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On December 6, 1992, a Hindu nationalist mob tore down the historic 16^th century Babri mosque in the northern Indian city of Ayodhya, claiming that it had been constructed on the site of a temple marking the birthplace of the god Ram.

The claims are certainly credible. The Mughal emperor Babur, who built the mosque, despised Hinduism, and such triumphalist behavior on his part would have been entirely in character.

On January 22, 2024, Narendra Modhi—a savvy politician who has played Hindu nationalists as deftly (and as cynically) as Trump has played American Evangelicals—consecrated his newly-built McTemple on the site of the old Babri mosque.

It was a missed opportunity.

So, the Babri mosque is gone?

Fine, and good riddance to the old triumphalism.

On its site, yes indeed, let us raise a new temple to honor the Rambhumi, the birthplace (literally, “Earth”) of Lord Ram.

Beside it, let us raise a new Babri mosque.

Hindu and Muslim standing together, side by side, neighbors extending the hand of friendship.

Is this not what Lord Ram, what Allah the Compassionate, the Merciful—what any god worth worshiping—would want?

A friend of mine was recently instrumental in opening a new ISKCON center here in town.

When Modhi opened his new Rambhumi temple in Ayodhya, there was a lot of pressure from the congregation to hold a big solidarity celebration at the center.

Goddess bless him, my friend put his foot down.

“What's going on in Ayodhya is political, not religious,” he said. “Prabhupad [the deceased founder of ISKCON] would not have been pleased.”

There was no celebration.

You need rain, badly. You decide to do rain magic, but before you have a chance to do the magic, it rains. Should you still do your magic?

Let me restate the case more generally.

You see a need. You propose to cast a spell to bring about X, but before you get about to making your magic, X happens. Do you still cast the spell?

In this situation, authorities—such as they are—are in universal agreement: Yes, you should still cast your spell, you should still do your rain magic.

Here's the operative question: Why?

Candelabras are an excellent addition to your altar to hold your ritual candles as well as to set the mood. Both elegant and romantic, with molten wax flowing down the sides, they can be nothing less than splendid. While you can always buy a candelabra, it is much better to make them yourself and place your imprimatur and your own special kind of magic in them. The following are the steps I learned from the one and only Aurelio Voltaire, who is a writer, musician, animator, graphic novelist, comic, and all-around Renaissance man.

Supplies:

To enhance the magic of your ritual candles, you can create your own, filling them with your energy and intentions! You can adorn them with big sequins, curio crosses, symbols such as the Egyptian ankh, faux pearls, or anything lovely and suitably glittery that can be added to the sides of the candles to create a “stained glass” appearance. Another technique is to mix in your magical objects, stirring them into the melted wax inside a mold. An even easier way to do this is to take a soft beeswax pillar candle and “stud” the sides and the candle top with tiny crystal pieces that cost just pennies per pound. You can save them after melting the candles down and reuse them again and again. Nowadays, candle-making classes abound, and you can get leftover or “recycled” wax to use, melt, and pour into glass votives for your own uniquely magical candle creations.

Traditionally, these oils are considered to have emotional healing properties as well as simply smelling marvelous on your skin and in your home. Just burning candles scented with these oils will be magical! Cedarwood oil has a woody and pleasant aroma and can also act as a natural sedative. Studies indicate it stimulates the production of melatonin, regulates sleep patterns, and brings a sense of serenity. A pre-sleep massage with cedarwood oil is truly therapeutic and will allow you to rest deeply and awaken refreshed and ready for anything.

Clary sage essential oil not only has a splendid smell, but has been shown in studies to positively influence the levels of the happiness-stimulating chemical dopamine in the brain. Perfect for uplifting the mood, clary sage helps to ease feelings of anxiety by calming the mind while boosting confidence and self-esteem.

Making massage candles is very similar to making any other type of potted candle. I recommend using soy wax as it is so gentle on the skin. Soy is also nice and soft, so it melts easily and stays together in a puddle after melting and can be reused by thrifty crafters. It won’t irritate your skin unless you have a soy allergy; if you have an allergy to soy, you can use beeswax instead, which is widely used. (For example, beeswax is in nearly every single Burt’s Bees product.) The addition of the oils prevents it from hardening again and enables your skin to absorb it. Essential oils or cosmetic-grade fragrance oils are also added to create a soothing atmosphere. All soap-making fragrances, which are also soy candle safe, are perfect choices for scenting your massage candles. Try the basic directions below to make your first candle. For every three ounces of wax, you’ll add one ounce of liquid oil and one-quarter ounce of fragrance. I suggest making two candles in four-ounce metal tins while you master this craft.

You will need these elements:

Food can be foreplay, a wonderful prelude to a night of love. I recommend consuming these aphrodisiacs for your pleasure:

• Almonds, or erotically shaped marzipan