Tuesday, December 18, 2018

December 18, 2018


Greetings Everyone!

For those of you who love vampires, real as well as fictional, please read my new essay "Real & Fictional Vampires in Modern Times” published in the New Dawn Special Issue Vol. 12. No. 5.

New Dawn magazine publishes speculative articles & essays on ancient & contemporary mysteries, future science and the unexplained- it is, quite literally, the best magazine of its kind in existence in the 21st century.
 
So check  it out!

JLS


Monday, November 19, 2018

November 19, 2018


Often, you need to figure out the best month to start an important course of action, such as attending college, choosing a lover (or breaking up with one),  deciding when to get married, when to start a family, and so on. 
   
I have written a Tarot reading that will help you determine the best time to begin any of these activities, or anything else you are planning to do. 

Feel free to use whatever Tarot deck you like.

Enjoy!

JLS


Monday, November 5, 2018

November 5, 2018


Now that Halloween is over, we should ask:  What was Halloween all about?  And what does it celebrate?

It celebrates the dark tunnel & the life at the end of the tunnel; the short time from night to day; the longer time from winter to spring; and the longest time of all for each of us- from birth to death and then back to life again.

Halloween night, October 31.

All Saint’s Day, Nov. 1.

All Soul’s Day & the Day of the Dead, Nov. 2.

All of these holidays celebrate the same thing: the dark tunnel & the life at the end of the tunnel.

And so, think about death, my friends, but embrace & celebrate life.

And be glad, so very glad, to be alive!

JLS

Saturday, November 3, 2018

November 3, 2018


Greetings Dark Friends & Colleagues!

My little meditative, speculative essay: Three Creatures- Speculations for University & College Writing Instructors (Oct, 2018) is something that all of you should look at.

I introduce Michael, Sally & Chilli, three unusual children in an imaginary class that I will be teaching in the future, say 81, 432 CE, give or take a century.

Well past the time when humans & the alien races from other planets & in other dimensions had discovered each another & learned to coexist in harmony on the earth.

But well before the time when the sun will become a supernova & humankind’s short reign on the earth will come to a close.

Please enjoy; and please learn.


JLS

Saturday, October 20, 2018

October 20, 2018


Ray Bradbury, the patron saint of Halloween, writes about the autumn people:

"For some, autumn comes early, stays late through life where October follows September and November touches October and then instead of December......September comes again and old October and so on down the years.... such are the autumn people."

I am an autumn person...there are times when we're all autumn people, with our long thoughts of life & death at night as the wind blows, speaking with the voices of those we once loved that have passed beyond....

JLS

Friday, September 28, 2018

September 28, 2018


As some of you know, I am finishing up my studies for a third master's degree- a Masters in Education at AMU.

I've created two Prezi Presentations on education related themes that incorporate some of my deliciously gothic images.

Here is the first one: “Whole Class, Teacher Led Collaboration Model, September 23, 2018.


Here is the second one: “Classroom Management Plan”, September 30, 2018.


JLS

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

August 29 2018


Reverend John Hale of Beverly, in The Crucible, makes the statement: “The Devil is precise; the marks of his Presence are definite as stone.”

But is he, & are they?  I think not. 

The Devil is chaos personified- part & parcel of the Dionysian Great Mother- Female, not Male, Goddess not God (which is why Baphomet has breasts, as some of you have observed & accepted as accure).

What is really precise is to think for yourselves.  To make up your own minds.  To accept yourselves, as deep down, autumn people- thinking autumn thoughts; keeping autumn shrines.

During this Halloween season, celebrate the Devil if you must.  Or celebrate God, if you need to.

But God, Goddess, Devil, Demon, come as you are & as only imperfect shadow-puppets.

You, all of you as individuals, are more than the shadow-puppets that you insist on holding in your mind & subjugating yourself to.

You are the God & the Devil.

So, celebrate that!

JLS


Sunday, August 26, 2018

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

August 7, 2018


This is August- the season of Lammas & the first, faint stirrings of the darkness and of my favorite season, autumn.

Time to get rid of people who bring you down & stop you from realizing the uniqueness & the divinity that is your birthright.  

Cast them out, my friends!

Use "The Spell of the Black Witch Doll”.  

But don't kill them, just cast them away & keep them away.

JLS



Tuesday, July 24, 2018

July 24, 2018


Greetings Everyone!

Please pick up a copy of my article "Aliens: Extra-Terrestrial or Trans-Dimensional?"  in the New Dawn Special Issue Vol. 12 No. 2.

In this article, I make the case that aliens are essentially not extra-terrestrial, but rather, trans-dimensional, inhabiting the myriad layers of alternate dimensions that interpenetrate the Multiverse, “in” the world as we know it and yet, not really “of” the world.


https://www.newdawnmagazine.com/product/new-dawn-special-issue-vol-12-no-2


And if you haven't picked up a copy of my book : H. P. Lovecraft & the Black Magickal Tradition, please order a copy from your local bookstore or else from Barnes & Noble, Red Wheel/Weiser or Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Lovecraft-Black-Magickal-Tradition-Influence/dp/157863587X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434646281&sr=8-1&keywords=h.+p.+lovecraft+and+the+black+magickal+tradition


Best wishes!

JLS



Saturday, June 16, 2018

June 16, 2018


A school of educators who call themselves constructivists argue that young students actually construct knowledge on their own.

But is this really true?

Apart from the dedication & efforts of their teachers and the concrete, specific goals that their teachers & parents & caregivers formulate for them & then track, I think that most students do not construct knowledge.

There may be visible vestiges of this that appear like ghosts from time to time – facsimiles and simulacrums, that the irrational can point to & claim: “There! There it is!”

But too often, these are chimera, products of wish-fulfillment & expectations on the part of adults who fervently believe that ideology may, perhaps, override reality if we wish hard enough.

It is true that knowledge & learning are always possible in a vacuum or in mental vacuity, but the only individuals who can achieve these great gifts without the help & assistance of educators already possess them.

JLS

Friday, May 18, 2018

May 18, 2018


I created a glog recently to express my understanding of the dimensions important for early education to take root & blossom. 


In the center is the image of a multi-dimensional figure, expanding up, each dimension emerging & linked to the preceding sequence of figures, spawning as it were from each of the heads.

The dimensions make it possible for the secondary school teacher to create student profiles.  The foundation for the profiles is the data amassed by the teacher as she attempts to know & understand her students

But it is important to recognize that these profiles & their foundations are not necessarily linked to the integration of the self.

The self is an amorphous, nebulous entity, ever-changing, ever-shifting, fragmented at times, integrated at other times, but always in a state of flux.

Consequently, there can be no cause-and-effect connection between such a fluidic, transitory thing and any human-centric empirical process, particularly when it comes to the educational process.

It is a pleasant hope that learning might contribute to an integrated self, but there is also the possibility that it might not, and other, disparate factors, such as age, maturity, life experiences, technology and popular culture, may play an even more important role in shaping or, in fact, disintegrating the self.  

I have juxtaposed the mirror images of the integrated self and the fragmented self in the upper right and lower left corners of the glog.

The wall behind the glog represents a vast, blue goddess, the Goddess of Space & the Earth, pouring abundant waters upon the planet & nourishing it.

The waters, perhaps, nourish the tasks that the secondary school educator has set for herself.  And though her pursuit may end up yielding mixed results it is nonetheless an important pursuit; a positive reminder that the stakes here may be less than we might wish for, and yet, important & worthy of whatever attention we can give them. 

JLS

Sunday, May 13, 2018

May 14, 2018

I am going to be a guest at PARAHORROR 2018 in Buffalo, New York at the end of summer.

I will be giving a two- day presentation, book signings & tarot readings on Saturday, August 25, 2018, 11 AM-7 PM and Sunday, August 26,2018, 11 AM-4 PM.

My young daughter Ligeia Leigh Steadman will be joining me for the Tarot readings.  She has become an accomplished reader in her own right- this makes me very proud.

Tickets can be purchased online at the ParaHorror website:

ParaHorror is an annual event, created to bring the fans of all things horror together with the lovers of all things paranormal.

My presentation on Saturday, 8/25 & Sunday, 8/26 is “H. P. Lovecraft’s Monsters.” I will be discussing the two sets of monsters that appear in Lovecraft dark, macabre fiction: the extra-terrestrials & the trans-dimensional entities.

I will demonstrate that none of these are really “monsters” at all in the strict sense; they are merely different, alternative live forms that are superior in many ways to humankind.

So. come out and see me; let's talk about Lovecraft's monsters and perhaps, the monsters that you see (or think you see) around you & in you. 

There are, ultimately, no monsters other than those that you create yourself. Drive a stake through their hearts if you can or kill them in some other way.

Quite frankly, you must do so if you plan to move forward past gods, demons, & devils.

JLS

Friday, May 4, 2018

May 3, 2018


I am going to be a guest at PARAHORROR 2018 in Buffalo, New York at the end of summer.

I will be giving a two- day presentation, book signings & tarot readings on Saturday, August 25, 2018, 11 AM-7 PM and Sunday, August 26,2018,  11 AM-4 PM.  My young daughter Ligeia Leigh Steadman will be joining me, along with my beautiful wife.

This is a three-day event, starting on Friday the 24th and running over the weekend.  The Friday hours are  August 24, 2018, 5 PM-9PM.

Tickets can be purchased online at the Parahorror website.  Contact Parahorror: http://www.Parahorror.com ; info@Parahorror.com ; John@beyondghosts.com ; Chrissy@beyondghosts.com

Tickets can also be purchased at the door of the event.  There is free admission for children 10 and under.

Parahorror is an annual event, created to bring the fans of all things horror together with the lovers of all things paranormal. 

Parahorror is the brain child of the creative & cutting-edge team from Beyond Ghosts LLC.  It is “for the people, by the people”, and truly, Buffalo & Western New York’s very own Art, Horror, Oddities and Paranormal supershow.

For the last several years, Parahorror has been held in the Buffalo Central Terminal, 495 Paderewski Drive, Buffalo New York. The terminal is a 17-story, art deco building which was active as a bus & train station from 1929-79 but is now abandoned.

It is an impressive, imposing structure, rising up huge & monolithic in the middle of a desolate landscape, reminiscent of the eldritch, other-worldly edifices that are usually found only inside the borders of Lovecraft country.  A perfect place for Parahorror!

On the Saturday & Sunday, I’ll be signing copies of my recent book: H. P. Lovecraft & the Black Magickal Tradition, published by Red Wheel/Weiser.

My presentation, “H. P. Lovecraft’s Monsters”, will take place on each of the two days; the time is to be determined by my hosts.  Using PowerPoint slides,  I will be discussing the two sets of monsters that appear in Lovecraft dark, macabre fiction: the extra-terrestrials & the trans-dimensional entities.  I will demonstrate that none of these are really “monsters” at all in the strict sense; they are merely different, alternative live forms that are superior in many ways to humankind.

I will also be giving Tarot readings all day on Saturday & Sunday.   I have been reading the Tarot for a very long time now & my readings are not only insightful, but fun.  I do my readings like narratives; woven tapestries of future prospects & dreams.

My daughter Ligeia has just completed her second year at Michigan State University, majoring in Japanese & Asian languages and she will be giving Tarot readings as well.   Ligeia has a new deck, the Manga Tarot, which she finds enchanting & accurate.  She is eager to try it out at Parahorror.

Ligeia & I are a perfect fit for Parahorror; we celebrate the curious, the unusual, and the supernatural.

So come out this year to see us!

Monday, April 30, 2018

May 1, 2018


Tonight is Walpurgis Nacht, and all of you know what that is; the forces of darkness hold sway tonight until the dawn, and then the forces of light take over.

But isn't this true of all nights & all dawns?  And to be accurate, there is little difference between the night and the dawn.

I rarely get good feedback from fortune tellers; I usually tell my own fortunes with my cards & it works well for me.

But the fortune teller told me: Finding exotic uses for what others ignore will make your special fortune.

And this has been true for me- my books and my essays are all exotic and they have made a reputation for me.  They have made me successful & happy.

So, my friends, go and do the same thing.  Search out the exotic things that make you different from everyone else- the things that are most you.

And pursue them as hard as you can & for all of your life.  And you will succeed, I can promise you that. And you will be happy.

JLS

Sunday, April 22, 2018

April 22, 2018


New Dawn Magazine has just published my article “Aliens: Extra-Terrestrial or Trans-Dimensional?” in the New Dawn Special Issue Vol. 12 No. 2.

In this article, I make the case that aliens are essentially not extra-terrestrial, but rather, trans-dimensional, inhabiting the myriad layers of alternate dimensions that interpenetrate the Multiverse, “in” the world as we know it and yet, not really “of” the world.

The first issue of New Dawn magazine appeared in May 1991 in Melbourne, Australia. From humble beginnings, New Dawn has grown into a unique 80 page bi-monthly publication distributed nationwide throughout Australia and New Zealand, with a 
growing international readership.

In 2004 New Dawn magazine commenced publishing Special Issues devoted to ancient mysteries and the unexplained. These Special Issues, now published every two months, are a thought-provoking and highly readable examination of the greatest mysteries of the past, the present, and the future.

Please order a copy of the New Dawn Special Issue & read my article, and the other fine articles; topics include the secret space programs & the cover-ups;  hybrid humans; and nuclear conflicts on earth in ancient Mesopotamia, 450,000 years before nuclear power was developed by humankind.

JLS


Tuesday, April 17, 2018

April 17, 2018


I am going to be a guest on Nightwatch Radio at 11 PM Eastern Time tonight, April 17, 2018. This is 10 PM Central Time; Eastern Time is 1 hour later than Central.

The interview will run for 45 minutes.

Nightwatch Radio is the show for “Things That Go Bump in The Night.”

It is the largest independent, alternative radio show in the world, broadcasting in 14 countries besides the US, including Europe, Australia, Japan, China & Canada.

My hosts will be Todd Sheets & Chris Wiesbach.

We will be discussing my book H. P. Lovecraft & the Black Magickal Tradition (2015), along with a variety of other topics: occultism; the paranormal; Ufology; the nature of reality & the limitations of human perception.

So please listen live!

JLS


Sunday, April 8, 2018

April 8, 2018


I am going to be a guest on Nightwatch Radio at 9 PM Central Time on Tuesday, April 17, 2018.  The interview will run for 45 minutes.

Nightwatch Radio bills itself as the radio show for “Things That Go Bump in The Night.”  It is the largest independent, alternative radio show in the world, broadcasting in 14 countries besides the US, including Europe, Australia, Japan, China & Canada.

My hosts will be Todd Sheets & Chris Wiesbach.

We will be discussing my book H. P. Lovecraft & the Black Magickal Tradition (2015), along with a variety of other topics: occultism; the paranormal; Ufology; the nature of reality & the limitations of human perception.
 
So please listen in!


Tuesday, April 3, 2018

April 4, 2018


My beautiful daughter & I created a You-Tube animation on H. P. Lovecraft's Cosmic Carnival of Horrors.

We will both be guests at the ParaHorror convention in Buffalo, New York in August of this year 2018 to give Tarot readings & to discuss Lovecraft, occultism & the New Age.

But in the meantime, enjoy our animation presentation; it is pure image, music & information; the interpretation is left to you, as it should be.

JLS




Monday, March 12, 2018

March 13, 2018


My interview on Ghostly Talk Radio is now available for listening or  download.  So please listen or download.

My hosts Scott L.,  Amberrose Hammond  & I had a very stimulating discussion about Lovecraft & the limitations of the human condition. 
 
We talked about a way out of the limitations; the way of magick, mysticism & energized intuition.  

The secret is nothing more or less than changing perception & letting go of our preconceptions.

JLS 


Wednesday, March 7, 2018

March 7, 2018


I'm going to be interviewed on the Ghostly Talk podcast on Thursday, 3/8/18 at 5 PM EDT.

My hosts Scott L., Bonnie Spittler & Amberrose Hammond will be talking with me about a variety of topics: H. P. Lovecraft, magick, the paranormal, UFOs and anything else that they want to talk about; the weirder & more wonderful, the better.

After the interview, you can listen or download the podcast.

So please listen or download at your leisure. You'll get some great insights & inspiration!

JLS


Sunday, February 25, 2018

February 25, 2018

Time Lines give us a sobering view of human civilization and, in fact, can make a person very pessimistic.

If the time is extended back far enough, humankind disappears & we are looking at vast periods of time with their earthly & cosmic upheavals and we cannot help but think ahead a few thousand years to when man's brief presence on the earth is over & then, thousands of years more of earthly & cosmic upheavals onwards towards  apocalypse.

Very sobering.

JLS

Saturday, February 10, 2018

February 10, 2018

Initiation is a passage from one type of life to another type of life, and the movement is always presumed to be from a lower to a higher level.

However, there is no up or down in the universe & the spiritual voyager often finds himself in a hell rather than a heaven.

Consider Balberith, ex-princess of the heavenly Cherubim & now, after the Fall of Satan, high priestess & mistress of ceremonies in the infernal realms.

Balberith is spoken of as an evil demon, inciting men & women to murder.  But this is not so.

Balberith is an initiator; she oversees the transition as the human being moves from one type of life to the next. 

And Balberith, perhaps, will be with you if you summon her to protect & guide you on your quest. 


Not from this life to Hell, but from this life to Hell, then Heaven & and then whatever lies beyond.

JLS

Thursday, January 25, 2018

January 25, 2018

Creative Texts in Early American Literature: An English Language Arts Program

Introduction

Creative Texts in Early American Literature (CTEA) is the first program in a projected “Creative Texts” series of English Language Arts programs for online learning in the US public school systems.

Other programs in the series include: Creative Texts in Contemporary American Literature; Creative Texts in Hispanic Literature from the 1900’s to the Present; and Creative Texts in European Literature I & II.

The Creative Text programs are targeted towards High School students, in public & private academic institutions, at Grade Levels 10-11.

Overview of the Program

Students enrolled in CTEA will be required to read a wide range of Early American non-print texts. 

The texts include fictional prose (short stories, excerpts from novels), non-fictional prose (essays, articles, excerpts from longer works) and poetry.

The goals for students are:

(1) To build an understanding of the texts themselves in the context of the culture in which they
      were written.
(2) To understand the dimensions & nuances of the Early American experience at the periods 
      represented by the creative writers.
(3) To develop a sensitivity to the English Language itself; it’s evolving structure, style, conventions
      & possibilities as a tool for communication of ideas & images.
(4) To use their own developing language skills as they respond to & interact with the texts 
      under consideration.

FAQ for Parents

Q1: How does my student access the CTEA program?

A: Students log into the Creative Texts website (http:/www.creativetexts.com).  The log-in ID & Password will be provided by the school.  Once the student is on the site, she will access the Modules.  There are four Modules, one for each CT program.  CTEA is Module 1.   The student selects Module 1 and then follows the instructions for reading & responding to the texts. 
Classroom teachers will provide full instructions & hands-on instruction on how to use the CT program & modules in class.

NOTE: There are links to the CT website on the High School website & on the Michigan Board of Education website if the student or parent wishes to access CT from these locations. 

If the student is unable to access the CT website, or experiences any problems or difficulties with the software, please contact the High School Computer Lab Help Desk during regular school hours. The number is 1-517-888-7878.

Q2: Do students need to have home PCs, laptops or notebooks with Internet access?

A: No.  The CT activities will be done during the normal classroom times.  Students will work in the High School Computer Labs.  However, students have the option of bringing their own devices to the labs if they prefer.  This does not include smart phones and/or cell phones.

Q3: What texts will students be studying?

A: The period of Early American Literature comprises 1630 to the 1890’s.  The specific creative writers will be determined by a five-person panel, the members of which are literature instructors and other academics in related fields.

Examples of standard writers for this period include: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville and Walt Whitman.

Q4:  My student is an ESL student and her competency in English is still in the developmental stage.  Will this be a problem?

A: No.  The CT program runs in conjunction with other software programs that are especially designed to aid ESL students & students with learning disabilities such as ADHD.  The Natural Reader resource (www.naturalreader.com), for example, is one of these options.  The Lingo Talking Translator (via Amazon), which can be used with a smart phone, is another option. 

The combination of the CT software & hand-held translation applications will ensure that ESL students are able to learn independently & efficiently.

Q5: Are there any costs or out-of-pocket expenses for parents or students?

A: No.  The CT programs & activities are part of the regular High School curriculum.

Q6: Much classroom work at the 10th & 11th grade levels seems to be focused on preparation for the SAT and/or ACT standardized tests.  Will the CT programs help my student become more prepared for taking these tests?

A: There is no direct link between the CTEA program and higher scores on the SAT or ACT tests.  However, CT students will generally improve their reading & writing skills and their increasing sensitivity to the written word will contribute at least indirectly to better performance on these tests.

Friday, January 12, 2018

January 12, 2018

Technology is not transformative; it will be someday, but it just isn't yet.

Transformation involves changing perception, cognition & mental acuity, and  particularly, it involves gnosis.

But our  current technologies are not compatible with these activities.

Technology, by itself, cannot transform anyone, and usually, when technology is involved, perception, cognition, etc. tend to atrophy.

This is why we see so many young people walking around addicted to their phones & their devices, feeding entertainment & social data into their brains.

This constant barrage tends to weaken the brain.

Their faces, in fact,  look like the faces of extras in an episode of The Walking Dead.  They don't  seem to be thinking.  They seem to be reacting only to stimuli as a zombie might.

JLS

Saturday, January 6, 2018

January 7, 2018

This is a glog that I created recently: “Multi Media in the Classroom: The Light and the Dark"

The glog contrasts, in images, the light-side and the dark-side of modern technology in education.

This is a topic I am interested in- I am finishing up a third Masters Degree in online education and will shortly be attending the University of Michigan for my PhD in this field.

Please take a look.

JLS

http://occultist.edu.glogster.com/multi-media-in-the-classroom-the-light-and-the-dark