ever wanted more to leave a big, steaming poo on the table of....

I'm sure it would get his respect....

What a space pansy may look like

Once More, with Kanye...

Here you go...
http://kanyelicious.appspot.com/http://www.labgrrl.com

Because, you know, sometimes, you need to give the props to Beyonce.


Can I honestly say that although I have admired her rear a couple of times, I don't think I'd recognise Beyonce if she was delivering my pizza?

Which, I'm sure, she'd do better than our usual guy.