Mike Gleason is an incredibly prolific Pagan book reviewer who has written for a number of websites, among them SpiralNature.com. At the moment he’s seeking volunteers to help out at the annual “Make-A-Wand” table weekends in October in Salem, MA.

The table is sponsored  the Witches’ Education League, which is composed of the former members of W.E.B. and Project Witches Protection. Younger volunteers, in their late teens and twenties are especially needed, though they welcome volunteers of all ages.

From Mike:

I won’t tie up space going into the details, but will simply say that if you enjoy being around enthusiastic children; don’t mind getting glitter in places it really shouldn’t be; and are prepared to offer 2 hours of your time to help raise money for charity and make children happy in the process, we would love to have you join us.

We operate (usually) from 11am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, every weekend during the month of October. We will also operate for a (mostly likely) reduced time span on Halloween.

We would like to have a couple of volunteers each day, and merely ask for a two hour commitment.

Please e-mail me [...] if you would like more details, or want to offer your help.

Mike Gleason

If you’re in or near Salem, and you’d to help, please do get in contact with Mike, his e-mail address is included in the link above.

The lovely Bkwyrm, whose review site is now archived on Hermetic.com, has created a new forum for unconventional parents called Parentes Nefarii.

I got into magick predominantly in my teens, and it’s been interesting watching the transitions of various friends as they integrate their magickal practice and alternative spiritualities into the traditional life streams of school, work, families. Many are navigating the bulk of it alone, often with partners who are sympathetic, but not always practitioners themselves.

I guess that’s where forums like this can help, by providing a space where occult parents or anyone involved with kids can get together, chat, problem solve and/or gripe about issues that arise.

Parentes Nefarii is described as a place

for parents (or parents-to-be) who are involved in the occult to come and discuss issues specific to these topics, and the intersection of these topics.

It’s intended for “mothers, fathers, step-parents, non-custodial parents”, pretty much anyone “as long as there’s a kid in your life and it impacts your spiritual practice in some way”.

If this sounds like you, stop by and check it out.

I think it just might be the Chocolate Zombie Bunny from ThinkGeek.

With the Ostara bunny representing the fertility of the coming spring, the chocolatl from the Mayan tradition, and resurrection of the dead found in Christianity – you arrive at a perfect cultural fusion for the season.

They do warn, however, that consuming this product “may or may not infect you with a zombie virus”.

There’s always a down side.