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In Your Mind, Out of Your Head

Filed under: Psionics — Leave a comment
July 15, 2011

A new year, a new column topic: psionics.

Now, I’ve been wanting to discuss this for a while but the thing about chatting about psionics is pretty much, well, if you think naysayers about witchcraft is bad (“There’s no such thing as witches! Just crazy people.”), naysayers for psionics are simply toxic because we’re starting to trump into a level of metaphysics and energy manipulation that is incredibly reminiscent of sci-fi movies and books. Just like witchcraft, a lot of psionics is energy manipulation, meditation and practice but the responses to it, especially from the over-skeptical crowd, is pretty deafening to the point that I even thought about not talking about it in the column at all because I seriously don’t feel like dealing with the “Oh yeah? Prove it!” people because, well, I was curious myself but at least I’m willing to believe something after seeing enough proof. Science is great but so often abused when in the hands of a douchebag with limited life experience.

Alright then, for those simply scratching your heads at what psionics is, it’s really the more modern term of ESP (Extra Sensory Perception) so within the field of psionics is a myriad of topics ranging from psychokinesis to remote viewing to pretty much anything to do with the mind and energy (which I may call “chi” from time to time since I’ve had that term beaten into my head from martial arts) and how it works with matter. Psions are people who practice anything with psionics.

I’ve always been interested in psionics growing up, I think it’s pretty cool. I have had some experiences myself with it that I’ll perhaps share in future columns and I have friends that are actually pretty successful with it, particularly with telekinesis (oi, I feel like an otaku writing that) to the point that it became old hat and even boring sometimes. Even I admit to sometimes seeing people move a psiwheel (a handmade device meant to practice energy movement) spinning and felt a sense of “Seen it, do something new.” There’s a lot to it, though because it is, well, basically energy movement, which serves as a good jump-off point for other practices in psionics.

Are there weirdos in the field of psionics? Yeeeeees. Too many. Too many X-Men wannabes, people who have read a little too much sci-fi and people who so desperately fish for any idea that slightly resembles “cool”. They’re the ones that make it super easy to discredit any psionic because they’re fluffy bunnies in the way that they seriously don’t know what they’re talking about, can’t do a single bit of it and just are the loudest and worst examples. They prowl about on the message boards blabbering and attempting to brag that they did anything that could be grandiose. The Japanese earthquake? They did that. The headache you just had? Responsible for that too. They pretend they are the ruler of the universe when really they are nothing more than an insecure child trying ever too hard to be unique and stand out. Think of obnoxious otakus (weeaboos they are sometimes called, read weeaboostories if you don’t know what it is) and how they take on aloof or overly bubbly anime characters. Yep. I usually duck them because they’re very easy to spot by their overzealousness but boy, are they a pest.

Back when there were few sites to really gather at for people serious in this stuff, it was a lot harder to showcase practice because of lower pixilation of cameras and the absence of a convenient cameras at that. If you didn’t have a camera for a long time, you either could only describe what you did through text, leaving room for fakers who wanted to grab for any attention they could possibly get and live in their fantasy pseudo-Marvel comic world, or just keep to yourself and ask questions when questions came up. I used to be on PsiOnline but I think it’s a dead forum now.

Now that it is easier to showcase practice with higher definition cameras, youtube and better internet connections, it really is great to see the recorded processes of tk practitioners who are getting along well with what they’re doing, getting more creative and adding more obstacles but I think some of the obstacles that get added are mainly attempts to silence people who go “Faaaaaaaaake, I can do that myself with [insert tech here].” Such as with this video of a youtuber that I subscribe to who’s part of a psionics group I have found a while ago (there are new groups as some of the old ones have faded away due to aging members not being able to post as much or with social media). He’s doing Air Stasis, basically working against air currents:

(I also love that this telekinetic is Black, makes me very happy because the psionic field has the same problem Paganism does: Too White.)

Regardless what people say, I am happy to see psionic practice still going on and well at that. It is annoying to hear skeptic after skeptic to the point that even when you do have someone who’s a success at it, they keep it to themselves because no one wants that kind of harsh spotlight. I haven’t done it myself in a while because my time has gotten quite restricted over time but I do admire those who are doing it because, well, it’s just fun and it is amazing to see how far the mind can go.

Next week, The Arts! Who’s being featured:
– AngelBopbyeya/VirtuouslyVindicated
– Black Pagan
– Weeaboo Stories

And don’t forget to pre-order Black Witch: Life from the Black Pagan Perspective, vol. 1 in the Black Witch Shoppe!

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Sound Off: What Would You Like To See In the Black Witch Shoppe?

Filed under: BW Announcements — Leave a comment
July 12, 2011

In lieu of starting the pre orders of my book, Black Witch: Life from the Black Pagan Perspective, vol. 1, I would like to expand the Black Witch Shoppe even further to include actual merch. Some of it will be handmade by me (i.e. wristbands, tarot bags, cell charms, etc) and some as normal merch (mouse pads, mugs, etc). My question to you is what would you like to see in the store and at what price range. Let me know in the comments below.

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Get Off the Bus

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Pagan Life — 4 Comments
July 8, 2011

The Establishment (Afro-Punk) Version

Bus preachers. I don’t know if they exist anywhere else but they’re a staple in the Black community. They’re Christians who either are pastors doing unnecessary overtime or wannabe pastors preaching what is not entirely their flock. They believe everyone should hear the word of God – regardless whether everyone wants or needs to or not.

They bleat to their captive audience the glory of the Lord and His Father and how good They are to the preacher and how all should rejoice and be gladeth in it for this is the day that the Lord has made. All who refuse the notion is an outright sinner that will verily soon feel the dark persecution of the Lord for unknowingly siding with the Devil and his wicked ways. Everyone else should get right with their life too because Judgment Day is comin’. It’s comin’ and there won’t be no foolin’ God so be faithful to the Lord, be gladeth in His creations – or suffer.

God, how annoying.

I’ve got nothing against the Christian God, really, but some members of his fan club ought to go on mute when it comes to preaching in public places. It’s rude, myopic and frankly, very annoying. They’re not blind to the idea that not everybody is Christian but totally deaf to the notion that Christianity is not for everyone so all that preaching could be going down a sink. It is not fair to me, the Pagan, that I have to hear you preach simply because the Lord compels you but if the tables were turned, it would be problematic and praising the Devil somehow.

I don’t mind discussion of religion, I think that’s fantastic or I wouldn’t go through the trouble of having a comment section, a fan page, twitter, email or P.O. Box otherwise. But discussion is very, very different from preaching. Preaching is not discussion, it is very one-sided and the only time the preacher allows talking is for the call and response and the response isn’t a free response, but something you’re supposed to say. Preaching is great in church (given the subject stays on God, Christ or the Bible) because all the listeners are supposed to be there and attentive, just not on a bus filled with diverse beliefs where the people who don’t believe the same don’t need to hear all that preaching.

Some may think it isn’t right but I usually challenge bus preachers (street preachers don’t bother me as the audience isn’t captive, just walk away). Hey, they felt like spoiling my ride and my quiet, surely they should expect some repercussion somehow, some way, some day. It’s fun to debate sometimes and since just about all arguments I have heard before, it makes for nice entertainment. See, I was raised Christian, these Christians can’t go super far being challenged before they trip up somewhere and start backpedaling – and that’s usually where the fun begins. I’ve learned that bus preachers are pretty ignorant about any religion (and even other denominations) that aren’t theirs and actual political religious history, hence mad easy to trip up.

I am very aware that it is a must for Christians to spread the word of God but there are ways to go about it that doesn’t have to come straight out of the “Unbelievably Annoying” category. Paganism doesn’t have (nor I think condones) proselytizing but in my experience of dealing with Christian friends, readers and people, what works best is to not blast it out and force it down people’s throats. Express it through living, that goes a lot farther because that person is just doing them, nothing to get mad or annoyed at and everything to admire. Not only that but it doesn’t kill them that they’re willing to understand beliefs that aren’t their own. See, then you, the Christian, may feel free to talk about your faith because I don’t feel harped at about mine.

As said before, Pagans don’t preach or proselytize – it’s part of the religion not to yammer broadly in the ears of those who don’t want to hear it – but I have heard of Pagans who have participated in doing this, just to the lower degree of waiting to be provoked instead of standing up and ruining everyone’s commute. Pagan fundamentalists, they’re called. They’re fewer in number than the Christian variety but look and act the same, just with 14% more crazy and 32% more self-embarrassment. I’ve never met one (or it would be up here on Black Witch toute suite) but from what I heard, “wack” isn’t word enough for these people. It’s something beyond “trifling” and somewhere in the neighborhood of, “Lol, wut?” Granted if I did meet one, I’m afraid I would – excuse my momentary vulgarity – have to dick with them just because. They spew outright nonsense as super pseudo-environmentalists, probably couldn’t tell you a single country the equator passes through and their minds got way too hyped from Live Earth. They don’t understand the nature part of Paganism (which is 99% of the foundation of the religion) and honestly, they could afford a piping hot cup of Shut The Hell Up.

My main thing? Don’t shove your religion down other people’s throats. Just live, leave me alone and followers will come if they feel it in their hearts. Have a nice trip.

On a lighter note, tommorow is two things: The Black Weblog Awards live ceremony (which, sadly I won’t be physically there for) which will be broadcasted at the Black Weblog Awards site and the pre-orders for this blog’s very first book Black Witch: Life from the Black Pagan Perspective, vol. 1 starts. The book will drop on Sept. 9th through Lulu publishing so if you want to pre-order, go to the Black Witch Shoppe page for info.

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Passing the Word: Full Moon Summer Solstice Prosperity Ritual

Filed under: BW Public Service Announcement, BW Special — Leave a comment
July 3, 2011

I’m simply passing this along but there is an event I was informed of through the African American Wiccan Society yahoo list proc that is on both Blog Talk Radio and on Facebook called “Global Women’s Full Moon Fill’em Up Ritual (Summer Solstice)”. It’s an open ritual, meaning any and everyone (well, all who are women) can attend all around the world. The main details are within those links so check them out if interested. It’s going to be on July 15th and during the full moon. The ritual is for prosperity, wealth and good fortune so be sure to bring your biggest purse. Check it out!

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Back In The Day: “Faker Faker: How to Spot a Con”

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Divination — Leave a comment
July 1, 2011

The Establishment (Afro-Punk) Version

I made these when I was the president of my university’s Pagan Student Union. This mini guide is basically for those who want to seek out a psychic parlor to get a reading and not want to be jipped. Now while I do personally suggest people simply learning divination on their own since it’s a lot cheaper and not that difficult, some folks would like to still go to a diviner for guidance. Here are the tips:

Faker faker #1: Conduct of diviner
Does the diviner act like a normal person or a car salesman desperate to make a deal? Some cons will bear down on you like a hawk or even try to give you some info about yourself that you probably already knew or that you gave away. For example, she may note that you’re a traveler or a big spender. You may think that’s novel but you could be using a very fancy and expensive phone or letting off that you like to be adventurous.  A diviner is a normal person, just like you, and should act so. If they act the least bit odd, walk out.

Faker faker #2: You seem to have to keep paying for more information
You originally walked in for a mini tarot reading for $5 and now you got yourself a full tarot reading with a special palm love reading, astrology job reading, a special good luck kit and what the weather is going to look like in the next month before you head to Sri Lanka, though you have no travel plans whatsoever. Total: $350 and counting. A diviner shouldn’t be pressuring you to pay for more than what you want. Sometimes you just have to be assertive and tell them that you just want the reading you asked for and that’s it but they will try to lure you with cliffhangers (“Oh! But I see this mysterious someone that could be coming into your life. S/he may be the one maybe, I could look further with a palm reading—but that’s aside the point…”) but don’t take them. It’s just more sensationalism to get you out your money. A good diviner usually does a reading without side commentary. All divination is, honestly, is to give sound advice. Nothing outrageous, just normal advice.

Faker faker #3: Gotta give up something “Cursed”
Somebody you love or you are gonna die! Quick! Fork over that heirloom diamond ring your mother passed down to you — It’s cursed! Seems like the more pricier it is, the more cursed it is. Capitalism sure can be a downer sometimes. However, be rest assured that most likely the stuff you own doesn’t have a hateful spirit or something bound to it. If the diviner is trying to give you a serious scare story for something in particular, chances are it’s expensive and can be pawned for a lot of money. I think you should call the cops on this one, this is racketeering.

Faker faker #4: Tricked into casting a spell/you’re “cursed”
Your ancestors somehow slapped Abe Lincoln and stomped on a dodo, now you’re paying the price as their kin. To correct the past, you have to buy $400 leather shoes from Nordstrom (can’t be from anywhere else), spit in them at 4 AM for a week and bathe in lye for a month. If what they ask you to do sounds against your religious beliefs, downright insane, illegal or something you would laugh at someone else for doing, you shouldn’t do it either. They’re pumping money out of you somehow and screwing you over in the process. The truth: Most people aren’t cursed, just a run of bad luck. People don’t really jinx each other that much. If the diviner says you’re cursed and want you to do unethical and pricy stuff to nix it, you’re probably not. Proceed with running and calling cops.

I’m not sure if many, if any, saw the old website or even read that part (it was all super glitchy) so I figured why not put it up here where it can be seen more? I wrote this after teaching Divination 101 classes for PSU after talking about it as a whole and noticing a lot of people have no exact clue how not to get hoodwinked.

In addition, I had on the “Truths and Myths about Pagans” page a small FAQ about diviners:

Firstly, I personally can see how divination can be turned into a cash cow. All you need is something people can’t entirely explain but believe works, desperate folks in need of guidance and those same people to have nice amounts of money (gullibility works fine too) and then you have religion—I mean a cash cow. 

There are cons in pretty much any field. Quack doctors, lawyers, priests, scientists—you name it, someone did it. Divination is no different and there’s plenty about. Cons, like Ms. Cleo, usually prey on people who they believe are in so much distraught they don’t think sensibly about the advice they’re given or money they’re about to fork over. Often a con uses what they see, what you say and fear tactics (“oh, so and so is going to die if you don’t…”) to get your cash.

So there you have it, a mini-guide on how to get your divination done and not to have your pockets done in. I still recommend my readers to learn divination themselves but if you don’t want to at least now there is a guide that can tell you what to look for and what not to go for. I’ve never gotten a reading in a psychic parlour before – I’ve been in them but mainly to mess with the pseudo-diviners for kicks. But many I know have and it’s unbelievable – and downright funny for some of them – how they got the wool put over their eyes and so soundly at that. Still got questions? Just throw them in the comments or email me or fill out an Ask Black Witch form or any other way to talk to me. As always, I answer them all.

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Ask Black Witch

Filed under: AfroPunk/The Establishment, Ask Black Witch, Coming out of the Broom Closet, Pagan Life — Leave a comment
June 24, 2011

The Establishment (Afro-Punk) Version

It’s the first Ask Black Witch of the second year of Black Witch. How delightful! I’m also happy because no more grinding for votes and donations to send me to L.A. for the Black Weblog Awards. No, sadly I didn’t make the goal of $500, close but not good enough. I’m currently in talks with BWA and Afro-Punk about all this to see what still can be done. Yes, I really would like to go but circumstances are circumstances.

But note: Soon I’ll probably be grinding for votes for the Black Web Awards (different from the Black Weblogs Awards). Geez, I feel like I’m running for president.

Why is divination so bad?
– Unknown

Now, I’ve never used something in the Top Searches of my website as an Ask Black Witch question but I felt this was appropriate because a lot of people still think this, that divination is evil and a contract with the devil or something crazy like that.

To break down the word “Divination”, the root word is “Divine” which, if you don’t have a dictionary around, is in reference to deity or of heavenly nature. Basically, it’s a positive word. Divination is just working with the deities or tapping into the collective unconscious of the universe, as some like to describe it, to draw the best case scenario of the upcoming future based on the present and past, including all things that are seen and unseen, known and unknown (to the inquirer). No use of devils or demons needed or wanted, even prayers aren’t necessary. If it were of demonic nature, it would not be called divination and the root word would definitely be something that refers to “bad; not good; why are you doing this?” There’s no summoning of the spirits or anything like that, just plain old you and the universe and whatever it knows.

Now, if divination isn’t that scary, why does it get such a bad rap? Rumor mills during the Christian expansion throughout Europe and the world. Christianity (and Islam and I’m not so sure about Judaism but I’m going to err on them agreeing too) doesn’t really like divination because technically, you’re not supposed to know your future (since all your faith is supposed to be in God so there’s no need to figure out what’s gonna happen next so long He is there beside you) and that diviners and anyone else who can predict the future and do mystical and interesting stuff simply had to make a deal with the Devil to be able to do the exact same thing a prophet can – I always found that a bit uncanny – and was not a true lover/fearer of God and His might. Spread that around for a few centuries and boom, you’ve got yourself a pariah within a community. Granted divination comes from the divine, it is considered a very Pagan and “backwater” tactic to communicate with the Gods and Goddesses of old, not something the Church wanted to see or hear.

Is divination bad? No. I think it’s good to be able to see a couple steps ahead but I do recommend that if your religion doesn’t feel the same way that I do, for the love of all that is cute and sparkly, don’t ask for a reading! Nothing irks me more than some faithful person prattling out a soliloquy that’s “supposed” to be directed at me because they’re uncomfortable breaking the obvious rules in their religion. It’s super annoying.  

Now this question is fairly paraphrased for conciseness, posed by Afro-Punk and Black Pagans group member Nandi. Her question is this basically:

How do you deal with parental units who do not agree with your path in Paganism/Wicca? My dad says I will regret it.

Ah, the parental units not agreeing with your faith. A very stressful task indeed. You can’t really make people see things the way you do, no matter how much you want to try to convince them. Especially when it comes to faith, it’s a tougher climb uphill because religion is what people solidify their lives, beliefs and foundations on, especially when you’re part of one of the Abrahamic religion (Christianity, Judaism, Islam). Nandi is from a Muslim family but the issues that she brings up I have heard pretty often, especially from Monolithic religions which often tout the “Only one true path” ideal and the one truth path they believe is the right one is usually theirs.

My suggestion depends on whether you live at home or not. Since the kitty’s already out of the bag, the only thing you can keep doing is keep doing you and showing your parent you’re not at all interested in killin’ rabbits and hamsters for Satan and you’re not going to become some crazy cutter or an evil child. If they have questions, answer them honestly and make sure they respect you for you and your faith. So long you aren’t doing anything reprehensible or wicked, you can make your point for the most part and hope for the best. Remember, don’t throw anything in the parent’s face, just be moderate about it all.

That’s Ask Black Witch for this month! Thank you everyone for dealing with the hectic-ness of the BWA voting and donating, it was very much an experience. Live ceremony on July 9th!

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Final Hours for Raffles and Donations

Filed under: BW Announcements — Leave a comment
June 21, 2011

Raffle and donation run ends VERY soon (like, within a few hours soon, the last day is the 21st) so if you wanna get in on it, get in now.

The raffle prize is a grabbag of plenty Pagan goodies. Refer to this post for all the information that you’ll need. And remember, if the goal isn’t met, the money goes to Afro-Punk so not a dime goes to waste. Donations cover airfare and stay in LA for the BWAs.

Thank you!

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The Arts! (Flipsyde, Positive Black Stories, Jayne Steiger)

Filed under: The Arts — Leave a comment
June 17, 2011

Yep, it’s The Arts of June! I’m very happy. Hey, did you know that there’s a grab bag raffle going on right now and it ends on Tuesday? This post will tell you everything you need to know! And thank you everyone who has voted for me in the Black Weblog Awards, I hope I win! Didn’t vote yet? Voting ends at midnight, June 17th. I’m in the faith category.

Flipsyde
I forget how I came across the music of Flipsyde but I think it was through Pandora but their music stuck with me. I really like their song “Champion”

But the songs I like most? Political works. If you can make me think, chances are much better that I’ll listen to you. So long it’s poignant.

Their song “Happy Birthday” is a voice that isn’t often heard in the debate of a woman’s right to choose. Told from the male perspective but still keeping the woman well within the picture but also the child as well. It’s a great listen.

The song I like most from them? “U.S. History” a pretty accurate run through of American Imperialism and the history of the United States.

Website
Myspace

Postive Black Stories
Often in the news the stories often told about Blacks are very disparaging. Even today in modern society we’re stuck with the different faces of Black culture that are each very disheartening: mammy, thug, musician/entertainer, goon, magic negro. I personally don’t believe for one second that we live in a post-racial society because we don’t and never did, there’s too much left to do. With the constant media representation, it’s easy to see why Blacks are seen as fearsome beings that lack moral compass and closer to primitiveness than civilized beings or as odd speaking subhumans, always talkin’ that jive and swiveling their head when angry other nonsense such as that. While sites like Black Witch and Afro-Punk try to show the other face of Black culture, it is a hard swim upstream and a big reason why as stated in Yale article “Mass Media and Racism”, written by Stephen Balkaran in 1999 and still relevant over ten years later is this:

“Media have divided the working class and stereotyped young African-American males as gangsters or drug dealers. As a result of such treatment, the media have crushed youths’ prospects for future employment and advancement. The media have focused on the negative aspects of the black community (e.g. engaging in drug use, criminal activity, welfare abuse) while maintaining the cycle of poverty that the elite wants.

There are no universally accepted and recorded codes or rules, which apply to journalists in news selection and production. The media have devoted too much time and space to “enumerating the wounded” and too little time to describing the background problems of African-Americans. What is not a crisis is not usually reported and what is not or cannot be made visual is often not televised. The news media respond quickly and with keen interest to the conflicts and controversies of racial stories. For the most part, they disregard the problems that seep beneath the surface until they erupt in the hot steam that is the “live” news story.” The U.S. Media and Racism, Mass Media and Racism

“Clearly, the economic structure of the American news media and the local media make them subject to pressures from powerful interest groups. In 1967, the Kerner Report attacked the mass media for their inadequate handling of day-to-day coverage of racial events. The Report charged the media with failing to properly communicate about race to the majority of their audience. That is, white America needed to hear more about the actual conditions and feelings of African-Americans in the U.S. Only when events are associated with concern of the “white public” do they become newsworthy. Given the situation in America where the major news media have predominantly white reporters and serve a mainly white audience, it follows that the “public” which dictates newsworthy events is a white public. The day to day tensions of black existence and exploitation, which are crucial concerns of the black community, are not primary concerns of the white public. Only the symptoms of these conditions, such as freedom rides and social disturbances, impinge upon whites. Hence, it is only such “events” which become newsworthy in a white press.

One of the main reasons for the inadequate coverage of the underlying causes of racial stereotypes in the U.S. is that the condition of blacks itself is not a matter of high interest to the white majority. Their interest in black America is focused upon situations in which their imagined fear becomes a real problem. Events like boycotts, pickets, civil rights demonstrations, and particularly racial violence mark the point at which black activity impinges on white concerns. It is not surprising that the white-oriented media seek to satisfy the needs of their white audience and reflect this pattern of attention to these selected events.

Research has disclosed that most serious crimes (homicide, rape, robbery, and assault) in inner cities are committed by a very small proportion of African-American youth, some 8% by estimates. Yet the tendency to characterize all African-American males as criminals continues in our society. It is now common for law officers to stop young black males and to harass them as a result of this stereotype. The negative stereotype has continued to affect the black community, as well as their prospects for employment and advancement. All this has been destroyed and, as a end result, it has contributed to high unemployment within the African-American community.” The U.S. News, Media and Race, Mass Media Racism

With trends like these, it’s nice to see YouTube Channel Positive Black Stories to exist and show that we’re not all illiterate rappers only capable of barreling down a football field, eating chicken and raping women all between committing crimes.

A favorite story I have on there is about the teen hacker to computer security businessman

And another is about the music industry and how it really is. A must watch if you want to get into the music business

I really do appreciate finding stories like these because they don’t circulate the media enough since it is so hard to change the minds of thousands upon millions when they’re used to one train of thought for almost half a millennium and how that train changes track ever so slowly. The Black race is a really amazing race that’s done so much and can accomplish so much.

Positive Black Stories

Jayne Steiger
She really is a fantastic artist that has a very haunting style and is very diverse through multiple forms of media. Jayne is an aspiring illustrator/illustration student whose work is influenced by fairytales, dreams, and past eras. It is very clear the attention she pays to detail and how the works project emotion and even a story. Note, none of these works are done on computer. They’re all by hand.

Her craft work is very cute and interesting (Click to enlarge)

Dracula Hollow Book

Her work with color is phenomenal

Vice

Korpikaani

And look at her usage of black and white

Upside Down

Haunted House Sounds

To see more of her works:
Website
Deviant Art

And sorry that the column was late, I was distracted by watching vocaloid videos and this one I could help but find incredibly cute and funny titled “Carlito”:

That’s all The Arts for now! Ask Black Witch is next week, send questions (this site is full of ways to contact me). And participate in the raffle! Voting time may be done but donation time still has four more days left!

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Extension for Grab bag Raffle to Send BW to the BWAs!

Filed under: BW Announcements — Leave a comment
June 16, 2011

Alright, I have put on a small five day extension onto the ChipIn to do a raffle. I do hope that this raffle will chalk up some money more than my own best efforts so here it is:

This is the “BW to BWAs” Raffle, the prize is a fantastic grab bag for newbies to the experienced alike. What it consists of:

– A Tree of Life stone and silver wire pendant

This (In variation)

– A 25 pack of incense containing the scents Sandalwood, Dragon’s Blood, Cinnamon, Peach and Vanilla
– 5 stones of your choice, raw or tumbled (availability may vary)
– Sage smudging stick
– Your own divination item of choice (i.e., any tarot deck, pendulum, book on palmistry etc etc)

The price for tickets:

$2 – 1 ticket
$5 – 3 tickets
$10 – 7 tickets

Here’s how the drawing works, you donate either $2, $5 or $10 to the Black Witch ChipIn and that automatically registers you for the raffle. I will inform you via email the tickets you have bought and what numbers are they. For example, the first person buys a $5 ticket, they will get an email stating they are ticket 1,2 and 3. If the person after that gets a $10 ticket, they will get an email stating they are ticket 4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and so on and so forth. I will use a number generator via random.org to pick whatever number is in the batch and the winner will be announced on June 22.

As you can see, anyone with a greater batch has a better chance at winning but you can buy more tickets by donating either $2, $5 or $10 again for as long as the raffle is going.  The raffle is from June 16th to June 21st. May the best person win!

Black Witch ChipIn

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Last Day, Last Chance to Send Black Witch to the BWAs [Edit: possible extension & raffle]

Filed under: BW Announcements — Leave a comment
June 15, 2011

Tomorrow is the very last day to give and send Black Witch to the Black Weblog Awards in L.A. and to represent the Black Pagan Community on a global scale. The funds cover airfare and stay.

It is already a great opportunity to be a part of the Black Weblog Awards but what would be better is to actually be there and help put a face on the Black Pagan faith, a faith that is often ignored in favor for the Abrahamic religions, Christianity in particular. The Faith category in the Black Weblog Awards is usually dominated by Christian blogs and occasionally Islam or even Atheist but never anything besides that. Already it is noteworthy that a Black Pagan blog has made it as a finalist but I think it would be even better to physically be in L.A. to accept the award. The Black Weblog Awards is one of the biggest Black blogger competitions worldwide so it would definitely be a recognized act, especially with the first live ceremony they will have this year.

If you are a Black Pagan and always wanted to see your own succeed, now is your chance to help through giving. If you just want to see a different faith accepting the award, now is your chance through giving (and voting). Success don’t come 100% by itself, sometimes help is needed and now I need your help, readers, in getting me to L.A. to represent the column and Black Paganism as a whole.

There’s $260 left and you can donate either $5, $10 or $20 at the Black Witch ChipIn. Please help out, it ends tommorow.

– Black Witch

[EDIT] I was given an idea by a friend of mine, Kevin, that to convince donations, I should give a raffle. I think this is a good idea so I’m throwing together a grab-bag now of raw stone pendants, incense, candles and more! Raffle tickets will start at $2 and the raffle itself most likely will extend to the 18th  (or 22nd, details are still up in the air). There may be an option between two different grab bags so stay tuned. Another post will be made around midnight with all the details.

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