New Random Rambling - How Do You Know?

I wrote and added a new Random Rambling to the site. "How Do You Know?" is inspired by the question posed by well-intentioned Christians regarding the Wiccan source of magick and personal power. The inspiration to finally address this question came from stumbling across CARM's article to Wiccans. I came across this article while searching Wiccan ministry information. Not entirely surprising, almost every result on the first page of the search results seemed to be Christian ministry websites' articles about Wicca. CARM's was perhaps the only response not plagued by judgment and the lack of recognizing religious beliefs separate from one's own. That makes them good people in my eyes. ;)

Blessings,
Evy

New Pages

I've added in a few new pages at the site. Of course, they aren't necessarily new, just new to the site. The first new edition is the Code of Ethics for Teachers of the Wicca. This article provides brief guidelines for those who intend to be teachers of Wicca, and also provides a good resource to students who may be curious what to expect of a teacher.

Next, the Wiccan Fundamentalism article provides a brief history of Wicca and discusses the fundamentalism found in some traditions. Unlike the The Real History of Wicca page, which provides background on the creation/founding of Wicca, the new page provides information regarding the structure of Wicca and how it has changed. For those of you who remember my experience of returning to the Wicca LJ group to find that they didn't allow anyone uninitiated into a BTW coven within the group to refer to themselves as Wiccan (but Neo-Wiccan was okay o.0), you'll understand why I like this article so much.

Finally, I added the Principles of Wiccan Beliefs to the site. Although the Principles are not regarded as a definitive resource for outlining Pagan beliefs in America (and some of the wording is outdated), the vague nature of them is still useful as a quick reference for those trying to get a broad understanding of Wicca.

I hope to have some more new additions in the near future. Meanwhile, there's been an increase in activity at the forums, so be sure to stop by and join in!

Blessings,
Evy

Searches as Discussion Fuel

As I'm sure is not uncommon of webmasters in this day of decent, free analytic tools, I make use of searches that have led surfers to the site or on the site itself to brainstorm ideas of what content to add to the site. Of course, some search terms and phrases have little to do with Wicca and Witchcraft but somehow match words used on a particular page of the site. Other times, I just have no clue what to do with it and the phrases stay in my little excel spreadsheet for extended periods of time. I do my best to look over the spreadsheet whenever I want to add or update a page to make sure that I'm adding relevant content that internet users are actually trying to find. In the past, I would only add what I could share of the things I had just learned. Although this has been successful, I realize we are all on different paths and seeing some of the things that individuals have searched for drives my own curiousity at times.

As the list of search terms and phrases grows well beyond what I can keep up with even on a brainstorming level, I've been playing around with ideas of what I can do with it. I came across a few phrases that have really stuck out from the others. Usually in question form, they are thought-provoking and do not necessarily have a concrete answer. I thought about doing research and writing a new page. Maybe make it simpler and do up a new Random Rambling. I could even maybe blog about it here or on the Facebook page. Then the big light-bulb came on. Tons of thought-provoking, discussion-worthy search phrases and a message forum averaging less than a post a month. Oooo! I can start new discussions at the forums!

So in the future, you will see me adding a new thread or two at the forums on a regular basis asking interesting questions. More than likely, my source of these questions will be these search terms and phrases. I have absolutely no way whatsoever to identify who performed these searches, so if it was you (and remember chances are that some of these have actually been asked multiple times!), if you don't want anyone to know, no one has to. ;) I hope to see you all joining in on the discussions!

Blessings,
Evy

Sabbats Page

As intended years ago, I've finally added a page specifically for the sabbats. The information is still fairly basic, but slightly more in-depth than the Wiccan Holidays page, and includes correspondence information. This page will more than likely see repeated updates over the years, so be sure to check back!

Blessings,
Evy

New Chants

Although the chants themselves are not new, I've added a few more chants and prayers. One of which (To Build Inner Strength) is among my favorites from when I first began studying Wicca. Enjoy!

Blessings,
Evy

New Book Reviews

It's been quite awhile since I made an update to the site. Although there's still plenty more in the works, I decided to add a little something in the meantime. On the Pagan Book Reviews page you will find two new book reviews: Doreen Valiente's Witchcraft for Tomorrow and Dagonet Dewr's Sacred Paths for Modern Men. Although I enjoyed both, Dewr's book touched me the most. Be sure to check out the reviews!

After spending some time soul searching, I've finally decided my future career path. Although I still intend to be a counselor with soldiers and veterans as my main focus (the goal since starting my secondary education in 2008), I have decided to put my educational focus into Pagan Pastoral Counseling. As such, I will not have the free time as hoped for once my Bachelor's is complete in September. However, with Pagan-focused studies for my Master's, I hope to better provide you all with information and guidance for many years to come!

Blessings,
Evy

Behind the Scenes

With work and school back in full-swing, my absence is apparent. However, I'm still working behind the scenes on the site. Trying to ensure links and ads are accurate, researching information I want to post on the site, looking around at potential new layouts for a future face-lift on the site, and overall brainstorming. Unfortunately, because I only find a few minutes here and there that can be spared to do these things, all of my efforts go unnoticed.

I just wanted to let everyone know that just because the site doesn't appear to be updated, I can't be found at the forums and chatroom, and any other evidence of my existence seems to have been wiped clean, I'm still around and still working on the site. So if you have any ideas, comments, or concerns, don't hesitate to drop me a line here, at the forums, in the chatroom, or through email. I may be busy these days, but I'm certainly not too busy for you!

Blessings,
Evy