August 25, 2009

Wiccan Ethics book officially being released!

A year or so ago I quietly released an uncorrected early proof of the book _Ethics and the Craft_ which is based on the research of my History and Evolution of Wiccan Ethics website plus an additional discourse on ethical thinking in the Craft.

I am happy to announce that the book has been edited and corrected and is now being published as an official book through Waning Moon Publications.

For information or to pre-order the book please visit http://waningmoon.com/publications/ethics-and-the-craft.html.

I will have books in hand the end of September and will be happy to sign all direct orders through the above link.

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August 12, 2009

Thoughts on… well, thoughts… and being.

Probably thanks to my recent efforts to return to my contemplative nature – I found myself pondering a few random thoughts and, as I usually like to do, decided to write them down to help better organize and document them for my private journal.  Felt like sharing this one in case it spurred some interesting conversation.

Anyway, I was pondering something I am sure many a mystic has said before more eloquently – that at any given moment we are never the same person we were before that moment.  Sure, sometimes the changes from moment to moment may seem nominal and give the appearance of a static self, but so many factors can easily cause a change which can alter the course of our entire day.  Various influences can change things, be it reading an upsetting email, or having a sudden though that changes one’s mood for better or worse, or any number of external factors such as loud obnoxious people on the train during one’s commute.  All these things can alter our emotional state and in turn change our body and brain chemistry.  How we perceive things can be very different depending on our emotional and physical state at any given time.  So I may start my commute on a positive note and good day ahead and get off the train in a foul mood and a bad day to come.  The day is the same day but the changes in my being will bring about very different perceptions and thus different outcome for that day.

We may not be able to control those random external influences but we do have much more control than we tend to accept in how we choose to let such things impact us.  Sometimes I am quite good at deflecting such negative influences and other times I take things far too personally and allow them to bring me down.  There’s a certain level of detachment needed to allow oneself to see behind the layers of meaning we project onto events.  It is then possible to respond (or not) in a manner that is in one’s best interest.

As a manager I often find myself lecturing my staff on this point, especially given the current environment which has been growing increasingly toxic due to certain bad apples.  Sure, sometimes those negative elements are showing lack of character and making a personal attack on some level, but more often that not, they are simply reflecting their ignorance and mean no intended harm.  My staff and I will often read into such ignorant behavior as personal attacks and of course become more and more embittered and thus less productive in the process.  This can have a snowball effect as that harbored negativity only fuels further projection, warping our perception of the facts and straining relations with those difficult people.

I admit behind my often stoic appearance there is an emotional center that can sometimes still get the best of me.  It’s not always easy to stop, take a deep breath, and then step back to see things as they really are.  I want to lash out or stew in my anger, but to what avail?  I always end up making matters worse.  It’s always easy to know what I should have said once the issue has calmed and much harder to diffuse such negativity once I have allowed myself to get ensnared in it. 

 

So this state of detachment I mentioned – how does one reach it, especially when in the grip of a strong emotion such as anger?  Well, it’s essentially a meditative state, so those who meditate or practice ritual are familiar with it and how to get into it.  Breathing exercises like the 4-fold breath or simply conscious deep breaths are probably the most common techniques apart from usual set-and-setting type stuff where we use such handy props as incense, candles, and the donning of certain magical robes or regalia. Problem is when we are gripped by an emotional state these simple techniques seem trivial or don’t work quickly so here’s a trick I have found of use. 

1) Still concentrate on your breath like you would if you wanted to meditate – it makes a good distraction.  Consider it like fighting a fire - if you limit its fuel supply the flames will start to get more manageable. So even tho you can’t initially clear the mind fully, the distraction of keeping to a breathing exercise is an important start.  

2) Work on relaxing using your favorite method.  Google it – I am sure there are countless techniques so find a few you like and practice them from time to time so you know how to use them when needed. Same goes for the breathing exercises above.  Develop these skills for your magical and meditation work and then you will have them in your arsenal. Again, in an emotional state this will not be easy and will seem trivial, but its distraction value alone is handy and does pay off if you don’t give up on it too soon. Remember, you are fighting a fire.

3) Finally I like to use an NLP trick.  I forget the terminology – I think “anchoring?” But here is the general idea.  If you were to recall a time when you were experiencing a strong emotion, and make it as real as you can in your mind by focusing on all the senses – experiencing those senses internally, you will find that your mind will start to bring about that state.  For example if I focus on a time when I was very nervous, like my first day of high school and recall the sites, sounds, scents, etc. and put myself back to when I was there waiting to line up for my first day of classes, I would start to feel the jitters.  Likewise if I recall a time when I was in a deep meditative state or very relaxed and bring myself back to that moment, my mind will begin to shift into that state.  This gets better with practice, and also when you experience a positive state you might want to start taking more conscious notice of the details to better bring about that state at another time.

Incidentally this last step is often unconsciously what you use to maintain a negative state.  If you are angry and remain fixated on the situation that made you angry, reliving it over and over, or start imagining similar scenarios that have not happened but ~could~ happen (for example if you had a fight with a friend and then imagined how your friend might say or do something to really piss you off), you only fuel that fire.  Remember, such realistic internal experiences are just as real in the mind, and the body will react to them in the same manner – changing its chemistry and thus your mood.  Think about it – all you experiences are ultimately INTERNAL.  Your body is simply your interface that pulls in various senses for the brain to process.  Imagination can create the same impulses as those senses.  Don’t believe me?  How many people get a pucker reaction when visualizing eating a lemon or get the shivers or physical goose bumps thinking about someone scratching a chalkboard with finger nails. The more you can recreate those senses in the mind, the more intense the reaction.  In such cases there is no external stimulus but the body reacted just the same as if there was because the mind perceives the impulses as real.  

So essentially if I intensely imagine a situation that would upset me, I will begin to feel upset.  Catching and stopping such toxic internal dialogs is very important to diffusing that negativity and while the above steps may seem overly simple and perhaps trivial, you might be surprised at how handy they can be.

Well, did not mean this to become an essay, but that’s how it ended up.  Hope it helps!

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July 23, 2009

Manuscript Collaboration Project Forum back

After a bout of spam bots back in April I had to take the forum off line until I had time to clean it up and add some protection.  The latest version of the forum adds captcha which, as annoying as it is, should keep those nasties at bay... I hope.

The address to the Manuscript Collaboration Project Forum is:
http://waningmoon.com/mss/forum/

For those who are not familiar with the project, this was my attempt at creating a central repository for information and other notes on occult manuscripts.  It is primarily of interest to researchers and occult geeks. Not very active but the info can be of use.

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June 18, 2009

My Amazon Author Profile

I have not really made much use of my author profile on amazon but if you use amazon.com please “friend” me or whatnot (if it has such a thing).

My profile link is:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BMOLGO

Or you can use http://amazon.johncoughlin.com

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May 11, 2009

Social networking

Well I thought I would try out the more pagan-focused social networking sites to see if they would be of use for me to keep folks informed of my work.  Not sure which ones are worth the effort maintaining so I'll try them all out for a month or so and then depending on activity I'll cut or keep the accounts.

If you use any of these sites please "friend" me. 

http://www.paganspace.net/profile/JohnJCoughlin
http://www.coven-space.com/jcoughlin
http://www.paganspace.com/jcoughlin


My usual profiles:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1211400610
http://www.livejournal.com/users/darkwyccan
http://www.myspace.com/jcoughlin
http://jjcoughlin.deviantart.com/

Posted by darkwyccan at 4:43PM | comments (1)
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April 27, 2009

Second printing of the Cthulhian Grimoire of Dream Work

I've never been one to ignore synchronicities and there have been many signs of late that indicate it is time to release another printing of my Cthulhian Grimoire of Dream Work. Like the first run, this will be limited to 23 numbered and signed copies. Only the special edition will be done.

The books will be ready around June but reservations can now be taken online at http://waningmoon.com/publications/cthulhian-grimoire-of-dream-work-special-edition.html. (If you can't add to cart it means it already sold out - use the notify button in case anyone cancels an order.)

Due to earlier reservations, as I write this I only have 14 left.

Posted by darkwyccan at 11:39AM | comments (2)
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March 31, 2009

Esoteric Book Conference 2009!

Esoteric Book Conference 2009

September 19 & 20 Seattle Center

I am very excited to be attending the first Esoteric Book Conference in Seattle this September as collector, author, and publisher.  For my fellow US collectors this is a big deal!  For too long the UK has had all the fun with such events and now finally the states has its shot.

The Esoteric Book Conference is an annual international event to bring together authors, artists, publishers and bookmakers working in the field of esotericism. In addition to presentations by notable authors and scholars, the conference opens it doors to publishers and booksellers showcasing new & used books as well as rare and hard-to-find esoteric texts. For two days the conference hosts the largest selection of esoteric books under one roof. Contemporary esoteric publishing, finepress book arts and antiquarian texts are offered to augment the libraries of readers, scholars and collectors alike.

This multi-disciplined conference will feature presentations by contemporary authorities researching and working in esoteric currents both East & West. Western Esotericism, Gnosticism, Theosophy, Mythology, Shamanism, Rosicrucianism, Sacred Sciences, Occulture and World Religions are among the subjects to be represented. An esoteric book fair and art show will also be on site allowing education, vending and networking in a unique field of literary, historical and cultural arts.
 

For more info visit http://www.esotericbookfair.blogspot.com/

Posted by darkwyccan at 3:50PM | comments (1)
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February 20, 2009

Book cover contest for my book on craft ethics

I announced on Waning Moon Publication's blog last week that we're having a contest for cover design of the release of my book _Ethics and the Craft_.  Details can be found at http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=287129136&blogID=469832631

If you can't make the deadline send me a draft with the estimated time of completion so you can be included in the contest.

Posted by darkwyccan at 1:35PM | comments (5)
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February 9, 2009

Cleaning house – book sale!

Now that I am married, I guess it is time to start getting rid of all the duplicate books we have as well as a few other items which crossed our path but were never added to the library (some I am sure you'll guess why).  There are a few gems in the bunch so check it out! 

http://www.amazon.com/shops/waningmoon-dot-com

Posted by darkwyccan at 9:47AM | comments (6)
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January 7, 2009

Quick 2009 update and some pics

Just posted some pics of me working on my Waning Moon Publications blog, so thought I'd add them here too as a "see, I really AM still alive" post. Not that I will apologize for my reclusiveness (reclusivity?) - that's just the way I am, albeit I seem to be more of a recluse than usual lately if such is possible! 

Been considering doing some lectures again just to get me out-and-about a bit.  As much as I dislike public speaking it proves a nice way to keep me on my toes and meeting new folks almost always ends with getting new ideas and perspectives.  I just got tired of my normal topics. I've been working on a few new ideas involving the "Habits of the Mind" (educators may recognize that) and the magical path.  Finding some neat ideas, especially when mixed with NLP schtuff.  Granted, not my usual ooga-booga approach to magic, but sometimes I like to take a more psychological approach, especially when it comes to BEING a magician vs. the practice itself. By that I mean that rites/spells/etc are common tools of the trade but there is more to it than those trappings.  It's as much a state of mind and process of Becoming as it is dabbling in arcane arts.  Magician seek to shape the world around them just as much as they seek to shape themselves and there are so many tools and techniques out there to adapt besides what is found in a grimoire. I especially like when I can adapt them to look good in a grimoire but I'm silly that way. ;)

Anyway, I am pooped so time for bed... here are those pics of me from over the weekend.  If you have not visited my Waning Moon Publications site lately check it out!  I recently did a redesign.  WaningMoonPublications.com.

Oh and happy new year… 2009 sort of snuck in on me while I was busy. Sheesh!






Posted by darkwyccan at 10:35PM | comments (2)
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December 18, 2008

Scam: Check your Verizon bill

If you know me you know I am not a "penny pincher" but I just discovered something which blows my mind in a bad way.  I pay all my bills with automatically estimated payments and I noticed this month my usual payment did not cover the bill by a few dollars.  No big deal I think, rates must have gone up, etc.  I see a new entry on my bill "VDL Shortfall charge" for $3.49 and I decide for the heck of it I would call and ask what it was since I needed to know if I should adjust my automatic payments.

I am told that since I did not spend $6.50 in long distance I was penalized with that additional fee.  So let me get this, I ask, I already pay $6.50 a month for long distance, which I almost never use so in THEORY that alone is a penalty since I am not using what I am paying for, NOW, on top of paying for that I am being charged MORE.  In other words, spend money on long distance or you pay MORE.  The answer: yes.  WTF?

Needless to say I changed long distance plans.  Actually I don't know why I even have a phone other than wanting to have one for emergencies and so people don't call my cell, but I have to rethink my logic.  It bothers me that Verizon has stooped this low to make a buck at my expense.   

So in an effort to ensure they make less money, I am sharing this and warning all to ask about new fees you see on your bill.  Please pass this around. 

Posted by darkwyccan at 11:04AM | comments (1)
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September 15, 2008

Married!

I am happy to announce that Nicole and I were married yesterday in a wonderful handfasting ceremony.  The rain stopped long before the ceremony and we surprisingly had clear skies for the event despite the original warnings of scattered thunderstorms – not that a thunderstorm at a castle on a mountain would be a bad thing.  We actually had a great view of a mountain called Storm King and as its name suggests, it would have boasted a most interesting view had storms rolled in!

If you are ever considering a wedding in the Hudson Valley, consider Osborn Castle (“Cat Rock”) - http://www.osborncastle.com.  The staff really helped make the event go smoothly and were great – the type of people you end up considering as much a guest as a host. The site is very cool too.  Hopefully someone of our photographers took shots of the site.

(Photos will be made available as they come in and we get them organized.)

In the mean time I did want to make one apology since it was bugging me quite a bit.  The location we chose was perfect in all regards except for capacity so when we made our master list of invites we were significantly over so I had to reluctantly cut my cousins and the old “Bronx crew” among others.  Even then we were over but expected the usual number of cancellations to even out but by the time the RSVPs were chased down and tallied we found rather late in the game that we had room, hence the late notice to try to pull in the folks I had on my original list.  So I apologize for that!  I am sure you know the insanity of this sort of planning but it still bugs me since the whole theme of the reception was a laid back, informal gathering of all those who we consider “family” in one way or another and my cousins and “Bronx crew” played an important part in my history and would have been a nice time to catch up. 

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July 5, 2008

Summer update

Been pretty busy between the new house and bookbinding.  I’d say two-thirds of my time has been to house projects and the rest mostly to getting the remaining copies of Black Venus out of the way.  I have yet to formally announce the book outside of my direct circle of contacts (like via my infrequent blog) but I am happy to say I am finally ahead on the books with all pre-orders fulfilled. So now it is all about creating enough to have stock on hand. I hope to get some final photos on the website this weekend.

Now that the biggest of the house projects are out of the way it means more time for bookbinding, but also, time to play with another personal project of mine: Art! Long story, wanna hear it?  Whaddayamean no???!

In early June Coley and I went to a local event called “Second Sunday” in Beacon NY where all the art galleries have an open house of sorts.  Beacon has really been becoming a bit like SoHo recently which is a nice change from the rather depressed area it had sank into.  There is a nice energy in that area now. 

While there I admired some of the art and was baffled at others.  For example how does one tack two pieces of bread to a wall with thread and sell it for $800? I guess I am just not hip enough to get it.  Whatever.  Other art was very nice and we even purchased a small painting on silk by Jane Blake which I look forward to receiving. I enjoyed speaking with her about her work. 

Anyway, as often happens when I go to art shows, I left feeling inspired to explore some of the ideas I have had for my own art and wondered if I could ever actually make enough decent art to have my own show.  Now, being a magician, I often find myself in a predicament.  I suddenly have a desire to do something and I know that AS a magician it is my duty to manifest my Will and not necessarily steep in idle wishful thinking (tho I guess daydreams have their place too).  My point is, if I say I wish I could create art, and I mean it, I instinctively answer with “so DO something about it – see where it takes you!” 

 And so I began formulating my ideas more.  I would need to teach myself to sculpt and I would need to teach myself photography, since most of my ideas used those media.  I may also need to learn to paint too.  Being the geek I am, I (of course) have spent the last several weeks buying and reading books on those subjects and now have eased into experimenting a bit.  I have even gone so far as to start locating models I will need for the photography portion. (Anyone in my area with “expressive eyes” who would like to volunteer some time for face photos please contact me!)

That’s all I will say on that topic for now.  I don’t like to talk too much about my work until it has reached a point where I feel it has become something worth talking about.  I’m weird that way I guess. For now consider my art a series of experiments to articulate some thoughts I have.

 I have tons of other ideas and projects to do but it comes down to pacing myself.  So for now, art experiment #1 and bookbinding will likely take center stage in my schedule the next few months.

I have not been doing any public speaking.  I had originally planned to do another Beltane with the Mid-Atlantic Pagan Alliance but was not available due to the insanity of buying a new home. Maybe if things quiet down a bit to allow for travel I’ll do a few talks.

Posted by darkwyccan at 3:15PM | comments (1)
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June 5, 2008

Interview on The Magical Buffet

The Magical Buffet posted a 10-question interview of me regarding my work on Waning Moon Publications.  Check out
http://www.themagicalbuffet.com/Issues/Vol03_Iss20/Article_137.html

Posted by darkwyccan at 9:45PM | comments (0)
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June 2, 2008

new email address

Wayyy too much spam these days and good emails are getting harder to locate in the mess so I am changing my email address.

New address can be found at http://waningmoon.com/contact

Posted by darkwyccan at 11:46AM | comments (0)
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April 21, 2008

Moving and Catching up

For the last several weeks I have been working hard on the new house and will finally be moving in this weekend – only a week past my initial schedule.  Not bad for the amount of work that unexpectedly had to be done.  I’m tired and sore in muscles I did not even know I had, but it was worth the effort since I knew I would not do any of that work once the furniture was in place.

Down side is I have not been working on my Waning Moon Publications projects.  Once the move is out of the way I’ll probably take a 3 or 4-day weekend to catch up on production and begin to plan out the rest of the year.  I have so many projects and ideas lining up so it really comes down to getting the work currently in production out of the way so I can dedicate more time to the new things.  I’ll finally have enough space to work on more than one project and/or production phase at a time which will help streamline my work. Maybe I’ll finally have the time and space to explore some of my other artistic projects I have been contemplating.

Once I am settled into I will take and post the final pictures of Black Venus – the book came out really nice and has been getting great comments which is very exciting.  In mean time, all new orders will probably not ship for two or three weeks since I need to do some catch-up.

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January 6, 2008

Looking for a new logo design for WMP

When I first made Waning Moon Publication's logo (an inversed triangle enclosing a waning moon crescent) I started to realize it had certain similarities with another publisher's mark. While there was some unintentional irony in that similarity which amused me, it was clear I would probably need to change the logo since not only did it open the door to future legal headaches, but I had a certain legal and ethical responsibility to avoid logo confusion with books when I start producing paperback and hardcover titles which will make their way to the shelves of stores. (I refer to the publisher's mark on the bottom of the spine of a book.)

To make a long story short, I want to change the logo asap so I am revisiting my other ideas for logos and wanted to open this up to those who might wish to help.  As a token of appreciation, if I use anyone's submission, or if a submission inspires me to create the logo I ultimately use, I will offer a gift of your choose of one copy of any hand made WMP title currently in stock or in production (with a value of $200 or less).  I hope to make a decision in the next two weeks.

Submissions must actually contain two items:

1) A long logo which includes the words "Waning Moon Publications, Ltd." Which would be used as letterhead, on website, etc.
2) A short logo or publisher's mark which is used on spines of books and on title pages.  This need not have any letters or words. (i.e. some of my drafts use the WMP initials but that is not necessary.)

The two designs should be related as one is ultimately a shorter form of the other.

My email address can be found at http://www.waningmoon.com/publications/contact.shtml.  Images should be should be black and white Scans of hand-drawn designs will be accepted (you can also mail sketches to our POB found at the above link.

[Usual legal crap: one winner only and not guaranteed since I may prefer my own ideas, not refundable for money, the offer has no monetary value, choice of title must be made in 30 days of award announcement.]

Posted by darkwyccan at 11:58AM | comments (1)
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December 5, 2007

Last call for the High Priest editions of Liber Yog-Sothoth

I have 3 or 4 copies left of the larger-sized High Priest editions of Liber Yog-Sothoth (I ended up only making 10) so will be sending the rest to some dealers on Monday, so if you have been considering one please let me know soon so we can make arrangements to reserve your copy.

As for the 100 special editions, I probably won't do "last call" until late January since I still have a few left to bind but I do have copies available to ship now.

For photos, info, or to order please visit http://www.waningmoon.com/publications/books/yog/

-John

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November 26, 2007

Made a myspace page for WMP

 Yup... time to start networking....

For those on myspace interested in my work with Waning Moon Publications please visit http://myspace.com/waningmoonpublications and add to your friends.  

And should you not already know it, my personal page is http://myspace.com/jcoughlin 

Posted by darkwyccan at 10:32PM | comments (2)
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November 21, 2007

What ever happened to John?

I have been a bit incognito of late since I am busy binding my Liber Yog-Sothoth and preparing The Little Book of Black Venus for printing.  Needless to say, the next two months will be busy ones, which is ironic since I will technically be using quite a number of vacation days at my “day job.” Go figure!

 Well for those following, all 10 copies of the High Priest Edition of Liber Yog-Sothoth are done and will probably be shipping on Friday.  Only a few left of those.  The standard edition is still in production but I have enough to fulfill the pre-orders and should be able to ship those out Friday as well with a few left over.  I won’t be officially announcing them as “done” until all 100 copies have been bound but chances are starting this week I should have enough completed to fulfill orders as they come in.

Good news on the Little Book of Black Venus which I am publishing via Waning Moon Publications.  I am currently proofing the completed draft.  So much for “little” – this book is over 225 pages!  The supplemental essays truly bring the book alive, so not only will this be the first English translation, but it will also serve as an excellent resource to understanding and appreciating the grimoire itself.  I am still aiming for at least the first batch to be done in late December, if not early January.

Info on all the above mentioned books can be found at http://waningmoonpublications.com

I have lots of great things planned for 2008 with Waning Moon Publications so stay tuned!

Posted by darkwyccan at 9:32AM | comments (1)
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