I struck the board and cried, we must have a giveaway

OK, don't say I never do anything for you (joke), because, I have a giveaway! And it's not only the gift of not boring you with what I think about the whole News International scandal (I think it was all orchestrated by a furious Vince Cable. Partner says if Vince Cable had that much cunning we might have noticed it in other contexts, I say he's cutting his teeth on this and next he's going to bring down David Cameron and make the World Cup be in England or something. Anyway I'm not boring you with this). Nor is it the gift of not telling you about how my overlocker hates me (but if anyone living in East Anglia wants to call round and kick it for me then you're very welcome and I'll give you a cup of tea and a biscuit. For those of you in Chatteris, do feel free to bring the shared donkey, we'll tether him to the fence. Vivianne you are very bad).

Image from The Spellcasting Picture Book

You can read here where I did an interview with Diana from Magickal Realism, who makes beautiful and unusual perfumes, and also wrote the Spellcasting Picture Book, of which I bought the first edition.

I don't know how often Mercury goes retrograde but this happens to me most Mondays

Now, I am going to say this carefully and at the risk of alienating everyone, but: with regards to paganism, hedgewitchery and everything, I have read a great many books, and I have to say to you that in this respect the devil does not have all the best tunes. No. Indeed I sometimes think that a prerequisite for being interested in modern paganism is the complete inability to write good poetry. I have read some things and thought, we have a centuries-long tradition of fine devotional verse and here is this author wibbling on about lovely lovely trees or whatever in a line which does not scan and ends with a rhyme worthy of McGonagall, how is this honouring the Goddess because I imagine she is cringing and opening a bottle of Merlot (on the astral plane) just like I am. Anyway I only say this to you because Diana's spell book is NOT LIKE THAT, it is very different, I think it is excellent and punchy and with spells which feel like they have power. If you like spell books, have a passing interest in modern paganism, or the power of words, or just want to have a look, then I have one PDF copy of the new, expanded, revised edition to give away! If you leave me a comment at the end of this post saying you want to be in the giveaway I will enter you in the draw, as it were, and get the computer to pick a number at the end of next week (24th July?) after which I will email the book to the winner (so could you make sure you leave a link to your blog or your email or give me some way to contact you). If you can't wait, though, here's how you can get hold of the book – it's available on Kindle and Nook (I don't know what Nook is but I presume if you've got one/ it, then you do ;-) ).

Grounding. More difficult than it looks

Also on this subject, my mother is thinking of getting a Kindle, which will be a technological leap on the level of the moon landings. If anyone has any thoughts as to whether my mother is likely to like having a Kindle or not, could you share them, as if she spends money on it and then decides the money might better have been spent on a handbag we will never hear the end of it. And, do check back tomorrow as I have an interview with Niccy from Scrapunzel Pixie, and she is a woman who I suspect can thread her overlocker without having to get Pat from the shop to do it, so I shall be looking and learning ;-). À demain.