Spiral Nature LJ Community

Reprint of Receive updates via RSS from the Shiny News section.

SpiralNature.com has had an RSS feed since late October 2008, but apart from a brief, quietly published piece called "What is RSS?", it hasn't been properly announced.

Let's begin with a recap of what RSS stands for, and why it's useful:

What is RSS?

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It’s a technology which allows people to receive automatic updates when new content is posted on blogs, news headlines, podcasts, or any website that publishes a feed.

The orange image on the left is a standard icon used to indicate that a feed is published by a website. Some browsers will show it in the address line, and clicking on it will give you the option to subscribe to the feed. SpiralNature.com simply lists it at the top of our menu as "RSS".

How do I subscribe?

Software that reads an RSS feed is alternately called an RSS reader, feed catcher, or news aggregator. Subscription is always free, and there are several ways to subscribe.

What's it do?

By subscribing to a feed, you receive content from the website as it's updated. You no longer need to remember to go back and check your bookmarks: instead, the content come to you. We publish full feeds, so that means each new essay, ritual and review is published in its entirety. The formatting may differ a little depending on your reader, but you'll get the full text.

Where do I find a reader?

Most newer browsers have feed catchers embedded in them already, while others have plugins that can be added on. I've used infoRSS for Firefox in the past, but there are many options available. Alternately, there websites such as Bloglines and Google Reader which allow users to subscribe to feeds that can be accessed from any computer. Wikipedia has a list of feed aggregators here.

What are the alternatives?

Well, you'll always be able to navigate your browser to SpiralNature.com, of course. ((Going strong since 2000!)) :)

SN's feed is also syndicated on LiveJournal. Or, if RSS feeds aren't your thing, you can also receive content updates via e-mail.

Uh, a summary please?

• SpiralNature.com


• RSS feed


• Syndicated on LiveJournal


• E-mail subscription

All receive the same content in full, ad-free, as always.

What if I still have questions?

Any questions, please feel free to contact the webmaster.

Technology is grand.

Reprint of Submission Guidelines Updated from the Shiny News section.

Our Submission Guidelines and Review Submission Guidelines have been revised and updated, and are now give a more straightforward idea of what we're looking for.

As SN's focus is to serve as an occult resource dedicated to occult philosophy and metaphysics, alternative spiritualities, and practical magick, we publish essays, articles, book excerpts and reviews. This can include innovative explorations of personal philosophy, religious territory and magickal practice, as well as essays focusing on more traditional routes.

While we love original content, we’re not opposed to reprinting material. If the piece has appeared elsewhere either online or in print, please indicate so in your submission.

Additionally, our Review staff has increased (we have staff now!), so you can expect more reviews written in a broader range of voices coming from a variety of spiritual and occult backgrounds. (Though fear not, we are still accepting freelance reviews!)

Our submissions address remains the same: submissions [at] spiralnature [dot] com.

Questions? Contact us.

Reprint of 2008-10-31 Welcome to SN 2.0 from the Shiny News section.



SpiralNature.com is an occult resource dedicated to occult philosophy and metaphysics, alternative spiritualities, and practical magick.

Since its inception in 2000, SpiralNature.com has retained the same look and feel. (To see past versions of the site, check out SpiralNature.com on the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.) It was quite dated in terms of its look and its functionality.

This is the first time in SpiralNature.com's eight year history it's received a make-over - indeed, a complete restructuring.

Along with the new design and new logo comes better navigation and new ways explore to SN's archives. Clicking on the items in the menu on the left shows you everything that's archived in that category, including all subcategories. By clicking on the author's name, you'll see all posts archived by that author. Each essay and review lists major topics covered in the piece, and by clicking on these you can view all items with that tag. Stars at the bottom of each essay and review let you rate it.

Some of the content has been removed as it was found to be dated or otherwise not up to standard, though most of it has been preserved, particularly old mailing list and Usenet posts which cannot be found elsewhere.

At present there are more than 500 articles by more than 150 authors in SpiralNature's archives. If you're interested in adding to our content, please see our Submission Guidelines, or Contact the curator for more information.

Additionally, for the first time ever SN has RSS feeds available. You can subscribe to the Shiny Feed, which lists news and condensed lists of updates, or the Full Feed, which gives you everything. For more information about our RSS feeds, please see the FAQ.

So, welcome to SN 2.0, drop me a line and let me know what you think!

New articles:

• Beltane, by Psyche
  
• Eris and the Apple of Discord, by Psyche
  
• Eris and the Discordians, by Psyche
  
• Southern Hemisphere Paganism, by Psyche
  
• The Broom Closet: In or Out?, by Psyche
  
• Stepping Out of the Broom Closet, by Psyche

New interviews:

Interview with Fenwick Kaidevis Rysen, by Psyche

• Interview with Sylvia Lee, by Psyche
  
• Interview with Taylor Ellwood, by Psyche

New reviews:

• The Essence of Tantric Sexuality, by Psyche
  
• The Mysteries of Druidry, by Psyche
  
• The Well Worn Path, by Psyche
  
• The Oestara Anthology of Poetry, by Psyche
  
• Wicca Demystified, by Psyche

Updated Article:

• Skeptical Beginner: A Reply, by David M

The majority of these updates are due to the expiry of the exclusive right to publish granted to Suite101.com last year.

More updates, with work from a variety of authors to be uploaded in the next few weeks.

Enjoy.

- 3 for "[ blank query ]"*
- 2 for "amygdala"
- 2 for "chemognosis"
- 2 for "crown"
- 2 for "satan magic how to light a candle"
- 2 for "school"
- 2 for "shaging spirits"
- 2 for "weddings"
- 1 for "1"
- 1 for "adian"

Wow. Matches not good enough?

Major SN update planned for this weekend/early next week. Watch for it.

Hi. Curious if anyone here has ever heard of a fellow by the name of Martín Prechtel and if so if you'd like to discuss his written works.

- 3 for "spiral"
- 2 for "[ blank query ]"*
- 2 for "3rd quarter"
- 2 for "bkwyrm"
- 2 for "necromancy"
- 2 for "xi o teaz"
- 1 for "11"
- 1 for "chango"
- 1 for "cookbook"
- 1 for "eightfold path"

Recognize anyone? :P

[*These are internal searches, not searches to find SpiralNature.com.]

http://cauldronborn.blogspot.com/2…


RA

A thorough understanding of Tarot's history is essential to any serious Tarot student or practitioner. Through these lectures we will explore Tarot's early history, subsequent rise in Western esotericism, and how its symbolism has evolved over the centuries up to the early twentieth century.

Part I: The Roots of Tarot

Over the course of its history, Tarot has acquired a number of fantastic founding myths. Delving deep into Tarot's origins, we will look at the rise of playing cards in Europe, as well as exploring the history and symbolism of several early Tarots, including:

• The Visconti Tarot
  
• The Minchiate Tarot
  
• The Sola-Busca Tarot
  
• The Tarot of Marseille

Focus will be on the documented history and symbolism of playing cards, and the rise of Tarot in Europe up to the seventeenth century.

Date: Saturday, June 2nd, 2007 2 p.m.
Price: $20

Part II: The Rise of Tarot Esotericism


Tarot was 'rediscovered' as a divination device by seventeenth century occultists, and from then on it has enjoyed a unique place in the Western Magical Tradition. We will explore the contributions of several prominent occultists in the repurposing of Tarot, among them:

• Antoine Court de Gébelin
  
• Éliphas Lévi
  
• Samuel Liddell McGregor Mathers
  
• Arthur Edward Waite

Focus will be on the documented history and symbolism of playing cards, and the rise of Tarot in Europe up to the seventeenth century.

Date: Saturday, June 9th, 2007 2 p.m.
Price: $20

Pre-book by May 26th, 2007 and attend both lectures for only $30!

For more information please contact:

Phone: 416 428 4893
Website: PsycheTarot.com
E-mail: psyche@spiralnature.com

Or download the flyer!