The Flautist In The Woods

Posted on Thursday September 28, 2023

It's an old cliche that "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear", but it's more accurate to say that when the student is ready, the teaching will become visible.

Grieving The Summer

Posted on Monday September 18, 2023

Autumn is the season of metal, associated with grieving and letting go. It is also the element of harvesting, setting boundaries, communication, the breath, and the present moment.

We enter the summer, the year's height of activity, the season of fire, with plans made during the spring, the season of wood.

Speaking to the Dead on the Wind Phone

Posted on Wednesday August 02, 2023

So when I saw that someone had set up a "wind phone" at the Starwood Festival a few weeks ago, I knew that I would be having a difficult conversation with my dead brother on it.

For Best Magical Results, Set Your Intention

Posted on Friday July 07, 2023

And that means that for the best results, the magician must be clear about what they wish. Expressing your intention in words, symbols, or art is an excellent way to bring clarity.

The Unabomber and the Escalation of Disorder

Posted on Monday June 12, 2023

Kaczynski was not just any violent revolutionary, overconfident in the rightness of his solutions to the world’s problems. He was a victim of the CIA’s MKULTRA mind control experiments.

When censoring fascists, who gets to decide who's "fascist"?

Posted on Sunday May 30, 2021

Giving anyone the power to label someone "fascist" and censor them is far more of a threat than a handful of Nazi punks.

1917: The Real Start of the Israel-Palestine Conflict

Posted on Monday May 24, 2021

The story starts with British imperialism

Police violence: seeing the fnords

Posted on Wednesday May 12, 2021

Imposition of Order = Escalation of Disorder. "Armed with the Law of Eristic Escalation and Fenderson’s Amendment any
imbecile – not just a sociologist – can understand politics."

The Weird Turn Pro: Commentary from a weird perspective.

Posted on Wednesday May 12, 2021

“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” — Hunter S. Thompson Inarguablely, we live in weird times. So: welcome to The Weird Turn Pro. This will be sort of a companion to my blog The Zen Pagan: TZP will focus more on matters of magick and spirit, while TWTP will focus on political philosophy, commentary, and analysis.

"Hail Eris, All Hail Discordia" (original song)

Posted on Sunday January 29, 2023

For the 2023 #FunADay project, a new song. A hymn of sorts to my patron Goddess, who asked me to remind you that you are free. Hail Eris!

Song: "Leadbetter's Tavern", Tom Swiss

Posted on Friday January 20, 2023

For part of my #FunADay project in January 2023, I wrote a song about Baltimore's best dive bar. Miss that place and its "Music EFN."

"Double Handful of Fire" (original song)

Posted on Friday January 06, 2023

For the January 5th instalment of my 2023 Fun-A-Day, a song.

"Punk Magick", Autumn Fires 2022

Posted on Saturday November 19, 2022

Tom Swiss speaking on "Punk Magick" at Autumn Fires at Wisteria Event Site, October 2022. Strip the art of ritual magick down to its basics and go forward with the same attitude as the punk 'zine which showed its readers three guitar chords and then said "Now go form a band." More information at https://punkmagickbook.com

Parental Death, Ancestor Work, And The Search For Love

Posted on Monday September 19, 2022

It’s been five years since my father died, changing my relationship with my ancestors. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/thezenpagan/2022/09/parental-death-ancestor-work-and-the-search-for-love/

Touch Mother Earth Positive Vibe Tribe Festival

Posted on Sunday August 20, 2023

I'll be doing shiatsu and selling some wares at the Touch Mother Earth Positive Vibe Tribe Festival August 25-27 in Farmingdale, NJ

KarmaFest at Hip Gypsy

Posted on Sunday August 20, 2023

I'll be doing shiatsu and selling some wares at KarmaFest at Hip Gypsy September 2-3 in Chambersburg, PA, including a self-shiatsu class 11:45 on Sunday morning at KarmaFest.

"Acupressure for Autumn" class

Posted on Sunday August 20, 2023

I'll be teaching a class "Acupressure for Autumn", Wed, Sep 27, 7-9pm, on-line or in person in Catonsville.

Learn self-acupressue techniques with a focus on the autumn season, focusing on the Lung and Large Intestine meridians and the Metal phase of the Five Phases. As we move into the dark of the year it's time to let go of what no longer serves us. To acknowledge and process our grief; each new beginning needs an old thing to end. It's also time to prime our immune system for the winter, and to strengthen our communication with others.

Pay what you will; the suggested donation for this two hour class, available in person (in Catonsville, location TBD) or on-line, is $35.

"Living More Magically" class

Posted on Sunday August 20, 2023

I'll be teaching a class "Living More Magically", Sun, Oct 29, 2-5pm, on-line or in person in Catonsville.

As "the veil grows thin" this Samhain season, we're going to explore magick -- "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will", as Aleister Crowley put it -- via the philosophy of "Punk Magick", stripping the art down to its absolute bare essentials and going forward confidently with a "do it yourself" spirit to engage directly with it.

I claim no supernatural powers and I don't ask you to "believe" anything in this class. I'm not your guru or your cult leader and I insist that you think for yourself, schmuck. I merely suggest to you certain practices and attitudes which I believe you will find will improve your life if you sincerely try them out.

Pay what you will; the suggested donation for this three hour class, available on-line or in person in Catonsville (location TBD), is $45.