Most of my writing (well, most of my life these days, actually) takes place on a laptop at the dining room table. So far it’s been working out pretty well for me.
But you know what? I’d like to try a typewriter one day. I don’t know how effective that would be since I usually have about 50 references open in tabs as I write. It would be a fun experiment though, especially if I was writing something… well, something that didn’t need referencing.
I can take my laptop pretty much anywhere, so maybe I could just go for a change of scenery. In that case, I’d like to try writing…
- by a lake
- by the ocean
- in a forest
- on a mountain
Yes, I live near the beach. Theoretically, I could accomplish at least one of the above whenever I please, but I’m also terrified of getting my laptop sandy.
Good morning and happy Monday, friends! I hope everyone had a lovely solstice.
Here is some new content for your consumption:
- New Article: From Saturnalia to Santa: The Ancient Roots of Holiday Gift Exchanges
- New Podcast: Same as above, just listen to me talk about it!
- New M3 Episode: Jack Chanek and Tarot for the Magically Inclined
I have officially completed my first semester back at school and grades have been posted. I learned next to nothing… but on paper, it at least looks like I am at least a successful student. And that’s what it’s all about, right?
Our house is now oozing Christmas cheer. I put up our lights and wrapped a ton of gifts.
We used to have an additional hedge, but the HOA removed it a few months ago, so I’m slightly more limited on light placement. Also, I can say that I’m officially sick of wrapping gifts.
On Friday night, we had our coven Yule celebration. It was led by two of our coveners and they did an excellent job! It’s always so much fun to watch students step up and perform their first ritual. It even came complete with a bonfire!
Speaking of bonfires, I finished my submission for Crossed Crow’s upcoming Divination Anthology, which will probably be due out in about a year. I wrote about scrying with the elements, so quite naturally, there is a section on bonfires.
And in more book-related news, I was emailed a small typeset preview of Fluid Condensers. It looks so great! I can’t wait to hold the actual book in my hands.
This weekend, we’ve been traveling to St. Petersburg, Florida for some family time. Actually, as I send you this, we’re still there. We’re celebrating early Christmas. We’ll have regular Christmas later this week once we get back home.
We took a walk down the pier, took a look at the views, walked through the market, heard some music, and grabbed gelato.
And this was our early Christmas dinner… Beef Wellington!
Gordon Ramsey himself would have been proud.
We’ve had kyphi orders flying in. I can only suspect that some people might be giving them as holiday gifts. Well, that works for me! I had to start a new batch to keep up with everything.
I know it doesn’t look like much right now, but once this dough dries, I can start rolling it into tiny little balls and coating them with a special mix of powder. By the time we return, it should be dry enough to flip over at least, but then it’ll need to cure for several weeks. Kyphi is a slow process, that’s what makes it so awesome at the end.
I called this out in the top links, but the final episode of Season 3 has been posted! It features Jack Chanek talking about his new book, Tarot for the Magically Inclined. We had a great chat, answering questions like “what is magic” and “what is divination,” and at the end of the conversation, Jack even shares some tips on using Tarot cards to communicate with angels and demons. Fascinating stuff!
This will be a short week of availability for me. We’ve got Christmas, lots of driving to do, and we’ll be traveling once again this upcoming weekend. So… we’ll see what I’m able to churn out in a short time frame. Regardless, stay tuned for more!
Aerik Arkadian 
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