Modern Knighthood Is Here!

I've just entered the realm of e publishing for the first time with my first e book- Modern Knighthood: Unleashing Your Inner Warrior to Master Yourself and Your World. What I started with my earlier books (Wiccan Warrior, Full Contact Magick, and Magickal Self Defense) all comes together in this book about unleashing your inner power. Knighthood isn't about appearance, but action, not about tinsel but tenacity, not about glitter, but genius, not about fashion, but faculty. You can check it out at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/34975

Malpas Wassail Song

Now the harvest being over

And Christmas drawing in

Please open your door

And let us come in

With our wassail!

Chorus:

Wassail, wassail

And joy come to our jolly wassail!

Here's the master and mistress

Sitting down by the fire

While we poor wassail boys

Do trudge through the mire

With our wassail!

Here's the master and mistress

Sitting down at their ease

Put your hands in your pockets

And give what you please

With our wassail!

This ancient old house

We will kindly salute

It is your custom

You need not dispute

With your wassail!

Here's health to the master

And a long time to live

Since you've been so kind

And so willing to give

With our wassail!

Here's the saddle and the bridle

They're hung upon the shelf

If you want any more

You must sing it yourself!

With our wassail!

You can check out the music for this at: http://youtube.com/watch?=MNMSc6Hb2Pw

The Isolation Trap

There is a trap that first responders like police officers fall into. It works like this:





First responders typically spend their days dealing with an endless round of tragedy. Every day they deal with people who stop communicating with words and start communicating with fists. All week they attend an interminable series of accidents and heartache too often caused by someone's stupidity. All month they deal with an ceaseless see of faces of people trapped in addictions which are fueled by a life of crime. You may think that the upcoming Christmas season, advertised as a time of peace and goodwill to mankind, would be an exception to this. That's not the police officer's perception. Christmas is the time of year when people who haven't seen each other for a long time get together, have a few drinks... and then remember why they haven't seen each other in a long time. For the cop, Christmas is an unending series of interventions in violent domestic squabbles. The world is a chaotic and often dangerous place.





Here's the trap: Because this is all they see in a backbreaking schedule of lengthy shifts and overtime, they sink into the perception that this is all there is out there. That, as you might imagine, is a pretty depressing place to be.





First responders aren't alone in this. On my daily walks I frequently pass people plodding to the bus stop, the store, the appointment, head down, shoulders hunched, avoiding eye contact, fearful of the world around them.





So here's what we all need to do for one another. When you pass that person in the street, say hello. When you're at the store, hold the door for the person behind you, and say hello.





That's it. Just smile and say hello.





By doing this you're reminding these people that this chaotic world doesn't just contain tragedy, that the bedlam they percieve actually has some sane inhabitants. There are good people out there, though we sometimes don't notice them. It doesn't hurt to remind others about that. Actually it makes a big difference, because it makes people feel that they have a purpose and that they are not alone. Especially at this time of the year.



For more thoughts about Yule, check out the Order of Scathach blog: http://scathachisland.blogspot.com/

In Her Service, Kerr

Ancient Soup Recipes

I just posted some ancient soup recipes on my fantasy writer blog if anyone would like to check them out: http://caennis.wordpress.com/

Pagan Religions Book Update

Lots of people have been wondering what is happening with the 4th edition of the Law Enforcement Guide to Wicca, which has been renamed Pagan Religions: A Diversity Training Manual. I got the updated manuscript with a few final questions from the editor at Acorn Publishing last Friday and got the reply back to him Monday morning. He assures me that this should be the last of the editting and that he will get down to the business of final layout. So hopefully this book will be out soon.

Bright Blessings, Kerr

Gatetway Home

Thrakos Shadowwolf wrote to me about a week long program that he is putting on for soldiers returning to civilian life called Gateway Home: A Warrior's Transitional Journey.

WHO: Former Military personnel of Pagan/Heathen/Wiccan spiritual paths who feel they have not yet successfully reintegrated into civilian life or who feel emotionally stuck in, or haunted by, their past military experiences.

WHAT: An intensive week long seminar journey through classes, workshops, and Rituals transforming the former soldier into a true Warrior with the skills and wisdom to create a personally satisfying and honorable future.

WHEN: Mon. 15 November - Sun. 21 November 2010

WHERE: 20 Acre organic mini-farm and forested nature retreat on the Cumberland Plateau. 1 hr. N of Chattanooga, 2 hr. SW of Knoxville, 2.5 hr E of Nashville, TN.

FOR DETAILS AND REGISTRATION GO TO: http://www.swordandcauldron.org/

SPONSORED BY: Temple of the Sword and Cauldron

SIWC: Launching My Fiction Writing

My wife and I were at the Surrey International Writer's Conference this weekend taking classes, networking, and pitching our new works of fiction. Yes! I've started writing sword and sorcery fantasy! It was a successful weekend: I had an editor and agent ask to see chapters of my new novel, which will be the first book of a trilogy. You can see my podcast from SIWC at: http://beachcombercommunications.com/2010/10/charles-ennis-an-interview-at-siwc/