A combination of multiple computer problems, the hot weather, and the usual work-related craziness have all contributed to this update being somewhat later than I had intended it. Never mind, there's a transcript of Dr. Susan Greenwood's talk The Nature of Magic recently given at Treadwells Bookshop in London to mark the release of her new book of the same name (a review is on the way). Susan has also teamed up with another old friend, Jo Crow, and is presenting what we hope will be the first in a series of Shamanic workshops in Brighton in July - details on the Events page. I've also dug out an old essay from 1994 on Mentat Naivety and also something more recent - an article discussing the so-called 'Bollywood goddess' Santoshi Ma. I've also added some new book reviews: a new edition of Ray Sherwin's classic The Book of Results, Meena Khandelwal's engrossing Women in Ochre Robes, Devdutt Pattanaik's The Man Who Was a Woman and other Queer Tales of Hindu Lore and a useful little book exploring the Sri Yantra

I've also made a few new entries on the links page, notably Alistair - "Kill Your Pet Puppy" - Livingston's rather wonderful blog

More to come, when I get around to it!

Updates for March. Moon Music an obituary to Jhonn Balance by Ed Richardson. Maria Strutz's essay Yantra based on her talk last year at Treadwells. Also, a big batch of reviews:
The new edition of Steve Wilson's Chaos Ritual, Steve Marshall's The Mandate of Heaven, a Runic Primer, the first issue of Konton magazine and Julian Vayne & Greg Humphries' NTWICCM

Also new entries to the art index - Maria's paintings of the Three Shaktis, and a photo of her Sri Yantra.

Here’s the first batch of site updates for 2005:

A new article for the Tantra section is Danny Lowe’s comprehensive introduction to Dattatreya. Two new Book Reviews have been added: The Good the Bad the Funny and Sarah Caldwell’s Oh Terrifying Mother. Plus more additions to the art - Maria’s Sri Yantra and Isis sculptures, updates to the Links page and details of a debate I’m taking part in later this month at Treadwells on the Events page.

Now for some news & announcements:

New magazine alert! Dead Jellyfish of chaosmagic.com tells me he’s doing a new hard-copy Chaos ‘zine: Konton Magazine and the first issue is already available. Konton (its Japanese for “chaos” apparently) will be published quarterly on the solstices & equinoxes, and the Jellyfish sez he welcomes unsoliticed submissions, so please bombard him with bullshit at deadjellyfish@chaosmagic.com.
Peter J. Carroll has emerged from the Tower of Silence and is teaching an online course in chaos magic at the maybelogic academy starting in April.
TOPY have recently announced two new publications T.O.P.Y Broadcast 9.2 and Thee Kali Circle Compendium - more info from the TOPY News page.
Also, two former Logos Press titles, The Nox Anthology and Liber Koth have been released as a single volume by New Falcon Publications.

Babal’Orisha Obalade, Santero and Oriaté (Diviner and Master of Ceremony), will be visiting London in May 2005. He is initiated into the Afro-Cuban Tradition of Santeria for over 29 years and well versed in Dillogun Divination, the traditional form of determining Divine Will by casting the cowry shells of the Orishas. He has taught and initiated many people into the mysteries of Santeria. More info about this event at the London Santeria Meetup Group.

Looks like my plan to update this website on a monthly basis has been pretty well scuppered. Never mind, here's some new content for the Tantra section:
Elements of Puja
The Nine Durgas
The Tantric Body
and two book reviews: Stephen Sennitt's collection Creatures of Clay and Ellen Goldberg's outstandingThe Lord who is Half Woman
Other tweaks: I've added a small addenum to Stephen Grasso's fine Hoodoo essay and added the link of artist Marianne to the links listing. A lovely person Maria got talking to at our last visit to Treadwells. Speaking of which, I should give another plug to the series of talks which the London Tantra Discussion Group is giving there. Details on the Events page.

Expect another update soon!

More busyness - this time broken up by a very pleasant, if intense, week at this year's 'Queer Pagan Camp'. However, I've finally managed to get together some new content, so:
Rips to the Edge - an old essay which first appeared in Towards 2012 magazine has been added to the Essays section, as has the text from Stephen Grasso's recent, highly acclaimed lecture Hoodoo.
A new addition to the Tantra section is Reflections on Tantra, Part 1 - some notes from a recent lecture I did in London. Speaking of lectures, I've added an Events page, which is currently showing a series of talks on different aspects of Tantra that I'm involved with in London.
The Links page and the My Books page have also been updated.