Kerr Cuhulain's Blog

My book Stand Like a Tree: Mastering the Movement of Energy, has just been published by Dark Moon Press. This book is about learning how to detect the currents of life energy or “chi” within and without and learning simple ways to master them and swim through them as well as about becoming more effective in magick by using energy more effectively. In Asian martial arts and medicine there is an old adage: "Chi follows I" (energy follows intent). This book is about developing a feel for the energy and developing the intent required to master it. Here is the photo of me from the front cover.

Stand Like a Tree continues my Warrior Philosophy series of books including Wiccan Warrior, Full Contact Magick, and Magickal Self Defence.
I'll be at Convocation (www.convocation.org) teaching from 18-22 February, 2015. Hope to see some of you there.

I'm happy to announce that in December I got accepted into the faculty of Amber K's Ardantane School of Magick. I'm looking forward to teaching courses in their syllabus.

We've got the Motherhouse finished up here in Sandy Hook with three guest rooms so I'm looking forward to doing some teaching here.

In December I also was elected president of the Sunshine Coast Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. I serve on their national Publications and Communications Committees and I just finished writing a Small Observatories Handbook for them. Readers are checking it over for me now and I hope that it will be published by the RASC later this year. I'm also producing a weekly astronomy show for the Sunshine Coast Centre on Coast Cable called Night Lights. Our first season was very successful and I'm beginning the process of putting together the second season now. Below is a photo of me up on the roof of the observatory we are building in Sechelt, which we hope to have open at the end of May 2015. You can check out the Sunshine Coast Centre's web site at www.coastastronomy.ca

In a couple of weeks I'm going to be teaching at Magical Mountain Mabon in New Mexico, an event put on by the Chamisa Local Council of the Covenant of the Goddess. You can check out their web site here: http://chamisa.org/magical-mountain-mabon/

My friend and fellow author Diane Morrison has a new book coming out: The Witch’s Eight Paths of Power“In Gerald Gardner's Book of Shadows he writes about something he calls The Eightfold Way, a list of eight different methods of performing magick. Using this Eightfold Way as a structural model, Lady Sable Aradia has created a series of courses designed to teach the contemporary seeker about the mechanics and techniques of her revised eight paths: intent trance the craft intoxicants dance and sacred movement blood and breath the Scourge and the Great Rite With the help of exercises, meditations and practical magick, any serious student of witchcraft will be able to master these eight paths to improve their skills, the effectiveness of their magic and truly live a powerful and magickal life. From spellwork to sex magick to flying ointments, this extensive workshop-in-a book will bring you back to the basics to master the advanced art of witchcraft.”
You can check out her book tour on Facebook: Book tour: https://www.facebook.com/events/1426780747591012/

One week until I am off to PanFest in Alberta to teach. Hope to meet some of you there! Here is the link to their festival: http://panfest.ca/

On the first anniversary of my retirement from law enforcement I received a review copy of my book Witch Hunts, published by Dark Moon Press.


Here is the back cover information for Witch Hunts:

Kerr Cuhulain shares decades of research into the myths and misinformation about paganism in its various forms, which have created problems for pagans trying to worship in public. This work is a valuable resource for groups engaging in public rituals as well as for law enforcement and government agencies working with alternative religious groups. It is a must read for people wanting to educate their families about their pagan beliefs or speak to the press about their spirituality.

Kerr, an expert on hate crime, exposes the lies, fantasies, and motives of individuals responsible for the "Satanic Panic" of the 80s and 90s, and covers a few "handbooks" that were published by government agencies during this time that disseminated misinformation based on urban legends. Kerr presents accurate information on Wicca and other Pagan beliefs, focusing on the positive aspects of who Pagans are and what their real beliefs and practices are.

Reviews: "A powerful tool to prevent misunderstandings and misinformation about the esoteric art. I loved the rich details Kerr includes in this work, while keeping it accessible to a new reader. Each time I look through it I learn something new." Christopher Penczak, Author, Teacher, and Co Founder of the Temple of Witchcraft, a 501c non profit.

"A no nonsense book at what Witchcraft is and is not. This book should be in the library of every law enforcement practitioner, social worker, and anyone who is curious about our religion. Kerr exposes the supposed "Satanic Child Molestation" myths, and helps those just "coming out of the Broom Closet" avoid the mistakes that he has made. As someone who has also "been there" and "done that", this book is a must read." Puck Shadowdrake, author of Magickal Manners: A Guide to Magickal Etiquette.

I am now waiting for author copies of my new book The Wizard: The Story of the First Pagan Cop to go Public About His Pagan Beliefs.

In 1977 I was sworn in as a peace officer in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. When I eventually came out about my Wiccan beliefs, being the first Wiccan cop to do so, I spent the next three decades of my law enforcement career battling prejudice, gossip, threats, being accused of bizarre acts, being under surveillance, surviving repeated investigations by the police called the “Wicca File”, ending up a detective and an expert in hate crimes against minority religions. This is my story, which I originally wrote in 2004, about a year before I retired. Now that I've been retired almost a year I've revised it and put it out there for you to see. It will soon be available from Dark Moon Press.
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My book Witch Hunts went out of print some time ago when the publisher went out of business. Dark Moon Press has just republished this book, which you can purchase here. In this book I share decades of research into the myths and misinformation that has spread around the various communities about paganism in its various forms, from Satanism to Wicca. This work is valuable guide for law enforcement  and government agencies the actual facts.This book is based on research I did on various accusations and misinformation that has appeared in the general public, police handbooks on the occult and cults and on the Internet. Well documented and substantiated reference material for any researcher or those new to the alternative religions’. I exposes the lies and fantasies made up by the perpetrators, and cover a few "handbooks" that were published by government agencies in the 80s that contained misinformation. The author points out the obvious flaws, discusses the misinformation and substantiates his facts with proof. Further, he focuses on the positive aspects of who we are and what the real beliefs are comprised of and what these practices are. This section is carefully and clearly written out so that anyone can understand and appreciate it. The book covers well known Urban Legends, going to the source of the misinformation, naming names and dates and speeches or articles or pamphlets that outlined these lies or fantasies.
Complete with footnotes and appendices of Wiccan terms, a brief history of Satanism, the book includes a huge bibliography and an index..

Nine months ago I came to a decision that serving the community as a peace officer and a police dispatcher for 36 years was enough. We staged our house and sold it a few months later. Six months ago I finally retired from law enforcement and a few weeks later I moved to Sandy Hook on the Sunshine Coast. It is a beautiful quiet place that has definitely allowed me healing. I’ve taken what time I could from unpacking and setting up house to do just that. There were a lot of things to do: Finishing an enormous basement room, renovating bathrooms and kitchen, reclaiming a yard neglected for about two years by the previous owner due to illness and other issues. 
All this has kept me from writing, which is one of the things that I most wanted to do once I got here. However I made a decision that setting up house had to come first. That and one other dream.
I had a simple hobby telescope as a kid and I’d always wanted to get back into amateur astronomy. A few days after the house sold I purchased a brand new Schmidt Cassegrain reflector telescope and joined the Sunshine Coast chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Last month I became their media director and part of the observatory committee. Our RASC chapter is building an observatory at the Sechelt airport and I’ve participated in work crews to see this happen.


I’m happy to say that in the last few days I got back to the keyboard and got writing again. I’m going to get a few books out this year now that my time is my own.

Nine months ago I came to a decision that serving the community as a peace officer and a police dispatcher for 36 years was enough. We staged our house and sold it a few months later. Six months ago I finally retired from law enforcement and a few weeks later I moved to Sandy Hook on the Sunshine Coast. It is a beautiful quiet place that has definitely allowed me healing. I’ve taken what time I could from unpacking and setting up house to do just that. There were a lot of things to do: Finishing an enormous basement room, renovating bathrooms and kitchen, reclaiming a yard neglected for about two years by the previous owner due to illness and other issues. 
All this has kept me from writing, which is one of the things that I most wanted to do once I got here. However I made a decision that setting up house had to come first. That and one other dream.
I had a simple hobby telescope as a kid and I’d always wanted to get back into amateur astronomy. A few days after the house sold I purchased a brand new Schmidt Cassegrain reflector telescope and joined the Sunshine Coast chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. Last month I became their media director and part of the observatory committee. Our RASC chapter is building an observatory at the Sechelt airport and I’ve participated in work crews to see this happen.


I’m happy to say that in the last few days I got back to the keyboard and got writing again. I’m going to get a few books out this year now that my time is my own.

Back in 2005 I retired from the Vancouver Police Department to become a civilian police dispatcher for VPD at ECOMM for Southwestern BC. The plan was for me to work a few years to pay off the mortgage and then retire completely from law enforcement in order to pursue my writing full time. Then the economy went pear shaped, prices went up, the number of shifts went down, and my finish line started to slide further into the distance. Stress was taking its toll on me and I started to reassess what I was doing.
At the end of April 2013 I made a decision: Sell the house, move to a cheaper house in Sechelt, BC, and retire as soon as possible. I know that I startled a lot of people with the sudden news of my impending retirement and move. My wife and I succeeded in achieving this, with me retiring in July 2013 and moving to the new home at the beginning of August.
This was a big readjustment, and for months I’ve been packing, staging, unpacking, renovating, and otherwise establishing a new life for myself. Retiring was the best decision I’ve made in a while: I’ve experienced much needed healing. Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned necessities of re-establishing our home, I’ve not been able to spend any time writing. I’d accepted this as part of the plan before I started packing. It’s taken a bit longer than I’d hoped (as is often the case in life), but I’m now about to get going on that writing. I never viewed this change as a retirement. Rather, I saw it as a change in profession to full time writer.
So stay tuned. I’ve got the third book in my sword and sorcery Purification Trilogy nearly done and hope to have it out in November, and I’m already forming the ideas for a new paranormal romance trilogy.