It's been two years this month when I first typed a single word which would create DEN OF HEATHENS. Two years of growth and evolution, this site would become more than I had imagined, and though at the moment, I have a small collection of people who continue to come here regularly as I make an endless amount of Den of Heathenss, I hope that I can grow in my own understanding, as well as learn from those of you who have returned here, and commented on what you've read or what you would like to see more of.
There was a young lady whom I had met through the Newsgroups. She was 17 and told me about how her parents would not allow her to pursue the ideas of Magick. I wrote her parents an e-mail and explained who I was. I told them the principles of Magick and its philosophy. I further explained what their daughter was seeking by having the desire to study such things. A couple of days laters, she wrote me back thanking me for explaining all that I had to her parents. She was allowed to pursue her interests. They had a basic understanding of what Magick was all about. I never heard from her after that, so I don't know what came of it. This was the moment when I began to understand the power of my words. Being a writer, I knew that I could create a format to further express the ideas of Magick and the Occult, not as everyone else has done, but by breaking down the mysteries so that a logical understanding could be achieved.
I know that the name, DEN OF HEATHENS, may be a frightening name to some, but it's also a name which may be hard to forget. Originally, the title of this website was the title for a song I was to write for my band. The name invoked mental images of a fanciful nature. When it came time for me to express my thoughts on Magick and my own personal experiences, the title for a website was obvious to me. I went through many sites to gain ideas of what people had been trying to say about Magick. I observed that many stated what Magick was not, but not many stated what Magick was.
The inspiration and driving force for this site is simple. I've observed how many newbies were frightened or discouraged by those of us who had more knowledge and a deeper understanding. Many of those experienced didn't care for the newbies, nor did they remember that they had once been in that place of asking questions. The future outcome was never even a consideration. Remember that if they don't learn from us, then what truths will be lost to misconception? If you're an experienced man or woman, and you're reading these words, think back to that time when you first tried to understand. Remember how difficult it was for us to find any information? The newbies have an advantage which we did not. The idea of Magick is in everyday thought when once it was held secret. If someone is to teach those who would follow in our footsteps, then they must be taught thoroughly. I posted my first page on November 18th, 1999, using angelfire.com.
This was my inspiration for creating DEN OF HEATHENS. I've noticed that there are many sites devoted to the newbie as being groundwork in basic principles, but it's rare to see anything more advanced. This only made me wonder at the experiences people had when creating their own sites. On March 9th, 2001, I finally registered the domain name, denofheathens.com. So where do I go from here? I've been finding much success since I registered my domain, and I'm hoping to grow still. For the most part, it wasn't often when I received replies for all my hard work, until recently. Receiving replies has helped me to understand the needs of those who come to my site, and it's offered me clues as to the current thought patterns when it comes to Magick. What I have planned for the future, I think I'll keep those thoughts to myself, after all...I can't reveal all my secrets.