Ripped Off!

Readers, when you put something out there of a magical nature, especially if it's something you created at least in part, someone is bound to do some copyright violation. I'm a little amused that it took this long to happen, but it did to me.

"Nox Lumos" is her pseudonym, and ripping people off is her...well, I don't know an alternative word for game that rhymes with "pseudonym".

In a shining example of contributing to idiocy and the lowest common denominator, she keeps a blog open to the public that is FULL of ripped-off content. So far to my immediate recognition she has ripped off the following posts:

• My post on Fiery Wall Of Protection oil here - Her copy of it has since been taken down by Google.
• Polyphanes post on Fiery Wall of Protection oil here - Here is her copy of it.
• Dr. E's blog post on Road Opener (ripping off a dead man...classy) - And her copy of it.

No credit or link back on any of her blog posts. I've already submitted a DMCA notice through google on her copy of my post, and also notified Polyphanes and Dr. E Products.

People, here's the thing. If you want to re-post content from my blog to yours, I'm not avidly against that UNDER ONE CONDITION: Give me credit for it, state that it is by me, or posted by me, and then also place a link to my posting of the content in YOUR post. That is literally all you need to do to keep me from getting legal on your tuches.

New Update and some Humor

Hey readers! I just wanted to drop a quick note that I'm still around. Basically, the reason I've been absent has been that, anymore, I'm up to my usual stuff which I have detailed previously. I haven't been interacting much with the broader magical community, and my more "innovative" stuff has been on hold due to life stuff. But I wanted to showcase a few things and provide some updates.

Studies and Practices

2015 has seen me with a very stable, routine practice which I have talked about before so I won't bore you with those details. Aside from that my involvement with the Gentlemen for Jupiter has been going along in a low-key fashion. I've maintained my regular practice at a bare minimum of once per month. My reason for this is partly due to my wish to avoid over-saturation of any given planetary force in my life.

The other contributing factor is that I took an extra course by Jason, called "Take Back Your Mind". To me it has been a combination of mind hacks and various forms of meditation and self-exploration. I may give a review of it at a later date, but what I've said here will have to suffice. But the lessons were every other Thursday, so at the very least my Jupiter work at my usual times was limited to every other week as well.

Coinciding with the end of "Take Back Your Mind", Jason has started a new course containing teachings he has been teasing us all with for YEARS: The Sorcery of Hekate. I joined up and so far it's very interesting. It's interesting in that the teachings are less "customizable" compared to Strategic Sorcery, which can be easily adapted to fit any given person's practices, as is the habit of many modern magicians. I'm looking forward to seeing how I develop in this new course.

As with Strategic Sorcery, us students have formed pretty good group. In fact, I have a gem to share from another student. This student posted to the course's Facebook page asking about leaving offerings at the crossroads or at a graveyard for Hekate. Normally this would be such a crossroads or graveyard on the edge of the town you live in...at least, optimally.

Well, in modern times and first-world problems, there can be issues with this. Maybe the most convenient crossroads is a busy one. Maybe that graveyard has a security guard on patrol. Maybe you can't park nearby. Maybe you can't leave the area without looking back (a common warning when dealing with crossroads). Several of us detailed workarounds we use in the comments, and this fellow student put together a list categorizing these workarounds rather humorously. I now present this list to you, with all thanks to her:

• The ‘Dump & Run’- Mark your target, pray or say your mantra on your way, wait for it to clear, then dump it and run.
• The Slide: Mark your target, pray while you meander to the site, then casually let the offering slide out of your hand as if it had accidentally dropped.
• The Cloak: Mark your target, wait until the cloak of night and trust (seriously) that you will be covered literally and symbolically.
• The Seedling: Mark your target and leave your offering as if you’re seeding the area. If any nosy neighbors ask, just tell them you were throwing down seeds for spring time.
• The Drive-by: Mark your target, pray while driving and “chuck” it out of the window to its intended place.

Note: The consensus is to be mindful of the environment, use biodegradable items, such as bags or plates, and if they’re not biodegradable throw them in the trash.