Daniel Bran Griffith - The Chattering Magpie

Wednesday, 15 April 2020

So We'll Go No More a Roving by Lord Byron (George Gordon)

So, we'll go no more a roving

So late into the night,

Though the heart be still as loving,

And the moon be still as bright.

For the sword outwears its sheath,

And the soul wears out the breast,

And the heart must pause to breathe,

And love itself have rest.

Though the night was made for loving,

And the day returns too soon,

Yet we'll go no more a roving

By the light of the moon.

'IF' BY RUDYARD KIPLING (1910)

IF you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

'Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Saturday, 11 April 2020

WHEN THIS IS OVER (2020)

When this is over we shall meet again

We shall go on trips;

And I shall show you the hidden places.

We shall have lunches, dinners and picnics.

We shall go to the theatre;

And we shall learn to live again.

When this is over we shall meet again

We shall not forget;

And we shall share the hidden places.

We shall have adventures.

We shall go to church and temple;

And we shall learn to live again.

When this is over we shall meet again

We shall remember;

And we shall share our stories.

We shall be happy.

We shall be joyful;

And we shall learn to live again.

Text & Photography © Daniel Bran Griffith

BOOK REVIEW: Chumbley A.D. (1992) The Azoetia: a grimoire of the Sabbatic Craft. Xoanon, Chelmsford UK.

This is a book that few have heard of and even fewer (due to its’ unnecessarily controlled availability) have read. This work is heavily influenced by Crowley and the Khemetic-Judaic school of the Order of the Golden Dawn. We are presented with a fusion of ceremonial magick and Witchcraft at ratio of three to one and as such, interest in this book is more likely to lie with those whose primary interest is the ceremonial path, rather than the craft. The work can be seen in the light of being an attempt to introduce some good old fashioned Paganism back into ceremonial magick. Although this is certainly something that may need to be done, it is a matter of debate as to whether this book goes far enough or whether this was a conscious or unconscious objective of the author.

This work is regarded by some to be a masterpiece and like all such works, is therefore flawed. However, I am inclined to take a different view. Although this is certainly a decent enough book and is certainly well written in parts, it is not the great work we are lead to believe. There is I feel a danger for the unwise reader of falling into the trap of the “Emperors’ new clothes” and believing the hype without questioning it first. The style of writing is remarkably contradictory, ranging from being puerile in its’ pretension to displaying beautifully mature prose. The work also lacks a suitable commentary and is not referenced at all. This unfortunately limits its’ basis for further study. The rituals although displaying creativity, may require editing to remove the more impractical elements; in an attempt to grasp the fundamental arte that lies at the core of the work. Whatever that may be. This book should be read critically and seen for what it is, a volume on contemporary sorcery and one full of contradiction. A classic perhaps but without doubt, an overrated one.

Thursday, 26 March 2020

West Midlands Witchcraft Issue 3 March 2020

I am pleased to announce that I have an article in the current issue of West Midlands Witchcraft magazine and that the March edition can be read on line for free.

Just follow the link.

https://issuu.com/westmidlandswitch/docs/west_midlands_witch_issue_3_march

West Midlands Witchcraft Issues 1, 2 & 3

To help us all manage our time during this difficult time and I am obviously referring to the Lockdown of 2020, those wonderful people at West Midlands Witchcraft Magazine have made issues 1, 2 & 3 available for free.

Just follow the link.

https://issuu.com/westmidlandswitch

Tuesday, 24 March 2020

The Toxic Internet & Intolerance

Those readers who have been following my work of late, will be aware that I have now produced more than one diatribe; upon the subject of the Internet and Social Networking. This is my third and final piece in the Toxic Internet series. I am sure many of you will be bored with my rants by now, so having dealt with misinformation and jealously, I now turn my mind towards the internet and intolerance.

The very concept of intolerance is a strange phenomena as it puts us in a quandary. We often wish to promote tolerance at the same time as taking a stand against intolerance but by doing so we risk becoming intolerant ourselves. From an ethical point of view, we are faced with a dilemma. How does one preserve free speech, while condemning opinions that are not necessarily worthy of a civilised society? At what point can we as a society, declare that particular opinions should be considered as hate speech or provocative in nature? It is not at all clear cut. Today anyone looking at the media and the Internet, should be able to appreciate the difficulties faced by those forced to review complaints of this nature.

Exploring the Internet and in particular You-Tube, I have stumbled across Crazy Christians, Mad Muslims, Angry Atheists and quite a few Potty Pagans. I can neither support nor identify with any of these, what I hope to be fringe elements. Their opinions and behaviour are condescending and frankly embarrassing. They are collectively a disgrace and I hope in no way representative of the movements from which they have emerged; whether it is Christianity, Islam, Humanism or Paganism. Indeed I look on Fundamentalist Christianity, Militant Islam and Militant Atheism with the same lens, they are all equally unsavoury and unnecessarily aggressive.

Watching You-Tube I am in particular struck by what I understand to be called 'response videos.' Here an online argument or attack, is passed back and forth between two or more protagonists. These protagonists generally form sides, the Flat Earth Movement will go head to head with those whose grasp of reality is greater. Crazy Christians and Angry Atheists face each other across the web in the same manner. Very often these engagements are characterised by a distinct lack of respect for those opposite, an uncivil manner and a generally patronising attitude. The behaviour witnessed online is as immature as that found in any school playground.

Nor am I in any way impressed by the language that I witness, particularly on You-Tube and Facebook. The use of the 'F' and 'C' words distresses me greatly. By now I am no doubt coming over in an overly genteel manner and perhaps I am socially prudish. This rant or as I prefer, diatribe is something of a howl into the darkness and I admit; I can swear as much as any other. However, in watching a debate and witnessing one 'combatant' call another a 'f**king moron,' I can make this observation. Such behaviour is no way to win an argument, even if the person losing their composure is factually correct.

What is it about the Internet, Social Networking and media channels, that causes people to switch off their self control and blow their safety valves outright? Is it the distancing, the lack of recognition that the person opposite is a person, because they are hidden behind a screen? Does use of the Internet induce us all to become socially inept, keyboard warriors that lack any concept of barriers?

As is often the case when addressing the modern phenomenon of the Internet, I struggle to answer these questions in any satisfactory manner. I suspect it is primarily due to the social distancing of the Internet and the impersonal nature of the World Wide Web. Whatever the reasons for these behaviours, they remain inexcusable and I want no part of such an awful 'virtual' society.

The Toxic Internet & Misinformation #1

https://chatteringmagpie.wordpress.com/2020/02/08/the-toxic-internet-misinformation/

The Toxic Internet & Misinformation #2

https://chatteringmagpie-summonerofthehearth.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-toxic-internet-misinformation.html

The Toxic Internet & Tall Poppy Syndrome#1

https://chatteringmagpie.wordpress.com/2020/02/14/the-toxic-internet-tall-poppy-syndrome/

The Toxic Internet & Tall Poppy Syndrome#2

https://chatteringmagpie-summonerofthehearth.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-toxic-internet-tall-poppy-syndrome.html

FUTURE BLOGGING (2020)

I published my first set of blogs on Google Blog-spot, on the 24th of March 2011. The very first post to be published was called 'The Crooked Man' and it was published in dedication to a friend whose writing style influenced me in my early development. In the nine years since those first posts saw publication, I have successfully found my own style of expression but importantly; the continued support of those who have encouraged and inspired me remains worthy of acknowledgement. You know who you are and I thank you.

I have only few followers but I am averaging between 1,000 and 2,000 'hit's per month. A figure that I hope is fairly respectable, although I have nothing to compare it to. Most of my 'traffic' comes via social media or as I sometimes refer to it, unsocial media. Over the last year or so I have attempted to reduce my activities on this unsocial media and this has without doubt, affected my reach. It is a disappointment to have confirmed once again, how ridiculously dependent we as a society, have become on those overly convenient platforms.

As of today nine years after the launch of my Google blog-spot site, I have reached a grand total of 212,738 hits. An increase of 50,009 since 2018 or 25,000 per year. An average of 23,000 hits per year over those nine years does not suggest however, that such a number of hits has been constant from the beginning. It should be obvious or indeed common sense, that the number of hits in those first few years was much smaller and has risen over time. My peak appears to have been reached in 2017 or 2018. Today I have plateaued at a steady 20,000 to 25,000 hits per annum.

The majority of my posts it has to be admitted, do not have a huge reach and in consequence they do not garner a high number of hits. The majority appear to be read by barely a hundred or so people however, a steady number of exceptionally successful posts boost the statistics considerably. My most popular post has passed the 4,000 hit mark while others have passed the 1,000 and 2,000 hit mark. A consolation with regards those that do not fare so well.

In reviewing my approach to the World Wide Web and those unsocial networks, due partly to an ever growing distaste of the content and due to censorship difficulties, I have begun to re-evaluate blogging. Although Google Blog-spot will remain my primary mode of expression, I am now using Wordpress as a supplementary outlet for my material. At present there remains some overlap but the intention to separate the two sites remains. Google Blog-spot will remain primarily focused upon material of an esoteric and spiritual nature, while the Wordpress site will be used for more general and perhaps less niche material.

I hope and indeed I have set myself something of a target, to produce an original post regularly over the next year; in the run up to the tenth anniversary of blogging. Although I do not expect to see an increase in followers, I sincerely hope to maintain a standard of quality and to preserve that average of 20,000 hits per annum. So, here's to the next year!