Lumos, Blessed Be.

Spring has finally arrived, May is here, and it is wonderful to see the leaves returning to the trees, the flowers blooming, the green grass and warmer temperatures. Summer is not far off.

My first book, “The Boy Who Lived: Magical Spirituality in the Harry Potter Universe” was recently published, and I am quite happy with it. It is currently available on Lulu at THIS LINK, and in about 6-8 weeks you can also purchase it thru Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I would like to thank my friend Brian, for his invaluable assistance with formatting and helping it to look nice and professional.

May is a busy month for us, we have things going on nearly every weekend until the first week of June. After that, I want to take a break until Late Summer/Early Fall, when I would like to do more teaching and start working on my next book, “Walking The Magick Path“.

On May 1^st, we went to see the off-broadway production, Potted Potter with one of our close friends. We had seen it before in NYC and we loved it. This time, Potted Potter was here in town, performing locally for one-night-only, and we had the opportunity to see it again. The two talented and energetic British actors cover the entire Harry Potter saga, in comedic fashion, in just over an hour. It’s such a fun production, go and see them if you get the chance.

On May 2^nd, we attended the MyChoice Voice Awards, where the best blogs in the Lehigh Valley (the area of Pennsylvania where I live) are honored and recognized. This event is presented by the local newspaper, The Morning Call. I am happy to say that I won again this year, for Best Religion Blog. Two years in a row, not bad! I am grateful to everyone who voted.

May 4^th, (last night, in fact), was our Beltane ritual and celebration with the magickal community we belong to. Good food, some divination, stories of the faerie realm, and afterward it was so much fun to circle around the Maypole again with our friends and extended family. The Maypole is symbolic of the union between the Goddess and the God, a union that is reflected in the flourishing earth. It also represents the weaving together of the soul of man with the soul of nature.

In just a few days, we make the journey up to New Hampshire for MISTI-CON, a 4-Day Harry Potter conference for adult fans, with many fun activities planned: academic presentations, music, games, crafts, Quidditch and a costume ball, among other things. This will be the fourth Potter conference that we have attended, and they are especially magickal. We are anxious to see our friends again and re-connect with our Potter family. It is always a transforming and inspiring experience, and I always come back from these conferences recharged and refocused. I will be lecturing on my book, The Boy Who Lived, and taking several copies with me to sign.

May 18 & 19 I will be at the Spring Spiritual Holistic Expo offering Magickal Reiki treatments. Reiki (pronounced Ray Key) is a combination of two Japanese words ‘Rei’ and ‘Ki’ meaning Universal Life Energy. Reiki is an ancient laying-on of hands healing technique that uses the life force energy to heal, balancing the subtle energies within our bodies. Reiki addresses physical, emotional, mental and spiritual imbalances. I am a certified Reiki II practitioner, and developed Magickal Reiki, a combination of Usui Ryoho Reiki, Crystal Therapy, Chakra Healing, Meditation and Aromatherapy. At the expo, I will be doing half-hour sessions for 30$. Magickal Reiki is done in sacred space, within the boundary of a magick circle. I will also be offering a small selection of my handmade ritual and spell candles. I wanted to do Tarot/Oracle readings there as well, but apparently they “already have too many”. Oh well, next time.

June 8 & 9, however, I will be doing Tarot readings for the whole weekend, at an event called Artifest. A friend and myself will be the only tarot readers there, so I am looking forward to this a great deal. This will be my first time at this event, and I’m told we are in the “Old World Renaissance” section. It sounds like lots of fun! Look for some of my candles there too.

For more info about these events, click the Upcoming Events link at the top.

Lots happening this month!

One of the most magickal stones, Moonstone is a white, blue or opalescent feldspar with strong magical connections to the Moon and Lunar goddesses. It is a feminine stone, with receptive energy, and is linked to the element of Water. One of it’s more powerful qualities is it’s use in Divination. The energy of Moonstone aids divination practices, such as tarot, runes or crystal gazing. Place a few Moonstone crystals near your divination tools, particularly on or near the Full Moon, or wear Moonstone jewelry whenever doing readings for others. It helps to keep good energy flowing during magickal rituals, working well for those who plan their lives by the phases of the Moon. This crystal helps us access the unseen realms, and makes it easier to receive psychic information. It is an excellent crystal for meditation and creative visualization. Those who have strong psychic or intuitive abilities will find this stone very beneficial. On a deeper level, this crystal also helps us to focus within and examine our motives and emotions. Use Moonstone during a Waning or Dark Moon when doing meditations to explore the Shadow Self, and anything about yourself that you keep hidden from others. Since Moonstone is strongly linked to emotions and the Sacral Chakra, it’s energies can be utilized to help gently stabilize any strong emotions and allow peace and calm to take their place. Moonstone is linked to the astrological sign of Cancer, and the concept of the Mother. It is nurturing, healing and protective. Whether you wish to develop a stronger bond with your own mother, or connect with a Mother Goddess deity figure, Moonstone is of great benefit. Moonstone helps to relieve anxiety, tension and stress. It is worn to prevent headaches, nightmares and other sleep disorders. Placing Moonstone around your workplace can help ease stress on the job and promote a peaceful environment. It is reported to be a favorite among children and animals, especially cats. It has also been used for centuries in spells for fertility and love. Another magickal benefit of Moonstone is it’s protective quality, particularly for travelers. Place a few Moonstone crystals in your suitcase or vehicle to draw upon their protective energies, or wear a Moonstone bracelet. To activate the Moonstone crystal, leave it sitting outside overnight in a bowl of purified spring water, in the light of a Waxing Moon (between New Moon and Full Moon). As with any crystal, cleanse your Moonstone in purified water before using it in any kind of magick or ritual.

Lumos, Blessed Be.

Time seems to be moving by so quickly, and I seem to have so little of it lately to finish the things I need to, but I have accomplished much over the past few weeks. There are some exciting things on the horizon.

I recently finished another batch of spell candles, and most of this batch is already spoken for. I enjoy making ritual/spell candles, and I do it not only because it’s fun and creative, but also in service to Cerridwen, whom I feel has granted me this gift. I will be making several candles in the coming weeks, most will be offered for sale at the Holistic Expo in a few months.

My latest batch of candles.

The Spiritual Holistic Expo is presented here twice a year (every Spring and Fall), and this will be the 2^nd time I myself will have a booth at the Spring Expo. I will be offering Magickal Reiki treatments and selling my hand-made candles, ritual bath soaps and other items. This time around I am honored to share a large space with my good friend and coven-mate Amy, who happens to be a Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Master. These expos are a lot of fun, and a great place to network and get to know other local practitioners and magickal folk. I was very successful at the last one, and am looking forward to the one in May. It’s also exciting to me that several friends will have booths there as well, offering their magickal/healing skills to the community. It really does seem a bit like Diagon Alley, exploring these expos, with so many magickal people roaming about: faeries, witches, shamans, etc, and there are so many things to discover. Crystals, tarot decks, robes & cloaks, all manner of healing modalities, music, herbs, singing bowls…you name it, it can be found there.

I also recently received official conformation from Misti-Con regarding the date and time of my lecture, Magickal Spirituality in the Harry Potter Universe. It is to take place on Sunday, May 12 from 2 pm – 3:30 pm. They’re giving me 90 minutes for this one, and I will need it, because I have a lot of information to share. I am putting together a guided meditation and creative visualization exercise to close the lecture with.

In other news, a few weeks ago the transmission on my car went out, and I was without a vehicle for a week. It cost a ridiculous amount of money to have it repaired, but I am driving again and it seems to be working fine. This is the 2^nd used car I’ve had since moving to Pennsylvania six years ago. I don’t know what it is with me and cars. I do take care of them, but something weird always happens to them. Which reminds me, we are now in Mercury Retrograde until March 17^th (I think), and this is a time that can have a negative impact on all forms of travel and communication. I will need to pay extra attention to my car until Mercury turns direct again. I have all sorts of ’safe travel’ enchantments placed on my car, but they will be of no use if I don’t take care of it.

My book is coming along nicely, though not as quickly as I’d like. Having it finished before Spring is optimistic, but I am certainly trying. I don’t have lots of free time on my hands. As much as I would love to make my living as a full-time witch, I am not so fortunate. Like a lot of people, I have to work a full-time job in addition to my other responsibilities. This means that I get most of my writing done on the weekends. I am doing my very best to have it completed by Spring, which is still a few months away.

It’s still a bit cold here in Pennsylvania. Tonight it is very windy, the windows are rattling, and there is a forecast for rain. I enjoy the rain, and love listening to it while relaxing by candlelight and the smell of incense wafting though the house. It is quite relaxing.

A few weeks ago my friend Sybilla told me about a British program she watches called Doc Martin. It is a comedy/drama about a London doctor who moves to a small village in Cornwall. The town has lots of fun, quirky characters and the big-city doctor must learn how to interact with these eccentric small-town folk. I ordered Season 1 on DVD and have fallen in love with this program. I will definitely get the rest of the series.

Well…I’m getting a bit tired now, and I need to wash some jeans for work tomorrow.

Stay Warm…Spring is almost here!

There are many ways to add extra power and strength to our spells and enchantments. Magickal knowledge has been passed down through thru the ages to help us do this. What many witches and other magickal folk refer to as “correspondences” are various colors, objects, scents, deities, oils, tarot cards, herbs, crystals or anything else that symbolizes our intended magickal outcome. I like to think of these items as arrows directed at a target. This process of using symbols is sometimes called “sympathetic magick”. In other words, these items have a sympathetic link to the desired goal. It is speculated that the theory of sympathetic magick was first developed in the late 1800’s by Richard Andree, as explained by Sir James George Frazer in his book, The Golden Bough. Frazer writes:

“If we analyze the principles of thought on which magic is based, they will probably be found to resolve themselves into two: first, that like produces like, or that an effect resembles its cause; and, second, that things which have once been in contact with each other continue to act on each other at a distance after the physical contact has been severed. The former principle may be called the Law of Similarity, the latter the Law of Contact or Contagion. From the first of these principles, namely the Law of Similarity, the magician infers that he can produce any effect he desires merely by imitating it: from the second he infers that whatever he does to a material object will affect equally the person with whom the object was once in contact, whether it formed part of his body or not”.

Where the traditional correspondences we use today came from is a matter of debate. I believe they are culled from many ancient sources, including Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy, originally published in 1531. This is certainly where our ‘Planetary Hours’ came from, as I happen to own a copy of the Three Books, which contains a Planetary Hours chart.

So what does all this mean to you as a magickal practitioner? What it means is that there many tools at your disposal that you can use to add energy to your spells. The study of correspondences and sympathetic magick could literally take volumes, and a website all to itself, so for now we will focus on what are known as “Daily Correspondences”.

Each day of the week contains it’s own special magick and specific correspondences. Tapping into these energies when casting your spells will ensure greater success of your desired outcome. These correspondences have been used for so long because they work. While it is also true that some correspondences can be individualized or changed (as some of them can mean different things to different people), we must take care not to stray too far away from a system that has worked for so long, for so many. It is the “momentum of the past”, as Raven Grimassi writes, and I love this description. When you use the color Red on a Friday for love, you are connecting to the same flow of energy used by all other magickal practitioners of past and present who are also using Red on a Friday for love. That is a lot of energy to call upon!

Here are some of the traditional correspondences for each day of the week. There are many more that can be included in each category, but I will list just a few. I am not including the deities here, since I work with the same deities on a regular basis, and I’m not fond of calling on deities randomly just because it’s their day of the week. At the end of this article, I have listed other resources for further study.

MONDAY (DAY OF THE MOON) 

Colors: White, Silver

Planet: Moon

Herbs, Flowers and Plants: Moonflower, Jasmine, Irish Moss, Myrrh, Sandalwood.

Crystals: Moonstone, Pearl, Clear Quartz

Oils: Myrrh, Sandalwood, Gardenia, Jasmine

Incense:Myrrh, Sandalwood, Jasmine

Tarot: The Moon

Other: Mirrors, white sand, white cotton clothing, water, divination tools (crystal balls, tarot decks, runes, pendulums).

Magick: To increase one’s intuitive and psychic skills, meditation and visualization, divination, astral projection, path working, journey work, spirit guide contact.

TUESDAY (TYR’S DAY) 

Colors: Red, Black

Planet: Mars

Herbs, Flowers and Plants: Dragons Blood, Red Clover, Holly, Damiana, Cinnamon

Crystals: Red Jasper, Carnelian, Black Onyx, Black Tourmaline, Jet,

Oils: Dragons Blood, Ginger, Cinnamon, Holly, Musk

Incense: Dragons Blood, Pine, Musk

Tarot: The Hierophant

Other: dragons, fire, male symbol, masculine/male images, phoenix, blackthorn wood

Magick: bravery, strength of will, character, courage, resolving disagreements, manhood/male spirituality, male bonding, assertiveness, persistence

WEDNESDAY (WODEN’S DAY) 

Colors: Yellow, Orange

Planet: Mercury

Herbs, Flowers and Plants: Lavender, Lemon Grass, Mint, Clover, Horehound

Crystals:Tree Agate, Fuchsite, Opal, Goldstone, Rainbow Moonstone

Oils:Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Amber

Tarot: Ace of Wands

Incense:Eucalyptus, Cedarwood, Mulberry

Other: parchment paper, phrenology head, sigils, numerology, throat chakra symbol, quills, pens, ink, writing instruments, tools used in creative endeavors

Magick: Communication, travel, expressing ideas, creativity, self-confidence, writing, singing, acting, painting, drawing, artwork

THURSDAY (THOR’S DAY)

Colors: Greens and Browns

Planet:Jupiter

Herbs, Flowers and Plants: Cinquefoil, Hyssop, Sage, Oak Moss, Patchouli

Crystals: Aventurine, Tree Agate, Emerald

Oils: Oak Moss, Patchouli, Clove, Sage

Incense: Sage, Patchouli

Tarot: 4 of Pentacles

Other: Money, coins, photos of necessary material needs (home, vehicle, job), Thor’s Hammer, Runes, Norse symbols, drinking horn

Magick: Success, prosperity, employment, money, finances, images or symbols of trees, green man, stag, Cernunnos, antlers

FRIDAY (FREYA’S DAY) 

Colors: Reds and Pinks

Planet: Venus

Herbs, Flowers and Plants:Rose, Rose Petals, Rose Hips, Lavender, Dittany, Magnolia, Apple, Willow, Daffodil

Crystals: Rose Quartz, Diamond, Pearl

Oils: Hyacinth, Rose (Pure essential rose oil is very expensive), Lilac, Vanilla

Incense: Rose Musk, Jasmine, Lotus

Tarot: The Lovers

Other: Hearts, photos of loved ones, red ribbon, red candle holders, the female/venus symbol, red sand

Magick: Love, romance, sex, intimacy, relationships, friendship, family, restoring broken relationships, eroticism (both gay and straight), hearth and home, nurturing

SATURDAY (DAY OF SATURN) 

Colors: Black, Deep Maroon, Dark Purple

Planet: Saturn

Herbs, Flowers and Plants: Belladonna, Hellebore, Wolf’s Bane, Datura, Yew (Note: These are highly poisonous and must be with used with caution). Non-poisonous substitutes are Comfrey, Elm, Pansy and Solomon’s Seal.

Crystals: Hematite, Black Tourmaline, Hypersthene and Onyx.

Oils: Ylang Ylang, Myrrh, Patchouli, Clove

Incense: Dragons Blood, Copal, Amber

Tarot: The Chariot

Other: X symbol, equal armed cross, broken twigs, shards of glass, iron nails, knotted twine

Magick: Protection, binding, banishing, removing harmful influences, confrontation, removing obstacles, issues of a threatening nature, deflecting harm　

SUNDAY (DAY OF THE SUN) 

Colors: Yellow, Bright Orange, Gold, Bright Red

Planet: Sun

Herbs, Flowers and Plants: Heliotrope, Sunflower, Pumpkin, Marigold, St. John’s Wort

Crystals: Citrine, Tiger’s Eye, Clear Quartz

Oils: Heliotrope, Frankincense, Sweet Orange, Amber, Mistletoe

Incense: Frankincense, Sage, Juniper

Tarot: The Sun

Other: yellow flower petals, images of the Sun, deity images, yellow sand, pumpkin powder

Magick: Deity communication, seeking divine wisdom, enlightenment, spirituality, divinity, learning, chakra work, healing, bringing something hidden to light

These are some of the traditional magickal associations for each day of the week. So, what if you’d like to do magick for prosperity, but you don’t want to wait until Thursday? You could use the strength of Mars on a Tuesday, or remove those financial obstacles on a Saturday. If you can’t wait for the perfect day, just use whatever energies are present when you need them.

For further studies about magickal correspondences, I recommend:

*The Complete Magician’s Tables, by Stephen Skinner

*The Magician’s Companion, by Bill Whitcomb

*Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Correspondences, by Sandra Kynes

*Book of Witchery, by Ellen Dugan

Lumos, Blessed Be.

This post will jump around a bit, so please bear with me.

I’m still very busy writing The Boy Who Lived: Magickal Spirituality in the Harry Potter Universe, even after a minor setback. About a week ago, as I was researching a few things online I clicked on a link and then suddenly a strange screen appeared on my desktop, and there was no way to click out of it. Even after re-starting my computer several times, it was still there and I was certain my computer had been infected with a virus. While I was contemplating how expensive it would be to fix this, a Facebook friend gave me some advice on how to get rid of this thing. Advice, I am happy to say, worked with no problem. To be on the safe side, however, I may need to install some new virus protection software. The real issue came when I discovered that nearly 10 pages of my book had vanished without a trace. Thankfully I had all of this information in my notes, and the missing pages were re-written. It is my hope to have the book finished before Spring arrives. This is positive-thinking on my part, as there aren’t many weekends left before then, and I get most of my writing done on weekends. It is difficult to write during the week, (although I do when I can), since when I come home from work my brain is tired and I need to just relax and unwind. Another thing is that I must have silence when I write. If the TV is blaring, or someone is singing on the radio, I cannot concentrate on what I’m doing. There are many times when I receive inspiration from my guides as I’m writing, so I must be able to focus and hear. During the week is when I brainstorm and organize how I’m going to write things, and in what order, so that when the weekend comes I can sit down and write it all out. Sometimes a topic takes on a life of it’s own and I end up writing more about something than I had originally planned. I am guessing that the finished book will be around 120 pages.

Earlier this week one of my co-workers came to me and asked if I was aware of a current court case that is getting alot of media attention. There are only a few things I watch on TV, I’m very selective, and the past week I admit I have not been following the news. The news story my co-worker referred to is about a young woman who killed her boyfriend for some unknown reason, and it was recently revealed that this young woman had studied Wicca. The story was featured on the Nancy Grace program, and apparently Ms. Grace was focusing on the Wicca aspect, somehow implying that Wicca played a role in this man’s death. I found this very disturbing. Equally disturbing was the fact that none of the guests that Nancy Grace invited on her show spoke up and acknowledged the truth that Wiccans do not advocate killing or harming anyone, for any reason. It seems that she only invited guests who would further sensationalize the story, and thus paint a negative picture of those who follow the Wiccan religion. Thankfully, my co-worker (who is not Wiccan) was intelligent enough to know the truth. Nancy Grace is considered by many to be a sensationalist (one who exaggerates things to an extreme degree, in an effort to garner ratings, attention or popularity), and has described herself as “Christian”. I admit that I do not watch her program, and I do not know Ms. Grace personally, but I know there have been other similar cases on her show where someone involved happened to be Wiccan, and Ms. Grace seemed to focus on this aspect. It is done in a condescending way and appears to be a subtle attempt to portray Wiccans as people who are prone to murder or be involved in other criminal activity. Let us hope that this is not becoming a media trend. Anyone who will do the least amount of research will discover that these things are not acceptable in Wicca. Nancy Grace has an outspoken personality and is not afraid to speak her mind. Those of us who are Witches and Wiccan should be just as loud and outspoken, if not moreso, whenever someone in the media tries to discredit us or portray us in a negative light. Just because we are still a “minority” religion does not mean that we can be trampled on or that we should stand idly by and allow ourselves to be maligned. I am not afraid to publicly declare myself a Witch, and I can speak my mind too.

Yesterday we had a very relaxing day in the small town of Jim Thorpe, PA, which is situated in the Pocono Mountains. It has been called the “Switzerland of Pennsylvania” due it’s picturesque scenery and architecture. Lots of fun little shops and restaurants. Our friend Sybilla went along with us. One of my favorite shops there, the Emporium of Curious Goods, has lots of magickal trinkets and items. I bought a wand enladen with chakra stones, to use in my Reiki practice. It’s about a foot long, with clear quartz points attached at each end. I love it.

We also stopped at a small flea market on the way, where I found this beautiful pendant, a pentacle with a serpent around it. In magickal lore, the Serpent guards the secrets of the Underworld and also represents the Shadow Self.

We had a fun day in this little town. The pizza shop there serves a delicious Taco Pizza that I can never get enough of.

I hope to do more writing today, but first, we must go grocery shopping. I’m almost out of coffee, and that is never a good thing.

Lumos, Blessed Be.

As Witches, we are called to be magickal beings and to live a life of magick. However, there is a deeper work that must be pursued. In order to live as fully manifest magickal beings, we must also strive for wholeness and balance in all areas of life. By working toward this goal, a transformation can occur, not only within ourselves but in the world around us. My recent personal studies have led me into some deep waters of introspection, and I discovered some things about magickal integration and wholeness, particularly in the areas of work and sexuality. For a very long time, I considered work and sexuality to be two aspects of my life that were not directly influenced by my magickal path. I finally realized that nothing in my life is untouched by magick, and that it is possible to be completely surrounded by magick in every area of life. This is true magickal wholeness.

WORK

I used to say that I liked to keep my “work life” and my “real life” separate. My “work life” refers to my day job, where I go to work during the day as a caregiver, and my “real life” as a Witch and my duties as teacher, healing practitioner and high priest. For years I fought tooth and nail to keep these two aspects of my life totally separate and unaffected by the other. Over time I began to realize just how magickal my work can be at times. It is not a separate entity from my magickal self. I work in a day program that provides services for developmentally-disabled adults, and when I first started with my current company, I truly hated it. “Hate” is not a word I like to use, but in this instance it is fully accurate. Working conditions were very chaotic and stress-filled at that time, even for a meditation teacher like me. There were many days I wanted to just quit and walk out. I did some major spellwork for conditions to change, and eventually they did. My work environment is now peaceful, productive and rewarding, but it didn‘t happen overnight. No matter how stressful your job is, there are subtle ways to bring magick into the workplace. Placing a few amethyst or rose quartz crystals around the office or on your desk can help neutralize harmful energies and invite peace. If this isn’t possible where you work, carry these crystals in your pocket. Playing some soft, relaxing instrumental music at various times during the day can help create a peaceful atmosphere. Light a scented candle and place it on a windowsill or someplace where it won‘t be knocked over. Begin visualizing your work conditions the way you would like them to be, and truly believe it will happen. Another thing to consider is that while at our jobs, we are presented with many opportunities for inner growth. How we interact with others, how we adapt to change (something I still struggle with), and how we respond to certain behaviors and attitudes are all things that we can work to improve upon while at the workplace. These things can reveal to us our strengths and weaknesses on a social, interpersonal level. If you are “out” as a Witch, the workplace is an opportunity to live by example, showing those around you that witches are not scary and unapproachable, that we are intelligent people just like them, even though our beliefs and lifestyle may be different.

SEXUALITY

My sexuality was another aspect of my life that for a long time, I considered to be separate from my magickal identity. I began to notice, however, that the deities and guides that I work with in my rituals and spells seemed to require every aspect of my being, even my sexuality, to be present energetically in the ritual. I am a gay man, and the deities I work with most often are Cerridwen and Cernunnos, both of whom are of Celtic origin. My relationship with the Horned God Cernunnos has taught me many things about gay male mysticism, in a magickal context. I believe Cernunnos to be a bisexual deity. Some say he is the Celtic version of the Greek God Pan, about whom some of the old lore tells us how he seduced the shepherds in the fields, driving them mad with desire. He had two male companions, always pictured with erect phalluses. Cernunnos is a balance of masculine and feminine energies, a symbolic representation of the relationship between the Goddess and the God. In one hand Cernunnos holds a torc, an open-ended piece of jewelry worn around the neck, usually by men. In the other hand he holds a serpent, a phallic symbol. These are two male-oriented objects that can be joined together in a symbolic act of sexual union. Those who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender have within their being this polarity of masculine and feminine energy. It is interesting to note that when we are conceived, we all begin as female, but as chromosomes begin to fall into place, that is when we develop further as male, female or transgender. As the chant goes, “We All Come From The Goddess”. My magickal identity does not exist separately from my sexuality-in many ways it is enhanced by it.

For further study of gay male sexuality in a magickal context, I recommend Gay Witchcraft, by Christopher Penczak and The Path of the Green Man, by Michael Thomas Ford.