CollegeWicca.com - Old News September, 2004

September 26, 2004--No More E-mail Updates I used to have the form to the right to sign up for notices when College Wicca was updated. Between the lack of real updates rating an e-mail to be sent to people who signed up, and filtering through the spam mail, I decided to kill it off. I figure there's no sense in keeping a feature that I don't have the time to work with, plus just gives the spammer robots a playground.

So, if you have signed up for updates before, I'm sorry I had to get rid of it. I've killed off the whole e-mail account it was going to, and therefore your e-mail address is no longer in my system, either. If you get any spam from "me"...again, it's not me, I promise. =)

It just means that now people will have to visit to see updates! But, bookmark this page, and it's a quick click...I always note any updates in this space.

September 20, 2004--New Article Up! Lilbitdramatic asked a question on how to cast a circle on the forum. As usual, I wrote out a long, lengthy reply, and, with people's encouragement, decided to edit it (typos, grammar, etc.) and make it into a new article on the site.

So without further ado, please feel free to read How to Cast a Circle. Mind you, it's based on how *I* cast a circle...hence the constant statements that you can change parts. And please do...that personalization of ritual is what makes it have more meaning.

In other news, I feel a need to address an issue: Why do Pagan Adults not reach out to teens as much as other religions tend to do?

What I think it all boils down to is legal issues, being a minor, and getting parental permission. Teens...please don't take it personally when adult Pagans are hesitant to take you under their wings and teach you. Y'see, if you're under 18 (at least in the USA), you're still subject to your parents' rules, and many adults are not willing to teach without express written permission from your parents. Considering the number of teens I see posting that they don't want to tell their parents, I think that is where many adults don't want to get tangled up in legal issues.

But, that is also why many websites are open to your perusal. I say this a lot, but I'll say it again: The best place to begin is to read everything you can get your hands on. Then when you come across someone who is willing to answer questions and even teach you, you can actually ask specific questions that we can answer. Clarification on things you don't understand is FAR easier than trying to answer, "Tell me everything about Wicca," and trying to compact the main points into three sentences or less so as not to lose your attention.

As the school year just started, the topic of teaching teens has been weighing heavily on my mind, so I had to get that out.

In other news...well, there really isn't much in the way of other news, now that I'm typing this. My area (in North Carolina) hasn't been hit too badly by the various hurricanes that have come through. But they have helped make my decision to NOT go down the the beach in a couple of weeks. Partially because K'Tok can't get the time off, partially because of the other storms (Jeanne, Karl, and potentially Lisa) out in the Atlantic. It looks like Jeanne won't be a problem, but who knows what may happen in two weeks. Thankfully my brother, who's in Pensacola, FL, is okay after going through Ivan.

So now this leaves me with my last week of vacation to take before the end of the year, and I'm not sure what to do. I will be going to the NC Ren Faire in late October for just the weekend, but that won't use any vacation time. Beyond that, I'm stumped.

It's getting late, so I'm going to wrap this up here. Happy Mabon, everyone!