WRITER@WORK

WRITER@WORK – Winter draws on …

The CoS limited edition – Round About the Cauldron Go … has gone into hardback because (a) it is a ‘first’ for Ignotus Books, and (b) its readership of this grimoire will be restricted to the members of Coven of the Scales who have reached a certain stage on their magical journey.  It will be followed at a later stage by Inner Court Witchcraft, which is an advanced handbook for those who have passed through Initiation and want to go on to the next level … will therefore be another CoS limited edition.  These are much more difficult to write than you might think and it will probably be a couple of years before this one comes out!

Arcanum books will start 2021 with the publication of Offerings for the Gods by Sacrifice, Oblation and Libation.  This new series will be comprised of titles under 100-pages of practical and/or instructional text on a specific esoteric subject or theme and written by magical practitioners with proven antecedents.  Taking its name from the Coven of the Scales’ foundation course, the aim is to offer further tuition/guidance on specific elements of witch-lore and practice. Coming in at under 25,000 words and under 100-pages, each title will be packed with information and instruction rather than puffed out with superfluous wordage and regurgitated text borrowed from other publications. Talking to Crows will be the second title in the series, and Hagstones is coming up hard on the inside … followed by Gateways to Otherworld and The Magic of Quartz making up the first five books in the Arcanum series.

Finally managed to pick up the typescript for Temple House Archive – PACT! – and the chapters are forming nicely into the first draft of 70,000 words on the subject of pacts, demons and curses – which is best suited to winter creative writing when the evenings are dark and dismal.  I’ve decided to kill off one of my main characters and it’s not easy!  Beginning to sound like one of the spoilers for Death in Paradise!

Pagan Portals: Sexual Dynamics in the Circle will finally see the light of day on 26^th March 2021 pointing out that one of the most significant social changes in the 20th-century was the wedge driven between the males and females of Craft as a result of social media and political feminism. From a purely magical point of view the battle of the sexes has been one of the most negative crusades in the history of mankind since everything in the entire Universe is made up from a balance or harmony of opposite energies. Men and women are different as night and day but still part of the same homo sapiens coin – regardless of their individual sexuality.

One of the most difficult aspects was finding the ‘right’ cover picture because the choice available was too erotic, downright tacky or overly homoerotic.   The final choice was finally tracked down on Pixabay by Leandro DeCarvalho that was neither too raunchy, nor too twee.

Elen Sentier said of it:  “I was so pleased to get a preview copy of Sexual Dynamics in the Circle to read; a good, proper book on sex magic is long overdue and this one is seriously refreshing. Melusine Draco’s approach is very down to earth and, at the same time, fully with spirit. Gone are the crazy, titillating, salacious styles of far too many other books on the subject, Draco shows you and explains what actually happens and helps you understand this for yourself.
     In Sexual Dynamics, we learn about working with the two principles of the universe that we know, here on Earth, as gender, female and male, the duality that is all created from forming stars. And we’re able to get away from extreme feminism too, always a good thing; the powers of goddess and god are twined and combined, they don’t battle for supremacy.  If you want to learn more about how the genders combine to work magic this is the book to read.”

So … what’s new for 2021?  Not a lot, if I’m honest, apart from getting existing typescripts into print.  But, I intend to be doing a lot of reading … and I might even make a start on my science fiction novel …

Melusine Draco

Winter Solstice 2020