Mel's Current Projects
and Involvements
Mysterious Ways Cyberzine
The Mysterious Ways cyberzine is an online publication for Queer Pagan men. The online magazine is published twice a year in January and June. Articles include reviews and announcements of Pagan men’s retreats and gatherings, articles related themes given to each issue, general articles related to Queer Pagan men, and art and poetry submitted by readers.
Discovering the Male Mysteries Podcast
I started my podcast in 2007 as I did not see many podcasts that combined both LGBTQ and Pagan topics at the time. Over the years, I have done podcasts on topics including gay and bisexual deities, gay clone culture, mentorship, gay men who are over the traditional gay scene, gay men’s rites of passage, afterlife communication conspiracy theories, rainbows, unicorns, and gay werewolves. My podcasts have always come out on an irregular schedule. In recent years, I’ve been putting more of my focus on writing, community projects, and my own personal projects. While I’m not actively producing new podcasts at this time, I’m leaving this under current projects as I still may produce a new podcast from time to time in the future.
Book Writing
My first book, “The Gay Guy’s Guide to Werewolves and Other Man Beasts, Book 1: Werewolves in History, Myths, and Folklore” was published in June 2016. Since that time, I have plans in the works to make this book a trilogy. Book 2 will be a practical guide focusing on werewolf and shapeshifting spells, magick, and rituals. Book 3 will focus on Queer werewolves in popular culture. In addition to the books on werewolves, I also hope to write a book on Queer Druidry and Gay Men’s Rites of Passage. While most of these books have already been started with several chapters completed, I’ve not had has much free time to write as I did before the first book came out.
Photography and Video
I have been dabbling in male photography since the early 2000s. My photography has included men in swimsuits, athletic gear, undergear, and even nude and adult sets. I have also done a few artistic sets related to mythology. This is another pursuit that I don’t have much time for at the moment, but I hope to resume with photography and even produce short video films in the future. I sometimes sell existing prints at retreats and gatherings that I attend.
Retreat Planning
I am involved with planning and orchestrating two annual retreats – the Arcadia retreat for Queer Pagan Men held each fall and the Brotherhood by the Bog retreat for all Pagan men held each spring. Both of these events alternate between virtual retreats held online and in-person retreats that take place at campgrounds in Virginia.
Pagan Men's Groups
Over the years, I have sought to create a community where I feel I belong as both a Pagan and as a gay man. In the 2000s, I was involved in two Pagan men’s groups, one called Exploring the Primordial male and the other a fraternal Druid group called the Order of the Stone Circle. Both of these local groups are now defunct as various members have moved out of the area. I currently meet this need for community through retreats and gatherings – both those that I help plan and those I attend as a guest. At some point, I hope to reestablish the Druid group. I’m also hoping to find a small group of Pagan men interested in exploring shapeshifting and werewolf lore in an experiential environment.
Teaching Workshops and Classes
I often present workshops at retreats I’m involved in planning. I have also presented workshops for other retreats and gatherings, and even a science fiction convention. I have taught classes on Druidry at local Pagan shops.
My areas of expertise include Druidry, werewolves, gay and bi men’s Paganism, rites of passage, and Queer activism.
Campground Planning
It has been a long-time goal of mine to build a campground to host not only those retreats that I’m involved in, but also to create space for other alternative and marginalized groups to host their events. I have created and continue to revise a business plan for such an endeavor. This is my “retirement” plan, but if I can get this going before I retire all the better. The biggest obstacle at the moment is funding to purchase land for the campground somewhere in Virginia.
Spiritual Pursuits
I follow a revivalist, fraternal Druid path. While that is my base path, I tend to be somewhat eclectic. I’ve always been drawn to Greek culture, mythology, and spirituality. I have Icelandic lineage so I also dabble a bit in Norse Paganism. I have an interest in werewolves, animal totems, and shapeshifting which are very compatible with my Druid path. I’m drawn to spirit contact and honoring friends and ancestors who have passed across the veil. As I get older, I have more family and friends in the spirit world. I’m also interested in developing the shamanic ability to journey to other realms and to gain knowledge and inspiration there.
My House
I purchased my current house in Norfolk, Virginia in 2012. The house was built in the late 1940s. It keeps me busy with regular maintentance, yard work, and periodic repairs. In 2016, my Mom sold our family home in Southwestern Virginia that had been in our family for 34 years despite protests from myself and my sister. The home has great sentimental value and I’d always hoped to retire there. The home is in a beautiful place near a lake and off the Blue Ridge Parkway. A few years ago the current owner seemed amiable to selling it back to me. It is a major goal for me to get the family home back. In order to do so, I need to get my house in Norfolk fixed up to sell and either find a suitable job in rural Southwestern Virginia or wait another 7-8 years until I can retire from my current job with full benefits.
My Cars
Back in the 1980s, one of my favorite television shows was Knight Rider. My other favorite show was Doctor Who. I was a Doctor Who fan before it was cool! Knight Rider involved a computerized, talking spy car named KITT and his driver who fought crime. In my teenage years, I was able to convince my Dad to buy a 1984 Firebird (the Trans Am base model with fewer options. KITT was a 1982 Trans Am) and I bonded with my Dad making this car look like the one from the show. Later I was able to find folks selling replica Knight Rider parts in car magazines and eventually online. In the mid-1990s, I replaced this car with a 1982 Trans Am with all the right options. Just out of college and never making a great paycheck, I never got the car where I wanted it and I eventually had to take the car off the road due to some engine problems no one was ever able to figure out. I still have the car, and I work to restore it in my spare time.
In 2008, Knight Rider was remade for a short-lived television series that featured a Mustang as an updated version of KITT. In an ironic twist of fate, I inherited a 2005 Mustang when my Dad passed away in 2009. I have since devoted myself to making this car like the one in the show (with some artistic license).