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Modern Mystery Cults?
Originally published at The Experimental Fantasist. Please leave any comments there.
It occurs to me that a Paganism that is a generalized, syncretic, eclectic non-religion isn't necessarily a bad thing, no matter how fuzzy it sometimes makes internet discussions. Perhaps the place for more formalized religion in Paganism is in a role similar to ( Read more... ) -
We are not a nation of individuals.
Our national myth is a story of brave individuals, carving out trails in the wilderness; lone colonies standing up against the British Empire; homesteaders and their little houses on the prairie. That’s not the whole of it though. That’s like saying that a movie is the product of the actors, and forgetting that long list of names that scroll by at ( Read more... ) -
Don't Forget to Breathe
Originally published at The Experimental Fantasist. Please leave any comments there.
It is no secret. All power is one in source and end, I think. Years and distances, stars and candles, water and wind and wizardry, the craft in a man's hand and the wisdom in a tree's root: they all arise together.
― Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea
Magick ( Read more... ) -
Snow White and the Huntsman: A Review
Originally published at The Experimental Fantasist. Please leave any comments there.
As I write this, I'm watching the last act of Snow White and the Huntsman. That I'm doing a review before the show is over says something, I think.
The story isn't bad. It's a gritty interpretation that manages to put in dirt and blood while retaining the ( Read more... ) -
Batman and the Villain Problem
Originally published at The Experimental Fantasist. Please leave any comments there.
So, I had this idea. I don’t mind sharing it here, as I’m fairly confident that no one is going to pay me to produce a Batman TV series.
I was listening to the Writing Excuses podcast the other day (I heartily recommend them to anyone who writes, edits, games or is ( Read more... ) -
What I Want At My Game Table
Originally published at The Experimental Fantasist. Please leave any comments there.
While I was making breakfast this morning, I was asking myself what, as a game master, I want from a gaming group. It comes down to five points, all of which are variations on “proactive players.” Nothing in gaming gets me going quite like inventing NPCs and ( Read more... ) -
I'll Be At BayCon This Weekend
Originally published at The Experimental Fantasist. Please leave any comments there.
Well, friends, it seems I’ll be a talking head at BayCon this weekend. I’m on nine panels across three days, mostly back-to-back. I’ll likely be brain fried at the end of each day, but it will doubtless be fun.
This is actually something of a dream come true for me. ( Read more... ) -
A Game is a Machine Made of Words
Originally published at The Experimental Fantasist. Please leave any comments there.
Games are things in their own right, and not just a set of tools for creating a shared experience. I’m not just talking about games-as-artifacts, though a well-made game book is a beautiful thing. Mostly, I’m talking about the rules as a structure, as a machine ( Read more... ) -
Art, Magick and Imagination
Originally published at The Experimental Fantasist. Please leave any comments there.
In his graphic novel From Hell, author, magician, and professional mad bastard Alan Moore wrote, "If there is one place that gods inarguably exist . . . it is in the human mind, where they are real, in all their grandeur and monstrosity." He has since spent a good ( Read more... ) -
The Damned Horse
Originally published at The Experimental Fantasist. Please leave any comments there.
Well, there are three things I’ve learned from my first two weeks of “serious” blogging.
First, my service provider will fail at times. This will screw up my posting and sometimes my existing content. When it happens, fix it and get back on the horse.
Second, life ( Read more... )