Marion Weinstein is a writer, a comic and a visionary who has taught many. Marion is the author of "Positive Magic: A Dianic Book of Shadows, A Guide for Witches"; "The Ancient Modern Witch"; and Positive Magic: Occult Self Help."

PM: Marion Weinstein, tell us about Handy Guide to The I Ching. Why did
you decide to write this book?

MW: This book is something I have wanted to write for a long time. I often say the I Ching is my best friend. I think it's one of the most important resources a thinking person has in this culture. What a miracle that it's still available to us after 4,000 years! Anything I can do to make this fantastic oracle more accessible – to the greatest number of people – is something I want to do. My simple instructions for "chinging" started on my radio show, became a chapter in Positive Magic, then a workshop on tape – and now this Handy Guide book. It was inevitable.

PM: What thought process do you consciously go through before a book of this type?

MW: First I get the idea, which sometimes is an actual compulsion, that this book should be written – and it's my job to write it. I give myself the assignment, and then I fulfill it. Often I discuss it with my colleagues, Robin Bernardi and Beryl Bernardi, because their input is vital to me. Then I map out the entire project – in outline form.

PM: What kind of research did you do on this book?

MW: I have been researching the I Ching for over 30 years. I have read most of the Jungian background on it, books like The Secret of The Golden Flower, I've read alternate translations to the one I use (The Bollingen Edition), and I've consulted the I Ching itself countless times over the years of course, I also consulted it about the way it works, and how best to write about it.

PM: What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

MW: I hope readers will want to make the I Ching an important part of their decision making process. I hope their lives will be enriched by the oracle's practical wisdom. And I hope they will find my instructions clear and user-friendly.

PM: Tell us about your previous publications, such as Earth Magic.

MW: My previous publications, especially Earth Magic, were all a labor of love and dedication to the subject matter. I am always driven by a desire to make the mysterious and occult available to more people. Actually, when I first wrote Earth Magic, I wrote it specifically for Witches; after all, it is a Book of Shadows. But now I see that it introduces the beauty of Witchcraft to other people as well.

PM: Who are you when you're not writing? What kind of work do you do?
What are your hobbies?

MW: First of all, I'm a Witch, and my religion guides my life. I consult the I Ching and Tarot frequently, and use Words of Power every day. My writing is my main work. My big love is for animals. I rescue dogs and cats, and the occasional bird. I feed strays, get them homes (often my own), and of course, spay and neuter. I also enjoy gardening and growing flowers and vegetables, even in a small space. And I do stand-up comedy.

PM: When and why did you make your move to writing? How did you get
started?

MW: I started writing when I was a little kid. I was the prize writer all through elementary school and high school, and in college it seemed as if writing was the only thing I could get right. I wrote the college plays. I have written tons of unpublished work, fiction and unproduced screenplays. The first article I ever published was an article called "The Witch's Cat" in The Cat Catalog. And this was before I ever had a cat! I made $50.

PM: Who or what has most influenced your writing?

MW: I have been greatly influenced in style by several writers, notably John Le Carré. I was big on Shakespeare. As far as people are concerned, my mother was a huge influence on my work, she always encouraged me to write, she taught me that it was a good thing to do with my life -- and as I said before, she proofread everything I had published. I was also guided, in a sort of mentor style, by the writer Dan Greenburg, a friend who taught me a lot about the business of publishing. And finally, I have always found inspiration and guidance from Merlin Stone, the Goddess writer.

PM:  What is your spiritual path, and how does it influence your writing?

MW: My spiritual path is Witchcraft, Wicca, Positive Magic and Positive Witchcraft only. It permeates all of my writing, even my fiction, even my sports book Racewalking. Witchcraft also shows up in my comedy.

PM: What are your favorite books and authors?

MW: I'm really eclectic: I love Tennyson, Idylls of the King...Anything by Jung...and again, John Le Carré...Julia Philip's first book, You'll Never Eat Lunch in this Town Again...the original Dune...The Artist's Way was great...and a hilarious book by Richard Belzer: JFK, UFO's and Elvis...and of course, Merlin Stone's work, especially When God Was a Woman. Also: The poet Yeats (so mystical!), sci-fi writer Ursula K. LeGuinn, the greatest Witchcraft writer Doreen Valiente, brilliant essayist and journalist Joan Didion, her brother in law Dominick Dunn, and Lillian Hellman. Rupert Sheldrake, the new physicist, is really important to me too. These are just some of my favorites!

PM: What do you enjoy most about writing?

MW: I love that I get to share what's inside my head with so many people. Often I enjoy the process of thinking it through, sitting down and carefully putting it on paper (or the screen first) – but I must confess it's not always enjoyable.

PM: What do you enjoy least? What do you find most difficult?

MW: When something is finished, I still have to rewrite and polish several drafts. That can be tedious, but I know it's necessary. I know that some famous authors in the 20's let their editors or even agents do the final polishing, but I don't know anyone I would trust to do that. However, I do appreciate good editing. What's most difficult? Making a deadline!

PM: What's the best thing about being published? Tell us the most exciting and memorable experience you've had since your books came out.

MW: There are so many wonderful things about being published: the simple pleasure of seeing your books in a store window or shelf, letters from readers who really understand and appreciate your work; but actually, the most wonderful thing is hearing from people who were really helped, and whose lives were changed by something you wrote.

I've had lots of great experiences; mail from people I admire who like my work, opportunities to speak at great places, like the United Nations, and intelligent TV interviews.

PM: Why did you choose to go the route of having Earth Magic as your publisher, instead of one of the others?

MW: At first it never occurred to me to go anywhere but to the big publishers. My first version of Positive Magic was published by Simon & Schuster Pocketbooks. It was a nightmare experience, because they were just too big, and my book was a cog in their wheels. Then I got the copyright back and went with a small Canadian press, Phoenix Publishing. That started out fine, and they did Earth Magic too, and then my books outgrew the relationship between the publisher and me. I did lot's of research about small presses, and I must confess I was thrilled by the creative control. However, I won't rule out the possibility of a bigger publisher for some of my projects. It just has to be the right one.

PM: How would you counsel emerging writers who wish to become published
authors?

MW: If you want to go to a major publisher, try to get an agent. Write a query letter describing your book to the agent, making sure you copyright the material first. Or write the entire book first, or write a chapter and an outline to submit. Better yet, get Writer's Digest and their directory of agents and publishers. But today, I bet you can get a lot of that information from the Internet, even the idea of e-books. It may be trite to say, but keep writing every day, and believe in your work.

PM: What's next? What are your plans for the future?

MW: I have some unfinished manuscripts, notably Words of Power, that I must complete. I have a list of unwritten books I want to see finished. I also plan to do more comedy and media work, and more lectures.

PM: As a writer, where do you see yourself in 10 years?

MW: That's a good question! I should consult my oracles. Actually, I want a larger body of work completed, and I want to try different areas like CD-ROMs, and definitely some fiction.

PM: How can readers contact you?

MW: Through my web page www.earthmagic.com, or by mail at P.O. Box 50668, Eugene, OR 97405 or 2166 Broadway, New York, New York 10024. I just cannot promise a lot of answers during a time when I am busy writing.

PM: Any closing thoughts or comments? Anything else about Marion
Weinstein you'd like readers to know?

MW: This is an exciting time to be living: on the cusp of a new Millennium. The things we do now will influence the next 2,000 years at least. I take my role as public Witch very seriously. In ancient days the role of Witch was village helper. I feel I have a very large village to assist in learning about magic, a subject our culture has neglected since the 14th Century!

THANK YOU. I feel like I have a whole bunch of new friends.

PM: Marion, thank you for joining us, you have found new friends.  Blessed Be.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Books
Marion Weinstein's Handy Guide to The I Ching (Earth Magic Productions April 2000)

Marion Weinstein's Handy Guide to Tarot Cards (Earth Magic Productions April 2000)

Earth Magic: A Dianic Book of Shadows; A Guide for Witches (Earth Magic Productions June           1998)

Positive Magic: Occult Self-Help (Earth Magic Productions May 1994)

The Ancient/Modern Witch: The Halloween Lecture (Earth Magic Productions 1993)

Videos
The Ancient/Modern Witch: The Halloween Lecture

Stand-Up Witch: Live at the Village Gate!

Audio Tapes
The Ancient/Modern Witch: The Halloween Lecture

Stand-Up Witch: Live at the Village Gate!

Positive Magic: The Music

Personal Magic: The Role and the True Self

Divination: Beyond Tea Leaves

How to Read Tarot Cards

Personal Magic: The Role and the True Self

Positive Magic: Occult Self-Help