Mel Mystery

Episode 20: After Death Communication

In this episode I talk about my personal experiences with messages and signs from a deceased friend. My experiences led me to read the book "Hello from Heaven" by Bill Guggenheim and Judy Guggenheim. While initially reluctant to read the book because the title sounded "Christian," I decided to read the book anyway. There is no Christian agenda in the book, and the authors refer to "Heaven" as higher planes of existence after death. They did research into the topic with surveys of over many years. While admittedly, the majority of respondents were either Christian or Jewish, and their religion colors their experiences, the authors do a great job of outlining 12 distinct types of After Death Communications (ADC's) that can be experienced from deceased loved ones. I give a summary of each type in this episode.

Listen below or check out the Mel Mystery Podbean page or f

Song clips:
"Hello (from the Other Side)
"Shut Up and Dance"
"Haunt You"

Links relevant to this show:
Hello from Heaven Book- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello_from_Heaven!

Mel Mystery website -- www.melmystery.com

Arcadia Camp Out, October 8-10, 2021 -- http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/events/arcadia

Brotherhood by the Bog Retreat - http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/events/brotherhood-by-the-bog-pagan-men-s-retreat

Tomás Prower (Author of Queer Magic and Morbid Magic) - https://www.tomasprower.com/

Episode 19: Your Magickal Playlist

In this episode, I talk about using music in your magick spells, rituals, and other works. I discuss creating a magickal playlist and what types of music you might want to include. There is also a segment on the Greek Goddess of male-male love – Aphrodite Urania.

Songs featured include: Music (Madonna), Venus (Bananarama), and We are a Circle (Pagan chant).

Web links:

Arcadia Gathering -- www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/events/arcadia

Brotherhood by the Bog -- www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/events/brotherhood-by-the-bog-pagan-men-s-retreat

Stone and Stang – www.stoneandstang.com

Between the Worlds – www.betweentheworlds.org

Episode 18: Discovering Arcadia

This episode is about the magickal land of Arcadia in ancient Greece, its theme as a metaphor for a homosexual utopia among 19^th century homosexual men, and it being the name for a new gathering for gay and bi Pagan men on the East Coast.

The rustic, wooded land of Arcadia was home to Greek gods such as Zeus, Hermes, and Pan, as well as satyrs, centaurs, nymphs, and other magickal creatures. The “gay god” segment of this episode will focus on the Greek god Pan.

The Arcadia gathering is scheduled to take place October 9-12, 2019 in Cumberland, Virginia.

Web links:

Arcadia Gathering, Virginia

Between the Worlds Gathering, Ohio

Stone and Stang Gathering, California

Episode 17B: The Conspiracy Show, Part 2

This is a continuation of the “conspiracy” episode. Part one came out in January. In this episode, I’ll be talking more about the Web Bot and possible biases in the algorithm. I’ll be exploring why conspiracy theorists are so obsessed with pedophilia. And I’ll be explaining my own system for evaluating conspiracy theories.

Music and Sound Clips: Somebody’s Watching Me (Rockwell), I’ve Got a Theory (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), 2001 A Space Oddessey, Knight Rider, Bewitched, The Muppet, and Scooby Doo

Web links related to this episode:

Brotherhood by the Bog Pagan Men's Retreat

Arcadia Gathering for Gay and Bi Pagan Men

Clif High's Web Bot Website

Why Your AI might be racist

Yes Artificial Intelligence is Racist

Artificial Intelligence is Racist, sexist

Crying Pedophilia is the Oldest Propaganda Trick

Atrocity Propaganda

Episode 17A: The Conspiracy Show, Part 1

-- January 2019

Today's episode is all about conspiracy theories -- why we love them, some of the more popular theories, and how right-wing conservatives are a hotbed of conspiracy theories during the Trump presidency. We'll also explore my friend David's wild "conspiracy" theories about North Dakota.

Part 2 will be coming out soon!

Music and Sound Clips: X-files theme, King of the Hill, and Gravity Falls.

Web links related to this episode:

Brotherhood by the Bog Pagan Men's Retreat

Arcadia Gathering for Gay and Bi Pagan Men

Between the Worlds Gathering for Gay and Bi Pagan Men

Clif High's Web Bot Website

Episode 16: The Superhero Show

-- June 2018

This episode includes segments on Pagan and magickal superhero archetypes, LGBT superheroes including characters and actors, "research" into naughty superhero sites, and why do villains so often have gay voices and mannerisms.

Songs and sound clips include: Holding Out for a Hero, the Smallville theme, and clips from Spiderman, Batman, and others.

Links related to this show:

Our Gods Wear Spandex -- https://www.amazon.com/Our-Gods-Wear-Spandex-History/dp/1578634067/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528377897&sr=8-1&keywords=our+gods+wear+spandex

Wikipedia Page of LGBT Superheroes -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:LGBT_superheroes

Advocate List of LGBT Superheroes and Villains -- https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/geek/2015/07/07/52-lgbt-superheroes-and-villains

Superheroes played by LGBT Actors --https://www.thewrap.com/its-a-bird-its-a-plane-its-hollywoods-surge-of-superheroes-played-by-lgbt-actors/

Another article on superheroes played by LGBT Actors -- http://www.clevver.com/lgbtq-actors-who-play-straight-superheroes-in-comic-book-movies/

Article on Gay Animated Villains -- https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/5g9e4d/the-number-of-gay-animated-villains-will-surprise-you-456

Do I Sound Gay (official site) -- http://www.doisoundgay.com/

Episode 15: Between the Worlds

-- October 2017

Review of my visit to the Between the Worlds Gathering for Queer Pagan Men the week of September 11-15, 2017.

Sound clips from Buffy and Bewitched.

Drumming music from the Between the Worlds last night drum circle.

Links related to this show:

Between the Worlds Gathering -- http://www.betweentheworlds.org/

My campground resort project page -- http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/

Brotherhood by the Bog Pagan Men's Retreat -- http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/events/brotherhood-by-the-bog-pagan-men-s-retreat

Mel's Bookstore - http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/melmystery

Marscon - http://www.marscon.net/wp/

Episode 14: The Update Show

- April 2017

Retreats and Gatherings including the Hero's Adventure, Querent, and Between the Worlds - The Gay Guy's Guide to Werewolves book - LGBTQ Werewolf Workshop at Marscon - Mel's Photography - Alternatives HR website -- Activism - Groups including the New Order of Chaeronea and the Order of the Stone Circle - Mel's big project - Personal updates

Music Clips include: 9-to-5 - Do the Werebear - Green Acres

Links related to this show:

My campground resort project page -- http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/

Brotherhood by the Bog Pagan Men's Retreat -- http://www.orderofthestonecircle.org/index.php/events/annual-men-s-retreat

New Brotherhood by the Bog Pagan Men's Retreat -- http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/events/brotherhood-by-the-bog-pagan-men-s-retreat

Querent - https://www.querent.org/

Between the Worlds Gathering -- http://www.betweentheworlds.org/

Mel's Bookstore - http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/melmystery

Marscon - http://www.marscon.net/wp/

Mel's Photography site - http://www.matrixwerx.com/

Alternatives HR - http://www.alternativeshr.com/

New Order of Chaeronea - http://www.melmystery.com/index.php/new-order-of-chaeronea

Order of the Stone Circle - http://www.orderofthestonecircle.org/

As promised, here's a photo of my new cat - Mr. Merlin:

Episode 13: 50 Shades of Gay - Part 2

- September 2016

Personal News - Alternatives to Traditional Heteronormative Relationships for Gay and Bi Men including living together, civil unions, serial monogamy, casual monogamy, casual non-monogamy, open relationships, open marriages, triads, polyamory, swinging, platonic relationships, Bromances, Boston marriages, BDSM liifestyles, intergenerational relationships, long-distance and Living Apart Together relationships, hiring escorts, and being happily single - Fairy Fact: The Order of Chaeronea

Music Clips include: Living in Sin, The House that Built Me, The Polyamory Song, and Triad

Links:

The Gay Guys Guide to Werewolves and Other Man Beasts -- http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/melmystery

The Hero's Adventure: Pagan Men's Weekend, March 10-12, 2017 in Virginia Beach, Virginia -- http://www.orderofthestonecircle.org/index.php/annual-men-s-retreat

Querent: A Queer Spirituality Conference, April 14-17, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio -- https://www.querent.org/

The Order of Chaeronea -- http://www.melmystery.com/index.php/new-order-of-chaeronea

Episode 13: 50 Shades of Gay - Part 1

- October 2015

News - Review of 50 Shades of Grey movie - Is Traditional Marriage over-hyped? - Biblical Marriage is not what you think - 50 Shades of Historical Marriage

Music Clips include: Going to the Chapel, Single Ladies, and the Discovery Channel Song

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Contact Mel:

Due to the large amount of spam and phishing scams coming into my inbox from my email contact form, I've deactivated the contact form on this site. If you need to contact me for any reason, please message me through my Facebook page listed in the top menu on this site. Thanks.

General Updates:

I've taken a break from podcasting for now during the Covid Pandemic. They have always been irregular to begin with, but during the pandemic I've been especially focused on updating my physical surroundings and organizing/decluttering my myriad files. That's in addition to my regular job. I'm still actively involved in planning the Brotherhood by the Bog Pagan Men's Retreat, the Arcadia Camp Out for Queer Pagan Men, and publishing the biannual Mysterious Ways Cyberzine for Queer Pagan Men. I have ideas for future podcasts and hope to resume these (at least sporadically) in the near future.

October 8-10, 2021 -- Join us for the Arcadia Camp Out for Queer Pagan men to be held at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach.

April 22-25, 2021 -- Join us for the 2021 Virtual Brotherhood by the Bog Pagan Men's Retreat. It's free!!!

October 8-11, 2020
Join the Brotherhood of Arcadia for our 2nd Annual Arcadia Gathering in Amherst, Virginia. Our theme this year is "The Space Between Us -- Making Connections Across the Void." Our patron deity this year is Hermes.

FMI: http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/events/arcadia -- This event has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus. We hope to be back in October 2021.

March 20-22, 2020

Join Hampton Roads Pagan Men and the Tidewater Spirit Coalition Men's Group for the annual Brotherhood by the Bog Pagan Men's Retreat at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, VA. Our theme this year is “Peering through the Veil: Divination and the Masculine.” -- This event was cancelled due to the Coronavirus. Look for it next Spring about the same time.

FMI: http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/events/brotherhood-by-the-bog-pagan-men-s-retreat

February 1, 2020

Check out the new Mysterious Ways newsletter featuring articles and information for Queer Pagan Men. The theme of the first issue is "Empowering Queer Men's Spirituality."

Mysterious Ways, Winter / Spring 2020

October 9-12, 2019

The first ever Arcadia Gathering will be held the week of October 9-12, 2019 at Bear Creek Lake State Park in Cumberland, Virginia. We are hoping this will become an annual event and that it will fill a void for such gatherings on the East Coast and mid-Atlantic U.S.

The theme of our first gathering is “Discovering Arcadia: Empowering Queer Men’s Spirituality.” Our patron deity this year will be the Greek god, Pan. Pan was one of the primary patrons of ancient Arcadia. He is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, rustic music, and sexuality. Pan is known for chasing both nymphs and shepherds alike.

We are looking for workshop and activity presenters, and for folks interested in helping to plan or staff the event.

For additional information and to register, please visit our website and Facebook pages below:

http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/arcadia-main

https://www.facebook.com/events/631847647255456/

April 11-14, 2019

Join Hampton Roads Pagan Men and the Tidewater Spirit Coalition Men's Group for the annual Brotherhood by the Bog Pagan Men's Retreat at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, VA. Our theme this year is "Brotherhood Across the Boundaries: Valuing our Diverse Tribes." This year we have Sir Hex Nottingham as our special musical guest.

FMI: http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/events/brotherhood-by-the-bog-pagan-men-s-retreat

March 23, 2019

I will be performing a full moon / spring equinox ritual at Aries Apothecary in Norfolk, VA. Details to be announced.

March 10, 2019

I will be presenting a workshop on the Druid Ogham Divination System at Aries Apothecary in Norfolk, VA. The workshop will introduce the Ogham, their meanings in divination, how to do a basic Ogham reading, and folks will get to make their own Ogham set out of craft sticks.

FMI: https://www.facebook.com/events/2708277689187983/

February 10, 2019

I will be presenting a workshop titled "Dating the Greek Gods" at Aries Apothecary in Norfolk, VA. The workshop will be an exploration of Greek homosexuality and bisexuality, an overview of a number of Greek gods with homosexual and bisexual associations, an overview of Brad Gooch's book "Dating the Greek Gods," an introduction to basic concepts of Greek religion, and learning how to perform a basic Greek ritual to honor a god.

FMI: https://www.facebook.com/events/774120726266145/

March 23-25, 2018

Join me at my local Pagan men's group's annual Spring Retreat in the cabins at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, VA. The theme will be "Lost Boys and Neverlands: Creating Magickal Connections in a Mundane World." Overall themes will include finding and connecting with your tribe, rediscovering the magick within, and achieving balance between your inner adult and your inner child. We are in talks with Eric Eldritch of the DC Radical Faeries to be our guest presenter for the weekend.

FMI: http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/events/brotherhood-by-the-bog-pagan-men-s-retreat

February 11 through April 15, 2018

I will be presenting a series of nine workshops on Druidry at Mystic Moon of Norfolk, Virginia on Sunday afternoons. The workshop series is titled "Druidology 101."

FMI: https://www.facebook.com/MysticMoonEvents/

January 12-14, 2018

I will be a guest presenter at Marscon in Williamsburg, Virginia. The theme of the weekend is "Werewolves of Marscon". I will be presenting one or more workshops and serving on panels throughout the weekend. Even though it's a mixed sci-fi / fantasy con, they have a precedent for hosting LGBT and adult oriented workshops. Programming is still in the works, but I hope to present my workshop on "LGBTQ Werewolves in Mythology and Folklore" or perhaps "LGBTQ Werewolves in Popular Media."

September 11-16, 2017

I have registered to attend Between the Worlds: A Spiritual Gathering for Men Who Love Men. At this point, I do not intend to host a workshop, but I do plan to have a vendor booth where I can sell copies of my book and some of my photography prints.

June 2017

The theme for my Pagan men's group's next retreat has been announced. The theme will be "Lost Boys and Neverlands: Creating Magickal Connections in a Mundane World." Overall themes will include finding and connecting with your tribe, rediscovering the magick within, and achieving balance between your inner adult and your inner child. We have yet to announce a keynote presenter. The retreat will take place the weekend of March 23-25, 2018.

FMI: http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/index.php/events/brotherhood-by-the-bog-pagan-men-s-retreat

May 2017

I have created a web page for my campground resort project. My hope is to create a campground resort in Virginia within the next 2-5 years. While largely modeled after gay and bi men's campground resorts and primarily aimed toward men, the campground will also cater to the greater LGBTQ community, Pagan community, and various adult communities.

FMI: http://www.olympuscampgroundresort.com/

March 10-12, 2017

My local Pagan men's group held a cabin retreat in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The theme of the weekend was "The Hero's Adventure" and our guest presenter was teacher, writer, and Shaman, Tom Crockett. The event was open to Pagan and Pagan-friendly men of all backgrounds and orientations. To find out more, please visit the retreat website.

January 21, 2017

I attended the Women's March on Washington Sister March in Norfolk, Virginia.

January 14, 2017

I attended Marscon, a sci-fi and fantasy convention, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

June 4, 2016

I will be presenting a workshop on June 4, 2016 at a Midsummer Men's Retreat in Virginia Beach. The workshop is titled: Werewolves, Shapeshifters, and Liminal Bodies.

Werewolves and other shapeshifters are liminal creatures. They are both human and wild beasts. They often live at the outskirts of human society and may be either outcasts or a part of secret religious and warrior cults. Werewolves are typically masculine beings, but they are ruled by feminine lunar forces. Werewolves are also metaphors for liminal times like adolescence and liminal people such as LGBT folks and shamans.

May 28, 2016

I'm going to be featured in an article in my local newspaper in the Norfolk Compass section of the Virginian-Pilot Ledger Star. When I appeared on the cover of the LGBT Hampton Roads book, one of the local writers wanted to do a story on me. I talked about my early days in LGBT activism, about my interest in Paganism, and about my podcast, my book, and some of my other projects. I'm looking forward to seeing the article and will post a scan of the article on this website shortly after the article comes out.

May 21, 2016

Werewolf Book Advance copies of The Gay Guy's Guide to Werewolves and Other Man Beasts (Book 1 in a series of 3) will be available online as of May 21, 2016 at my online bookstore. May 21 is a full moon and a seasonal blue moon.

I was hoping to host an official book launch party this weekend, but given the large number of obligations and competing events I have over the next couple of months, I've decided to delay an official launch party until July. I'll be celebrating with a werewolf masquerade party near the July full moon and hope to do some book signings at both Pagan and LGBT venues in my local community beginning in August.

March 23, 2016

LGBT Hampton Roads Book Speaking of books, my picture made it onto the cover of the book: Images of Modern America LGBT Hampton Roads by Dr. Charles H. Ford and Dr. Jeffrey L. Littlejohn. The photo is of me when I was a college student at a Pride Picnic at Mt. Trashmore in Virginia Beach. The book goes on sale today and can be purchased from Arcadia Publishing.

Mel Mystery Blog Posts

07 December 2021

Episode 20: After Death Communication

Episode 19: Your Magickal Playlist

Episode 18: Discovering Arcadia

Episode 17B: The Conspiracy Show, Part 2

Episode 17A: The Conspiracy Show, Part 1

Episode 16: The Superhero Show

Episode 15: Between the Worlds

Episode 14: The Update Show

Episode 13: 50 Shades of Gay - Part 2

Episode 13: 50 Shades of Gay - Part 1

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