If You're Determined To Spend Your Money, You May As Well Get Something Wonderful For it

Isaac Bonewitz has a Cafe Press store; you may need to be Pagan to get some of the jokes, but his American flags with multiple religious symbols where the stars normally go would be a great gift for anyone.

Revel Moon has a new album out, available from Esoterica of Leesburgh, Virginia. I especially like Persophne with lyrics that remind us that, "You can't be Persephone forever."

I love Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab because their scents actually live up to their descriptions. For example:


GLASYA -- Created in honor of the fiery, vicious Princess of Hell and bloodthirsty general who governs thirty-six legions of infernal warriors. Her lust for bloodshed and manslaughter is matched only by her love of the classical arts and sciences - definitely a woman that we respect. A seething, fiery blend of dragon's blood, deep myrrh, red and black musks, civet and thick red patchouli, glistening with drops of rose and ylang ylang.

GLITTER -- All flash and glam: white wine, heliotrope, d'Anjou pear, and lotus.

ANNE BONNY -- Named in honor of the most notorious female pirate to ever set sail. Wicked, cruel, beautiful, intelligent, resourceful and dangerous: a true role model. A blend of Indonesian red patchouli, red sandalwood, and frankincense. A million thanks to Juliana Williamson-Page for inspiration!

and, of course, my signature scent:

HECATE --Magnificent three-faced Goddess of Magic, the Dark Moon and the Crossroads. She is the Mother of Witches, and the midnight baying of hounds is her paean. Her compassion is evidenced in her role as Psychopomp for Persephone, and her wrath manifests as Medea's revenge. Deep, buttery almond layered over myrrh and dark musk.

They've finally developed a black hyacinth. I bought a bunch of these and hope they are even half as lovely as the pictures in the catalog.

At Heifer, International you can buy trees, honeybees, a flock of ducks, or a goat -- for hungry families anywhere from Appalachia to Zambia.

If I were rich, I'd buy the moonbat vase and the Pasadena Lantern from Ephraim Pottery.

Give someone the ocean. Greenpeace has been trying to prevent overfishing for years and years -- long before anyone took the death of the oceans seriously.

Endgame, Volumes I and II are available from Derrick Jensen. You owe it to yourself to read him.

My brilliant friend, Amy, has a wonderful new EP available here and on iTunes. Listen here.

Omega Institute is offering a 3-day conference in New York called "Being Fearless" with interesting teachers such as Arianna Huffington (who just wrote a book on this topic), Jane Goodall, Al Gore, and Seane Corn. (They have some I'd skip, too, including the IMHO odious Carolyn Myss). Go with your parent, your lover, your best friend.

When I retire, I'm going to get myself one of these. And lessons to go with it.

Trees for Life is dedicated to restoring the Caledonia Forest in the Scottish Highlands. The great forest of Caledon once covered over 1.5 million hectares. Today just 1% of that remains. It's fragmented, and,with overgrazing, it's struggling to regenerate naturally. This year's calendar looks absolutely amazing. In America, the American Chestnut Foundation is doing some amazing work restoring the chestnut tree to America, including a breeding program designed to find mutations that can stand up to the blight. You can buy seeds and seedlings. Could be a fun project for children or grandchildren and -- who knows? -- you could grow the tree that will fight the blight.

Or, you can go to Walmart and buy some plastic crap that was advertised on tv.