Henceforth, a mog is a magickal blog. Here, then, are some non-standard standards for mogs.

Since our magickz are results-oriented, our mogs should be results-oriented. There is room enough for feelings and speculations and what we ate for lunch--indeed, sometimes these are the very results we seek--but we should be as clear as possible about what has been achieved.

We should be as detailed as possible in our descriptions. Most of us type fast. We also have searchability. There is no flipping through pages of a mog looking for something. We should take advantage of this by giving our readers, including ourselves, as much detail as possible, especially since seemingly irrelevant details sometimes reassert themselves. In my experience, the weather can be very important, as can diet, mood, and interruptions. Just remember not to leave results out.

To be useful, our mogs should be honest. The wisest advice I've found about honesty came from a Noam Chomsky lecture. He said that most people lie all the time, and the way they do it and still sleep at night is by first convincing themselves that the lie is true. Even so, in my experience, the scientific method as outlined in textbooks often has little to do with how results manifest, even for scientists striving to stick to it.

Consider big projects. Most of us expect to be around for several decades, so why not give ourselves longer than an afternoon to explore something? Dive into a paradigm for a longer time and mog away. See whether your mog changes you the way Julie Powell's blog, of Julie & Julia fame, changed her.

Invite feedback on your mog. But what about secrecy? Why make our magick public? Because we tend to be terrible at evaluating our own Work. Most folks think they're above-average drivers, and most of us think we're above-average magicians. Feedback stimulates us and helps us evolve. If the Work is sensitive, the technology exists to invite only those you trust to view your mog and comment on it, but you would be wise to include those most likely to disagree with you. Yes-men and yes-women won't help you nearly as much.

This particular mog will be centered around methodically Workin' through Hands-On Chaos Magic. For example, in the next entry, I will have rather a lot to say about salt. Follow along and keep me honest.

Drench