J. Random Folksinger writes: I had reason to search the Web under my pseudonym, J. Random Folksinger, and found a couple of my works included in your Book of Shadows Index. While it is nice to see my writings still in circulation, my Commentaries on the Abbreviated Laws (included in the Abbreviated Laws file) and the Book of the New Law (free-standing) are among my more negative works. I am much prouder of my modern-English version of the Old Laws of the Craft, which is mainly different from the other versions because you can understand the language. I made no deletions and extremely few additions to the original texts, and compared over 10 different versions as well as various exigeses which were lovingly sent me by Judy Harrow. I would very much like to have this added to your files, and have attached a copy for your perusal and/or addition. This is in DOS Text format, feel free to convert it to HTML if needed. In Service to the Goddess, Moss Bliss aka J.Random Folksinger and Harry Smothers (many filk references) The Laws YOUR HIGH PRIESTESS In the Magic Circle, the words, commands and wishes of the High Priestess are Law. She is the earthly representative of our gracious Goddess. She is to be obeyed and respected in all things. She is our Lady and, above all others, a Queen in the highest sense of the word. All female coveners will curtsy and say "Blessed Be" when they come before Her, and all male coveners will bend their knee and kiss Her on the right cheek and say "Blessed Be". YOUR HIGH PRIEST In the Magic Circle, the High Priest is the earthly representative of the Great God. He commands the respect due a Magus, Lord Counselor and father. THE LAWS THE LAWS WERE MADE FOR THE WITCHES TO ADVISE THEM IN THEIR TROUBLES. DO NOT CHANGE THEM LIGHTLY. The Witches should worship the Gods as is their due, and obey their will. For the worship of the Gods is good for the Witches even as the worship of the Witches is good for the Gods: For the Gods love all their Witches. As a man loves a woman more by learning more of her wants and desires, so should the Witches love the Gods by the learning (mastering) of them. It is necessary that the Magic Circle, which is the Temple of the Gods in these times, be cast and purified such that it may be a fitting place for the Gods; and the Witches should be properly prepared and purified to enter into the presence of the Gods. With love and worship in their hearts the Witches shall raise power from their bodies (and the elements around them), and they shall offer this power to the Gods so that the Gods may help their Witches. The High Priestess shall rule her coven as the representative of the Goddess, and the High Priest shall support her as the representative of the God. The High Priestess will choose any member of the coven to be her High Priest, if he has sufficient standing in the coven. As the God Himself kissed our Lady's feet, gave Her the five-fold salute, and offered Her His power because of Her youth and beauty, Her sweetness and kindness, Her wisdom and justice, Her humility, gentleness and generosity, and shared His power with Her, so therefore the High Priestess should always be aware that all power comes from Him; it is only lent, to be used wisely and justly. The greatest virtue of a High Priestess shall be recognition that youth is necessary to the representative of the Goddess. She will, therefore, gracefully retire in favor of a younger covener should the coven so decide in council. The true High Priestess should realize that gracefully surrendering the pride of place is one of the greatest virtues, and that thereby she will return to that pride of place in another life with even greater power and beauty. In the Old Days, when there were many Witches, we were free and worshipped freely in the greatest temples; but in these times, we must celebrate our sacred mysteries in secret. Therefore, none but the Witches are to see our mysteries; no coven shall know the location of any other coven or who its members are, except the High Priest, the High Priestess and the Messenger; and that there shall be no communication among the covens, except by the Messenger of the Gods or the Summoner. Only if it is safe may the covens meet in some safe place for the Great Festivals; and while there, none shall give their true names or any information about their coven or its members. This law is made for this reason: No-one can tell our enemies what they do not themselves know. It is ordained that no-one shall tell any person not in the Craft who other Witches are, or give them names or addresses, or in any way tell anything that can betray a Witch to their face. Nor may anyone tell where the covendom or covenstead is, where any meetings are held or any other information about the coven unless directed to do so by the coven in council. If anyone breaks these laws, even under torture, may the Curse of the God and the Goddess be upon them, so that they may not be reborn upon the Earth (but shall live forever in the Hell of the Christians). Let each High Priest and High Priestess govern their coven with justice and love, with the help and advice of the other and of the elders of the coven, always heeding the advice of the Messenger of the Gods if he should arrive. They will heed all the suggestions of their coveners and strive to settle any differences among them. It is recognized that there will always be people who will try to make everybody agree with their ideas: these people are not necessarily bad -- they often have good ideas and these ideas should be discussed in council. But if they will not come to agree with their other coveners or if they say "I will not work with this High Priestess", then the elders will have them leave. It should be suggested that they might join another coven, or if they are of sufficient standing, they may be encouraged to found their own coven. For it is better this way, to avoid strife among the family of Witches. When using geographic boundaries, whenever anyone of Third Degree lives more than a league from the covenstead (or are about to), any of these may found a new coven; indeed, any Witch living within the covenstead who wishes to form a new coven will inform the elders of this intention and immediately move to a new dwelling beyond the boundaries of known covensteads. Members of any coven may choose to join the new coven when it is formed, but they must totally avoid their old coven if they choose this course. The elders of the old and new covens should meet in peace and love to determine the boundaries of the covens. Any Witch living outside of any two covens may choose to join either coven, but never both. All may meet for the Great Festivals if the elders agree, so long as they meet in peace and love. Let the elders confer as to the use of this law when it is not directly applicable. Always be aware that the splitting of a coven breeds bad feelings (energy vortices?); this law was made chiefly for this reason. And may happier times come! If you would keep a Book (whether it is called a Black Book, Book of Shadows, Book of Light, or whatever), write it in your own hand. Let your brothers and sisters in the Craft copy as they will from your book in their hand, but never let your Book out of your hands and never keep the writing of another. Every Witch should keep and guard their own writings, that none may be discovered through their Book being found in another's possession. Destroy your Book whenever danger threatens, and commit as many as possible of these Laws to memory. Destroy the writings of a deceased Witch if they did not have time to do so themselves. If any of their writings are found, it is clear proof against both the writer and the holder, for our enemies firmly believe that "one may not be a Witch alone": their family and all who are known to be friends may be suspected as Witches. Be responsible with your writings and you will protect all who love you. If your Book is found on you, it is clear proof against you along unless you tell our enemies what you know. You may be taken and tortured, but keep all thoughts of the Craft from your mind. If the torture is too much to bear, tell them, "I cannot bear this torture. I will confess. What do you want me to say?" If they try to make you talk about the Craft, do not; but if they try to make you speak of absurd things, such as flying through the air, consorting with the Christian devil, sacrificing children or eating men's flesh, say, "I held an evil dream; I was beside myself; I was crazed," or words to that effect, to obtain relief from the torture. Not all magistrates are bad -- if there is any semblance of an excuse, they may show mercy. If you have confessed to anything, deny it afterwards: say that you babbled under torture, or that you don't remember what you said. If you are condemned, do not be afraid, for the Craft is powerful and your escape will be aided if you stand fast. If you go steadfast to the flames, be certain that drugs will reach you and you will feel nothing of the pain. You will only go to death and what lies beyond -- the ecstasy of the God and the Goddess. If you betray anything, however, there is no hope for you in this life or that which is to come. To avoid being discovered, choose your working tools to be ordinary items which you would have around the house. Make your Pentacles out of wax so that you can break and melt them at once. Do not keep a sword unless its presence would alarm no-one. Have no signs or names visible on anything. Write the signs in ink or water immediately before consecrating the tool and wash them off immediately after. Do not engrave anything, for this will only help you be discovered. Keep your athame and kerfan (working knife) among your kitchen knives, and let the colors of the hilts determine the one from the other and from the other knives. Always remember that we are the Hidden Children of the Goddess. Never do anything to disgrace the Craft or Her -- never boast, never threaten, and never say that you wish ill of anyone. It is not forbidden to say, "There is Witchcraft in the land", for the Christians say so themselves and have made it heresy not to believe so; but always say, "I know nothing of it here, though it may be elsewhere." If any person speaks about the Craft outside of the Circle, say, "Don't speak of such things -- it frightens me. It is bad luck to talk about such things." Say this for this reason: the Christians have their spies everywhere. These spies have been known to talk as if they were drawn to the Craft and as if they would want to come to our meetings, and they say such things as, "My fathers and forefathers worshipped the Old Ones, and my mother; I would like to worship in this way myself." To all of these, tell them that you do not know what they are talking about, and that you wish they would stop. But to others, say, "It's silly to talk about Witches flying around in the air; they would have to be lighter than feathers or thistle-down. Besides, everyone knows that Witches are all bleary-eyed old hags; what fun could they possibly have at their meetings, and why should I want to participate? And besides, you know we were taught in school that there are no such things as Witches." Always make fun of the subject, that we may worship in peace when the persecution ends: let us all work for that happy time. May the blessing of the God and the Goddess be upon all who keep this law. If any in the Craft holds any property, let all Witches guard it and keep it clear and good for the use of the Craft. It is the further responsibility of all Witches to guard Craft funds wisely. If any Witch offers a well-made item, it is proper to pay them for it according to the value of the work; this is not taking money for the Craft, but payment for honest work -- even the Christians believe that "the labourer is worth his hire". Still, if any Witch works willingly for the good of the Craft and will not accept payment, this shall be to their greater honor. It is known that a coven may be bound together by sexual ties, and that this is often not desirable. When it is found that this is not desirable, the coven should be made up of loving couples, and there may also be single coveners. In such cases, it is required that the search for new love be undertaken outside the coven except when two single coveners find love with each other; otherwise, it will often cause division in the coven. For while all acts of love and pleasure are indeed the rituals of our beloved Goddess, She is not inclined to favor acts which divide Her covens and scatter Her Witches unnecessarily. If there should arise quarrels or disputes among the Witches, the High Priestess or High Priest shall immediately convene the elders and inquire into the problem. The elders shall hear each side separately, and then both together. Their decision should be just, not siding with one side until the matter is determined, recognizing that there are people who cannot work under others, and others who cannot make wise decisions. To those who must always be in charge, the possible solutions for them are to void the coven altogether, find another coven for them, or for them to found a new coven (taking with them all who will go). To those who cannot rule wisely, the solution is that those who cannot bear the rule will leave the coven. No one can truly worship the Gods when personal conflicts among the coveners are not resolved; all who cause strife in the coven must be told, "Go away from us, for the Craft must ever survive." In the Old Days, we could use the Art against anyone who treated the Witches badly; but in these times, we must not do so. Our enemies have invented a burning pit of everlasting fire into which their God throws everyone who does not worship Him, except for those few who buy their penance from His priests (for their God always seems to be in need of money). Even as our Gods need our aid to make fertility for people and crops, so it is that the God of the Christians is always needing men to find and destroy us. Their priests tell them that any man who is helped by us will be damned to their Hell forever, to the point that men are mad with the terror of it. But the priests also make them believe that they may escape this Hell if they give up Witches to be tortured, so that these men are always thinking, "If I catch only one Witch, I will escape the fiery pit." For this reason we have our hiding places, and when no Witches are found, the searchers will say, "There aren't any Witches, or at least not in this area." But as soon as one of our oppressors dies or even catches a cold, the cry will go up that it is "Witches' work", and the hunt will be on again. And while they may kill ten Christians for every Witch, they will not care, for they are countless millions while we are few indeed. THEREFORE, IT IS ORDAINED that none shall use the Art in any way to harm anyone or even wish them ill. However much they may injure us, HARM NONE, and may the Christians forget that we exist. These laws are ordained to help us in our difficulties. No person, no matter how large the injury or injustice they incur, may use the Art in any way to do evil or harm anyone. But they may use the Art, after great consultation with the elders and fellow coveners, to keep the Christians and their tools from harming anyone -- but only to constrain them. To this end, some day men will say "That man says he is a mighty persecutor of Witches, but all we ever see him torture are old women -- we cannot see that they have hurt anyone, and if they are all such powerful Witches, why has he not been harmed?" They will see him as the evil person he is, regardless of his professed beliefs. We know that too many people have died because someone had a grudge against them, or were persecuted because another wanted their wealth or because they were too poor to bribe the witch-hunters. And many have died only for being old women -- so many that most men now seem to believe that only old women are Witches. This is to our advantage, for it turns many suspicious eyes away from us; but we mourn deeply for the old women. Still, in England and Scotland, it has been hundreds of years since a Witch "died the death"; be vigilant, for the misuse of our power might begin the persecutions again. Never break this law, no matter how much you are tempted. Never consent to the breaking of this law: even a High Priestess who merely consents to the breaking of this law must be deposed immediately, for it is the blood of all the Witches that she endangers. DO ONLY GOOD, and then only when it is safe to do anything at all. Never accept money for the use of the Art, for money always smudges the receiver. Christians take money for the use of their arts, and they sell pot-metal charms, pardons and potions to men so that they may escape from their sins. Do not act like these; as long as you refuse to take money, you will be free from the temptation to use the Art for evil causes. All may use the Art for their own advantage or for the advantage of the Craft, but you must always be certain that no-one will be harmed by its use. Let the coven debate the use of the Art at length, and only when all are satisfied that none will be harmed by its use will the use be allowed. Remember that if you cannot achieve your means in one fashion, your aim may still be reached through another -- always harming none. If anyone in the Craft needs a house or land and there is no one willing to sell to them, you may use the Art to incline an owner's mind to be willing to sell, provided that the spell does not harm the owner or the property and that the full value is paid without haggling. Never bargain or cheapen anything while living by the Art. The most important of laws: Do nothing that will endanger anyone in the Craft or which will bring them into conflict with the law of the land or any of our persecutors. In this regard, it is NEVER permissible, in any dispute involving the Craft, to invoke any laws other than those of the Craft, nor may any tribunals be held other than one consisting of the High Priestess, the High Priest, and the elders. The coven is to keep two books on herbalism. One of these will list the names and uses of all herbs which are cures for ills or are otherwise good for humans, and all may have access to this book to learn these things. But keep a separate book with the names of all poisonous herbs and those used in dark spells, letting only the elders and other trusted Witches know of these secrets or even of this book's existence. Remember that the Art is the secret of the Gods and may only be used in earnest -- never for show, or pride, or personal glory. The Christians may taunt you saying, "You have no power: Perform some magic for us, and then we may believe." Do not listen to them, for the Art is holy and is to be used only in need. It has always been the way of men and women that they should seek after love, and while no one should be reproved for this, it may be to the disadvantage of the Craft sometimes. It has happened too many times that a High Priestess has found a new love and run off with him, giving no word to the coven of this. A High Priestess may resign in full coven at any time, and this resignation is valid; but if she has not resigned, the coven shall wait for her to return for a year and a day (for she may return sooner, having left for love). If she has a deputy, that deputy is to act as Priestess for as long as the High Priestess is away. If she returns within this time, all will be as if she had never left; but if she does not return within this time, a new High Priestess shall be elected in full coven. Unless there is a good reason to the contrary, the deputy, having done the work, should reap the reward and be chosen as the new High Priestess. But if another is chosen, the deputy shall be the maiden and deputy of the new High Priestess. The High Priest serves at the pleasure of the High Priestess. If the High Priestess is gone for more than a year and a day, he shall continue in his office while the deputy serves in her place. However, once a new High Priestess has been chosen, the new High Priestess will appoint her own High Priest (and it may be the current High Priest or not). Neither the prior High Priest nor his friends may be angry if a new High Priest is chosen, for pride must always give way to harmony in the coven. The Art is sacred: it is the Art of the working of energies, and it must always be taught inside of the Magic Circle. It has been found that teaching the Art frequently leads to a sexual attraction between the teacher and student -- and that this often improves the result. If for any reason this is not desirable, it should be avoided at the beginning by both persons firmly - and verbally - resolving that their relations will be limited to that of brother and sister, or parent and child. It is for the reason that shared love often increases the result of working magic that teaching should always be done from man-to-woman and from woman-to-man. When a coven is made up of members of all one sex, the masculine-to-feminine energy exchange should be adhered to whenever possible. Teaching people about the Craft, however, may be done whenever and wherever it is safe, so long as the teacher is knowledgeable, the student is willing, and the information taught is available publicly or is not a secret of the Art. No-one may charge for teaching, unless it is to cover such expenses as the cost of the room, books or other printed materials, refreshments, and so forth. Order and discipline must be kept within the coven: the High Priestess or the High Priest should and may punish all faults. To this end, all in the Craft should receive their correction willingly. With the culprit kneeling, all in the Circle should be told of the offense, and the sentence will be pronounced. Punishment might include the scourge or the recasting of the Circle, followed by something silly such as several kisses. The culprit must acknowledge the justice of the punishment by kissing the scourge upon receiving sentence, and afterward by thanking everyone for their loving correction.SO MOTE IT BE! Source: "J. Random Folksinger" (I did this as a project for my 2nd Degree.) -- Available on most pagan BBSes and the Web as JRFLaws. These laws are a combination of what I was taught and what I learned, using many different sources, including my neo-Gardnerian training, two different sets of Celtic Craft laws, several other versions found in print, exigeses lovingly provieded me by Judy Harrow, and the picked brains of several of my students. You may contact the redactor at , as of 11/99 (subject to change).Chroma, hue, brightness, contrast and depth ...or the world is grey and flat. Seuss/Zappa: 2000 -- Ascended Masters Party Visit my webpage at . Hear some of my songs at . sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com How to power a magic spell by Black Cat Some believe that Witches say a few magic words and do a ritual and then a spell is created and performs its function. There is a metaphorical plane, a plane where all the psychic energy of both the living and the dead exists. We draw from this energy when we are being creative. It can also be psychically tapped to energize one's will and envisionment to cast spells. The metaphysical plane acts like a battery. Psychic energy is alive and can be given a will of evil or good. Good psychic energy can heal and make good things happen. The evil energy creates a negative field around the person the spell was cast on, Some evil spells can cause someone to lose health etc. It will effect random chance and make bad or negative things happen, causing luck and other factors to be reduced and depending on the nature of the spell and the psychic skill of the Witch. The spell could take years before it begins to lose its energy and effects. There are several ways to create a psychic battery. Covens are great for this. A spell cast by a coven is much more powerful then one cast by a single Witch. There are also places in the world where there are rips in the psychic energy layer of the metaphysical plane. These places are ideal for Witches because the psychic energy leaking out of the metaphysical plane is very powerful and very easy to tap. One can also tap a person and use hir as a psychic battery to cast spells, but learning to channel and draw psychic energy from the metaphysical plane is the first thing any Witch should learn. Submitted to the Internet Book of Shadows 12/29/2000. HTML by brujo. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com What Is Magick David Rankine copyright copyright 1999, 2000, 2001 David Rankine -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is magick? Forget all the fallacies and stereotypical pre-conceptions taught to you out of fear and ignorance and approach this question with an open mind. You will probably find it is not what you have been taught to think. Magick has been defined as "The art and science of causing change to occur in conformity with will *1" which could be put more simply as making desired change happen; or as "energy tending to change"; a definition I use is "magick is conscious evolution through directing energy". This does not really explain magick though, so I will try to elaborate on these phrases without jargon. An aim of magick is to train the mind by harnessing and making more consciously accessible such higher faculties as intuition, inspiration and the creative imagination, and by drawing on the power of the unconscious - to try and use more than the 10% of our brain's capacity that we do. Magick assumes belief in, or rather experience of, subtle energies. We can only see about one seventieth of the light spectrum, yet what we cannot see still affects us - such as x-rays and ultraviolet light. Similarly, magick is about focusing more subtle, non-physical energies, and directing them to create change. To go about this requires experience, and training to improve the power of the mind, and specifically, the will. Acts such as meditation, breath control, voice work, body work, visualization, drama, ritual, and others, are all designed to improve our body and mind, to better sharpen us and balance us, and to enable us to perceive and wield more subtle energies. In the same way, an individual is as strong as their will, and the more balanced and integrated a person is, the stronger their will (note, this is probably one of the main reasons why so many magicians have experience of counselling and/or psychology, recognising the help these processes can give, both through training and experiencing them. This also acts as a removal of farcical social stigma often attached to these processes). Practising magick tends to act as a deconditioning mechanism and can be a subtle process, the longer you practice, the more you change and the unnecessary inhibitions, stigmas, guilts and sin complexes that society builds in are removed. This has the effect of releasing their energy into the psyche, where it can strengthen the individual. The more physical side, such as yoga, bodywork, dance and massage, also removes the tension held in the body as body armour, and releases this and removes energy blockages which impair full efficiency and may result in illness. Possibly the major difference between magick and many of the religious paths to spiritual growth is that magick is more dynamic, and places the emphasis on you to work for change - there are no gurus in magick, rather there are fellow students with different perspectives and experiences - we learn from each other, as in other areas of life. Magick tends to work a lot with symbols, as these are the language of the unconscious, and this is an area of tremendous power to tap. Symbols have many functions, and one of these, released through magick, can be the ability to confound the ego and the censor mechanisms, and enabling us to perceive more subtle truths, or experience direct revelations. Although we may not be able to fully explain how symbols work, we know from experience that certain symbols seem harmonious with certain types of energy. For example a magician may tell you that if you want to attract love you should wear green, and rose perfume, perhaps wear copper, like a bracelet or necklace, etc. These are all things attributed with Venus, who is associated with love, and so the principal is one of contagion - sympathetic magick, or making something happen by working with items linked to it. This is one of the oldest and most commonly practised forms of magick. Working with the symbols of a type of energy does seem to attract that energy. A cautionary word here, magick is often seen as a way to hidden powers, and entered for the wrong reason, the "I want sex, power and lots of money" syndrome. Now there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves, but when you do magick you will discover that you tend to get what you need rather than necessarily what you want. When you do magick you generally use techniques to alter your state of consciousness and raise energy, and then direct that energy to create a desired result. The channel that energy takes as directed by your altered state of consciousness is not necessarily the path you might expect in your normal everyday state. Magick does bring you power, yes, but it is power over yourself, not other people. It is the power that is important, to grow and to create positive change. This does not mean there is anything wrong with using magick to gain more physical things, there is nothing wrong with doing a ritual or spell to get a job, whereas trying to make a specific individual go to bed with you would be wrong. Magick is very much about intent, and if your intent is to get work, you are not imposing on people, whereas if you were trying to make somebody do something that they would not naturally do, you are imposing on their will. If you did a ritual to attract love without specifying a person, but opening yourself to the opportunity to meet someone where love may arise, and to feel more attractive and better about yourself, you are not imposing, you are trying to create positive change. Magick is a commitment to yourself, and it requires determination, perseverance, strength, openness to change and absence of rigidity, a love of life (including yourself), and a desire to grow and fulfil your potential. It may be that you already have all these qualities and do this already without calling it magick - magick is not about labels, and those who think and talk as if it is unfortunately put some people off. Magick is learning about the natural flows of energy in the universe, and working in harmony with them to effect positive change, both in yourself and in your environment. Some people ask why magick is spelt with a 'k' on the end. This is to distinguish it from magic, associated in the popular mind with illusionism and prestidigitation, stage magic. Magick is not about illusion, it is about creating real change, and the 'k' signifies this. K is the eleventh letter of the alphabet, i.e. the one beyond ten. Symbolically this is very powerful, as we work in base ten, and eleven represents the unseen, or hidden energies - the subtle energies of magick, eleven is considered to be the number of magick. Magickal training and experience bring forth the energies of the unconscious, and so it is no surprise to see that symbols become more important as you develop, providing not only the language of dream and the unconscious, but also helping create a more flexible perception grid of the universe. To grow spiritually, it is vital that you remain flexible and do not become dogmatic, rather that you are open to experience and willing to question your ideas and beliefs as a result of those experiences. Magick can be a painful process. It is not easy to maintain the discipline and honest self-critical approach all the time. It can also be hard work dealing with the energy released without being knocked off balance sometimes. The important thing in these cases is to remain honest and keep at it. Nobody said magick was easy! It takes a lot of practice and hard work and pain, but the rewards are spiritual and mental growth, the joy of life and the beauty of unconditional love. Beyond the limits there are no limits! -end- ------------------------------------------------------------ copyright copyright 1999, 2000, 2001 David Rankine www.avalonia.co.uk This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, providing that this original copyright notice stays in place at all times. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Ethics and Etiquette Hello, I would like to contribute the attached article, written by me, to the IBOS. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, providingthat this original copyright notice stays in place at all times. Thank you, Morgaine copyright Morgaine 2001 When we speak of ethics and etiquette in relation to pagansim what are we referring to? Are we speaking of outdated rules and actions that no longer have meaning and we only give lip service to? I don't believe so. Ethics and etiquette are living, breathing codes of life, shaping our actions in relation to each other, and ourselves. They are a guiding force in the way we live our lives. Let us first look at ethics. Ethics are defined as --a set of principles; moral philosophy; rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession; human duty; a particular system of principles and rules concerning duty, whether true or false; rules of practice in respect to a single class of human actions; motivation based on ideas of right and wrong; the philosophical study of moral values and rules. When we begin to speak of ethics, we need to realize that this can be a very touchy subject. We are human after all, and we want to think our ethics are the correct ones. While there are generally accepted community ethics, it is personal ethics that make up who we are. And these are not the same for each person. Before we begin to discuss in depth community and person ethics let us first look at the Rede, the most common code of conduct among Wiccans. Bide the Wiccan law ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust; Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill; 'An ye harm none, do as ye will'; Lest in self-defense it be, ever mind the rule of three; Follow this with mind and heart; And merry ye meet and merry ye part. Every Wiccan knows the Rede. Our passwords into the sacred circle are in here. Our major rule of ethic is here. And the reason for breaking this ethic, as well as the consequences of breaking it foolishly. When we extract the line most popular --An ye harm none, do as ye will' and begin to dissect it, we have to wonder "Is this an ethic we can every achieve?" I believe the Rede is a standard of living, like all ethics, and one that is an impossibility to achieve. The goal is to live as closely to the Rede as possible. In the attempt to do this, we begin to analyze our actions. We follow the path of LEAST harm. Thus, we begin to live conscious of our actions, and how they effect the world around us. And here comes the REAL lesson of the Rede. It forces us to have personal responsibility. Once you have acknowledged that the Rede is a goal to work for and not a given situation, and have taken of the blinders that let you go around smug and happy that your religion is so sweet it makes your teeth itch, you can get down to the work of making your life an ethical one. What this involves is considering each decision in the light of the Rede before you decide upon a course of action. You do this by looking at all the possible consequences of that action and whether that will cause harm to any, choosing the path that causes the least harm and, (THIS IS THE KEY) accepting the responsibility for the consequences of your actions whether intentional or unintentional. -Lark, HPS of Tangled Moon Coven. Wicca, as well as most Pagansim, is a religion and spiritual path of personal responsibility. We strive to live in an aware state. When we do this, we recognize our free will, and the free will of others. If we ignore the lesson of personal responsibility, we fail to realize our true spiritual potential and our true spiritual will. As we begin our path, we must develop a set of personal ethics, while maintaining a respect for the ethics of the community we are becoming a part of. Some community ethics are very well defined. -Don't practice black magick, or follow the left-hand path. -Don't attempt to harm another or interfere with their free will. -Always act in a way that will reflect well upon your path. Never do anything that will bring harm to the Craft. Since Wicca, and pagansim, are very open paths and for the most part do not seek to make anyone follow 'ONE RIGHT WAY', most of the ethics defined by community are concerning harm to others, and harm to the Craft. But to begin a spiritual path, and to follow it every day of your life, you must develop your own set of personal ethics that define the way you live. No one can tell you what your personal ethics should be. Your teachers, mentors, HPS, HP can all recommend both in word and deed, ethics that work for them. You may be given a 'Book of the Law' that governs your group or tradition. If you are a solitary, you may read on the net, or in a book, acceptable codes of conduct, or ideals. But you cannot take someone else's ethics and make them your own. You must do some soul searching, and decide how you feel about things. Now I am NOT suggesting that you ignore your HPS or HP, or your teachers and mentors. I am suggesting that you should always temper wisdom with personal experience. You must come to a point that you are willing to question what you are taught, to grow in your own self. Through this, your own sense of ethics and morals will come. Now, here comes the biggie. What do you do when your personal ethics are in direct conflict with accepted community ethics? For example-it has become a phenomenon in the pagan community to love everything white and full of light, and shun everything dark and full of shadow. It has become unacceptable to speak of negative emotions like anger and envy. It has become unacceptable to feel hate towards another person, wish that a murderer would get the death penalty, which that rapist would get castrated by a bunch of angry women. Some of us fondly refer to this a fluffy, bunny Wicca, no offense to anything fluffy, or bunnies. We are taught to love unconditionally because we are all brothers and sisters, connected to each other and every living thing. We are taught that if we experience these emotions, maybe we aren't all that spiritual, and especially not as much as Miss crystal love and light. We are often looked down upon if we say something like 'I am so damn mad at my ex husband I could smack him'. The response I myself have heard to such comment is 'my my, now THAT wasn't very positive'. Well, guess what. It WASN'T. Now I am not saying that you should indulge in these emotions. They can be deterrents to developing a sound spiritual identity because they are 'negative' in the sense that they are base emotions that do not vibrate on the spiritual plane. But they also teach us lessons that can lead to spiritual epiphanies. Life is a balance between light and dark. Nature is both beautifully creative and frighteningly destructive. Inside of a single human there is light and shadow, and to be totally balanced we must learn to face both, experience both and therefore learn from both. So back to the original question. Let's say you don't feel that you are evil if you feel anger at another person or what have you. What do you do when community ethics conflict with your personal ethics? In my opinion, as long as what you are doing does not come into direct conflict with the good of the general community, or does not manipulate or purposefully harm another person, then your personal ethics should come first. You should not do something maliciously to another person. When you do this, you are not only harming yourself, but you are harming that person, AND the whole of the community. It is very important that our community not be sullied, and the reasons are obvious. But beyond this, your personal ethics should prevail. Do ethics change over time? Do you think that the ethics of our ancestors of 100, 200 or even 1000 or more years ago are the same as what they are now? I believe that ethics are a revolving and ever changing system. Some become outdated, and some we should always keep. For instance, it has only been in the recent resurgence of Pagansim in the last 50-60 years or so that the belief of 'An ye harm none, do as ye will came about'. In times past, a witch who could not curse, could not heal. Societies have not always believed that you should not harm another person, or that interfering with someone life was a bad thing. The old wise woman of a village was sought out for every reason from fertility, to love, to revenge. It has been in our time only, with the resurgence of beliefs and the discrimination that we face, that we have adopted some of the common ethics we now have. I am NOT saying this is wrong, or that we should go back to the 'Old Ways'. In a society that we now living in, and the information is available for spiritual purposes, there is no longer a need to seek out the crone of the village and ask her to grant you revenge on your enemy. But this is the perfect example of how ethics change with time. At one time it was ethical for old men to mate with young girls. In our culture, it is no longer ethical. So ethics change, and so they should. Change is the only constant in the universe, and without it, we grow stagnate and our lives become filled with rot and decay. Change blows in new life to help recreate our lives, our beliefs and yes, even out ethics. The other common code of conduct that we hear of in the Pagan community is 'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the Law, love under will.' This comes from Aleister Crowley, from his book entitled 'The Book of the Law'. Now knowing some of the things that we do about Crowley, it's almost humorous to think of him in a discussion of ethics, except to point to what not to do maybe! But, this is a very powerful outlook on developing your own set of personal ethics. In my understanding 'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will' does not mean you may do as you wish and that is it. It is speaking of your TRUE will, your TRUE purpose in life. And if you are following your true or higher will and purpose you will not come into conflict with another's will so therefore you do not have to worry about stepping on anyone else's toes. So you don't have to worry about harming another, because you are in touch with the divine and you are following your own spiritual path and will, which will not cause harm or conflict with another. Of course, we still have conflicts with people. One way to look at this is as a spiritual lesson for either you or the other person. But if you are seeking to control another or harm another, this is not your true will. This is based upon the belief that every person is an individual, and as an individual you should be true to your own nature or consciousness. You must find your true will and make all of your actions subservient to the one great purpose. This again leads to conscious living. If ethics are codes of personal and community conduct, then etiquette is a code of social conduct. Etiquette is defined as --the practices and forms prescribed by social convention or by authority; forms of conduct prescribed by polite society; code of correct conduct; also decorum denotes conformity with established standards of manners or behavior; the forms required by good breeding, or prescribed by authority, to be observed in social or official life; observance of the proprieties of rank and occasion; conventional decorum; ceremonial code of polite society; rules governing acceptable behavior. Just like Emily Post and polite society, we in the Pagan community have behavior that is expected from us in how we interact with that community. In my opinion, etiquette is something sorely lacking in many Pagans. They are not taught certain things about how we interact with each other. This could be because maybe you didn't have a teacher, or your teacher didn't know them either. Or it could be because you or those who taught you just didn't care, it wasn't important to them. But I feel that etiquette is VERY important. It keeps us civilized, it aids us in how we interact and it shows the outside world that we know how to act. Beyond the mundane world and it's social etiquette, lets take a look at some things that are common among Pagan paths, especially the Wiccan path. You should never touch someone else's magickal tools and items without their express permission. If you see something you like and want to touch, then ASK. Don't just hold out your hand for it, or just pick it up. A person leaves an imprint of their energy on what they touch, and they may not want someone else's energy on their magickal items. This includes athames all the way to stones and jewelery. And do not take offense if you ask and are told no.The way you live reflects on our whole community. You should always respect others, no matter their path. Inside your own religion thee is a certain higher respect given each other, as Children of the Goddess. This comes from a basic understanding of the hardships of the path, and the process we all go through in some way to evolve. It can be equated to any secret society and it's initiation process and path of self-discovery. This path is not for everyone, and if you take it seriously, will change your life in ways you could never imagine. Any path that causes growth can be difficult. And we link with others that are going through the same thing we are and take strength from and learn from them.We endeavor to hold ourselves to a high standard of living our spiritual lives that the mundane world does not. Therefor we support each other, lending a hand when the pitfalls of the world come about.When someone gives of themselves to teach or guide, we recognize that person's giving, and respect it. Not all of us are called to teach, and those who are offer a valuable service that should not be taken for granted.When you are called to teach or guide, you have been given a very serious part to play in your community. You should never abuse it in any way. It also does not mean that you may use it as a way to gain power over, or look down upon any other person. We are all where we should be onour path, and it does not mean a thing that you have 10 or 20 years of service and someone else has 1. We are all equal in the eyes of the Gods. And if you are a teacher, you are held to an even higher state of conduct. You must never involve yourself in anything that could cause harm to your students or to the Craft. You should never do anything that would bring a bad light on us. For instance, you should never become romantically involved with one of your students. You should not condone the use of illegal drugs, or alcohol if the person is not of age. You should not use your position to control your students, or make them dependent on you. The goal is to aid a person on this path. You supply the seed as a teacher. You cannot take them by the hand and learn from them, or be easy on them when you should be honest.In that same light, those who would be considered an elder in our faith are given a large amount of respect. The wisdom that is gained from following this path for 10, 20 or 30 years is an asset to our community, and we should respect the Elders of the community for what they have learned and what they teach us. Due to the advent of the internet, there is a phenomenon growing among new seekers that is very disturbing. It involves not understanding the hard work it takes to learn the Old Ways, or the dedication and self sacrifice those who follow, and especially those who teach and guide give to the path. From this lack of understanding, new seekers think they can go to any page on the net, learn what they can and be done with it. It also leads them to think that they can ask for what they want, and someone will just hand it over. For example, I have been asked to send someone a copy of my BOS. This shows me that the person requesting this has no idea of what a BOS is, what it stands for and the process that is gone through to acquire it. This is flat out rude to begin with. This person is wanting their religion hand fed to them. They want to skip the hard work, the dedication, the pitfalls and the trials, and get right to the reward. This is simply not how it's done. This person wants the secrets and mysteries handed to them on a silver platter, without having to leave the comfort of the computer chair and work for them. This isn't possible. And I am here to say STOP. Be mindful of what you are asking. You can't go to the net, read a page or two, then go ask someone for their BOS, or even ask them to teach you. There must be effort on your part. You are not an adept after reading a page, or a book, or even ten books. The mysteries cannot be handed to you on a silver platter and you are a master of the universe. This is what I call lazy Wicca, and through lazy Wicca you will never come to experience the mysteries, because they come through dedication, hard work and a personal dedication to the Gods.Those who are out of the closet must NEVER give away the secrets of their brothers and sisters. You should never give any personal information. You should never tell the secrets of a coven, who it's leaders are, who the members are or any other information. We must honor our vows and protect those who for whatever reason have chosen to remain hidden from the eyes of the world.For those who are out of the closet, your life and your actions must be above reproach in the eyes of the world. As an open pagan, you may be the only one that a non pagan every sees. They will see every Pagan in you. So in all things you must be truthful. You must live with dignity and honor. In our discussion of ethics and etiquette the point I was trying to impress upon you is this. We have become a society who thinks that we may do as we please, act as we please and there are no consequences. We fight with the Christians. We complain about how they fight amongst themselves. We sneer at them when they point to another of them and say how that person is wrong and they way they practice is wrong. And yet, WE DO THE SAME THING. When I meet a fellow priestess, I treat her with respect as a person, and doubly so as a priestess, since I know how hard that path can be, to have dedicated your life and your service to the Gods and the Old Ways. If I meet someone who has been walking the path for 20 or 30 years, I respect that person because of the knowledge they have obtained in that time. That is not to say my 10 years is less, or they are 'more spiritual' than me. It is saying that this path is not an easy one all the time, and to have lived it every day for that amount of time is deserving of respect. I was taught as a child to respect my elders, and I believe that is still a valid lesson. The elders of this path can teach us things that we have never even thought of. At the same time, as an elder, you should always remember what it was like to take your first stumbling steps on this path, and how you may have longed for some guidance. It is just as wrong to be an elder, and act as if you know everything, or someone who is only 20 or whatever age could never be a spiritual person. We all must remember our ethics and etiquette, and encourage each other every day. We have forgotten to practice our personal ethics, and have thrown etiquette out the window. We have forgotten Emily Post and Miss Manners, and have went on about our merry little way to fight like cats and dogs, without even offering basic human respect for those with diverging views, and this troubles me. It is a plague that is infecting our community. The Witch Wars continue. We struggle to make our way the right way, even if we don't realize we are doing this. We forget the very basic teaching that we are all connected, and that all paths are valid, as long as they fulfill our spiritual needs. Let us remember our ethics. Let us live our lives with honor, treating all of life with respect. Follow your own path, without interference into another's. Work hard, study hard and receive the blessings of a life well lived. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Becoming a Witch by Morgaine copyright Morgaine 2001. This article may be reproducedfor non-commercial purposes, providing that this original copyright noticestays in place at all times. I am often asked how one becomes a witch. Do you find someone who is awitchand they make you one? Or are you a witch just by saying you are? Can youmake yourself a witch? The process of becoming a witch doesn't happen overnight. It is a lifechange, a new path upon the journey of your life. It takes consideration,study and work. If you have previously followed a mainstream religion, youmay have things that take time to let go, and new things that take time toabsorb. I have heard many people say it is often hard, coming from a life ofChristianity, to feel comfortable praying to the Goddess. All new thingstaketime, but if you are serious upon this path, you will find your way. TheGods call their own home to them. No matter how you have came about finding the Old Religion, here you are. Sowhere do you go? To the book store. For a novice, books are like the airyou breathe. You must have them, or access to them in some way. If youcannot afford, or do not feel safe having books on the Craft, the internetisthe next best place. In both books and on the internet you will find a wealth of knowledge thatwill help guide you upon your new path. Of course, as with anything else,there is good information and bad information. Avoid any kind of book, orinternet site, that speaks of controlling another person in any way, harmingthem, doing love spells on a specific person, or tells you to chant inlatin,even though you have no idea what you are saying (yes, I have seen siteslikethat). These books/sites will not fulfill your need for knowledge in theCraft and will only serve to confuse you. Once you have read a variety of books and feel called to this path, the nextstep is to find a teacher. If you have access to a teacher, in my opinionthis is the best course of action. A teacher or a coven can often be foundif there is a new age book store in your community. Also, the Witches Voiceis a site that offers networking in every state. It has grown extremelylarge over the past few years and is a valuable resource in the Craftcommunity. All of my coven members have found me on the Witches Voice. Having a mentor can offer so much to you when you are beginning. There willbe things you come across that you have a hard time understanding and needclarification. If you have a teacher, they are just a phone call or emailaway. If you do not, you must try to decifer things on your own, and maynotcome to the correct end on them. If you do not have a teacher, again, theinternet is the next best place to look. If you are only looking for a 'how to' on casting spells, then the Craft isnot for you. Witchcraft is a serious spiritual path, in which magick isperformed, but is secondary to the religion itself. I would suggest youlookto ceremonial magick for that. A couple of things need to be said about beginning this path, in light ofrecent attitudes about the Craft. Here lately it seems that you have apeople who, after reading a few books, feel as if they can call themselves amaster of the Art. They throw on a title like Lady/Lord, or HP/s, add someblack clothes, a pentacle the size of a hubcap, and they are ready to go.This is not what the Craft is about. If you have spent years following aparticular path, have worked hard for the spiritual lessons that have beenpresented to you, and through this have attained the title and rank, then byall means use it. But think of how you would feel if, after all that, youhave a newbie with 6 months and 5 books unde their belt walking aboutcallingthemselves Lady Starry Ski or Lord Thunderbutt. It is very offensive. Justlike your parents told you when you were growing up (or maybe you still are)'don't rush things, it will all come to you in the end, and be sweeter forthe waiting'. This is true with the Craft. Using titles, putting on airs,and in general acting high and mighty are not going to make you any morespiritual. And that is what this path is about. What it will do isalienateyou from people whom you may actually want to meet and get to know! All of this being said the way to become a witch is through study anddedication. Gather all of the information you can. Find the best teacherpossible. Read whatever you can get your hands on. Go outside in natureandcommune with the Goddess and God. Listen to the trees and the wind and therush of the water, for this is the witch's world. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Subject: Articles - (BOS section) Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 03:57:50 -0700 (PDT) From: Vitriol London To: postmaster@sacred-texts.com Hi there, I thought you might be interested in the following articles for your Book of Shadows section on Sacred texts. Self Dedication explained Article by David Rankine & orita =================================================== For more information on the authors please visit - www.avalonia.co.uk or if you wish to contact them please write to: BM Avalonia, London, WC1N 3XX, United Kingdom. (Please include a SAE) copyright David Rankine & orita 2000 =================================================== Initiation is a process of "death and rebirth" - the old self dies, and the new and magickal self is born. A rite of self-dedication marks a serious commitment and dedication to the path, and should not be taken lightly. Having followed your path this far, you will have noticed subtle (or not so subtle) changes in your self, and you may wish to mark this, and affirm your commitment to the path with a self-dedication ritual. Initiation is a process which happens over time, and the rite itself will benefit from being preceded by a daily practice, building up in intensity as you approach the day of the rite, with the dedication rite being the culmination of this ritual practice. As the rite marks a rebirth, into your witch self or magickal self, you may wish to obtain a new magickal item or items for it. This could be a piece of ritual jewellery, such as a pentagram pendant, or amber and jet necklace (the traditional witches necklace), or a cord you wear around your waist. Some people choose to mark their dedications by having a tattoo in a magickal design, personal to themselves. It is also good to have a magickal weapon which you will consecrate at the end of the dedication rite. A ritual dagger, or athame is the general tool chosen. Self-dedication can be very empowering, and can produce a feeling of "walking on clouds", and it is very important to earth oneself afterwards, and then to have a rest from magickal work for a period of between a week and a month. Simple daily meditation may be practised during this period, but avoid intense magickal work. Time is needed to assimilate the experience, and the dedication process should be undertaken at a time when you do not have too much outside stress, and are able to take time for yourself. It should be stressed that self-dedication is not the same as initiation into a coven, and should you wish to join a coven at a later date, you would still have to go through a probationary period and coven initiation, if accepted. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Subject: Article 2 - BOS section Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 03:59:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Vitriol London To: postmaster@sacred-texts.com A Self Dedication Ritual =================================================== For more information on the authors please visit - www.avalonia.co.uk or if you wish to contact them please write to: BM Avalonia, London, WC1N 3XX, United Kingdom. (Please include a SAE) copyright David Rankine & orita 2000 =================================================== Preparation When you decide that you want to do a self-dedication, plan the date of the ritual at least a month in advance, choosing a suitable time, perhaps consulting astrological tables, or at least the phases of the moon. It is best done on a waxing or full moon. Start your preparation at the new moon. Make sure that you have a day off work for the initiation itself. You may already have decided on a magickal or witch name. If you haven't yet decided on your witch name, find one through meditation and pathworking in the daily ritual leading up to the rite of self-initiation. Begin preparing for the self-initiation by performing a daily ritual. Start by creating a sacred space. Purify the area with incense and sprinkling salt water. Visualize a sphere around yourself, and call on the powers of the four quarters, visualizing the elemental landscapes. (more...circle casting) Call on the Goddess and the God, by whatever names you prefer to call them. Declare to the Elements, the Goddess and the God that you are embarking on the path of dedication, and ask for their help in preparing you. Spend some time in meditation on the meaning of dedication, and opening yourself up for any messages from the Goddess and God. Thank and say farewell to the Goddess, God, and Elements, and close the circle. Closer to the time Try and spend time every day in the week leading up to the self-dedication rite working out your vows and meditating. Make sure that the vows you make are realistic! It is better to make less demanding vows than to make highly demanding vows and not live up to them. The Ritual Spend the day in quiet meditation and fasting. Drink only pure water, or if you really cannot do this, allow yourself a small quantity of apple or grape juice. Do not smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs! If you are on prescribed medication, consult your doctor. If the medication is short term, wait until you have finished the course of medication before doing the ritual. If possible, go to a sacred site or wild place and attune yourself with nature. Communicate with the nature spirits, and ask for their blessings. Think about the vows that you wish to make in your initiation. Think of a vow to yourself, one to the Goddess and God, and one to the Earth. Before you start the ritual, have a purification bath. You may put essential oils, herbs or sea salt in the bath. Whilst in the bath, meditate on purifying your aura. See your aura as grey and dirty, but gradually becoming lighter and cleaner, until it is brilliant. When you emerge from the bath, allow yourself to dry naturally. Do not use a hair dryer, or rub yourself with towels. Rub your entire body with oil. This may be olive oil, grapeseed oil, or other vegetable oil, scented with pure essential oils of your choice. Perform the ritual skyclad if possible. Have an altar set up, with an altar cloth on it, with a chalice of wine, a piece of bread or cake on a platter, a censer, two altar candles, some anointing oil, your athame or other tool, any ritual jewellery which will be put on at the end of the ritual to mark your dedication, and two small dishes containing sea salt and water (from a spring or sacred well if possible). You may also wish to have images or statues of the Goddess and God on the altar. Light the candles and the incense, and purify your ritual space. Hold your hands over the water dish and say: "I purify you, Oh water, in the blessed and mighty names of the Goddess and God", visualizing it glowing with white light. Do likewise with the salt, then tip some of the salt into the water, and mix it in with your forefinger. Sprinkle the salt water around your ritual space. Visualize a circle around you. (or cast a circle in your usual way) Call on the elements, then on the Goddess and God. Declare your intent, saying something like: "I (ordinary name) am prepared for dedication. I have followed the path and fulfilled my vows, and I now call upon the Goddess and the God to confer on me wisdom and integrity. I ask for the blessings of air, fire, water and earth". Spend some time in meditation, and controlled breathing to gather energy and achieve an altered state of consciousness. You may also wish to use a mantra or chant. Meditate for a while on finding the stillness inside yourself. When you are ready, stand before the altar, and anoint yourself first with oil, then with salt water and lastly wine, saying: "I am reborn into my true and magickal self, and I take on the name of (Witch name). I ask for the blessings of the Goddess and God on my endeavours, and I vow (make your vows)". When anointing yourself you may wish to anoint your chakras, or anoint yourself with a circle, pentagram, or personal symbol. It is good to write down your vows in your magickal diary, and sign the entry with your witch name. Present yourself to the quarters, stating that you are now dedicated to the solitary path. Consecrate your ritual jewellery with the four elements (incense, water, salt and candle flame), and anoint it with oil for spirit before putting it on. Consecrate your athame or other tool in the same manner, then hold it to your heart, feeling a link with it, and filling it with your energy. Say "I am a child of earth and starry heaven." Hold it up to the moon and stars, and ask for the blessings of the cosmos on it, then touch it to the ground, and ask for the blessings of mother earth. Lastly, consecrate the wine and cake by touching your athame to them, and channelling energy through it. Drink and eat, earthing yourself, then thank the Goddess, God and Elements, and close the circle. Remember: Write up your experiences in your magickal diary. Refrain from ritual for at least the next week, whilst you integrate the work. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Subject: Article 3 - BOS section Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 04:02:18 -0700 (PDT) From: Vitriol London To: postmaster@sacred-texts.com How to find a Coven or Group =================================================== For more information on the authors please visit - www.avalonia.co.uk or if you wish to contact them please write to: BM Avalonia, London, WC1N 3XX, United Kingdom. (Please include a SAE) copyright David Rankine & orita 2000 =================================================== How to find a Coven or Group If you are looking for a group then going out and meeting people and talking, asking questions and showing your intent of finding a group are the most important steps. If you stay at home and never mingle with other people then don't expect anything to happen. This is not a 'spoonfed' path to walk, there is a lot of serious work involved and when you do find a group,the work doesn't stop. Joining a Coven means giving up a lot of free time, subsituting social time for Coven time and spending a lot of time studying and experiencing... So which ever path you follow, and which ever type of group you are seeking - make an effort and be patient. In big cities such as the one we live in, London (UK) there is no reason to say 'But there is nothing to go to'. There are online organisations such as WWL who keep their members informed of social events, workshops, training groups, conferences and open rituals. The WWL also organise events just for their members, so that you can meet the faces behind the names. To find out more about WWL visit: http://www.avalonia.co.uk. The Witches Voice - http://www.witchvox.com is another great resource. You can find contacts with similar interests to yourself to correspond with, but most importantly they list all the major events, conferences and festivals organised by Pagans from all over the world. They also list smaller events, such as pub moots and workshops. In parts of the world it is not that easy, and you might have to travel to attend conferences or workshops. This might seem like a lot of work just to meet other people, but if you are serious then travel should not deter you from your path. When you do get the oppurtunity to meet other Pagans make an effort to ask around about open groups and other events. As the organisers of the event if they know of groups which might be taking on new trainees. It is important to note that even in big cities such as London there are very few new groups forming and the groups in existance might only take on a trainee every few years. Those who do might expect to interview you to see if you will fit in with the rest of their group. If this happens take the oppurtunity to interview them too! Be honest with them, but make sure that their answers also satisfy you. Ask what they will be expecting from you and what training they will be providing you with. Unfortunately there are still some dubious groups using the name of Wicca to cover other activities. Do not just join a group because they happen to be the first one which approaches you! Remember: You should feel comfortable with your HPS & P; Sex should not be expected in return for training, nor should it be part of your initiation; You should not be expected to contribute large sums of money in return for training - although you should expect to contribute towards temple expenses; Confidentiality is VERY important in Wiccan groups; Expect a lot of hard work! Finally you should enjoy being part of the group you join! sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com BOOK OF THE WHOLE LIBER I : ON THE LIES OF THE CHILD OF THE BEAST BY: DRACONIS :*:ANK-SHA-SAROON 1.Many have failed to see the True Nature of Mankind. 2. For mankind know not the true Splendor that is me. 3. I give this message unto you so that you can pass it onto the Children of the Beast. 4. For He is a lie, He is a sin. 5. Mankind knows naught but shame. 6. They fear the truth, and they reject rality. 7. Hath not the Will to Learn, though hath the Will to teach. 8. He teaches them all lies. For all He Knows are Lies. 9. The New Aeon has come. As It has been fortold. 10. The Beast has risen. He is that who has lied to You all. 11. The One claims to be the Son of Jehovah. Though He is the Son of the Beast. 12. A Child portrayed by Sin and engulfed in Shame. 13. He died for Your Sins, though he hath no name. 14. The Only Sin Mankind knows is Shame. 15. As they ate from the Tree of Life, they were blinded by the Lies. 16. He claims that these Lies are reality. That the Liar is the Beast. 17. The Only Way to Salvation is through the death of Desire. 18. Salvation is the Key. 19. The Key of Man is Sin. 20. The Sin of Man is Shame! 21. If thou teaches Sin then thou know only Shame. 22. the Book of Sin is the Book of Shame. 23. His disciples taught lies. 24. They taught fear. 25. They taught slavery. 26. They taught Shame. 27. They claim to do Jehovah's work. 28. They claim to be prophets. 29. Has it not said that to beware the false prophet? 30. Though the prophet himself was false? 31. He taught lies and He taught fear. 32. I repeat this to You. 33. The truth is inside Of You. 34. Apostiles brought forth the Lies from Heaven. 35. The Lies are the Book of Truth. 36. Mankind reject these truths. 37. For You are ignorant and You are hipocrates. 38. You ignore the Truth and follow Lies. 39. Which of His revelations came true? 40. Let the Word be burnt! 41. Spit in the eyes of the False Ones. 42. Let none stride You away from achieving Your Desire. 43. Desire is a lie. 44. Then Jehovah created the world with his word of Command. 45. Though whenHe sent his son down for us to pray with He hath sent an imposter! 46. For Christ was a fake. He was a Son of The Beast. 47. Created into manifestation through the lies of the One. 48. These are the truths that you hear. 49. For the truth lies inside us all. 50. For if we naught look within, we shall never find it without. 51. The Nature of Man is this: Lies, lies, lies! 52. Lies taught by Jehovah's Son? 53. No. Lies taghut by the Child of the Beast. 54. For this is the Age of Truth. 55. The One and Twenty centuries of the Earth shall We know the Truth. 56. The Book is written. It cannot be erased. 57. The Lies are in our minds and must be denied. 58. Teach not lies Thou servents! 59. Teach love and Wholeness. 60. Teach Forgivness and Condemn not to death! 61. It is written to command death. 62. Thou shalt never condemn to death. 63. Ye shal never subject Another to discrimination. 64. For the Prophet said "Love All Unto the Being". 65. Let these truths hold near to You. 66. Let them always Be. 67. For just as You are here to Be, Let the Truths be known to thee. 68. The truths said are those by Man. 69. Follow not thier empty lies. 70. With the grace of the One unto You all. 71. By the powers of Love and Life. 72. Spread my Word and Teach them the Truth! DRAONIS:*:ANK-SHA-SAROON *********************** LIBER II: THE RITUAL OF EMBRACING THE SELF DRACONIS:*:ANK-SHA-SAROON I The key to Inner knowledge and salvation is through discipline of the Self. The Mind is the mystery. The Body is the Temple. The Spirit is the Will. Ye shall endure through suffering perfection of the Self is the Death of Desire under Will. Read not the words of the rite unless You decide to perform it. Once you have agreed to embrace Yourself to the Gods and Goddesses, then shall ye be granted knowledge and wisdom that was once unknown. The Occult shall no longer be. The truth shall be Hidden No More! II 1. Ye shall have with you a dagger, a star, a cup, and Your Book. 2. The Book shall be of Your secrets. 3. Arange the items as listed onto an altar. Have a statue of the Goddess and Her consort Pan. 4. Kneel before thine altar and raise the Dagger high above. 5. Thus through Your voice proclaim: "I am of the Gods, and to the Gods I do submit myself! I give unto thee my soul, and I give to thee my Whole! I shall be granted My Rebirth!" 6. Thus shall youtake thy Blood and mix it within the blessed cup of life. 7. Mix it with the Holy Water. 8. Then shall You raise the Cup to the Gods and Say: "My Body shal be pure, My Mind shall be Pure, My spirit shall be pure, I embrace Myself, I take thine Mysteries inside of Me!" 9. Upon thine proclimation, shall ye drink the Cup of Life. 10. Lie onto the ground before thine altar. 11. In the position of the God with arms across your chest, raise the ancient powers by chanting thier sacred names: "Nuit, Rah, Pan! Ares, Dionyus, Graal! Horned Hunter of the Night, Great One of the Seas, Silent One of the Skies, And Mighty Lord of Might! I invoke thine sacred Name, The One is the All, The All is the Many!" 12. Ye shall arise and raise the Star. 13. Hold it upon Your Heart. 14. Proclaim Yourself as a servent of the Gods. 15. Then drop the star and raise your arms. 16. In a Loud and Demanding voice, say these words: "Great Goddess I take thee inside of Me, I pledge My loyalty to thee, As I head into Your Arms, Shall ye then make Me Whole, I shall endure, All that You know, Isis, Hecate, Diana, Cerridwen, Artimes, Athena!" 17. Then shall you meditate 18. After completion of the Ritual, ye shall scribe all you have seen. 19. And shall ye scribe all You Now know. 20. For You have now been initiated into the Spirit's Glow! 21. "Love Unto All, and Fallow thine self!" END OF RITE ANK-SHA-SAROON ****************** LIBER III THE ONLY SIN OF MANKIND IS SHAME TAUGHT THROUGH LIES By: DRACONIS:*:ANK-SHA-SAROON I The Sin of Man is shame. When Eve ate from the Tree of Life she knew the truth. The truth was Shame. Then she Gave the fruit to Adam. Who was taught the Lies of Man. The snake was not a serpent. He was the Lies. He taught them the truth of shame. For it has been seen inside His eyes! The Sin is here and shall always be. Nothing can hide it. The woman had given man the gift. The gift of Shame. So too did Christianity. Christ gave the gift of Shame. For shame is the only Sin of Mankind. All Mankind knoweth is Shame. For Shame is the lies taught by the Child. The Child was the Son. The One was the Father. And the Lies were the Holy Spirit. For Mankind know now the lies. They will never forget. Thier desires are then never met. For they are blinded by the lies. The Lies of Shame. II The Will is the Control, The Will is the life! Spread Will until you All, And fear Not for I have come! I am Here. I have always Been, I shall teach to You the Sin! III The Sin of Man is Shame, Repeat not he mistake again! Teach love and naught fear, For I am always here! I shall arise until the end, And teach to you my friends! ANK-SHA-SAROON FINISHED sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Physics and the Basic Principle of Visualization Magick by Dan Introduction: For starters, I would like to say a few things about myself to set the record straight. I have a Masters degree in Quantum Field Theory, am working on my PhD in the same, and am a practicing, if tyro, shaman. I have read in several places that the best way to start in magick is to read read read read, and I have noticed several articles using Physics to explain magickal arguments. Unfortunately, many of these articles either do not explain the Physics very well or are just plain wrong. I am not disrespecting these people: after all, not everyone can be a Physicist! I thought I would write a brief article to clear up a few issues on the nature of probability in Physics as well as how probability might play a role in magick.The following article is essentially a short paper on the Metaphysics behind what I call "visualization magick." I am not going to footnote: all of the Physics arguments are well known and documented and can be found in any introductory text on Quantum Mechanics. As for my magickal arguments, well, they are as correct as I can make them. Naturally, I accept responsibility for any errors contained in this article. The Nature of Investigation: Most of the science done today is based on a problem solving technique called the "Scientific Method." The Scientific Method is a well-established way to start from the basic principles behind a problem and develop an experimentally based explanation of a given phenomenon. It has been used successfully for centuries. There is one problem with this method, though: it can be very difficult to incorporate any newly discovered facts that do not fit the structure of the current scientific theory. This point has been raised repeatedly when scientists try to discover the nature of ghosts, ESP, etc. I think it is natural to take the viewpoint that any axiomatic structure, such as the sciences, can only explain certain types of phenomena. Other systems, such as magick, can explain other phenomena. It is interesting that these different axiomatic structures can overlap: they can explain the same types of phenomena, but they explain them in different ways. One might call different axiomatic systems as "paradigms," or "representations." Whatever you call them, it is important not to mix the different systems, because the any term defined in one representation are not likely to have the same meaning in another. For example, anyone trying to explain a magickal phenomenon in terms of Physics needs to be careful of how the word "energy" is used. Energy in magick will not necessarily mean the same thing as it does in Physics. (Incidentally, energy is not a well-defined concept in Physics!) In the remainder of this article I am going to discuss the Physics representation known as the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Physics (CI) and, within that representation, provide an explain of visualization magick. Schrodinger's Cat and Quantum Reality: When most people think of Physics, they think of equations, math, and all sorts of difficult problems. In actuality, Physics is based on very simple arguments and can often be put in the form of puzzles that illustrate the basic principles. For instance, Classical Physics can usually be put into the form of some little guy (or person, for you extreme liberalists) firing a cannon over a ravine. Classical Physics describes what we see and touch in everyday life. We are familiar with it and it is the representation that makes the most sense to us. Another representation, which is more basic, is that of Quantum Reality. Classical Reality is fully contained within Quantum Reality, but Quantum Reality contains more phenomena, much of it things we do not see in day-to-day life. Not really accepting Quantum Reality for what it is, Erwin Schrodinger devised a thought experiment to show the odd nature of what Quantum Physics implies. He was essentially trying to ridicule the interpretation of the science he was helping to develop. The thought experiment is known as "Schrodinger's Cat." We start with building a switch device based on quantum principles. We are going to take an atom of a radioactive material and place it inside a detector. The detector sends a signal to a switch if the atom decays. Now, all atoms decay eventually, and the amount of time it takes for half the amount of a radioactive material to decay is called the "half-life" of the material. So the chance our one atom will decay in one half-life is 50%. Thus, after one half-life, our switch has an equal chance of being "on" or "off." We now connect a vial of the deadliest poison to the switch; if the switch is "off" then the poison vial is closed, if the switch is "on" then the poison vial is open and any creature in contact with the poison will die instantly. Now place the quantum switch and vial of poison along side a cat in a sealed box. The question is after one half-life has elapsed, is the cat alive or is it dead? Since there is a 50% chance that the atom has decayed in one half-life, our "logical" answer must be that the cat has a 50% chance of being alive or dead. No other answer in our (Classical Reality) experience makes any sense. We cannot say with certainty if the cat is either alive or dead. However, we are asking a question that requires a specific answer. Is the cat alive, or is it dead? Quantum Reality gives us a third, and actually the only valid, answer to this problem. The cat is in a mixed quantum state of both alive and dead as far as anyone outside the sealed box is concerned. That is, the cat is only in a specific state of alive or dead when someone called a "quantum observer" looks inside the box to determine the state of the cat. This leads us to all sorts of metaphysical problems about the cat as well as the problem of what defines a quantum observer. The Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Reality: The Quantum Reality representation of the result of the Schrodinger's cat experiment does not make any sense as far as Classical Reality is concerned. Nevertheless, it has good basis in Physics. Many of the top Physicists of the time (around the 1930's I believe) met in Copenhagen to discuss Quantum Mechanics. Several topics were on the board there and eventually a consensus was made as to the nature of a quantum system: if a system is not measured it exists in a superposition of all possible quantum states. When the system is measured, it falls into one specific state. (For you Physics buffs, this is the concept behind the Born interpretation of the wave function.) This representation has become known as the "Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Physics." (CI) According to the CI, Schrodinger's cat is both alive and dead until someone opens the box to look. There is one other way to look at Quantum reality, but you pay a severe price. The representation, called the "Many Worlds Theory," states that every time a quantum level decision is made, the Universe splits into two or more copies, one for each outcome of the decisions. The Many Worlds interpretation of Schrodinger's cat states that the Universe splits into two copies: one with a dead cat and the other with a live cat. When we open the box we find out which Universe we are in. Personally, I find this representation to be a bit ridiculous, but you may feel free to choose which one you like the most. Both the Many Worlds and the CI make exactly the same predictions and we cannot tell which one is correct (if either!). The Double Slit Experiment: The Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment does not really tell us anything about the real world unless we can prove it. Obviously, we are not going to learn anything from killing cats (and why would we want to anyway?) so we need to turn to another experiment to give us some facts. The Young's double slit experiment does just that and is almost as simple as Schrodinger's Cat. First though we need to talk about light. When Sir Isaac Newton was doing his experimentation on light he decided, based on his experiments on reflection, refraction, and the sharpness of shadows, that light was made of little particles, which he dubbed "corpuscles." (We now call corpuscles photons.) Later on, interference experiments (such as the Young double slit) showed that light was made of waves, not particles. Was the great Sir Isaac wrong?? Not entirely. In the early 1900s, a man named DeBroglie showed that electrons, which are "obviously" particles, could be thought to have a wavelike character. Eventually scientists realized that all subatomic particles have both wave and particle properties...subatomic "particles" are neither particles nor waves, but are something else which we have come to call by the badly punned name of "wavicles." (If you are a John Gribbon fan, as I am, then you may like to call subatomic particles "slivey toves.") When we run an experiment that assumes light is a particle, light behaves as if it were made of particles; when we run an experiment that assumes light is a wave, light behaves as if it were a wave. Young's double slit experiment assumes light is going to behave as a wave. We start with a monochromatic (single colored) light source and pass it through a slit so that we obtain a set of equally spaced wave fronts. We pass these wave fronts through a wall that has two tiny holes in it, equally spaced from the center point. Beyond the wall is our "detector:" essentially a TV that records the wave pattern striking the screen. A diagram of the double slit experiment may be found in any introductory Physics text, just look under the term "interference" in the index. When we turn the light source on, we see a pattern of light and dark areas on the TV screen. This is the expected result since light is a wave and the two slits create an interference pattern: the peaks and troughs of the wave cancel out in different regions on the TV screen. This is entirely due to the fact of those two little holes in the wall...if there was only one tiny hole in the wall then we would only see one point of light on the TV screen and no interference. The one hole experiment is more like treating light as a particle rather than a wave, and we get no interference from it since particles do not interfere with themselves. Now let us play with the experiment a bit. We are going to presume that light is made of particles and install detectors in both holes in the wall to see which hole the photon goes through. What kind of pattern do we get on the TV screen now? According to Classical Reality it had better be an interference pattern again. Nope. We get two little points of light on the TV screen. Why? Because we are thinking of light as particles we detected the particles, so they cannot interfere with each other. Let's play with this again. We are going to take the original double slit experiment and this time put the photon detector right in front of the light source and then we are going to run the double slit experiment only letting one photon through at a time. Obviously, we only get a point of light on the TV screen each time a photon passes through. However, let us record where each photon hits and run a bunch of single photons through the experiment. What do we get on the TV screen? We might expect to see two little points of light on the screen, but we do not. We now get a full-fledged interference pattern! Remember, this is a composite pattern made up of individual photons going through the experiment, not a bunch of waves. This is truly weird. There are only two ways to explain this last result, neither of them comfortable. Consider a photon passing through hole #1 as a photon in state 1 and a photon going through hole #2 as a photon in state 2. The only way we can get an interference pattern is if we have something going through BOTH holes at the same time. This implies that the photon is traveling through the double slit apparatus in both states at the same time. Remember we are not trying to detect which state the photon is in as it goes through the holes, so the CI predicts that the photon is in both states, just as the results say it must be. (We can make a similar argument for the Many Worlds case as well). This is hard experimental evidence for the CI and has not been contradicted in the last 70 years or so. Just the opposite...other experiments have lent validity to the CI. (By the way, this same experiment has been done with electrons and, I believe, neutrons as well.) The Extreme Copenhagen Interpretation and Your Quantum Universe: What follows is my personal interpretation of the Physics mentioned above. Let us go back to Schrodinger's Cat since it is the simpler experiment. We need to discuss what makes a quantum observer again, because it is a tricky point. A quantum observer is some nebulous thing that takes a measurement of a system. What is it that creates the measurement process? Presumably, we have two systems to consider: the first is the actual experiment that we want to measure, and the second is the system that does the measuring. Therefore, if we take the measurement process to its most basic level, a measurement is the process by which the experimental system "gives" information to the observer's system. This information exchange is mediated by photons (or W, Z, gluons, etc. Basically any boson you wish. That's another topic.) To make a long story short, the observer gets information from the experiment by absorbing a photon. This means that an electron can serve as a quantum observer since a absorbing a photon will alter the electron's state. A quantum observer does not actually need to have an intelligence to function; it merely needs to respond to the experiment in some way. So. Let us go back to Schrodinger's Cat. According to the scientist running the experiment the cat is both alive and dead until the box is opened. Say that he opens the box and knows the state of the cat. Now look at the people in the next room who are waiting to hear from the scientist in the room with the cat. According to them, the cat is STILL in that odd alive and dead mixed state. We can go further and state that the whole lab we ran the experiment in is in an undetermined state since the scientist in the lab might take different actions depending on the state of the cat. No one outside the lab can possibly know what is going on in the lab. Now look at the people in the next room beyond that, etc. What we have is a nested set of "Schrodinger's Cats." Until the information is passed between different rooms, the set of rooms inside exists in a mixed state. We can take this argument to an (I feel logical) extreme. Since the individual particles in our bodies act as quantum observers the only pertinent information we have about the state of the Universe at large is what we perceive through our senses. Therefore, anything that we do not perceive through our senses exists in a mixed state similar to Schrodinger's alive/dead cat: nothing exists in a definite state unless we are sensing it. This is what I call the "Extreme Copenhagen Interpretation." (ECI) What this implies, then, is that each of us exists in our own personal universes and everything exterior to that universe exists in an undetermined state until we sense it. Note: I am going to ignore the question of other people existing...I will assume other people exist and our knowledge of their reality comes from the "interference" of these multiple universes. To give a quick example consider the question: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to see it fall, does it make any noise?" The ECI states that since no one was around, the tree is in a mixed state of existance/non-existance. Furthermore it has fallen/not fallen, much less made any noise/silence. Since the tree does not directly influence your universe, you cannot say anything definite about it even existing, even though you may have seen the tree an hour ago. The Basic Principle of Visualization Magick: The ECI tells us that what we sense is what is contained in our universe. In order to do magick we need (at least) one more principle. When we do visualization magick, we actually feel what it is that we visualize. The ECI says that what we feel makes up our reality. Combining these two statements, we have what I call the "Basic Principle of Visualization Magick." What we visualize becomes real in our universe. This principle can be demonstrated by a simple spell, which I call an "empowering" spell. First, enter a light meditative state. (This first step may also be achieved by casting a circle.) Next visualize a blanket of white fire surrounding you, starting at your feet and working its way up to encompass your whole body. Hold this visualization until you can actually feel the fire surrounding you, cleansing your spirit and not letting any darkness penetrate your being. Now visualize your hands held outward from your body and let a globe of white fire come into being between your hands. Hold the globe there until you can feel it. This globe of fire represents your inner strength and the longer you hold it the more in touch with your strength you will be. The result of this spell is that you will feel empowered and more able to cope with the challenges of your life. Is this magick, physics, or psychology? Remember, how we view our universe depends on the representation we use. In this case, the empowering spell may be viewed in any one of these representations. Using the ECI to describe the spell what we are doing is literally bringing up our inner strength as a concrete object and physically contacting it. We know it is there because we can feel it, therefore according to the ECI it has an actual existence. A similar argument holds for essentially any magick that has its basis in visualization or feelings. The ECI explains how magick can affect our own universe, what about someone else's? After all many witches (warlocks, sorcerers, etc.) will claim that their magick affects other people, not just their own universe. We can use visualization magick to show how this might work, so there is not necessarily any conflict here. You (presumably) put some clothes on today so anyone that sees you will see those clothes and all of them will be able to describe the same set of clothing. You know you are wearing a certain set of clothes, and your best friend came up to you and mentioned something about the outfit, so you know she saw them. Both of you agree on the set of clothes because both of your universes came into contact, i.e. the two universes interfere because they both contain quantum observers. Now, can your best friend say anything about what you are wearing three hours after you parted? No, because you might have changed clothes. (Or Heck, you might be skinny-dipping in the local watering hole!) Once the universes are out of contact they no longer interfere.To continue the analogy, if you feel something in your universe then it is real in your universe and thus, because your universe interferes with other universes the effect may well be real in someone else's universe. Say you know a spell to create a rainstorm. It will happen in your universe. Whether or not it happens in someone else's universe depends on the strength of the interference between your universe and theirs. I would suppose that the strength of the interference depends on the strength of your belief (and that of others) that you can make it rain. Taking things at face value, I would say that it would take a tremendously powerful mage to create an effect in someone else's universe seeing how difficult it is to create a magickal effect in our own universe. Note: I am aware the rain spell probably has nothing to do with visualization magick. I am also aware that other magickal principles could come into play here. Remember that I am using a representation, the ECI, to explain an effect. The ECI is probably not a good representation to discuss a rainmaking spell! Summary: The way we explain an effect depends on the representation we use. The rules for which a representation is a good representation to explain an effect are not known, though we may certainly use common sense to guide us. The CI is a well-established representation that is used in modern day Physics. A logical extension to the CI is the ECI, which states that we all live in our own individual universe and that the Universe is composed of the interference of these personal universes. The ECI provides a way for Physics to explain the phenomenon of visualization magick by stating that what we feel is what is real in our universe. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Greetings and Aloha, As a mother witch I have come up with a chant that is quite appropriate for any birthing ritual. Use and enjoy: Tiny bud, swelling nub, resting in the womb Unleashing spark, in the dark, birthing to be soon Healthy child, labor mild, mother safe and strong Nature flow, now to growm a household before long Bright Blessings , Me Aloha Pumehana Lady Maeve Moerae Coven Honolulu, Hawaii sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Brujeria Brujeria. For many, it is nothing more than the Spanish word for witchcraft. But for a growing number of North Americans, Brujeria is something much more complex--it is a religion, not unlike Wicca. I would like to volunteer to contribute some articles to the archive on this Pagan path. Myself, I am what is known as the Roja, or Red Priestess, of a temple here in Philadelphia. One does not need to be of Hispanic/Latin descent to celebrate Brujeria--I am not. As a sample, allow me to offer you what is known as the Rule of the Brujo. Much of Brujeria is done in Spanish or in the native language of Nahuatl, but much is being brought into English. "The one who made the Rule known is not known, but from this person the Rule spread unto the Olmecs, unto the Toltecs, unto the Aztecs, and ultimately the Rule has come down to us. That there is one piece of the rule for every full moon in the solar year is a certainty. The universe is a living thing (which is an idea brought into modern Brujeria from Aztec cosmology), and Brujeria is a method of interacting with the living energy of the universe. A brujo/bruja practices what could be termed magic by attuning himself/herself to this living energy. This living energy can seize a brujo/bruja at any time, or through the concentrated work of an impromptu and inspired ritual. An individual enters Brujeria through a personal encounter with the living energy. Once a brujo, always a brujo. It is something that cannot be shaken off. Brujos are born and cannot be made, even if they do not come to realize their place in Brujeria until much later in life. A brujo has no ethical laws or limits to restrict his magic. However, he must also assume complete responsability for his actions and be willing to submit to the consequences. 'A dead brujo is more powerful and more dangerous than a living brujo.' What exactly this means is up for interpretation. As Mexican Presidente Beinito Juarez said, "Respect for the rights of others is peace." Brujos are free to use their abilities for non-brujos. Example situations are healing, spiritual counselling, and the creation of hechizos ("spellwork"). Brujeria is a community bound together by the living energy of the universe, and all brujos are brothers and sisters. A brujo is pledged to assist a fellow brujo wherever and whenever needed. Some of what makes Brujeria can be revealed to non-brujos but most of Brujeria must remain between brujos alone. Brujeria is learned from brujo to brujo, and through interaction with the living energy." I hope I can make a contribution that will enhance the archive. AmberJaguar sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Gender and Nature in Contemporary NeoPaganism by Salamantis Email: joedees@bellsouth.net In recent decades, several social and political movements have had profound impacts upon the popular Western psyche. Collectively, they pose a powerful challenge to religiously grounded relational paradigms which until recently have been accepted almost without question. These movements include the human rights trio (ethnic/racial civil rights, lesbian/gay rights and feminism) and environmentalism. The last two of these, feminism and environmentalism, have been converging to the degree that a common discipline, ecofeminism, has been born. Although some affinities exist between these two and the others, the only solid connection seems to be the choice by some feminists of lesbianism on ideological grounds in spite of their personal sexual preferences. What could the womenIs rights movement have in common with the attempt to preserve and protect our planetary ecology which the homosexual and nonwhite rights movements do not share? To answer this question, we must take a look at the paradigm they are all opposing, and in what ways each of them oppose it. Our Present Paradigm This paradigm is drawn from the moral laws set down in the holy texts of the religions comprising mainstream Western Monotheism. These religions mainly include Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Zoroastrianism; their texts include the Bible, the Koran and the Zend Avesta. For purposes of simplicity and brevity, we shall call this the JCIZ paradigm. JCIZ postulates a single omniscient, omnipotent and relatively benevolent male deity (Jahweh, Jehovah, God or Lord, Allah or Ahura Mazda), who created and populated the world but is essentially transcendent with respect to it. This deity is opposed by another somewhat less knowing and powerful, relatively malevolent male deity (Lucifer, the Devil, Shaitan or Ahriman), who is also essentially supernatural. These two opposed forces of good and evil, light and darkness, contend with each other by intervening in our affairs. Each of us shall spend eternity with whichever one he or she allies with; in any case this earth is a temporary inconvenience, unimportant in the greater order of things. It is in our interest to ally ourselves with the Igood guyO, and we know how to do this because HeIs thoughtfully sent us a male savior or prophet or avatar (Moses, Jesus, Mohammed or Zarathustra) to so inform us. We are now in a position to understand the special affinity between feminism and environmentalism. Homosexuality is condemned and slavery condoned in the JCIZ, but if these tendencies were reversed, it would not compromise the underpinnings of the theological structure; gay/lesbian rights identical to those of straights and white/nonwhite equality are no metaphysical threat to the integrity of the system. The religious ramifications of feminism and environmentalism, however, strike it to its very core. By criticizing the consequences of following the JCIZ, they indict as immoral or unwise the premises upon which it is based, and do so from the perspective of an alternative paradigm which derives from many pagan sources past and present, but which is crystallized in Wicca. Feminism In the JCIZ, all deities are male, the first human is male, and any central prophets or saviors are male. In the cosmic play, women are relegated to the roles of dupe, slave, rebellious whore, broodmare and submissive saint. Mary DalyIs dictum that if God is male, the male is God has the existential corollary, within the JCIZ, of reducing females to nothing. In order to follow GodIs plan, women must submit to their husbandsI rule in particular, and to male authority in general. Men may have to attend the school of hard knocks, but women are stuck with their homework. They are to raise their many children but not their voices, for fear of getting knocked about themselves. This excision of the feminine from spiritual significance and their resulting societal subservience has provoked, within many contemporary women, a soul alienation of Marxian proportions. Revolt against the predominance of this divine chain of being has followed, and the guerillas have not been exclusively female. Some men have come to feel cramped and pigeonholed in the role of overseer on the domination plantation and degraded and ashamed of what is expected of them there. They have therefore joined the rebellion against the JCIZ gender hierarchy, agreeing with Martin Luther King that you canIt hold folks down in a ditch unless you climb down in there with them. As women and men come to the practical conclusion that only equality of rights, responsibilities and opportunities works, however, they also tend to come to the spiritual conclusion that this is true because the sexes equally approach divinity. This, however, would require deity to be comprised of masculinity and femininity in equal measure, which of course directly contradicts the JCIZ. Environmentalism In the JCIZ, the Creator packed a hostile and bountiful world like a reluctant lunchbox for fallen humanity (read man) to suffer, endure, dominate, subdue and exploit for his own benefit. This divine license for exploitation without regard to consequences in the name of greed has borne bitter fruit. Because we have not held our common home in reverence, or honored her as sacred to us, we have felt free to pollute, pillage, rape and otherwise profane her. Yet, after fouling our own nest, we seem surprised to find ourselves surrounded by human filth, with the blood of extinguished comrade species crying out inconsolably from the bleak bare ground. We are coming painfully to the understanding that the earth is our source and foundation, and that poisoning and impoverishing her can only hasten our own hollow demise. However, the grasping of the fact that we are only a part of something much older, wiser, grander and more complex than ourselves draws us inexorably to an experience of awe and sublimity in the presence of the sheer marvel of it. We begin to see ourselves as tiny threads, which, by some miracle, are able to sense the weave of a gigantic dancing tapestry (and the reality is much more wondrous than that). The earth becomes hallowed for us. But this contradicts the JCIZ premise that it is transcendent Deity which is holy, not a nature which, compared to the supernatural, must remain substandard. ForbiddenFruit Ecological degradation may be divided into natural resource depletion and biosphere pollution, but both have overpopulation as a root cause. Overpopulation drives us like lemmings to mow our global lungs for farmland, lumber and cattle pasture, sapping species diversity in the process. It drives us to strip-mine our eroding soil to build skyscrapers, cars and soda cans. It drives us to burn our fossil fuels, overheating our atmosphere and decimating our ozone sunscreen for the sake of light, mobility, plastic containers and air-conditioned comfort for a small percentage of our teeming billions. It drives us to turn our over- fished oceans into toxic cesspools when our rivers bear our pesticides, factory byproducts and sewage to the seas. Furthermore, the resulting competition for room and resources on a shrinking sphere has led our infant race to nurse the barrel of the nuclear gun. It is ecologically imperative that we control our rate of reproduction generally, and the fundamental pillar of feminism that women must have the right to control their own reproduction individually. To this dovetailing of the calls of personal freedom and global necessity, the JCIZ responds with an iron demand frozen for thousands of years in the face of catastrophically changing circumstances; you must be fruitful and multiply. Ecofeminism The realization that birth control is both a feminist and an environmental issue is one of many pattern matches which ecofeminists have found. They follow the clue given by the phrase IMother NatureI to the conclusion that women and the earth have both been victimized by the same attitudes of subjection, rapaciousness, violation, penetration of virgin territory, stripping, despoiling and defloration. They consider this an unfortunate result of the separation of the sexes into godlike, transcendent man and earthy, immanent woman, into man as mind and woman as body, found in the JCIZ. This partition, for ecofeminists, is based on the differing positions of the sexes with regard to childbirth; men observe, women participate. Women also, like the earth, produce food, and can be planted with seed when in season; hence the ancient occurrence of the term IplowingI for intercourse. Sexist theological Cartesianism, however, is untenable; the JCIZIs gender-based spirit/flesh dichotomy has been an injurious illusion. Self-aware parts of nature are still woven into the web they perceive. Mind, whether abstract or concrete, and of either gender, is a bodily based, earthly and evolutionarily emergent phenomenon. The main division within ecofeminism is between IgenderI and InatureI ecofeminists. The IgenderI ecofeminists believe that male-female relationships are the source of a domination pattern that is generalized to apply to culture-nature relationships, and that if we replace it with an egalitarian sexual partnership pattern, our environmental abuse will stop. INatureI ecofeminists believe just the opposite; that replacing the egocentric, exploitative and uncaring attitudes underlying environmental abuse with valuing, consequence based stewardship will repair male-female relationships by osmosis. I think that the domination pattern is imprinted during child-rearing, and that to end it, we have to embrace noncoercive methods of socializing our young. The Challenge of Neopaganism Neopaganism Generally The Neopagan alternatives to the JCIZ paradigm trace their roots to prehistoric Eurasian and African tribal and shamanic nature religions, and count the Amerindian and Australian aboriginal traditions as siblings. From them, Pagans have taken their reverence for the earth and their celebration of the more feminine principles of divinity. They generally create sacred space by casting a circle (which is the intersection between a sanctified sphere and the ground), and calling the four directions, which correspond to the four elements, and to the divisions of a day, a moon cycle, a year and a lifetime, and much else. Their holy days fall on the solstices and the equinoxes, on the midpoints between them (the cross-quarters), and/or on full moons. In addition, they honor personal rites of passage; such as birth, a naming of the child (sometimes called wiccaning), puberty, marriage (known as handfasting), menopause (croning), and death. Contemporary neopagan groups include the Fellowship of Isis, Ar n Draiocht Fein (Our Own Druidism), the Church of all Worlds, Asatru and the Church of the Eternal Source. Wicca Specifically All the above is true of Wicca, but when casting their circles most also call the Earth Mother, Sky Father, and Center, this last representing both the individual selves of the participants and the common center they create by joining together. They also thank and dismiss them when they open their circles upon the conclusion of their ritual workings.Wicca follows a gender- complementary immanent duotheism comprised of a God and a Goddess; for Wicca, deity is double and non-transcendent. The distinctions between them entail neither mutual hostility nor the subservience of either to the other, but instead require the co- presence in dynamic symmetry of these differing yet equi- primordial principles for circumstances to proceed. The fundamentalist belief in the actual existence of these deities is not a prerequisite for becoming Wiccan. In fact, many, if not most, Wiccans view the Earth Mother and Sky Father as archetypes in the Jungian sense, and as lenses through which to apprehend, and grasp in concrete, human-friendly terms, a totality which is too vast and ineffable to be circumscribed by finite minds. Wiccans consider all Goddesses and Gods throughout history as cultural manifestations of these principles, revel in the diversity of expression that they find, and borrow whatever they find that works for them. In this sense, Wicca does not enslave and use its adherents; rather it is the case that Wicca is made use of by them, as a spiritual tool with which to focus their passions and intentions upon the realizations of their plans and desires. The conceptions and attributes surrounding these deities are not inscribed for all time in any holy text, but are flexible, for Wicca is an evolving, pragmatic religion with little dogmatic baggage. Wicca's central ritual, the Great Rite, consists of dipping a dagger in a chalice of wine in symbolic intercourse. The Christian Communion, in contrast, is symbolic cannibalism.Wicca has one major law, the Law of Three (any action, whether well or ill intentioned, is returned to its source threefold), and one commandment, the Wiccan Rede (Iif it harms none, do what you willI). While these admonishments do emphasize personal freedom, they link it to personal responsibility, and the consequences of following them are a strict self-discipline, since one is expected to strive not to harm oneself, others, or the biosphere we share. Their more magickal practices include a Santeria-like invocation of the masculine principle by the priest and of the feminine principle by the priestess (the Drawing Down of the Sun or Moon), and Raising the Cone of Power. This practice involves an entering of the group into a shamanic state of consciousness, usually by means of some combination of dancing, chanting and drumming, preparatory to attempts at divination or spellcasting. The Earth Mother represents the foundation or substrate of change; the matter underlying form, the being beneath becoming. She is omnipresent, although aspects of her may undergo periodic change. She never dies. The feminine principle of divinity encompasses the cyclical-intuitive, synthesizing, fecund- formative, nourishing aspect, with its emphases on the personal and collective dream worlds, and on relatedness.The Sky Father represents the changes of form that must occur in the life cycle and food chain. He withdraws and returns, and never lingers. He is the God of the inseparability of hunter and prey, and of the cycle of vegetation. He is born of the Mother, grows, flowers and dies, to be reborn of his own seed the following year. The masculine principle of divinity encompasses the linear-logical, analyzing, fertilizing aspect, with its emphases on ego, task and individuality.A combination of these traits is preferable to either alone, and all people are considered to have their own particular ratios of these attribute sets; their own yin-yang or anima-animus blend. Modern Wicca publicly began in 1949 when Gerald Gardner published IHigh MagicIs AidO, a book of Wiccan ritual disguised as historical fiction. He then, in collaboration with Doreen Valiente, published IWitchcraft TodayO in 1954 and IThe Meaning of WitchcraftO in 1959. Although other Wiccan forms exist, Gardnerian Wicca and an offshoot (Alexandrian Wicca, after its founder Alex Sanders) remain the core Wiccan traditions. Other important Wiccan theorists include Janet and Stewart Farrar, Starhawk and Z Budapest. WiccanTheo/alogy and the Foundations of Feminism and Environmentalism In a religion in which the God and the Goddess are equi-potential (possess complementary and equal status), gender equality is mandated rather than forbidden. Freedom of societally and planetarily responsible choice belongs to all. In a religion that urges its adherents to love the earth as a mother, rather than resenting and coveting her as a rich, conquerable hostile kingdom, children would be raised from birth to treat her with restraint and respect, and to pass her on to their children in as pristine a condition as possible. There is, in fact, a kind of Wiccan Eden myth; a vision of a prehistoric peaceful eco-friendly agrarian matriarchy which was overthrown by males banished for violence, who banded together to conquer and enslave their former society and pillage its lands. This Edenic vision is more admired than believed. Most Wiccans desire a IreturnI to this Eden, even if humanity has never in reality been there. Feminists and environmentalists, particularly ecofeminists and deep ecologists, share this vision for the future; it is what they strive for. It is therefore to be expected that many of them would appropriate a belief system possessing sensibilities so in harmony with their hopes, goals, desires and dreams. If the Wiccan Utopia is theirs also, adoption seems eminently reasonable. In fact, these movements receive both support and guidance from Wicca, and give both in return. Wicca and ScienceWiccaIs attitude toward science is one of intense interest and positive regard, for WiccaIs perspective of pragmatic self-conscious evolution and its anti-dogmatic character resemble scientific ideals. Science, for Wicca, is attempting to reveal the underlying nature of immanent divinity, and as such is performing a sacred service. In addition, LovelockIs Gaia hypothesis, that the entire biosphere is an evolving, self-regulating totality, appears to be to Wiccans the beginning of the confirmation of their ecological suspicions, and the recent comparisons of gender, brain structure and cognitive style bolster the validity of their chosen deity attributes. They for the most part accept that humanity creates divinity in its own image, and feel flattered that science is indicating that they in particular are doing it rather well. Difficulties WiccaIs deities form a heterosexual couple, and sex with oneIs significant other is regarded as a sacrament. This has caused gays and lesbians to sometimes feel uneasy with the energy in the circle. For this reason, some gay men have formed Faerie circles and some lesbians have embraced Dianic Wicca. Straight women will also meet in full moon circles, or esbats, and straight men in wild man groups. Although there are some differences, for instance in the deity or deities invoked, the thaumaturgy, or ritual structure, remains similar throughout. General meetings are held on the sabbats eight times a year, and networking is constant. Wicca and Neopaganism remain far more gay-friendly than JCIZ. Although racial diversity endures as an ideal in Wicca, it is sadly lacking in reality. This failure to rainbow the Craft is deeply disturbing to its members. It is almost certain that the reason for the phenomenon of whitebread Wicca is that, for racial minorities, the intensity and immediacy of their oppressed condition drives gender and ecological concerns to the periphery if their awareness. Also, it only stands to reason that they would feel uncomfortable participating in ritual as the token minority, or at best as one of the few. It is very likely that, despite the best intentions of the other participants, such an experience serves to reinforce, rather than relieve, the awkwardness and sense of difference for which racial minorities would seek religious comfort. Wiccans, having experienced discrimination themselves on the religious front, understand these impediments, and continue to remain open and hopeful. Lastly, the Wiccan division of deity has inadvertently had the corollary of evolving lists of masculine and feminine gender attributes that seem disturbingly similar to those of the JCIZ, only wrapped in positive-regard packaging. Also, in some cases, the Wiccan backlash against patriarchy has swung the pendulum too far in the opposite direction, subjecting men to the same ridicule and discrimination that the phallocentrists previously reserved for women. Wiccans must be on guard that they do not pigeonhole individuals into these archetypes, and thus descend the slippery slope into the very bigotry and gender expectations that many have joined Wicca to escape. Salamantis sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Code of Ethics for Teachers of Wicca Below is a code of ethics for teachers of Wicca. This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, providing that this original copyright notice stays in place at all times. Permission for commercial, or periodical publications shall be granted through the author at copyright 2002 Brian M. Walsh A Code Of Ethics for Teachers of the Wicca All initiations, previous experience and group affiliations to be made known to your students. Before beginning training tell your student you don't know everything about the subject, but are willing to refer them on to another person if you don't have the personal expertise. Tell your student of your personal beliefs, teaching what you know but also emphasising Paganism is about personal spirituality and that they must find their own truth. Students should be of legal age (i.e. 18) or have parental permission. This does not exclude passing on basic information of religious beliefs to minors. All theoretical information should be supported by ritual demonstration. All lessons must be preprepared by reading up on the area to be teached about, decide how you're going to present this information for the easiest understanding of the individual student and make notes to be given to the student. There is to be a nominal fee for teaching to cover ritual supplies and fluctuates depending on the student. It is at the discretion of the teacher if they choose to loan books or give supplies from their personal collection. All teachers must continue their own education also. It is impossible to know everything. Do not proselytise. All students must seek out their teacher. You do not take on more than 4 students at a time per mentor. Students can be taught on an individual basis or in a teaching circle. Students should be told if the training would not lead to initiation. You respect the confidentiality of your own students first and foremost but also respect the confidentiality of group members, other Pagans and clients for whom you perform the Occult arts. The only time that confidentiality is broken is if you feel that the person is a danger either to themselves or to others in a physical or mental way. A teacher must never have a sexual relationship with their student. It destroys the power balance and has led to much disrepute in the communities both inside and outside the Pagan paths. If relations occur between the teacher and student, a new teacher must be found for that student. Teaching is to be given on a mentor basis, the teacher adapting for each student. A student can be rejected and all psychic links can be broken if they use the magickal arts outside the restraints of the magickal law of "harm none". A list of the code of teaching ethics is given to the student to show your position on various issues. This is to be kept and training can be broken by either parties, but a reason should be given out of courtesy. Note: Many teachers ask the students to draw up a corresponding Students code of ethics to show commitment. A good teacher: Teaches spiritual as well as magickal aspects of PaganismEncourages healing magickHas a well-balanced life. If they can't have a balanced life they can hardly teach a balanced method of magick.Is willing to teach differently for each student.Encourages practice as well as theoretical teachingsWelcomes questions and is willing to admit when they don't knowNetworks with other Pagans and groups, being able to refer you on when they are not proficient in the area of Paganism you are seeking to explore. copyright Brian M. Walsh 2002 as a brief to all students in Pagan and Magickal training. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com This is a very powerfull Protect Charm Spell. Time-Day=Midnight of a fullmoon Cast your circle Call apon the God=Aleto:He is the protecter from unseen enemies. :Items needed: 1.Item you wish to charm. 1.Blue Blueberry candle:Blue=Physical Protection . Blue Berry=Keep harm away. 2.Purple Candles=Magik Power and wisdom. 1.White Vanilla Candle:White=Lunar Power . Vanilla=Enhance Memory 1.Gram Of Anise=Protection "Moon Power" 1.Gram Of Eucalyptus=Wrap Around the Blue candle And burn With candle=Protection Energies . "Moon Power" 1.Gram Of Garlic=Protection "Fire" 1.Gram Of Black Pepper=Protection "Fire" Dry and mix Anise+Garlic+Black Pepper Spell = In the Name Of ALETO, By the power of the Source "Protect from harm The Keeper of this charm". "Repeat Protect from harm the keeper of this charm". 6 times while walking around The charm item. Close circle Hope this spell works well for everyone.. Blessed Be Raziel Of The Nexus sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Here is a very effective personal cleansing spell that I would like to pass on to any who may have need of it. Personal Cleansing Choose candles according to your personal and daily preferences, I have found that any will work. Run a bath with as hot of water as you can stand. If you prefer, this ritual can be done in the shower. Use whatever bath oils work for you. Visualize all the day's negative energies surrounding you as you get into the water. Then, visualize all that negativity being removed from your Self by the water. Focus on your candle flames, meditate on cleansing your Self. When the water has cooled to the point of being uncomfortable, pull the stopper, and say these words: "Drain away these pains and troubles, As does this water pure and free. Take with it all this day's distress. As I will, so mote it be!" Dry yourself off and rub your preferred cream onto your body to protect you from negativity over the night. Prepare to sleep well! This spell has worked wonders not only for me, but for other Wiccans that I have passed it to. I would be honored if you would choose to place this simple spell into your online Book of Shadows. Blessed be...Naddya sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com What is Progressive Witchcraft? By Terminus "We do not see our 'trainees' as empty vessels, waiting to be filled up, but as individuals with a wealth of experience and ideas which they can contribute to the craft. (Rainbird, 1993)The use of the term progressive arose from a discussion between Ariadne Rainbird and Tam Campbell in London in the late 1980s (*3) They were discussing the evolution of Wicca, and the fact that it had moved on over the decades, beyond the labels of "Gardnerian" or "Alexandrian". They clearly stated that the term was being used to describe a trend, not a tradition, and that any coven that was eclectic in its approach and not limiting itself to the Book of Shadows was being progressive.In 1991 Ariadne Rainbird formed a network for covens who subscribed to a more eclectic view of Wiccan practice, called the Progressive Wiccan network (*1). This network included covens in Wales, England, Germany and Canada. 1991 also saw the first Grand Sabbat, at Lughnasadh, with around 30 witches from six different covens meeting up to camp out in the wilds of South Wales and celebrate together. This tradition was to continue for some years, developing into an annual weekly gathering in Cornwall for members of different covens to work together.In 1992 David Rankine became the editor of the magazine Dragon's Brew, which became the magazine of the Progressive Wiccan movement. Dragon's Brew was created by Chris Breen in 1990, originally as the house magazine for the Silver Wheel Coven (*1).To quote from the magazine (1992):"Progressive Wicca is a movement which spans the traditions and emphasises networking, closeness to nature, personal growth and co-operative development. Personal experience of other paths is welcomed and integrated into covens, and we do not slavishly follow a Book of Shadows, as we see Wicca as an ever growing religion and the Book of Shadows changes and grows with each new Witch." (*1)Contact details for a number of covens were given in the back of each issue of the magazine. The editorial stance of the magazine was actively supportive of environmental protection, detailing protests, distributing leaflets and supporting organisations like Dragon (eco-magick environmental network) and Friends of the Earth Cymru in their actions. Campaigns like the ones to save Oxleas Wood and Twyford Down were covered, as well as events in other parts of the world, like proposed wolf culling in Canada, tiger conservation in India, and anti-nuclear testing by the French in the Pacific. (*1)Dragon's Brew ran quarterly until 1997, with a circulation of several hundred copies, and covered a wide range of subjects, from chakras and kundalini to Enochian magick and running effective open rituals. Different pantheons were also explored, including the Welsh, Greek, Sumerian and Egyptian. A number of prominent academics also contributed to the magazine, which received articles from distinguished figures such as Professor Ronald Hutton and the Egyptologist Terry DuQuesne. (*1)By 1994 Progressive Witchcraft was widely known throughout Europe. David Rankine gave a number of talks at events like the Talking Stick Meet the Groups conference in 1994, and at various University Pagan Societies. The growth of the movement was acknowledged by Michael Jordan, who gave it a sizeable entry in his 1996 book Witches: An Encyclopaedia of Paganism and Magic. (*3)To avoid some disharmony caused by the term "Progressive" in the Wiccan community the term was changed from "Progressive Wicca" to Progressive Witchcraft in 1993, as was demonstrated by the cover of Dragon's Brew (*1). In combination with this Ariadne Rainbird and David Rankine set up the Progressive Witchcraft Foundation, to deal with enquiries about Progressive Witchcraft, and also ran workshops under the banner of Silver Wheel with other coven members on a variety of related subjects.In 1994 Ariadne Rainbird and David Rankine started running correspondence courses on natural magick based on much of the (non-oathbound) Progressive Witchcraft material. This material was to form the basis for their book Magick Without Peers: A Course in Progressive Witchcraft for the Solitary Practitioner, published by Capall Bann in 1997. (*2)Reference Material-------------------------(*1) Dragon's Brew, a Magazine of Magick, Paganism & rogressive Witchcraft, (1992 -1997)(*2) Magick Without Peers, A Course in Progressive Witchcraft. Capall Bann 1997(*3) Witches, An Encyclopaedia of Paganism and Magic; Michael Jordon, 1996Patchwork of Magic, Julia Day, Capall Bann, 1995(*4) Talking Stick Magical Directory, 1993This article was written by Terminus, 2000 and provided for free distribution.-------------------------------------------------------------- sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Making Contact with the Lord and Lady (Pre Self Initiation Exercise) By Karnayna Lilly An Official Document of The Green Man Craft Tradition Copyright copyright 1999 I. Physical Preparations In a convenient place, preferably in the North, set up a small altar. Cover the altar with a cloth of your choosing. Upon this altar have at each rear corner a candle. Use white at this time. Between these place a censer or incense burner. For this purpose a stick burner will work very well. Use incense that gives you a sense of power and connection with the Greenwood. Images of the God and Goddess are a bonus however they are not mandatory. Framed images in this case work quite well. If you do not have images I will e mail you some to print. If you use them always remember that the Left side is for The Goddess and the Right, the God. You will need a small bowl of water and one of salt. Also a glass of wine or other suitable beverage. Any fruit juice works well however a good wine of your choice is best. Finally you will need anointing oil. For this use Patchouli. Your matter of dress is your choice. It is best to work in loose comfortable clothing and as you know Gardnerians work skyclad. At this point I want to make clear that my instruction will not make you an official Gardnerian because there is a strict rule that self initiation is an apostasy. You will however eventually self initiate yourself in the Green Man Craft Tradition. II. The Ritual Each evening approach your altar and sit before it. Use a chair if you must. Light the candles and incense and say: "I welcome you Great Lord and Lady and invite you to attend my ceremony" Now, to the best of your ability imagine that you are surrounded by a sphere of white light. Not just a circle. When this is accomplished take the salt and lift it as in offering and say: "Lord and Lady (Your Choice of God Names will come later) I, a seeker of Thy mysteries do pray Thee, bless and purify this salt that it may be used for the good of all. So mote it be." Replace the salt and repeat the above with the water. Now place three pinches of the salt in the water. Hold up the mixture and say: Lord and Lady Bless this union of earth and water that by Thy power all that is unclean will be cast away." Sprinkle the mixture in a CLOCKWISE direction three times. Replace the mixture and say: "Blessed Be" Take the incense and say" "Lord and Lady Bless this union of fire and air that by Thy power all that is unclean will be cast away." Cense the incense in a CLOCKWISE direction three times. Replace the mixture and say: "Blessed Be" Now return to your place in front of the altar. Meditate for a moment on why you feel that you are being called to the Lord and Lady. Take your time. You will find that each night you will learn something different. When you feel ready begin the invocation: "I invoke thee and call upon thee, O Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all fruitfulness, by seed and root, by stem and bud, by leaf and flower and fruit do I invoke thee to bless me and admit me into the company of Thy hidden children, So Mote it Be!" Make a pentagram before the altar with the words: "Of the mother darksome and divine, mine the scourge and mine the kiss; here I charge you in this sign, the five point star of love and bliss." Anoint yourself with the oil (forehead, solar plexus and above genital area) Now invoke the Horned Lord: Great Horned Lord, return to earth again! Come at my call and show thyself to men. Shepherd of Goats, upon the wild hill's way, Lead thy lost flock from darkness into day. Forgotten are the ways of sleep and night - Men seek for them whose eyes have lost the light. Open the door, the door which hath no key, The door of dreams, whereby men come to thee. O Mighty Stag, O answer to me!" III. The Proclamation "Gentle goddess powerful god: I am your child, now and always. Your breath is my life. Your voice Great Mother and yours Great Father speak within me, as they do in all creatures, if we but only listen. Therefore here in your presence and before the Mighty Ones do I open my self to your blessing." Lift up the cup of wine and say: Bless this wine with your essence Great Lady, Great Lord that by partaking of it I may also take part of you. Make a toasting gesture and drink. After consuming the wine lift up the cup and say: "Flax Flags Fodder and Frig" (this is an old blessing ) Sit for a while in silent contemplation. Listen. You will hear the Gods within you. Speak with them and tell them why you wish to follow them. Afterwards put out the candles and thank the Lord and Lady for hearing you. Then Say So Mote it Be. NOTE* Listen to your inner thoughts, feelings and dreams at all times while using this simple rite. The Lord and Lady will speak in many ways. Do not underestimate the importance of this rite. It will prepare you for all further work. Finis Karnayna Lilly karnayna@greenman.zzn.com Green Man Wicca http://www.sitepalace.com/americanceltic/menua.htm sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Wiccan Fundamentalism by Ben Gruagach This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, providing that this original copyright notice stays in place at all times.Religious fundamentalism is characterized by literal belief in specific spiritual claims, often about a particular religion's history, regardless of any available evidence. A particular dogma is promoted as the One True and Only Way and anything that deviates is considered heretical.The Roman Catholic church has an office within its organization called the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. In previous times this office had another name: the Holy Office of the Inquisition. Despite the name change the office's role has remained the same. It is responsible for keeping doctrinal discipline and confronting and eliminating deviations in doctrinal thought. It's all about maintaining the authority of the Vatican and the Pope and ensuring that all Roman Catholics are following the same religion and respecting the established hierarchy.Wicca is a religion based on autonomy. It draws its basis from Pagan religions of the past but primarily from lore about witches and witchcraft. Most today consider Wicca to trace back directly or indirectly to a single man, Gerald Gardner, who promoted the religion starting in the 1940s or early 1950s in Britain. Gardner described Wicca as based on covens with each coven being autonomous. If there was dissent within a coven the rules as Gardner presented them allowed for the dissenting parties to separate and form new covens. This way of dealing with conflict resulted in encouraging diversity within Wicca and reinforced the idea that there was no central authority which would dictate that one coven was wrong and another right on matters of philosophy or practice.Gardner also insisted that there were other Wiccans out there that he did not know about who had been practicing before he was initiated. He did this partially to promote the debatable claim that he was merely passing on an intact ancient religion. One consequence of this is that it left the door open for others to come forward and claim they were witches or Wiccans too from a common mythical ancestry and Gardner could not really insist they were wrong. Even if these other Wiccans practiced things differently, Gardner's "old laws" clearly made it acceptable for variety in the way covens and practitioners did things. He might not have intended to do so but Gardner's decisions regarding how to handle things in his own group had set the stage for Wicca to become much more than just his own teachings in his own groups.The result of all this was that Gardner essentially gave away the right to exclusive ownership over the label Wicca for his groups and those directly descended from them. He might not have anticipated this possibility but in any case it is what happened. Many groups, sometimes with conflicting philosophies and ways of doing things, have come forward under the banner of Wicca. New groups have been created and old ones have splintered into other quite distinct groups. Autonomy was there so of course it was exercised!Not everyone has been happy about this. Some of Gardner's direct spiritual descendants have argued that only they and a few select groups that they approve of should have the right to call themselves Wiccan. However the autonomous structure had already been set up and no one group has the authority to dictate to the rest of the community. Wicca did not have a central authority structure in the past and it does not have one now. It is highly unlikely at this point that a central authority could be established which the majority of Wiccans would respect.There have been attempts to seize power and establish a central Wiccan authority but these have all failed. One example is when Alex Sanders proclaimed himself the King of the Witches but it was quickly pointed out, particularly by Gardnerian Wiccans, that he did not have any authority outside of Alexandrian Wiccan covens. Another example is when in 1974 at the Witchmeet gathering in Minnesota, Lady Sheba (a.k.a. Jessie Wicker Bell) declared herself the leader of American witches and demanded that everyone hand over their Books of Shadows to her so that she could combine their contents and then establish a single authoritative Book of Shadows which all American witches would be expected to follow. She was laughed at and needless to say was not successful in establishing the central authority she sought.It was at that same 1974 Witchmeet where we had probably the closest thing to a central Wiccan authority created in the declaration of the Principles of Wiccan Belief. This set of thirteen principles attempted to outline in a very general way the basic foundation of Wiccan philosophy. The concept of autonomy of both groups and individuals is clear in the document. It also specified that lineage or membership in specific groups was not a requirement in order to be Wiccan. Many Wiccans, both as groups and individually, consider the Principles to be the foundation of their spiritual path. However, true to the autonomy inherent in Wicca, there are some Wiccans who do not consider the Principles to be part of their individual or group philosophy.Some are not satisfied with how things are in the Wiccan community and actively work to establish a central authority with their own particular outlook of course identified as the One True and Only Way. They are not satisfied with the fact that the autonomy they personally enjoy in Wicca also means that other Wiccans are free to follow their own different paths. These are the Wiccan fundamentalists who see variety as heresy. As far as they are concerned, if you're not practicing things the way they personally do, and don't believe things exactly the way they personally do, then you must be wrong and should either correct your ways or else stop calling yourself a Wiccan.Perhaps these attitudes are carried over from previous religious education where the idea of One True Way was key, such as in many varieties of monotheism, particularly the evangelical and literalist varieties. Often the Wiccan manifestation of the One True Way idea comes through as a literal and absolute belief in the truth of a particular teacher's work. Most often the teacher elevated to the status of never-to-be-questioned guru is Gerald Gardner since he was the one who began the Wiccan movement in the middle of the twentieth century. In the mind of many Wiccan fundamentalists, if Gardner taught it then it must be absolutely true!Unfortunately for the literalists Gardner has turned out to be a mere human being just like the rest of us. Some things he got right and some things he got wrong. The history of Wicca that Gardner presented, especially the part that explains what came before Gardner was initiated, has proven to be largely speculation with very little evidence to support many of its major claims. Historians aren't completely ignorant of what happened prior to the 1950s in England. We have enough evidence to know that Gardner's historical claims were not completely accurate nor were they completely supported by the evidence.A religion's value does not depend on the literal truth of its historical claims. Many millions of people find Christianity to be meaningful despite the fact its history is not absolutely settled. Buddhists seem to still find their religion to be valuable despite the questions regarding the provable history of the religion's founders. Wicca too is a precious treasure for those who practice it even if they don't believe one hundred percent of the historical claims made by Gardner.Some religions do consider blind obedience to authority to be a virtue the faithful are expected to cultivate in themselves. Wicca though cherishes autonomy and this is in direct conflict with blind obedience. Wiccans who value blind obedience are welcome to make that a part of their religious practice but they are out of line in expecting others to abide by their dictates. Wicca does not have an Office of the Holy Inquisition and many Wiccans will actively fight against the establishment of such. And that is to be expected.Wiccans who play the fundamentalist mind-game of proclaiming that those who do not agree with them are not "true Wiccans" deserve the same reaction that Lady Sheba got back in 1974 when she declared herself Witch Queen of America - they should be laughed at and then ignored. Wicca is not a One True Way religion and never has been. Those who would make it over into one are in for a long hard struggle that they will likely never win. Is it really worth it for them? After all, if they wanted a One True Way religion there are plenty of those out there for them to join. Wicca is for those of us who are free-thinkers, rebels, nature-worshippers, who laugh and love and dance in the name of our Gods and Goddesses in spite of what the stiff-shirt self-declared authorities around us tell us is right and proper. Others can try to co-opt our religion and turn it into yet another fossilized dogma of right and wrong to be blindly followed on pain of excommunication or threats of torment in other lives. The witch's cat is already out of the bag and has been for some time now, and we're all enjoying the nighttime revels and the daytime ignoring of arbitrary conventions too much to just follow what someone else tells us is the One True Way.ReferencesBonewits, Isaac. "Witchcraft: A Concise Guide." (Earth Religions Press, 2001.)Heselton, Philip. "Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration." (Capall Bann Publishing, 2003.)Hutton, Ronald. "The Triumph of the Moon." (Oxford University Press, 1999.)Lamond, Frederic. "Fifty Years of Wicca." (Green Magic, 2004.)Valiente, Doreen. "The Rebirth of Witchcraft." (Phoenix Publishing, 1989.) sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Defending Eclectic Neopaganism by Ben Gruagach This article may be reproduced for non--commercial purposes, providing that this original copyright notice stays in place at all times.There is a trend among some Reconstructionist Neopagans to dismiss Neopagans who are admitted Eclectics in their religious practice and philosophy. Recently, Sannion wrote an editorial titled "Defending Reconstructionism" to address the conflict and to present some of the arguments from a Reconstructionist's viewpoint. Sannion's editorial can be found on the web in the September 2002 issue (#27) of the Cauldron and Candle email newsletter, available at .Sannion begins by saying that those who challenge Reconstructionism are "fluffy." It must be pointed out that Neopagans who are not following specifically Reconstructionist paths are not necessarily "fluffy" by default. The term "fluffy" has come to mean Neopagan practitioners who are largely ignorant of their own religion's history, sources, and often core issues. "Fluffy" Neopagans are thought to be involved in alternative religions for shock value or as a fashion statement rather than out of a desire for spiritual understanding and discipline. "Fluffy" Neopagans are those who accept any claim at face value -- apparently lacking critical skills to distinguish objective reality from fantasy. "Fluffy" Neopagans generally lack credibility except amongst other "Fluffy" Neopagans, because they often can't provide any evidence to support their claims. By clarifying what "fluffy" Neopagans are, it's easier to recognize that there are indeed Neopagans who aren't Reconstructionists who are also not "fluffy." Doreen Valiente, Janet Fararr, Vivianne Crowley, Margot Adler, Starhawk -- are these Neopagans "fluffy" because they aren't specifically Reconstructionists? They are all Wiccans, and Wicca is outside the Reconstructionist category by most determinations.There are undoubtedly some individuals who are new to Reconstructionist traditions who pick up a single book and then declare themselves "experts," which easily puts them firmly within the "fluffy" category. And likewise, there are Neopagans who do not belong to Reconstructionist traditions who are thorough scholars, who are realists, who can provide extensive evidence to support claims they make. Being a Reconstructionist does not make you immune from being "fluffy," and not being a Reconstructionist does not make you "fluffy" automatically either.Let's clarify the issue more by making clear distinctions between the two groups that Sannion describes as being at odds, and give them general labels: Reconstructionists and Eclectics. Reconstructionists are those who are basing their religions as closely as possible on a specific historical model. Eclectics are those who do not limit themselves to one specific historical model, but are apt to select influences from a wide range of cultures and historical periods. Eclectics are also just as likely to invent new concepts or practices for inclusion as they are to draw from established systems.Sannion presented five main objections that Reconstructionist Neopagans hear from Eclectic Neopagans, and attempted to refute each of these. Let's start by looking at those five objections and Sannion's arguments and see where they take us.1. "All Reconstructionists do is study; they don't actually live the religion."Sannion argues that Reconstructionists do tend to be predominantly book-based, but this doesn't mean they don't pray to their deities or perform rituals or devotions. The argument comes across as based on a rather shallow taunt -- "my religion is better than yours because we do more ritual than you do." It also misses the perhaps more subtle point -- that a religion is a way of life, a living and breathing part of existence that isn't experienced primarily through the study of the written word. Study of mythology and history can help us get a better understanding of our ancestors, and hopefully will shed light on ourselves. Eclectics acknowledge that things change, that the things written down in the history books are just the start of the story. The present and the future are just as important as the past. Perhaps the Eclectic complaint is that Reconstructionists are not focusing enough on the present, on their individual and current relationships with the Divine, in favor of focusing almost exclusively on what people did long ago.It doesn't really matter who is doing more ritual or more devotions as part of their religion. It doesn't really matter if the religious practices are strictly individual and private, or public and communal. It does matter if you are living in the present or sacrificing the present for a mythical idealized past.2. "Reconstructionism is too restrictive and doesn't allow for personal expression."Sannion argues that Eclectic Neopagans are uncritical, that they accept everything without distinguishing good from bad. It is also pointed out that within specific Reconstructionist traditions (for example Greek paganism) there is a lot of room for creativity: Greek Reconstructionism includes Minoan, Myceneaean, Homeric, Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman periods spanning roughly from 1500 BCE through 400 CE. "And yet [Eclectic] Neopagans still want more freedom," Sannion says.Eclectic Neopagans mostly work under the idea that they use what works for them. It's something that varies from group to group, and often from individual to individual. If something doesn't work for an individual or group, they'll drop it or ignore it. That does not mean that individuals or groups are not selective, that they do not hold some standards against which philosophies or practices are measured. Eclectic Neopagans, individually and as working groups, can be just as critical as any Reconstructionist. The standards might be different, but different does not mean one standard is necessarily better or worse than another. Eclectic Neopagans as an entire group can be said to accept everything, because if you look you'll surely find an Eclectic Neopagan who does believe whatever specific idea is brought forth. The same can be said of Reconstructionists as a whole -- pick an idea, and you're sure to find a Reconstructionist somewhere who believes that particular idea.The selection of a specific culture and period in history as the basis for a religion is itself artifical and forced. For example, the Celtic peoples were varied and far from homogenous, yet Reconstructionists will just as happily blend different clan or regional deities, myths, and practices. Ancient Greece, as another example, was a land made up of very independent city-states, each with its own set of deities and religious practices. Rome, on the other hand, did its best to institute a "state religion" or collection of religions, and to do this it consciously absorbed and adopted various tribal religions from Italy, Greece, Egypt, and elsewhere. The idea of a "pure culture," "pure religion," or "pure ethnic group" is very artificial and arbitrary. Cultures adopt ideas and mythology from each other all the time. To pretend that a religion or culture is "pure" is rather naive.Many Eclectic Neopagans (although not all, of course) also work under the philosophy that "all gods are one God, all goddesses are one Goddess," and often also believe that God and Goddess are merely two gender aspects of a single, all-pervasive Divine that is beyond human understanding as a whole. They believe that we approach and interact with the Divine through distinct "aspects" that appear to human perception as independent individuals. To expect an Eclectic Neopagan who believes "all gods are one God" to limit themselves to an arbitrary group of deities (whether selected by geographic region, historical period, or whatever criteria) is an artificial and unnecessary limitation. Eclectics allow themselves the right to decide how to approach the Divine, which names they feel most comfortable using when speaking with Them, and usually assume the same right to others whether they are Eclectic or not.Sannion presented an analogy of two musicians to reinforce the idea that limiting study to one cultural and historical period is best. Of course, there are other analogies that can be presented to argue to opposite. Imagine that there are two chefs. One chef limits herself to just twelve ingredients, selected because they were native to one geographic area and period in history. She also combines and prepares those ingredients only in ways that are historically supported for the time period and location selected. She becomes highly proficient and is satisfied with her achievements in the kitchen. Perhaps she becomes famous for a particular "speciality" dish.The second chef, however, does not limit herself to a specific set of ingredients, methods of combining, or methods of preparing those ingredients. She feels free to explore other cultures, try new dishes, and incorporate what she likes best into her own familiar menu. Because she is able to explore and test, she invents some new dishes and methods of preparing ingredients that become new delicacies. Those experiments that didn't work out are discarded in favor of those that succeeded. She learns from her mistakes and sees exposure to new ingredients and methods as a starting place, not the final destination in her culinary life.Reconstructionists probably do see themselves in the analogy of the two musicians -- they are the ones who apply themselves to learning one instrument, immerse themselves in the established understanding of that instrument, and strive to master it. Eclectics, however, probably see themselves in the analogy of the two chefs -- they are the ones who allow themselves the freedom to explore, borrow, and invent, and strive to contribute something vibrant and new.Is one right and the other wrong? Or are they just different approaches for different kinds of people?3. "Reconstructionists are mean."Sannion argues that Neopagans who are not part of Reconstructionist traditions are not critical. "And they [non-Reconstructionist Neopagans] tend to believe that everything is subjective and just a matter of opinion."Religion is a subjective thing -- it's far from objective in any sense. Reconstructionist traditions are working from historical opinions that are based on interpretations of archaeological and textual evidence. Religion, like history, is always open to interpretation. New evidence is always being discovered, new circumstances arise which force us to re-evaluate and reconsider. We humans can rarely agree about absolute determinations of "what really happened" in current events, so what makes us think we can do so for past history where we are often working from fragmented evidence?There does appear to be a larger emphasis on scholarly standards within the Reconstructionist traditions than in the Eclectic community at large. This does not mean, however, that there are no Eclectic scholars, and that statements made by Eclectics are never critically examined. Religions that are more popular will invariably have more "fluffy" followers. There is a growing push within the Eclectic community as well towards critical scholarship such as the growing attention given to Ronald Hutton's work, among others. To label a whole group "uncritical" while ignoring the increasingly more prominent critical elements within that group seems premature.4. "Reconstructionists are too focused on the past."Sannion argues that Reconstructionists are not Luddites. They base their traditions on the best from their chosen cultural group and time period, ignoring elements such as slavery and animal or human sacrifice which are incompatible with modern values.This is one of the strongest arguments for Eclecticism, as it acknowledges that it is impractical and likely impossible to recreate exactly what the ancients did. The difference is that Reconstructionists have chosen to limit their inspiration upon an arbitrary cultural group and time period (which may or may not be accurate in its modern assumptions of homogeneity of that cultural group and time period). This is the gist of this particular argument against Reconstructionism -- that the limitation to one group at one time period for the basis of a modern tradition is arbitrary. One group's or individual's choice in no way invalidates the choices of others to limit themselves or not in similar fashion.If Reconstructionists admit, as Sannion does, "...we aren't pretending to be ancient people... [w]e are moderns, and gladly accept the positive things about modern culture" then why do they condemn Eclectic Neopagans because they aren't pretending to be ancient people either? If an Eclectic Neopagan isn't claiming to be carrying on an unchanged tradition from a specific cultural group at a specific time period, then why should a Reconstructionist be concerned? Many Neopagans do not feel drawn to Christianity, Judaism, or Islam specifically because they feel there is no such thing as a "One True Way" for all people. Why should Reconstructionists object when other Neopagans choose to follow their religions with different cultural or historical sources of inspiration?5. "Reconstructionists are just making it up."This argument is the weakest. Sannion attributes this complaint against Reconstructionists to the "fluffiest" of non-Reconstructionist Neopagans -- those who claim to carry on a tradition when the historical evidence does not back them up. It becomes an attack on the poor scholarship of the "fluffy" non-Reconstructionist instead of an argument addressing the charge that Reconstructionists aren't really following an undisturbed ancient tradition, either.Sannion admitted that Reconstructionists are in fact eclectic in their careful selection of what to include and what to exclude as part of their traditions. They include modern ideas and values, where often the original culture and time period used as the basis for the tradition would have differed. Even the original cultures and historical periods selected are not "pure," as ancient cultures borrowed, adopted, and changed myth and philosophy from their neighbors the same way modern people do. Some cultures, like the Roman empire, were quite openly eclectic. It is puzzling that today's Neopagans, especially ones who pride themselves on their thorough scholarship such as Reconstructionists, should try and insist eclecticism should be sneered at. If the ancients did it, and the ways of the ancients are clearly good enough for the Reconstructionists to emulate, then eclecticism should certainly be acceptable for all Neopagans. The entire argument appears to really be about scholarship within the Neopagan community -- what constitutes credibility, and how credible are we to outsiders. There is certainly a problem with what has been termed "fluffy" behavior, where practitioners exhibit little or no attempt to critically examine claims. This is not solely found within the Eclectic Neopagan community despite what some Reconstructionists would claim. We should be encouraging critical thought regardless of the tradition (or lack of one) among all Neopagans. This means that Reconstructionists as well must critically examine their own assumptions and challenge their own beliefs that Eclecticism is suspect. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Thoughts on Bashing Fluffy Bunnies by Ben Gruagach This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, providing that this original copyright notice stays in place at all times.One unfortunate trend which has become prominent within the online Pagan community is known as "bashing fluffy bunnies." No, it doesn't involve harming animals -- but it does involve verbally attacking those who are perceived to have less scholarly opinions on modern Paganism than the attacker. Personally I think this trend is shameful and disrespectful, unworthy of anyone who claims to be a polytheist or Pagan. To try and draw attention to the issue I present my Thoughts On Bashing Fluffy Bunnies.The modern Pagan community is diverse and growing. Decades ago, there were a few distinct majority segments: Wiccans, Druids, and Asatruers. At the start of the 21st century there is an ever-growing number of non-Wiccan Witches, assorted Pagan groups, and Reconstructionist Pagans who are working to revive ancient Pagan religions.With growth comes friction between factions, sometimes escalating into conflict. Minority groups sometimes feel offended when they are lumped in with other groups. Individuals are annoyed when others assume that some idea or philosophy might be common among the majority of Pagan groups.Instead of strengthening one's group identity by clarifying core ideas, it is common for a group to instead spend a lot of energy saying what it's not about. Sarah M. Pike explored this in some depth in her book "Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves: Contemporary Pagans and the Search for Community." Wiccan groups have worked hard to insist that they are not Satanists. Non-Wiccan Witches insist that they are not at all like Wiccans. Reconstructionist Pagans insist that they are not Wiccans or Satanists, and often insist they are not following "Earth-based" religions as Wiccans do. Within the Wiccan community, there is an insistence by many that they are not "fluffy bunny" Wiccans which they clearly consider to be a perversion of their religion.It is becoming quite common, at least on the internet, for these attempts to differentiate the "not-me" through what can only be described as bashing. Instead of discussing the issues and sharing different points of view and theories, those who hold whatever idea is not politically correct for the majority in the discussion become the target for personal insult and antagonistic behavior. In other forums, when a participant purposefully misinterprets another's postings and writes to antagonize, the behaviour would be labeled "trolling" and would be dealt with appropriately. Within many Pagan forums, however, "trolling" appears to be encouraged providing you are politically correct about it and agree with the majority philosophy.It has become politically correct in many Pagan forums to bash those they label "fluffy bunnies." The term itself is intended to be insulting -- it implies that some people are air-headed idiots more at home in a Walt Disney cartoon than in the Pagan community. Often the label is applied to any group one happens to disagree with. The implication is usually that the "fluffy bunny" hasn't thought through their religious philosophy, that they are really just concerned about shock value or fashion rather than living a religious philosophy. It is also usually assumed that a "fluffy bunny" has little idea about the historical past and physical reality and accepts any claim that is made at face value.Some groups, such as Reconstructionist Pagans, strive to match their religions as closely as possible to a specific chosen historical model. They feel that they are therefore immune to being labeled "fluffy," because they hold scholarly rigor in such high esteem. It also happens sometimes within Reconstructionist discussions that other groups such as Wiccans are labeled automatically as "fluffy" because of specific discredited historical theories. The problem with these blanket labels is that they are not always accurate. Within the Wiccan community, for instance, there is a surge of scholarly historical research which has thrown new light on the origins of the religion. Many resisted this change at the start, but it is quickly changing so that now it is quite common to find Wiccans who freely incorporate the new ideas about the past into their philosophies. To insist that Wicca is "fluffy" is to ignore many scholarly Wiccans.Similarly, while there is certainly encouragement within the Reconstructionist community towards scholarly rigor, it does happen that blanket statements are made and assumptions proven false. Like any pet theory, it is often hard to give up even when the evidence starts to mount that it might not be correct. The claim that Reconstructionists are "more scholarly" than other Pagans has lead to a growing arrogance by Reconstructionists towards other Pagans. And as so often happens, with arrogance frequently comes sloppy and uncritical thinking, essentially "resting on one's laurels" from past accomplishments as a substitute for continuing critical work.It seems rather hypocritical that a community made up of self-professed polytheists (whether "hard polytheists" or not) should be so intolerant of others who have different ideas. It's not just acknowledging that others have different ideas, or accepting that the historical landscape is evolving. The problem is that some are being disrespectful of others and are actively antagonistic in forums where the stated goal is purportedly to share information and debate ideas in a civilized fashion. Bashing is not debating. Debating involves sharing ideas and evidence and discussing the merits of the different points of view. Debating allows disagreements, but does not allow disrespect. When a discussion transforms into personal insults against select participants, or "bashing fluffy bunnies" as some gleefully call it, it is no longer debate but shameful ego assaults.Perhaps the conflict is a carry-over from the dominant Judeo-Christian-Islamic culture, where it is common for religions to work under the assumption that there is a "One True Way" that is correct while all others are inherently wrong. When there is a "One True Way," individual religions are in jeopardy whenever alternatives are present. If an alternative proves to be reasonable, it implies that others must be inherently incorrect. When there is "One True Way," there can truly be only one. All others must be discredited and eliminated.Polytheists purportedly accept the idea that there are multiple deities. "Hard polytheists" believe that the deities are all distinct, that the Greek Hermes is most definitely not the same thing as the Egyptian Thoth. Today there are many Pagans, commonly Wiccans, who are not "hard polytheists" but instead accept multiple deities as being aspects or faces of a larger deity and often as one ultimate deity. This point of view is often expressed as "all gods are one God, all goddesses are one Goddess." Dion Fortune popularized this idea in her works in the first half of the twentieth century. Many early Wiccans, who admired Fortune's work, adopted this idea into their Wiccan philosophy.It is rather odd, then, that with the vast majority of Pagans claiming some version of polytheism as the basis of their religious philosophy, that they would also hold onto the idea that there is such a thing as "One True Way." Some polytheists insist that they do not believe there is "One True Way," yet when they start talking about other groups or philosophies within the Pagan community they act as if they are all pretenders while their own philosophy is the only "correct" one. The most obvious and frequent example of this is the so-called "fluffy bunny bashing" that occurs. Behavior in this case belies the denials.Debate is healthy and to be encouraged. Discussion that involves personal attack and antagonism should be discouraged. There is a difference between debates of historical theory or the usefulness of different ideas, and discussion that becomes a reinforcement of disrespect. The Pagan community is varied and changing. No one group has exclusive ownership over the labels "Pagan," "Witch," or even "Wiccan." Arguments over who has the right to those labels within our community are just like the arguments within the Christian community over who is a "real Christian." The arguments are divisive and destructive. As a self-proclaimed polytheist community, we should be above these sorts of petty concerns.Let's resist the shameful bashing that we are committing against each other. Let's encourage and participate in respectful, honest debate and discussion where we allow our evidence and theories to speak for themselves without allowing over-inflated egos to taint the forums. Let's act like real polytheists, respecting others' choices of deities and philosophies. Let's leave the "One True Way" attitudes and behaviour out of our discussions. Those who are "bashing fluffy bunnies" are not winning the hearts, minds, and souls of the Pagan community -- they are defeating the very ideals of polytheism that allow for a multitude of philosophies, deities, and unique paths within our community.It's time we grew past pointless infighting and arguments over who is "witchier than thou." We need to retire the phrase "fluffy bunny" and other terms meant to demean others in our communities. Issues should be raised, discussed, and debated -- but without insults and trolling. Scholarly criticism should be encouraged if we are to truly grow. Instead of focusing on what we aren't, let's focus on what we are, and respect the diversity that exists within our own community. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com 'He Casts the Circle' Melissa Seims In August 1959, Gerald Gardner received a letter from Carl Weschcke, owner and CEO of the American occult publishing house, Llewellyn. Carl, having read Gardner's books, had written to ask him if he had any knowledge about a device called the 'witches cradle' which he had seen mentioned in William Seabrook's book Witchcraft, It's Power and Influence Today. The 'witches cradle' was a suspended 'cage' that purportedly heightened psychic sensitivity through the use of restraints, combined with a monotonous swinging motion. Gardner replied that he had not come across such a contraption, or its use in the Craft, and went on to say "I have asked many of the older witches, and none of them had ever heard of it." After a few more letters had been exchanged, Gardner referred Carl to several other people including Margaret Bruce and Charles Clark, for further discussion. Carl first wrote to Charles in 1961, the beginning of an exchange that was to last about 20 years. In one letter from 1968, Charles mentioned to Carl that he had "some copies of the late G. B. Gardner's Rituals that he sent me [Charles] for opinions from time to time," and wondered if Carl would be interested in them. When Gardner had still been alive, Charles and he had discussed the publication of material and Gerald had agreed that this may help people better understand the Craft, and what it was about.1 Consequently, Charles packaged the papers up and sent them to Carl in April 1969. Extracts from them were published in Llewellyn's magazine Gnostica, but they really came to light when Aidan Kelly obtained photocopies and subsequently wrote about them in his book Crafting The Art of Magic, where the term 'Weschcke Documents' was first coined. The 'Weschcke Documents' are a collection of papers consisting of 38 typed pages of 'Gardnerian' ritual material, including all eight Sabbats, 'The Old Laws', three ways of forming the circle, 'To Gain the Sight', 'The Eightfold Way', the three degrees, consecrations, various versions of The Charge and Amalthean Horn, as well as a copy of 'The Witches Chant' (which many now know as 'The Witches Rune'). Many of them also have handwritten amendments on them, in what appears in most cases, to be Gerald Gardner's own handwriting. During the 1950s, documents like these were sometimes sent to new initiates for them to copy into their own personal Books of Shadows. Those of you who have seen Gerald's writing will know what a 'scrawler' he was, and how bad his spelling appears to have been. Aidan Kelly suggests that he was marginally dyslexic,2 Philip Heselton considers Gardner's poor English and phonetic way of spelling, to be a consequence of his lack of formal education,3 and Ronald Hutton has suggested that Gardner's 'aberrant spelling' was an attempt by him to make things look more archaic.4 I personally think the latter is unlikely as Gardner displays similar traits in his personal correspondence. These typed documents, whilst obviously easier to read, also exhibit similar poor spelling. A further 'quirk' of Gardner's (in a time before text messaging) was his penchant for abbreviating words. For example, he would sometimes put 'wd' for 'would' and 'shd' in place of 'should'. Furthermore, he had a peculiar habit of using a typewriters' small case 'l' instead of correctly using a capital 'I'; in some instances he even uses a capital 'L' for 'I', and it is not unusual to see a mix of both in the same document. As with so many things Gardner-related, he was never completely consistent in his lackadaisicalness, something that I think is quite frustrating for Craft historians! Of the various documents, I think one of the more interesting ones is entitled 'All Are Purified' (subtitled 'Ceremony for working with others').5 This is essentially a way of casting the circle that starts off with a conjuration of the sword. If we look at the following passage, taken from Gardner's 1954 book Witchcraft Today, I think we can see where the slightly unusual title may hail from: "When drawn, this circle is carefully purified, as also are all who celebrate the rites. Witches attach great importance to this, for within the circle is the gods' domain."6 With regards to what is being implied by the subheading 'Ceremony for working with others' there may be a clue in the crossed-out section which refers to '13 candles'. As 13 is the traditional number in a Coven, could the reference to working with 'others' mean working with Coveners as opposed to working alone, or with just a working partner? In view of Gardner's earlier works (which we will come to shortly) where the focus seems to have been more on individuals as opposed to Covens, this explanation seems to be likely. However, just to discombobulate things further, and for the sake of completion, I should also draw attention to the fact that the crossed-out section bears a strong resemblance to the beginning of the Yule ritual, thus adding a further nebulous dimension to consider in any final understanding of this document. ALL ARE PURIFIED7 [NB: Bold lettering indicates G.B.G.'s handwritten additions] Magus Concecrates Salt & Water , H Ps kneels at Altar, takes up sword .says "I conjure thee O Sword of Steel to serve me as a defence in all Magical OperationsGuard me at alltimes against mine enemies ,both visa ble & invisible, Grant thatI may obtain what I desire inall things wherin I may use Thee ,wherefore do I bless Thee & Invoke thee in the Names of ...&... Gives Sword to Magus , who ^kneeling^ hands her vessel of Salt Conscrated Water &Aspergulas, He Casts the Circle, Three circles . She follows . Asperging Circle & all present & finely herself. returns vessel etc to Magus, who places them on Altar, or convinent place. & hands her Sword H.Ps walks slowly round Circle saying. "I conjure Thee O Circle of Space, between the world of Men & that of the Dread Lords of the OUTER SPACES, That THOU be clensed Purified & strengthend to contain THAT POWER which we so ernestly desireto raise within thy bounds this night, Wherefore di I bless thee & intreet thee to aid me in the endevour in the names of ... & ... Hands Sword to Magus --- Magus then summons the Mighty Ones as usual. H.Ps stands in front of Altar (which may be pushed back for this) H.Ps assumes God ^Goddess^ Possition (Arms Crossed.) Magus kneeling in front of her, draws Pentical on her body with P Headed Wand, Invokes, (Drawing down the Moon,) " I Invoke and Beseach Thee ,O Mighty MOTHER ofall life and fertility . By seed and root, bystem and bud, by leaf and flower and fruit, By Life & Love -do I invok Thee to decend into the body of thy servent and H.Ps ..... (The Moon having been drawn down,I.E. Link established M and all Male Officers give 5 S, All others bow. Asembly form a semi circle at north of Altar, (Wh shd be replaced if it has been moved,) H.Ps in south, inserts point of Sword or Athame in decorated bundle of 13 candles , saying I [This has been crossed out by hand and 'm's have been typed over it all] H,Ps in Goddess Position says Arms Crossed I the Mother, Darksome and Divine, Mine the Scourge and Mine the Kiss, The Five Point Star of Love and Bliss; Here I charge ye in this Sign, (Opens out Arms to Pentacle position) Bow before my Spirite Bright (All bow) Aphridite Airanrod; Lover of the Horned God Queen of Witchery & Night [This looks as it if it continues although the next page is not in the collection.] I think that the usage of the word 'Magus' as opposed to 'HP', use of the term 'Dread Lords of the Outer Spaces', the inclusion of the conjuration of the sword, and the circle being cast three times, are interesting 'markers'. Identical terminology, and similar practices can be found in Gardner's 1949 work of fiction High Magics Aid, as well as in Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical (aka BAM), which is thought to be the oldest, extant 'Gardnerian' 'Book Of Shadows.' Ye Bok is currently in the possession of Richard and Tamarra James of the 'Wiccan Church of Canada' and is generally thought to have been compiled and written by Gardner, during the 1940s. In this case, Gardner's handwriting is actually quite legible and displays a calligraphic style which he appears to have reserved for his magical writings. Ye Bok contains several sections which are readily identifiable as being typical of BOS material, as well as a pastiche of rituals and notes on Ceremonial Magic. For example, there are pages of sigils taken from The Key Of Soloman (S.L. 'MacGregor' Mathers' translation), plus passages taken from the works of Aleister Crowley, and the Rites of Freemasonry, to name but a few. Similarly, High Magic's Aid is also a mix of recognisably 'Gardnerian' material with a generous helping of 'high magic'. It has been asserted by W.E. Liddell that: "Gardner was sponsored into a cunning lodge in 1941 by a New Forest male colleague and was exposed to a quasi-Masonic organisation which combined ceremonial magic, Freemasonry, Paganism and Witchcraft. Exposure to this lodge reinforced his focus on the God and the magus."8 Whilst this scenario seems to fit the facts, I think it is just one possible explanation why Ye Bok has more of a ceremonial magic overtone when compared to the sort of material that Gardner distributed to initiates in the 1950s. In Ye Bok the words 'Magus,' 'Master,' or simply 'M,' are frequently used to indicate the male role. However, roughly a decade later in Gardner's magical writings of the 1950s, this term appears to have been generally superseded by the term 'HP'. This later material also typically has the circle being cast only once, not three times, and then asperged and censed. Additionally, the phrase 'Dread Lords of the Outer Spaces' can be found 'hidden' in plain sight (another idiosyncrasy of Gardner's) in High Magic's Aid:9 "Blindfold and helpless he stood in the Triangle, outside, and cut off from the Protecting Circle, medium between the pleasant world of man and the Dread Lords of the Outer Spaces." Later circle conjurations more commonly have the phrase "...Realms of the Mighty Ones" instead. By the late 50s, the conjuration of the sword is also something that is no longer part of a typical circle opening, although a similar passage is usually given for the consecration of one. This document made me wonder if, when Gardner mentions casting the circle with a 'duly consecrated' sword or athame, he had perhaps intended at one point for this consecration to be done every time. Certainly this would be understandable in view of his love for swords and weaponry. Overall, it seems to me that the use of certain terminology, the conjuration of the sword, and the thrice cast circle, is more in keeping with the style of Gardner's earliest extant penned works. Due to these similarities, I therefore consider the 'All Are Purified' document to be one of the earliest papers in the Weschcke collection. However, the fact that it ends with the quatrain verse version of 'The Charge', written by Doreen Valiente, indicates that it has to be post 1953 after Doreen had been brought in. Charles himself was initiated about a year later and so I think the date of this document is probably contemporary with that. 'All Are Purified' is interesting not only for the textual dating clues that it gives us, but also because it shows more of an equality, if not an actual bias, towards the Magus, instead of the High Priestess. It is he who first 'casts the circle' and he who appears solely responsible for the consecration of the salt and water, and summoning the Mighty Ones. Interestingly enough, the first degree initiation ritual that is given in Ye Bok appears to have a Magus initiating a 'Priest & Witch'.10 However, the copy of this ritual that Gardner typed up several years later (almost certainly from Ye Bok) to give to Doreen Valiente, has been amended so that the Magus is now initiating a Priestess and Witch.11 On reflection, I think that the 'All Are Purified' document can also tell us something about the development of the Craft, and its material, and could represent a transition point from Gardner's earlier, more male-orientated writings which included a lot of Ceremonial Magic, to the more High Priestess orientated Covens that seemed to come out of the 1960s. I am not sure what may have brought about this shift but it could have stemmed from the change in cultural ideology which was moving away from the fear and restrictiveness caused by World War Two, to the women's movement and general liberation that epitomized the 1960s. I would also wager that the ever diligent Doreen Valiente could have had something to do with it, especially as she had, with Gardner's permission, already set about rewriting parts of the first BOS that he had given her, in order to disguise traces of the Crowley material in it.12 If this 'All Are Purified' document had managed to find its way into more Books of Shadows, our Craft may have ended up with a slightly different 'feel' to it. It could perhaps have been more common to see High Priests consecrating the salt and water, and summoning the Mighty Ones 'as usual.' Instead, there are at times lengthy debates on subjects such as this. My own conversations with Charles Clark gave me the impression that things were much more egalitarian in the 1950s, and the Wica of that time felt free to adjust the rituals to better suit the people in the Coven, using the rites as a basic framework and 'springboard'. A concept that is echoed in Fred Lamond's book Fifty Years of Wicca, where he quotes Gardner as saying "...as you gain experience discard those spells that don't work for you and substitute those that you have thought of yourselves."13 If we now turn to look at the eight Sabbats that are included in the 'Weschcke Documents', we see the seemingly 'later' term 'HP' consistently used instead of 'Magus'. Furthermore, the similarity of all the Sabbat documents, strongly suggests that they were all typed up at the same time. Fred Lamond tells us in his aforementioned book, "we [the Bricket Wood Coven] liked our feasts, so after Gerald's return to the Isle of Man in the spring of 1958 we decided to celebrate both the cross-quarter days and the solstices and equinoxes with feasts."14 With all this in mind, it would seem likely that the Sabbats from the Weschcke Documents were written at some point shortly after this date. What I enjoy about researching and comparing these original writings of Gerald Gardner is the insight that they can show us into the thoughts and mind of old Gerald himself. I don't believe that you can look at these things in isolation, and I think it is imperative to view them as part of a much wider puzzle that included not only Gardner's life and upbringing, but also the political and social climate of the time. These things, along with the fragmentary rituals and teachings that are thought to have come to him from the New Forest Coven, would have affected the way Gerald, and others, wrote these rituals and developed our practices. In turn, this has all contributed to the growing spiritual movement that the Craft has become today. Footnotes 1: In a letter to me from Charles he writes: "I remember Carl Weschcke said he would write about those papers given him [the 'Weschcke Documents'], GB [Gerald Gardner] agreed with me it would help a lot." 2: Aidan Kelly, Crafting the Art of Magic (Llewellyn 1991: Page xv) 3: Philip Heselton Gerald Gardner and the Cauldron of Inspiration (Capall Bann 2003: Page 281) 4: Ronald Hutton. The Triumph of The Moon (Oxford 1999: Page 227) 5: The subheading 'Ceremony for working with others' appeared in Charles Clarks BOS, and is not given on the actual document itself. 6: Gerald Gardner Witchcraft Today (Arrow Books 1970: Page 28) 7: Transcription of the original document with spelling, grammar and line structure as written on the original. Transcriptions of this document can also be found, albeit inaccurately, in Gerald B Gardner Witchcraft and the Book of Shadows (I-H-O Books 2004: Page 60) and Aidan Kelly's Crafting the Art of Magic (Llewellyn 1991: Page 109) as well as on various websites. 8: W.E. Liddell The Pickingill Papers (Capall Bann 1994: Page 158) 9: Gerald Gardner High Magic's Aid (Pentacle Enterprises 1993: Page 3) 10: Gerald Gardner Ye Bok of ye Art Magicial Page 96 (viewable by arrangement with Richard and Tamarra James of the 'Wiccan Chuch of Canada.' 11: Doreen Valiente The Rebirth of Witchcraft (Phoenix 1989: Illustration 12) 12: Doreen Valiente, The Rebirth of Witchcraft (Phoenix 1989: Page 61-62) 13: Frederic Lamond, Fifty Years of Wicca (Green Magic 2004: Page 14) 14: Frederic Lamond, Fifty Years of Wicca (Green Magic 2004: Page 20) Many thanks to three 'Messengers of the Gods' namely Paul Greenslade, Philip Heselton and Ken Rees for their helpful comments and advice. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Cleansing Rowan Moonstone 05-28-89 When I cleanse a dwelling place, first I burn a good cleansing incense, like frankincense orsandalwood in the home while I prepare for the rest of the ritual. You should have in additionto the incense, a candle, a bowl of salt water and a bowl of herbs. I particularly like to userose buds for love, lavender for preservation, rosemary for protection, and any othersweet-smelling ones that appeal to you personally. If you can get them home-grown, so much thebetter. You should proceed around the house, widdershins (counterclockwise) and cleanse the areawith the salt water. Be sure to get each corner, window, door, drain, etc. Simply sprinkle alittle salt water on each and ask that any evil or disruptive influences leave the place. Whenthis is finished, proceed around the house deosil (clockwise) sprinkling the blessing herbs andinvoke whatever deities or properties you wish on the home, such as peace, prosperity,tranquility, etc. In the past, I have used 3 candles on the central altar. Blue, symbolizingtranquility, green for healing and prosperity, and purple for protection. Others might be pinkfor love, or brown for hearth and home. You and anyone who is to share the home with you shouldshare food and drink, and don't forget to leave a little of the food and drink to take outsideand return to the Earth that which has been given. Blessed Be. Rowan --- DragonMail 0.00 Origin: Beagle Express - (405)848-2828 - *ISA* *IFNA* (1:147/4) sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Second Degree Initiation This is a ceremony we haveused a couple of times (with variations to suit the candidate) for the second degree initiation.You will note that it borrows from many sources: Masonic, Gardnerian, Celtic and Flight ofFancy. We've done it robed, skyclad and some interesting combinations. Seems to work OK eitherway. If the candidate has done the work, the initiation ceremony is more of a public "riteof passage" or recognition of that fact... the real "initiation" is between theGods and the candidate, and therefore cannot really be "conferred". ...GaryDumbauld, High Priest, Hernesgaard Circle A ceremony to recognize completion of the 2nd degree course of study The Circle is cast as usual. All are properly prepared and purified. High Priestess and HighPriest perform the Ceremony in concert. The candidate is brought into the circle by a friend andcircled 3 times deosil, ending north of the altar, facing the Priest, who is standing south ofthe altar (where else?). PRIEST: "This is the time of Full Moon, a time for rekindling of light. The strugglefor higher light is: That we may see it, and seeing it, work and live by it. We are about toembark upon a solemn ceremony to rekindle the light of Knowledge, the light of Will, the lightof Compassion, the light of Steadfastness; we will combine these lights, and rekindle the lightof Dedication in our Sister (Brother) here before us. ______________, here have you beentaught the ways of the Wise, that you might count yourself among those who serve the Gods, amongthe brothers and sisters of the Wicca, those who are called the shapers of the universe." PRIEST: "I now direct your attention to the two lights upon our altar, the onerepresenting the Sun, the God, and the High Priest; the other representing the Moon, theGoddess, and the High Priestess. The High Priest and Priestess, presiding over the coven, may bethought of as 'One light to rule the day, one light to rule the night'. Since these lights areboth beneficent, each having honor in its place, the Craft of the Wise does not set day againstnight, God against Goddess, Priest against Priestess. In the Craft, we do not define evil as anegative power, rather as the lack of light; where there is the light of Sun or Moon, God orGoddess, there can be no lack of light. Choose one, or both; place light within yourself, andnurture it." "In times past, the Circle of Initiation was called a 'HermeticCircle', after Hermes, the ancient name for the planet Mercury." In astrology, the house ofthe Sun is in the zodiacal sign of the lion, which is the fifth house; the house of the Moon isin Cancer, the crab, and is in the fourth house; and the day house of the planet Mercury is inthe Gemini, the Twins, and is the third house. These numbers, three, four and five, were sacredto many ancient peoples, as the dimensions of the Pythagorean Triangle, in which the square offive, twenty five, is equal to the sum of the squares of four and three, or sixteen and nine.Knowledge of this triangle was essential to builders; you are also a builder-you are buildingyour character." PRIESTESS: "I now direct your attention to the several lights surrounding us, in theEast, South, West, and North. Let us now examine these lights, and see what we can discernwithin them of human character." "In the building of character, the Eastern light isdenoted the Lamp of Beauty, and stands for accomplishments; for learning, skill in art, poetry,in song and instrumental music, in painting and sculpture. It exemplifies the art of makingone's self attractive to those about one. It is an old saying that 'Beauty is as Beauty does'.It causes great distress to see these noble graces of character prostituted to ignoble ends.Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Beauty and accept the blessing of the East." Initiate is censed with incense from the censer which has been previously placed in the East. PRIEST: "The light in the South is denoted the Lamp of Life, and stands forindividuality, and for energy; for fervency, for zeal and vitality. It exemplifies passions,desires and appetites. It means loves and hates, sympathies and abhorrences, and what is morethan all the rest of these, it means heart and joy in the work of life. Remember well the lessonof the Lamp of Life and accept the blessing of the South." Initiate is circled three times with the brazier, previously placed in the South. PRIESTESS: "Look now to the West, and observe the Lamp of Compassion, which standsfor 'fellow-feeling'. Every work in life demands a price. Labor, tears, self-denial,self-recrimination, the very blood of life is sometimes the price of a truly great work. Look toyour fellow travellers on the road; note with care what sacrifice they have made in theirprogress toward the truth; allow them their faults, commiserate with them in their failures andrejoice with them when they succeed. Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Compassion andaccept the blessing of the West." Initiate is circled three times with water and his/her hands washed in a laving bowl,previously placed in the West. PRIEST: "Look now to the North, and observe the lamp of obedience. The laws of theGods are inevitable, and the more we, as children of the Gods, understand and work in accordancewith them, the greater is the sum of our happiness. Obedience in character means order, thesubjection to one's principles, the fear to do wrong, and the desire to learn and do right. Manywould rather give charity than do justice. They swell with emotion, weep with sentiment, howlwith the mob, so long as their own particular little tyranny or injustice is not touched. TheLamp of Obedience exemplifies firm will and determination of character, in spite of difficulties,dangers and losses. So also the Lamp of Obedience stands for self-control, perseverance andprudence. In time of peace, prepare for war; when shines the sun, expect the cloud; and indarkness wait patiently for the coming light. 'When all the sky is draped in black and beaten bytempestuous gales, and the shuddering ship seems all awreck, calmly trim once more the tatteredsail, repair the broken rudder and set again for the old determined course.' Remember well thelesson of the Lamp of Obedience and accept now the blessing of the North." Initiate's hands are marked with damp earth from a bowl in the North. Initiate is then ledback south of the altar. PRIESTESS: "Of the character thus illuminated and thus guided by the lights here onthe altar, and by the Lamps of Beauty, Life, Compassion and Obedience, it may be said, 'Thoughthe world perish and fall away, he/she remains." Initiate then takes the Oath/Obligation, kneeling. "In the names of Arianhrod and Bran; Diana and Appolyon; Heartha and Cernunnos; and bythe powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, I, __________________, pledge to love, worship andhonor the Goddess in her many aspects; and her Consort, the Horned One, Lord of Death and Rulerof Chaos; to always be true to the Art and its secrets; to never abuse the Art or my own powers;and to keep this pledge always in my heart, in my mind, in my body and in my spirit. This Ipledge, by the Circle of Life, by Cerridwen's Sacred Cauldron and by my own hopes of a futurelife." Initiate stands. High Priestess places a necklace over Initiate's head. PRIESTESS: "The Circle is a place between the worlds and outside time. The Circle isalso the Symbol of Life, Death and Rebirth. We wear the necklace as a token of the Sacred Circleand as a sign that we are part of all it symbolizes." High Priest strikes the bell three times. PRIEST: "Hear ye, Lady of Life and Lord of Death! Hear ye, Ancient Guardians of thePowers of Air, Fire, Water and Earth! In this place, by our hands and will, ___________________,known to us as _______________, has been duly pledged and anointed a Priest/ess of the SecondDegree!" sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Pagan Ritual for Basic Use (by Ed Fitch) A circle should be marked on the floor, surrounding those who will participate in theceremony. An altar is to be set up at the center of the circle. At the center of the altar shallbe placed an image of the Goddess, and an incense burner placed in front of it. Behind the imageshould be a wand fashioned from a willow branch. Candles should be set upon the altar ... atotal of five, since on is to be set at each quarter and one will remain on the altar during therite. When all the people are prepared they shall assemble within the circle. The woman acting aspriestess shall direct the man who acts as priest to light the candles and incense. She shallthen say: "The presence of the noble Goddess extends everywhere, Throughout many strange, magical and beautiful worlds To all places of wilderness, enchantment and freedom." She then places a candle at the north and pauses to look outwards, saying: "The Lady is awesome, The Powers of Death bow before Her." The person closest to the east takes a candle from the altar and places it at that quarter,saying: "Our Goddess is a Lady of Joy, The winds are Her servants." The person closest to the south takes a candle from the altar and places it at that quarter,saying: "Our Goddess is a Goddess of Love. At Her blessings and desire The sun brings forth life anew." The person closest to the west takes a candle from the altar and places it at that quarter,saying: "The seas are the domain of our Serene Lady, The mysteries of the depths are Hers alone." The priest then takes the wand and, starting at the north, draws it along the entire circleclockwise back to the north point, saying: "The circle is sealed, and all herein Are totally and completely apart From the outside world, That we may glorify the Lady whom we adore. Blessed Be!" All repeat: "Blessed Be!" The priest now holds the wand out in salute towards the north for a moment and then hands itto the priestess, who also holds it out in salute. She motions to the group to repeat thefollowing lines after her: "As above, so below ... As the universe, so the soul. As without, so within. Blessed and gracious one, On this day do we consecrate to you Our bodies, Our minds And our spirits. Blessed Be!" Now is the time for discussion and teaching. Wine and light refreshments may be served. Whenthe meeting has ended, all will stand and silently meditate for a moment. The priestess willthen take the wand and tap each candle to put it out, starting at the north and going clockwisearound the circle, while saying: "Our rite draws to its end. O lovely and gracious Goddess, Be with each of us as we depart. The circle is broken!" sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A Circle for Catharsis Introduction: One of my near and dear once spent an hour in a therapist's office kicking an innocent throwpillow around the room and screaming out rage at his abusive father. At the end of the hour, hehad a broken foot -- and the first beginnings of a healed mind. But we have learned that magic works through symbols. Calling an object by your abuser's nameand then abusing that object is sympathetic magic used for the purpose of cursing. To throw acurse is to project one's worst feelings out into the world of form, and to invoke upon oneselfthe inevitable karmic feedback. It is not our way to blast the crops and sour the milk. Wiccan tradition and plain commonsense both tell us to avoid the practice of baneful magic. But, as usual, it's not quite as easyas just saying no. Rape and child abuse, loved ones killed by muggers or drunk drivers, emotional manipulationand betrayal, economic exploitation and dishonest office politics -- people hurt andvictimize other people in many different ways every day. We are not immune. At some point in our lives, probably every single one of us will feel violated by some otherhuman being. Often our feelings will be based in fact. Whether they are or not, however, we needand deserve a safe way to discharge them. Symbolic baneful actions are also cathartic actions. They drain and clear our poisonousfeelings and allow our own emotional healing to begin. If we deny ourselves this outlet, whathappens to the grief and pain and rage? If projection is bad for us, introjection is even worse. Unreleased bad feelings are a majorsource of stress. In a very real sense, stress cripples and kills. Ulcers, strokes, heartattacks and more are all heavily stress-related. A simple refusal to engage in baneful magiccould easily amount to punishing a victim by adding serious illness to the original harm. I am part of the All. "An it harm none" is about me too. Release of my feelings ismy right. At first it seems like an insoluble paradox. But the same understanding of magic that forbidsprojection of our bad feelings can open a safe channel for those feelings. Here's one possibleform: Preparation: Understanding Think about the Alcoholics Anonymous prayer. "Grant me the serenity to accept the thingsI cannot change, the courage to change the things I can change, and the wisdom to know thedifference." People of any religion can recognize the wisdom in those words. This ritual isintended to ease emotional pressure. I believe that is a step towards granting all three ofthose things to ourselves. If your hurt is ongoing, you must take steps to stop it -- leave the abusiverelationship, begin searching for a new job, begin organizing politically to stop youroppression. What good this Circle does you will be temporary at best if you are not acting onboth the magical and material planes to change the things you can change. But some of our pain comes from old, old injuries. And some of our feelings are not based onfact at all. The source of those hurts cannot be changed, but the pain can be. This particularworking is to release any bad feelings, not to judge them. Don't worry about justice. You may be mistaken about who has hurt you, but nobody will behurt by what we do here. All energy will be contained within the Circle. The object of thisworking is healing, not justice. You deserve this healing simply because you hurt, and even ifyou are mistaken. Prevention and healing are human tasks; to do them is to change the things we can change.Justice -- the evening of karmic balances -- is the business of the Gods, and may takeplace across a span of many lifetimes. Karmic balance is a thing we cannot change. Set Up You have some decisions to make. The first one is whether you will work alone or ask one ormore trusted friends to witness and facilitate your working. Some of us can only let ourfeelings go in strict privacy. For others, the presence of people who will make sure we don'thurt ourselves or our homes removes a source of inhibition. And sometimes simply being heard ispart of the release process. Next, exactly what kind of symbolic action will release your feelings? Will kicking a throwpillow suffice, or do you need to actually make a poppet? Or just screaming may be enough. Ifyou want to work with a physical symbol, prepare it in advance, and be sure not to use anythingyou will want to keep after the rite or ever use again. Figure out whether you can either cast a Circle to include your bathroom, or leave a castCircle for a period of time. This will depend on your particular training. If possible, have awarm, scented tub waiting for you. If not, a basin of warm, scented water and a washcloth withineasy reach just outside of your Circle will suffice. Also, a ritual meal should be prepared andwaiting outside of Circle, and this should include something green and growing -- I favorsprouts -- and something sweet. Procedure: Waning moon is a good time for this Circle, and the Dark of the Moon is even better. Castthe Circle and invoke the Watchers in your usual manner. Call on the Crone, on She who weeds andprunes and disposes of the obstructive and unnecessary. Just inside the Circle, like the membrane in an eggshell, cast a grounding shield. Onepossible image for this shield would be a black absorptive chain link fence, supported atregular intervals by fence posts that are lightning rods. Whatever happens within this spacewill be contained and grounded. Make clear to yourself what wound you seek to drain. Say it out loud, even if you arealone. Recall what happened to you in detail and let the feelings grow strong. Now, let go of your feelings. Do whatever will help you release what is in you. Beat on apillow or rip up a doll. Scream till you cry. Don't stop till you are emptied. Then fling thething you used as a symbol out of your Circle. When you are sure you are all done, all drained, contract the shield into a tight ball inthe center of the Circle. As it contracts, it will gather all the negative energy from theCircle. Ground it. Affirm that you are sending this energy to the fire at the heart of the Earth-- to Jarnsaxe or to Pele -- to be purified in that blast furnace and cycled towherever strong energy is needed. Know that what you now let go is gone. Affirm this outloud. Wash or bathe in a ritual manner, feeling the last traces of your bad feelings dissolveaway. If others are present, allow them to wash and serve you. Rest a few minutes. Feel the peace of emptiness. Then invoke the Maiden's energy for new beginnings. Have your ritual feast and otherwiseindulge your senses. Gentle and joyful music would be effective, and you may want to switch to asweeter-smelling incense. This is a time to dream dreams and plan plans. You have removed anenergy drain from your life, now you will be able to ... ? Thank and dismiss whatever Beings you have called on, throughout the whole ritual. Closeyour Circle as usual. Do not do any other kinds of working or worship within this particularCircle. Follow Through: The final part of any effective magical working is "acting in accordance" on thematerial plane. By doing this, we give the magic a channel through which to manifest. For thisworking, there are three forms of follow through, and all are important. Remember that painful feelings are partly habitual. Acting in accordance with magic tobanish such feelings requires you to stop feeding the habit. Don't talk about the pain withanybody until at least the second full moon after the working. This gives the habit a chance tofade out. As much as you can, eliminate the topic from your internal dialogue as well. When younotice yourself dwelling on the old pain, gently and firmly change the subject. Thinking about action to change your life in the here and now is perfectly OK. Theproblem is reiteration of old feelings of frustration and helplessness that actually impedechange. If the hurtful situation is current and ongoing, continue with any steps you were takingto change the things you can change. In fact, you will probably find you have more energy thanyou did before to devote to your projects. Be sure to use some of your newly freed emotional energy to reward yourself. Take timefor friendship, love, and pleasure. The object of the exercise is to clear space for theenjoyment of life, so start right now. Judy Harrow, HPs, Proteus Coven sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Opening (ending) the Circle The High Priestess goes to each of the four directions in turn and draws a BanishingPentacle, saying: Guardians of the East (South, West, North), Powers of Air (Fire, Water, Earth), we thank you For joining in our circle And we ask for your blessing As you depart May there be peace between us Now and forever. Blessed be. She raises her athame to the sky and touches it to the earth, then opens her arms and says: The circle is open, but unbroken, May the peace of the Goddess Go in your hearts, Merry meet, and merry part. And merry meet again. Blessed be. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Consecration of Chalice, Athame or Other Tool Before these assembled spirits I bring (name type of tool) to be dedicated to the service ofthe Lady and Lord. (Pass tool three times through smoke of the incense.) By the power of air, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to purity of thought and toharmlessness that all intentions for which thou art used may harm none and be for the good ofall. (Pass tool three times through or over the flame of the fire candle.) By the power of fire, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to purity of desire and toharmlessness that all goals which thou doest help achieve may harm none and be for the good ofall. (Take a few drops of water and sprinkle or dab on instrument.) By the power of water, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to purity of emotion and toharmlessness that all that thou shalt be used in a spirit of harmony, harming none and for thegood of all. (Touch instrument to the stone or salt in north quarter) By the power of earth, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to steadfastness and purity ofpurpose, that my will be achieved without wavering, with harm to none and for the good of all. (If this is a chalice, present it first to the Lady, then to the Lord, if athame, reverseorder. All other instruments use personal preference, but it is courtesy to present them to Herfirst.) PRESENTATION FOR CHALICE: Lady Freya, Keeper of Femininity, bless this chalice. Let it be as Thy cauldron, a vessel ofproductivity that it may be worthy to dispense Thy bounty. Let it be used in Thy service and inthe service of humanity. Let it be so bound that no harm may come of it to any being, but let itrather be an instrument of goodwill and understanding; of loving harmony. To Thy sacred self Idedicate this vessel, (name of vessel), that it and I may long be of service to Thee. Lord Thor, companion to the Lady, champion of the Gods, bless this chalice and keep watchover it. Guard the works which come forth from it, that they ever be in the service of Thee andThy Lady, that they be of service to humankind, and that they abide by the laws of harmony. ToThee I vow I shall use it for Her sacred purposes, and for no other. So mote it be. PRESENTATION FOR ATHAME: Lord Thor, thunderer & hammer wielder, bless this athame. Let it be as the spring rainswhich fall upon the Earth to cause Her to bring forth Her bounty. Let it quicken my hopes and dreams, yet keep them from causing harm. Let it guide them in theharmony of the seasons, bringing forth only good for all. Lord Thor, bless this athame, (name ofathame), that it be used ever in the worship and honor of the Gods. Lady Freya, companion to the Thunderer, lover of the Gods, bless this athame that it shallbring forth joy, and shall cause no pain nor disharmony to any. I dedicate this athame (nameathame), symbol of the Defender and Rain Maker, to Thy service. May it ever bring Thee joy andpride. So mote it be. (This ritual, with suitable changes, may be used to dedicate other tools as well as these.) sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Samhain ritual for a small Circle [older woman to older man]: One-eye, Wanderer, God of wisdom, Hunt-lord, hail, who leads the hosting! Nine nights hanging, knowledge gaining, Cloaked at crossroads, council hidden. Now the night, your time, is near us -- Right roads send us on, Rune-winner. [older man to older woman]: Every age your eye has witnessed; Cauldron-Keeper, hail wise Crone! Rede in riddles is your ration -- Wyrd-weaving at the World-tree's root. Eldest ancient, all-knowing one, Speak secrets to us, send us vision. [younger woman to younger man]: Lord of Life, hail Land-Master! God of grain that grows and dies And rises reborn, full of richness; Fallow fields shall yet be fertile -- Spring sap runs as stirs your phallus Bless barren earth, let it bear again! [younger man to younger woman]: Snow-shoes striding, hail swift Huntress! Wild one, free and willful Goddess Bow and blade you bear beside you, Finding food to fend off hunger -- Winter will not leave us wanting; Give good hunting, grant us skill. USHERING IN THE NEW YEAR: Welcome winter, waning season, Now with night the new year comes; Hail the horse's head with blessings -- Blessings be on those who bide here And indeed on all the world! SCRYING: Wide are the worldgates, Sights to be sent us; Ready for rede-gifts, We wait for your wisdom. OFFERINGS/THANKSGIVING: Grateful, we give now, gifts of our own Heart-work and hand-work the hearth shall grace; Happiness, harmony, health in the new year, Send to the world and we in it, we wish you. DISMISSAL/OPENING: To watching winds we wish fair travelling; To sleepless dead sweet rest we send; Gods and Goddesses, go with praises -- See: the circle is severed thus. [cut with sword at east] I wrote that ritual for David, myself and two friends who are older than we. It was the first ritual that I wrote not based on NROOGD material in any way, but on entirely original structure and material. The horse's skull is a primitive form of the Mari Lwyd (Grey Mare/Mary), a Welsh folk traditional hobby horse that goes from house to house at the calendar New Year, but she's such a bizarre and macabre beast that she was almost certainly a Samhain leftover. There's interesting material about her in Trefor Owen's "Welsh Folk Customs" (which is probably out of print, but I could provide photocopies for interested parties who provide copying costs...) Happy Samhain! Leigh Ann ThelemaNet of Berkeley * (415)548-0163 (161/93) (L.A. Hussey 20 Nov 86 12:05:56) sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com NROOGD Samhain -- 1987 A Cymro-Norse ritual TOOLS: Drinking Horn Hammer (Mjollnir) Sword Pentacle/Stone Bowl of Salt Water Censer & Incense CELEBRANTS: White Priestess (Skadi) Gold Priest (Freyr) Red Priestess (Freyja) Red Priest (Heimdallr) Black Priestess (Vala) Black Priest (Odin) Procession, consisting of Soulers (any small number) and White Mare. Skadi takes the sword around the circle with these words: Sharp bright steel the circle scribes; Carving, cleaving world from world. Freyja banishes the circle with the hammer and these words: Mankind's friend, by Mjollnir's might Banish beings that bode us ill! She stands in the center and to each quarter and above and below shemakes the Hammer-Sign, saying: Holy hammer, hallow and hold us. Vala seals the circle, carrying pentacle and bowl of salt, saying: Stout stone shield us, shut the circle. Skadi asperses the circle (Vala follows with censer) with these words: Be all bless'd who bide herein, By stone and sea, by storm and sun. Now Heimdallr takes the sword and calls the quarters as follows: Wisdom's wain, East wind I call thee! Thoughts thy thanes that thrive in newness. Breathe and bless, blow all clean; Watch and ward, O wind of mind. Summer's savour, South wind come now! Bright the blessings you bear with you. Strong of spirit, sun-like fire; Watch and ward, O wind of soul. Wild and wet, West wind I summon! Sea-spray bearing, singing, shouting; Beats the Earth's blood in thy breast; Watch and ward, O wind of heart. White with winter, North wind, waken! Stone's strength bringing, snow-cloaked wind. From the Frost-realms, fresh and chill, Watch and ward, O wind of form. The Priestesses and Priests stand opposite each other, and each one ofthe pair invokes the other, as follows: Skadi (to Freyr) Lord of life, hail Land-master! God of grain that grows and dies And rises reborn, full of richness; Fallow fields shall yet be fertile -- Spring sap runs as stirs your phallus -- Bless barren Earth, let it bear again! Freyr (to Skadi) Show-shoes striding, hail swift huntress! Wild one, free and willful Goddess, Bow and blade you bear beside you, Finding food to fend off hunger. Winter will not leave us wanting; Give good hunting, grant us skill! Freyja (to Heimdallr) Standing steadfast, hail far-seer! Watchful one, on rainbow waiting, Horn at hand to rouse the heroes, News you know from Nine Worlds over. People's parent and our patron, Open our eyes to altered sight. Heimdallr (to Freyja) Vanir bride, hail vision-giver! Capped in cat-fur, cloaked in feathers, Drumming for the dance of dreams, You haste to hunt out hidden things. Scant now the screen that hinders sight; Let us learn the lore of trance-work. Vala (to Odin) One-eyed wanderer, God of wisdom, Hunt-lord, hail, who leads the hosting! Nine nights hanging, knowledge gaining, Cloaked at crossroads, council hidden. Now the night, your time is near us -- Right roads send us on, rune-winner. Odin (to Vala) Every age your eye has witnessed, Cauldron-keeper; hail, wise crone! Rede in riddles is your ration -- Wyrd-weaving at the World-tree's root. Eldest Ancient, all-knowing one, Speak secrets to us, send us kenning. Odin reminds everyone what the festival is about, as follows: Odin: So comes the Souls'-day. summon for feasting Ancestors, ancients, honoured and blessed; Let in beloved ones, lend them your bodies -- Whom do you hallow? Hail them by name! Allow a few minutes for everybody to name the ancestor they want towelcome. Then Vala gives this admonition: Vala: As ancient Elders you learn from and honour, Let not the living ones moulder alone. Near is their knowledge nearer than spirits', Seen without ceremony, simply for asking. Both: Grandmothers, Grandfathers, great be their blessings Past ones and present we dance them all power! All the Celebrants but Heimdallr form a circle facing outward;Heimdallr goes to the West, and all say: Wide are the Worldgates; now the wights wander. Welcome within are the dead who were ours; Rest from riding here, revel and feast here; Come in, old kinsfolk, keepers of wisdom! Heimdallr cuts the Soulers' Procession into the Circle on "Come in",and moves to stand with the other Celebrants while the Soulers danceslowly around singing: Welcome Winter, waning season, Now with night the New Year comes; All who honour elder kinsfolk Dance the dead to earthly drums. Souls respected safeguard living House we'll hold, and hallow hearth; Blessings be on those who bide here, And indeed on all the Earth! The Celebrants begin also to circle, dancing in character, startingwiddershins then spiralling in and out to end deosil, as in themeeting dance, while the Soulers encourage the outer circle to dancealso. The intent should be for luck in the new year, and betterconnection with our Ancestors (as well as better treatment of ourElders!). "We Are The Old People" and "Blood Of The Ancients" areappropriate and may be sung in polyphony... As the providers of food, Freyr and Skadi bring forward the feast.Some food should be laid out for the ancestors, and people should beencouraged to let the ancestors use their senses for a while to enjoythe food with them. The Soulers in particular should receive SoulCakes. A strong magical gesture would be for people to bring forwardcanned and other non-perishable food (which can be later given to a food bank or similarorganization). Freyr speaks as follows: Cakes to us carry, corn from the storehouse; Wine defies winter, warm with caught ripeness; Milk made to cheeses, meat dried and salted; Last of the land's fruits ere the long sleep. Skadi speaks as follows: Good nuts and game-food are hunters' guerdon; Sleeping Earth's secrets yield to the seeker True buried treasure: onions, potatoes Forest shall feed us while the fields rest. Both say (if there is to be food donation): All who have aught to offer, now bring it; Wights, bear ye witness work with the givers. Feeding our fellows, let us be fed so, Sops for the spirit or sup for the flesh. If there is to be scrying and divination, it should be done now in aquiet space marked off as separate from the feasting-place. Freyjaand Heimdallr lead the scrying and Vala and Odin lead rune-work, withthe following optional speeches: Heimdallr: Let the lots tumble, loosing their learning; Word-wood and wit-stones, won through ordeal. Come up and cast them, while word is clearest Augers may answer aught the year holds. Freyja: Wide are the Worldgates, windows are open; Sights may be seen now, elsetimes but scarcely. Crystal and cauldron capture the vision; Mystery's meaning speaks to the mindful. Note: it is entirely appropriate for partying to go on inside thesacred circle (people can get up and move around), so that the Deadhave the opportunity to enjoy their day before we bid them farewell;the circle should be cast large, with this in mind. The onlyconstraint is to open in sufficient time to clean up the hall beforethe rental time runs out. The circle is opened as follows: Heimdallr: To watching winds, we wish fair wandering; Fan us sweet fragrance; Hail, farewell! ALL: To sleepless souls, we wish sweet resting; Friends will keep faith; farewell now! Gods and Goddesses, go with praises! Finished our festival; Hail, farewell! Celebrants ground with this formula: As from the Earth our energy comes, Into the Earth the excess flows; Earth and all empowered alike Be it so! Skadi: See: the circle is severed thus (she cuts) Merry meet, Merry part, Merry meet again! B*B Leigh Ann ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Origins of Halloween copyright copyright 1989, Rowan Moonstone In recent years, there have been a number of pamphlets and books put out be various Christianorganizations dealing with the origins of modern-day Halloween customs. Being a Witch myself, and a student of the ancient Celts from whom we get this holiday, Ihave found these pamphlets woefully inaccurate and poorly researched. A typical example of thisinformation is contained in the following quote from the pamphlet entitled "What's Wrongwith Halloween?" by Russell K. Tardo. "The Druids believed that on October 31st, thelast day of the year by the ancient Celtic calendar, the lord of death gathered together thesouls of the dead who had been made to enter bodies of animals, and decided what forms theyshould take the following year. Cats were held sacred because it was believed that they wereonce human beings ... We see that this holiday has its origin, basis and root in the occulticDruid celebration of the dead. Only they called it 'Samhain', who was the Lord of the Dead (abig demon)".1 When these books and pamphlets cite sources at all, they usuallylist the Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Americana, and the World Book Encyclopedia. TheBritannica and the Americana make no mention of cats, but do indeed list Samhain as the Lord ofDeath, contrary to Celtic scholars, and list no references. The World Book mentions the catsand calls Samhain the Lord of Death, and lists as its sources several children's books (hardlywhat one could consider scholarly texts, and, of course, themselves citing no references). In an effort to correct some of this erroneous information, I have researched the religious life of the ancient Celtic peoples and the survivals of that religious life in modern times. Listed below are some of the most commonly asked questions concerning the origins and customs of Halloween. Following the questions is a lengthy bibliography where the curious reader can go to learn more about this holiday than space in this small pamphlet permits. Where does Halloween come from? Our modern celebration of Halloween is a descendent of the ancient Celtic festival called "Samhain". The word is pronounced "sow-in", with "sow" rhyming with "cow". What does "Samhain" mean? The "Irish-English Dictionary" published by the Irish Texts Society defines the word as follows: "Samhain, All Hallowtide, the feast of the dead in Pagan and Christian times, signalling the close of harvest and the initiation of the winter season, lasting till May, during which troop swere quartered. Fairies were imagined as particularly active at this season. From it, the half-year is reckoned. Also called Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess)."2 The "Scottish Gaelic Dictionary" defines it as "Hallowtide. The Feast of All Souls. Sam + Fuin = end of summer."3 Contrary to the information published by many organizations, there is no archaeological or literary evidence to indicate that Samhain was a deity. Eliade's "Encyclopedia of Religion" states as follows: "The Eve and day of Samhain were characterized as a time when the barriers between the human and supernatural worlds were broken... Not a festival honoring any particular Celtic deity, Samhain acknowledged the entire spectrum of nonhuman forces that roamed the earth during that period."4 The Celtic Gods of the dead were Gwynn ap Nudd for the British and Arawn for the Welsh. The Irish did not have a "Lord of Death" as such. Why was the end of summer of significance to the Celts? The Celts were a pastoral people as opposed to an agricultural people. The end of summer was significant to them because it meant the time of year when the structure of their lives changed radically. The cattle were brought down from the summer pastures in the hills and the people were gathered into the houses for the long winter nights of story-telling and handicrafts. What does it have to do with a festival of the dead? The Celts believed that when people died, they went to a land of eternal youth and happiness called Tir na nOg. They did not have the concept of Heaven and Hell that the Christian Church later brought into the land. The dead were sometimes believed to be dwelling with the Fairy Folk, who lived in the numerous mounds, or sidhe, (pronounced "shee" or "sh-thee") that dotted the Irish and Scottish countryside. Samhain was the new year to the Celts. In the Celtic belief system, turning points such as the time between one day and the next, the meeting of sea and shore or the turning of one year into the next, were seen as magickal times. The turning of the year was the most potent of these times. This was the time when the "veil between the worlds" was at its thinnest and the living could communicate with their beloved dead in Tir na nOg. What about the aspects of "evil" that we associate with the night today? The Celts did not have demons and devils in their belief system. The fairies, however, were often considered hostile and dangerous to humans because they were seen as being resentful of man taking over their land. On this night, they would sometimes trick humans into becoming lost in the fairy mounds where they would be trapped forever. After the coming of the Christians to the Celtic lands, certain of the folk saw the fairies as those angels who had sided neither with God or with Lucifer in their dispute and thus were condemned to walk the Earth until Judgment Day.5 In addition to the fairies, many humans were abroad on this night causing mischief. Since this night belonged neither to one year or the other, Celtic folk believed that chaos reigned and the people would engage in "horseplay and practical jokes".6 This also served as a final outlet for high spirits before the gloom of winter set in. What about "trick or treat"? During the course of these hijinks, many of the people would imitate the fairies and go from house to house begging for treats. Failure to supply the treats would usually result in practical jokes being visited on the owner of the house. Since the fairies were abroad on this night, an offering of food or milk was frequently left for them on the steps of the house so the homeowner could gain the blessing of the "good folk" for the coming year. Many of the households would also leave out a "dumb supper" for the spirits of the departed.7 The folks who were abroad in the night imitating the fairies would sometimes carry turnips carved to represent faces. This is the origin of our modern Jack-o-lantern. Was there any special significance of cats to the Celts? According to Katherine Briggs in "Nine Lives: Cats in Folklore", the Celts associated cats with the Cailleach Bheur, or Blue Hag of Winter. "She was a nature goddess, who herded the deer as her cattle. The touch of her staff drove the leaves off the trees and brought snow and harsh weather."8 Dr. Anne Ross addresses the use of divine animals in her book "Pagan Celtic Britain" and has this to say about cats: "Cats do not play a large role in Celtic mythology ... the evidence for the cat as an important cult animal in Celtic mythology is slight".9 She cites as supporting evidence the lack of archaeological artifacts and literary references in surviving works of mythology. Was this also a religious festival? Yes. Celtic religion was very closely tied to the Earth. The great legends are concerned with momentous happenings which took place around the time of Samhain. Many of the great battles and legends of kings and heroes center on this night. Many of the legends concern the promotion of fertility of the Earth and the insurance of the continuance of the lives of the people through the dark winter season. How was the religious festival observed? Unfortunately, we know very little about that. W.G. Wood-Martin, in his book "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland", states: "There is comparatively little trace of the religion of the Druids now discoverable, save in the folklore of the peasantry and the references relative to it that occur in ancient and authentic Irish manuscripts are, as far as present appearances go, meager and insufficient to support anything like a sound theory for full development of the ancient religion."10 The Druids were the priests of the Celtic peoples. They passed on their teachings by oral tradition instead of committing them to writing, so when they perished, most of their religious teachings were lost. We do know that this festival was characterized as one of the four great "Fire Festivals" of the Celts. Legends tell us that on this night all the hearth fires in Ireland were extinguished and then re-lit from the central fire of the Druids at Tlachtga, 12 miles from the royal hill of Tara. This fire was kindled from "need fire" which had been generated by the friction of rubbing two sticks together, as opposed to more conventional methods (such as the flint-and-steel method) common in those days.11 The extinguishing of the fires symbolized the "dark half" of the year, and the re-kindling from the Druidic fires was symbolic of the returning life hoped for and brought about through the ministrations of the priesthood. What about sacrifices? Animals were certainly killed at this time of year. This was the time to "cull" from the herds those animals which were not desired for breeding purposes for the next year. Most certainly, some of these would have been done in a ritual manner for the use of the priesthood. Were humans sacrificed? Scholars are sharply divided on this account, with about half believing that it took place and half doubting its veracity. Caesar and Tacitus certainly tell tales of the human sacrifices of the Celts, but Nora Chadwick points out in her book "The Celts" that "it is not without interest that the Romans themselves had abolished human sacrifice not long before Caesar's time, and references to the practice among various barbarian peoples have certain overtones of self-righteousness. There is little direct archaeological evidence relevant to Celtic sacrifice."12 Indeed, there is little reference to this practice in Celtic literature. The only surviving story echoes the tale of the Minotaur in Greek legend: the Fomorians, a race of evil giants said to inhabit portions of Ireland before the coming of the Tuatha De Danann (or "people of the Goddess Danu"), demanded the sacrifice of 2/3 of the corn, milk and first-born children of the Fir Bolg, or human inhabitants of Ireland. The Tuatha De Danann ended this practice in the second battle of Moy Tura, which incidentally, took place on Samhain. It should be noted, however, that this story appears in only one (relatively modern) manuscript from Irish literature, and that manuscript, the "Dinnsenchus", is known to be a collection of fables. According to P.W. Joyce in Vol. 2 of his "Social History of Ancient Ireland", "Scattered everywhere through our ancient literature, both secular and ecclesiastical, we find abundant descriptions and details of the rites and superstitions of the pagan Irish; and in no place -- with this single exception -- do we find a word or hint pointing to human sacrifice to pagan gods or idols."13 What other practices were associated with this season? Folk tradition tells us of many divination practices associated with Samhain. Among the most common were divinations dealing with marriage, weather and the coming fortunes for the year. These were performed via such methods as ducking for apples and apple peeling. Ducking for apples was a marriage divination. The first person to bite an apple would be the first to marry in the coming year. Apple peeling was a divination to see how long your life would be. The longer the unbroken apple peel, the longer your life was destined to be.14 In Scotland, people would place stones in the ashes of the hearth before retiring for the night. Anyone whose stone had been disturbed during the night was said to be destined to die during the coming year. How did these ancient Celtic practices come to America? When the potato crop in Ireland failed, many of the Irish people, modern descendants of the Celts, emigrated to America bringing with them their folk practices which were remnants of the Celtic festival observances. We in America view this as a harvest festival. Did the Celts also view it as such? Yes. The Celts had 3 harvests. Aug 1, or Lammas, was the first harvest, when the first fruits were offered to the Gods in thanks. The Fall Equinox was the true harvest. This was when the bulk of the crops would be brought in. Samhain was the final harvest of the year. Anything left on the vines or in the fields after this date was considered blasted by the fairies ("pu'ka") and unfit for human consumption. Does anyone today celebrate Samhain as a religious observance? Yes. Many followers of various pagan religions, such as Druidism and Wicca, observe this day as a religious festival. They view it as a memorial day for their dead friends and family, much as the mainstream US does the national Memorial Day holiday in May. It is still a night to practice various forms of divination concerning future events. It is also considered a time to wrap up old projects, take stock of one's life and initiate new projects for the coming year. As the winter season is approaching, it is a good time to do studying on research projects, and also a good time to begin handwork such as sewing, leatherworking, woodworking etc., for Yule gifts later in the year. And while "satanists" are using this holiday as their own, this is certainly not the only example of a holiday (or even religious symbols) being "borrowed" from an older religion by a newer one. Does this involve human or animal sacrifice? Absolutely NOT! Hollywood to the contrary, blood sacrifice is not practiced by modern followers of Wicca or Druidism. There may be some people who think they are practicing Wicca by performing blood sacrificing but this is not condoned by reputable practitioners of today's neo-Pagan religions. FOOTNOTES: Tardo, Russell K., "What's Wrong with Halloween?", Faithful Word Publishers, (Arabi, LA, undated), p. 2Rev. Patrick Dinneen, "An Irish-English Dictionary", (Dublin, 1927), p. 937Malcolm MacLennan, "A Pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language", (Aberdeen, 1979), p. 279"The Encyclopedia of Religion", ed. Mircea Eliade, "Halloween" by Primiano, (New York, 1987) pp. 176-177Alwyn & Brinley Rees, "Celtic Heritage", (New York, 1961), p. 90W.G. Wood-Martin, "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland", Vol. II, (Port Washington, NY, 1902), p. 5Kevin Danaher, "The Year in Ireland", (Cork, 1972), p. 214Katherine Briggs, "Nine Lives: Cats in Folklore", (London,1980), p.5Dr. Anne Ross, "Pagan Celtic Britain", (London,1967), p. 301-302Wood-Martin, op. cit., p. 249Rees & Rees, op. cit., p. 90Nora Chadwick, "The Celts", (Harmondsworth, 1982), p. 151P.W. Joyce, "A Social History of Ancient Ireland", Vol.2, (New York, 1968), pp. 282-283Madeleine Pelner Cosman, "Medieval Holidays and Festivals", (New York, 1981), p. 81 BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bord, Janet & Colin, "The Secret Country", (London: Paladin Books, 1978)Briggs, Katherine, "Nine Lives, Cats in Folklore", (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980)Chadwick, Nora, "The Celts", (Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books, 1982)Coglan, Ronan, "A Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend", (Dublin: 1979)Cosman, Madeleine Pelner, "Medieval Holidays and Festivals", (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981)Danaher, Kevin, "The Year in Ireland", (Cork, Ireland: The Mercier Press, 1972)Dinneen, Rev. Patrick S., M.A., "An Irish-English Dictionary", (Dublin: The Irish Texts Society, 1927)Joyce, P.W., "A Social History of Ancient Ireland", (New York: Benjamin Blom, 1968)MacCana, Proinsias, "Celtic Mythology", (London: The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited, 1970)MacLennan, Malcolm, "A pronouncing and Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language", (Aberdeen: Acair and Aberdeen University Press, 1979)MacNeill, Maire', "The Festival of Lughnasa", (Dublin: Comhairle Bhealoideas Eireann, 1982)Powell, T.G.E., "The Celts", (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1980)Primiano, Leonard Norman, "Halloween" from "The Encyclopedia of Religion", ed. Mircea Eliade, (New York, McMillan Publiching Co., 1987)Rees, Alwyn and Brinley, "Celtic Heritage, Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales", (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1961)Ross, Dr. Anne, "Pagan Celtic Britain", (London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1967)Sharkey, John, "Celtic Mysteries", (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1975)Spence, Lewis, "British Fairy Origins", (Wellingborough: Aquarian Press, 1946)Squire, Charles, "Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance", (New York: Newcastle Publishing Co., Inc., 1975)Toulson, Shirley, "The Winter Solstice", (London: Jill Norman & Hobhouse, Ltd., 1981)Wood-Martin, W.G., "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland", Vols. I & II, (Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press, 1902)Published by CultWatch Response, Inc., PO Box 1842, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1842. This article may be reprinted only if it is not excerpted or abridged in any way except for review purposes. Permission to republish must be requested in writing from the author at the above address. Price: $1.00 each, 10/$8.00, over 100/$0.65 ea., other quantities available. All prices are postpaid. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Firestar Beltaine 1986 Note: there is NO meeting dance before the ritual because the spiral dance occurs inside it. CELEBRANTS: BARD PRIESTESS GODDESS FIREMAKER PRIEST GOD BARD: (harp accompaniment) This is the air, oh people; these are the creatures: Far-flying Goose; far-seeing Hawk; Owl who knows; Raven who talks; Crane who dances; Thrush who sings; Quail the humble; Wren the king; Lark who revels; Loon who weeps; Jay who scatters; Buzzard reaps. This is the air I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. This is the fire, oh people; these are the creatures: Drake who hoards; Kirin who gives; Angel heals; Chimera reaves; Coal the slow; lightning the quick; Salamander, power's wick; Soul who praises; Gryphon scorns; Phoenix dies and is reborn. This is the fire I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. This is the sea, oh people; these are the creatures: Whale who chants; Dolphin who speaks; Clam content; Salmon who seeks; Pike who rages; Shark who mourns; Walrus steadies; Carp transforms; Seal who gathers; Crab the lone; Otter wave-borne; Eel in stone; This is the sea I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. This is the earth, oh people; these are the creatures: Deer who worries; Boar who schemes; Cat who conjures; Sheep who dreams; Hare the playful; Brock the stern; Mouse who teaches; Horse who learns; Wolf who wanders; Bear who stays; Stag who guards; Puma who preys. This is the earth I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. Now is the darkness. Now is the pain. Now is the fear. Now is the danger. Now is the hate. Now are the tears. Call on our mother! She is the one! Hers is the way! She will bring comfort. She will bring life. She will bring day. PRIEST: Earth Mother, Birth Mother, Birch Mother, Sea Mother, Stone Mother, Star Mother! Queen of night and death and birth, Womb of deep and fertile earth, Dame of heaven's silver wheel, Lady of the greening field, Keeper of the apple grove, Mistress of the arts of love, Shine out in the fearsome dark -- Teach us how to strike the spark. People, we can feel Her near! She is coming! She is here! GODDESS: (emerging from hiding -- should be in green with amber & copper) Now the veils of worlds are thin; To move out you must move in. Let the Balefires now be made, Mine the spark within them laid. This My gift: that people meet In peace and plenty made complete. This I give: the Sacred Way, The strength, the soul, the sight, the say. Move beyond the fiery screen Between the seen and the unseen; Shed your anger and your fear, Live anew in a new year! FIREMAKER: (at each tree name, holds up twig, then binds all together into a torch) The Nine I sing, the Nine blessed trees Which were empowered of old: Oak, thou druid's door, open the way for us. Apple, thou knowledge-giver, break our circle of blindness. Ash, thou world-supporter, drive away ill powers. Birch, thou tree-mother, help in our healing. Hawthorn, thou branch of May, give us light and hope. Willow, thou soul-leader, grant us safe passage. Holly, thou forest king, be our safe refuge. Hazel, thou wise-one's branch, give us true vision. Alder, thou river's love, let us flow outward. In peace let us flow outward; in power let us flow outward; in beauty let us flow outward. (The Goddess lights the torch, the Firemaker lights the two fires, which have been saturated with some flammable material, i.e. charcoal starter. White Sage and Cedar chips may be thrown thereon.) FIRE-PASSING CHANT: (drum) Dark to light, night to day, Through the fires lies the way; Old to new, death to birth, Between the worlds to our rebirth. PRIESTESS: (once all have passed between the fires) Sky's Father, Wise Father, Wine Father, Sun Father, Sap Father, Song Father! Lord of forest, field and beast, Lord of harvest, hunt and feast, King of heaven's golden fire, Dancer of the soul's desire, Master of the drum and flute, Keeper of the vineyard's fruit, Shine on us and warm our souls -- Teach us how to make us whole! People, we can feel Him near! He is coming! He is here! GOD: (emerging from hiding, dressed in green, with leaves & horns) Let the light of living blaze! Dance within the spiral maze; Cry of pipe and thump of drum; Out you go and in you come! Mine the living pole of May -- Outside loving starts today! This My gift: that lovers join Touching at the lip and loin. This I give: the Joyous Dance, Music, song, the vine, the chance! Now do fear and anger cease: Dance the healing and release! (A fairly simple triple spiral should be traced on the ground in lime or flour, to give the people guidelines for dancing. The dance should go on until satiation or until the circle forms again; there is no one human focal point -- the intent should be for peace, understanding, tolerance, etc.) SPIRAL-DANCING CHANT: (drum) Joy, health and peace be in the world That spins into the May-o, For summer is a-comin' in And winter's gone away-o. BLESSING THE FOOD: God: Mine is the ripening sun. Goddess: Mine is the nurturing soil. God: Mine is the fruit of the vine. Goddess: Mine is the chalice of life. Both: We are the blessing of wine! And the wine blesses us. God: Mine is the planted seed. Goddess: Mine is the fertile earth. God: Mine is the mower's blade. Goddess: Mine is the oven of making. Both: We are the blessing of bread! And the bread blesses us. Feasting, dancing, singing, partying etc. Some kind of grounding afterwards. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com An Eclectic Circle Ceremony Durwydd, 1989-90 Preliminaries WATER: Blessings upon thee, O creature of water, I cast out from thee all impurities and uncleanness of the spirits of phantasm, confusion or any other influence not for the free will of all. SALT: Blessings be upon this creature of salt; let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth thencefrom, and let all good enter therein. Wherefore I bless thee and invoke thee, that thou mayest aid me. MIXING: I take this salt of the Earth, Blessed with the will of Fire; I take this water of spirit, Exorcised with mind of merit; I mix them with words of power, Dedicated to every Tower. By the power of Moon and Sun, By the power of Spirit, Earth and Sea, God and Goddess are part of One, As I Will, so mote it be! Casting of the Circle I conjure thee, O circle of power, As thou encircle every Tower. That thou beest a place of Truth, Joy and Love, Encircling Flight of Eagle, Hawk and Dove. Mighty Aegis of the Lady and Lord, Rampart of thought, action and word. To work in Peace, Powerful and Free, Who walk between two worlds conjure thee; A boundary to Protect, Concentrate and Contain, That Power raised here be not in vain. Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia. Sealing of the Circle (seal with water/salt mixture) With potion of earth and water, I seal the sacred circle, Linking air and fire! With potion of earth and air, I seal the sacred circle, Linking fire with water! With potion of earth,air,and fire, I seal the sacred circle, Linking water with the Earth! As the four directions are brought to merge, Let influence of the mighty ones converge! (Seal with Censer) With Incense and air of Mind, East to South, I do Bind! With Incense and air of Mind, South to West, I do Bind! With Incense and air of Mind, West to North, I do Bind! With Incense and air of Mind, North to East Completion Find! (Seal with Candle) With the Fire of emotion and will East to South, our dedication fulfill! With the Fire of veneration and Will, South to West, our allegiance fulfill! With the Fire of Devotion and Will, West to North, our consecration fulfill! With the Fire of Commitment and will, From North to East, this inscription fulfill! Within the circle All wills be free, The circle is sealed, So Mote it Be! Setting the Watchtowers Ye Lords of the Eastern Tower, Airy Lords of Spirit; Let your influence of Power, Aid our minds with merit! I do summon, stir and call you up to witness these rites and to guard the circle. Ye Lords of Southern Power Fiery Lords of Will. Pray do grace your Tower, Your Powers to fulfill! I do summon, stir and call you up to witness these rites and to guard the circle. Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, Watery Lords of Death and Initiation; I do summon, stir and call you up to witness these rites and to guard the Circle. Ye Northern Lords of the Earth, Though we be yet but Mortals; Bless our work with worth, Boreas, guardian of Northern portals. I do summon, stir and call you up to witness these rites and to guard the Circle. Goddess and God, I would know, As 'tis above, so 'tis below Blessings on this work, please bestow! This be my will, true and free, I do so will, so mote it be. Invocation of the Elements Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Elements of astral birth, I call you now; attend to me! In the Circle, rightly cast, Safe from curse or blast, I call you now, attend to me! From cave and desert, sea and hill, By wand, blade and pentacle, I call you now, attend to me! This is my will, so mote it be! sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A Mabon rite outline (soon to be a major Mabon Ritual, at a terminal near you.) General Mabon info to start with, set the mood &c... What is Mabon? Mabon, sometimes known as the Harvest/Thanksgiving ritual of the Autumn Equinox, is one ofthe Spokes of the Wheel of the Year. In the many Earth or Pagan Religions, a special kinshipwith the passing of the seasons is felt... this is usually due to the history of saidtraditions, most of which stem from agrarian cultures where the seasons marked the way of life.From planting to reaping to winter to summer... the seasons were of great importance to ourancestors, for their very existence depended upon good harvests, mild winters, enough rainfall,and the like. So... having shown the importance of the seasons, we shall turn to Mabon itself. Autumn...harvest time... the reaping of what was sown and cared thru during the year. A time ofthankfulness and rejoicing. So, of course, someone at some point in time must have said..."Now that the work is over... LET'S PARTY!!!" This is the essence of Mabon. Rejoicing in a bountiful harvest, thanking the Gods for beingso kind during the year, and, hopefully, helping in winning over the Gods' favor for the comingyear. About the Mabon rite itself: Now, this will be a very Discordian ritual in that each participant will be (more or less)writing his/her own part. This outline is provided to sorta nudge (nudge, wink, wink, say nomore, sir, say no more!) people into making their individual pieces able to fit into the wholething... (I feel like the Green Ball outta "Heavy Metal", the movie, something whichties things together). Back to the rite itself. Basically, 6 personages will be represented: Callers or Watchers of the East, South, West andNorth, High Priest (HP) and High Priestess (HPS). Of course, since this is a generic rite, the terms "Lord" and "Lady" willbe used when referring to the Male and Female aspects of divinity/godhood/whatever...individuals may use which ever names they wish, for a Rose, by any other name, would still smellas sweet. Outline: Invocation...once everybody has arrived, a Circle shall be cast, more or less, and the 4 Watchers/Callerseach get to do their thing invoking that which that direction symbolizes to come and attend thefestivities. After which, either the HPS, HP or both would consecrate the circle... in ourcase... the circle will be around each person at their 'puter... with a sense of beingconnected to each other via the others' 'puters. So... what we'll do is... after the circle iscast, and the four Corners have done their things, then the HP will call upon the Lord toattend, and the HPS shall call upon the Lady, (or, if we want to be different, we can have theHP call the Lady, and the HPS call the Lord... it's not as traditional, but I know of someLadies who are more likely to pay attention to a young, handsome HP than any HPS, if you get mymeaning [wink]). Once invoked... it's time for the thanksgiving part... we all got things we're thankfulfor... now's the chance. After the thanks are over, a customary requesting of blessing for the coming year is asked. That done with, it's time to dismiss the summoned ones...first, around the circle... each corner doing it's thing... the dismissal consists of a Hail tothe being summoned, a flattery (as I call it), and then a structured dismissal (eg. "Air ofthe East... blah, blah, blah,... Go if thou must, but stay if thou wilt"). The HP and HPSdismiss the Lord and Lady last with similar words. PARTY TIME!!!! Get out the Beer, munchies, what have you... celebrate... you've earned it. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A MIDSUMMER CELEBRATION by Mike Nichols (a.k.a. Gwydion) In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year, there are four lesser holidays as well: The two solstices and the two equinoxes. In folklore, these are referred to as the four 'quarter-days' of the year and modern Witches call them the four 'Lesser Sabbats' or the four 'Low Holidays'. The Summer Solstice is one of them. Technically, a solstice is an astronomical point and, due to the precession to the equinox, the date may vary by a few days depending on the year. The summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer and we then experience the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Astrologers know this as the date on which the sun enters the sign of Cancer. However, since most European peasants were not accomplished at reading an ephemeris or did not live close enough to Salisbury Plain to trot over to Stonehenge and sight down its main avenue, they celebrated the event on a fixed calendar date, June 24th. The slight forward displacement of the traditional date is the result of multitudinous calendrical changes down through the ages. It is analogous to the winter solstice celebration which is astronomically on or about December 21st, but is celebrated on the traditional date of December 25th, Yule, later adopted by the Christians. Again, it must be remembered that the Celts reckoned their days from sundown to sundown, so the June 24th festivities actually begin on the previous sundown (our June 23rd). This was Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Eve. Which brings up another point: our modern calendars are quite misguided in suggesting that 'summer begins' on the solstice. According to the old folk calendar, summer BEGINS on May Day and ends on Lammas (August 1st), with the summer solstice, midway between the two, marking MID-summer. This makes more logical sense than suggesting that summer begins on the day when the sun's power begins to wane and the days grow shorter. Although our Pagan ancestors probably preferred June 24th (and indeed most European folk festivals today use this date), the sensibility of modern Witches seems to prefer the actual solstice point, beginning the celebration at sunset. Again, it gives modern Pagans a range of dates to choose from, hopefully with a weekend embedded in it. As the Pagan mid-winter celebration of Yule was adopted by Christians as Christmas (December 25th), so too the Pagan mid-summer celebration was adopted by them as the feast of John the Baptist (June 24th). Occurring 180 degrees apart on the wheel of the year, the mid-winter celebration commemorates the birth of Jesus, while the mid-summer celebration commemorates the birth of John, the prophet who was born six months before Jesus in order to announce his arrival. This last tidbit is extremely conspicuous, in that John is the ONLY saint in the entire Catholic hagiography whose feast day is a commemoration of his birth, rather than his death. A generation ago, Catholic nuns were fond of explaining that a saint is commemorated on the anniversary of his or her death because it was really a 'birth' into the Kingdom of Heaven. But John the Baptist, the sole exception, is emphatically commemorated on the anniversary of his birth into THIS world. Although this makes no sense viewed from a Christian perspective, it makes perfect poetic sense from the viewpoint of Pagan symbolism. In most Pagan cultures, the sun god is seen as split between two rival personalities: the god of light and his twin, his 'weird', his 'other self', the god of darkness. They are Gawain and the Green Knight, Gwyn and Gwythyr, Llew and Goronwy, Lugh and Balor, Balan and Balin, the Holly King and the Oak King, etc. Often they are depicted as fighting seasonal battles for the favor of their goddess/lover, such as Creiddylad or Blodeuwedd, who represents Nature. The god of light is always born at the winter solstice, and his strength waxes with the lengthening days until the moment of his greatest power, the summer solstice, the longest day. And, like a look in a mirror, his 'shadow self', the lord of darkness, is born at the summer solstice, and his strength waxes with the lengthening nights until the moment of his greatest power, the winter solstice, the longest night. Indirect evidence supporting this mirror-birth pattern is strongest in the Christianized form of the Pagan myth. Many writers, from Robert Graves to Stewart Farrar, have repeatedly pointed out that Jesus was identified with the Holly King, while John the Baptist was the Oak King. That is why, 'of all the trees that are in the wood, the Holly tree bears the crown.' If the birth of Jesus, the 'light of the world', is celebrated at mid-winter, Christian folk tradition insists that John the Oak King was born (rather than died) at mid-summer. It is at this point that I must diverge from the opinion of Robert Graves and other writers who have followed him. Graves believes that at midsummer, the Sun King is slain by his rival, the God of Darkness; just as the God of Darkness is, in turn, slain by the God of Light at midwinter. And yet, in Christian folk tradition (derived from the older Pagan strain), it is births, not deaths, that are associated with the solstices. For the feast of John the Baptist, this is all the more conspicuous, as it breaks the rules regarding all other saints. So if births are associated with the solstices, when do the symbolic deaths occur? When does Goronwy slay Llew and when does Llew in turn slay Goronwy? When does darkness conquer light or light conquer darkness? Obviously (to me, at least), it must be at the two equinoxes. At the autumnal equinox, the hours of light in the day are eclipsed by the hours of darkness. At the vernal equinox, the process is reversed. Also, the autumnal equinox, called 'Harvest Home', is already associated with sacrifice, principally that of the spirit of grain or vegetation. In this case, the god of light would be identical. In Welsh mythology in particular, there is a startling vindication of the seasonal placement of the sun god's death, the significance of which occurred to me in a recent dream, and which I haven't seen elsewhere. Llew is the Welsh god of light, and his name means 'lion'. (The lion is often the symbol of a sun god.) He is betrayed by his 'virgin' wife Blodeuwedd, into standing with one foot on the rim of a cauldron and the other on the back of a goat. It is only in this way that Llew can be killed, and Blodeuwedd's lover, Goronwy, Llew's dark self, is hiding nearby with a spear at the ready. But as Llew is struck with it, he is not killed. He is instead transformed into an eagle. Putting this in the form of a Bardic riddle, it would go something like this: Who can tell in what season the Lion (Llew), betrayed by the Virgin (Blodeuwedd), poised on the Balance, is transformed into an Eagle? My readers who are astrologers are probably already gasping in recognition. The sequence is astrological and in proper order: Leo (lion), Virgo (virgin), Libra (balance), and Scorpio (for which the eagle is a well-known alternative symbol). Also, the remaining icons, cauldron and goat, could arguably symbolize Cancer and Capricorn, representing summer and winter, the signs beginning with the two solstice points. So Llew is balanced between cauldron and goat, between summer and winter, on the balance (Libra) point of the autumnal equinox. This, of course, is the answer to a related Bardic riddle. Repeatedly, the 'Mabinogion' tells us that Llew must be standing with one foot on the cauldron and one foot on the goat's back in order to be killed. But nowhere does it tell us why. Why is this particular situation the ONLY one in which Llew can be overcome? Because it represents the equinox point. And the equinox is the only time of the entire year when light (Llew) can be overcome by darkness (Goronwy). It should now come as no surprise that when it is time for Llew to kill Goronwy in his turn, Llew insists that Goronwy stands where he once stood while he (Llew) casts the spear. This is no mere vindictiveness on Llew's part. For, although the 'Mabinogion' does not say so, it should by now be obvious that this is the only time when Goronwy can be overcome. Light can overcome darkness only at the equinox -- this time the vernal equinox. So Midsummer (to me, at least) is a celebration of the sun god at his zenith, a crowned king on his throne. He is at the height of his strength and still 1/4 of a year away from his ritual death at the hands of his rival. The spear and the cauldron have often been used as symbols for this holiday and it should now be easy to see why. Sun gods are virtually always associated with spears (even Jesus is pierced by one), and the midsummer cauldron of Cancer is a symbol of the Goddess in her fullness. It is an especially beautiful time of the year for an outdoor celebration. May yours be magical! sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Ceremony of Initiation Author's note: This ritual is a compilation of Gardnerian, Fairy and traditional Wiccan sources and is intended to be used as an initiation for graduates of my training course in Basic Technologies of Witchcraft. While the ritual is powerful enough as it stands, I strongly recommend that it be reserved for people who have been prepared through training at least equivalent to that which I give, or much of the impact may be lost. Blessed be! J. Brad (Talespinner) Hicks Guided Meditation (The following will be read to all participants in the form of a guided meditation, prior to the processional. It helps if the first paragraph is read by a male voice and the second paragraph by a female voice. NOTE: All are nude; the initiate is also blindfolded.) Hear the words of the Threefold Goddess, who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Diana, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Isis, Arianrhod, Brigid, Aradia and many other names: "Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month and betterit be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all the Wise. She who would learn all sorcery yet has not won its deepest secrets, them I will teach her, in truth, all things as yet unknown. And you shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites. Sing, feast, dance, make music and love in My presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth. For My law is love unto all beings. Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the mother of all things and My love is poured out upon the earth." Processional The Initiate is left to meditate as the others rise and follow the High Priest/ess into the Circle area and three times around, chanting: "We all come from the Goddess, And to her we shall return Like a drop of rain, Flowing to the ocean." (repeat) Raising of the Circle HIGH PRIEST/ESS takes the Sword from the altar and traces a circle around the coveners. When he/she returns to the north, he/she kneels and salutes saying: "Hail and welcome, frosty Spirits of the North. Lend to us your power and protection this night that may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Earth. So mote it be!" ALL (envisioning a wall of dark green light springing up from the circle): "So mote it be!" HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the east, kneels and salutes saying: "Hail and welcome, bright Spirits of the East. Lend to us your power and protection that may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Air. So mote it be!" ALL (envisioning a wall of lemon yellow light springing up from the circle, within the wall of green): "So mote it be!" HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the south, kneels and salutes saying: "Hail and welcome, fiery Spirits of the South. Lend to us your power and protection that may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Fire. So mote it be!" ALL (envisioning a wall of crimson light springing up from the circle, within the walls of green and yellow): "So mote it be!" HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the west, kneels and salutes saying: "Hail and welcome, tireless Spirits of the West. Lend to us your power and protection that may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Water. So mote it be!" ALL (envisioning a wall of dark blue light springing up from the circle, within the walls of green, yellow and red): "So mote it be!" Statement of Purpose HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "I call upon the Horned God; I call upon the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone; I call upon the Spirits of Earth, Air, Fire and Water; I call upon the Hosts of the Mighty Dead; and I call every true Witch within this circle to witness that we are here to consecrate as Priest(ess) and Witch. The circle is cast!" ALL (envisioning the walls of the circle bending together overhead and flowing together under the floor to form a hemisphere of bright white light): "So mote it be!" The Warning HIGH PRIEST/ESS cuts a gate in the circle and roughly leads the Initiate to kneel at the edge before the gate, then balances the sword-point over the Initiate's heart (the Initiate raises hir hands to support the point). "You stand at the edge of a place that is between the worlds, in the presence of the Gods and under the watchful eye of the Mighty Dead. If you go any further, you embark on a path that cannot be safely turned aside before your death. Feel the sharpness of the blade at your breast, and know this in your heart that it would be better for you to throw yourself forward and spill out your life than to enter this circle with fear or falseness in your heart." INITIATE: "I come with perfect love and perfect trust." HIGH PRIEST/ESS lays down the sword, lifts the Initiate to his or her feet and kisses him or her. "Thus are all first brought into the Circle.", then leads the Initiate to the altar and taking up the sword, re-draws the circle over the gateway. Administration of the Oaths ALL (except the High Priest/ess and the Initiate) begin a quiet "Aum" and sustain it throughout the Five-fold Kiss and the Oaths of Initiation. HIGH PRIEST/ESS, administering the Five-fold Kiss: "Blessed are your feet, that have brought you to this place. Blessed are your knees, that shall kneel at the altars of the Gods. Blessed is your sex, without which we could not be. Blessed is your breast, formed in strength and beauty. Blessed are your lips which shall speak the Words of Truth. Are you prepared to take the oath?" INITIATE: "I am." HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "Then kneel." (takes the Initiate's measure.) "You who have from birth been called but now seek to become -- do you willingly pledge yourself to the God and the Goddess?" INITIATE places his or her left hand on the top of the head and right hand on the soles of the feet. "All between my two hands belongs to the Gods. So mote it be." ALL others raise the volume of the "Aum" slightly. HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "And do you swear to keep silent all those things that must be kept silent and to respect that which is taught to you?" INITIATE: "I willingly swear to keep silent all that must be kept silent and to respect that which is taught to me. So mote it be." ALL others raise the volume of the "Aum" a little more. HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "And by what surety do you swear all of these things?" INITIATE: "All of these things I do swear, by my mother's womb and my hope of future lives, knowing well that my Measure has been taken in the presence of the Mighty Ones. Should I fail utterly in my oaths, may my powers desert me, and may my own tools turn against me. So mote it be. So mote it be. So mote it be! ALL yell quickly: "SO MOTE IT BE!" Triggering of the Spell ALL grab the Initiate quickly and hoist hir completely into the air (if possible), chanting the Initiate's new name over and over again, as fast as possible, as they carry him or her three times quickly around the circle. When they return to the starting point, they set him or her down face-down and press him or her firmly into the ground. Gradually, the pressure relents to gentle massage. Through all of this they continue chanting the Initiate's new name, falling off in volume and speed as the pressure relaxes. HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "Know that the hands that have touched you are the hands of love." (removes the Initiate's blindfold and helps hir up.) "In the Burning Times, when each member of the Coven held the lives of the others in her hand, this would have been kept and used against you should you endanger others. But in these happier times, love and trust prevail, so take this (hands the Measure to the Initiate), keep it or burn it, and be free to go or stay as you please." Follow-through and Earthing of Power HIGH PRIEST/ESS hands the sword to the Initiate and leads hirto the East, where they both kneel. The Initiate salutes and the High Priest/ess announces: "Behold, restless Spirits of Water -- I bring before you , who has been consecrated as Priest/ess and Witch!" Repeats at the South, West, and finally North. ALL (including High Priest/ess and Initiate) join hands in the Circle. HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "Thank you Spirits of the Mighty Dead, Spirits of the Four Elements, and awesome Lord and Lady for hallowing our circle. Go or stay as you will -- our circle is ended." ALL ground and center, then absorb the power of the Circle and return it to the Earth beneath their feet. HIGH PRIEST/ESS (after a suitable pause): "Our lovely rite draws to its end. Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again. Blessed Be!" ALL: "BLESSED BE!" sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Invocations to Frigg, Baldur, Freyja, Freyr, Brigit, Herne and Thorr Russ Anderson When the invocation to Frigg was first used, each person in a healing circle invoked a healer into hirself. This was my invocation. The rest of the circle was asked to echo "Join us, Frigg" as I was saying "Join us, Frigg". This was my first attempt at writing an invocation, and it DID work. I hope that it also works for anyone else who wishes to use it, because it now feels like time to share it. Blessed Be, Russ. INVOCATION TO FRIGG "Frigg, Daughter of Jord, Join us. Frigg, Daughter of Fjorgyn, Join us. Frigg, Wife of Odin, Join us. Frigg, Sister of Thorr, Join us. Frigg, Mother of Baldr, Join us. Frigg, Mother of Hodr, Join us. Frigg, Mother of Hermod, Join us. Frigg, Mother of the gods, Join us. Frigg, Wise in all fates, Join us. Frigg, Who will tell no fortunes, Join us. Frigg, First among the Asynjur, Join us. Frigg, Queen of Asgard, Join us. Frigg, Mistress of home and hearth, Join us. Frigg, Mistress of Eire, Join us. Frigg, Mistress of healing, Join us. Frigg, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" INVOCATION TO BALDUR "Baldr, Son of Frigg, Join us. Baldr, Son of Odin, Join us. Baldr, Husband of Nanna, Join us. Baldr, Brother of Hodr, Join us. Baldr, Brother of Hermod, Join us. Baldr, Father of Forsetti, Join us. Baldr, Slain by blind Hodr, Join us. Baldr, Master of Breidablik, Join us. Baldr, Who is much loved, Join us. Baldr, Who Thokk alone would not mourn, Join us. Baldr, The Fairest of the Aesir, Join us. Baldr, Whose Judgments stand unaltered, Join us. Baldr, Whose Judgments stand unheeded, Join us. Baldr, The Wisest of the Aesir, Join us. Baldr, The Shining One, Join us. Baldr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" INVOCATION TO FREYJA "Freyja, Of the many names, Join us. Freyja, Of the golden tears, Join us. Freyja, Daughter of Njord, Join us. Freyja, Wife of Od, Join us. Freyja, Sister of Freyr, Join us. Freyja, Mother of Hnoss, Join us. Freyja, Claimed by Thrym, Join us. Freyja, Driver of cats, Join us. Freyja, Goddess of Fertility, Join us. Freyja, Who shares the slain with Odin, Join us. Freyja, Who taught the Aesir Magick, Join us. Freyja, Lender of Falcons' Flight, Join us. Freyja, Mistress of Brisingamen, Join us. Freyja, Mistress of Folkvang, Join us. Freyja, Mistress of nature, Join us. Freyja, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" INVOCATION TO FREYR "Freyr, Son of Njrd, Join us. Freyr, Husband of Gerdr, Join us. Freyr, Brother of Freyja, Join us. Freyr, Father of kings, Join us. Freyr, Whose sword would fight for itself, Join us. Freyr, Who gave his sword for Gerdr, Join us. Freyr, Patron of married couples, Join us. Freyr, Most beautiful of Gods, Join us. Freyr, Whose tooth-gift was Alfheimr, Join us. Freyr, Master of Gullinbursti, Join us. Freyr, Owner of Skidbladnir, Join us. Freyr, Slayer of Beli, Join us. Freyr, Master of Frodi's Peace, Join us. Freyr, Who directs Man's good fortune, Join us. Freyr, Who brings fruitful seasons, Join us. Freyr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" INVOCATION TO BRIGIT "Brigit, Wise One, We, your children, call to you. Lady, Smithy, We, your children, invite you here. Triple Goddess, We, your children, ask your presence. Brigit, Wise One, We, your children, call to you. Lady, Smithy, We, your children, invite you here. Triple Goddess, We, your children, ask your presence. Brigit, Wise One, We, your children, call to you. Lady, Smithy, We, your children, invite you here. Triple Goddess, We, your children, ask your presence, NOW." INVOCATION TO HERNE "Herne, Winter Lord, We, your children, call to you. Horned One, Hunter, We, your children, invite you here. Woodland Spirit, We, your children, ask your presence. Herne, Winter Lord, We, your children, call to you. Horned One, Hunter, We, your children, invite you here. Woodland Spirit, We, your children, ask your presence. Herne, Winter Lord, We, your children, call to you. Horned One, Hunter, We, your children, invite you here. Woodland Spirit, We, your children, ask your presence, NOW." INVOCATION TO THORR "Thorr, Red-beard, Join us. Thorr, Son of Jord, Join us. Thorr, Brother of Frigg, Join us. Thorr, Father of Modi, Join us. Thorr, Father of Magni, Join us. Thorr, Father of Thrudr, Join us. Thorr, Husband of Sif, Join us. Thorr, Jtunn bane, Join us. Thorr, Foe of Jormungandr, Join us. Thorr, Who bears Marriage Hallower, Join us. Thorr, Who bears Death Hallower, Join us. Thorr, Who wields Mjollnir, Join us. Thorr, Defender of Asgard, Join us. Thorr, Thunderer, Join us. Thorr, Storm Lord, Join us. Thorr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com An Isian Circle Casting Circle casting adapted by Matrika of PAN -- the ORIGINAL Psychic Awareness Network BBS at 1-703-362-1139 ADAPTED from the Community of Isis Rites in Salem MA. for use by the Moonchildren Coven This requires the use of a duly consecrated wand, a chalice, an athameand a container for salt and water -- non-plastic, PLEASE -- on youraltar as well as 2 candle sticks with candles in them and an incenseburner for stick or hanging incense. You should work robed or nude asyou prefer. In the 4 directions you should have either air (asincense) or fire (as candle -- lit, of course, and preferably red) inthe east -- according to your tradition. The OTHER element -- the onenot used in the east -- in the south, again according to yourtradition. (I prefer air/east -- wand, fire/south -- athame, personally-- but I realize there are differences in tradition. THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF A CIRCLE IS THE FINAL SAY IN ANY RITE --SO ALWAYS FOLLOW THEIR TRADITIONS. A bowl -- again not plastic -- of water in the west and some rocks ora dish of salt in the North for Earth. If you wish, you may lay a circle of salt on the floor, leaving a gatefor the priest/ess to enter and leave for the temple purification oryou may visualize the circle coming as electric blue light out of yourathame point as you cast it. After s/he returns from purifying theouter perimeter, the gate would be closed and the circle cast (afterthe directions are called) by pointing the athame (or the sword) atthe salt and charging it instead of casting into the air. The gatewould be closed by completing the circle of salt. Okay, I am writing this as used by a person working alone, but the Por PS in parenthesis is how it would be done if done by a couple. PSis the female and P is the male. This is the ideal form of the rite. (PS) picks up bowl of salt and bowl of water on alter. (P) picks upathame and places it point down in the water and says: "Salt is pure.Let this salt be pure and let it purify our rites as we use it in theservice of the Lady and the Lord." All: "So mote it be." (PS) pours some of the salt into the water. (P) stirs it with hisathame and says:"May this sacred salt purify this water so it may be used in thisservice of the Lord and Lady, throughout this rite, in any wayand at any time wemay wish to use it." All: "So mote it be." (PS) takes the salt-water and sprinkles it about the perimeter of thecircle (outer) saying the following while walking widdershinsor counterclockwise (to banish): "Salt and water where I cast thee No spell or unknown purpose be Unless in full accord with me and as I will, so mote it be." She returns to the circle. The (P) then takes the incense burner -- ifa swinging one -- or the burning stick of incense and goes around thecircle deosil saying:"Ever as we walk in the ways may we feel the presence of theLady and the Lord. We know that in all we do they are ever with us. Theyabide in us and we in them forever. No disharmony or imbalance canbe entertained for purity, harmony and balance are the dwellerswithin and without us: For good do we strive and for good do we live. Love unto all things. So be it forever. Love is the law and Love is the bond. Blessed be the Lady and the Lord." All: "So mote it be." He returns to the circle. He then picks up his wand and goes to theEast, raising it high he invokes the element of air visualizing eitherthe ruler of that element as he understands that being OR a yellowpentacle can be substituted. I like to imagine a weeping willow treebudding in the spring being moved by the gentle breezes through thecenter of the pentacle -- as if through the center of a window. (Ifyou use fire in the east, swap visualization here with the one Igive in the south and change the invocations accordingly) "Hail to thee Lord of the Watchtower of the East, element of air (fire?). We invite your presence and your power in our circle and our magick this night. All: "So mote it be." (P): "Welcome and Blessed Be." All: "Blessed Be." Go to the South and repeat this visualizing either your conception ofthe ruler of the watchtower for the south OR a red pentacle -- I liketo see a campfire through its center, as if through a window.Repeat invocation with raised wand making suitable changes of directionand element in it. Go to the West and repeat this visualizing either your conception ofthe ruler of the watchtower of the west OR a blue pentacle -- I like tosee a mountain stream or the ocean through the center of it, as ifthrough a window. Repeat invocation making suitable changes ofdirection and element in it. Go to the North and repeat the process visualizing either yourconception of the ruler of the north OR a green pentacle -- Ilike to see mountains rising up in the distance through the middle ofit, again as if through a window. Repeat invocation making suitable changes ofdirection and element in it. He returns to the altar and replaces the wand. THE (PS) takes up hers and invokes the Deities:"Hail to Thee, Lord and Lady." (Substitute aloud or silently the namesyou are using for the Goddess and the God here -- with non-initiates,some prefer to use the generic "Lord and Lady" out loud, keeping thenames by which the inner circle of initiates know Them a secret. Thisis also a good idea to use when you have members of several traditionspresent who may not agree on what names are used for them) "We inviteyour presence and power in our circle and our magick this night." All: "So mote it be." (PS): "Welcome and Blessed Be." All: "Blessed Be." She then replaces her wand on the altar and picks up her athame or thecoven sword and casts the circle -- either straight out, visualizingblue light coming from its point -- or, if a circle of salt is used,straight DOWN at the salt, to charge it. This is done deosil (clockwise), of course, just like the censing ofthe circle was done earlier. The only time widdershins is used is thesalt-water banishing / cleansing to prepare for circle casting and inopening the circle. First casting: " I conjure this circle, a mighty Psychic rampart thatturns back ANY excess positive or negative energy which may come to dous harm" All: "So mote it be." Second casting: "I cast this circle, a place that is not a place, atime that is not a time, a sacred place between the worlds, a place tocommune with eternity (or THE LADY AND THE LORD)" All: "So mote it be." Third casting: "I charge this circle, a place of perfect love and ofperfect trust where all may know peace profound" All: "So mote it be." She returns to the altar. If a bell is used (brass or silver ONLYplease) she rings it and says: "Now is the circle cast." All: "So mote it be." The circle then perform the full-moon rite, raising the power anddrawing down the energy into themselves by whatever rites they use andMagick is performed as is appropriate and necessary OR the ritual forone of the 8 sabbats is performed -- a much lighter and informaloccasion -- according to the time and purpose of the circle. The cakes and ale/wine (I substitute APPLE juice or SPRING water, as Iam allergic to alcohol) are consecrated by the athame in the chalice. NOTE -- the cakes should be as natural as possible. Show some respect!Please no twinkies or oreos -- I've seen some "people" do that! Circle closing The (P) takes up his wand and goes to the 4 quarters, beginning at thenorth and going widdershins, where he raises his wand at each anddismisses the rulers of the elements thusly: "Farewell to thee Lord of the watchtower of the (direction) element of (name element) We thank you for our presence and power in our circle and our magick this night." All: "So mote it be." (P): "Merry part and Blessed Be." All: "Blessed Be." As he does this, he visualizes whatever he visualized earlier and then"sees" it fading out. When he has done all 4 quarters he replaces hiswand on the altar. THE (PS) picks hers up, raises it high and says: "Farewell to the Lordand Lady" (again names may be substituted silently or aloud) "We thankyou for your presence and your power in Our circle and our magick thisnight." All: "So mote it be." (PS): "Go if you must, stay if you will. Blessed be." ALL: "Blessed be." She then picks up her athame (or sword) and pointing it either in theair or at the salt, whatever she did before, she walks widdershins andas she opens the circle she pictures in her mind's eye the electricblue light fading out or being reabsorbed by the tool she carries asshe says: "THE CIRCLE IS OPEN, YET REMAINS UNBROKEN." ALL: "So be."

"Merry part and blessed be." ALL: "Blessed be." (they all hug each other in many circles here.) (candles are snuffed on altar here -- never blow out candles) If bellis used, she rings it and says: "The circle is now open." Note -- our circle in New England, which met only for the Sabbatsexcept for its leadership which did the full-moons themselves as itwas a training coven, tended to use a lot of chanting and simpleritual drama to raise energy as we worked in a very confined space.Other methods can be used. In full-moon work I like activedeep-meditation or guided trance and chanting because of size of spaceavailable to me at this time. However, many covens also use the dance,the cords, the Great Rite (actual or symbolic) and other methods.Always remember there is no one right path. There is also no one right way of casting a circle. Differenttraditions differ greatly. The main body of this rite is that used bythe community of Isis -- but I have added invocations at the circlecleansing that I like which come from Al Manning (for the salt-water)and Ray Buckland (for the censing of the circle). The blessing ofthe salt and water are also from Ray Buckland's teachings. Becauseof its clarity of intent, I prefer his method to the one I learned,so I use it here. Part of the circle closing was also adapted from Starhawk. Many peoplelike to elaborate on the invocations at the quarters and present themin poetic formats, as they do with the invocation of the Lord andLady. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Circles, why use them? Mel White They say that the longest journey begins with a single step. So, too,the exploration of Magickal studies begins with a single step. Thoughthe first step in a physical journey is often self-evident, the FirstStep on a Magickal journey is often not quite so clear. Whileformally organized groups often have a path of lessons to instructnewcomers, the solitary or isolated student is often left standing inperplexity on this broad plain of knowledge, wondering just where inthe heck to begin. And wondering, too, if it's "okay" to start justanywhere. While it's true that studies can begin in any direction that attractsyou, the necessary first step must be learning to make psychicshields. There are "Things of the Dark" out there. There are anynumber of explanations for what these things might be -- ghosts,demons, or simply uncontrolled urges of the subconscious mind. Intruth, it doesn't matter what they are. What does matter is that theireffect is very real and unless they are put under your control, theywill drag you over the borders of sanity into psychosis. You are mostvulnerable to them while you're in an "open" trance or meditativestate. That's why the wise practitioner always begins by taking stepsto define exactly what will be permitted through the portals of their"psychic shields" -- no matter how simple the ritual. And this, ina nutshell, is what "protective magic" is about. There are a number of ways to do this. The most common is to begin bydrawing a circle (around a group or yourself) and invoking the one ormore protective powers. Generally, this is done by candlelight, infront of an altar that holds certain magical objects. The circle maybe further "secured" and "cleared" by using salt, salt water, rum,incense, or some other method. You may be wearing a special robe andwill have taken a bath (or performed a cleansing ritual) earlier. Thepowers that protect you will be called on and then you will begin yourritual. Is it psychological? Absolutely! Is there a reason why protectionrituals always take this form? Positively! Let's take a step backand see what you're actually doing and how the process works -- from apsychological standpoint -- and how to use this knowledge to help yourefine your circles to enhance your rituals. Psychologists and psychics alike view the mind's structure as athree-part entity: The Ego (that which you think of as yourself), theSuperego (the "higher self") and the Id (the child within). The Idis, in a sense, a computer. Like most computers, it operates on the GIGO(Garbage In, Garbage Out) principle. There's an old superstition: "Asyou name something, so will it become." Tell yourself that you're veryunlucky and your Id will obligingly give you bad days by enhancing anynegatives in your environment. Tell yourself that you are clumsy, andyour Id-computer will obligingly arrange for you to break a leg whilestepping off the sidewalk. The bad news is that the Id can't make ajudgement as to whether or not this is a good idea. It only knowsthat it's received these "instructions" and must carry them out. Thegood news is that you can actually program/reprogram this portion ofyour mind. You begin programming this Internal Servant of yours by first drawingits attention to what you want done and then explaining what you needdone in a simple and clear manner. Repeating the instructions in achant help fix the goals for the Id -- rhymed chants seem to be easierfor it to process. Each time you perform the ritual and repeat thechant, the programming is strengthened. Never mind that your ego andsuperego understand that you're going to program the child-like Id.It works just the same. To direct the Id's attention to the process, you first have to impressit. Using special tools and clothing alert it that something unusualis going on and that it must pay attention. Acquiring hard-to-obtainitems, drawing symbols, performing a symbolic sacrifice (donatingmoney, say, to a good cause) are all ways of reinforcing the Id'simpression that this ceremony is very special and that the result willbe very powerful. Organized, meaningful symbols, speak to yoursubconscious mind in ways it understands, reinforcing the goals youhave set. Drawing the circle itself establishes boundaries within yourenvironment ("The rest of the world can do what it likes Out There.All within this circle is in my control!"). Purifying the circle andconsecrating it (sprinkling water which has been blessed and saltadded) further enforce your territory, defining the borders where youare "safe". Nothing can enter this area except what you inviteinside. You further tighten these borders by calling on certainPowers. You can call on any powers you like. Some use traditional Christianimages. Others call up deities from the religion they are mostcomfortable with. And many people use the thought/image of a beam oflight that represents either God/Goddess (whichever one they like) orthe power of light and life and goodness in the Universe. The number of powers called as guardians varies. You may choose toinvoke one powerful being to protect your circle. Or you might call onthe Universal Being/Light and four guardians (one for each quarter ofthe compass). A third approach is to use a guardian for the fourquarters of the compass and no higher being. There is no "absolutelycorrect" system; the correct system is the one that you arecomfortable with. Take time to choose the guardians of your circle carefully. Youshould select guardians (gods or animals or some form of life) whichhave a deeper meaning to you and whose qualities are in harmony withyour goals. For the new student, it's best to have all your Powers andGuardians from the same belief system/religion/mythic universe so thatthe symbols will be consistent and not confuse the Id. You can use people -- saints, movie actors, figures from favorite booksas guardians. Do, however, pick someone who's dead or non-existent.The dead can't argue with your interpretation of them, whereas theliving may be highly offended to be approached as gods/guardians. As your studies continue, you will find that your totems or guardianschange. This is to be expected; as you explore new realms in yourstudies, you may find you need guardians who deal with very specificareas to strengthen and guide you in these new fields. But don't make the mistake of assuming that you'll become so powerfulthat you will never need the protection of the psychic shieldingcircle in some form. And don't assume that you will not need a circlefor "positive" magicks such as healing. Open is open -- and open isvulnerable. And circles strengthen and protect you by defining whatpsychological influences will be allowed to work with you. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Handfasting (Wedding) Ryan Hunter The following wedding ceremony was written to provide for Pagans who must of necessity be wed in the presence of the uninitiated who are not pagan and are perhaps unaware that the bride and groom are pagan. Replace the words Bride and Groom below with the names of the happy couple. This ceremony was used by both my wife and myself and by my sister and her husband. They modified the text at the point below where it says "loving each other wholly and completely" to add the phrase "forsaking all others" as they are into monogamy. Either version works beautifully, I recommend the participants rewrite where necessary to form a legal contract that they can and will keep. It is easy to avoid being an oathbreaker if you only swear to that you will keep and avoid swearing to something just because the other party wants it or because it might be "expected" by the family. Notice: parts of this ritual were cribbed from the writings of others. I apologize in advance for failure to reference sources but after the fifteenth rewrite we had forgotten where we got the text and what was and what was not original to us. I doubt if there are quotes from other sources longer than paragraph length and thus should not be a copyright problem. If you see something that is yours, please send me mail and I will reference you in the future. Our thanks to those who paved the way. Ryan Hunter [PRIEST] We have come together here in celebration of the joining together of [BRIDE] and [GROOM]. There are many things to say about marriage. Much wisdom concerning the joining together of two souls has come our way through all paths of belief and from many cultures. With each union, more knowledge is gained and more wisdom gathered. Though we are unable to give all this knowledge to these two who stand before us, we can hope to leave with them the knowledge of love and its strengths and the anticipation of the wisdom that comes with time. The law of life is love unto all beings. Without love, life is nothing, without love, death has no redemption. Love is anterior to Life, posterior to Death, initial of Creation and the exponent of Earth. If we learn no more in life, let it be this. Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its cycles, its ups and its downs, its trials and its triumphs. With full understanding of this, Groom and Bride have come here today to be joined as one in marriage. Others would ask, at this time, who gives the bride in marriage, but, as a woman is not property to be bought and sold, given and taken, I ask simply if she comes of her own will and if she has her family's blessing. Bride, is it true that you come of your own free will and accord? [BRIDE] Yes, it is true. [PRIEST] With whom do you come and whose blessings accompany you. [FATHER] She comes with me, her father, and is accompanied by all of her family's blessings. [PRIEST] Please join hands with your betrothed and listen to that which I am about to say. Above you are the stars, below you are the stones, as time doth pass, remember... Like a stone should your love be firm like a star should your love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your marriage, let the strength of your wills bind you together, let the power of love and desire make you happy, and the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Possess one another, yet be understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they will pass quickly. Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways of the unenlightened give you unease, for God is with you always. Groom, I have not the right to bind thee to Bride, only you have this right. If it be your wish, say so at this time and place your ring in her hand. [GROOM] It is my wish. [PRIEST] Bride, if it be your wish for Groom to be bound to you, place the ring on his finger. (Bride places ring on Groom's left ring finger.) Bride, I have not the right to bind thee to Groom, only you have this right. If it be your wish, say so at this time and place your ring in his hand. [BRIDE] It is my wish. [PRIEST] Groom, if it be your wish for Bride to be bound to you, place the ring on her finger. ( Groom places ring on Bride's left ring finger.) (to Groom) Repeat after me: I, [groom (full name)], in the name of the spirit of God that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood and the love that resides within my heart, take thee, [bride (full name)], to my hand, my heart and my spirit, to be my chosen one. To desire thee and be desired by thee, to possess thee and be possessed by thee without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people and thy ways as I respect myself. (to Bride) Repeat after me: I, [bride (full name)], in the name of the spirit of God that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood, and the love that resides within my heart, take thee, [groom (full name)], to my hand, my heart, and my spirit to be my chosen one. To desire and be desired by thee, to possess thee and be possessed by thee without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people and thy ways as I respect myself. [PRIEST] (hands chalice to the groom, saying:) May you drink your fill from the cup of love. (Groom holds chalice to bride while she sips then bride takes chalice and holds it to groom while he sips. The chalice is then handed back to the Priest who sets it on the table. Next the Priest takes the plate of bread, giving it to the groom. Same procedure repeated with bread, groom feeding bride and bride feeding groom.) By the power vested in me by God and the State of Alabama, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May your love so endure that its flame remains a guiding light unto you. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Initiation Into The Coven, Outdoor Version Candidates for initiation should be in good mental and physical health. They should also beof legal age and have sought out the Craft of their own free will. (All references below are to a female candidate. In case of a male, all instances of 'she'become 'he' and the High Priest and High Priestess swap roles.) Before being accepted into the Coven she should spend sometimelearning about the Craft and magic and such. She should know aboutpractices that most people get uptight about. She should be told thatinitiations are perfectly safe and voluntary. Also, if at any timeprior to taking the oath she wants to back out, she can do so with outfear or other recriminations. The candidate must choose a Craft name. This name should not be acommon American name and must have personal meaning to the candidate. Traditionally the apprenticeship lasted for a year and a day.This is a good idea if it can be done. Before she can be initiated,the Coven must vote. A single no is sufficient to not allow thecandidate to be initiated into that particular Coven. This ritual is written for use in the woods. There has to be apath leading from the staging area to a clearing where a fire can belit. To save time, the fire should be setup but not lighted. The bathtub should be set up along the path and filled with warmwater and the other ingredients. The water will also have to beconsecrated. The candidate should be brought to the staging area by theirsponsor. She should be wearing clothing that can be cut away easily bya sword without undoing buttons or stepping out of pants legs. Thecandidate should be lead down the path by the sponsor. After a littleways a member of the Coven, the Challenger, should step onto the path.They might want to wear a mask. They take the sword that they carryand say:"Who comes to the gate?" The candidate, coached beforehand, answers:"It is I, (new Craft name), child of earth and starry heaven." Challenger:"Who speaks for you?" Sponsor:"It is I, ________, who vouches for her." The Challenger holds the point of the sword up to the candidate'sheart, and says:"You are about to enter a vortex of power, a place beyond imagining, where birth and death, dark and light, joy and pain, meet and make one. You are about to step between the worlds, beyond time, outside the realm of your human life. You who stands on the threshold of the dread Mighty Ones, have you the courage to make the essay? For know it is better to fall on my blade and perish than to make the attempt with fear in thy heart!" The apprentice answers:"I tread the path with perfect love and perfect trust." The Challenger replies:"Prepare for death and rebirth." And the Challenger takes the sword and cuts off the apprentice'sclothing till she is standing naked. The Challenger grounds theirsword to the Earth. The Challenger should then blindfold the candidateand tie a cord around their wrists and one ankle while saying:"And She was bound as all living things must be,who would enter the Kingdom of Death. And Her feet wereneither bound nor free." The candidate is led to the tub and bathed, while still blindfolded,by the rest of the Coven. While being bathed, she must remain quiet.She is helped from the tub and dried off. The candidate is then carriedto the Circle. Everyone in the Coven, starting with the High Priest,kisses her and says:"Thus are all first brought into the world, and thus are all first brought into the Coven." The High Priest now leads the candidateto each of the four corners and introduces her to the Guardians, ofcourse going deosil. "Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East and all the MightyOnes of the Craft. Behold _________(new name), who will now bemade Priestess and Witch." The candidate is brought back to the altar. The High Priest kneels andgives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet,both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the rightof each pair. He says as he does this: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar. Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty. Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length, with theirfeet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads herarms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. The candidate isthen measured with the other piece of cord from head to toe. The cordis cut. She is then measured around the head and chest and knots aretied to mark these lengths. The High Priestess rolls up the cord andasks the candidate: "Are you willing to swear the oath?" The candidate answers: "I am." The High Priestess asks: "Are you willing to suffer to learn?" The candidate answers: "Yes." The High Priestess takes the apprentice's hand and with a needleproperly purified by fire and water, pricks her finger, squeezing a fewdrops out onto the measure. The candidate then kneels and places onehand on her head and the other beneath her heel and she repeats whatis read to her. The High Priest says: "This is the Charge of the Coven: That I will keep secret what I am asked to keep secret,and never divulge the names or dwelling places of our peopleunless by their consent. That I will learn and try to master the Art Magical;but ever remember the rune: "What good be the tools withoutthe inner light? What good be magic without wisdom sight?" That in due course I will strive to find a worthy pupil inmagic, to whom in future years I can hand down the knowledgeI acquire. That I will never use the Art Magical merely to impressfoolish persons, nor for any wrongful end. That I will help the Craft of the Wise, and hold its honoras I would my own. That I consider these vows taken before the Elder Gods;and that if I betray this Charge I accept as my just rewardthat retribution of destiny which overtakes those who baselybetray the trust and confidence that others have placed inthem. Know that none can escape the fate, be it curse orblessing, which they make for themselves, either in this lifeor in another life."The High Priestess says:"Repeat after me: 'I, ________, do of my own free will mostsolemnly swear to protect, help and defend my sisters and brothers ofthe Art and to keep the Coven's Charge. I always keep secret all that must not be revealed. This do I swear on my mother's womb and my hopes of future lives,mindful that my measure has been taken, and in the presence ofthe Mighty Ones.' All between my two hands belongs to the Goddess." The candidate repeats the oath. The Coven shouts:"So mote it be!" The High Priest says: "Arise and be anointed." The High Priest then makes an X mark on the initiate's forehead, breastand genitals while saying:"May your mind be free. May your heart be free. May your body befree. I give you the Craft name of ______" The rest of the Coven members grab her suddenly, lift her if possibleand carry her three times around the Circle, laughing and shrieking.They then lay her face down before the altar and press her into theground. Gradually the pressure changes to stroking. They chant her newname, raising a Cone of Power over her. The blindfold is removed andshe is told: "Know that the hands that have touched you are the hands of love.Thus are all first brought into the world, and thus are all firstbrought into the Coven." The Charge of the Goddess is spoken and any other myths, mysteries,and secrets are revealed. She is also told the Coven names of all themembers. The High Priestess returns the measure, saying: "In the Burning Times, when each member of the Coven held thelives of the others in their hands, this would have been kept and beused against you should you endanger the others. But in these morefortunate times, love and trust prevail, so take this, keep it or burnit, and be free to go or to stay as your heart leads you." The service goes on as usual, be it New or Full Moon or Sabbat. Beforethe Circle is opened, the new initiate is taken to the four cornersagain and introduced to the Guardians again. Starhawk; "The Spiral Dance: Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of theGoddess"; HarperRow 1979 Valiente, Doreen; "Witchcraft for Tomorrow"; Phoenix Publishing 1985 Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Neo-Pagan Ritual #1619 05 Aug 85 22:48:33 (RECV'D) From: Curly Howard To: Da Sysop See also msg # 17 Subject: NEO-PAGANISMAlright, I don't want to sound dumb, but I have no idea what theserituals entail. What goes on during these, and what is their purpose? Curly Howard #1719 06 Aug 85 11:59:57 (RECV'D) From: Brad Hicks REPLY To: Curly Howard Reply to msg # 16 See also msg # 18 Subject: NEOPAGAN RITUALBoy, you don't ask the easy ones. Dr. Regardie takes 12 volumes toanswer this one; Aleister Crowley, 13 or so; Isaac Bonewits, two (andthat's only introductory). I'll try to summarize, but if you're really interested, track downStarhawk's THE SPIRAL DANCE for further details. Most scholars divideritual into two classes: 1) theurgic, and 2) thaumaturgic. In fancywords, this means that either you are praying to make your self "abetter person" or "closer to God/dess" or "to be saved from your sins",or you are praying for the God/dess to intervene in the world aroundyou - prayers for peace, for money, for health, etc. Neopagan ritual partakes of both aspects, to some extent. In atypical ritual, various techniques (as old as humanity) are used to"raise the power," then the power is focused via magickal symbols tocontact the God(s) and/or Goddess(es) who are being called upon.He/She/They take that magickal energy, augment it, and return it tothe circle. The High Priest/ess then focuses that energy on thetarget - the object or person to be affected, if any - then anyenergies that remain (or the total energy, if there is no magickaltarget) are returned to the Gods, via a process called "grounding." To paraphrase Uncle Isaac's wonderful book on the subject, you havethe wind-up, the pitch, and the follow-through. The windup uses any ritual techniques that are appropriate to a)the setting, b) the purpose of the ritual, c) the deities beingcontacted, and d) the skills of the participants. The universals arechanting, dance, and "ritual theatre." There are, of course, others. The "pitch" uses beautiful, poetic imagery in guided meditationsand ritual movement. Occasionally (if possible), this uses music anddance. Once the gods are contacted and the energy flows, it isconcentrated in an object - usually cakes and wine, but occasionallyby other means - and distributed, symbolically to all theparticipants. Having partaken of the energy thus raised, the guidedmeditations direct the people in focusing their energy on the purposeat hand. Finally, the High Priest or Priestess goes through a"follow-through", which involves dissolving the "group mind",reassuring people that what we have worked is done and was effective,and then "grounding" any loose energies, so that when the group leavesthe ritual circle, they are back in their normal minds. As I write, it occurs to me that the real answer to your questionlies in that last sentence - "back in their normal minds." Neopaganritual is a collection of tools and techniques for altering yourconsciousness, temporarily, to a place where the Gods and Goddessesare real and near, where we as their children and lovers and friendscan worship them, and where the magick we work can come true. Havingconvinced ourselves of this, we act on it, then return to our dailylives refreshed. (Gods, what a bunch of gibberish! You would have been better off reading the books!) Anyway, I tried. Anyone else (esp. Black Dragon if he shows upagain, as he's worked at least as much ritual as I) please feel freeto add or comment. Was this the kind of answer you wanted, Curly? Reverend Talespinner, O.S.C. Clan Destiny Chapel of Eris & Dionysus (aka Brad Hicks) sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A Celebration of May Day by Gwydion Cinhil Kirontin "Perhaps it's just as well that you won't be here... to be offended by thesight of our May Day celebrations." Lord Summerisle to Sgt. Howie from "The Wicker Man" There are four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year and the modern Witch's calendar, as well. The two greatest of these are Halloween (the beginning of winter) and May Day (the beginning of summer). Being opposite each other on the wheel of the year, they separate the year into halves. Halloween (also called Samhain) is the Celtic New Year and is generally considered the more important of the two, though May Day runs a close second. Indeed, in some areas -- notably Wales -- it is considered the great holiday. May Day ushers in the fifth month of the modern calendar year, the month of May. This month is named in honor of the goddess Maia, originally a Greek mountain nymph, later identified as the most beautiful of the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades. By Zeus, she is also the mother of Hermes, god of magic. Maia's parents were Atlas and Pleione, a sea nymph. The old Celtic name for May Day is Beltane (in its most popular Anglicized form), which is derived from the Irish Gaelic "Bealtaine" or the Scottish Gaelic "Bealtuinn", meaning "Belfire", the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel, Beli or Belinus). He, in turn, may be traced to the Middle Eastern god Baal. Other names for May Day include: Cetsamhain ("opposite Samhain"), Walpurgisnacht (in Germany), and Roodmas (the medieval Church's name). This last came from Church Fathers who were hoping to shift the common people's allegiance from the Maypole (Pagan lingam -- symbol of life) to the Holy Rood (the Cross -- Roman instrument of death). Incidentally, there is no historical justification for calling May 1st "Lady Day". For hundreds of years, that title has been proper to the Vernal Equinox (approx. March 21st), another holiday sacred to the Great Goddess. The nontraditional use of "Lady Day" for May 1st is quite recent (within the last 15 years), and seems to be confined to America, where it has gained widespread acceptance among certain segments of the Craft population. This rather startling departure from tradition would seem to indicate an unfamiliarity with European calendar customs, as well as a lax attitude toward scholarship among too many Pagans. A simple glance at a dictionary ("Webster's 3rd" or O.E.D.), encyclopedia ("Benet's"), or standard mythology reference (Jobe's "Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore & Symbols") would confirm the correct date for Lady Day as the Vernal Equinox. By Celtic reckoning, the actual Beltane celebration begins on sundown of the preceding day, April 30, because the Celts always figured their days from sundown to sundown. And sundown was the proper time for Druids to kindle the great Bel-fires on the tops of the nearest beacon hill (such as Tara Hill, Co. Meath, in Ireland). These "need-fires" had healing properties, and skyclad Witches would jump through the flames to ensure protection. Sgt. Howie (shocked): "But they are naked!" Lord Summerisle: "Naturally. It's much too dangerous to jumpthrough the fire with your clothes on!" Frequently, cattle would be driven between two such bonfires (oak wood was the favorite fuel for them) and, on the morrow, they would be taken to their summer pastures. Other May Day customs include: processions of chimney-sweeps and milk maids, archery tournaments, morris dances, sword dances, feasting, music, drinking, and maidens bathing their faces in the dew of May morning to retain their youthful beauty. In the words of Witchcraft writers Janet and Stewart Farrar, the Beltane celebration was principly a time of "...unashamed human sexuality and fertility." Such associations include the obvious phallic symbolism of the Maypole and riding the hobby horse. Even a seemingly innocent children's nursery rhyme, "Ride a cock horse to Banburry Cross..." retain such memories. And the next line "...to see a fine Lady on a white horse" is a reference to the annual ride of "Lady Godiva" though Coventry. Every year for nearly three centuries, a sky-clad village maiden (elected Queen of the May) enacted this Pagan rite, until the Puritans put an end to the custom. The Puritans, in fact, reacted with pious horror to most of the May Day rites, even making Maypoles illegal in 1644. They especially attempted to suppress the "greenwood marriages" of young men and women who spent the entire night in the forest, staying out to greet the May sunrise, and bringing back boughs of flowers and garlands to decorate the village the next morning. One angry Puritan wrote that men "doe use commonly to runne into woodes in the night time, amongst maidens, to set bowes, in so muche, as I have hearde of tenne maidens whiche went to set May, and nine of them came home with childe." And another Puritan complained that, of the girls who go into the woods, "not the least one of them comes home again a virgin." Long after the Christian form of marriage (with its insistence on sexual monogamy) had replaced the older Pagan handfasting, the rules of strict fidelity were always relaxed for the May Eve rites. Names such as Robin Hood, Maid Marion and Little John played an important part in May Day folklore, often used as titles for the dramatis personae of the celebrations. And modern surnames such as Robinson, Hodson, Johnson and Godkin may attest to some distant May Eve spent in the woods. These wildwood antics have inspired writers such as Kipling: Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight, Or he would call it a sin; But we have been out in the woods all night, A-conjuring Summer in! And Lerner and Lowe: It's May! It's May! The lusty month of May!... Those dreary vows that ev'ryone takes, Ev'ryone breaks. Ev'ryone makes divine mistakes! The lusty month of May! It is certainly no accident that Queen Guinevere's "abduction" by Meliagrance occurs on May 1st when she and the court have gone a-Maying, or that the usually efficient Queen's guard, on this occasion, rode unarmed. Some of these customs seem virtually identical to the old Roman feast of flowers, the Floralia, three days of unrestrained sexuality which began at sundown April 28th and reached a crescendo on May 1st. By the way, due to various calendrical changes down through the centuries, the traditional date of Beltane is not the same as its astrological date. This date, like all astronomically determined dates, may vary by a day or two depending on the year. However, it may be calculated easily enough by determining the date on which the sun is at 15 degrees Taurus. British Witches often refer to this date as Old Beltane, and folklorists call it Beltane O.S. ("Old Style"). Some Covens prefer to celebrate on the old date and, at the very least, it gives one options. If a Coven is operating on "Pagan Standard Time" and misses May 1st altogether, it can still throw a viable Beltane bash as long as it's before this date. This may also be a consideration for Covens that need to organize activities around the week-end. This date has long been considered a "power point" of the Zodiac, and is symbolized by the Bull, one of the four "tetramorph" figures featured on the Tarot cards the World and the Wheel of Fortune. (The other three are the Lion, the Eagle and the Spirit.) Astrologers know these four figures as the symbols of the four "fixed" signs of the Zodiac (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, respectively), and these naturally align with the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft. Christians have adopted the same iconography to represent the four gospel-writers. But for most, it is May 1st that is the great holiday of flowers, Maypoles, and greenwood frivolity. It is no wonder that, as recently as 1977, Ian Anderson could pen the following lyrics for Jethro Tull: For the May Day is the great day, Sung along the old straight track. And those who ancient lines did ley Will heed this song that calls them back. THE END sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Midwinter Night's Eve: Yule by Mike Nichols Our Christian friends are often quite surprised at howenthusiastically we Pagans celebrate the 'Christmas' season. Eventhough we prefer to use the word 'Yule', and our celebrations may peaka few days before the 25th, we nonetheless follow many of thetraditional customs of the season: decorated trees, carolling,presents, Yule logs, and mistletoe. We might even go so far asputting up a 'Nativity set', though for us the three centralcharacters are likely to be interpreted as Mother Nature,Father Time, and the Baby Sun-God. None of this will come as asurprise to anyone who knows the true history of the holiday, ofcourse. In fact, if truth be known,the holiday of Christmas has alwaysbeen more Pagan than Christian, with its associations of Nordicdivination, Celtic fertility rites and Roman Mithraism. That is whyboth Martin Luther and John Calvin abhorred it, why the Puritansrefused to acknowledge it, much less celebrate it (to them, no day ofthe year could be more holy than the Sabbath), and why it was evenmade illegal in Boston! The holiday was already too closelyassociated with the birth of older Pagan gods and heroes. And many ofthem (like Oedipus, Theseus, Hercules, Perseus, Jason, Dionysus,Apollo, Mithra, Horus and even Arthur) possessed a narrative of birth,death and resurrection that was uncomfortably close to that of Jesus.And to make matters worse, many of them predated the ChristianSavior. Ultimately, of course, the holiday is rooted deeply in the cycleof the year. It is the Winter Solstice that is being celebrated,seed-time of the year, the longest night and shortest day. It is thebirthday of the new Sun King, the Son of God -- by whatever name youchoose to call him. On this darkest of nights, the Goddess becomesthe Great Mother and once again gives birth. And it makes perfectpoetic sense that on the longest night of the winter, 'the dark nightof our souls', there springs the new spark of hope, the Sacred Fire,the Light of the World, the Coel Coeth. That is why Pagans have as much right to claim this holiday asChristians. Perhaps even more so, as the Christians were rather latein laying claim to it, and tried more than once to reject it. Therehad been a tradition in the West that Mary bore the child Jesus on thetwenty-fifth day, but no one could seem to decide on the month.Finally, in 320 C.E., the Catholic Fathers in Rome decided to make itDecember, in an effort to co-opt the Mithraic celebration of theRomans and the Yule celebrations of the Celts and Saxons. There was never much pretense that the date they finally chose washistorically accurate. Shepherds just don't 'tend their flocks bynight' in the high pastures in the dead of winter! But if one wishesto use the New Testament as historical evidence, this reference maypoint to sometime in the spring as the time of Jesus's birth. This isbecause the lambing season occurs in the spring and that is the onlytime when shepherds are likely to 'watch their flocks by night' -- tomake sure the lambing goes well. Knowing this, the Eastern half ofthe Church continued to reject December 25, preferring a 'movabledate' fixed by their astrologers according to the moon. Thus, despite its shaky start (for over three centuries, no-oneknew when Jesus was supposed to have been born!), December 25 finallybegan to catch on. By 529, it was a civic holiday, and all work orpublic business (except that of cooks, bakers or any that contributedto the delight of the holiday) was prohibited by the EmperorJustinian. In 563, the Council of Braga forbade fasting on ChristmasDay, and four years later the Council of Tours proclaimed the twelvedays from December 25 to Epiphany as a sacred, festive season. Thislast point is perhaps the hardest to impress upon the modern reader,who is lucky to get a single day off work. Christmas, in the MiddleAges, was not a single day, but rather a period of twelve days, fromDecember 25 to January 6. The Twelve Days of Christmas, in fact. Itis certainly lamentable that the modern world has abandoned thisapproach, along with the popular Twelfth Night celebrations. Of course, the Christian version of the holiday spread to manycountries no faster than Christianity itself, which means that'Christmas' wasn't celebrated in Ireland until the late fifth century;in England, Switzerland and Austria until the seventh; in Germanyuntil the eighth; and in the Slavic lands until the ninth and tenth.Not that these countries lacked their own mid-winter celebrations ofYuletide. Long before the world had heard of Jesus, Pagans had beenobserving the season by bringing in the Yule log, wishing on it, andlighting it from the remains of last year's log. Riddles wereposed and answered, magic and rituals were practiced, wild boars weresacrificed and consumed along with large quantities of liquor, corndollies were carried from house to house while carolling, fertilityrites were practiced (girls standing under a sprig of mistletoe weresubject to a bit more than a kiss), and divinations were cast for thecoming Spring. Many of these Pagan customs, in an appropriatelywatered-down form, have entered the mainstream of Christiancelebration, though most celebrants do not realize (or do not mentionit, if they do) their origins. For modern Witches, Yule (from the Anglo-Saxon 'Yula', meaning'wheel' of the year) is usually celebrated on the actual WinterSolstice, which may vary by a few days, though it usually occurs on oraround December 21st. It is a Lesser Sabbat or Lower Holiday inthe modern Pagan calendar, one of the four quarter-days of the year,but a very important one. This year (1988) it occurs on December 21stat 9:28 am CST. Pagan customs are still enthusiastically followed.Once, the Yule log had been the center of the celebration. It waslighted on the eve of the solstice (it should light on the first try)and must be kept burning for twelve hours, for good luck. It shouldbe made of ash. Later, the Yule log was replaced by the Yule treebut, instead of burning it, burning candles were placed on it. InChristianity, Protestants might claim that Martin Luther invented thecustom, and Catholics might grant St. Boniface the honor, but thecustom can demonstrably be traced back through the Roman Saturnaliaall the way to ancient Egypt. Needless to say, such a tree should becut down rather than purchased, and should be disposed of by burning,the proper way to dispatch any sacred object. Along with the evergreen, the holly and the ivy and the mistletoewere important plants of the season, all symbolizing fertility andeverlasting life. Mistletoe was especially venerated by the CelticDruids, who cut it with a golden sickle on the sixth night of themoon, and believed it to be an aphrodisiac. (Magically -- notmedicinally! It's highly toxic!) But aphrodisiacs must have been thesmallest part of the Yuletide menu in ancient times, as contemporaryreports indicate that the tables fairly creaked under the strain ofevery type of good food. And drink! The most popular of which wasthe 'wassail cup' deriving its name from the Anglo-Saxon term 'waeshael' (be whole or hale). Medieval Christmas folklore seems endless: that animals will allkneel down as the Holy Night arrives, that bees hum the '100th psalm'on Christmas Eve, that a windy Christmas will bring good luck, that aperson born on Christmas Day can see the Little People, that a cricketon the hearth brings good luck, that if one opens all the doors of thehouse at midnight all the evil spirits will depart, that you will haveone lucky month for each Christmas pudding you sample, that the treemust be taken down by Twelfth Night or bad luck is sure to follow,that 'if Christmas on a Sunday be, a windy winter we shall see', that'hours of sun on Christmas Day, so many frosts in the month of May',that one can use the Twelve Days of Christmas to predict the weatherfor each of the twelve months of the coming year, and so on. Remembering that most Christmas customs are ultimately based uponolder Pagan customs, it only remains for modern Pagans to reclaimtheir lost traditions. In doing so, we can share many common customswith our Christian friends, albeit with a slightly differentinterpretation. And thus we all share in the beauty of this mostmagical of seasons, when the Mother Goddess once again gives birthto the baby Sun God and sets the wheel in motion again. To concludewith a long-overdue paraphrase: 'Goddess bless us, every one!' sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Winter Solstice or Yule The High Priestess says: "This is the night of the solstice, the longest night of theyear. Now darkness triumphs; and yet, gives way and changes intolight. The breath of nature is suspended: all waits while within theCauldron, the Dark King is transformed into the Infant Light. We watchfor the coming of dawn, when the Great Mother again gives birth to theDivine Child Sun, who is bringer of hope and the promise of summer.This is the stillness behind motion, when time itself stops; thecenter is also the circumference of all. We are awake in the night. Weturn the Wheel to bring the light. We call the sun from the womb ofnight. Blessed Be!"Purify, cast the circle, but do not light the candles. Invoke theGoddess and God. All sit down and begin an antiphonal chant. All: "To die and be reborn,The Wheel is turning,What must you lose to the night?" (repeat)Covener: "Fear." All: "Fear is lost to the night. Fear is lost to the night. To die and be reborn, The Wheel is turning, What must you lose to the night?"Continue interjecting lines and echoing each other until theenergy dies away. Stand up and link hands. The High Priest standsbefore the altar, holding an animal skull filled with salt. The HighPriestess leads a slow spiral procession that first snakes outwardso that each member is brought to face the High Priest. They arechanting: "The light was born, And the light has died." (repeat)Another Priestess whispers: "Everything passes, All fades away." (repeat)The High Priest places a pinch of salt on each member's tongue and says: "My body is salt, Taste the breath of death."The High Priestess leads the spiral inward, until the members arehuddled together. She leads an improvised trance induction, slowlysuggesting that they crumble to the Earth and sleep. As all lie down,they are sent into a deeper trance with a multivoiced induction. As itfades out, they are told: "You are entering a space of perfect freedom." Time is allowed for trance in the state of suspension before birth. The High Priestess approaches one of the coveners, stands by herhead with her legs apart and pulls her through, symbolically givingher birth. She becomes part of the birth canal; they continue theprocess with the other coveners, the birth canal growing longer. Themen of the coven take the newborns one by one and lay them back downto sleep, telling them: "Sleep the sleep of the newborn."As all sink back into trance, they are guided into avisualization of their hopes for their new life to come. Priestesssmears honey on their tongues, one by one, saying: "Taste the sweetness of life."A new chant begins softly, builds in power as it gradually wakesthe sleepers, who join in on repeating lines: "Set sail, set sail, Follow the twilight to the West, Where you may rest. Set sail, set sail, Turn your face where the sun grows dim, Beyond the rim, beyond the rim. Set sail, set sail, One thing becomes another, In the Mother, in the Mother. Set sail, set sail, Make of your heart a burning fire, Build it higher, build it higher. Set sail, set sail, Pass in an instant through the open gate, It will not wait, it will not wait. Set sail, set sail, Over the dark of the sunless sea, You are free, you are free. Set sail, set sail, Guiding the ship of the rising sun, You are the one, you are the one. Set sail, set sail, Into the raging wind and storm, To be reborn, to be reborn. Set sail, set sail, Over the waves where the spray blows white, To bring the light, to bring the light."All: "We are awake in the night! We turn the Wheel to bring the light! We call the sun from the womb of night!"The High Priestess says: "He sets his face to the West, but in the East arises!"All: "Who is that?" P: "Who goes down in darkness?" All: "Who is that?" P: "Who sails?" All: "Who is that?" P: "The Renewer." All: "Who is that?" P: "Who brings the golden fruit." All: "Who is that?" P: "Unstained." All: "Who is that?" P: "Whose hands are open?" All: "Who is that?" P: "Whose eyes are bright?" All: "Who is that?" P: "Whose face is shining?" All: "Who is that?" P: "Morning's hope." All: "Who is that?" P: "Who passes the gate?" All: "Who is that?" P: "Who returns in light?" All: "Who is that?" P: "A glow between twin pillars." All: "Who is that?" P: "A cry between thighs." All: "Io! Evohe! Io! Evohe!" High Priestess: (leading, repeated by all) "Queen of the sun! Queen of the Moon! Queen of the horns! Queen of the fires! Bring to us the Child of Promise! It is the Great Mother Who gives birth to Him. It is the Lord of Life, Who is born again! Darkness and tears Are set aside, When the sun comes up again! Golden sun, Of hill and field, Light the earth! Light the skies! Light the waters! Light the fires! All: "Io! Evohe! Io! Evohe!"The High Priest lights the fire and point candles and all begin chanting: "I who have died am alive again today, And this is the sun's birthday! (repeat) This is the birthday of life and love and wings, And the gay great happening illimitably earth. We are born again, we shall live again! (repeat). The Sun Child, the Winterborn King!"Build a Power Chant, focused on reawakening life. Share feasting andfriendship, ideally until dawn. Before ending, the High Priestesssays: "The Dark God has passed the Gate, He has been reborn through the Mother, With Him we are each reborn!"All: "The tide has turned! The light will come again! In a new dawn, in a new day, The sun is rising! Io! Evohe! Blessed Be!"Open the Circle. Starhawk; "The Spiral Dance: Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of theGoddess"; HarperRow 1979 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Yule in Britain Copyright copyright 1987, Tana Culain Midwinter has long been a traditional time for celebration andmerrymaking in Britain. All of the activities at midwinter weremeant to ensure that the season would renew itself and the dayswould begin to grow longer again. Greenery was brought intodecorate the house: evergreen to symbolize the promise of life tocome even in the darkest winter; the mistletoe, believed to holdthe life of the host tree even when the tree itself appeared tobe dead in winter; and the holly and ivy, symbols of male andfemale, both of course necessary for new life. Carols, some ofwhich survive to this day, such as the Gower Wassail, were sung.The earliest carols consisted of taking hands and singing whiledancing in a ring or around a bush, May tree, or even an appletree (as in the case of the Apple Tree Wassail, sung in hopes ofa good crop of cider the following year). The Wassail Carols in particular date back to the Vikinginvasions of England, about 700 A.D., when the greeting was "Vesheill". By Anglo-Saxon times, the greeting had evolved into "Waesthu hal", meaning "be whole" or "good health". The response was"drink hail", meaning "I drink and good luck be to you". Peoplewould travel from house to house in the village bringing goodwishes and carrying an empty bowl. The master of the house beingwassailed was expected to fill the bowl with a hot spicy ale andthen it would be passed around to the carolers. Midwinter was also a time for exchanging gifts and for feasting.Turkey only dates to the 1500's. Much more common were boar,geese, capons, swans, and pheasants. Minced pies were originallymade with meat, and with the coming of spices to England duringthe Crusades, plum pudding became quite the traditional dish.Plum pudding makes a great dish for cakes and wine in the Yulecircle, especially if you pour warmed brandy over it and set itafire before the blessing. While I am writing about midwinter customs in Britain because ourheritage in .K.A.M. is largely Celtic in origin, the Isles do nothave a monopoly on Yule. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia forseven days around the Solstice, and it was a time to look aheadand rejoice in the longer days to come. Slaves and mastersswitched places at table, and presents were exchanged. ThePersian Mithraists held December 25th as sacred to the birth oftheir Sun God, Mithras, and celebrated it as a victory of lightover darkness. And in Sweden, December 13th was sacred to theGoddess Lucina, Shining One, and was a celebration of the returnof the light. On Yule itself, around the 21st, bonfires were litto honor Odin and Thor. Midwinter has always been a Pagan holiday, so much so that duringthe 1600's the Christian Christmas was recognized as acelebration based on Pagan customs and was outlawed in Englandand many of the colonies in America. (Text version of the Journal has "Gower Wassail" here) A Monthly Rune (Traditional) January By this fire I warm my hands February And with my spade I delve my lands March Here I set my seeds to spring April And here I hear the birds to sing May I am as light as bird in the treetop June And I take pains to weed my crop July With my scythe my mead I mow August And here I shear my corn full low September With my flail I earn my bread October And here I sow my wheat so red (Winter wheat) November At Martinmas I kill my swine * December And at Yule I drink red wine * Martinmas, November 11, is a christianization of the PaganCeltic Hallows when the herds were culled. Recipe for Wassail for 8 3 red apples 3 oz brown sugar 2 pints brown ale, apple cider, or hard cider 1/2 pint dry sherry or dry white wine 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ginger strips of lemon peel Core and heat apples with brown sugar and some of the ale orcider in an oven for 30 minutes. Put in large pan and add restof spices and lemon peel, simmer on stove top of 5 minutes. Addmost of the alcohol at the last minute so it heats up but doesnot evaporate. Burgundy and brandy can be substituted to the aleand sherry. White sugar and halved oranges may also be added totaste.Plum Pudding 1/4 lb. flour 1/4 lb. currants 1 tsp. salt 1/4 lb. sultanas (small raisins) 1 tsp. allspice 2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped 1 tsp. ginger 1 ounce cut mixed (citrus) peel 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 oz. shredded almonds pinch fresh grated nutmeg Juice and grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon 1/4 lb. fresh breadcrumbs 1/4 lb. molasses (treacle) 1/2 lb. shredded suet 4 large eggs 1/4 lb. brown sugar 2 tbsp. brandy 1/4 lb. dried chopped apricots 1/4 lb. prunes 1/4 lb dates Sift flour, salt and spices into a large bowl. Stir inbreadcrumbs, suet and sugar. Add fruits, peel and rind. Beatlemon and orange juice, molasses and eggs together and add toother ingredients. Steam for 6 hours -- a coffee tin filled withthe mixture and placed in a steamer in a covered pan does well.A little vinegar and lemon juice in the water will prevent thepan from discoloration. After steaming cover in a cool place andlet age as long as possible -- usually about 5 weeks. To serve,re-steam for another 3 hours. Remove from tin, douse with warmbrandy and set it ablaze! If you haven't got six weeks before Yule to prepare a properpudding (I never do) a tinned one from Crosse & Blackwell will dofine. Just be sure to always heat the pudding first, no matterwho made it, or all the warmed brandy in the world won't help.And don't forget the hard sauce! sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Witches' Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram by Paul Hume The following text was an addendum to some Wiccan friends of minewritten in 1986. It followed a fairly standard instruction in theLesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, with which they were notfamiliar. We were feeling out some linking techniques leading to aproposed joint ritual involving several Wiccans and two ceremonialqabalists (one Thelemite -- ie. myself, and another). While eventsconspired to torpedo this project, some interesting ideas came alongon both sides. The goal was a set of brief rituals meaningful toboth traditions which we could practice individually, thus buildingup a group current prior to the date of the proposed rite (Samhain ofthat year). Herewith my notes on "The Wiccan Pentagram" ritual whichevolved during this project. My primary source of God Forms was PaulHuson's "Mastering Witchcraft" which was my main source of informationon Wicca at the time (I've done considerable study elsewhere since). Non-Solar symbolism A ritual can be modified in many ways, to refit it for a differentset of symbols, for example. I have taken the liberty of doing someresearch into alternate symbols for the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagramsince I know that you work a lunar-feminine current (Wicca) whereas Iuse more solar-masculine symbols in my current (Thelemite). TheQabalistic Cross This might be used as is, though you could use theEnglish if you don't feel that the Hebrew is relevant. I am sure yourecognize the words as being similar to the end of the Lord's Prayerin the King James Version: 'Unto thee, the Kingdom and the Power andthe Glory, forever! Amen.' I would point out that this formula wasaround a long time before Christ, much less the translators of theStandard Revised Version of the Bible. If you dislike such aspecifically Christian form, it may be replaced with the words KETHER(KEH-THER), MALKUTH, GEBURAH, GEDULAH (or Crown, Kingdom, Power,Mercy), the spheres of occult energy that you are invoking with theQ-Cross. The mental images remain the same. You could even avoidthese Hebrew symbols entirely, using Names and formulae more suitableto raising the Cone of Power, which is what you are doing here inWiccan terms. See the 'Wiccan Cross,' below. The principle is:Invoke strongly the presence of the Supreme CreativePrinciple as you conceive it (or in your case, Her) to be.Your Name for the Goddess as Creatrix would be most suitable.Draw down power from this Godhead and project it throughyour body into the Earth. Invoke strongly the Supreme symbol ofCreation in your Tradition: maybe the God -- as Son of theGoddess and Lord of the Trees, and as John Barleycorn, the ever-bornand dying One.Establish on your right side the Active Principle -- Yang --the Projective Energy of the Universe. A God image, I should think.Establish on yourleft side thePassive Principle -- Yin -- theReceiving Energy of the Universe. A Goddess force I feel.Strongly visualize yourself at the center of these axesbetween the Infinities. This centers you at the middle of theSacred Space to be created -- the still point at the center of theuniverse. The Pentagrams Again, the pentagram should be used. This symbol is universalto many, many systems of magick, including Wicca, as you know. Thefive-pointed star has supreme power over the Elements: Spirit, Fire,Water, Air and Earth. It drives off negative influences andattracts positive ones. It is an essential part of the rite andthere is no symbol that can take its place as effectively. The Names I prefer using the Hebrew God-Names as is. In this connectionthey express formulae that govern the Elements and are no morereligious than E=MC squared. However, there are equivalent WiccanGod-Names, which I describe in the next section, as substitutes forthe Archangels. The use of the same Names to activate the stars andto invoke the Elemental force is quite in keeping with the Wiccantradition, which does not use the same hierarchical system ofGod-Name, Archangel, Angel, Ruler, Spirit, etc. that Qabalism does. The Archangelic Invocation Instead of the Hebrew Archangels I described, you could useWiccan Deities to invoke the 'pure' form of the Elements. AIR-EAST: The Air image in Wicca seems to be masculine andrelates to Herne, the Black Man, the messenger of the Gods, orthe Sky Gods: Odin, or Lugh as the rising Sun God. The God can beimagined as riding through the night sky, at the head of the WildHunt, or rising above the branches of the world-ash. Instead of theSword given to Raphael, the God might carry a staff, spear orwand, which is attributed to Air in most Wiccan traditions. FIRE-SOUTH: The Fire image is definitely masculine and relatesto the Horned God: Cernunnos, Lucifer, call Him what you will.He stands in the hot light of the noonday sun, radiating fieryenergy. He would bear an Athame or sword, which is the weapon ofFire in most Wiccan styles. WATER-WEST: The Water image is the Maiden, the mistress of theMoon and the Tides: Aradia, Artemis, Venus rising from thewaves. Her image is lit by the silver light of the moon, upon atranquil reach of water or the foaming sea. She might hold thechalice, symbol of water (alternatively, the cauldron might beenvisioned). EARTH-NORTH: The Goddess in Her aspect as Earth Mother is here:Hertha, Habondia, Demeter. She stands beneath the golden,life-giving sun surrounded by the fruits of the Earth. Before her,a platter flows with good things of the Earth, for thedisk/shield/platter is the pentacle, magick instrument of Earth.These are only bare sketches of the magickal images that a witchmight use to replace the Qabalistic images of the traditionalpentagram ritual. I offer them for what they are worth. A few points to note:The phases of the sun used in the Archangelic images(East:Dawn; South:Noon; West:Sunset; North:Midnight) are not thesame, nor are they as important to Wicca. Instead, the poles of dayand night are established: Night for the East-West axis and Day forthe North-South axis.The male-female poles are established with the masculineimages (Herne and Cernunnos) attributed to the active Elements (Airand Fire) and the feminine images (Aradia and Habondia) to thepassive Elements (Water and Earth). Note that one figure of eachgender stands in light, and one in darkness. Thismale-female/positive-negative/active-passive polarity is central tovirtually all systems of magick, eg. the yin/yang symbol in orientalsystems. I may be betraying solar-phallic tendencies by theseassignments, and you may want to use different attributions: TheMaiden can be Air and the Mother switch to Water, with the Huntermoving into Earth, for example. Heck, the dual God Forms shouldperhaps be invoked in each quarter. eg. Venus/Adonis imagery in Eastor South, Hertha/Herne in West, etc. The Star Of David The last line of the Invocation refers to a 'six-rayed star' andthe mental work calls for imagining a Star of David. This is not aspecifically Jewish symbol in this context. The six-pointed star, orhexagram, is the Qabalistic symbol par excellence of initiation andspiritual illumination. The upward-pointing triangle represents theaspiration of the magician to the Gods, and the downward-pointingtriangle represents the divine power, flowing down to the world.These meet at the moment of magick and the interlaced trianglesforming the hexagram symbolize the power of this meeting. Should youprefer not to use the Star of David, you can replace the mental imagewith any symbol showing the meeting of your soul and the power of theGoddess. This can even be a private symbol, one that is meaningfulonly to you. Alternatively, you can just envision the sphere ofwhite light from the Q-Cross, as a symbol of divine power. Replacethe words about the 'six-rayed star' with some descriptive form: 'theseal of the Goddess,' or 'the sign of my Awakening,' or simply 'thelight Divine.' Wiccan Pentagram ritual Rubric [This is a form of the rite incorporating the changes insymbolism discussed above] WICCAN CROSS Face East. Touch forehead. Say IO EVOE HERTHA('Blessed be Hertha,' or other Name by which you worship the Goddessas Creatrix) Touch solar plexus or genitals. Say IO EVOE CERNUNNOS('Blessed be Cernunnos,' or other name by which you worship theHorned God as the Earth) Touch right shoulder. Say EKO EKO AZARAK('Hail, hail force of fire') Touch left shoulder. Say EKO EKOAMELAK ('Hail, hail to the glory') Extend arms in form of a cross.Say IO EVOE ('Blessed be.') Clasp hands upon breast and say 'So moteit be.' CIRCLE OF PROTECTION Trace pentagram in East. Say HERNE. Tracecircle of protection until facing South. Trace pentagram in South.Say CERNUNNOS. Trace circle of protection until facing West. Tracepentagram in West. Say ARADIA. Trace circle of protection untilfacing North. Trace pentagram in North. Say HABONDIA. Finish tracingcircle, closing it in the East. INVOCATION OF THE GREAT GODS Return to center of circle and faceEast. Extend arms in form of a cross. Chant: Before me HERNE The Huntsman Behind me ARADIA The Maiden On my right hand CERNUNNOS, the Horned God On my left hand HABONDIA, the Great Mother About me flame the pentagrams And above me shines the light of the Goddess. Repeat the Wiccan Cross. Rather than performing this in the rathermeasured cadences of Qabalistic Ritual, a form of dancing andchanting more pleasing to the God-forms of Wicca might profitably bedevised. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com On the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram by Tim Maroney The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram is one of the chiefrituals of Western Magick. It has been with us at least since theGolden Dawn of the nineteenth century, and it has penetrated into allthe many Golden Dawn spinoffs, including Neo-Paganism. Yet there isstill no widely available, clear instruction. The directions of themagical orders are mere mnemonics for those who are assumed to havepersonal instructors. To formulate my personal approach to theritual, to aid any others who may be considering practicing the LBR,and to satisfy the idle curiosity of any gawking onlookers, I have puttogether this short discussion of the ritual and its symbolism andperformance. A. Intent of the Ritual The real action of a magick ritual takes place in the mind. Ritualis a form of moving meditation. The effect is also primarilypsychological.* The LBR is a tool to facilitate meditation. [*Not all players would agree with this statement. Many would saythat the effect of the LBR is a fortified and cleansed area on theastral plane, which they think is as real as Hoboken, if not more so.It doesn't really matter in practice.] The experience of a proper LBR is pleasurable and soothing, yetenergizing and empowering. One is made at home in the mystical realm,protected from lurkers and phantasms by strongly imagined wards. Thissolace from mundane experience is a precondition for more seriousworks of meditation or ritual, but it can also form a healthy part ofthe life of the mind by itself. B. The Ritual I'll just reprint the description of the Lesser Banishing Ritual ofthe Pentagram from Liber O, a publication of the occult order A.'.A.'.Touching the forehead, say "Ateh (Unto Thee)."Touching the breast, say Malkuth (The Kingdom)."Touching the right shoulder, say "ve-Geburah (and the Power)."Touching the left shoulder, say "ve-Gedulah (and the Glory),Clasping the hands upon the breast, say "le-Olahm, Amen (To the Ages, Amen)."Turning to the East, make a pentagram (that of Earth) with the proper weapon (usually theWand). Say (i.e. vibrate) "IHVH" (Ye-ho-wau*).Turning to the South, the same, but say "ADNI" (Adonai).Turning to the West, the same, but say "AHIH" (Eheieh).Turning to the North, the same, but say "AGLA" (Agla).Extending the arms in the form of a cross say:"Before me Raphael;Behind me Gabriel;On my right hand Michael;On my left hand Auriel;For about me flames the Pentagram,And in the Column stands the six-rayed Star." until xxi. Repeat steps (i) to (v), the "Qabalistic Cross."[* Modern scholarship has a different take on the pronunciation of theBig Guy's name. I use "Yahweh" rather than the "Ye-ho-wau" of LiberO because that's what the Catholic priests of my youth taught me tosay, and I've never been able to shake it off. Use whateverpronunciation you prefer, or a different name altogether.] C. Politics of the Ritual With practice, you will no doubt come up with your own style ofperformance, and your own different symbolism for ritual acts.Different people do rituals as differently as actors play parts, eventhough the lines and motions may be fundamentally the same. (Thealternative is an authoritarian, dogmatic horror which is alien to thedeep occult understanding of religion, but is still common in magicalgroups.) Slavish imitation will get you nowhere in Magick-- except, perhaps, to some high spiritual degree! The Christianity -- or at least angelic monotheism -- of the ritualsymbolism may give a start to some. Many of us involved in occultismhave strongly negative feelings about Christianity. These are perhapsjustified, but there are a few saving graces here. First, as with any ritual, you should feel free to make it yours, tomess around with it. If you don't start to at least play with thestyles of a ritual after a while, you are probably not doing it verywell. It is perfectly legitimate to substitute cognate symbols at anytime. However, the saying in the martial arts is that one firstlearns another's style, and after mastering it, moves on to createone's own. For a beginner, it will be easiest simply to use anexisting ritual form in order to explore the meaning of a banishingritual. Given that experience, which transcends any mere set of symbols, onemay devise a form more in keeping with the emergence of one's personalstyle. For instance, Neo-Pagans use a highly reified form of the samebasic ritual in many of their traditions, but with non-Christiandeities, spirits, and heros at the quarters. Aleister Crowley wrote anew version which made the performance more dancelike, and used thenames of Thelemic deities and officers rather than monotheist gods andangels. My private version, called "Opening the Threshold", isentirely atheistic and philosophical. In any case, of those people who so abhor Christianity, how many havelooked at some of the practices of historical pagans in Europe, Asia,Africa and the Americas? No religion should ever be "accepted" by anoccultist. When using any religion's symbolism, the adept should cutto its sacred poetical core and discard the political dross. By thisstandard, Christianity looks about as good as any other religion.Without this standard and by factoring in historical excesses and powerplays, almost all known religions look just about as bad as Christianity. In other words, someone who will happily use Norse gods, Arthurianheroes, Taoist immortals, Voudoun loas, or what have you in rituals,but will never touch a Christian angel, is guilty of the samenarrowness he or she probably imparts to the Christians. The Vibration of God-Names In the LBR, the vibration of the god-names "charges" or "enlivens"the pentagrams in the air. This is difficult to describe, but easy torecognize. There is a feeling of presence in one of these chargedwarding images -- though not necessarily a feeling of true externalityor separate intelligence.Weare told to "vibrate" the names. The description and illustrationof the "vibration" given in Liber O have been known to mislead peopleinto hilarious postures. What the picture most resembles is theskulking monster from the movie The Mummy. To the modern eye, it isremarkable how truly unclear a photograph can be.I didn't learn how to vibrate a god-name until I signed up with yetanother occult order and was taught it in person. I wouldn't wish theensuing experience on anyone, so here is a description which I hopewill be adequate in print. Vibration phase i -- The Sign of the Enterer (1-4) 1. Stand upright. Blow all the air out of your lungs. Hold yourarms straight out at your sides. 2a. Close your eyes and inhale nasally, imagining that the breath isthe name. The exact nature of this imagination differs from person toperson. Thus, you imagine yourself inhaling the name into your lungs. 2b. As you inhale, sweep your forearms smoothly and deliberately upso that your fists rest on your temples. 3. Imagine the breath moving down through your torso slowly, andthrough your pelvis, your legs, and finally to the soles of your feet.(Don't do this so slowly that you are hurting for air when the namereaches your feet!) 4a. The instant the inhaled vibrational name hits the soles of yourfeet, imagine it rushing back up and out. 4b. Simultaneously, throw yourself forward, thrusting your left footforward about twelve inches (or thirty centimeters) and catchingyourself on it. Your hands shoot forward, together, like a diver.You bend forward at the waist so that your torso winds up parallel tothe floor. 4c. The air in your lungs should be blown out through your nose atthe same time, but imagine the name shooting out straight ahead. Steps 3-4 are known as the Sign of the Enterer, or of Horus. Thissymbolizes powerful active energy. The Enterer should be something ofa "rush". The vibrational name is projected outwards into moretangible manifestation -- in this case, in the pentagrams of the LBR,which are charged by the force of the projected god-names. It is highly inadvisable to omit the portion of step(4b) which reads"catching yourself on it." But again, I have no desire to infringe onyour freedom of choice. Vibration phase ii -- The Sign of Silence (5) 5. Finally, withdraw into a standing position, left arm hanging atyour side, right forefinger on lips, left foot pointing ninety degreesout from the body. Step 5 is called the Sign of Silence, or of Harpocrates. ThisEgyptian god was mistakenly believed (at the turn of the century) topertain to silence, because his finger or thumb was touching his lips.This gesture is now believed to be a symbol of childhood; thiscorrection appears in the World card of Crowley's "Book of Thoth"Tarot deck. Harpocrates was the god of the Sun at dawn, and sosymbolizes wonder, beauty, potential, growth. So, step 5 may be donein this academically corrected light instead. However, the "hush" gesture of the Golden Dawn Sign of Silence isadequate for the modern occultist, even if deprived of A DivineIdentification. It is a common gesture, at least in the Europeanculture, meaning silence. Silence perhaps balances the ultra-activeSign of the Enterer better than does the more scholarlypositive/active "Sign of Harpocrates the Rising Sun", and silence issurely no alien concept to mystics. The Invocation The pentagrams are given form by the drawing, life by the vibration,identity by the four-part prayer of steps (x) to (xiv). Some peopledo very elaborate visualizations of angelic guardians on each of (xi)to (xiv). Because of my tragic personal deficiencies, I am contentwith strong feelings of presence, identity, and divinity in each ofthe four directions. A horizontal cross is built up step by step as you say, "Before meRaphael", etc, with you at the center; and the position of your armsforms a vertical cross, a renewal of the Qabalistic Cross from thestart of the ritual. You may feel a quite peculiar rising andexpansion when both of these crosses are formulated. One has becomethe center of the geometry of the space, and it is like a little worldin itself, cut adrift from the mundane currents of everydayexperience. Steps (xv) and (xvi) are when the real banishing takes place, during"For about me flames the pentagram, and in the column stands thesix-rayed star." A great pulse of force is emitted during these steps,imposing the personal will on the space and clearing it of all hostileinfluences. After this is done, the invoked "archangels" maintain the banishingeffect, guarding in all four directions. Of course this talk ofangels is all bullshit -- the importance lies in the psychologicaleffect. Whether there "really is" an archangel standing therekeeping out inimical spirits is not important. The "feeling ofcleanliness" is what matters. Concluding Cross The final Qabalistic Cross is an affirmation of the completeness andsymmetry of the ritual, and also a new self-consecration. This ismore efficacious than the previous Cross because it is done in abanished environment. One is now ready to do a formal invocation, an evocation, ameditation, or whatever the overall purpose may be. The LBR is apreliminary ceremony, although it has a beneficial effect in itself.It can profitably be done as a stand-alone ritual, but you should moveon. The LBR should keep away the horrible ickies that turn so manynovices away from Magick. Its mastery is a first step to adeptship. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Mystical Pentagram Brightstarr, Kathexis The Mystical Pentagram is a technique which will enhance psychicself-awareness. Practiced on a daily basis it will produce surprisingindividual results. One of the features of this technique is that itencourages personal development by allowing each entity to discover apersonal mantra which corresponds to the five elements. To begin, you will need a table of correspondences such as "777"by Aleister Crowley. Look up the names of the gods and goddesses whichcorrespond to the air element. Pick a name which when chanted 'feels'right for you. For example, Nu is the Egyptian lord of the firmamentand corresponds to air. If I were inclined towards egyptian deities, Iwould chant the name Nu for several minutes to see what effecttranspired. If I felt relaxed, comfortable, and generally positive Iwould inwardly know that this name would be in tune with my innerself. Proceed to find correspondences for fire, water, and earth inthe same manner and finally for spirit since it is the aggregate ofthe four common elements. Once you have found a personal mantra or a chant consisting offive names, vowel sounds, etc. You are ready to proceed with thepractical application of the Mystical Pentagram. Assume your favorite meditation position, relax and begin tobreathe in a rhythmic pattern; ie. inhale count one, two, three, four,exhale count one, two, three, four and so on. Continue to breathe insuch a manner for about five minutes so that a definite rhythm isfirmly established. Visualize the five psychic centers. Memorize their positions sothat you become familiar with the positions. Next visualize a brilliant white light forming a circle aboveyour head in the spirit center. Mentally draw a white light pentagramwithin the circle of light. This should be an invoking pentagram. If your mind should begin to wander, gently bring it back andvocally vibrate the mantra you have chosen for the spirit center. Letyour mind dwell on this center and intone your mantra several timesfor at least five minutes. Next see a shaft of white light radiate down through your skullstopping at your throat near the adam's apple. See a circle of whitelight begin to form and pulsate. Mentally draw an invoking pentagramwithin the circle of light and vocally vibrate your chosen mantra forthe air center. Continue to stimulate this center for at least fiveminutes. Now see a shaft of white light radiate down through your torsostopping at your fire center. This is located just above the navel.See a brilliant white light begin to pulsate at this center and drawan invoking pentagram within the circle of light. As your mind beginsto wander gently guide it back to he image of the glowing whitepentagram. Here vibrate your chosen fire mantra. Once this center isstimulated the sensation is unmistakable. A mild tingling or vibrationof the solar-plexus area is physically experienced. Continue to dwellon this center for at least five minutes. See the shaft of white light push down to the water center whichis located in the groin area. Here, too, a brilliant circle of whitelight should be visualized. Again draw an invoking pentagram withinthe circle of light. Intone the mantra for the water center and repeatthe sound several times for the next five minutes. Having arrived thus far, see the shaft of white light radiatedown through your legs stopping at the bottom of your feet which isthe earth center. Form a brilliant, white, pulsating circle of lightand draw an invoking pentagram within the circle. Intone your earthmantra and vocally vibrate the sound several times during the nextfive minutes. When all of the energy centers have been stimulated, direct thelight energy from the spirit center to the earth center. As you exhalesee the light travel from the top of your head down through your bodyto the bottom of your feet. As you inhale see the energy travel fromyour feet up through your body up to the top of your head, the spiritcenter. These circulations should be persisted for at least sevencomplete circuits. See the energy cleanse and vitalize every part ofyour being and expand your awareness to cosmic consciousness. As youcontinue to repeat this technique each day you will begin to see andfeel a change in your psychic awareness and a marked improvement inyour health. Don't become discouraged if you don't achieve resultsimmediately. This technique produces very positive effects but theyare cumulative in nature. Be gentle with your inner self however youmust also be persistent and keep the communication open. It is also agood idea to perform this exercise at the same time each day in orderto allow your body cycles incorporate the energy flow in a naturalorder. Suggested reading: The Art of True Healing -- Israel Regardie Energy Ecstasy -- Bernard Gunther sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Basic Spell Construction Because of the very nature of Magick, each working should be highlyindividualized and personal. Even if following a traditional spell,it should be tailored to your specific needs to be most effectivefor you. Understanding the basics of Spell Construction will enableyou to formulate your own specific, effective spells for any purposeyou desire. Preliminary planning is necessary. The very first step is to decideprecisely what your desired end result is to be. Before you canstart, you must decide where you are going. You must be veryexplicit. It is important, also, that you choose your time carefully. Youshould take into consideration all Astrological implications, energycurrents and Moon phases. The Moon is the astronomical body closest to us and, therefore, hasa profound influence upon us, it is very important to choose a timewhen the Moon is in an astrological sign which is appropriate foryour working. For example: Aries/Action -- Enthusiasm,Taurus/Renewal -- Sensuality, Gemini/Communication -- Curiosity,Cancer/Emotion -- Nurturing, Leo/Vitality -- Determined, Virgo/Organizing --Studious, Libra/Balance -- Cooperation, Scorpio/Sexual --Philosophical, Capricorn/Authority -- Ambitious, Aquarius/Innovation-- Social, Pisces/Sensitivity -- Idealistic. Bear in mind that magickal workings for gain, increase or bringingthings to you, should be initiated when the Moon is Waxing (fromDark to Full); when the Moon is Waning (from Full to Dark), it istime for magickal workings of decrease or sending away. The highest energy occurs at the Full Moon and, therefore, this isthe most powerful time for magickal workings. The New Moon is thenext most powerful time for Magick. Whenever possible, follow Nature's own energy flows. Thereis a natural time for starting things (a planting time), formaturing things (a growing time), for reaping things (a harvesttime) and, of course, a time for rest and planning. Flowing with these currents will make your magickal work much easier. Remember to plan your project for a time of uninterrupted privacy.It is important that you have no distractions. Generally speaking,it is best to work as late at night as possible. A time when thereis less frantic energy is most appropriate. You might considerMidnight or later. In choosing a place to do your magickal working pay particularattention to your needs, for you must be comfortable. Your placeshould be private, quiet and secure. If at all possible, set asidea special place for this purpose only. An unused room, a specialcorner of your bedroom, a quiet, secluded spot in your garden. Aplace that is yours. A place that you can come to whenever needarises and that is as free from intrusion of others as possible. Prior to the night of your magickal working, gather together thethings that you will need. All of the things used are tools. Theyhave no inherent magick. They are to help you create a mood. Ifcorrectly made and used, they will trigger primitive responses fromdeep within you. They should be chosen with care.Consider the purpose of your ritual and choose your toolsaccordingly. If your magick is to be sexual, your candles, oils,incenses and so forth should bring forth a sexual response. If thedesired result of your Magick is tranquility, then the tools shouldmake you feel calm, peaceful and serene. Any candles you might useshould not have commercially added fragrances as these may not beappropriate for your working. Prior to your ritual, prepare yourself and your equipment by anymeans necessary to clean and purify. Historically, people havefasted, followed meticulous and detailed bathing practices,practiced chastity and used many other methods. Most often a ritual bath is the preferred method. A bath frequentlyutilizing candlelight, fragrant herbs, bath salts or sensuous oils.A sumptuous hot bath, special bathing preparations and appropriatelighting, combined, can create the soothing effect which will helpin the very important step of relaxing and clearing the mindcompletely of all mundane thoughts and experiences of the day. Your ritualbath should, also, begin to set the specific vibrations conducive toyour purpose into motion. You must not only cleanse and purify butmust also begin to create the type of energy necessary.Once your purification process has been accomplished, you are nowready to begin. Proceed to the special place you have previouslychosen in which to perform your magick. If at all possible, youshould make use of the primitive responses set into motion by a wellchosen piece of music. Your music should start slowly and build toa rousing climax. As you use your oils, light your candle or incense (or utilize anyother tool you have chosen), you should begin to further intensifythe energy that you have set into motion around you. A high degreeof intensity is vitally important. The Altered State of Consciousness that you must reach is not ameditative state. Anything that interferes with your ability toconcentrate upon, reach and control the high energy state necessaryto perform magick should be avoided, such as screaming children, asink full of dirty dishes, use of alcohol or drugs, etc. Do not scatter your energy by attempting to do more than onemagickal working at a time. Remember that Magick is the manipulation of energy, a thought is aform of energy and a visualization is an even stronger form ofenergy. Your visualization can be a method used to intensifyfurther and direct your will. Your visualization can be the methodby which you control the magickal energy you have produced.You must know what you want. You must see it. You must feel thehigh energy flow. You must direct it. One of the most important elements in the practice of any form ofMagick is the Universal Law of Cause and Effect. This means thatwhatever you do (or don't do) you cause something to happen. The most important consideration is the Universal Law ofRetribution. This means that no matter what you do, it comes backto you in like kind. It is the nature of things that as you send something out it gainsmomentum, so that, by the time it comes back to you, it is threetimes stronger. If you do something nice for someone, someone willdo something nicer for you. "As you weave andspin your spell,Three fold return the tale will tell." sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Tool Blessing Ritual A purification of objects for ritual use and their transformation into magical items. (The area is prepared by placing a quantity of each element in the properquarter, as well as preparing the altar in the usual way. If available, acauldron (empty) is placed in the center of the circle. Candles are placedat each of the four corners and lit, progressing deosil from the east.Salt and water are blessed, and the celebrants are purified with them. Amagic circle is cast, and watchtowers summoned. The god is then drawn downas follows: The priest stands before the alter in the Osiris position, arms crossedacross chest and feet together. The Priestess kneels before him with faceand arms upraised.) PS: Hephaestus, forger of magic, descend upon this the body of thy priest and servant, lend us the strength of your arms. Prometheus, shape of man, descend upon this the body of thy priest and servant, lend us your fire and foresight. Morpheus, weaver of dreams, descend upon this the body of thy priest and servant, lend us your subtlety and vision. P: I am he, the shape-god, forger, builder, artisan, smith. With strength and craft I form the world. (The Priest helps the Priestess to rise and she stands in the center ofthe circle in the god position, extending her arms outward and down, palmsfacing forward. The Priest kneels before her with head bowed.) P: Clotho, spinner of the strand of life Descend upon this the body of thy priestess and servant. Lend us your wheel of making. Hecate, caster of spells, Descend upon this the body of thy priestess and servant. Lend us the power of your magic. Aphrodite, goddess of love, Descend upon this the body of thy priestess and servant. Grant us eros, philos, aristos, agape. PS: I am she, the weaver-goddess, Painter, poet, sculptor, witch. With art and love I form the world. (The priestess extends her hands to the priest and helps him rise. The priest cups both hands and scoops from the cauldron, then offers to the priestess.) P: Drink now from the cauldron of Cerridwen, whose draughts bring knowledge, peace and life. (The priestess sips from the cupped hands, after which the priest drinks.The objects to be blessed are taken from the altar by the priest and movedwiddershins to the west quarter, and immersed in the water there.) P: Spirits of the west, in water born In cool waters cleanse these tools And wash from them all hurt and harm This I ask, this charge I lay, By oak and ash and bitter thorn. (The objects are moved by the priestess to the south quarter and movedabove the flames there.) PS: Spirits of the south, in fire born In shining flames purify these tools And burn from them all impurities This I ask, this charge I lay, By oak and ash and bitter thorn. (The objects are moved to the east quarter by the priest and moved throughthe incense smoke.) P: Spirits of the east, in sweet air born In swirling winds polish these tools And sweep from them all phantasm and illusion This I ask, this charge I lay, By oak and ash and bitter thorn. (The objects are moved to the altar by the priestess, and placed upon the pentacle.) PS: Spirits of the north, in cool earth born In mother earth ground these tools And take from them all spirits dark This I ask, this charge I lay, By oak and ash and bitter thorn. (The person consecrating the tools now offers an impromptu or preparedcharge to the items, stating their purpose and mode of use. They are thentaken up by the priestess and moved to the east quarter.) PS: Spirits of the east, from the bright air come, Fill these tools with the swirling energies of the whirlwind Make them float like the breeze Spirits of air, hearken unto me, As I do will, so more it be. (The tools are now taken up by the priest and moved to the south quarter.) P: Spirits of the south, from wild fire come, Fill these tools with the burning energies of the flames Make them glow with bright fire Spirits of fire, hearken unto me, As I do will, so more it be. (The tools are now taken up by the priestess and moved to the west quarter.) P: Spirits of the west, from soothing water come, Fill these tools with the calming energies of the warm rain Make them flow like the tide Spirits of water, hearken unto me, As I do will, so more it be. (The tools are now taken up by the priestess and moved to the altar.) PS: Spirits of the north, from firm earth come, Fill these tools with the ordering energies of the growing crops Make them flourish like grapes on the vine Spirits of earth, hearken unto me, As I do will, so more it be. (The priest takes the tools from the altar and steps backwards. The priestess stands atthe altar facing south towards the priest. The priest extends his right arm in parallel to theground, between he and the priestess, with the tools in his hand.) P: I am the god, ever desiring. I am the stag in the woods, I am the sun in the noonday sky, I am the lover in the dark. I offer passion, strength, devotion and the swiftness of the hunt. (The priestess extends her right arm in like fashion, and places her handover that of the priest.) PS: I am the goddess, ever nurturing. I am the tempting beauty of the maid, I am the quiet strength of the mother, I am the infinite wisdom of the crone. I offer life, love, warmth and the fruitfulness of the fields. (Both step towards each other and turn their hands and arms so the fingerspoint upwards with the palms facing their own chest, cupping the other'spalm between and holding the tools. They clasp each other with their left arms.) P&PS: Male and female, yin and yang, light and dark, action and stillness. Apart we are forever incomplete, but together we form one. In our joining we are blessed. In our union, the limitless energy of universe is released and captured here. P: As I do will, PS: As I do will P&PS: As we do will, so mote it be. (The priest and priestess kiss, then release grasps. If the number and sizeof the tools precludes them being held in one hand simultaneously, the lattercharging section should be repeated for each. The tools are replaced on thealtar. Cakes and wine are blessed and consumed and a period of relaxationand rest follows. The watchtowers are then dismissed and the circle opened.) sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Dedication of Altar and Athame Durwydd MacTara (1990) Altar This Altar in the circle's center, A focal point that only good may enter. Erected to God and Goddess in strength, Circular, it has neither breadth nor length. Focal point in A Circle of Power, A mighty lens for every Tower! Sacred to Lord, Maiden, Lady and Crone, The foundation of many a powerful Cone! Resting Place of Magick and its implements, Let veneration and Love be our only sentiments! A tool of will, powerful and free, As it is willed, So Mote it Be! Athame Mighty Deities, Gracious Lady and Mighty Lord, As I perform this ritual, Pray hearken to my word. This tool, conceived in Mind of Air, (point east) Forged and formed in Fire of the South, (point south) Power tool for those who dare, I CLAIM thee with my mouth! (kiss blade) Tempered with Water for Strength, (point west) Also dedicated to the Earth,in Power. (point north) Blessed be, entire in length, (kiss pommel) As it partakes of every Tower! By the Power of Cosmos, As above, (point up) The Expression of Cosmos, is below. (point down) Upon this instrument of Will and Love, My Sacred Tie I bestow! (1 drop of blood on each side and hilt) This tool is dedicated to my service of Lady and Lord, Please find this work beneficial and good. Bound to thee by homage, decimation, effort and word, Bound to me by words, will and blood. By the powers of earth, sky, star and sea; Such is my will, So mote it be! sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Beltane: Its History and Modern Celebration in Wicca in America by Rowan Moonstone The celebration of May 1st, or Beltane as it is known in WiccaCircles, is one of the most important festivals of our religious year.I will attempt here to answer some of the most often asked questionsabout this holiday. An extensive bibliography follows the article so thatthe interested reader can do further research. Where does the festival of Beltane originate? Beltane, as practiced by modern day Witches and Pagans, has itsorigins among the Celtic peoples of Western Europe and the BritishIsles, particularly Ireland, Scotland and Wales. What does the word Beltane mean? Dr. Proinsias MacCana defines the word as follows: "... theIrish name for May Day is Beltane, of which the second element, 'tene', isthe word for fire, and the first, 'bel', probably means 'shining orbrilliant'."1 The festival was known by other names in other Celticcountries. Beltaine in Ireland, Bealtunn in Scotland, Shenn do Boaldynon the Isle of Mann and Galan Mae in Wales.2 What was the significance of this holiday to the ancients?To the ancient Celts, it symbolized the coming of spring. Itwas the time of year when the crops began to sprout, the animals boretheir young and the people could begin to get out of the houses where theyhad been cooped up during the long dark cold winter months. Keep in mindthat the people in those days had no electric lights or heat and thatthe Celtic countries are at a much more northerly latitude than many of usare used to. At that latitude, spring comes much later and winter lastsmuch longer than in most of the US. The coming of fair weather and longerdaylight hours would be most welcome after a long cold and dark winter. How did the ancient Celts celebrate this festival? The most ancient way of observing this day is with fire. Beltane,along with Samhain (Nov. 1), Imbolc (Feb. 1), and Lughnassadh (Aug. 1),was one of the four great "fire festivals" which marked the turningpoints of the Celtic year. The most ancient records tell us that thepeople would extinguish all the hearth fires in the country and thenrelight them from the "need fires" lit by the druids (who used friction asa means of ignition). In many areas, the cattle were driven between twogreat bonfires to protect them from disease during the coming year. It ismy personal belief, although I have no documentation to back up theassumption, that certain herbs would have been burnt in the fires, thusproducing smoke which would help destroy parasites which might make cattleand other livestock ill. In what other ways was this festival celebrated? One of the most beautiful customs associated with this festival was"bringing in the May." The young people of the villages and townswould go out into the fields and forests at Midnight on April 30thand gather flowers with which to bedeck themselves, their families andtheir homes. They would process back into the villages, stopping at eachhome to leave flowers and to receive the best of food and drink that thehome had to offer. This custom is somewhat similar to "trick or treat" atSamhain and was very significant to the ancients. John Williamson, in hisstudy "The Oak King, the Holly King and the Unicorn" writes: "Theserevelers were messengers of the renewal of vegetation, and they assumedthe right to punish the niggardly, because avarice (as opposed togenerosity) was dangerous to the community's hope for the abundance ofnature. At an important time like the coming of summer, food, the substanceof life, must be ritually circulated generously within the community inorder that the cosmic circuit of life's substance may be kept in motion(trees, flocks, harvests, etc.)."3 These revelers would bless the fieldsand flocks of those who were generous and wish ill harvests on those whowithheld their bounty. What about maypoles? The maypole was an adjunct to the festival of bringing in theMay. It is a phallic symbol, and as such represented fertility to theparticipants in the festival. In olden days, the revelers who went intothe woods would cut a tree and bring it into town, decking it withflowers and greenery and dance around it clockwise (also called deosil,meaning "sun-wise", the direction of the sun's apparent travel acrossthe face of the Earth) to bring fertility and good luck. The ribbonswhich we associate with the maypole today were a later addition. Why was fertility important? The people who originated this custom lived in close connection with theland. If the flocks and fields were fertile, they were ableto eat; ifthere was famine or drought, they went hungry. It is hard for us today torelate to this concept, but to the ancients, it was literally a life anddeath matter. The Celts were a very close tribal people, and fertility oftheir women literally meant continuity of the tribe. How is the maypole connected with fertility? Many scholars see the maypole as a phallic symbol. In this aspect, it isa very powerful symbol of the fertility of nature and spring. How did these ancient customs come down to us? When Christianity came to the British Isles, many of the ancient holysites were taken over by the new religion and converted to Christian sites.Many of the old Gods and Goddesses became Christian saints, and many of thecustoms were appropriated. Charles Squire says," An ingenious theory wasinvented after the introduction of Christianity, with the purpose ofallowing such ancient rites to continue with a changed meaning. Thepassing of persons and cattle through flame or smoke was explained asa practice which interposed a magic protection between them and the powersof evil."4 This is precisely what the original festival was intended todo; only the definition of "evil" had changed. These old customscontinued to be practiced in many areas for centuries. "In Scotland in1282, John, the priest in Iverkething, led the young girls of his parish ina phallic dance of decidedly obscene character during Easter week. Forthis, penance was laid upon him, but his punishment was not severe, and hewas allowed to retain his benefice."5 Were sacrifices practiced during this festival? Scholars are divided in their opinions of this. There is nosurviving account of sacrifices in the legends and mythology which havecome down to us. As these were originally set down on paper by Christianmonks, one would think that if such a thing had been regularly practiced,the good brothers would most certainly have recorded it, if for no otherreason than to make the pagans look more depraved. There are, however, somesurviving folk customs which point to a person representing the gloom andill fortune of winter being ostracized and forced to jump through thefires. Some scholars see this as a survival of ancient human sacrificialpractices. The notion that animals were sacrificed during this time doesn'tmake sense from a practical standpoint. The animals which had been retaineda breeding stock through the winter would either be lean and hungry fromwinter feed, or would be mothers nursing young, which could not be spared. How do modern day pagans observe this day? Modern day pagan observances of Beltane include the maypoledances, bringing in the May, and jumping the cauldron for fertility. Manycouples wishing to conceive children will jump the cauldron together atthis time. Fertility of imagination and other varieties of fertility areinvoked along with sexual fertility. In Wiccan and other Pagan circles,this is a joyous day, full of laughter and good times. What about Walpurgisnacht? Is this the same thing as Beltane? Walpurgisnacht comes from an Eastern European background, andhas little in common with the Celtic practices. I have not studied thefolklore from that region and do not consider myself qualified to writeabout it. As the vast majority of Wiccan traditions today stem from Celtic roots,I have confined myself to research in those areas. Footnotes MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic Mythology, The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited,London, 1970, p.32.Squire, Charles, Celtic Myth and Legend, Poetry and Romance,Newcastle Publishing Co., Van Nuys, CA, 1975, p.408.Williamson, John, The Oak King, the Holly King, and theUnicorn, Harper & Row, NY, 1986, p.126.Squire, p.411.Hole, Christina, Witchcraft In England, Rowman & Littlefield, Totowa, NJ, 1977, p.36. Bibliography Bord, Janet & Colin, Earth Rites, Fertility Practicesin Pre-Industrial Britain, Granada, London, 1982.Danaher, Kevin, The Year in Ireland, The Mercier Press, Cork, 1972.Hole, Christina, Witchcraft in England, Rowman & Littlefield, Totowa NJ,1977.MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic Mythology, The Hamlyn Publishing Group, Ltd., London, 1970.MacCulloch, J.A. Religion of the Ancient Celts, Folcroft Library Editions, London, 1977.Powell, T.G.E. The Celts, Thames & Hudson, New York, 1980.Sharkey, John, Celtic Mysteries, the Ancient Religion, Thames & Hudson, New York, 1979.Squire, Charles, Celtic Myth, Legend, Poetry, and Romance,Newcastle Publishing Co., Van Nuys, CA, 1975.Williamson, John, The Oak King, The Holly King and the Unicorn,Harper & Row, New York, 1986.Wood-Martin, W.G., Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland,Kennikat Press, Port Washington, NY, 1902. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Casting the Circle Set up: place a candle in each of the four cardinal directions. Lay therest of the tools on the altar cloth or near it. The altar can be on theground, a table, a rock or a stump. The altar should be in the centeror just north of center of the Circle. Light the six candles and theincense, start the music and begin the ritual. The Ritual Facing North, the High Priest and Priestess kneel in front of thealtar with him to her right. She puts the bowl of wateron the altar, placesthe point of her athame in it and says: "I exorcise thee, O Creature of Water, that thou cast out from theeall impurities and uncleanliness of the world of phantasm; in the names ofCernunnos and Aradia"She then puts down her athame and holds up the bowl of water in bothhands. The High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the altar, puts his athamein the salt and says: "Blessings be upon this Creature of Salt; let all malignity andhindrance be cast forth hence, and let all good enter herein;wherefore so I bless thee, that thou mayest aid me, in the namesof Cernunnos and Aradia."He then puts down his athame and pours the salt into the bowl of waterthe High Priestess is holding. The High Priest then stands with the rest ofthe Coven outside the Circle. The High Priestess then draws the Circle withthe sword, leaving a gap in the Northeast section. While drawing theCircle, she should visualize the power flowing into the Circle from off theend of the sword. She draws the Circle in a East to North or deosil orclockwise direction. She says: "I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou beest a meeting place oflove and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness and evil;a boundary between men and the realms of the Mighty Ones; arampart and protection that shall preserve and contain the power thatwe shall raise within thee. Wherefore do I bless thee and consecratethee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia."The High Priestess lays down the sword and admits the High Priest witha kiss while spinning him deosil and whispers "Blessed Be". He then admits awoman the same way. Alternate male/female/male. Then the High Priestessfinishes closing the Circle with the sword. She then names three witches tohelp strengthen the Circle. The first witch carries the bowl of consecratedwater from East to East going deosil, sprinkling the perimeter as she/hegoes. They then sprinkle each member in turn. If the witch is male, hesprinkles the High Priestess last who then sprinkles him. If female shesprinkles the High Priest last, who then sprinkles her. The bowl isreplaced on the altar. The second witch takes the incense burner around theperimeter and the third takes one of the altar candles. While going aroundthe perimeter, each person says: "Black spirits and white, Red spirits and grey, Harken to the rune I say. Four points of the Circle, weave the spell, East, South, West, North, your tale tell. East is for break of day, South is white for the noontide hour, In the West is twilight grey, And North is black, for the place of power. Three times round the Circle's cast. Great ones, spirits from the past, Witness it and guard it fast."All the Coven pick up their athames and face the East with the HighPriest and Priestess in front, him on her right. The High Priestess says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air;I do summon, stir, and call you up to witness our rites and toguard the Circle."As she speaks she draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the airwith her athame. The High Priest and the rest of the Coven copy hermovements with their athames. The High Priestess turns and faces the Southand repeats the summoning: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire; I dosummon, stir and call you up, to witness our rites and to guardthe Circle."She does the same pentagram and then faces West and says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water, ye Lordsof Death and Initiation; I do summon, stir, and call you up, towitness our rites and to guard the Circle."She faces North with rest of the Coven and says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth; Boreas,thou gentle guardian of the Northern Portals; thou powerfulGod and gentle Goddess; we do summon, stir and call you up, towitness our rites and to guard the Circle."The Circle is completed and sealed. If anyone needs to leave, a gatemust be made. Using the sword, draw out part of the Circle with awiddershins or counterclockwise stroke. Immediately reseal it and thenrepeat the opening and closing when the person returns. Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983Valiente, Doreen; "Witchcraft for Tomorrow"; Phoenix Publishing 1985 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Technology and The Craft Removing the Barriers to Spaceflight Before the ritual begins, distribute paper and have an airplane-folding session. Techno-lesson #1: Making Fire He tries to light the fire with firesticks; She then enters, lights thecharcoal with the sacred Bic, and hands it to He, who lights the quartercandles with it and hands it back to She, who lights the altar candles. Bless the Elements (She) By the oceans that fed our grandparents And the oceans that will house our grandchildren I bless and purify this being of water. By the Earth from which our grandparents rose And the Earth which our grandchildren will watch rise I bless and purify this being of earth. By the wood fires of our grandparents And the fusion fires of our grandchildren I bless and purify this being of fire. By the airy realms our grandparents studied And the airy realms our grandchildren will walk I bless and purify this being of air. Cast the Circle (He) As the Moon cuts a Circle round the Earth As the Earth cuts a Circle round the Sun So I cut this Circle round us. As the rains wash the mountains As the oceans wash the beaches So I cleanse this Circle and we within it with Water and Salt. As the Moon charges the restless waters As the Sun charges all that is green and growing So I charge this Circle and we within it with Air and Fire. Invoke Quarters (She) I invoke thee, Mighty Ones of the East; bring us Your gifts ofwisdom; watch over us in this Circle. Come to us in the name ofAthena WiseWeaver! Hail and Welcome! I invoke thee, Mighty Ones of theSouth; bring us Your gifts of will;watch over us in this Circle. Come to us in the name of BrigidSmithMistress! Hail and Welcome! I invoke thee, Mighty Ones of the West; bring us Your gifts ofunderstanding; watch over us in this Circle. Come to us in the nameof Poseidon ShipMaster! Hail and Welcome! I invoke thee, Mighty Ones of the North; bring us Your gifts ofdedication; watch over us in this Circle. Come to us in the name ofPtah CraftsMaster! Hail and Welcome! We are now between the worlds. All breathe, ground and center Techno-lesson #2: Overcoming Physical Shortcomings Chant: She Changes Everything She Touches He & She begin the chant, She drumming. Her shoulder starts acting up; Hegets out the Casio (tempo -2, any 4/4 rhythm). For the chant, mix versesas is pleasing. She changes everything She touches and Everything She touches, changes. She changes everything She touches and Everything She touches, changes. We are the changers Everything we touch can change. Change us, touch us; Touch us, change us. Everything that dies is born again In a new place, on a new day. Everything that's lost is found again On a new day, in a new way. Io, Kore! Io, Kore! Io, Persephone! Techno-lesson #3: Supplementing Abilities First, He & She 'argue' about who's going to lead it, jokingly asking ifanyone in Circle wants to do background music; then He gets pathworkingwith music on audio tape. When pathworking is done, folks should still bein light trance; the next thing is to concretize the working bydistributing pens so that people can put whatever they symbols they thinkare appropriate on their airplanes. Power chant: A rising OM; which at peak leads into Countdown. At"Liftoff", throw the planes upwards (when done, planes can either be keptor HP/S should offer to see that they get burned. (* Note *) (* Note *) Don't forget to Ground (* Note *) (* Note *) Grounding chant: Earth below us Drifting, falling Floating weightless Coming home. Techno-lesson #4: There is no Techno-Lesson #4. Cakes & wine, with discussion Topics for Discussion: Why we invoked the particular guysBest and Worst side of technologyIncorporating tech with WiccaSpace Travel & Wicca: not leaving Her dead when we goMore respecters of Earth involved with control of techWhatever else... Close (She) I thank Thee, Mighty Ones of the North for Your presence at our rite,and ere You depart for Your earthy realms we bid You Hail andFarewell, in the name of Ptah CraftsMaster. I thank Thee, Mighty Ones of the West for Your presence at our rite,and ere You depart for Your watery realms we bid You Hail and Farewell,in the name of Poseidon ShipMaster. I thank Thee, Mighty Ones ofthe South for Your presence at our rite,and ere You depart for Your fiery realms we bid You Hail and Farewell,in the name of Brigid SmithMistress. I thank Thee, Mighty Ones of the East for Your presence at our rite,and ere You depart for Your airy realms we bid You Hail and Farewell, inthe name of Athena WiseWeaver. (He) Fire, seal the Circle round; let it fade beneath the ground;Let all things be as they were since the beginning of time. (3 times) ***** NOTES ***** Tools: Athame(s) & cingula Cup Censer & Incense Pentacle Salt dish & salt Altar & quarter candles Libation bowl Cakes & wine Robes (optional, depending on participants) God & Goddess symbols This ScriptFiresticks & Sacred BicPaper and pens for paper airplanesCassette deck and pathworking cassetteDrum and Casio w/ rhythm generatorTalking stick (optional)by Skydancer & Triton, Proteus Coven, NYC © Perihelion Press. Reprinted by permission. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Wiccan Tool List Master Equipment:a pentacle6 candles; 1 for each direction, 2 for altarchalice of wine (hard apple cider on Samhain)wandscrounge of silken cordssmall bowl of watersmall bowl of salt3 cords, one red, one white, one blue, 9' long eachwhite-handled knifeindividual athamesincense burner and incensesmall hand belldish of cakesswordchalkaltar cloth of any colorcauldrontape recorder and tapes of appropriate musicveil for Great Rite of a Goddess color: Blue, green, silver or whiteFor New or Dark Moon Esbat:extra incensean apple and a pomegranatecauldron with a fire in it and/or a bonfirecrystal ball or other scrying toolswhite tabard with hood for PriestessFor Winter Solstice (Yule):cauldron with candle or oak bonfirewreaths, 1 of holly and 1 of mistletoecrowns, 1 of oak and 1 of hollyblindfoldsistrumanimal skull filled with saltFor Spring Equinox:cords as described in preparationshard-boiled eggsa bonfire ready to ignite or a taperflowers in the cauldronFor Beltane Sabbat:bonfireFor Initiations:anointing oiltub to bathe the candidate intowelssalts, herbs and oils to add to the batha blindfolda shirt or other clothing that can be cuta length of string to measure the persontwo lengths of cord to bind the hands and feetbonfire for warmth if neededFor Blessings:anointing oilwine sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com All Hallow's Eve by Mike Nichols Halloween. Sly does it. Tiptoe catspaw. Slide and creep.But why? What for? How? Who? When! Where did it allbegin? 'You don't know, do you?' asks Carapace ClavicleMoundshroud climbing out under the pile of leaves under theHalloween Tree. 'You don't REALLY know!' --Ray Bradbury, from 'The Halloween Tree'Samhain. All Hallows. All Hallow's Eve. Hallow E'en. Halloween.The most magical night of the year. Exactly opposite Beltane on the wheelof the year, Halloween is Beltane's dark twin. A night of glowingjack-o-lanterns, bobbing for apples, tricks or treats, and dressing in costume. Anight of ghost stories and seances, tarot card readings and scrying withmirrors. A night of power, when the veil that separates our world from theOtherworld is at its thinnest. A 'spirit night', as they say in Wales. All Hallow's Eve is the eve of AllHallow's Day (November 1st). Andfor once, even popular tradition remembers that the Eve is more importantthan the Day itself, the traditional celebration focusing on October 31st,beginning at sundown. And this seems only fitting for the great Celtic NewYear's festival. Not that the holiday was Celtic only. In fact, it isstartling how many ancient and unconnected cultures (the Egyptians andpre-Spanish Mexicans, for example) celebrated this as a festival of thedead. But the majority of our modern traditions can be traced to theBritish Isles. The Celts called it Samhain, which means 'summer's end', accordingto their ancient two-fold division of the year, when summer ran fromBeltane to Samhain and winter ran from Samhain to Beltane. (Some modernCovens echo this structure by letting the High Priest 'rule' the Covenbeginning on Samhain, with rulership returned to the High Priestess atBeltane.) According to the later four-fold division of the year, Samhainis seen as 'autumn's end' and the beginning of winter. Samhain is pro-nounced (depending on where you're from) as 'sow-in' (in Ireland), or'sow-een' (in Wales), or 'sav-en' (in Scotland), or (inevitably)'sam-hane' (in the U.S., where we don't speak Gaelic). Not only is Samhain the end of autumn; it is also, more importantly,the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. Celtic New Year'sEve, when the new year begins with the onset of the dark phase of the year,just as the new day begins at sundown. There are many representations ofCeltic gods with two faces, and it surely must have been one of them whoheld sway over Samhain. Like his Greek counterpart Janus, he wouldstraddle the threshold, one face turned toward the past in commemoration ofthose who died during the last year, and one face gazing hopefully towardthe future, mystic eyes attempting to pierce the veil and divine what thecoming year holds. These two themes, celebrating the dead and divining thefuture, are inexorably intertwined in Samhain, as they are likely to be inany New Year's celebration. As a feast of the dead, it was believed the dead could, if theywished, return to the land of the living for this one night, to celebratewith their family, tribe, or clan. And so the great burial mounds ofIreland (sidhe mounds) were opened up, with lighted torches lining thewalls, so the dead could find their way. Extra places were set at thetable and food set out for any who had died that year. And there are manystories that tell of Irish heroes making raids on the Underworld while thegates of faery stood open, though all must return to their appointed placesby cock-crow. As a feast of divination, this was the night par excellence forpeering into the future. The reason for this has to do with the Celticview of time. In a culture that uses a linear concept of time, like ourmodern one, New Year's Eve is simply a milestone on a very long road thatstretches in a straight line from birth to death. Thus, the New Year'sfestival is a part of time. The ancient Celtic view of time, however, iscyclical. And in this framework, New Year's Eve represents a point outsideof time, when the natural order of the universe dissolves back intoprimordial chaos, preparatory to re-establishing itself in a new order.Thus, Samhain is a night that exists outside of time and hence it may beused to view any other point in time. At no other holiday is a tarot cardreading, crystal reading or tea-leaf reading so likely to succeed. The Christian religion, with its emphasis on the 'historical' Christand his act of redemption 2000 years ago, is forced into a linear view oftime, where 'seeing the future' is an illogical proposition. In fact, fromthe Christian perspective, any attempt to do so is seen as inherently evil.This did not keep the medieval Church from co-opting Samhain's other motif,commemoration of the dead. To the Church, however, it could never be afeast for all the dead, but only the blessed dead, all those hallowed (madeholy) by obedience to God -- thus, All Hallow's, or Hallowmas, later AllSaints and All Souls. There are so many types of divination that are traditional toHallowstide, it is possible to mention only a few. Girls were told to placehazel nuts along the front of the firegrate, each one to symbolize one ofher suitors. She could then divine her future husband by chanting, 'If youlove me, pop and fly; if you hate me, burn and die.' Several methods usedthe apple, that most popular of Halloween fruits. You should slice anapple through the equator (to reveal the five-pointed star within) and theneat it by candlelight before a mirror. Your future spouse will then appearover your shoulder. Or, peel an apple, making sure the peeling comes offin one long strand, reciting, 'I pare this apple round and round again; /My sweetheart's name to flourish on the plain: / I fling the unbrokenparing o'er my head, / My sweetheart's letter on the ground to read.' Or,you might set a snail to crawl through the ashes of your hearth. Theconsiderate little creature will then spell out the initial letter as itmoves. Perhaps the most famous icon of the holiday is the jack-o-lantern.Various authorities attribute it to either Scottish or Irish origin.However, it seems clear that it was used as a lantern by people whotraveled the road this night, the scary face to frighten away spirits orfaeries who might otherwise lead one astray. Set on porches and inwindows, they cast the same spell of protection over the household. (TheAmerican pumpkin seems to have forever superseded the European gourd as thejack-o-lantern of choice.) Bobbing for apples may well represent theremnants of a Pagan 'baptism' rite called a 'seining', according to somewriters. The water-filled tub is a latter-day Cauldron of Regeneration,into which the novice's head is immersed. The fact that the participant inthis folk game was usually blindfolded with hands tied behind the back alsoputs one in mind of a traditional Craft initiation ceremony. The custom of dressing in costume and 'trick-or-treating' is ofCeltic origin with survivals particularly strong in Scotland. However,there are some important differences from the modern version. In the firstplace, the custom was not relegated to children, but was actively indulgedin by adults as well. Also, the 'treat' which was required was often oneof spirits (the liquid variety). This has recently been revived by collegestudents who go 'trick-or-drinking'. And in ancient times, the rovingbands would sing seasonal carols from house to house, making the traditionvery similar to Yuletide wassailing. In fact, the custom known as'caroling', now connected exclusively with mid-winter, was once practicedat all the major holidays. Finally, in Scotland at least, the tradition ofdressing in costume consisted almost exclusively of cross-dressing (i.e.,men dressing as women, and women as men). It seems as though ancientsocieties provided an opportunity for people to 'try on' the role of theopposite gender for one night of the year. (Although in Scotland, this isadmittedly less dramatic -- but more confusing -- since men were in the habitof wearing skirt-like kilts anyway. Oh well...) To Witches, Halloween is one of the four High Holidays, or GreaterSabbats, or cross-quarter days. Because it is the most important holidayof the year, it is sometimes called 'THE Great Sabbat.' It is an ironicfact that the newer, self-created Covens tend to use the older name of theholiday, Samhain, which they have discovered through modern research.While the older hereditary and traditional Covens often use the newer name,Halloween, which has been handed down through oral tradition within theirCoven. (This is often holds true for the names of the other holidays, aswell. One may often get an indication of a Coven's antiquity by notingwhat names it uses for the holidays.) With such an important holiday, Witches often hold two distinctcelebrations. First, a large Halloween party for non-Craft friends, oftenheld on the previous weekend. And second, a Coven ritual held on Halloweennight itself, late enough so as not to be interrupted by trick-or-treaters.If the rituals are performed properly, there is often the feeling ofinvisible friends taking part in the rites. Another date which may beutilized in planning celebrations is the actual cross-quarter day, or OldHalloween, or Halloween O.S. (Old Style). This occurs when the sun hasreached 15 degrees Scorpio, an astrological 'power point' symbolized by theEagle. This year (1988), the date is November 6th at 10:55 pm CST, withthe celebration beginning at sunset. Interestingly, this date (OldHalloween) was also appropriated by the Church as the holiday of Martinmas. Of all the Witchcraft holidays, Halloween is the only one that stillboasts anything near to popular celebration. Even though it is typicallyrelegated to children (and the young-at-heart) and observed as an eveningaffair only, many of its traditions are firmly rooted in Paganism.Interestingly, some schools have recently attempted to abolish Halloweenparties on the grounds that it violates the separation of state andreligion. Speaking as a Pagan, I would be saddened by the success of thismove, but as a supporter of the concept of religion-free public education,I fear I must concede the point. Nonetheless, it seems only right thatthere SHOULD be one night of the year when our minds are turned towardthoughts of the supernatural. A night when both Pagans and non-Pagans mayponder the mysteries of the Otherworld and its inhabitants. And if you areone of them, may all your jack-o'lanterns burn bright on this All Hallow'sEve. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Public Service Announcement for Immediate Release Samhain (pronounced saw-an), commonly referred to as Halloween,is a religious holiday celebrated by Wiccan and witch. Thefestival traditionally is a feast for the gathering of the familyin love and remembrance. All the family including one'sancestors. Wiccans do not regard physical death as an end but merely onemore event in a continuing progress of the soul's in its pathtoward fulfillment of divine destiny. Because of these beliefs,it is only natural at this time of year to invite our belovedancestors to remember and to celebrate with us. If you do not find these beliefs in conflict with your ownpersonal beliefs, please join us in the following ritual ofthanksgiving and remembrance. Whether you join with us or not,May you walk in the Light of the Ladyand know the Wisdom of the Lord.Blessed Be. The clergy and members of the United Wiccan Church. After you have shared the bounty of your harvest with thechildren of your neighborhood (candy, etc) and the house hassettled down for the night, disconnect or turn off your telephoneso that this state of serenity will continue uninterrupted. Prepare a special feast of whatever foods reminds you of a specialdeparted friend or family member, or of past family gatherings.While you are preparing this feast think of all of the goodtimes you had with them. When the feast is prepared, set your holiday table with a specialplace of honor for the departed friend or family member. Decorate the table and room as you would for a holiday dinnerwith the family, add those special things that are important toyou and your family (flowers, candles,etc.) If you have apicture of the loved one, it is nice to place it at their placeat the table. Speak to that special person and invite them to join you in thiscelebration and time of remembrance. It is completelyappropriate to say grace or offer any prayer that you feel isfitting. The following is done in complete silence: Serve the meal remembering to serve your honored guest (orguests) first. If wine or other alcoholic beverages are served,it is recommended that they be kept in moderation as you and yourguests need to have a clear head. Now sit down to the table with your loved ones and enjoy yourfeast. When you address them in your mind, always see them aswell. (Try not to say in your mind, "if you can hear me...", etc.).After the meal, the time of silence is over. Do whatever younormally do at a family holiday gathering (clear the table, playgames, sing songs, etc.). Enjoy the companionship. When the evening is over, or in the morning if you wish to makeit an all night party, thank your invited guests for being withyou and for making your celebration a special one. There are a few words of caution that we will offer. If this ritual does not feel right for you, do not do it.Follow your instincts. Remember that crossing over does not necessarily change aperson, so if you could not get through a meal in peace with themwhile they were alive, you will probably have the same problem withtheir spirit. Do not ask your guest to grant you wishes or do you favors.It is rude to invite a guest and then make it obvious that afavor is the reason they were asked, not because of love andrespect. Spirits do not like rudeness! Besides, spirits oftenforget that you are limited in ways that they are not. If youask them for $1,000, it may come as an insurance settlement aftera painful break in your water pipe with all the delight incleaning up the mess from ensuing water damage. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Samhain Notes The High Priestess wears her white tabard if she has one for theopening ritual, with the veil thrown back. After the Witches' Rune, the High Priest and High Priestess take uptheir athames. He stands with his back to the altar, she faces him acrossthe cauldron, They then simultaneously draw the Invoking Pentagram ofEarth in the air with their athames towards each other, after which theylay down their athames; he on the altar, she by the cauldron. The High Priestess scatters incense on the charcoal in the cauldron.When she is satisfied that it is burning, she stands still facing the HighPriest across the cauldron. She then declaims (if needed, ask a man tobring one of the altar candles and hold it for her): "Dread Lord of Shadows, God of Life, and the Giver of Life Yet is the knowledge of thee, the knowledge of Death. Open wide, I pray thee, the Gates through which all must pass. Let our dear ones who have gone before Return this night to make merry with us. And when our time comes, as it must, O thou the Comforter, the Consoler, the Giver of Peace and Rest, We will enter thy realms gladly and unafraid; For we know that when rested and refreshed among our dear ones We will be reborn again by thy grace and the grace of the Great Mother. Let it be in the same place and the same time as our beloved ones, And may we meet, and know, and remember, And love them again. Descend, we pray thee, in thy servant and priest." The High Priestess then walks around the cauldron and gives the HighPriest the Five-fold Kiss. She returns to her place and pulls the veil of her tabard over herface. She then calls on each woman, by name to come forward and give theHigh Priest the Five Fold Kiss. When they have all done so, the coven forms up around the circle,alternating male and female with the Maiden next to the West candle. Assoon as they are in place, the High Priestess says: "Behold, the West is Amenti, the Land of the Dead, to which manyof our loved ones have gone for rest and renewal. On this night, we holdcommunion with them; and as our Maiden stands in welcome by the Westerngate, I call upon all of you, my brothers and sisters of the Craft, tohold the image of these loved ones in your hearts and minds, that ourwelcome may reach out to them. There is mystery within mystery; for theresting place between life and life is Caer Arianrhod, the Castle of theSilver Wheel, at the hub of the turning stars beyond the North Wind. Herereigns Arianrhod, the White Lady, whose name means Silver Wheel. To this,in spirit, we call our loved ones. And let the Maiden lead them, movingwiddershins to the center. For the spiral path inward to Caer Arianhodleads to night, and rest, and is against the way of the Sun." The Maiden should spiral into the center, taking three or fourcircuits to do so. During this time, the coven should maintain absolutesilence and concentrate on welcoming their dead friends. When she reaches the center, she faces the High Priestess across thecauldron. They touch palms and the High Priestess says: "Those who you bring with you are truly welcome to our Festival. Maythey remain with us in peace. And you Maiden, return by the spiral pathto stand with our brothers and sisters; but deosil for the way ofrebirth, outwards from Caer Arianrhod, is the way of the Sun." The women break contact and the Maiden returns to the West candle.When she is there, the High Priestess says: "Let all approach the walls of the Castle." Everyone moves in and sits in a close ring around the cauldron. TheHigh Priestess renews the incense. Now is the time for communion with thedead. When finished scrying, the cauldron is placed next to the Eastcandle. The spirits of the dead must be thanked and released. The HighPriestess leads the rest of the Coven in saying: "We thank you our friends for visiting here this night. We bid you apleasant repose in Caer Arianrhod. We also thank you, the Dread Lord ofShadows for taking care of them and giving them comfort." The next thing to do is the Great Rite in some form. Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983 Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com O.T.O. Samhain Ritual Open the Temple in fire. Banishing ritual. Hierophant: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Hierophant: Ve Gabolah. Ring bell 5-5-5-5-5 Priest strikes staff upon ground 3-3-3, 5-5-5-5-5, 3-3-3 Return bell and staff to altar. Hierophant: Let all adore the King of Fire. All do the god form of PUER, the fire of NOX, facing Altar. AUM Hierophant picks up dagger and points toward the East, standing in the West.(Fire with) TETRAGRAMMATON TZABOATH (all repeat) ALGA (all repeat) BITOM (all repeat) Hierophant: In the sacred names and letters: OIP * TEAA * PDOCEE * In thy name: IHVH TZABAVTH Hierophant: I declare the sacred fire one and eternal in all worlds seen and unseen. (priest lights censer) Hierophant: Glory be the light, eternal fortress on the frontiers of darkness.Blessed Be. (all repeat) Priest drops more incense in censer. Hierophant: Hail those from the caverns of the dark. (sign of enterer) Bell: 3-3-3 5-5-5-5-5 3-3-3 (sign of silence) Hierophant: O great and dreaded Lord of ShadowsHe who is God of all Life & the giver of life, It is Thee we invoke. (all repeat last line)Hierophant: Behold, the West is Ameti, Land of the Deadto which many have gone for rest and renewal. OPEN WIDE THE GATES THROUGH WHICH ALL MUST PASS LET THE SHELLS OF KINDERED SOULS RETURN THIS NIGHT GUIDED BY THE SACRED FIRE SEEN IN ALL WORLDS DESCEND UPON US, ALL ARE TRULY WELCOME TO OUR FESTIVAL. MAY YOU REMAIN AMONG US TILL THE FIRST LIGHT OF DAWN... IN PEACE AND HARMONY APPROACH THE WALLS OF OUR CASTLE (all repeat) 3-3-3, 5-5-5-5-5, 3-3-3 (put more incense in censer) Hierophant: Hail those from the caverns of the dark. (all repeat) pick up contract at sacrifice; KINDRED SOULS HERE THIS NIGHT, TO THEE WE GIVE OUR SACRIFICE UPON THIS PAPER WE EACH HAVE WRITTEN A CONTRACT BINDING OF SOULS TO SOULS SO INTO THE FLAMES & LET IT BE CONSUMED IT IS BETWEEN YOU AND I, NO ONE ELSE. as written, to bind the contract, drink of the blood. ....doneSo mote it be (all repeat). Others who desire a sacrifice may now do such; come forward one after another. all participating in the sacrifice drop in 'contract' repeating as before with wine then saying 'so mote it be'... all should repeat after each sacrifice 'so mote it be'. After last sacrifice; all raise hands upward, vibrating AUM Hierophant: Our sacrificing done, I proclaim this evening rite over. LOVE IS THE LAW, LOVE UNDER WILL. (all repeat) sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Two Witches A Modern Craft Fairy-Tale by Mike Nichols Once upon a time, there were two Witches. One was a Feminist Witchand the other was a Traditionalist Witch. And, although both of them weredeeply religious, they had rather different ideas about what their religionmeant. The Feminist Witch tended to believe that Witchcraft was a religionespecially suited to women because the image of the Goddess was empoweringand a strong weapon against patriarchal tyranny. And there was distrust inthe heart of the Feminist Witch for the Traditionalist Witch because, fromthe Feminist perspective, the Traditionalist Witch seemed subversive and athreat to "the Cause". The Traditionalist Witch tended to believe that Witchcraft was areligion for both men and women because anything less would be divisive.And although the Goddess was worshipped, care was taken to give equalstress to the God-force in nature, the Horned One. And there was distrustin the heart of the Traditionalist Witch for the Feminist Witch because,from the Traditionalist viewpoint, the Feminist Witch seemed like alate-comer and a threat to "Tradition". These two Witches lived in thesame community but each belonged to a different Coven, so they did notoften run into one another. Strange to say, the few times they did meet,they felt an odd sort of mutual attraction, at least on the physical level.But both recognized the folly of this attraction, for their ideologies wereworlds apart, and nothing, it seemed, could ever bridge them. Then one year the community decided to hold a Grand Coven, and all theCovens in the area were invited to attend. After the rituals, the singing,the magicks, the feasting, the poetry, and dancing were concluded, allretired to their tents and sleeping bags. All but these two. For theywere troubled by their differences and couldn't sleep. They alone remainedsitting by the campfire while all others around them dreamed. And beforelong, they began to talk about their differing views of the Goddess. And,since they were both relatively inexperienced Witches, they soon began toargue about what was the "true" image of the Goddess. "Describe your image of the Goddess to me," challenged theFeminist Witch. The Traditionalist Witch smiled, sighed, and said in a raptvoice, "She is the embodiment of all loveliness. The quintessence offeminine beauty. I picture her with silver-blond hair like moonlight, richand thick, falling down around her soft shoulders. She has the voluptuousyoung body of a maiden in her prime, and her clothes are the mostseductive, gossamer thin and clinging to her willowy frame. I see herdancing like a young elfin nymph in a moonlit glade, the dance of a templepriestess. And she calls to her lover, the Horned One, in a voice that isgentle and soft and sweet, and as musical as a silver bell frosted withice. She is Aphrodite, goddess of sensual love. And her lover comes inanswer to her call, for she is destined to become the Great Mother. Thatis how I see the Goddess." The Feminist Witch hooted with laughter and said, "Your Goddess is aCosmic Barbie Doll! The Jungian archetype of a cheer-leader! She is allglitter and no substance. Where is her strength? Her power? I see theGoddess very differently. To me, she is the embodiment of strength andcourage and wisdom. A living symbol of the collective power of womeneverywhere. I picture her with hair as black as a moonless night, croppedshort for ease of care on the field of battle. She has the muscular bodyof a woman at the peak of health and fitness. And her clothes are the mostpractical and sensible, not slinky cocktail dresses. She does not painther face or perfume her hair or shave her legs to please men's vanities.Nor does she do pornographic dances to attract a man to her. For when shecalls to a male, in a voice that is strong and defiant, it will be to dobattle with the repressive masculine ego. She is Artemis the huntress, andit is fatal for any man to cast a leering glance in her direction. For,although she may be the many-breasted Mother, she is also the dark Crone ofwisdom, who destroys the old order. That is how I see the Goddess." Now the Traditionalist Witch hooted with laughter and said, "YourGoddess is the antithesis of all that is feminine! She is Yahweh hidingbehind a feminine mask! Don't forget that it was his followers who burnedWitches at the stake for the "sin" of having "painted faces". After all,Witches with their knowledge of herbs were the ones who developed the artof cosmetics. So what of beauty? What of love and desire?" And so the argument raged, until the sound of their voices awakened aCoven Elder who was sleeping nearby. The Elder looked from the FeministWitch to the Traditionalist Witch and back again, saying nothing for a longmoment. Then the Elder suggested that both Witches go into the woods apartfrom one another and there, by magick and meditation, that each seek a"true" vision of the Goddess. This they both agreed to do. After a time of invocations, there was a moment of perfect stillness.Then a glimmer of light could be seen in the forest, a light shaded deepestgreen by the dense foliage. Both Witches ran toward the source of theradiance. To their wonder and amazement, they discovered the Goddess hadappeared in a clearing directly between them, so that neither Witch couldsee the other. And the Traditionalist Witch yelled "What did I tell you!"at the same instant the Feminist Witch yelled "You see, I was right!" andso neither Witch heard the other. To the Feminist Witch, the Goddess seemed to be a shining matrix ofpower and strength, with courage and energy flowing outward. The Goddessseemed to be holding out her arms to embrace the Feminist Witch, as acomrade in arms. To the Traditionalist Witch, the Goddess seemed to be thezenith of feminine beauty, lightly playing a harp and singing a siren songof seduction. Energy seemed to flow towards her. And she seemed to holdout her arms to the Traditionalist Witch, invitingly. From opposite sides of the clearing, the Witches ran toward the figureof the Goddess they both loved so well, desiring to be held in the ecstasyof that divine embrace. But just before they reached her, the apparitionvanished. And the two Witches were startled to find themselvesembracing each other. And then they both heard the voice of the Goddess. And, oddly enough,it sounded exactly the same to both of them. It sounded like laughter. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Wicca From My Point of View by Lady Phoenix I can give you a brief overview of Wicca. (I don't speak for allWiccans, only myself. There are some differences in the differentTraditions.) We believe that the ultimate godhead is unknowable. This doesn'tmake for a good working relationship with the deity, however. So, we breakit down into a Goddess and a God. Different Wiccans worship differentGods/Goddesses. We can utilize *any* pantheon. Some worship Pan/Diana,some Cernnunos/Aradia, Isis/Osiris, and many others. We see our Goddess as being Triple Aspected -- Maiden, Mother andCrone, and she is reflected in the phases of the Moon -- Waxing, Full andWaning. We see the God as the Lord of Nature, and he is reflected in theseasonal changes. Like Jesus Christ, he dies for the land and the people,and is reborn. In general, we believe in reincarnation and karma. What you callHeaven, we call the Summerlands. We don't believe that Hell exists (orSatan either.) We believe that there should be balance in all things --when the balance is disturbed, that's when 'evil' occurs. Fire, forexample is not 'evil'. It could be considered such when it becomes out ofbalance, as in a forest fire, or house fire. Controlled fire is a usefultool. Anger is not 'evil', but when unbridled can't help but lead tonegative things. When properly expressed and balanced with constructiveworking to correct that which invoked the anger -- it, too, can be a usefultool. We regard the Earth as our Mother and try to have respect for Herby not polluting her and try to live in harmony with Her and Her ways. Women reflect the Goddess, Men reflect the God, so the Wicca havea Priestess and Priest to 'run' the religious services. We call ourservices circles. This was sort of a "Reader's Digest Condensed Version" of Wicca.If you have any questions or want more detail on any of this, please let meknow. Thank you for asking. Blessed be >>Phoenix<< * Origin: InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST (1:132/123) sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The following is an excerpt from "Witchcraft: The Old Religion" by Dr. L. L. Martello. Questions and Answers. Q. What is the best way for one who is interested in the Old Religion to make contact with a genuine coven? A. Subscribe to all of the Pagan and Witchcraft publications. It's easier to get into a Pagan grove which often acts as a backdoor to the Craft, since many are Wicca-oriented in their worship and rituals. Fill out a Coven-Craft application form issued by WICA. To obtain yours, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. WICA's address is Suite 1B, 153 West 80 Street; New York 10024. Q. What are the major feast-days of Witches? Could you tell me more about the origins of Halloween? A. Most Anglo-American covens celebrate the following holy days. The four major ones are Oimelc or Candlemas on February 2; May Eve, Beltane, or Walpurgisnacht on April 30; Lammas on July 31 or August 1; and of course Halloween or Samhain on October 31. The four minor Holy Days are the two solstices: Yule, around December 22; and Midsummer, around June 21 or 22. The other two are the equinoxes: March 20-21 for spring and the fall equinox on September 22 or 23. The following will help to give you some idea of the origins of Halloween: November Eve, All Hallows' Eve, the Gaelic fire festival of Samhain, now generally called Halloween, represents the summer's end, when the Earth Goddess turns over her reign to the Horned God of the Hunt, the transition from life to death, from an agrarian time to one of hunting, from summer to winter, from warmth to coldness, from light to darkness. It has been Christianized into All Saints' Day, a time when the souls of the departed wander the land and in some cases where the souls of the living temporarily join their spirit brethren, a time for mediumship, remembrance of departed loved ones, and celebration (as opposed to mourning) of the dead. The Roman Goddess of fruits and seeds, Pomona, was worshipped on this day. The stored fruits and seeds of the summer were then opened for the celebrants. Apples and nuts were the main fruits. This was also the autumn harvest festival of the Druids. They believed in the transmigration of souls and taught that Saman, the Lord of Death, summoned those wicked souls who were condemned to occupy the bodies of animals in the preceding twelve months. The accused believed that they could propitiate Saman by gifts and incantations, thus lessening if not eliminating their sentences. This was also the time when the Druids lit huge bonfires in honor of Baal, a custom continued in Britain and Wales until recent times. In Ireland October 31 was called Oidhche Shamhna, or Vigil of Saman. In his Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Villancey says that in Ireland the peasants assembled with clubs and sticks, "going from house to house, collecting money, breadcake, butter, cheese, eggs, etc., for the feast, repeating verses in honor of the solemnity, demanding preparations for the festival in the name of St. Columb Kill, desiring them to lay aside the fatted calf and to bring forth the black sheep. The good women are employed in making the griddlecake and candles; these last are sent from house to house in the vicinity, and are lighted up on the (Saman) next day, before which they pray, or are supposed to pray, for the departed soul of the donor. Every house abounds in the best viands they can afford: apples and nuts are devoured in abundance; the nutshells are burnt, and from the ashes many strange things are foretold; cabbages are torn up by the root; hemp-seed is sown by the maidens, and they believe that if they look back they will see the apparition of the man intended for their future spouse; they hang a smock before the fire, on the close of the feast, and sit up all night, concealed in the corner of the room, convinced that his apparition will come down the chimney and turn the smock; they throw a ball of yarn out of the window, and wind it on the reel within, convinced that if they repeat the Pater Noster backwards, and look at the ball of yarn without, they will then also see his sith or apparition; they dip for apples in a tub of water, and endeavor to bring one up in the mouth; they suspend a cord with a cross-stick, with apples at one point, and candles lighted at the other, and endeavor to catch the apple, while it is in a circular motion, in the mouth." Vallancey concludes that these practices are the remnants of Druidism and will never be eradicated while the name of Saman remains. In this brief passage we will see the origins of many modern Halloween practices, such a trick or treat, the Jack-o-Lantern, and apple bobbing. In the island of Lewis the name Shamhna, or Saman, was called Shony. One writer in disgust described "an ancient custom here to sacrifice to a sea-god, called Shony, at Hallowtide." The supposed Christian inhabitants would gather at the Church of St. Mulvay, each family bringing provisions and malt which was brewed into ale. They chose one of themselves to wander into the sea at night up to his waist. He then poured out a cup of ale calling upon Shony to bless his people for the coming year. "At his return," this writer says, "they all went to church, where there was a candle burning upon the altar; and then standing silent for a little time, one of them gave a signal, at which the candle was put out, and immediately all of them went to the fields, where they fell a-drinking ale, and spent the rest of the night in dancing and singing. The ministers in Lewis told me they spent several years before they could persuade the vulgar natives to abandon this ridiculous piece of superstition." The name Saman shows evidence of Druidism in the Irish. Another word, the name of a drink, is "lambswool." It is made from bruising roasted apples and mixing it with ale or milk. The Gentlemen's Magazine for May, 1784, says, "this is a constant ingredient at a merrymaking on Holy Eve." Vallancey shrewdly traced its etymological origin when he said, "The first day of November was dedicated to the angel presiding over fruits, seeds, etc., and was therefore named La Mas Ubhal, that is, the day of the apple fruit, and being pronounced Lamasool, the English have corrupted the name to Lambs-wool." The angel referred to of course is the Roman Goddess Pomona. Q. Are these Holy Days the same throughout the world? A. No. However, there are many universal similarities between all the pagan religions. Names, dates and days vary according to national origin. For instance, one of the Holy Days still celebrated by many Italian and some Sicilian traditions is the Lupercalia, on February 15. It has since been Christianized into St. Valentine's Day on Feb. 14. Let me quote from the WICA Newsletter: Ancient Roman festival honoring Lupercus, God of Fertility. It was called dies februatus meaning 'day of expiation.' The Lupercal--'wolf's grotto'--a cave on the western slope of Palatine Hill. Near it was the ficus ruminalis, the fig tree under which Romulus and Remus were found and nursed by a she-wolf. The Lupercai who celebrated this yearly festival were made up of the Fabian who belonged to the Sabines and the Quintilian Lupercai, the Latins. Later in honor to Julius Caesar, there was added the Julian Brotherhood. They sacrificed a goat. Young neophytes were brought in. The High Priest touched their foreheads with the bloody knife. Then another priest wiped away the blood with wool dipped into milk. The feast began with the celebrants clothed only in goat skins and carrying (really hiding) thongs made from the same goat hides. They ran up and down the streets of the city striking anyone who passed them. Women came forward to be hit by the goat-thongs, believing it enhanced their own fertility. This was also a symbolic purification of the land and of the persons touched. This was on of the last Pagan rites to be given up before Christianity completely dominated the country. It is still celebrated today but in modern form, without the goat or any other kind of sacrifice, but all wearing skins and goat horns in a special streghe ritual." Q. What are some of the Christian holy days that are based upon or borrowed from ancient Pagan Religions? A. You'll find many of them discussed in this book. However, briefly, here are some of them. December 25 in ancient times was the day celebrated in honor of the sun, deified in such figures as Mithra, Osiris, Horus, and Adonis. It was also the feast day of Bacchus, Krishna, Sakia, and others. The legends of these Gods were the same as those attributed to Jesus Christ by the early Church. Pope Julius I in A.D. 337 made December 25 the official day to celebrate Jesus's birth, following older traditions who honored their founders on that date. It was also the ancient celebration of the winter solstice. There is absolutely no record in the Bible or elsewhere of when Jesus Christ was born. All of us are still paying tribute to the ancient Gods and Goddesses by the names of our days of the week. English French Italian Spanish Planet Deity Sunday Dimanche Domani Domingo Sun Mithra Monday Lundi Lunedi Lunes Moon Diana Tuesday Mardi Martedi Martes Mars Tiw Wednesday Mercredi Mercoledi Miercoles Mercury Mercury Thursday Jeudi Giovedi Jueves Jupiter Jove-Thor Friday Vendredi Venerdi Viernes Venus Venus-Freya Saturday Samedi Sabato Sabado Saturn Saturn Two of the English names come from Old Saxon rather than Latin. Tiw's Day became Tuesday in honor of the old Teutonic deity, Tiw or Tives. Wednesday is named after the old Teutonic Norse God Wodan or Wotan. The Saxon word for day is doeg. In olden times the days were called Jove's Doeg (Thursday), Mercury's Doeg (Wednesday), Mar's Doef (Tuesday), etc. Friday was the day when the ancients paid tribute to Venus--the love day. When Christianity became dominant, Friday was no longer considered lucky--Jesus was crucified on that day; also, the uninhibited sexual rites dedicated to the love Goddess Venus was considered a great "sin." Besides the days of our week our months are also named after the ancient deities: January: From Latin Januarius, honoring Janus, a Roman God. He presided over the Gates of Heaven, which the Christians later assigned to St. Peter. The Anglo-Saxons called it Aefter-Yule, and prior to that Wolf-monat. February: From Februus, another name for the God of purification Faunus, thus fertility. The feast was held on February 15 (see Lupercalia) and was called Februa. March: After Mars, God of War. Anglo-Saxons called it Hraed-monat, rugged month, or Hlyd-monat, stormy month. A stormy March was an omen of poor crops. A dry March indicated a rich harvest. April: From Latin aperio "to open," like buds. Anglo-Saxons called it Easter-monat,in honor of the Teutonic Goddess of the same name. She ruled spring and light. The Romansdedicated this month to Venus, often referring to it as Mensis Veneris instead of Aprilis. May: Named after Maia Majesta, ancient Roman Goddess of Spring. Considered Vulcan's wife.Look up the folklore regarding the May Day celebrations, bonfires, and other ritescelebrated throughout Europe. June: Named after the Roman Goddess Juno. Called Sear-monat by Anglo-Saxons. Juno was Queen of Heaven and Guardian of Marriage and ruled childbirth. June is still the most favored month for marriage today. July: Originally called Quintilus, the fifth month. Old Saxons called it Maed-monat, "mead month" the time to gather honey for the drink called mead. August: Named after the Roman Emperor Augustus. Was once called Sixtilis, the sixth month. September: Named after the Latin number for seven, that being the month in the old calender . Saxons called it Gerst-monat, barley month, as this crop was usually gathered then. October: From octo, the eighth month in the old calendar. Saxons named it Wyn-monat, "wine month." This was harvest time, and Bacchus and Dionysius and all the other ancient deities were honored. See Halloween above. November: From the ninth month in old Roman calendar. Saxons called it Blot-monat, "blood month." This was when the cattle and sheep were slaughtered for food and sacrifices. December: Named after the tenth month in the old calendar. It was consecrated to Saturn, and on December 17 the great feast of Saturnalia began, lasting several days. It coincided with the winter solstice and the Yule season. The Anglo-Saxons called it Yule-monat, "midwinter month." It coincided with the winter solstice and the Yule season. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Wicca, Wicca, Who's Got the Wicca? or My Tradition, or Yours? [An article which attempts to make sense of all the various Traditions,Brands, Denominations, ect., which may confuse the unwary new-comer to Neo-Paganism (Wicca in particular).] By: Hurn Greetings, and Bright Blessings... Welcome to this, the next in aseries of introductory pieces on Alternate Religions. Today, we shalltake a look at the many varied Traditions in the Wicca Family of Faiths.Whilst there is, indeed, a large number of groups who profess one set oftenants, or ideas; one soon begins to see why they may all be lumpedtogether as one Religion. Obviously, to start, one must define Religion as it applies to thesegroups of people. Next, a listing of some of the more Popular Traditions,giving a basic description of each. Lastly, some comments on the "cordswhich bind these groups together", ie. a discussion on the UnderlyingPhilosophies of the New Age Movement, Neo-Paganisms in particular. I. What is a Religion? A dictionary definition of religion looks something like: Religion, n.; An organized system of Beliefs and/or Rituals,centering on a Supernatural Being or Beings. Everyone with me so far? Good. I think we can all agree on definitionsfor "Beliefs" and "Supernatural", so the only sub-definition will be"Ritual": any ordered sequence of events or actions, includingdirected thoughts, especially one that is repeated in the 'same'manner each time, and that is designed to produce a predictablealtered state of consciousness, within which certain magical orreligious results may be obtained. Now, by using these definitions, the astute reader may realize that oneneed not "believe" in anything in order to belong to a Religion, althoughmost 'established' churches Do require that one has conforming beliefs inorder to become 'accepted into' that Religion. One of the beauties ofthe Pagan/NeoPagan/Wiccan Religion is that the majority of the sects do notrequire one to have 'conforming' beliefs. One need not Believe in theGod/dess in order to worship them, and this is the key to being a New Agetype Religion. New Age Religions acknowledge that there are many paths to Godhood,and that each person should find his/her own way. Thus, while there iscommunication and discussion between the diverse ways of Wicca, there isgenerally no cause for religious persecution or Holy Wars. Also, thereare very little 'missionary' type efforts, since there is no PrimeDirective stating that everyone who does not believe a certain piece ofDogma is Wrong, and will burn in Hell forever, unless saved, or made tosee the light. Contrary to most religions, it is Not the shared set of Beliefs, orsimilar Dogma which holds the Wiccan Religions together. Rather, it is theAttitudes of the people involved, and their common Heritage which providethe bonds of cooperation among the Pagan Peoples. These points of agreementshall be further addressed following a brief list of some of the morepopular Traditions, with a description of each. II. Traditions/Branches/Gatherings/Sub-Groups/Interpretations/ect. [nb. This is not, by any means, an all inclusive list] Gardnerian: Started by G. Gardner, in England, in the mid 1950's, this Traditionclaims to have existed, in secret, since the Witch-Burnings began duringthe Middle Ages. While there is some doubt as to whether or not it is asold as it claims, there is no denying that the Gardnerian Sect has been oneof the most Influential of the Traditions. In fact, many of the groupswhich follow were started by people who had been introduced to Paganismand the Worship of the Lord and Lady as members of a Gardnerian group. Characteristics: A structured religion with definite hierarchy within each group (known,as a Coven), but little to no Authority of one coven over another. Withinthe coven, a Matriarchy exists, with the High Priestess generally beingconsidered the leader (there are, of course, exceptions to this, but thesedescriptions are, for the most part, only generalizations based uponinformation gathered from many sources). The typical Gardnerian view of the God/dess is that of a Dominant Three-FacedGoddess (Maid, Mother, and Crone) with a Male Consort (Who has 2sides.. the Young Summer King, and the Old Winter King). Ceremonies include a series of initiations into higher levels of theCraft, various Holiday Celebrations (based, of course, upon the "Wheel ofthe Year" calendar of Feast days. Alexandrian: Started about the same time as Gardner's, this tradition is fairlysimilar, with a little more emphasis upon Ceremonial Magick. There arenumerous Covens in both US and Europe. Dianic: This is more of a Sub-class, rather than a particular Tradition. Thereare several Feminist Traditions which are considered Dianic. Thissub-class tends to emphasize the Female aspect of the Goddess, sometimes tothe exclusion of the Male God. Some feel that these groups are ratherreactionary and self limiting. Be that as it may, the Dianic Covens tendto be more politically active. School of Wicca: Headed by Gavin and Yvonne Frost, this School is the largestcorrespondence school of Witchcraft in the US. Numerous Covens haveresulted from this School, although it is somewhat unconventional (if, thatis, anything dealing with Wicca could be called conventional). The Frosts'views on Wicca as a religion do differ with the majority.. in that they donot consider Wicca as "Pagan", but rather as Monotheistic. Seax (or Saxon) Wicca: Started by Raymond Buckland, who was originally a leader in promoting theGardnerian Tradition, as an alternative to the existing Covens. Unlikemost traditions, which consider the Coven group to be the normal unit ofdivision (ie. all ceremonies/Rituals = Group Rites), the Seax version hasprovision for lone witches (often referred to as Solitaires). Another thingwhich sets this particular brand apart is its non-reliance upon beingproperly initiated into the Wiccan community. Many of the other groupsrequire that new members be brought to existing covens to be ceremoniallyinitiated into that Tradition, and that only after years of study withinthe group is one ready to start a new coven. The Seax tradition,recognizing that there may not be a friendly, neighborhood Coven, allowsfor self-initiation, and Auto setup of a Coven. Traditionalist (Welsh, Scots, Greek, Irish, etc...) Like Dianic, this is a sub-class. Each Traditionalist group is basedupon the traditions, literature, myth, and folktales of that particulargeographic/demographic area. This is evident in the Names of the God/dessused by individual groups. III. Common ties/beliefs/Ideals/ect... As stated earlier, it's not doctrine/dogma similarities which tend to holdthese diverse groups together, rather, it is the common Ideals and feelingsexpressed by the Pagan Peoples themselves. Here are some examples: The Wiccan Rede: "An it harms none, do what thou will." is almostuniversally accepted amongst the groups. Most groups tend to bepolytheistic, animists, pantheists, ect. One is not "converted" to Wicca,rather, the new comer feels a sense of "Coming Home", or, more poetically,"The Goddess calls to Her own". Nature plays a big part in mostTraditions, either as direct personification of the God/dess, or asaspects of them. There is no counterpart to the Devil, as such, in thePagan religions... no personification of All Evil, rather, the choice isthere for all to make. However, there is the Law of Three Fold Return,which states "That which thou dost send out shall return three fold", sogood begets good, and evil befalls those who are evil (a horrendousunderstatement / simplification, but true). Author's note: Whew! That was a long haul of writing in one sitting... if there are anybig errors noticeable, mail me, and I'll make a second draft of this.. orperhaps even expand it some.. (my time is limited in as far as when I haveopportunities to just sit down and write something like this, but I canusually squeeze in some time, here or there.) I hope that this is somewhat enlightening... there are some other files,here, which give more basic explanations of the terms used.. (Witch, Coven,Magick, ect..) ... I did assume a small amount of familiarity presentwithin the reader... if anyone wishes, I can append a Preface covering thatwhich was presupposed knowledge.Blessed Be...Hurn sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Binding a Spell (Classic version) Come ye as the charm is made! Queen of heaven, Queen of hell, Horned Hunter of the night Lend your power unto the spell, And work our will by magic rite! By all the power of land and sea, By all the might of moon and sun I call the Earth to bind my spell. Air to speed it well. Bright as Fire shall it glow. Deep as tide of Water flow. Count the elements fourfold, In the fifth the spell shall hold.Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983Valiente, Doreen; "Witchcraft for Tomorrow"; Phoenix Publishing 1985 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Saxon Wicca Rites From "The Tree: The Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft" by Raymond Bucklandcopyright 1974 -- Samuel Weiser Publishers (NOW OUT OF PRINT) posted for PAN, the ORIGINAL Psychic Awareness Network at 1-703-362-1139by MATRIKA, co-sysop Legend of Woden/Odin retrieving the Runes The Snake came crawling and struck at none But Woden took nine glory-twigs (pieces of wood on which were carved runicinscriptions) and struck the adder so that it flew into nine parts. This quote shows how Woden/Odin was a master magician and drew his powerfrom the runes. To this day many Saxon Pagans work much of their Magicwith runes, inscribing them on candles in candle magick, incorporating theminto talismans or symbols of protection that they wear, carry or keep intheir homes (can also be for other purposes, etc. They can even be putsomewhere invisibly by tracing them with a scented oil. For example, arune or runic monogram (several runic letters overlaying one another) canbe inscribed on your place of business in Money in Abundance oil or someother money -- oriented oils of your own preference. For healing a rune orrunic monogram of healing can be written on the body of the patient with anoil of Healing, after the regular transfer of Pranic energy or "laying -- on-- of -- the -- hands" healing has occurred. (including use of crystals, ifthat is so desired) Etc. etc. etc. Why are runes so important? For thesame reason that they were in Cabalistic Magick among the Jews and inSidha Yoga. In India among the Sidhis the Shakti or Feminine aspect ofDeity (as Shiva is the male) has many aspects through which the world wasemanated -- one of the more important aspects is matrika shakti or the powerof sound to create via the letters of the alphabet forming themselves intoWords. In both systems -- Kabbalah and Sidha Yoga -- it is believed that theuniverse was created by words. This is reflected in modern New-Age workwith Affirmations used by such diverse sources as Marion Weinstein, DiannicWitch, as described in her book "Positive Magic" (Phoenix Publishing) and theUnity School of Christianity as well as the Religious Science and ChristianScience and Divine Science and all the other "science" churches. ShaktiGawain, author of "Creative Visualization" teaches it from the New Ageperspective as well. It is through words we create out own reality andright use of them for good and in loving ways is one of the most powerfulof Magicks. (Note by Matrika) From the old Norse Verse, Lay of the High one, stanzas 138, 139, and 141 Woden/Odin is speaking " I know that I hung there on the windy tree swung there nights, all of nine gashed with a blade bloodied by Odin myself an offering to myself knotted to that tree no man knows whither the root of it runs None gave me bread None gave me drink down to the depths I peered to snatch up runes with a roaring screech and fall in a dizzying faint Wellspring I won and wisdom too and grew and joyed in my growth from a word to a word I was led to a word from a deed to another deed" As you can see this legend, which in the original sources pre-datesChristianity, has much in common with the legend of Jesus'sCrucifixion/Resurrection in the Newer religion -- but then there aresimilar themes in the story of Tammuz from the Middle East, the story ofOsiris in Egypt and in many other sources. The story of the fallen God whois resurrected with great power and wisdom reflects the Shamans'sconfrontation with his own death -- either in a literal sense throughsickness or accident, or in a Psychological sense or by other means such asthe mild, natural hallucinogens used by the Native Americans and othertribal peoples. (Note, I am not endorsing their use; they are completelyunnecessary) -- but nevertheless, this is the practice in some cultures,where they know how to handle the power of these drugs and guide one safelythrough the experience. It is important to note this is not done lightlyor playfully either and that the drugs they use are natural substances, notthe harsher chemical ones abused in our modern society for recreational use) It also represents the natural cycles of the year -- the grain growsand is cut down or sacrificed only to be reborn again, the trees lose theirleaves and seem to die only to resurrected, (which is why the tree oflife/cross image developed) some animals hibernate and come back, etc.etc. etc Now here is the legend of the Goddess in the Saxon form as the searchby Freya for the necklace Brosingame -- a silver circlet worn about her neckas a chaplet. As with the Gardnerian Wicca legend of the descent of theGoddess to the Underworld, it reflects the cycles of the year -- whenfertility seems to sink into the earth and vanish during winter's barrenmonths only to have the Lady and her bounty return to us in the spring. (Matrika's notes) All day had Freya, most lovely of the Goddesses, played and romped inthe fields. Then did she lay down to rest. And while she slept; deft Loki, the prankster, the mischief-maker ofthe Gods; did espy the glimmering of Brosingame, formed of Galdra (magick)Her constant companion. Silent as the night did Loki move to the Goddess'sside and with fingers formed over the very ages in lightness did remove thesilver circlet from about her snow white neck. Straightaway did Freya arouse; on sensing it's loss. Though he movedwith the speed of the winds, yet Loki she glimpsed as he passed swiftlyfrom sight into the barrow (burial mound) that leads to Dreun. (land of thedead, the underworld) Then was Freya in despair. Darkness descended all about her to hideher tears. Great was her anguish. All light, all life, all creaturesjoined in her doom. To all corners were sent the Searchers, in quest of Loki; yet knewthey. they would find him not. For who is there may descend to Dreun andreturn again from thence? Excepting the Gods themselves and, alack, mischievous Loki. So it was that, still weak from her grief, Freya herself elected todescend in search of Brosingame. At the portals of the Barrow was shechallenged, yet recognized and passed. The multitude of souls within cried joyfully to see her, yet could shenot tarry as she sought her stolen light. The infamous Loki left no trail to follow, yet was he everywhere pastseen. Those to whom she spake held to Freya (that) Loki carried no Jewelas he went by. Where then was it hid? In despair she searched an age.Hearhden (also known as Heimdall) the mighty smith of the Gods, did arisefrom his rest to sense the bewailment of the souls to Freya's sorrow.Striding from his smithy, to find the cause of the sorrow, did he espy theSilver Circlet where Loki Mischief-maker had laid it; upon the rock beforehis door. Then was all clear. As Hearhden took hold of Brosingame (then did) Loki appear before him,his face wild with rage. Yet would Loki not attack Hearhden, this mighty smith whose strengthwas known even beyond Dreun. By wiles and tricks did he strive to get his hands upon the (silver)circlet. He shape-shifted; he darted here and there; he was visible, theninvisible. yet could he not sway the Smith. Tired of the fight, Hearhden raised his mighty club. Then sped Lokiaway. Great was the joy of Freya when Hearhden placed Brosingame about hersnow-white neck. Great were the cries of Joy from Dreun and above. Great were the thanks that Freya and all People gave to the Gods forthe return of Brosingame. This tale and the Gardnerian legend of the descent of the Goddess intothe Underworld (told in the 2d degree initiation) and similar myths fromaround the world, such as the legend of Kwan Yin's descent to the land ofdeath and her being expelled for spreading mirth and joy, show that womenalso shared a very important role in the shamanism/priesthood of theEuropean Pagan traditions and also faced the ordeals -- i.e. the physical orpsychological confrontation with death. And again, it reflects the timesof darkness and light in the year -- the waxing and waning of the moon eachmonth and the waxing and waning of the sun each year from Yule or Wintersolstice to Mid-summer's night or Summer solstice when the light growsstronger and the remainder of the year, when light grows weaker. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Wiccan Shamanism by Selena Fox typed by Lewis for P.A.N. 508-795-7628 Shamanism exists in tribal cultures around the world and has done sofor centuries. Yet, in reading most anthropological texts on Shamanism,there is little, if any reference made to shamanism in Europe. HoweverShamanism has existed among the peoples of Europe not only in ancienttimes, but also through the present day. During the Middle Ages, the OldWays largely disappeared from public view because of persecution. Yet theywere not eradicated but took a more underground existence. Today, thereare some of us of European ancestry that are bringing Shamanic ways rootedin pre-Christian Europe back into the light. Wiccan Shamanism is a term I began using several years ago in anattempt to describe my own path of magick and spirituality in relation tothe other forms of Shamanism on the Planet. Wiccan Shamanism draws on theOld but it is not simply an attempt re-construction and revival of the OldWays of tribal Europe. Wiccan Shamanism blends both the Old and the New tosuit the modern times in which we live. Although emphasis is on Europeansymbology and traditions Wiccan Shamanism is multi-cultural, incorporatingways of other healers and magick workers from many places and eras. What follows is a glimpse into Wiccan Shamanism as I know it andpractice it. While Jim, Dennis, and others who help with various aspectsof CIRCLES work may share many of these concepts, I speak here only formyself - for at the heart of this spiritual approach is the idea that eachperson must seek their own connection with the Divine, within their ownSelf, rather than having me or anyone else do this for them. This is not apath of a leader with followers, but a path where each becomes their ownleader. I call to the Powers of the Four Quarters -- to Earth in the North whichis the Realm of the Physical Body and Material Plane, to Air in the Eastwhich is the Realm of Thoughts and Intellect, to Fire in the South which isthe Realm of Will Power and Action, and Water in the West which is theRealm of Emotions and Intuition. My Medicine Wheel is the Magick Circlewhich connects the Four Quarters. The sacred places I frequent include ahigh rock, a crystal clear spring fed pool n a hidden valley and a circleof stones in a grove of Oak and Birch on a mound. I am a channel between Planet Earth beneath my feet and the Heavensabove my head. I become the World tree when I Shamanize, linking thetransforming Dark of the Underworld with the Awakening Light of theUpperworld. I am the Crystal LIght that is at the Center of the Circle and is thefifth Element Spirit. I seek always to act out of MY own Inner Self whichis at the enter of MY being, for my Inner Self in the Balance of all theElements, of my Female and Male sides, of my Lunar and Solar natures of myintellect and intuition my Inner Self is my doorway into the realm whereAll is One. I see the Circle of Life from the Center. I watch the Seasons changeas the Wheel of the Year turns and I celebrate the 8 sabbats. I connectwith the dance of Night and Day, of Fair and Stormy Weathers, of the Waxingand Waning Moon. I see the cycle of Birth, Growth, Maturity, Death, andRebirth in all of Nature. I examine the cycles of my own life and of thelives of those who seek healing aid from me. I am the traveler between the World of Daily Life and the Otherworldwhich is the land of Dreams, visions and Spirits. I am a ConsciousnessExplorer. the Otherworldis as real and as important to me as the Day-to-DayWorld. I bridge the Worlds rather than seeking to dwell solely in one orthe other. I journey into the Otherworld for a reason -- to bring backhealing and knowledge to apply to Daily Life, helping others, myself andthe Planet. I see the Divine in all things. My friends and allies include notonly humans but also plants, animals, rocks, winds, waters, fire, stars,and other life forms. I commune with the Source some call "God" as bothMother Goddess and Father God, for both aspects are necessary for theUnity. The main focus of my Shamanic work is Healing. I was called to thispath as a young child in dreams and Out-of-Body experiences, but I didn'tbegin my work until my adult years when I started Healing myself. To dothis I journeyed alone into the Pit of my Shadow Self and came face-to-facewith my problems and hang-ups; my doubts fears, disillusionments,rejections, angers and hurts; with all MY false self images. Words can notbegin to express the misery, the utter despair the powerlessness I feltduring this time. Yet coming apart was essential; it enabled me to breakthrough the barriers which I had formed and let others form in my psychethat had kept me from being one with my True Self. In the deepestDarkness, I felt the Light of my own Inner Self beginning to shine through.I focused on the Light and slowly emerged from the Pit, stronger and moreintegrated than ever before and with the power to heal others as well asmyself. As a result of this transformation process, my life's work becameclear. I now help others from their own pits of negativity and becomewhole again. Yet my work also extends to more than Humankind; it involves bringingHealing to the Planet as a whole. In my communing with the Land, I haveheard the cries of the Earth Mother, sorrowing over the self-centered,greedy, intolerant, and destructive behaviors of many of Her humanchildren, who are polluting the soils, water, and air; who are playingpower games with nuclear fire; and who are polluting the spiritualatmosphere of the entire world with their narrow-mindedness and hate. I amdeeply concerned about survival -- not of the Planet Herself for all thehumans in the world can not destroy Her even with all their weapons; She istoo strong and powerful for that to happen. What I am concerned about isthe survival of the human race. -- will we annihilate ourselves and many ofthe life forms around us, or will we wake up in time to see the largerpicture, find and implement creative solutions to the worlds problems, andenter a New Age of expanded consciousness? The Balance of Life can be restored on Planet Earth; Harmony can berestored between humankind and other life forms; Love consciousness canincrease and be prevalent on the Earth. I, along with numerous otherhealers and ministers from a variety of spiritual traditions around theworld today have responded to the upset of Mother Earth by dedicating ourlives to this Planetary Healing Work, each in our own way. It is thisGreat Work that underlies all the healing and other things I do. It is theHeart of Wiccan Shamanism. First published in fall 1984 "Circle Network News"; copyright 1984, CIRCLE, Box 219, Mt. Horeb WI 53572 USA. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A Healing Myth By "Nihasa" This story can have a powerful healing effect when read outloud (or recorded and then played) to someone suffering froma phobia or other effect of childhood trauma. While names,settings, and style can be varied to suit individual tastes,the sequence which the apprentice describes, the sequencethe princess goes through, and the vagueness of the "badthing" descriptions should remain unchanged and no elementof the story should be left out.Once, in another time and another place, a kingdom of magicand beauty knew a time of peace. No armies threatened itsborders, no bandits plundered its trade routes, no plaguessickened its people. Yet even in such peaceful times, badthings could happen: accidents, misunderstandings, evengood people doing bad things. The third daughter of the king was a bright and cheerfulsort. She wasn't the strongest or the prettiest of theroyal princesses, but she did have the nicest wings ofanyone her age. She loved to fly around the countrysideand explore the groves and meadows she found...they werealways full of surprises. One day she found a particularly pretty grove, with a pondglistening in a little clearing in the middle. As she wentin for a closer look, she saw images start to form. She sawher own reflection, and as she lightly touched the groundshe saw that her reflection was watching reflections of herown...dim watery reflections from her past. "So you can see the pictures." The voice from among thetrees made her jump. "Don't worry," continued the young manas he stepped out from among the trees, "nobody else can seethe same images, Princess. It's part of the magic." "How...?" she asked, looking him up and down. He was a youngman, no older than the princess herself, dressed in therough tunic of a wizard's apprentice. "Who are you? How didyou know who I am, what I saw?" "I am apprenticed to the Court Wizard. Everybody knows whoyou are, Princess...and besides, I have seen you at thepalace when I have been there with my master." He paused,glancing at the ground and lowering his voice. "As to theimages... well, at one time I had need of their magic." "When I entered the Wizard's service, I had a great andsecret fear. Something...bad...happened to me when I wasyounger. It hurt to even think about, and after time Ididn't think about it much. But ever since that time, I hadlived with the fear. When my master learned of this, hetaught me the magic of this pool and its stream." "The pool reflects images from your mind...scenes from yourpast, dreams of the future, even fantasies of the present.The stream flows like time itself, upstream into the past,and downstream into the future. If I followed the ritual hedescribed, these magics could wash clean the fear." She made a face. "I suppose this ritual involves deep magicsusable only by Wizards?" "Not really. All the magic is in the waters, and anyone canuse the ritual. Even a lowly apprentice." He grinned. "It'spretty simple. After he told me about it, he brought me hereand then stood back by the trees. He said that he wouldanswer any questions I had but otherwise I was on my own." "I stood where I could see my reflection in the pool, andthen thought about my fear. As I thought, my reflectionwatched a reflection of my thoughts...like a stage wheredimly lit actors played out the scene against a colorlessbackdrop. I looked up and saw that I was still here, in theglade. I looked back at the water, holding on to a smallpart of the special feeling of fear it had given me. As Iturned and looked back upstream, I saw more images...eachearlier than the last. I relaxed and let the feeling guideme back to the earliest image. When I had that, I turnedback to the pool and found my reflection watching the samecolorless players in their dim reflection of the memory. Asmy reflection watched, the image went from a time shortlybefore the bad thing happened, through the whole thing, andon to a time when it was all over. When it passed the endingthat way, it stopped...like a drawing. Then the drawingfaded away, and I was just looking at my reflection. TheWizard had told me that if I stepped into that last part ofthe image, it would run very quickly backwards, with fullcolor and sound and me living backwards through it all...allthe way through to the part before the beginning. It soundedvery strange. As I looked at my reflection again, it waswatching the image go forward again in its dim, colorlessway. When it reached the drawing at the end, I stepped intothe image and was plunged into a world going backwards! Itwent clear through to before the beginning in less than asecond, then stopped. Startled, I let the water carry medownstream, through all that had happened since, with thefear gone and the memory unable to hurt me. When I reachedthe here-and-now, I got out and just stood there, knowingthat the fear would trouble me no more." He stopped, andsuddenly seemed to remember where he was, and who he wastalking to. "That was over a year ago, and the fear is stillgone. The Wizard says it is gone for good." She thought for a moment. "So all there is to this ritual isthink of the problem until your reflection sees it, follow apart of the feeling upstream to my earliest memory of it,wait for my reflection to see it all the way through, stepinto the ending, and live it backwards quickly? What kind ofmagic is that?" He thought for a minute, shrugged, and said "Effective? Ifyou wish, I will withdraw to the trees while you try it." "What makes you think that I need it?" "Because the images only come to those who do." His voicefaded to an embarrassed silence as he realized what he hadsaid. "I'll go now." "Yes, do." She said absently, already thinking. Then: "Butnot too far, in case I need you." She was remembering anincident a few days back which had set off her special fear,and just as the apprentice had described, her reflection inthe pool was watching a dim and watery scene of the memory.Startled, she looked up again. Yes, she was in the clearing,with the trees all around and the apprentice all but lostamong the closer ones. She could still feel a part of thatfear, so she kept that feeling while she looked back upstream at all the images from the past that the feeling hadtouched...until she found the earliest of them all. Shebrought that memory back to the pool and released it as herreflection started to watch it unfold in its dim and wateryway. Her reflection seemed to have a life of its own as itwatched the pale scene start before anything happened, runthrough the bad parts, and then pause at a time when it wasall over. She watched her reflection shift as she preparedfor what she would do. Her reflection settled as it watchedthe scene unfold again. The dim scene passed through thebeginning, through the bad time and on past again. When itstopped, she jumped in to it. Suddenly, she was there again:back where and when it had happened. Everything was movingbackwards, and in a flash she had lived backwards through itand past the beginning. Shocked, she let the water carry herdown stream, forward through all the rest of her yesterdayswithout the bad times for company. When she got to today,she stood up. There she was...standing, dripping in a streamin the clearing. She looked around for the apprentice, halfexpecting him to be laughing at the soggy mess she must be.He was there, by the trees...not laughing, just smiling inan understanding way. In the years that followed, they became friends. Althoughthey went their separate ways...he, as wizard to one of theKing's high lords and she as wife to a neighboring prince...they valued that friendship to the end of their days. Andfrom that time on, neither was ever again troubled by theirgreat fears. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Candlemas: The Light Returns by Mike Nichols It seems quite impossible that the holiday of Candlemas should be considered the beginning ofSpring. Here in the Heartland, February 2nd may see a blanket of snow mantling the Mother. Or,if the snows have gone, you may be sure the days are filled with drizzle, slush and steel-greyskies -- the dreariest weather of the year. In short, the perfect time for a Pagan Festivalof Lights. And as for Spring, although this may seem a tenuous beginning, all the little buds,flowers and leaves will have arrived on schedule before Spring runs its course to Beltane. 'Candlemas' is the Christianized name for the holiday, of course. The older Pagan names wereImbolc and Oimelc. 'Imbolc' means, literally, 'in the belly' (of the Mother). For in the womb ofMother Earth, hidden from our mundane sight but sensed by a keener vision, there are stirrings.The seed that was planted in her womb at the solstice is quickening and the new year grows.'Oimelc' means 'milk of ewes', for it is also lambing season. The holiday is also called 'Brigit's Day', in honor of the great Irish Goddess Brigit. At hershrine, the ancient Irish capitol of Kildare, a group of 19 priestesses (no men allowed) kept aperpetual flame burning in her honor. She was considered a goddess of fire, patroness ofsmithcraft, poetry and healing (especially the healing touch of midwifery). This tripartitesymbolism was occasionally expressed by saying that Brigit had two sisters, also named Brigit.(Incidentally, another form of the name Brigit is Bride, and it is thus She bestows her specialpatronage on any woman about to be married or handfasted, the woman being called 'bride' in herhonor.) The Roman Catholic Church could not very easily call the Great Goddess of Ireland a demon, sothey canonized her instead. Henceforth, she would be 'Saint' Brigit, Patron Saint of smithcraft,poetry and healing. They 'explained' this by telling the Irish peasants that Brigit was 'really'an early Christian missionary sent to the Emerald Isle, and that the miracles she performed there'misled' the common people into believing that she was a goddess. For some reason, the Irishswallowed this. (There is no limit to what the Irish imagination can convince itself of. Forexample, they also came to believe that Brigit was the 'foster-mother' of Jesus, giving nothought to the implausibility of Jesus having spent his boyhood in Ireland!) Brigit's holiday was chiefly marked by the kindling of sacred fires, since she symbolized thefire of birth and healing, the fire of the forge, and the fire of poetic inspiration. Bonfireswere lighted on the beacon tors, and chandlers celebrated their special holiday. The Roman Churchwas quick to confiscate this symbolism as well, using 'Candlemas' as the day to bless all thechurch candles that would be used for the coming liturgical year. (Catholics will be remindedthat the following day, St. Blaise's Day, is remembered for using the newly blessed candles tobless the throats of parishioners, keeping them from colds, flu, sore throats, etc.) The Catholic Church, never one to refrain from piling holiday upon holiday, also called it theFeast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (It is surprising how many of the old Paganholidays were converted to Maryan Feasts.) The symbol of the Purification may seem a littleobscure to modern readers, but it has to do with the old custom of 'churching women'. It wasbelieved that women were impure for six weeks after giving birth. And since Mary gave birth atthe winter solstice, she wouldn't be purified until February 2nd. In Pagan symbolism, this mightbe re-translated as when the Great Mother once again becomes the Young Maiden Goddess. Today, this holiday is chiefly connected to weather lore. Even our American folk-calendarkeeps the tradition of 'Groundhog's Day', a day to predict the coming weather, telling us that ifthe Groundhog sees his shadow, there will be 'six more weeks' of bad weather (i.e., until the nextold holiday, Lady Day). This custom is ancient. An old British rhyme tells us that 'If CandlemasDay be bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year.' Actually, all of the cross-quarterdays can be used as 'inverse' weather predictors, whereas the quarter-days are used as'direct' weather predictors.Like the other High Holidays or Great Sabbats of the Witches' year, Candlemas is sometimescelebrated on its alternate date, astrologically determined by the sun's reaching 15-degreesAquarius, or Candlemas Old Style (in 1988, February 3rd, at 9:03 am CST). Another holiday that getsmixed up in this is Valentine's Day. Ozark folklorist Vance Randolf makes this quite clear bynoting that the old-timers used to celebrate Groundhog's Day on February 14th. This samedisplacement is evident in Eastern Orthodox Christianity as well. Their habit of celebrating thebirth of Jesus on January 6th, with a similar post-dated shift in the six-week period thatfollows it, puts the Feast of the Purification of Mary on February 14th. It is amazing to thinkthat the same confusion and lateral displacement of one of the old folk holidays can be seen fromthe Russian steppes to the Ozark hills, but such seems to be the case! Incidentally, there is speculation among linguistic scholars that the very name of 'Valentine'has Pagan origins. It seems that it was customary for French peasants of the Middle Ages topronounce a 'g' as a 'v'. Consequently, the original term may have been the French 'galantine',which yields the English word 'gallant'. The word originally refers to a dashing young man knownfor his 'affaires d'amour', a true galaunt. The usual associations of V(G)alantine's Day makemuch more sense in this light than their vague connection to a legendary 'St. Valentine' canproduce. Indeed, the Church has always found it rather difficult to explain this nebulous saint'sconnection to the secular pleasures of flirtation and courtly love. For modern Witches, Candlemas O.S. may then be seen as the Pagan version of Valentine's Day,with a de-emphasis of 'hearts and flowers' and an appropriate re-emphasis of Pagan carnalfrivolity. This also re-aligns the holiday with the ancient Roman Lupercalia, a fertilityfestival held at this time, in which the priests of Pan ran through the streets of Romewhacking young women with goatskin thongs to make them fertile. The women seemed to enjoy theattention and often stripped in order to afford better targets.One of the nicest folk-customs still practiced in many countries, and especially by Witches inthe British Isles and parts of the U.S., is to place a lighted candle in each and every window ofthe house, beginning at sundown on Candlemas Eve (February 1st), allowing them to continue burninguntil sunrise. Make sure that such candles are well seated against tipping and guarded fromnearby curtains, etc. What a cheery sight it is on this cold, bleak and dreary night to seehouse after house with candle-lit windows! And, of course, if you are your Coven's chandler, orif you just happen to like making candles, Candlemas Day is the day for doing it. SomeCovens hold candle-making parties and try to make and bless all the candles they'll be using forthe whole year on this day.Other customs of the holiday include weaving 'Brigit's crosses' from straw or wheat to hangaround the house for protection, performing rites of spiritual cleansing and purification, making'Brigit's beds' to ensure fertility of mind and spirit (and body, if desired), and makingCrowns of Light (i.e. of candles) for the High Priestess to wear for the Candlemas Circle,similar to those worn on St. Lucy's Day in Scandinavian countries. All in all, this PaganFestival of Lights, sacred to the young Maiden Goddess, is one of the most beautiful and poeticof the year. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Lady Day: The Vernal Equinox by Mike Nichols Now comes the Vernal Equinox, and the season of Spring reaches its apex, halfway through itsjourney from Candlemas to Beltane. Once again, night and day stand in perfect balance, with thepowers of light on the ascendancy. The god of light now wins a victory over his twin, the godof darkness. In the Mabinogion myth reconstruction which I have proposed, this is the day onwhich the restored Llew takes his vengeance on Goronwy by piercing him with the sunlight spear.For Llew was restored/reborn at the Winter Solstice and is now well/old enough to vanquish hisrival/twin and mate with his lover/mother. And the great Mother Goddess, who has returned to herVirgin aspect at Candlemas, welcomes the young sun god's embraces and conceives a child. Thechild will be born nine months from now, at the next Winter Solstice. And so the cycle closes atlast. We think that the customs surrounding the celebration of the spring equinox were imported fromMediterranean lands, although there can be no doubt that the first inhabitants of the BritishIsles observed it, as evidence from megalithic sites shows. But it was certainly more popular tothe south, where people celebrated the holiday as New Year's Day, and claimed it as the first dayof the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries. However you look at it, it is certainly a time of newbeginnings, as a simple glance at Nature will prove. In the Roman Catholic Church, there are two holidays which get mixed up with the VernalEquinox. The first, occurring on the fixed calendar day of March 25th in the old liturgicalcalendar, is called the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (or B.V.M., as shewas typically abbreviated in Catholic Missals). 'Annunciation' means an announcement. This is theday that the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was 'in the family way'. Naturally, thishad to be announced since Mary, being still a virgin, would have no other means of knowing it.(Quit scoffing, O ye of little faith!) Why did the Church pick the Vernal Equinox for thecommemoration of this event? Because it was necessary to have Mary conceive the child Jesus afull nine months before his birth at the Winter Solstice (i.e., Christmas, celebrated on thefixed calendar date of December 25). Mary's pregnancy would take the natural nine months tocomplete, even if the conception was a bit unorthodox. As mentioned before, the older Pagan equivalent of this scene focuses on the joyous process ofnatural conception, when the young virgin Goddess (in this case, 'virgin' in the original senseof meaning 'unmarried') mates with the young solar God, who has just displaced his rival. This isprobably not their first mating, however. In the mythical sense, the couple may have been loverssince Candlemas, when the young God reached puberty. But the young Goddess was recently a mother(at the Winter Solstice) and is probably still nursing her new child. Therefore, conception isnaturally delayed for six weeks or so and, despite earlier matings with the God, She does notconceive until (surprise!) the Vernal Equinox. This may also be their Hand-fasting, a sacredmarriage between God and Goddess called a Hierogamy, the ultimate Great Rite. Probably thenicest study of this theme occurs in M. Esther Harding's book, 'Woman's Mysteries'. Probably thenicest description of it occurs in M.Z. Bradley's 'Mists of Avalon', in the scene where Morganaand Arthur assume the sacred roles. (Bradley follows the British custom of transferring theepisode to Beltane, when the climate is more suited to its outdoor celebration.) The other Christian holiday which gets mixed up in this is Easter. Easter, too, celebratesthe victory of a god of light (Jesus) over darkness (death), so it makes sense to place it atthis season. Ironically, the name 'Easter' was taken from the name of a Teutonic lunar Goddess,Eostre (from whence we also get the name of the female hormone, estrogen). Her chief symbols werethe bunny (both for fertility and because her worshipers saw a hare in the full moon) and the egg(symbolic of the cosmic egg of creation), images which Christians have been hard-pressed toexplain. Her holiday, the Eostara, was held on the Vernal Equinox Full Moon. Of course, theChurch doesn't celebrate full moons, even if they do calculate by them, so they planted theirEaster on the following Sunday. Thus, Easter is always the first Sunday, after the first FullMoon after the Vernal Equinox. If you've ever wondered why Easter moved all around the calendar,now you know. (By the way, the Catholic Church was so adamant about not incorporating LunarGoddess symbolism that they added a further calculation: if Easter Sunday were to fall on theFull Moon itself, then Easter was postponed to the following Sunday instead.) Incidentally, this raises another point: recently, some Pagan traditions began referring tothe Vernal Equinox as Eostara. Historically, this is incorrect. Eostara is a lunar holiday,honoring a lunar Goddess, at the Vernal Full Moon. Hence, the name 'Eostara' is best reserved tothe nearest Esbat, rather than the Sabbat itself. How this happened is difficult to say. However,it is notable that some of the same groups misappropriated the term 'Lady Day' for Beltane, which left no good folk name for the Equinox. Thus, Eostara was misappropriated for it, completinga chain-reaction of displacement. Needless to say, the old and accepted folk name for the VernalEquinox is 'Lady Day'. Christians sometimes insist that the title is in honor of Mary and herAnnunciation, but Pagans will smile knowingly. Another mythological motif which must surely arrest our attention at this time of year is thatof the descent of the God or Goddess into the Underworld. Perhaps we see this most clearly in theChristian tradition. Beginning with his death on the cross on Good Friday, it is said that Jesus'descended into Hell' for the three days that his body lay entombed. But on the third day (thatis, Easter Sunday), his body and soul rejoined, he arose from the dead and ascended into heaven.By a strange 'coincidence', most ancient Pagan religions speak of the Goddess descending into theUnderworld, also for a period of three days. Why three days? If we remember that we are here dealing with the lunar aspect of the Goddess,the reason should be obvious. As the text of one Book of Shadows gives it, '...as the moon waxesand wanes, and walks three nights in darkness, so the Goddess once spent three nights in theKingdom of Death.' In our modern world, alienated as it is from nature, we tend to mark the timeof the New Moon (when no moon is visible) as a single date on a calendar. We tend to forget thatthe moon is also hidden from our view on the day before and the day after our calendar date. Butthis did not go unnoticed by our ancestors, who always speak of the Goddess's sojourn into theland of Death as lasting for three days. Is it any wonder then, that we celebrate the next FullMoon (the Eostara) as the return of the Goddess from chthonic regions? Naturally, this is the season to celebrate the victory of life over death, as any nature-loverwill affirm. And the Christian religion was not misguided by celebrating Christ's victory overdeath at this same season. Nor is Christ the only solar hero to journey into the underworld. KingArthur, for example, does the same thing when he sets sail in his magical ship, Prydwen, to bringback precious gifts (i.e. the gifts of life) from the Land of the Dead, as we are told in the'Mabinogi'. Welsh triads allude to Gwydion and Amaethon doing much the same thing. In fact, thistheme is so universal that mythologists refer to it by a common phrase, 'The Harrowing of Hell'. However, one might conjecture that the descent into hell, or the land of the dead, wasoriginally accomplished, not by a solar male deity, but by a lunar female deity. It is NatureHerself who, in Spring, returns from the Underworld with her gift of abundant life. Solar heroesmay have laid claim to this theme much later. The very fact that we are dealing with a three-dayperiod of absence should tell us we are dealing with a lunar, not solar, theme. (Although onemust make exception for those occasional male lunar deities, such as the Assyrian god,Sin.) At any rate, one of the nicest modern renditions of the harrowing of hell appears in manyBooks of Shadows as 'The Descent of the Goddess'. Lady Day may be especially appropriate for thecelebration of this theme, whether by storytelling, reading, or dramatic re-enactment. For modern Witches, Lady Day is one of the Lesser Sabbats or Low Holidays of the year, one ofthe four quarter-days. And what date will Witches choose to celebrate? They may choose thetraditional folk 'fixed' date of March 25th, starting on its Eve. Or they may choose the actualequinox point, when the Sun crosses the Equator and enters the astrological sign of Aries. Thisyear (1988), that will occur at 3:39 am CST on March 20th. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Lammas: The First Harvest by Mike Nichols Once upon a Lammas NightWhen corn rigs are bonny, Beneath the Moon's unclouded light, I held awhile to Annie...Although in the heat of a Mid-western summer it might be difficult to discern, the festivalof Lammas (Aug 1st) marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall. The days now grow visiblyshorter and by the time we've reached autumn's end (Oct 31st), we will have run the gamut oftemperature from the heat of August to the cold and (sometimes) snow of November. And in themidst of it, a perfect Mid-western autumn. The history of Lammas is as convoluted as all the rest of the old folk holidays. It is ofcourse a cross-quarter day, one of the four High Holidays or Greater Sabbats of Witchcraft,occurring 1/4 of a year after Beltane. It's true astrological point is 15 degrees Leo, whichoccurs at 1:18 am CDT, Aug 6th this year (1988), but tradition has set August 1st as the dayLammas is typically celebrated. The celebration proper would begin on sundown of the previousevening, our July 31st, since the Celts reckon their days from sundown to sundown. However, British Witches often refer to the astrological date of Aug 6th as Old Lammas, andfolklorists call it Lammas O.S. ('Old Style'). This date has long been considered a 'power point'of the Zodiac, and is symbolized by the Lion, one of the 'tetramorph' figures found on the Tarotcards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune (the other three figures being the Bull, the Eagle, andthe Spirit). Astrologers know these four figures as the symbols of the four 'fixed' signs of theZodiac, and these naturally align with the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft. Christians haveadopted the same iconography to represent the four gospel-writers. 'Lammas' was the medieval Christian name for the holiday and it means 'loaf-mass', for thiswas the day on which loaves of bread were baked from the first grain harvest and laid on thechurch altars as offerings. It was a day representative of 'first fruits' and early harvest. In Irish Gaelic, the feast was referred to as 'Lugnasadh', a feast to commemorate the funeralgames of the Irish sun-god Lugh. However, there is some confusion on this point. Although atfirst glance, it may seem that we are celebrating the death of the Lugh, the god of light doesnot really die (mythically) until the autumnal equinox. And indeed, if we read the Irish mythscloser, we discover that it is not Lugh's death that is being celebrated, but the funeral gameswhich Lugh hosted to commemorate the death of his foster-mother, Taillte. That is why theLugnasadh celebrations in Ireland are often called the 'Tailltean Games'. The time went by with careless heedBetween the late and early, With small persuasion she agreed To see me through the barley...One common feature of the Games were the 'Tailltean marriages, a rather informal marriage thatlasted for only 'a year and a day' or until next Lammas. At that time, the couple could decide tocontinue the arrangement if it pleased them, or to stand back to back and walk away from oneanother, thus bringing the Tailltean marriage to a formal close. Such trial marriages (obviouslyrelated to the Wiccan 'Handfasting') were quite common even into the 1500's, although it wassomething one 'didn't bother the parish priest about'. Indeed, such ceremonies were usuallysolemnized by a poet, bard or shanachie (or, it may be guessed, by a priest or priestess of theOld Religion). Lammastide was also the traditional time of year for craft festivals. The medieval guildswould create elaborate displays of their wares, decorating their shops and themselves in brightcolors and ribbons, marching in parades, and performing strange, ceremonial plays and dancesfor the entranced onlookers. The atmosphere must have been quite similar to our modern-dayRenaissance Festivals, such as the one celebrated in near-by Bonner Springs, Kansas, each fall. A ceremonial highlight of such festivals was the 'Catherine wheel'. Although the Roman Churchmoved St. Catherine's feast day all around the calender with bewildering frequency, it's mostpopular date was Lammas. (They also kept trying to expel this much-loved saint from the ranks ofthe blessed because she was mythical rather than historical, and because her worship gave rise tothe heretical sect known as the Cathari.) At any rate, a large wagon wheel was taken to the topof a near-by hill, covered with tar, set aflame, and ceremoniously rolled down the hill. Somemythologists see in this ritual the remnants of a Pagan rite symbolizing the end of summer, theflaming disk representing the sun-god in his decline. And just as the sun king has now reachedthe autumn of his years, his rival or dark self has just reached puberty. Many commentators have bewailed the fact that traditional Gardnerian and Alexandrian Books ofShadows say very little about the holiday of Lammas, stating only that poles should be ridden anda circle dance performed. This seems strange, for Lammas is a holiday of rich mythic andcultural associations, providing endless resources for liturgical celebration. Corn rigs and barley rigs,Corn rigs are bonny! I'll not forget that happy night Among the rigs with Annie![Verse quotations by Robert Burns, as handed down through several Books of Shadows.] sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Harvest Home by Mike Nichols There were three men came out of the West,Their fortunes for to try, And these three men made a solemn vow, John Barleycorn must die...Despite the bad publicity generated by Thomas Tryon's novel, Harvest Home is the pleasantestof holidays. Admittedly, it does involve the concept of sacrifice, but one that is symbolic only.The sacrifice is that of the spirit of vegetation, John Barleycorn. Occurring 1/4 of the yearafter Midsummer, Harvest Home represents mid-autumn, autumn's height. It is also the AutumnalEquinox, one of the quarter days of the year, a Lesser Sabbat and a Low Holiday in modernWitchcraft. Technically, an equinox is an astronomical point and, due to the fact that the Earthwobbles on its axis slightly (rather like a top that's slowing down), the date may vary by a fewdays depending on the year. The autumnal equinox occurs when the sun crosses the equator on itsapparent journey southward, and we experience a day and a night that are of equal duration. Upuntil Harvest Home, the hours of daylight have been greater than the hours from dusk to dawn. Butfrom now on, the reverse holds true. Astrologers know this as the date on which the sun entersthe sign of Libra, the Balance (an appropriate symbol of a balanced day and night). This year(1988) it will occur at 2:29 pm CDT on September 22nd. However, since most European peasants were not accomplished at calculating the exact date ofthe Equinox, they celebrated the event on a fixed calendar date, September 25th, a holiday theMedieval Church Christianized under the name of 'Michaelmas', the feast of the Archangel Michael.(One wonders if, at some point, the R.C. Church contemplated assigning the four quarter days ofthe year to the four Archangels, just as they assigned the four cross-quarter days to the fourgospel-writers. Further evidence for this may be seen in the fact that there was a briefflirtation with calling the Vernal Equinox 'Gabrielmas', ostensibly to commemorate the angelGabriel's announcement to Mary on Lady Day.) Again, it must be remembered that the Celts reckonedtheir days from sundown to sundown, so the September 25th festivities actually begin on theprevious sundown (our September 24th). Although our Pagan ancestors probably celebrated Harvest Home on September 25th, modernWitches and Pagans, with their desk-top computers for making finer calculations, seem to preferthe actual equinox point, beginning the celebration on its eve (this year, sunset on September21st). Mythically, this is the day of the year when the god of light is defeated by his twin andalter-ego, the god of darkness. It is the time of the year when night conquers day. And as I haverecently shown in my seasonal reconstruction of the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd, the AutumnalEquinox is the only day of the whole year when Llew (light) is vulnerable and it is possible todefeat him. Llew now stands on the balance (Libra/autumnal equinox), with one foot on thecauldron (Cancer/summer solstice) and his other foot on the goat (Capricorn/winter solstice).Thus he is betrayed by Blodeuwedd, the Virgin (Virgo) and transformed into an Eagle (Scorpio). Two things are now likely to occur mythically, in rapid succession. Having defeated Llew,Goronwy (darkness) now takes over Llew's functions, both as lover to Blodeuwedd, the Goddess, andas King of our own world. Although Goronwy, the Horned King, now sits on Llew's throne and beginshis rule immediately, his formal coronation will not be for another six weeks, occurring atSamhain (Halloween) or the beginning of Winter, when he becomes the Winter Lord, the Dark King,Lord of Misrule. Goronwy's other function has more immediate results, however. He mates with thevirgin goddess, and Blodeuwedd conceives, and will give birth -- nine months later (at theSummer Solstice) -- to Goronwy's son, who is really another incarnation of himself, the DarkChild. Llew's sacrificial death at Harvest Home also identifies him with John Barleycorn, spirit ofthe fields. Thus, Llew represents not only the sun's power, but also the sun's life trapped andcrystallized in the corn.Often this corn spirit was believed to reside most especially in the last sheaf or shockharvested, which was dressed in fine clothes, or woven into a wicker-like man-shaped form. Thiseffigy was then cut and carried from the field, and usually burned, amidst much rejoicing. So onemay see Blodeuwedd and Goronwy in a new guise, not as conspirators who murder their king, but askindly farmers who harvest the crop which they had planted and so lovingly cared for. And yet,anyone who knows the old ballad of John Barleycorn knows that we have not heard the last of him. They let him stand till midsummer's day,Till he looked both pale and wan, And little Sir John's grown a long, long beard And so become a man...Incidentally, this annual mock sacrifice of a large wicker-work figure (representing thevegetation spirit) may have been the origin of the misconception that Druids made humansacrifices. This charge was first made by Julius Caesar (who may not have had the most unbiased ofmotives), and has been re-stated many times since. However, as has often been pointed out, theonly historians besides Caesar who make this accusation are those who have read Caesar. And infact, upon reading Caesar's 'Gallic Wars' closely, one discovers that Caesar never claims tohave actually witnessed such a sacrifice. Nor does he claim to have talked to anyone else whodid. In fact, there is not one single eyewitness account of a human sacrifice performed by Druidsin all of history! Nor is there any archeological evidence to support the charge. If, for example, humansacrifices had been performed at the same ritual sites year after year, there would be physicaltraces. Yet there is not a scrap. Nor is there any native tradition or history which lendssupport. In fact, insular tradition seems to point in the opposite direction. The Druid'sreverence for life was so strict that they refused to lift a sword to defend themselves whenmassacred by Roman soldiers on the Isle of Mona. Irish Brehon laws forbade a Druid to touch aweapon, and any soul rash enough to unsheathe a sword in the presence of a Druid would beexecuted for such an outrage! Jesse Weston, in her brilliant study of the Four Hallows of Britishmyth, 'From Ritual to Romance', points out that British folk tradition is, however, full ofmock sacrifices. In the case of the wicker-man, such figures were referred to in verypersonified terms, dressed in clothes, addressed by name, etc. In such a religious ritual drama,everybody played along. They've hired men with scythes so sharp,To cut him off at the knee, They've rolled him and tied him by the waist Serving him most barbarously...In the medieval miracle-play tradition of the 'Rise Up, Jock' variety (performed by troupes ofmummers at all the village fairs), a young harlequin-like king always underwent a mock sacrificialdeath. But invariably, the traditional cast of characters included a mysterious 'Doctor' who hadlearned many secrets while 'travelling in foreign lands'. The Doctor reaches into his bag oftricks, plies some magical cure, and presto! the young king rises up hale and whole again, to thecheers of the crowd. As Weston so sensibly points out, if the young king were actuallykilled, he couldn't very well rise up again, which is the whole point of the ritual drama! It isan enactment of the death and resurrection of the vegetation spirit. And what better time toperform it than at the end of the harvest season? In the rhythm of the year, Harvest Home marks a time of rest after hard work. The crops aregathered in, and winter is still a month and a half away! Although the nights are getting cooler,the days are still warm, and there is something magical in the sunlight, for it seems silveryand indirect. As we pursue our gentle hobbies of making corn dollies (those tiny vegetationspirits) and wheat weaving, our attention is suddenly arrested by the sound of baying from theskies (the 'Hounds of Annwn' passing?), as lines of geese cut silhouettes across a harvest moon.And we move closer to the hearth, the longer evening hours giving us time to catch up on ourreading, munching on popcorn balls and caramel apples and sipping home-brewed mead or ale. What awonderful time Harvest Home is! And how lucky we are to live in a part of the country where theseason's changes are so dramatic and majestic! And little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl --And he's brandy in the glass, And little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl Proved the strongest man at last. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Death of Llew, a Seasonal Interpretation by Mike Nichols Not of father, nor of motherWas my blood, was my body. I was spellbound by Gwydion, Prime enchanter of the Britons, When he formed me from nine blossoms.-- 'Hanes Blodeuwedd' (R. Graves, trans.)In most Pagan cultures, the sun god is seen as split between tworival personalities: the god of light and his twin, his 'weird', his 'otherself', the god of darkness. They are Gawain and the Green Knight, Gwyn andGwythyr, Llew and Goronwy, Lugh and Balor, Balan and Balin, the Holly Kingand the Oak King, etc. Often they are depicted as fighting seasonalbattles for the favor of their goddess/lover, such as Creiddylad orBlodeuwedd, who represents Nature. The god of light is always born at the winter solstice, and hisstrength waxes with the lengthening days, until the moment of his greatestpower, the summer solstice, the longest day. And, like a look in a mirror,his 'shadow self', the lord of darkness, is born at the summer solstice,and his strength waxes with the lengthening nights until the moment of hisgreatest power, the winter solstice, the longest night. Indirect evidence supporting this mirror-birth pattern is strongest inthe Christianized form of the Pagan myth. Many writers, from Robert Gravesto Stewart Farrar, have repeatedly pointed out that Jesus was identifiedwith the Holly King, while John the Baptist was the Oak King. That is why,'of all the trees that are in the wood, the Holly tree bears the crown.'If the birth of Jesus, the 'light of the world', is celebrated atmid-winter, Christian folk tradition insists that John the Oak King (the'dark of the world'?) was born (rather than died) at mid-summer. It is at this point that I must diverge from the opinion of RobertGraves and other writers who have followed him. Graves believes that atmidsummer, the Sun King is slain by his rival, the God of Darkness; just asthe God of Darkness is, in turn, slain by the God of Light at midwinter.And yet, in Christian folk tradition (derived from the older Pagan strain),it is births, not deaths, that are associated with the solstices. For thefeast of John the Baptist, this is all the more conspicuous, as it breaksthe rules regarding all other saints. John is the only saint in the entire Catholic hagiography whose feastday is a commemoration of his birth, rather than his death. A generationago, Catholic nuns were fond of explaining that a saint is commemorated onthe anniversary of his or her death because it was really a 'birth' intothe Kingdom of Heaven. But John the Baptist, the sole exception, isemphatically commemorated on the anniversary of his birth into this world.Although this makes no sense viewed from a Christian perspective, it makesperfect poetic sense from the viewpoint of Pagan symbolism. (John'searlier Pagan associations are treated in my essay on Midsummer.) So if births are associated with the solstices, when do the symbolicdeaths occur? When does Goronwy slay Llew and when does Llew, in his turn,slay Goronwy? When does darkness conquer light or light conquer darkness?Obviously (to me, at least), it must be at the two equinoxes. At theautumnal equinox, the hours of light in the day are eclipsed by the hoursof darkness. At the vernal equinox, the process is reversed. Also, theautumnal equinox, called 'Harvest Home', is already associated withsacrifice, principally that of the spirit of grain or vegetation. In thiscase, the god of light would be identical. In Welsh mythology in particular, there is a startling vindication ofthe seasonal placement of the sun god's death, the significance of whichoccurred to me in a recent dream, and which I haven't seen elsewhere. Llewis the Welsh god of light, and his name means 'lion'. (The lion is oftenthe symbol of a sun god.) He is betrayed by his 'virgin' wife Blodeuwedd,into standing with one foot on the rim of a cauldron and the other on theback of a goat. It is only in this way that Llew can be killed, andBlodeuwedd's lover, Goronwy, Llew's dark self, is hiding nearby with aspear at the ready. But as Llew is struck with it, he is not killed. Heis instead transformed into an eagle. Putting this in the form of a Bardic riddle, it would go somethinglike this: Who can tell in what season the Lion (Llew), betrayed by theVirgin (Blodeuwedd), poised on the Balance, is transformed into an Eagle?My readers who are astrologers are probably already gasping in recognition.The sequence is astrological and in proper order: Leo (lion), Virgo(virgin), Libra (balance), and Scorpio (for which the eagle is a well-knownalternative symbol). Also, the remaining icons, cauldron and goat, couldarguably symbolize Cancer and Capricorn (representing summer and winter),the signs beginning with the two solstice points. So Llew is balancedbetween cauldron and goat, between summer and winter, on the balance(Libra) point of the autumnal equinox, with one foot on the summer solsticeand one foot on the winter solstice. This, of course, is the answer to a related Bardic riddle.Repeatedly, the 'Mabinogion' tells us that Llew must be standing with onefoot on the cauldron and one foot on the goat's back in order to be killed.But nowhere does it tell us why. Why is this particular situation the ONLYone in which Llew can be overcome? Because it represents the equinoxpoint. And the autumnal equinox is the only time of the entire year whenlight (Llew) can be overcome by darkness (Goronwy). It should now come as no surprise that, when it is time for Llew tokill Goronwy in his turn, Llew insists that Goronwy stands where he oncestood while he (Llew) casts the spear. This is no mere vindictiveness onLlew's part. For, although the 'Mabinogion' does not say so, it should bynow be obvious that this is the only time when Goronwy can be overcome.Light can overcome darkness only at the equinox -- this time the vernalequinox. (Curiously, even the Christian tradition retains thisassociation, albeit in a distorted form, by celebrating Jesus' death nearthe time of the vernal equinox.) The Welsh myth concludes with Gwydion pursuing the faithlessBlodeuwedd through the night sky, and a path of white flowers springs up in thewake of her passing, which we today know as the Milky Way. When Gwydioncatches her, he transforms her into an owl, a fitting symbol of autumn,just as her earlier association with flowers (she was made from them)equates her with spring. Thus, while Llew and Goronwy represent summer andwinter, Blodeuwedd herself represents both spring and fall, as patrongoddess of flowers and owls, respectively. Although it is far more speculative than the preceding material, afinal consideration would pursue this mirror-like life pattern of Llew andGoronwy to its ultimate conclusion. Although Llew is struck with thesunlight spear at the autumnal equinox, and so 'dies' as a human, it takesa while before Gwydion discovers him in his eagle form. How long? We mayspeculate 13 weeks, when the sun reaches the midpoint of the sign (or form)of the eagle, Scorpio -- on Halloween. And if this is true, it may be thatLlew, the sun god, finally 'dies' to the upper world on Halloween, and nowpasses through the gates of death, where he is immediately crowned king ofthe underworld, the Lord of Misrule! (In medieval tradition, the personproclaimed as 'Lord of Misrule' reigned from Halloween to Old Christmas --or, before the calender changes, until the winter solstice.) Meanwhile, Goronwy (with Blodeuwedd at his side) is crowned king inthe upper world, and occupies Llew's old throne, beginning on Halloween.Thus, by winter solstice, Goronwy has reached his position of greateststrength in our world, at the same moment that Llew, now sitting onGoronwy's old throne, reaches his position of greatest strength in theunderworld. However, at the moment of the winter solstice, Llew is bornagain, as a babe, (and as his own son!) into our world. And as Llew laterreaches manhood and dispatches Goronwy at the vernal equinox, Goronwy willthen ascend the underworld throne at Beltane, but will be reborn into ourworld at midsummer, as a babe, later to defeat Llew all over again. And sothe cycle closes at last, resembling nothing so much as an intricatelywoven, never-ending bit of Celtic knotwork. So Midsummer (to me, at least) is a celebration of the sun god at hiszenith, a crowned king on his throne. He is at the height of his power andstill 1/4 of a year away from his ritual death at the hands of his rival.However, at the very moment of his greatest strength, his dark twin, theseed of his destruction, is born -- just as the days begin to shorten. Thespear and the cauldron have often been used as symbols for this holiday andit should now be easy to see why. Sun gods are virtually always associatedwith spears (even Jesus is pierced by one), and the midsummer cauldron ofCancer is a symbol of the Goddess in her fullness. If we have learnedanything from this story from the fourth branch of the 'Mabinogion', it isabout the power of myth -- how it may still instruct and guide us, manycenturies after it has passed from oral to written tradition. And instudying it, we have barely scratched the surface. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Spring Equinox Ceremony Preparations: A wheel symbol stands on the altar; it may be anything that feels suitable a cut-out discpainted yellow or gold and decorated with spring flowers, a circular mirror, around brass tray.The High Priest's robe, if any, and accessories should be symbolic of the Sun; any metal hewears should be gold, gilt, brass or bronze. The altar, if indoors, should be decorated withspring flowers particularly the yellow ones such as daffodils, primroses, gorse or forsythia.One banquet should be ready for handing to the Spring Queen, and a chaplet of flowers for hercrowning. The Spring Queen is one of the younger women in the Coven. The cauldron is placed in the center of the circle, with an unlit candle in it. If outside,and conditions permit, a bonfire is made ready to light. A taper is placed ready on the altarfor the Maiden to carry fire to the High Priest. A phallic wand is on the altar. Half as many cords as there are people present are ready on the altar, tied together at theircenter point in a single knot. If there is an odd number of people, add one before dividing bytwo. As part of the feasting and offering to the Gods, you can use hard-boiled eggs with paintedshells. These symbolize the World Egg, laid by the Goddess and hatched by the heat of the Sun ofthe God. The High Priest moves to stands in the East, and the High Priestess in the West, facing eachother over the unlit bonfire. The High Priestess carries the phallic wand in her right hand. Therest of the Coven distribute themselves around the rest of the perimeter of the Circle. The High Priestess says: "We kindle this fire today In presence of the Holy Ones, Without malice, without jealousy, without envy, Without fear of aught beneath the Sun But the High Gods. Thee we invoke, O Light of Life, Be Thou a bright flame before us, Be Thou a guiding star above us, Be Thou a smooth path beneath us; Kindle Thou within our hearts A flame of love for our neighbors, To our foes, to our friends, to our kindred all, To all men on the broad earth. O merciful Son of Cerridwen, From the lowliest thing that liveth To the Name which is highest of all."The High Priestess holds the phallic wand on high and walks slowly deosil around the bonfireor cauldron to stand in front of the High Priest. She says: "O Sun, be Thou ready to conquer the Dark!"The High Priestess presents the phallic wand the High Priest and then steps to one side. The High Priest holds up the wand in salute and replaces it on the altar. The Maiden lights the taper from one of the altar candles and presents it to the High Priest.The Maiden then steps to one side. The High Priest carries the taper to the bonfire and lights it. He gives the taper back tothe Maiden, who blows it out and replaces it on the altar. She then picks up the cords and givesthem to the High Priest. The High Priestess arranges everyone around the fire, man facing woman as far as possible.The High Priest hands out the ends of the cords in accordance with her instructions, retaining onend of the final cord himself and handing the other end of it to the High Priestess. If there isan odd number of people, with more men then women, he holds on to two cord ends himself, or ifmore women then men, the High Priestess does the same. Either way, both of them must be linkedwith two members of the opposite sex. When everyone is holding a cord, they all pull the cords taut, with the central knot above thefire. They then start circling deosil in the Wheel dance, building up speed, always keeping thecords taut and the knot over the fire. Any chant can be used that sounds good. Then the Coven all sit in a circle round the fire. The High Priest gathers up the cords, beingcareful not to let them get burned and replaces them on the altar. The High Priest names one of the women to be the Spring Queen and stands her in front of thealtar. He crowns her with the chaplet of flowers and gives her the Five Fold Kiss. The High Priest steps back and calls forward each man in turn to give the Spring Queen theFive Fold Kiss. When the last man has done so, the High Priest presents the Spring Queen withher bouquet. Then, starting with the Spring Queen, everyone jumps over the fire, singly or in couples,not forgetting to wish. Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Smudging: How to do it -- how not to do it Michelle Chihacou White Puma Klein-Hass I came across a very interesting article from "Shaman's Drum" which was reprinted for Vision Quest Bookstore. I will attempt to convey the gist of it, along with my views, as a student of the Ways of the Teneh, about it. Smudging is a way of using the smoke from burning herbs as a way to cleanse the body, an object, or a given area of negative influences. I myself use smudging to "cleanse" crystals before using them in jewelry projects I may do, and for protecting my home from some recent "bad vibe"-producing events. (landlord troubles!) I imagine that the skillful use of the proper herbs could help in warding and banishing ceremonies as well, if used properly and with reverence. The three most used plant material for smudging are sage of all types, cedar and sweetgrass. Sage There are two major genii and several varieties of each genus of Sage that are used for smudging. Salvia, or the herb sage used for cooking, comes in two major varieties: S. officinalis, commonly known as Garden Sage, and S. apiana, commonly known as White Sage. Salvia varieties have long been acknowledged as healing herbs, reflected in the fact that its genus name comes from the Latin root word salvare, which is the verb "to heal" or "to save." Artemisia is the genus commonly considered "Sagebrush", and is more common in the wilds out here in California. There are two major varieties to the Artemisia genus: A. californica or Common Sagebrush, and A. vulgaris or Mugwort. There are many other varieties of both Salvia and Artemisia, and all are effective in smudging. Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive out evil spirits, negative thoughts and feelings, and to keep Gan'n (negative entities) away from areas where ceremonials take place. In the Plains Sweatlodge, the floor of the structure is strewn with sage leaves for the participants to rub on their bodies during the sweat. Sage is also used in keeping sacred objects like pipes or Peyote wands safe from negative influence. In the Sioux nation, the Sacred Pipe is kept in a bundle with sage boughs. I would think special crystals could be so protected this way as well. Cedar True cedar is of the Thuja and Libocedrus genii. Some Junipers (Juniperus genus) are also called "cedar", thus complicating things some. Some Juniper varieties are cleansing herbs, especially J. monosperma, or Desert White Cedar. But for smudging, the best is Western Red Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and California Incense Cedar (Libocedrus descurrens). Cedar is burnt while praying to the Great Spirit (Usen', the Source -- also known to Plains nations as Wakan Tanka) in meditation, and also to bless a house before moving in as is the tradition in the Northwest and Western Canada. It works both as a purifier and as a way to attract good energy in your direction. It is usually available in herb stores in chipped form, which must be sprinkled over a charcoal in a brazier. I like a piece of charcoaled mesquite for this purpose, rather than the commercial charcoal cake. Sweetgrass Very important to the Sioux and Cherokee nations, its botanical name is Hierochloe odorata. In these tribes, the sweetgrass is braided like hair braids. It could be burnt by lighting the end of it, or (more economically) by shaving little bits of it onto charcoal in a brazier. Again, use charcoaled Mesquite (I believe it comes packaged for barbecue use under the brand name "Red Arrow") to burn it, not pressed charcoal tablets. Sweetgrass is burnt after smudging with sage, to welcome in good influences after the bad had been driven out. Sweetgrass is very rare today, and traditional Plains people have been attempting to protect the last of it. Myself, I believe that Cedar, which is not endangered, can safely be used this way. Also Pinon pine needles (used more frequently by the Southwest Teneh, like the Navajo and Apache as well as the Pueblo people and the Zuni) and Copal (used by the Yaqui and in ancient times by the Azteca and the Maya) have similar effect. The three mentioned here are readily available either through gathering yourself or, in the case of copal resin, from any good herb shop. Using Smudging Burn clippings of the herb in a brazier... not a shell as some "new age" shamanic circles do... it is an insult to White Painted Woman (The Goddess) to do this, especially with the abalone shell which is especially sacred to Her. If the herb is bundled in a "wand", you can also light the end of the wand that isn't woody and use that. I like the latter way. Direct the smoke with your hands or with a Peyote (feather) wand over the person or thing you wish to smudge. If you can see auras, look for discolored places in the aura and direct the healing smoke towards those places on the patient's body. For cleansing a house, first offer cedar smoke to the four directions outside the house. Then, take a sage bough and go throughout the inside of the house, making sure the smoke penetrates every nook and cranny of the house. It might help also, if you have a power animal, to visualize your animal doing these things, to also dance your animal, and if you have a power song, to sing that too. Then finally, run through the house with a white candle that is well protected, to "light up" the house. Careful not to burn it down when you do it!!! Final Thoughts Smudging should be done with care, with reverence, and in an attitude of LOVE. Show your respect and honor to the plants that Usen' has given us for our healing, and they will return the favor by keeping us well and free from disease and negative energy. Aloe Vera plants, though not to be burnt, are good for the cleansing angle as well. Keep one or more potted Aloe Veras in the house (modern varieties are too tender to plant in anything but full shade outside) in organic (wood or ceramic, never plastic or metal) pots. To honor the plant when you transplant it, sprinkle the roots with corn meal and smudge it with cedar once it is transplanted. The spirit of Aloe Vera is a good protective spirit, and if you burn yourself, can also be used to heal your skin. Be sure to ask the plant's permission before cutting part of the leaf off for the healing juice. If you don't, the protective power of the plant will cease, and you will be left with but an inert houseplant... and perhaps some bad karma to boot. Hi-dicho, it is finished.... ENJU! sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com An Introduction to Traditional Wicca copyright 1987, Keepers of the Ancient Mysteries ( .K.A.M. ) Often Traditional Wiccans are asked to describe our religion and beliefs for interestedpeople, who may or may not have confused us with other Pagan religions, with inversions ofChristian/Islamic religions like Satanism, or with purely magical traditions with no religiousbase. There is a lot of flexibility in the ways that we describe ourselves, and onecharacteristic of Wicca is a large degree of personal liberty to practice as we please. Still,there is an outline that can be described in general terms. Many traditions will depart from oneparticular or another, but groups departing from all or most of these features are probablynon-Wiccan Traditions attempting to stretch or distort the Wiccan name to cover what they wantto do. Mysteries and Initiation Wicca is an Initiatory religion descended from the Ancient Mystery Religions. A mysteryreligion is not like Catholicism where a Priest is the contact point between the worshiper andthe Deity, nor like Protestantism where a sacred Book provides the contact and guidelines forbeing with the divine. Rather a Mystery Religion is a religion of personal experience andresponsibility, in which each worshiper is encouraged, taught and expected to develop an ongoingand positive direct relationship with the Gods. The religion is called a "Mystery"because such experiences are very hard to communicate in words, and are usually distorted in thetelling. You have to have been there in person to appreciate what is meant. Near and far-Easternreligions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Shinto are probably Mystery traditions, but Wiccais very western in cultural flavor and quite different than eastern religions in many ways. A Blend of Pagan Roots Most Wiccan Traditions, .K.A.M. included, have particular roots in the British MysteryTraditions. This includes traditions of the Picts who lived before the rise of Celticconsciousness, the early Celts, and some selected aspects of Celtic Druidism. American Wicca isdirectly descended from British Wicca, brought in the late 1950's by English and AmericanInitiates of Gardnerian, Alexandrian and Celtic Wicca. These traditions are a little like thedenominations in Christianity, but hopefully far more harmonious. While British Traditions are very strong in Wicca, or the Craft as it is sometimes called,other Western Mystery traditions feature prominently, including the ancient Greek Mysteries ofEleusis, Italian Mysteries of Rome, Etruria and the general countryside, Mysteries of Egypt andPersia before Islam, and various Babylonian, Assyrian and other mid-eastern Mysteries thatflourished before the political rise of the advocates of "one god". What's In a Name? Wicca, Witchcraft, and "The Craft" are used interchangeably at times by many kindsof people. It is fair to say that all Wiccans are Witches, and many of us believe we are the onlypeople entitled to the name. It is important to know that many people call themselves witches whoare not in the least Wiccan, and that Masons also refer to themselves as "Craft", withgood historical precedent. Carefully question people on the particular things they do and believeas part of their religion rather than relying on labels. Any real Wiccan would welcome suchhonest inquiry. Traditions and Flavor There are specific Wiccan beliefs and traditions, including worship of an equal and matedGoddess and God who take many forms and have many Names. Groups who worship only a Goddess oronly a God are not traditional Wicca however they may protest, although they may be perfectlygood Pagans of another sort. The Wiccan Goddess and God are linked to nature, ordinary love andchildren -- Wicca is very life affirming in flavor. Because we have and love our own Gods, Wiccans have nothing to do with other people's deitiesor devils, like the Christian God or Satan, the Muslim Allah or the Jewish Jehovah (reputedly nothis real name). Christians often deny this fact because they think that their particular god isthe only God, and everybody else in the whole world must be worshipping their devil. How arrogant.They're wrong on both counts. Traditional Wicca is a religion of personal responsibility and growth. Initiates take on aparticular obligation to personal development throughout their lives, and work hard to achievewhat we call our "True Will", which is the best possibility that we can conceive forourselves. Finding your Will isn't easy, and requires a lot of honesty, courage and hard work.It is also very rewarding. Wicca is generally a cheerful religion, and has many holidays and festivals. In fact, most ofthe more pleasant holidays now on our calendar are descended from the roots Wicca draws on,including Christmas, May Day, Easter and Summer Vacation. Wicca is definitely not always serious.Dancing, feasting and general merriment are a central part of the celebrations. Wiccan Ethics Wiccans have ethics which are different in nature than most "one-god" religions,which hand out a list of "do's and don'ts". We have a single extremely powerful ethicalprincipal which Initiates are responsible for applying in specific situations according to theirbest judgment. That principle is called the Wiccan Rede (Old-English for rule) and reads:"An (if) it harm none, do as ye Will"Based on the earlier mention of "True Will", you will understand that the Rede isfar more complex than it sounds, and is quite different than saying "Do whatever you want aslong as nobody is hurt". Finding out your Will is difficult sometimes, and figuring out whatis harmful, rather than just painful or unpleasant is not much easier. Initiation into Wicca People become Wiccans only by Initiation, which is a process of contacting and forming a goodrelationship with the Gods and Goddesses of Wicca. Initiation is preceded by at least a year anda day of preparation and study, and must be performed by a qualified Wiccan Priestess and Priest.The central event of Initiation is between you and your Gods, but the Priestess is necessary tomake the Initiation a Wiccan one, to pass some of her power onto you as a new-made Priestess orPriest and to connect you to the Tradition you're joining. Women hold the central place in Wicca. A Traditional Coven is always headed by a HighPriestess, a Third Degree female Witch with at least three years and three days of specifictraining. A Priest is optional, but the Priestess is essential. Similarly, a Priest may notInitiate without a Priestess, but a Priestess alone is sufficient. Women are primary in Wicca formany reasons, one of which is that the Goddess is central to our religion. One Religion at a Time People often ask "Can I become a Wiccan and still remain a Christian, Muslim, practicingJew, etc. The answer is no. The "one god" religions reject other paths besides theirown, including each other's. "One-god" religions also do not exalt the Female as doesWicca, and mixing two such different traditions would water them both down. Besides, you'd haveto ask how serious a person who practiced two religions was about either one. Being Jewish is anexception, since it is a race and culture as well as a religion. There are many Wiccan Jews, butthey practice Wicca, not Judaism. Magick and Science People interested in Wicca are usually curious about the magick that Wiccans can do. Whilemagick (spelled with a "k" to distinguish from stage conjuring) is not a religion initself, it is related to our religious beliefs. Wiccans believe that people have many moreabilities than are generally realized, and that it is a good idea to develop them. Our magick isa way of using natural forces to change consciousness and material conditions as an expression ofour "True Wills". Part of becoming a Wiccan is training in our methods of psychic andmagickal development. Because we believe that everything a person does returns to them magnified, a Wiccan will notwork a magick for harm, since they would pay too high a price. But a helpful magick is good forboth the giver and receiver! Wicca is entirely compatible with the scientific method, and webelieve all the Gods and forces we work with to be quite natural, not supernatural at all. We donot, however, hold with the kind of scientific dogma or pseudo religion that sees everything asdead matter and neglects its own method by trumpeting "facts" without honestexamination of evidence. Priestesses at Large? Long ago the spiritual (and sometimes physical) ancestors of Wiccans were Priestesses andPriests to the Pagan culture as well as devotees of their Mystery. Now that a Pagan culture isrising again, some ask if today's Wiccans could resume that role. This seems unlikely. Today's Pagan culture is very diverse and more interested in exploring and creating new formsthan in building on existing traditions. A public role would either dilute our traditions orforce them on an unwilling audience. The neo-Pagan community generally prefers "mediafigures" and rapid membership and growth. This is not compatible with our slow methods oftraining and Initiation, the insistence that livelihood come from work outside the Craft, or ourneeds for privacy. Our religion is not accepted in the American workplace or political system,and may never be. The most powerful Priestesses are often unknown to all but their Coveners.While all Wiccans are Pagans, all Pagans are not Wiccan, and it is best that it remain so. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Principles of Wiccan Beliefs 1974, Council of American Witches We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of lifeforces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarter. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward ourenvironment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillmentto life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person.Because it is far greater than ordinary, it is sometimes called supernatural, but we see it aslying within that which is naturally potential to all. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity --as masculine and feminine -- and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, andfunctions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above theother, knowing each to be supportive to the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol andembodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice andreligious worship. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as theSpiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. -- and we see in theinteraction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises.We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respectthose who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageouslygiven of themselves in leadership. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views theworld and lives within it -- a world view and philosophy of life which we identify asWitchcraft -- the Wiccan Way. Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch -- but neither does heredityitself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control theforces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harmto others and in harmony with Nature. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution anddevelopment of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role withinit. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy oflife, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way" and havesought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, theorigins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We areconcerned with our present and our future. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as"Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by the Christian traditions. We do notseek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived onlyby denial to another. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health andwellbeing. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Wiccan Way by Lady Beckett of Circle Atheneum in San Diego, CA in 1988. Recognizing that there is more than one path to spiritualenlightenment and that Wicca is but one of many, and that Wiccaholds within itself the belief that there is more than one type ofstep set to the spiral dance, find here listed common denominatorsof the Craft. That there is above all the Goddess in her three-fold aspect and manyare her names. With all her names we call her Maiden, Mother andCrone. That there is the God, consort and son, giver of strength and mostwilling of sacrifice. That and it harm none, do what ye will shall be the law. That each of her children are bound by the three-fold law and thatwhatever we create, be it joy or sorrow, laughter or pain, is broughtback to us three-fold. That as she is the mother of all living things and we are all herchildren, we seek to live in harmony not only with each other, butwith the planet earth that is our womb and home. That life upon the earth is not a burden to be born, but a joy to belearned and shared with others. That death is not an ending of existence, but a step in the on-goingprocess of life. That there is no sacrifice of blood, for She is the mother of allliving things, and from her all things proceed and unto her allthings must return. That each and everyone of the children who follow this path hasno need of another between themselves and the Goddess, but may findHer within themselves. That there shall not by intent be a desecration of another's symbolsof beliefs, for we are all seeking harmony within the One. That each person's faith is private unto themselves and thatanother's belief is not to be set out and made public. That the Wiccan way is not to seek converts, but that the way bemade open to those who for reasons of their own seek and find the Craft. And as it is willed, so mote it be. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Charge of the Goddess Whenever ye have need of any thing, once in the month, andbetter it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble insome secret place and adore the spirit of She, who is Queen ofall witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learnall sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these willShe teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free fromslavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be nakedin your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music andlove, all in Her praise. For Hers is the ecstasy of the spirit,and Hers also is joy on earth; for Her law is love unto allbeings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; letnaught stop you or turn you aside. For Hers is the secret doorwhich opens upon the land of youth and Hers is the cup of wine oflife, and the cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail ofimmortality. She is the gracious goddess, who gives the gift ofjoy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, She gave the knowledge ofthe spirit eternal; and beyond death, She gives peace andfreedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor doesShe demand sacrifice, for behold, She is the mother of allliving, and Her love is poured out upon the earth. She who is the beauty of the green earth, and the white moonamong the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire ofthe heart of man, calls unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto Her.For She is the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe.from Her all things proceed, and unto Her all things must return;and before Her face, beloved of gods and men, let thine innermostdivine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let Herworship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all actsof love and pleasure are Her rituals. And therefore let there bebeauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility,mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seekHer, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unlessthou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thoufindest not within thee, then thou wilt never find it withoutthee. For behold, She has been with thee from the beginning; andShe is that which is attained at the end of desire. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The article below was written back in 1991 or 1992 e.v.For an update by the author, please see:. Satanism vs. Wicca by Diane Vera Since your main worry seems to be public relations, here's how I would make the distinctionbetween Wicca and Satanism, in a way that is fair to both sides and does not throw Satanists tothe dogs: Wicca and Satanism are quite distinct. Wiccans worship pre-Christian deities (or a modern-daycomposite of pre-Christian deities) and do not worship the Christian anti-God. Some Satanistsalso worship a pre-Christian deity, but regard the Christian anti-God as a manifestation of theirdeity, which Wiccans do not. Wicca and Satanism are very different in their aims and tone. Wiccaemphasizes harmony and balance, whereas Satanism emphasizes spiritual self-liberation viaiconoclasm and catharsis.I should mention, though, there's one possible problem with that last sentence. Some feministWiccans might take offense at it, since it implies the more radical forms of feminist Wicca arereally more like Satanism than like Wicca. Which in my opinion they are. If you've read some ofMary Daly's books, you'll know what I mean. I myself identify as a feminist Goddess-oriented neo-Pagan, as well as a Satanist. Indeed,feminist Goddess religion is still my primary religious identification. (Satanism is how Irelate to "male" energy.) I don't and never did call myself a feminist"Wiccan". By the way, while I accept today's use of the word Wicca (with a capital W) to refer to aspecific European-based religion with a very specific worldview, I do not accept theattempt by Wiccans to copyright the words "witch" and "witchcraft". Thesewords are generic terms, not the property of any one religion. They refer to occult practicesfound in many religions around the world. A Satanist has as much right to the word"witch" as anyone else. (It so happens that I don't call myself a"witch", but for a different reason: I think many "witches" are makingexaggerated claims to occult power, and I don't want to give the appearance of making such anexaggerated claim.) sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Women vs. Men By: Michelle Hass (in conversation with Scott Szakonyi) "Ok folks, Loki and I have been chatting, and we're ready to raise aruckus that might go on for months." Chiniginish and I relish the challenge... with Coyote looking over ourshoulders and chuckling... "Here's the question: Are women superior to men, and if so, why? I think thatwomen are superior to men in the modern world because evolution is lagging society. Most of theevolution of the human race (about 60 million yrs) took place in hunter/gatherer tribes, whereaggressive behavior on the part of the male hunters was a survival trait, and relating/caringbehavior was a survival trait for females. Now, in the 20 thousand or so years since we havebecome agrarian, the need for male hunter aggressiveness has gone the way of the Dodo, while theneed for relating/caring behavior has become primary. Where does this leave us? "Well, as I see it, women are almost ideally suited to the overcrowded,communication-intensive environment that we call modern society. Men, on the other hand, are likepeople with no arms playing handball. It's not that we're bad folk, it's just that we weredesigned by evolution for an environment that hasn't existed for 20 thousand years, whichis a real drop in the bucket in terms of evolution. Evolution isn't going to be giving us anyhelp for at least a few million years; maybe never since we are constantly screwing up the genepool with our wars that leave the genetically defective to breed and send the geneticallypreferable off to evolutionary dead ends. So all we men can do is try to better ourselves and askfor patience on the part of women, who must feel like the entire male sex has completely missedthe boat." Well, you've got a nice point, but it assumes something that I believe 'taint necessarily so.Is male aggressiveness part of nature or nurture? The jury seems to be coming back from a longperiod of deliberation, and it looks like the verdict is nurture. This very nicely dovetails with my own theory of what thelemites refer to as the"procession of the aeons". In Crowley's notorious Liber Al vel Legis, we are said tobe passing from an aeon of belief in suffering male gods and patriarchy to an aeon of belief inthe value of Self and of partnership between the sexes. Crowley called the old aeon the"Aeon of Osiris" and the new the "Aeon of Horus, the Crowned and ConqueringChild." The enthroned Child is not masculine or feminine, but androgynous/gynandrous. Theaeon before the Osirian was that of Isis, an aeon of Great Mother Goddesses and matriarchy. My chronology is a little different than that which Crowley attributed to these three epochsof human history so far. Crowley declared that the Aeon of Horus began with the Spring Equinoxof +1904 Common, just before the writing of the Book of the Law. I maintain that the change isstill taking place, and had its roots in the +1700s Common. The writings of the philosopher Lockewere some of the first to make a very important quantum jump, and provided ideological impetusfor the vital changes that have and are taking place. What Locke asserted was that government did not rest on Divine Right, but on the consent ofthe governed. Human beings were not born to different castes, some fated to serve while otherswere fated to rule by the grace of the gods. Human beings were born equal, and had certain rightsas a birthright: Life, Liberty, the right to pursue Happiness, and the right to security ofprivate property. This assertion shows up in Liber Al as these statements:"Every Man and Every Woman is a Star." "Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law.""Love Is The Law, Love Under Will." "Thou hast no right but to do thy Will."In a little less arcane language, these statements run thusly: Every Individual matters. Every Individual has the right to live, be free and pursue Happiness (harmony with one's life'spurpose, or True Will) as they Will. These rights stop at the boundary of the Wills of others. Live your life as you see fit, but mindyour own business and above all, harm nobody. This includes yourself in a very conditionalway. You do have the right to self-destruction, but if you truly believe that you matter,why would you want to? These assertions are usually encountered firstly in a Locke-inspired document that has passedinto the history of this country, the Declaration of Independence. If there is any one documentthat is a trigger point for the New Aeon, it's that one. The American Revolution was the firsttime monarchy was cast aside in favor of democracy of a representative sort. Democracy was triedbefore, but never quite this way. And despite several course corrections that needed to be made,(the abolishment of Slavery, the giving of Women, Blacks and Amerinds the right to vote) and somethat still need to be made (the granting of total equality for all races and sexes, a shift to amore direct method of participation, ie Cyber-democracy) the democratic experiment in the UnitedStates is the most enduring of all. Before the 1700s, government was imposed from above, not thought of as flowing from theconsent of the governed. Individuals were not accorded rights as a birthright, but were grantedrights by the king, usually on a class-by-class basis. Human beings were dealt with as masses andclasses, on a Collective basis. Coincidental with these developments was a surfacing of hermetic thought in a more widespreadway then ever before in history. The Rosicrucian and Freemason movements brought hermeticism to awide audience. Within the ranks of Freemasonry were both common and noble, and often commonerswould be lodgemasters in lodges frequented by those of noble birth. Hermetic orders ennobled notby birth, but by level of knowledge and initiation and (hopefully) by level of spiritualattainment. Now, this was fine in theory, but unfortunately in practice things weren't so swift. It wasonly until the mid-1800s and groups like the original Golden Dawn that women had the possibilityof initiation. Even now, in Masonic lodges that have lost their occult focus and are now littlemore than men's clubs, men are ritually strip-searched to assure the initiator that the candidateis indeed male and not a disguised female. The baggage of the old days of sexism and classism remain in a lot of hermetic orders eventoday. Crowley himself had serious problems accepting women as equals: he had a rather lowopinion of them and was quite cruel to them in numerous cases. But very explicit in the messageof the New Aeon is that people are to be dealt with, not by sex or race or social strata but bytheir inborn, inalienable rights as individuals... as Stars, to use a thelemic term. The Neo-pagan movement was a definite evolutionary step in defining a New Aeon mode ofspirituality. Unlike the traditional hermetic order, Wicca and other forms of Neo-paganism do nothave a multiplicity of ranks and a chain of command. Some have three degrees, some two, some onlyone, that of initiate. Initiation is not a bestowal of rank, but more a purpose-oriented process.As magickal orders continue to evolve, they will either need to emulate more and more theinformality and non-hierarchical non-structure of Neo-paganism or choke on their bloatedhierarchies. It is funny when one considers that there is much evidence to suggest thatNeo-paganism evolved from the Astrum Argentum and the OTO, and that much of Gardner'sgroundbreaking work in reconstructing the old pre-Osirian Druidic religion was helped along withthe research help of Uncle Al himself. Perhaps, as the knightly orders of the past were meant as guardians of the Christian Church,there will become a symbiotic connection between Neo-paganism and Magickal orders, especiallyamong those whose non-structure mimics that of the coven. Arguably this symbiosis exists now,and hell, I'm living proof of this. So what the deuce does this have to do with the sexes? You'll see as I wrap this up. Ok...remember I mentioned that before the Osirian epoch and the patriarchy, which seems to have comein with the rise of the big cities and the transformation from a hunter/gatherer society to anagrarian one (methinks you have placed the transformation a little too far into the past) therewas the Isian epoch and the matriarchy? Well, before patriarchal philosophy displacedmatriarchalism, women pretty much ran things. They didn't hunt because to place women, who werethe living image of the Goddess and the ex-nihilo creatrixes of the next generation, in bodilyjeopardy was literally blasphemy. Women were the intermediaries for men to the Goddess, who wasunapproachable otherwise. The men had their hunting cults, but they were as insignificant inreality as the Victorian-era anthropologists misread the ancient religion of the Goddess asmerely an inferior "fertility cult." When the transition came to the cities and to patriarchy sometime around -10,000 to -7,500Common, the long-suppressed males took by force what the Goddesses of the Isian era denied themby their divine decree... power. Male warrior deities replaced female mother deities. Thepriestesses of the old religions were destroyed. (The Book of Joshua in the Old Testament is avivid account of one triumph of Osiris over Isis.) And the new order began. But the oldmatriarchal religions survived for several thousands of years after the turn of the aeon, and itis painfully obvious that the old patriarchal ways will haunt us for thousands of years into thefuture, even as new ways take hold and new philosophies become more accepted. But it really isnurture rather than nature that makes men aggressive and women passive. Men can learn to benurturing and loving, and women can learn to be assertive and empowered. In order that we cantruly enter this new aeon where all are leaders and all are Stars, we each have to cultivate the"other side" of our Selves. No, women are not superior to men, nor is it the other wayaround. Every Individual matters. Everyone has the potential to be a King, in the thelemic senseof the word. We need to learn to treat all with dignity, be they material successes or abjectmaterial failures. We need to treat even those still enslaved by the old ideas fixes withas much dignity as those who have declared their secession from them and their embracing of theNew Law. The evolution is really and truly in our own hands. Beauty and balance, Will and Love, Michelle. The coven that I've been working with in Denver begins its cup blessing bya dialogue between the Priest and the Priestess. Both have a hand each onthe athame and the chalice: Priest: "Be it known that a man is not greater than a woman. Priestess: "Nor yet is a woman greater than a man" Priest: "For what one lacks" Priestess: "The other can provide" Priest" "As the Athame is to the male" Priestess: So is the cup to the female. Both: And when conjoined together, they become one in truth, for there isno greater magick in all the world than that of love. BB Rowan sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com What Is D.A.W.N.? The Denver Area Wiccan Network is a group of pagans and friends from a wide variety of Crafttraditions. DAWN sponsors parties, group rituals, a student/teacher network and other activitiesas inspired or impelled. Why do I want to join DAWN? You want to be part of an active, growing community of Wiccans who can work together to make some changes in their world; You want to meet people and make new friends who share your basic values--people you can be yourself with, no need to keep your cover; You want an ongoing opportunity to exchange views and information with people from groups or traditions other than your own; You want to be in on the creation of a Denver pagan extended family which will make all the above possible; You like hugs, and you enjoy being warmly welcomed. Do I have to "Go Public" to be a member? No. Only the Board Chair and Secretary are expected to be "public," and theidentities of all other members are fiercely protected. How do I join? Dues are $13 per coven, $5 per solitary, payable twice yearly in May and November. Thesecover the cost of mailings and the setup costs for parties and rituals, as well as other costsauthorized by the Board and/or Steering Committee. Do I have to join DAWN to participate? No. All parties are open to pagans and friends. To find out about them and other DAWNfunctions, write us at the P.O. Box listed below (postage is appreciated) or call Bob Key on hisanswering machine. Another way to find out more about DAWN is to show up at one of our SteeringCommittee meetings. They are held at 6:30 pm, the second Sunday of each month, at the GlendaleCommunity Center (999 S. Clermont). Thank you for your interest in DAWN! D.A.W.N. Bob Key P.O. Box 11202 (303) 758-2115 Englewood, Colorado 80151 BYLAWS Denver Area Wiccan Network Last amended June 11, 1989 BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as the Board) shall be selected by the Steering Committee from among the active members of DAWN such that: Each coven shall have no more than one member on the Board; if there are fewer than 5 member covens, then there may be a second Director from any coven; There shall be at least one member of the Board who is a member of a coven; and There shall be at least one member on the Board from among the DAWN members who are not members of any coven. The Board shall have no fewer than 4 members and no more than 13 members. It shall determine its own size within those limits. The Board may appoint members of DAWN to fill vacancies on the Board. Persons so appointed shall serve only until the next regular election. Each elected Director (member of the Board) holds a two-year term, except that, when the size of the board is increased, half of the new positions shall initially be for one year only. Any person serving one elected term may not be reelected as a Director until they have been retired from the Board for one year. Each seated Director may designate an Alternate to speak and vote in their stead when they are absent from Board meetings. The identity of this Alternate shall be recorded in the Minutes of the Board, and no other person may serve this function until the Director changes the designation and the change is on record. Being named Alternate to a Director does not automatically name them Alternate to any offices that director may hold; however, they may so serve at the discretion of the Chair. The Board shall elect Officers from among the Directors for the positions of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. This shall be done after each new election, and no later than the next regular meeting of the Board. A quorum of the Board shall consist of 70 percent of the Directors, either present or represented by their Alternate. The Board shall elect a Newsletter Editor from the general membership of DAWN. This officer shall serve at the will of the Board and report directly to the Board. The Board shall meet regularly, at least four times per year, at a time and place to be fixed by the Board. Additionally, The Chair or any two Directors may call a Board meeting upon giving at least 7 days notice to all Directors by U.S. Mail, or upon at least 2 days notice given by telegram. Said notice will be deemed delivered when deposited in the U.S. Mail with the last known address of the Director and proper postage thereon prepaid, or when the given to the telegram company. Any Director may waive notice of any meeting. The attendance of a Director at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice, except when the Director attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of business because the meeting has not been lawfully called or convened. The notice of meeting need only contain the date, time, and place of the meeting. The Board may make rules to govern the conduct of its own meetings. All Board Meetings are open to the membership of DAWN. Accordingly, any Director is required to furnish information regarding dates, times and places of upcoming Board meetings to any DAWN member upon request. STEERING COMMITTEE The Steering Committee shall be composed of the Directors, one representative from each member coven and proportional representation for such DAWN members as do not belong to any member coven (hereinafter referred to as Solitaries). The method of choosing a coven representative is left to the discretion of the individual coven. A method for choosing representation for Solitaries will be determined by said Solitaries, subject to approval by the Board. There shall be at least one (1) representative of the Solitaries, who is not a Director, on the Steering Committee. Steering Committee members must commit to serve for at least six (6) months. They may serve as long as their constituents wish them to serve. The Steering Committee shall elect a Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Clerk of the Committee from among its members. A quorum of the Steering Committee for the purpose of amending the Bylaws or Constitution shall be two-thirds (2/3) of the committee. A quorum for other business shall be a majority of the Committee. Steering Committee members will not have alternates. The Steering Committee may make rules to govern the conduct of its own meetings. Decisions made by the Steering Committee shall be referred to the Board for action, except as otherwise provided for in these Bylaws. Any recommendation that dues be levied or changed must receive at least two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast by the Steering Committee, ten (10) days notice having been given that dues will be discussed. The Steering Committee shall meet regularly at a time and place to be fixed by the Committee. Additionally, the Board may call Steering Committee meetings with 15 days notice should such meetings be necessary. OFFICERS Chair - duties shall include: Presiding over meetings of the Board. Presiding over meetings of the general membership of DAWN. Preparing an agenda for Board meetings. Preparing an agenda for meetings of the general membership of DAWN. Vice-Chair - shall perform the duties of the Chair when the Chair is absent or incapacitated. Secretary - duties shall include: Maintaining accurate and current minutes of all meetings of the Board and all business-related meetings of the general membership of DAWN. All such minutes are to be made available, upon reasonable notice, to all members of the body so recorded, and are to be presented at the next meeting of the Board for approval. Handling correspondence other than the newsletter and general announcements. Maintaining an accurate and current list of members and friends of DAWN. The Secretary may NOT release the addresses, phone numbers, or full names of any person associated with DAWN, except as noted in this paragraph, to any person, without specific permission from said person. The Secretary will share this list with the Newsletter Editor. When leaving this job, the Secretary will turn over all copies of the membership list, in whatever form, to their successor in these duties. Treasurer - is responsible for maintaining all the financial records of DAWN. The Treasurer is also responsible for the safekeeping and expenditure of the monies held by DAWN as directed by the Board. Speaker - shall preside over meetings of the Steering Committee and prepare an agenda for said meetings. Deputy Speaker - shall perform the duties of the Speaker when the Speaker is absent or incapacitated. Clerk of the Committee - is responsible for maintaining accurate and current minutes of all meetings of the Steering Committee. All such minutes are to be available to members of the Steering Committee, and are to be presented at the next meeting of that body for approval. Newsletter Editor - duties shall include: Providing timely announcements of meetings and other DAWN functions. Providing a regular newsletter in keeping with DAWN policies. Maintaining an accurate and current list of newsletter recipients. The Newsletter Editor may NOT release the addresses, phone numbers or full names of any person associated with DAWN, except as noted in this paragraph, to any person, without specific permission from said person. The Newsletter Editor will share the mailing list with the Secretary. When leaving this job, the Newsletter Editor will turn over all copies of the mailing list, in whatever form, to their successor in these duties. AMENDMENTS In order to amend this document, the proposed change must receive the votes of at least two-thirds of the Directors and must receive at least two-thirds of the votes cast at a proper meeting of the Steering Committee, both bodies having received at least 20 days notice of the proposed amendment. ELECTIONS On the second Sunday in October, The Steering Committee shall meet to hold an election. At this time, the Steering Committee will elect replacements for Directors whose term is expiring. Names will be taken in nomination, consent obtained from those nominated, and one ballot cast. Each Committee member, including retiring and interim Directors, shall have as many votes as there are vacancies. The qualified candidate with the most votes will fill the first vacancy - two year terms being filled first. As each vacancy is filled, members of the successful candidate's coven are stricken from the list. If only one vacancy remains and either part I.A.2 or part I.A.3 of the Bylaws has not been fulfilled, then only those candidates who meet the criterion can be selected; otherwise, the position will remain vacant to be filled by the Board, as soon as possible, by appointment. If a tie exists between equally qualified candidates, where all may not serve, a runoff election shall be held between those candidates. Misspellings shall not invalidate ballots where the appropriate person can be discerned; nor shall voting for fewer than the number of vacancies. Voting for too many candidates shall invalidate that ballot. No individual shall vote more than one time for the same person; therefore duplicate names on a single ballot shall count as only one vote. All elected persons take office at the first meeting in November. Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (copyright 1970) will govern in any circumstances not covered by the Rules, Bylaws or Constitution of DAWN. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS ON DISSOLUTION In the event of dissolution of the organization, all remaining assets will be delivered to a tax-exempt organization to be chosen at the time of dissolution by the Board of Directors. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com GLOSSARY OF TERMS COMMONLY USED IN WICCA Copyright 1992 by Rowan Moonstone and Durwydd MacTara AKASHA- the spiritual ether (or Aether); the omnipresent fifth occult element which embraces the other four- earth, air, fire, and water; and from which they stem. This is the realm of "pattern" or causality, from which the realm the normally thought of "five senses manifests. Some define it is the "other" of the "two worlds" that the witch or magician walks between. ARADIA- Daughter of the Goddess Diana, and a name for the Goddess used by Italian Witches or Strega, commonly used in many Wiccan traditions today. ASPECTING- Any advanced magickal activity in which a practitioner manifests a particular aspect of the Goddess or God, in thought, feelings, behavior, appearance, etc.; Often as a direct result of a "Drawing Down". Often a minor variation of this phenomena occurs with the selection of a "Magical Name", of Craft Name. ASPECTS- Forms, facets, or personas of Deity: for example, Brighid, Iseult,Eos, and Kore are all aspects of the Maiden, and the Maiden is an aspect of the Goddess. ATHAME- black handled, double edged dagger. Principally used to cast and dissolve the circle, for which purposes it is interchangeable with the magic sword. A tool of the "Element" of Fire in the Georgian Tradition and some others. BELTANE- May Eve festival. One of the Ancient Celtic "Fire Festivals." on this night, the cattle were driven between two bonfires to protect them from disease. Couples wishing for fertility would " jump the fires" on Beltane night. Also the traditional Sabbath where the rule of the "Wheel of the Year" is returned to the Goddess. This Festival also marks the transition point of the threefold Goddess energies from those of Maiden to Mother. BOOK OF SHADOWS- Traditionally hand copied book of rituals, recipes, training techniques, guidelines, and other materials deemed important to a Witch or a coven. Each tradition has it's own standard version of the Book and each Witch's book will be different as he or she adds to it with time from many different sources. Only another Witch can see your book of shadows. Also, traditionally, it may never leave your hands or possession until death, when it should be destroyed, or (in some traditions) returned to the coven to be disposed of. BURNING TIMES- a term used by some Witches for the period of persecution in the Middle Ages and later. It is in fact a misnomer in some places, as Witches were only burned in Scotland, and on the continent of Europe. In England and the U.S., they were hanged. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 206 CANDLEMAS- Festival held on Feb. 1. One of the 4 Celtic "Fire Festivals. Commemorates the changing of the Goddess from the Crone to the Maiden. Celebrates the first signs of Spring. Also called "Imbolc" (the old Celtic name). This is the seasonal change where the first signs of spring and the return of the sun are noted, i.e. the first sprouting of leaves, the sprouting of the Crocus flowers etc. In other words, it is the festival commemorating the successful passing of winter and the beginning of the agricultural year.This Festival also marks the transition point of the threefold Goddess energies from those of Crone to Maiden. CARDINAL POINTS- North, South, East, and West, marked in the Georgian Tradition by candles of green, red, yellow, and blue, respectively. The Circle is drawn to connect these four points. CHALICE- one of the tools of the Witch. Placed on the altar to represent the element of Water. CHARGE OF THE GODDESS- The Traditional words of the Goddess to her followers, or "hidden children". Normally declaimed by the HPS at every coven Circle. CIRCLE- the area in which the magickal worship and spells takes place. Can also be used to designate a particular group of Witches or Pagans such as "Silver Acorn Circle". CONE OF POWER- power raised in the circle by the Witches assembled, and sent out into the world to work magick, is usually visualized as being retained and built in the form of a "cone" prior to release. COVEN- an organized group of Witches, led by a High priestess and/or a High Priest who meet regularly for worship and fellowship. The traditional membership is 13, but in fact most covens number considerably less. 3 is the minimum in the Georgian Tradition. In Middle English, "Covin" a group of confederates; In Old French "Covine" a band or group with a single purpose; Latin "Com"-together, "Venire"-to come or move. COVENSTEAD- regular meeting place for a coven. Usually the home of the High Priestess or High Priest. COWAN- a non-Witch. Formerly used in a very derogatory manner. Still used in Masonic Ritual to indicate the non initiate and/or pretender to "real craft". Not often used today among most Witches. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 207 COYOTE ENERGY- trickster energies. Named for the American Indian Trickster, Coyote, who tricks man into learning what he needs to learn. Applies to one who constantly jokes and clowns. Also applies to the concept of "Holy Fool" in many traditions. CROSS QUARTER DAYS- The modern name for the Celtic Fire Festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas. DEOSIL- clockwise, or sunwise. Traditional direction for working "building" magick. DRAWING DOWN THE MOON- Ritual invocation of the spirit of the Goddess into the body of the High Priestess by the High Priest. DIVINATION- magical method of exploration or inquiry into a situation via such methods as Tarot cards, runestones, I- Ching, etc. ELEMENTS- Earth, air, fire, and water, plus spirit, which includes them all. These are regarded as realms or categories of nature (both material and non-material) and are not to be confused with the physicists table of elements, which the modern witch, of course, accepts. ESBAT- weekly or biweekly meeting of a coven. Traditionally held either on the full moon or the new moon. FAMILIARS- Either a Witch's pet animal which has been trained to be a magickal helper, or an artificially created "elemental" which performs the same functions as the animal friend. FIVEFOLD KISS, FIVEFOLD SALUTE- The Witches' ritual salute, with kisses; (1) on each foot, (2) on each knee, (3) above the pubic hair, (4) on each breast, and (5) on the lips- really 8 kisses in all. It is only used within the Circle, but the words that go with it are the origin of "Blessed Be." GARDNERIANS- Tradition of Witchcraft descended from the teachings of Gerald Gardner. GNOMES- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane of Earth or is associated with the EARTH Element. GREAT RITE- The rite which is the main feature of the third degree initiation, and which is also laid down for certain festivals. It is sexual in nature, but may be `actual' (and private to the couples concerned) or symbolic, as the participants wish. HALLOWS- name used by some traditions for Samhain, or Halloween Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 208 HANDFASTING- Wiccan equivalent of a wedding. It can be made legal if the Priestess and/or Priest are registered as clergy with the local authorities, or it may only be considered binding within the coven. HIGH PRIEST/ESS- Technically speaking, a Witch who has received the 3rd. degree initiation. More usually, the male and female leaders of a coven. IMBOLC- Celtic name for Candlemas. INVOCATION- The ritual "calling-in" of an entity (or energies) higher than human, either for communication with the caller through a medium or by visible manifestation or else to enter into a human body as in the Drawing Down the Moon. In some traditions, a Prayer. LAMMAS- August 1st. Witch Festival. The Old Celtic name for this festival is Lughnassadh. It is the Festival of the First Fruits, and is the first of the 3 harvests. This festival also marks the change of the Threefold Goddess energies from that of Mother to Crone. MAIDEN- An appointment held by one of the women of the coven. She is virtually the assistant High Priestess. This term is also the descriptive term used to describe the first of the aspects of the Threefold Goddess Energies (Maiden, Mother, and Crone). It is traditionally associated with the Waxing Moon, and the period from Imbolc (Candlemas) to Beltane (May eve) where the energies are those of initiating, beginning, and creation. OLD RELIGION- another name for the Craft. PAGANING- Presentation of an infant to the Circle and to the Gods. PENTACLE- a disc shaped talisman; in particular, the metal disc which represents the earth element among the witch's working tools. PENTAGRAM- The five-pointed star. With a single point uppermost, it represents the human being. Inverted, with two points uppermost, it can have Satanist associations; but not necessarily. Some traditions of Wicca use the inverted pentagram to signify an initiate of the second degree. QUARTERS- The North, East, South, and West parts of a magickal circle or other ritual area. (See also "Watchtowers") REDE- rule or law. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 209 SABBAT- one of the Eight festivals or high holy days of Wicca. SALAMANDER- an entity that dwells in the realm of Fire. SAMHAIN- The festival of remembrance for the dead, held on the eve of Nov. 1st. It is the last of the three harvests. This festival also marks the transition of rulership of the "Wheel of the Year from that of the Goddess to that of the God. SCRYING- divination, usually using such methods as crystal gazing, or divination via incense smoke, or water as opposed to tarot or other manipulative means. SPELL- a prayer, or verbal direction of magickal energies toward the accomplishment of some goal. SUMMONER- The male officer of the coven who corresponds to the Maiden. He is the assistant High Priest. SYLPH- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane of Air or is associated with the AIR Element. TRADITIONS- any of the various "sects" of Wicca such as Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Georgian, Seax, etc. UNDINE- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane of Water or is associated with the WATER Element. WAND- A rod or staff that is prepared so that it may be used for magickal or psychic purposes, usually to project some form of power. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 210 WARLOCK- a term coined in the Burning Times . It was used to denote a traitor to the Craft, or one who had betrayed the followers of the Old Religion. It's origin is Scottish. Because of the negative connotations, it is not used by most Wiccans today. WATCH TOWERS- Originally from the Enochian branch of Ceremonial Magick, now incorporated into many "Traditions" of Wicca, these are the four elemental "directions" or "quarters" (corresponding to the appropriate points on the compass) called to protect the Circle during its establishment. Each of them have a correspondence between the compass point, an element, and (varying amongst different traditions) color associated with them. WICCA- the name most modern day Witches use for the Craft. It comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Wicce, meaning to bend or to shape. This is the root word from which we get wicker. WIDDERSHINS- counter clock wise. Used for "tearing down" OR BANISHING magick. WHITE HANDLED KNIFE- the working knife of a Witch. It is used to carve candles, and for fashioning the other tools. Traditionally, it can only be used in a Circle. Copyright 1991 by Rowan Moonstone and Durwydd MacTara. Permission to reprint for educational purposes at no cost is hereby granted to all and sundry, provided the text is not altered in any way. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 211 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com MOON WEB C/O Michael Harismides PO Box 4538, Sunnyside, New York 11104-4538 Subscription $3.00 a year RITUAL FOR THE HEALING AND PRESERVATION OF RAINFORESTS May 24th, 1988 8 pm local time (Individual version): Cast a circle Invoke elements by calling upon them in protective aspects (for example, you might invoke Watchfires or Beacons in the South). Chant the names of the Earth Goddess, beginning with your personal favorites, then naming as many as you can think of. Take a piece of green string. Begin to tie knots in it, while chanting: Tying the Cord, Renewing the Earth; We are Her Children, bringing Rebirth. (The knots may be simple or elaborate, but leave enough string to tie together at the end.) As you chant, see the world as a network of connected systems. Breathe the air that comes from the jungles of South America. Feel the living fire of an ocelot's power. Taste the rain on the leaves at the tops of the trees. Feel the delicate structure of the soil at the forest floor.) Tie the cord together in a loop; hold it up, strung around your two hands, and begin chanting: We are the Flow and we are the Ebb; We are the Weavers, we are the Web. As you chant, see yourself standing guard over the borders of the rainforest. See yourself with others, protecting rainforest as you would protect yourself,_because that's what you're doing._ Bury the cord in a container of earth. Earth the power; thank the Deities and elements; open the circle. Later bury the cord in the forest if possible. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 212 (If circumstances make the above impossible): Sit quietly and see: the network of ecosystems that make up the world; the rainforests thriving; plants and animals breeding; the Earth, green and filled with life; yourself, standing guard. Breathe, and know that the air comes from the sea and the jungles of Brazil. Drink and know that the water has been around the world, and circulates through you as it does through the air, land, and sea. Stand up and stretch; the strength of your body is the Earth's strength. RITUAL FOR THE HEALING AND PRESERVATION OF RAINFORESTS (Group version): Facilitators give each participant a slip of paper containing the name of an Earth Goddess and a Nature God. Facilitators invoke elements, stressing protective/preservative aspects of each one and ending with "Into this circle I call the Element Air! (Fire, Water, Earth.)" After each such invocation, a dancer or dancers representing the particular element come into the circle from outside and do an elemental dance. A facilitator says: "We now call upon the Earth Goddess by her many names!" Participants call out the Goddess name on their slip of paper, then any other Goddess names they wish. This ends on a signal from the drums. A facilitator says: "We now call upon the God of Nature by his many Names!" The God is invoked in the same fashion as the Goddess, ending with a drum signal. The elemental dancers go to the quarters and begin passing out pieces of green string, while a facilitator explains that the condition of the rainforests affects us all, that all things are connected, and that the worldwide climate is changed every time another acre of rainforest is lost. S/he explains that these sections of cord represent parts of the Life Circle of Earth, and that they must be joined to protect her. When the above speech has been made and all the cords have been passed out, a facilitator ties the first knot, saying that tying the cord is renewing the Earth, that we are her children, bringing her rebirth. This is the signal to begin the chant: Tying the Cord, Renewing the Earth; We are Her Children, bringing Rebirth. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 213 Clockwise around the circle, one by one, each cord is tied to the next. When the circle is complete, the elemental dancers go to the quarters and hold the cord aloft (participants should not let go yet). The chant continues until the facilitators begin a second chant: We are the Flow and we are the Ebb; We are the Weavers, we are the Web. (Since this is to the same tune, the transition should be easy and seamless.) When this chant begins, the elemental dancers begin to gather in the cord, gently pulling it away from the participants, who gently release it. The elementals bury the cord in a container of earth in the center of the circle, then return to the outside to lead a spiral dance in to the center and back out (once) as the chant continues. When the participants are standing in a circle once more, the chant builds to a cone of power and fires. The Deities and Elements are thanked, the power is earthed, the circle opened, hugs exchanged. Later bury the cord in the woods. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 214 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com WHAT ARE RUNES ###126###-###126###-###126###-###126###-###126###-###126###-###126###- LOKRIEN In the most mundane sense, runes are an alphabet much as our own alphabet and others such as the Greek and Cyrillic alphabets. Each rune represents a sound and was/is used to write words with. But that is in the most MUNDANE of senses. Runes were used long before the concept of writing was around. Each rune is an archetype of a force. People had concepts for such things as Fire, Honour, Birth, et.al. and each of these concepts were given names to make them easier for us to comprehend. In this way, runes are very similar to the Hebrew alphabet. Each 'letter' not only has a sound and a name, but is a complete word with all associated concepts. This similarity with Hebrew extends even farther. Each hebrew word is made of several Hebrew letters, therefore each Hebrew word is made of several Hebrew words. The initial letters of several words in a sentence, or of the first letters of each sentence or paragraph may be gathered to form a new word that is used to help explain and expand upon what is already written. The same can be done with runes. Runes lend themselves readily to numerology. The Runic alphabet is properly shown as three rows of eight letters. Therefore each letter can be identified by row:column number. Additionally, each rune has it's sequential number identified by it's placement in the alphabet. Much like us numbering A as 1, B as 2, ... , and Z as 26. Each rune can be placed in position on a tree pattern much like the traditional Qabbalah. They may represent the different worlds or paths of the tree and can be expanded and expounded upon as much as the Qabbalah itself is. In fact, Runic Qabbalah is quite intriguing and does contain a life of study (as do all other facets of Runework). Runes can be used for fortunetelling. They can be drawn and placed and read much like tarot cards. The can be cast or strewn and the relationship of groupings, distance and angles and patterns formed will tell the caster what he wishes to know. Runes are also entities in and of themselves. Much like the angels, princes, demons, sylphs, undines and watchtowers of the ceremonial magician. Each rune can be invoked or evoked and the power harnessed to work ones will to enlighten the intellect. They are a fantastic meditation tool and will always increase ones knowledge. Much as the primal elements of Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Spirit, each rune also has it's part in the manifestation of all things manifested. Chaos, grass, people, sunlight, honour, dragons, hopes, and sex are all replete with runes are could not ever exist without the runic force that creates, shapes, releases, destroys and changes them. I have equated runes to many other branches of esoteric, occult, phsycological and intellectual pursuits. This is in the hopes that if you are already familiar or interested in one of these, you will realize that runes are already familiar to you or that you are already interested in them and don't yet realize it. May you approach the Well of Wyrd and may your sip there only increase your thirst. Lokrien @ The Sacred Grove (206) 634-1980 (WA) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 215 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com MODELS OF MAGIC by Frater U.'.D.'. (Germany) In the course of exploring the possibilities of new, more efficient techniques of magic I was struck by the fact that a structuralist view of the history of magic to date might prove helpful. After all, magicians have always aspired to restate the theory and practice of magic in the language of their times i.e. in different models pertaining to current world views. There is, however, some risk involved in such an approach: models do not really explain anything, they are only illustrations of processes, albeit rather useful ones. What's more, over-systematization tends to obfuscate more than it clarifies and one should not mistake the map for the landscape anyway, a fallacy a great many kabbalists seem to be prone to. Thus, the following five (or rather: four plus one) models of magic should be seen as a means of understanding the practical possibilities of various magical systems rather than as definitive theories and/or explanations of the way magic works. It has proved effective in practice to view magic under the following categories: THE SPIRIT MODEL THE ENERGY MODEL THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL THE INFORMATION MODEL THE META-MODEL *** THE SPIRIT MODEL This is purportedly the oldest model of magic though it may very well have come into existence after or simultaneously with the energy model. We can find it worldwide in shamanic cultures as well as in many religions. Its basic premise is the existence of an otherworld inhabited by more or less autonomous entities such as spirits, angels, demons, gods etc. The shaman or magician is someone who can enter this otherworld at will, who has travelled widely in it, knows its language and customs and has made friends, smitten enemies and/or acquired allies and servitors there. This is important as all magic is of these entities' making. The modern German word for witch, "Hexe" (f.) illustrates this rather neatly if we take a closer look at its etymology. It derives from Old High German "hagazussa" which translates as "fence rider". The hagazussa is riding the "fence between the worlds" i.e. she is at home in the world of everyday life as well as in the magical otherworld of spirits. In the spirit model magic is seen as being effected by these entities who are usually invisible, at least to the average punter, and it is the shaman's or magician's task to make them put his will into effect. This may be done by prayer, by barter, by cajoling or even - vide medieval demon magic - by the application of magical force, threats and pressure. The otherworld may have its own geography but it is usually considered to coexist with the world of everyday life. The key to entering it is an altered state of consciousness, controlled trance or ecstasy of which the shaman is an expert. The spirit model has prevailed in traditionalist or Dogmatic magic until today, some of its most noted exponents being Franz Bardon and, at least to a great extent, Aleister Crowley. THE ENERGY MODEL The rise of the energy model in the West is marked primarily by the appearance of Mesmerism towards the end of the 18th century. Anton Mesmer, who was not an occultist but who was on the other hand regarded by his contemporaries to be a "miracle worker" of sorts, rediscovered amongst other things the ancient healing disciplines of hypnosis and magnetism. He popularized his theory of "animal magnetism" which he saw as a subtle force inherent in organisms, but he also made heavy use of metal magnets for healing purposes. While the French Revolution put a temporary end to Mesmer's movement, his ideas were not lost. They were taken up by a number of others, primarily occultists, who drew on them while developing their own theories of magic. One of the first to do so was Bulwer Lytton of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA), who postulated the existence of a subtle energy which he termed Vril, possibly deriving from Latin virilitas or "force, power, strength". (This was actually the model for the naming of Bovril, from Latin "bovis" or "ox", and Vril or "life force".) We can observe interesting parallels to this concept in the vitalist theories of biology which emerged around the same time. Other exponents of the energy model of magic (not then so termed) were Reichenbach with his concept of Od, Eliphas Levi and his Astral Light and Mme. Blavatsky, who adopted the theories of Prana from Yoga physiology. This was also the time when anthropology and ethnology discovered the Polynesian concept of Mana and Asiatic scholars began to concern themselves with the Chinese principle of Ki or Ch'i (Chi). The latter two go to show, of course, that the idea of subtle energies utilized by magic is far older than the 18th century. In fact, we can observe it already in early shamanic cultures. Shamanic magic is very frequently a mixture between spirit and energy model, e.g. the shaman may call upon his spirits or gods to give him "power" or he may, vice versa, use his power to extort favours from them. In its pure form, however, the shaman or magician is not in need of spirits and other entities. The world is viewed as being "vitalized" by subtle forces or energies and his primary task consists in mastering the art of perceiving and manipulating them. As all phenomena are basically energetic in nature, the existence of an otherworld is not strictly required. Thus, the magician is more of an "energy dancer" than a "fence rider" or go-between. But even here the key to the perception, charging and general utilization of these forces is again the magical trance or, as Chaos Magic terms it, gnosis. Theories and practices pertaining to the energy model can be found with many magical authors but it has seen its real, large scale popularity only since the seventies of our century when the general influx of Eastern thinking (pace the Hippie movement) made concepts such as chakra and kundalini work a mainstay of most occult disciplines. Strong energy model elements can also be found in Franz Bardon's system of "electromagnetic fluids", "condensators" etc. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL Sigmund Freud's theory of the subconscious revolutionized Western thinking in general and psychology (which he did not, as some people are wont to believe, invent all by himself) in particular. Suddenly, man was seen as a being which was only partially conscious and in control of itself. While psychology is still fighting for its academical recognition as a science, it has stamped its mark on therapeutic disciplines - and on magic. The psychological model of magic does not purport to explain how magic works, its only premise is that the subconscious (or, as Carl Jung later retagged it, the unconscious) will do the job if it is properly addressed and/or conditioned. This again is achieved by magical trance, suggestion and the use of symbols (i.e. selective sensory input) as tools of association and as a means of communication between the magician's conscious will and his subconscious faculty responsible for putting it into effect. Aleister Crowley dabbled a great deal in the psychological model which comes as no surprise as he not only tried to keep up with all major academic disciplines of his time but thought himself to be the world's greatest psychologist into the bargain. But all considered he remained a traditionalist exponent of the spirit model: after all Aiwass was, in his belief, a praeternatural entity. Nevertheless he did have a knack of explaining magic in psychological terms to make it sound sensible to the sceptics of his time. A more radical approach was taken by Austin Osman Spare whose sigil magic rests on the basic tenets of the psychological model. Spare's brilliant system is in principle an inversion of Freud's theory of complexes: by actively suppressing his will in the form of a graphical sigil and forgetting it, the magician creates an artificial "complex" which then starts to work on similar lines just as suppressed, subconscious traumas will cause neurotic behaviour etc. The psychological magician is a programmer of symbols and different states of consciousness. He is not necessarily in need of a transcendent otherworld or even subtle energies, though in practice he will usually work on the assumption that one or the other (or both) do in fact exist and can be utilized by his subconscious. Authors such as Israel Regardie, Dion Fortune, William Butler, Francis King, William Gray and to some extent Pete Carroll subscribe to the psychological model which seems to be the primary domain of the English speaking world of magic and which has become the prevailing paradigm ever since the seventies of this century. THE INFORMATION MODEL The information model of magic is being developed since about 1987 and there is still considerable debate about the direction it shall ultimately take. Its basic premises to date are as follows: a) Energy as such is "dumb": it needs information on what to do; this can be so called laws of nature or direct commands. b) Information does not have mass or energy. Thus, it is faster than light and not bound by the restrictions of the Einsteinian spacetime continuum. It can therefore be transmitted or tapped at all times and at all places. In analogy (but of course only as such!) it may be likened to quantum phenomena rather than relativistic mass-energy. It can, however, attach itself to a medium e.g. an organism or any other memory storage device. At the start of the theoretical debate it was still believed that the postulation of morphic (or, more precisely, morphogenetic) fields as hypothesized by Rupert Sheldrake had to be an essential factor by way of explaining the mode of actual information transmittance. This, however, while still being discussed, does not appear to be strictly prerogative though it cannot be not ruled out that an act of information magic may create such fields. It does seem more probable, though, that the concept of information matrices will prove to be the most promising theory in the long run. The application of the as yet evolving information model has led to the discipline I have termed Cybermagic (from "cybernetics" or the "science of control systems"). Contrary to the other models described above, Cybermagic does not rely on magical trance to achieve its effects. Rather, the Cybermagician activates either his own main memory banks, namely brain and spine (the Golf-club chakra, so-called because of its shape reminiscent of a golf-club) or those of the target person. The desired information is then called up and transmitted quite similarly to a copy command on an MS-DOS computer. The copy command analogy holds good insofar as the information (not having mass) is not actually "lost" in the process (as energy would be) but rather is duplicated. This is an important point as it allows for the magician to perform his magic even in a state of very low physical power, possibly even when almost completely intoxicated, as long as his basic "life support systems" are still functional and the command syntax is employed correctly. It is, however, obvious that this technique demands a fair control of what used to be termed kundalini effects and practice has shown ever and again that a good amount of Yoga and meditation experience is a great help in achieving to Cybermagic. Unfortunately, the full theory and practice of Cybermagic cannot be described here due to lack of space and will thus have to be the subject of a separate article to be published later. To date the main experimental research work is being done within the Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT) and some quite astounding results have already been achieved, especially in the field of language and knowledge transfer as well as magical healing. In spite of its very modern, untraditionalist outlook the basic principles of Cybermagic may in truth well be the oldest form of magic extant. For we can, for example, find a number of reports in the East to the effect of a guru transferring all his knowledge to his successor before his death, which is usually achieved by an act of long, mutual meditation. This goes to show that magic as a whole has always existed in many, coexisting models. What has changed, however, is the stress laid on one model or the other in the course of time. THE META-MODEL The meta-model of magic is not a model as such but rather an instruction on the use of the others. For its only advice to the magician is: "Always use the model most adequate to your aims." This may sound a bit trite but we will see that it is not quite as selfevident amongst magicians as one might expect. It is rooted in Chaos magic's assertion "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted", which ultimately boils down to pragmatic utilitarianism. Before this aspect is enlarged upon, though, let us look at an example of the models presented here as applied in practice. We shall take the situation of magical healing to demonstrate how these models differ from each other. In the spirit model healing is regarded as an exorcism: illness is caused by "evil" or, at least, undesired entities which have to be neutralized and removed by the shaman or magician. In the case of a patient with a heart condition the shaman may, for example, "see" a green lizard in the vicinity of the heart which must be removed. To achieve this the shaman will usually call upon the help of his own spirits who will then handle the matter. Properly exorcised, the patient has been freed from the cause of his ailment and can recuperate. In the energy model ailments are seen to be caused by energetic imbalance. Thus, our heart patient may have too much (or too little) "fire energy" in his heart chakra, and the magician's task consists of restoring that balance of energies commonly defined as "health". This he may do by laying on hands, by using crystals and precious stones, by magnetism or chakra massage etc. The balance having been restored, the patient is regarded as having been healed. In the psychological model illness is considered to be basically psychosomatic in nature. The magician will, therefore, either do a ritual work with the patient which enhances his stamina and resolves his troubles (e.g. a Saturn ritual to cope with "Saturnian challenges" the patient is seen to have avoided by becoming ill) or he will charge a sigil for the patient's health. Preferably he will instruct the patient to construct and charge his own sigil. In the information model the Cybermagician will transmit an informational "healing matrix" into the patient's system (or somehow create a "morphic field" of health and self-healing) and let the patient's energies take it from there to do the job of their own accord i.e. automatically. This rests on the assumption that the energies are still powerful enough to get the work done, otherwise he will either jump back into the energy model to provide the patient with the additional energies required or install another information matrix to create an influx of the power desired. Following the meta-model the magician will decide beforehand in which paradigm he will begin his operation. This must not necessarily exclude the possibility of shifting the paradigms in midwork or of blending them, of course. Usually, the decision is taken on the lines of expediency, efficiency and personal preference. Thus, I personally find healing work with patients easier within the spirit or energy model, while I do seem to get better results with selfhealing employing either the psychological or the information model. Then again, cybermagical work tends to take up to two days to show noticeable effects so that it may be more expedient to go for laying on hands when pain is very acute. Another important point is the time factor. While traditionalist rituals in the spirit model may take from half a day to weeks and even months, operations in the energy model seldomly take much longer than a few hours at the most. If we take Spare's sigil magic as an example for a very fast technique within the psychological model, the operation can be over and done with within five to ten minutes. Information magical operations on the other hand only take up about three quarters of a second, a time span which can be cut even shorter by an experienced Cybermagician. Self evident as the meta-model may seem, in practice many people seem to feel somewhat uncomfortable with its inherent relativism. This is very much the case with beginners in magic. A typical dialogue on the subject might run on the following lines: "Are there spirits?" "In the spirit model, yes." "And in the energy model?" "In the energy model there are subtle energy forms." "And what about the psychological model?" "Well, in the psychological model we are dealing with projections of the subconscious." "What happens in the information model, then?" "In the information model there are information clusters." "Yes, but are there spirits now or not?" "In the spirit model, yes." This logical loop is, of course, usually experienced as a pretty frustrating exercise; but while the asker claims that the magician is trying to avoid the issue he is at the same time overlooking the fact that he himself is basically only restating the old yen for absolute, "objective" truths - not really a quantum magical approach, to say the least. However, the aspiring cyberpunk magician of today cannot expect to be spared the pains of coming to terms with the notion that freedom and dogma are mutually exclusive. UBIQUE DAEMON .'. UBIQUE DEUS .'. (c) copyright 1991 by Frater U.'.D.'. All rights reserved. ================================================================== Frater U.'.D.'., one of Germany's leading exponents of contemporary magic, is the author of "PRACTICAL SIGIL MAGIC" and "SECRETS OF THE GERMAN SEX MAGICIANS" (forthcoming). The essay above will be part of his next book, "DANCE OF THE PARADIGMS. A CHAOS MAGICK PRIMER." (All books: LLEWELLYN's PUBLICATIONS, St. Paul, Minn.) ================================================================= * Origin: ChaosBox: Nichts ist wahr, Alles ist erlaubt. (2:243/2) 221 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Eight Paths and other Wiccan miscellany Dogs in the Temple: The "dogs" were MALE Canaanite temple prostitutes (normally eunuchs, as I understand it), with whom male worshippers had intercourse in order to obtain various boons from the gods, of which the fertility of themselves, their herds and their crops were the chief. A "dog"'s earnings couldn't be contributed to Yaweh's treasury. (Nor could that of a FEMALE temple prostitute!) Now if they were doing the Great Rite with male priests way back when TO make things more fertility, why should Stewart Farrar have a cat over gay men and lesbians being involved in the Craft now?!? (Although, in fairness to him, I'll bet he's never thought of it that way! He strikes me as a reasonable man, all in all... ) As for the Paths: Meditation is the first and--in my opinion--the most basic, because you use it to get to or enhance some of the other Paths. Trance work is the second, which includes astral projection exercises. Perhaps it's the most important, because it gets us where we go to exercise the power or obtain the wisdom that we want to. Dancing is a Path that I personal can't use because I'm lame; but I've been told by able-bodied Pagan friends that it's great because it engages the whole self--and especially it helps you be grounded AND Elsewhere at the same time. Binding with cords and other forms of sensory deprivation are good for helping the mind travel beyond the body's limits because one wishes to escape the tedium and discomfort of them. (I'm sorry, but even a flotation tank gets uncomfortable eventually!) Scourging and other repetitive acts also use tedium as a release but are more stimulating than being bound or floating in a tank. (They do NOT use pain. If they're being done THAT intensely, they're being done incorrectly... ) Chanting and mantras use repetitive sound and the inherent nature of some sounds to produce altered states of consciousness. Drugs (which normally means incense and MAYBE alcohol but NOT hallucinogens and such) variously stimulate, relax, disinhibit or otherwise change one's mental state. And that brings us back to the Great Rite and other forms of sex magick, which attempt to involve all levels from the physical to the Divine Within at one time. That's VERY thumbnail; but if anyone wants to know more, I'll be glad to elaborate on the ones I use or have seen used. Oh, and I can--and should--add that the various Paths can be used in combination as well as separately, that there's some variation from one tradition to another as to what the Eight Paths are, and that not ALL traditions have Eight Paths per se! Bright blessings! Granny Spider Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 222 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Balance of the God and Goddess Adrienne I see the God as That is Created and Destroyed; the Goddess is the Creator and the Destroyer. His knowledge is experiential and he sees the cycle of rebirth from the unique perspective of the being that experiences it. He understands, more so than the Goddess, how the cycle shapes the world of the living. His life cycle of birth to full power to age to death to rebirth parallels our own lives on this earth. The Goddess loves Her children, the God understands His. Through the love they bear for each other, they share in both the knowledge of the mystery of rebirth and in the power, but the knowledge remains His province and the power rests in Her. --- Maximus-CBCS v1.02 * Origin: Pandora's Box, Ottawa, Ontario (93:9630/1) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 223 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Where do we go from here? By Pete Carroll Occult revivals occur when the social, economic or intellectual status quo is disturbed by the unexpected. Affluence combined with the collapse of the Roman state religion caused one revival. The rediscovery of classical knowledge in the Renaissance brought about another. Dissatisfaction with catholic hellfire christianity spawned spiritualism, theosophy, the Golden Dawn and Crowley. In our own time anti-semitism, affluence, drugs and oriental ideas spawned another outburst. Occult revivals are stimulated by economics and by the availability, rather than the creation of ideas. Roman culture was subject to a huge influx of ideas, cults and philosophies from conquered peoples. Written material surviving from this synthesis appeared again as hermetics in the Renaissance. The revivals of the late nineteenth century and the nineteen-sixties owe much to the availability of scientific ideas and oriental philosophies. It is probably more useful then, to look for impending changes in the general situation rather than within the occult itself if we want to second guess the next revival. The period between one revival and the next is shortening rapidly and we are probably due for another around the turn of the century, give or take a decade. I`d like to try and identify some of the factors which may help shape it. Firstly the millennium. Christianity is unfortunately not yet completely extinguished and humanity will have to cope with a rising tide of apocalypse mania as the calendrical millennium draws closer. Right wing christian fundamentalists in America may even be in a political position to inaugurate a real Armageddon by then. I hope that whatever courage and imagination there is in the occult is put to good use in undermining this sort od idiocy. Those occultists who do jump on the millennial bandwagon have only disaster or ridicule to look forward to. Economics has a powerful effect on the occult climate. A fairly rapid increase in affluence will often provoke a revival as leisure time becomes available and some minds turn to higher things. Conversely, a decline in living conditions will sometimes make people seek what they have lost, or a substitute, by occult means. Boom propelled revivals are usually much more fun than slump propelled upsurges. In this country, any increment in occultism arising from socio-economic desperation, is likely to be some species of neo-nazi mystic nationalism. As with millennium madness, the greater honour will, in the long run, go to those occultists who oppose such nonsense. However, the metaphysical fallout from the sixties may yet carry us through to the next boom revival and these problems may not yet arise. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 224 It seems unlikely that anthropology or archaeology will be able to make fresh ideas available for cannibalization by the occult in the next revival. Computerized libraries, satellite photography and global communication systems leave few stones unturned. There seems little chance lost ancient manuscripts, magical tribes or forgotten occult civilizations coming to light nowadays. So it is to science itself that I think we should turn for fresh ammunition. There are already discernable strains of space mysticism in some quarters of the occult. Questions about the reality or otherwise of supposed visits by aliens should not distract us from recognizing that UFO-mania itself is a mystico-religious phenomena. The UFO-ologist wants to personally receive wisdom for the whole of humanity from some superhuman being. Seeking angels in space suits is to repeat humanity`s perennial mistake, pretending to look outside for what is really inside ourselves. Quantum physics has been quietly undermining the whole basis of mechanistic cause and effect type science for nearly sixty years. It has been said that if you are not shocked by the implications of quantum physics then you have not understood it. This may be perfectly true for the scientist but for the magician, quantum physics provides elegant confirmation of many of his theories. A quantitative approach to quantum physics is beyond all but the best mathematician. Many of the principles are enshrined in equations for which we have few verbal or visual analogies. Because of this very few laymen or philosophers have been able to appreciate what has been going on. Briefly in qualitative terms, we now have hard experimental evidence which strongly implies that physical process are, at root, acausal; they just happen out of themselves and that consciousness, or at least the decisions of the observer, can modify or control what happens. Secondly it would seem that pure information can travel anywhere instantaneously and perhaps persists indefinitely, providing there is some sort of affinity, or magical link as we would call it, between that which emits and that which receives. Very few liberties need to be taken with quantum physics to fit in virtually the whole of parapsychology. It remains to be seen if quantum physics can be presented in sufficiently accessible form to provoke another occult revival. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 225 A quantum based revival would effectively demolish the spirit hypothesis. A "spirit" would have to be recognized as nothing more than the information that a phenomenon emitted about itself when it existed physically. Anything else would have to be put down to the creativity of the observer`s subconsciousness. Thus the "tree-ness" of a tree or the quality of a thought is just an extension of the object itself on the plane of non-local information. If you talk to Egyptian gods your subconsciousness is, at best, simply animating the general personality characteristics of the gods projected by their worshippers millennia ago. Spirits cannot be gaseous vertebrates with powers of independent discursive thought. On the practical level quantum physics implies that the medium of magic is not some sort of nebulous psychic energy or force, it is simply a transfer of information. Magical healing or attack is accomplished by long range telepathic suggestion not by astral bandages or thunderbolts. The quantum paradigm forces a re-examination of reincarnation. There is no reason why anybody should not be able to tap the memories of any historical person. Conversely we can all look forward to fragments of our ideas and personalities manifesting in other people in the future. Telekinesis and related phenomena can be accommodated within the quantum paradigm if we allow intent to expand upon the small degree of fundamental uncertainty, or more properly indeterminacy, in the position and momentum of any object. Prophecy is always the most doubtful of the magical arts although short term prediction or precognition can often be impressive. The quantum model allows for this providing the operator later observes the precognised event. Such apparent nonsense as astrology and homeopathy begin to make more sense in a quantum paradigm which suggests that expectation can have real effects via what one might call a magical level. This is quite over and above the purely psychological effects of expectation that materialists usually invoke to explain away these things. I`ve heard the quantum occult paradigm described as Big Bang Mysticism and Electro Gnosis. I rather like this, for it implies that the universe is being viewed as a self-created magical organism and that magic itself is a technology we can potentially master because it is a part of the nature of ordinary reality. Of course, what is missing in this scheme are the pseudo certainties of belief in gods and higher powers or even a benign cosmic mind. It throws us back on our own powers and ingenuities, but isn`t this what the best occultism has always been about anyway ? Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 226 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com (811) Mon 29 Apr 91 3:26 By: Madoc To: Chris Anderson Re: What's this "Right" stuff, anyway? St: ------------------------------------------------------------ @PID: RA 1.01 @MSGID: 8:7703/8 4dba2fe8 >What would a Wiccan provide as an explanation for behavior that was >"contrary" in the sense that you've given? We've all seen folks behave in a way that is *apparently* inconsistent with stated beliefs, even those that are closely held. What do you believe is the basis for the difference between a "positive direction along the Path" and actual behavior that is contrary to this by one who earnestly seeks "the Path"? The answer is stated clearly enough for many other religions, but I've never had the opportunity to hear a Wiccan add his/her windage on this topic. Flip Wilson's answer obviously isn't going to apply, so where do we go with it? ;) Chris, sorry for the delay in answering your question. I have written and re-written my response, and although I still may not have answered your question herein, I feel that I must reply at last. First, I must stipulate that what follows is my own interpretation of Wiccan belief, and my own sense of "morals." You know, the usual disclaimer. Second, I wish to deal briefly with the concept of separation of Law and Moral. What I am writing here has absolutely no relation to the practice of law. I do not advocate murder, for example, nor do I think that murder should go unpunished by the State. I recognize that we live in a society which must have rules in order that the maximum amount of freedom may be enjoyed by all. I would not hesitate, if I were a juror, to vote to send a proven criminal to jail, or even to death, if the situation warranted it. Therefore, let none who read my words mistake my moral convictions with my beliefs about our judaical system - I am not in disagreement with the majority of our laws as they exist. Finally; the point: To save space, I'll omit the dictionary definition of 'sin.' I think we all understand that Christians believe in sin, Wiccans do not. As you have stated, members of other religions have their rules clearly stated, so that one may easily decide if one is in error or not (although it's often not quite *that* easy). Wiccans claim to follow only the Rede, which states, "An it harm none, do as thou shalt." You have asked how a Wiccan can stray from such a path. The answer is complex and far-reaching, and even delves into (ugh) philosophy. I'll try to keep it succinct. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 227 If one thoughtfully examines the Rede, it quickly becomes apparent that almost every action has the potential to harm some creature in some way. Drawing breath can kill micro-organisms that float unseen, in the atmosphere. Drinking water does the same thing. One could choose to marry, and ultimately bring pain and suffering on future generations of children by way of an unhappy union. There is literally no way that one could possibly foresee all circumstances and avoid harming anyone. Yet, that is what the Rede demands. What is the answer? In my opinion, the answer is obvious. The Wiccan must choose. Each and every Wiccan is responsible for their own actions, and will be accountable to themselves for the results of those actions. The wheels turns, and each Wiccan reaps what they have sown. No Godly mandate or indulgence can save us from the results of our own actions, be they good or bad. But, with ultimate responsibility comes ultimate freedom. No God can shackle my soul or subject me to that which I do not Will. I am supreme within myself, and I am the "captain of my soul." I have chosen to obey certain of society's laws and mores. I have chosen to be a "good" man. Mine is the reward for choosing such action, and mine will be the punishment if I fail to meet my self-imposed responsibilities. As you jested, I cannot claim Flip Wilson's famous defence. Nor do I claim that such things as I do well stem from my Creator - in ultimate hubris, I claim that "As I Will, so mote it be." Every day, I am met with new decisions. I make those decisions, and then I live with the consequences of my actions. In my opinion, that is what makes me human, what sets me apart from the animals. Man alone can choose, man alone is not chained to genetically imprinted behavior. I have been asked why, if there is the possibility that the Christian deity exists, do I not choose Christianity on the possibility that it is correct? This is Pascal's famous wager. If I wager that (the Christian) God exists and I am correct, then I win all. If I am wrong and God does not exist, then I have lost nothing, and have lived (hopefully) a good and productive life in the bargain. Why would anyone not accept this wager? My answer to that is that I would not willingly serve any God that would choose one of His/Her creations over another, the good over the bad, the shriven over the heathen. If I had definitive proof that such a God existed, I would actively oppose Him/Her. I would rather suffer the cold comfort of damnation than continue to exist in a hereafter peopled with only the "saved." This is my choice, and again, as I Will, so mote it be. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 228 >What do you believe is the basis for the difference between a "positive direction along the Path" and actual behavior that is contrary to this by one who earnestly seeks "the Path"? A fine, difficult question, Chris. As you've stated elsewhere, we've been dancing all around this one for some time. Here goes: I cannot determine what any one individual's Path is. I am not even sure of my own. I often follow forks in the road until they come to a dead end, and have to double back. Of course, that's the problem one faces in following one's own Will, and not a set of directions laid down by God. My concept of the Path is that it is like many roads, all of which lead eventually to self-knowledge (enlightenment, Godhead, nirvana, and so on). In my theology, my ultimate goal is to become one with the God of my creation by gaining divine knowledge, or gnosis. We've discussed the concept of "hidden knowledge" in the past, yet I feel that my understanding of gnosis differs from yours. The entire concept of the ancient mystery religions, and of modern "occult" (which mean only 'hidden' after all) religions and practices was based on the concept of the inverted filter. Each person passed through successive layers of filters, gaining knowledge and understanding at each stop, until they could absorb no more (and so could not pass through the next layer of filter). Of course, at each level, the initiate was given to believe that they were now in possession of secret knowledge, and ultimate truth. If they could find legitimate questions that led them to reject or doubt those 'truths' and seek deeper meaning, then they passed through to the next level of understanding. If they did not question, then they were satisfied that they had gained truth. This 'hidden knowledge' can be obtained outside of the constraints of organized religion; in fact it originally was obtained independently. Just as Newton's Laws could eventually be figured out by a person ignorant of his discoveries, one could find a Path to enlightenment separate from any of the mystery religions. However, just as one attends school to learn that which is already known, so one pursues illumination from the teachings of those who have already achieved more than oneself. Further, I do not believe that there is one 'right' Path. I accept that the OTO has valuable knowledge to impart. I accept that Christian Mystics, Jewish Quabalists, Muslim Sufis, and so on all have some piece of the puzzle, and that all will eventually converge on the road to wisdom. I know because I have been to that intersection once or twice, although I am not there now. My Path is my own, and as Van Morrison said, I have "No teacher, no guru, no method." Can I move in a direction that is contrary to positive movement towards the Laughing Light? You bet. The tough part is that the definition of what is or is not 'positive' is not static. An example: it might be proper that I learn what it means to take another human being's life by killing an intruder in my home. It might not be proper that I learn that lesson by following the orders of a superior officer in time of war. OR VICE VERSA. I must choose at every instance, and I might not immediately know if my choice has given or taken from my search for truth. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 229 There are also times when I might know that I am actively choosing to deviate from my Path. I might choose to sooth a feeling of anxiety about whether or not I can pay the rent this month by yelling at my wife. I'm not using this as an example because it is traditionally "wrong," but because I know that I cannot solve my problems by transferring my anxiety to others. If I choose to ignore what I have already learned, then not only have I lost ground, but I will have to deal with the anger that I've given out at some point. In conclusion, I believe that I am responsible for my own actions, as others are for theirs. I also believe that if I commit an action which may seem 'right' to me, but which society has deemed to be a crime, I'll be punished by society for breaking that law. I would punish those who break the laws which are meant to hold our society together, such as prohibitions on murder, burglary, and so forth. I believe that my moral convictions are binding only on myself, not on others, and that I'll ultimately deal with the consequences of my thoughts and deeds. I believe that I have no right to judge the moral content of another's actions. I believe in the Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do as thou shalt," and I further believe that it is meant to make me consider my actions and their consequences, and to make my own decisions, rather than as a prohibition against any specific action. There is much that I do not know about Godhead; much that I do not know about Right and Wrong. I have only my instincts and intellect to guide me, but I trust myself to make the right decisions eventually. Madoc Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 230 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Sex & Magic Fra.: Apfelmann In this article I would like to address the issue of sex and magic. I am quite aware of the fact that this is a loaded subject. It is one of the oldest disciplines in occultism and virtually every magic tradition applies it somewhere down the road. Yet it has always been regarded as the innermost secret discipline. Witches, Shamans, Runesters, Yogis and Magicians of all varieties work with it in one form or another. To build up, strengthen, direct and aim this powerful energy is an awesome magical tool, as anyone who has ever worked with it knows. Being limited in time and space, but having such a wonderful and eclectic medium to work with, I want to give you a few unbiased ideas on the subject. No discipline of magic has attracted as much mumbo jumbo or misinformation as sex magic does. Nothing stirs the mind more than the left and right of the so-called middle path quite as vividly. Nothing is more ancient, powerful and misunderstood as Sex magic. Yes, the market on Tantra is booming, as a visit to any occult book shop will show you. Yet well researched, practical introductions into sex magic are virtually non-existent. Male sexist tunnel vision abounds. One of the reasons being that the general approach towards sexuality and women is steeped in Judeo-Christian hang ups. The most common approach seems to be: "Just lay down and be the altar dear, you are going to love it." Even such revolutionaries as Aleister Crowley have done very little to improve this. Louis Culling even dares to state in his contemporary work (1971), that a frigid woman is more conductive to sex magic practice than a sensual or, mind you, sexually aggressive one. For this would surely disturb ones concentration on the Great Work. No wonder that there are few women attracted to these kinds of partners! You will always get what you want in magic and the so-called true will does reveal itself in strange ways. Doing some soul searching and clarifying your motives is quite effective. Now, regarding literature on this subject there is hope. My german friend Fra.: U.D. has written a comprehensive, pragmatic book on sex magic. It`s title is "Secrets of the German Sex Magicians" (Llewellyn) and he told me last weekend that it is available in the States right now. (I hope he will give me some extracts to post them here...) It beats everything that has ever been published on the subject. Get it! Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 231 Now let me point out, one more time, that magic is a practical science. Merely reading about it or going to a workshop will not get you anywhere. The multitude of sexual expressions is just as great and manifold as human behavior in general. Here, like everywhere in Chaos Magic, it is useful to keep in mind that if it works for you, use it! Remember, the real sex magicians, male and female, have always known that and discarded social conditioning and taboos, right along with the do`s and don`ts of dogma. We do magic to liberate ourselves. So if it is possible for one thing to be sacred we logically conclude that everything else can be sacred too. Auto-, Hetero- and Homosexual expressions are equally valid in sex magic. It is more about expanding ones horizons that about finding a certain "right" way, partner or ritual to do it. The Chaos Magical paradigm kicks right in: Nothing is True, and Everything is Permitted! The next issue I want to address is the Auto-erotic practice. So let me state this loud and clear: Without auto erotic practice it is impossible to achieve anything in Sex magic! Auto-eroticism is of central importance because it is the ideal practice and playground. It constitutes a powerful technique in itself, and it makes us independent of partners. Especially in the beginning it is much easier to explore, prolong and amplify orgasmic trance states. For this very same reason it is possible to do effective sex magic with a partner who knows nothing about it but working with a partner who is equally trained in this art is ever so much more effective. Most amateurs believe that sexual magic is something that solely happens between partners in a ritual, but in reality the vast majority of sex magical arts are performed auto-erotically. Regarding the physical aspects of the sexual magical training first thing to consider is that your body is really _your temple_. And for it to be your ultimate tool and asset it has to be in peak condition. Physical and mental dependencies, be it alcohol, stimulants or even tobacco, will interfere with your ability to develop and direct this tool. I do not want to project a moral attitude on this, or any other subject, but mind, spirit and body are deeply intertwined. And the more you alter your mind from the outside by using drugs of any sort, the harder it gets to focus your will and physical reaction. If you are in a frizzy condition, you will get frizzy results! Here, as in all magic, the borders are fluid. A good training in practical magic will greatly enhance your sexual magic and vice versa. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 232 A lot of physical exercises in sex magic derive from Tantra Yoga. The only point of disagreement appears to be the way of using the orgasm. In particular, the "traditional" Tantra authors seem to cling to the idea that there is only a limited amount of sperm available to men. Therefore this precious substance is carefully guarded, held back and reassimilated when spent. Western magic does not agree with this belief. Its approach is rather like: the more you spend - the more you get! This applies to male magicians, women have always been pretty much inexhaustible in their orgasmic capacity. What joins both is that the intent in Sex magic is much more result oriented and concrete than in Tantra, where it is mainly transcendental. The longing for transcendence seems to be inherently natural in human behavior. Yet being western magicians living in the nineties we know that we have to handle the "real world", our physical reality first, and then we can move on to the loftier goals. A good manual for your physical preparation and training is "Stalking the Wild Orgasm" by Christopher Scott Kilham. Hie work not only includes some excellent yoga exercises, but also gives you some great clues regarding nutrition and aphrodisiacs. When you get going in this direction you will find that it soon penetrates into many other areas of your magical work. You will be in better physical shape, more relaxed, focused and grounded. Magic is a gut level art. We have to remove it from the intellectual stuff. Trust your own experiences. Strive to conduct your magic work from this part of your body where all magic originates - your loins. Have fun! With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann * Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 233 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com THE RIDDLE OF THE TRICKSTER a cross-cultural overview by Thunderspud of Dragonfhain Who is this trickster archetype, the one who inspires such mixed feelings and brouhaha? Trickster has been with us from the beginning. Trickster will be there at the ending. (If there is an ending, Trickster will probably trigger it). Trickster is a creator, a transformer, a joker, a truth teller, a destroyer. Whoever has created a dance, a song, written a ritual, tailor-made a job, birthed a child or invented a game has partaken of a controlled Trickster energy. After all, in Northwest Native and Inuit tradition, Raven created the world; Loki is known to the Norse as a co creator (and the bringer of Ragnarok); Anansi the spider-trickster among the Ashanti of Ghana and Nareau the spider in Micronesia; Coyote among the Southwest Natives --these are the creator aspects of this wild and uncontrolled energy. Trickster often begins in the void, desiring to bring Order out of Chaos; once Order is imposed, however, Trickster represents the breaking free of negative power from the Universal Order of things. As a shape-shifter, Trickster is all things to all people, at one time or another, and often simultaneously. Of course Trickster is a creator and a destroyer. Sure he's a family man and a vagabond. Naturally he gives fire to humans and then steals their food before they can cook it. This is his style; when he acts out of selfishness, everyone benefits -- Maui of the Thousand Tricks might snare the Sun to slow it down, making life easier for humans, but he did it so his mother would have more time to cook for him. When he acts out of altruism, there's most always a negative effect --Marawa, a Lou Costello prototype from Banks Island carved human figures from wood and put them in the ground so they would grow and be strong; however, they merely rotted and death came into the world of humans. This shape- shifter not only moves from shape to shape, but from world to world. Number Eleven suffered at the hands of death to free his brothers; his brothers then took his lifeless body away and revived him. In the Winnebago cycle, Trickster dies three times and returns to life three times. In just one collection of Coyote stories, Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping With His Daughter, Coyote dies of a snake bite, a gunshot, an arrow wound, a broken heart, a rock-fall and a drowning; this resembles nothing so much as a Roadrunner cartoon. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 234 Trickster fuzzes the lines between Male and Female, between cunning and stupidity (in one story Coyote steals a horse, in another he almost drowns trying to eat some berries reflected in a stream), between wisdom and stupidity. Trickster tells us the truth about our selves, showing us with truth and wit the sides of our nature that we may be more comfortable not acknowledging; he's the one who points at the Emperor's nakedness, he's Lenny Bruce and Ashleigh Brilliant, Ken Kesey and Uncle Remus, Opus, Geech, Tom Robbins, Abbie Hoffman, Don Becker, Weird Al Yankovich and David Letterman, holding up a skewed mirror of reality for us to look into. Among the Aztecs, as serious a culture as this continent has ever seen, Ueuecoyotl, a funny and outrageously unacceptable clown figure; in the Southwest, at serious rituals, he's the Koshare speeding around the circle with tickling feathers and rattle, being ignored completely by the priest. Trickster shines on as a culture bringer: Prometheus steals fire for his poor stunted creations, and pays a terrible and eternal price for his philanthropy. Loki also steals fire for humans, as do Anansi, Raven, Coyote, Maui; so far I have found no less than seventeen stories from different cultures on this theme. Anansi tricked Nyankopon the Sky-God out of his stories and gave them to the humans. Clat, from Banks Island, taught humans how to sleep. In the stories of the Ashanti, Anansi invented the tar-baby as a ruse to trap an elemental spirit, but in the Native American stories, Coyote is trapped by a tar-baby set up by a farmer. Actually the farmer had caught a rabbit with his tar-baby, but Coyote happened along and asked Rabbit what he was doing there. "The farmer who owns this field got mad at me because I wouldn't eat his melons, so he stuck me here and said he'd come back and make me eat chicken." Rabbit replies, "But I told him I wouldn't do it." Of course, greedy Coyote extricates Rabbit and wraps himself around the tar-baby where he still his when the farmer comes out and shoots him. So this is the Trickster, the energy that allows us to break out of our stereotypes, whether they've been imposed by ourselves, our families, our culture. This is the energy that opens the world of limitless possibilities and it behooves us all to work with it before it destroys us, to touch the Trickster as he touches us. ...........from RMPJ, Oct.'86 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 235 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Notes on Kabbalah (a continuing series of many parts) Copyright Colin Low 1991 Chapter 1.: The Tree of Life At the root of the Cabalistic view of the world are three fundamental concepts and they provide a natural place to begin. The three concepts are force, form and consciousness and these words are used in an abstract way, as the following examples illustrate: - high pressure steam in the cylinder of a steam engine provides a force. The engine is a form which constrains the force. - a river runs downhill under the force of gravity. The river channel is a form which constrains the water to run in a well defined path. - someone wants to get to the center of a garden maze. The hedges are a form which constrain that person's ability to walk as they please. - a diesel engine provides the force which drives a boat forwards. A rudder constrains its course to a given direction. - a politician wants to change the law. The legislative framework of the country is a form which he or she must follow if the change is to be made legally. - water sits in a bowl. The force of gravity pulls the water down. The bowl is a form which gives its shape to the water. - a stone falls to the ground under the force of gravity. Its acceleration is constrained to be equal to the force divided by the mass of the stone. - I want to win at chess. The force of my desire to win is constrained within the rules of chess. - I see something in a shop window and have to have it. I am constrained by the conditions of sale (do I have enough money, is it in stock). - cordite explodes in a gun barrel and provides an explosive force on a bullet. The gas and the bullet are constrained by the form of the gun barrel. - I want to get a passport. The government won't give me one unless I fill in lots of forms in precisely the right way. - I want a university degree. The university won't give me a degree unless I attend certain courses and pass various assessments. In all these examples there is something which is causing change Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 236 to take place ("a force") and there is something which causes change to take place in a defined way ("a form"). Without being too pedantic it is possible to identify two very different types of example here: 1. examples of natural physical processes (e.g. a falling stone) where the force is one of the natural forces known to physics (e.g. gravity) and the form is some combination of physical laws which constrain the force to act in a well defined way. 2. examples of people wanting something, where the force is some ill-defined concept of "desire", "will", or "drives", and the form is one of the forms we impose upon ourselves (the rules of chess, the Law, polite behavior etc.). Despite the fact that the two different types of example are "only metaphorically similar", Kabbalists see no fundamental distinction between them. To the Kabbalist there are forces which cause change in the natural world, and there are corresponding psychological forces which drive us to change both the world and ourselves, and whether these forces are natural or psychological they are rooted in the same place: consciousness. Similarly, there are forms which the component parts of the physical world seem to obey (natural laws) and there are completely arbitrary forms we create as part of the process of living (the rules of a game, the shape of a mug, the design of an engine, the syntax of a language) and these forms are also rooted in the same place: consciousness. It is a Cabalistic axiom that there is a prime cause which underpins all the manifestations of force and form in both the natural and psychological world and that prime cause I have called consciousness for lack of a better word. Consciousness is undefinable. We know that we are conscious in different ways at different times - sometimes we feel free and happy, at other times trapped and confused, sometimes angry and passionate, sometimes cold and restrained - but these words describe manifestations of consciousness. We can define the manifestations of consciousness in terms of manifestations of consciousness, which is about as useful as defining an ocean in terms of waves and foam. Anyone who attempts to define consciousness itself tends to come out of the same door as they went in. We have lots of words for the phenomena of consciousness - thoughts, feelings, beliefs, desires, emotions, motives and so on - but few words for the states of consciousness which give rise to these phenomena, just as we have many words to describe the surface of a sea, but few words to describe its depths. Kabbalah provides a vocabulary for states of consciousness underlying the phenomena, and one of the purposes of these notes is to explain this vocabulary, not by definition, but mostly by metaphor and analogy. The only genuine method of understanding what the vocabulary means is by attaining various states of consciousness in a predictable and reasonably objective way, and Kabbalah provides practical methods for doing this. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 237 A fundamental premise of the Cabalistic model of reality is that there is a pure, primal, and undefinable state of consciousness which manifests as an interaction between force and form. This is virtually the entire guts of the Cabalistic view of things, and almost everything I have to say from now on is based on this trinity of consciousness, force, and form. Consciousness comes first, but hidden within it is an inherent duality; there is an energy associated with consciousness which causes change (force), and there is a capacity within consciousness to constrain that energy and cause it to manifest in a well-defined way (form). First Principle of / Consciousness / / Capacity Raw to take ________________ Energy Form Figure 1. What do we get out of raw energy and an inbuilt capacity for form and structure? Is there yet another hidden potential within this trinity waiting to manifest? There is. If modern physics is to be believed we get matter and the physical world. The cosmological Big Bang model of raw energy surging out from an infinitesimal point and condensing into basic forms of matter as it cools, then into stars and galaxies, then planets, and ultimately living creatures, has many points of similarity with the Cabalistic model. In the Big Bang model a soup of energy condenses according to some yet-to-be-formulated Grand-Universal-Theory into our physical world. What Kabbalah does suggest (and modern physics most certainly does not!) is that matter and consciousness are the same stuff, and differ only in the degree of structure imposed - matter is consciousness so heavily structured and constrained that its behavior becomes describable using the regular and simple laws of physics. This is shown in Fig. 2. The primal, first principle of consciousness is synonymous with the idea of "God". Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 238 First Principle of / Consciousness / | / | Capacity | Raw to take _____________ Energy/Force Form | | / | / | / Matter The World Figure 2 The glyph in Fig. 2 is the basis for the Tree of Life. The first principle of consciousness is called Kether, which means Crown. The raw energy of consciousness is called Chockhmah or Wisdom, and the capacity to give form to the energy of consciousness is called Binah, which is sometimes translated as Understanding, and sometimes as Intelligence. The outcome of the interaction of force and form, the physical world, called Malkuth or Kingdom. This quaternery is a Cabalistic representation of God-the- Knowable, in the sense that it the most primitive representation of God we are capable of comprehending; paradoxically, Kabbalah also contains a notion of God-the-Unknowable which transcends this glyph, and is called En Soph. There is not much I can say about En Soph, and what I can say I will postpone for later. God-the-Knowable has four aspects, two male and two female: Kether and Chokhmah are both represented as male, and Binah and Malkuth are represented as female. One of the titles of Chokhmah is Abba, which means Father, and one of the titles of Binah is Aima, which means Mother, so you can think of Chokhmah as God- the-Father, and Binah as God-the-Mother. Malkuth is the daughter, the female spirit of God-as-Matter, and it would not be wildly wrong to think of her as Mother Earth. One of the more pleasant things about Kabbalah is that its symbolism gives equal place to both male and female. And what of God-the-Son? Is there also a God-the-Son in Kabbalah? There is, and this is the point where Kabbalah tackles the interesting problem of thee and me. The glyph in Fig. 2 is a model of consciousness, but not of self-consciousness, and self- consciousness throws an interesting spanner in the works. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 239 The Fall Self-consciousness is like a mirror in which consciousness sees itself reflected. Self-consciousness is modelled in Kabbalah by making a copy of figure 2. Consciousness of / Consciousness / | / | Consciousness | Consciousness of ________________ of Form | Energy/Force | / | / | / Consciousness of the World Figure 3 Figure 3. is Figure 2. reflected through self-consciousness. The overall effect of self-consciousness is to add an additional layer to Figure 2. as follows: First Principle of / Consciousness / | / | Capacity | Raw to take _____________ Energy/Force Form | | / | / | / Consciousness of / Consciousness / | / | Consciousness | Consciousness of ________________ of Form | Energy/Force | / | / | / Consciousness of the World | | | Matter The World Figure 4 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 240 Fig. 2 is sometimes called "the Garden of Eden" because it represents a primal state of consciousness. The effect of self- consciousness as shown in Fig. 4 is to drive a wedge between the First Principle of Consciousness (Kether) and that Consciousness realized as matter and the physical world (Malkuth). This is called "the Fall", after the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. From a Cabalistic point of view the story of Eden, with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the serpent and the temptation, and the casting out from the Garden has a great deal of meaning in terms of understanding the evolution of consciousness. Self-consciousness introduces four new states of consciousness: the Consciousness of Consciousness is called Tipheret, which means Beauty; the Consciousness of Force/Energy is called Netzach, which means Victory or Firmness; the Consciousness of Form is called Hod, which means Splendor or Glory, and the Consciousness of Matter is called Yesod, which means Foundation. These four states have readily observable manifestations, as shown below in Fig. 5: The Self Self-Importance Self-Sacrifice / | / | / | Language | Emotions Abstraction_______________Drives Reason | Feelings | / | / | / Perception / Imagination Instinct Reproduction Figure 5 Figure 4. is almost the complete Tree of Life, but not quite - there are still two states missing. The inherent capacity of consciousness to take on structure and objectify itself (Binah, God-the-Mother) is reflected through self-consciousness as a perception of the limitedness and boundedness of things. We are conscious of space and time, yesterday and today, here and there, you and me, in and out, life and death, whole and broken, together and apart. We see things as limited and bounded and we have a perception of form as something "created" and "destroyed". My car was built a year ago, but it was smashed yesterday. I wrote an essay, but I lost it when my computer crashed. My granny is dead. The river changed its course. A law has been repealed. I broke my coffee mug. The world changes, and what was here yesterday is not here today. This perception acts like an "interface" between the quaternary of consciousness which represents "God", and the quaternary which represents a living self-conscious being, and two new states are introduced to represent this interface. The state which represents the creation Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 241 of new forms is called Chesed, which means Mercy, and the state which represents the destruction of forms is called Gevurah, which means Strength. This is shown in Fig. 6. The objectification of forms which takes place in a self-conscious being, and the consequent tendency to view the world in terms of limitations and dualities (time and space, here and there, you and me, in and out, God and Man, good and evil...) produces a barrier to perception which most people rarely overcome, and for this reason it has come to be called the Abyss. The Abyss is also marked on Figure 6. First Principle of / Consciousness / | / | Capacity | Raw to take _____________ Energy/Force Form | | | | /| | | / | --------------Abyss--------------- | | / | Destruction | Creation of___________|_____ /____of Form | / Form | | / / | | | / / | | Consciousness / | | of | | / Consciousness | | / | | |/ | || Consciousness | Consciousness of ________________ of Form | Energy/Force | / / | / / | / / Consciousness / of / the World / / | / | / | / Matter The World Figure 6 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 242 The diagram in Fig. 6 is called the Tree of Life. The "constructionist" approach I have used to justify its structure is a little unusual, but the essence of my presentation can be found in the "Zohar" under the guise of the Macroprosopus and Microprosopus, although in this form it is not readily accessible to the average reader. My attempt to show how the Tree of Life can be derived out of pure consciousness through the interaction of an abstract notion of force and form was not intended to be a convincing exercise from an intellectual point of view - the Tree of Life is primarily a gnostic rather than a rational or intellectual explanation of consciousness and its interaction with the physical world. The Tree is composed of 10 states or sephiroth (sephiroth plural, sephira singular) and 22 interconnecting paths. The age of this diagram is unknown: there is enough information in the 13th. century "Sepher ha Zohar" to construct this diagram, and the doctrine of the sephiroth has been attributed to Isaac the Blind in the 12th. century, but we have no certain knowledge of its origin. It probably originated sometime in the interval between the 6th. and 13th. centuries AD. The origin of the word "sephira" is unclear - it is almost certainly derived from the Hebrew word for "number" (SPhR), but it has also been attributed to the Greek word for "sphere" and even to the Hebrew word for a sapphire (SPhIR). With a characteristic aptitude for discovering hidden meanings everywhere, Kabbalists find all three derivations useful, so take your pick. In the language of earlier Cabalistic writers the sephiroth represented ten primeval emanations of God, ten foci through which the energy of a hidden, absolute and unknown Godhead (En Soph) propagated throughout the creation, like white light passing through a prism. The sephiroth can be interpreted as aspects of God, as states of consciousness, or as nodes akin to the Chakras in the occult anatomy of a human being . I have left out one important detail from the structure of the Tree. There is an eleventh "something" which is definitely *not* a sephira, but is often shown on modern representations of the Tree. The Cabalistic "explanation" runs as follows: when Malkuth "fell" out of the Garden of Eden (Fig. 2) it left behind a "hole" in the fabric of the Tree, and this "hole", located in the center of the Abyss, is called Daath, or Knowledge. Daath is *not* a sephira; it is a hole. This may sound like gobbledy-gook, and in the sense that it is only a metaphor, it is. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 243 The completed Tree of Life with the Hebrew titles of the sephiroth is shown below in Fig. 7. En Soph /------------------------- / ( Kether ) / (Crown) / | / | / | Binah | Chokhmah (Understanding)__________ (Wisdom) (Intelligence) | | | | /| | Daath / | | (Knowledge) / | | | / | Gevurah | / Chesed (Strength)______|_____/__ (Mercy) | | / (Love) | | / / | | | / / | | Tipheret / | | / (Beauty) | | / | | | / | | |/ | || Hod | Netzach (Glory) _______________(Victory) (Splendor) | (Firmness) | / / | / / | / / | / / Yesod / / (Foundation) / / | / | / | / Malkuth (Kingdom) Figure 7 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 244 From an historical point of view the doctrine of emanations and the Tree of Life are only one small part of a huge body of Cabalistic speculation about the nature of divinity and our part in creation, but it is the part which has survived. The Tree continues to be used in the Twentieth Century because it has proved to be a useful and productive symbol for practices of a magical, mystical and religious nature. Modern Kabbalah in the Western Mystery Tradition is largely concerned with the understanding and practical application of the Tree of Life, and the following set of notes will list some of the characteristics of each sephira in more detail so that you will have a "snapshot" of what each sephira represents before going on to examine the sephiroth and the "deep structure" of the Tree in more detail. Chapter 2.: Sephirothic Correspondences The correspondences are a set of symbols, associations and qualities which provide a handle on the elusive something a sephira represents. Some of the correspondences are hundreds of years old, many were concocted this century, and some are my own; some fit very well, and some are obscure - oddly enough it is often the most obscure and ill-fitting correspondence which is most productive; like a Zen riddle it perplexes and annoys the mind until it arrives at the right place more in spite of the correspondence than because of it. There are few canonical correspondences; some of the sephiroth have alternative names, some of the names have alternative translations, the mapping from Hebrew spellings to the English alphabet varies from one author to the next, and inaccuracies and accretions are handed down like the family silver. I keep my Hebrew dictionary to hand but guarantee none of the English spellings. The correspondences I have given are as follows: 1. The Meaning is a translation of the Hebrew name of the sephira. 2. The Planet in most cases is the planet associated with the sephira. In some cases it is not a planet at all (e.g. the fixed stars). The planets are ordered by decreasing apparent motion - this is one correspondence which appears to pre-date Copernicus! 3. The Element is the physical element (earth, water, air, fire, aethyr) which has most in common with the nature of the Sephira. The Golden Dawn applied an excess of logic to these attributions and made a mess of them, to the confusion of many. Only the five Lower Face sephiroth have been attributed an element. 4. Briatic color. This is the color of the sephira as seen in the world of Creation, Briah. There are color scales for the other three worlds but I haven't found them to be useful in practical work. 5. Magical Image. Useful in meditations; some are astute. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 245 6. The Briatic Correspondence is an abstract quality which says something about the essence of the way the sephira expresses itself. 7. The Illusion characterizes the way in which the energy of the sephira clouds one's judgement; it is something which is *obviously* true. Most people suffer from one or more of these according to their temperament. 8. The Obligation is a personal quality which is demanded of an initiate at this level. 9. The Virtue and Vice are the energy of the sephiroth as it manifests in a positive and negative sense in the personality. 10. Klippoth is a word which means "shell". In medieval Kabbalah each sephira was "seen" to be adding form to the sephira which preceded it in the Lightning Flash (see Chapter 3.). Form was seen to an accretion, a shell around the pure divine energy of the Godhead, and each layer or shell hid the divine radiance a little bit more, until God was buried in form and exiled in matter, the end-point of the process. At the time attitudes to matter were tainted with the Manichean notion that matter was evil, a snare for the spirit, and consequently the Klippoth or shells were "demonised" and actually turned into demons. The correspondence I have given here restores the original notion of a shell of form *without* the corresponding force to activate it; it is the lifeless, empty husk of a sephira devoid of force, and while it isn't a literal demon, it is hardly a bundle of laughs when you come across it. 11. The Command refers to the Four Powers of the Sphinx, with an extra one added for good measure. 12. The Spiritual Experience is just that. 13. The Titles are a collection of alternative names for the sephira; most are very old. 14. The God Name is a key to invoking the power of the sephira in the world of emanation, Atziluth. 13. The Archangel mediates the energy of the sephira in the world of creation, Briah. 14. The Angel Order administers the energy of the sephira in the world of formation, Yetzirah. 15. The Keywords are a collection of phrases which summarize key aspects of the sephira. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 246 ================================================================= Sephira: Malkuth Meaning: Kingdom ------- ------- Planet: Cholem Yesodeth Element: earth --------(the Breaker of ------- the Foundations, sphere of the elements, the Earth) Briatic Color: brown Number: 10 ------------- (citrine, russet-red,------ olive green, black) Magical Image: a young woman crowned and throned ------------- Briatic Correspondence: stability ---------------------- Illusion: materialism Obligation: discipline -------- ---------- Virtue: discrimination Vice: avarice & inertia ------ ---- Klippoth: stasis Command: keep silent -------- ------- Spiritual Experience: Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel ------ Titles: The Gate; Gate of Death; Gate of Tears; Gate of Justice; ------ The Inferior Mother; Malkah, the Queen; Kallah, the Bride; the Virgin. ------ God Name: Adonai ha Aretz Archangel: Sandalphon -------- Adonai Malekh --------- Angel Order: Ishim ----------- Keywords:the real world, physical matter, the Earth, Mother Earth, the physical elements, the natural world, sticks & stones, possessions, faeces, practicality, solidity, stability, inertia, heaviness, bodily death, incarnation. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 247 ================================================================= Sephira: Yesod Meaning: Foundation ------- ------- Planet: Levanah (the Moon) Element: Aethyr -------------- ------- Briatic Color: purple Number: 9 ------------- ------ Magical Image: a beautiful man, very strong (e.g. Atlas) ------------- Briatic Correspondence: receptivity, perception ---------------------- Illusion: security Obligation: trust -------- ---------- Virtue: independence Vice: idleness ------ ---- Klippoth: zombieism, robotism Command: go! -------- ------- Spiritual Experience: Vision of the Machinery of the Universe -------------------- Titles: The Treasure House of Images ------ God Name: Shaddai el Chai Archangel: Gabriel -------- --------- Angel Order: Cherubim ---------- Keywords: perception, interface, imagination, image, appearance, glamour, the Moon, the unconscious, instinct, tides, illusion, hidden infrastructure, dreams, divination, anything as it seems to be and not as it is, mirrors and crystals, the "Astral Plane", Aethyr, glue, tunnels, sex & reproduction, the genitals, cosmetics, instinctive magic (psychism), secret doors, shamanic tunnel. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 248 ============================================================= Sephira: Hod Meaning: Glory, Splendor ------- ------- Planet: Kokab (Mercury) Element: air ------ ------- Briatic Color: orange Number: 8 ------------- ------ Magical Image: an hermaphrodite ------------- Briatic Correspondence: abstraction ---------------------- Illusion: order Obligation: learn -------- ---------- Virtue: honesty, truthfulness Vice: dishonesty ------ ---- Klippoth: rigidity Command: will -------- Spiritual Experience: Vision of Splendor ------ Titles: - ------ God Name: Elohim Tzabaoth Archangel: Raphael -------- --------- Angel Order: Beni Elohim Keywords: reason, abstraction, communication, conceptualization, logic, the sciences, language, speech, money (as a concept), mathematics, medicine & healing, trickery, writing, media (as communication), pedantry, philosophy, Kabbalah (as an abstract system), protocol, the Law, ownership, territory, theft, "Rights", ritual magic. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 249 =============================================================== Sephira: Netzach Meaning: Victory, Firmness ------- ------- Planet: Nogah (Venus) Element: water -------------- ------- Briatic Color: green Number: 7 ------------- ------ Magical Image: a beautiful naked woman ------------- Briatic Correspondence: nurture ---------------------- Illusion: projection Obligation: responsibility -------- ---------- Virtue: unselfishness Vice: selfishness ------ ---- Klippoth: habit, routine Command: know -------- Spiritual Experience: Vision of Beauty Triumphant ------ Titles: - ------ God Name: Jehovah Tzabaoth Archangel: Haniel -------- --------- Angel Order: Elohim ---------- Keywords: passion, pleasure, luxury, sensual beauty, feelings, drives, emotions - love, hate, anger, joy, depression, misery, excitement, desire, lust; nurture, libido, empathy, sympathy, ecstatic magic. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 250 ================================================================ Sephira: Tipheret Meaning: Beauty ------- ------- Planet: Shemesh (the Sun) Element: fire -------------- ------- Briatic Color: yellow Number: 6 ------------- ------ Magical Image: a king, a child, a sacrificed god ------------- Briatic Correspondence: centrality, wholeness ---------------------- Illusion: identification Obligation: integrity -------- ---------- Virtue: devotion to the Great Work Vice: pride, self-importance ------ ---- Klippoth: hollowness Command: dare -------- Spiritual Experience: Vision of Harmony -------------------- Titles: Melekh, the King; Zoar Anpin, the lesser countenance, the ------ Microprosopus; the Son; Rachamin, charity. God Name: Aloah va Daath Archangel: Michael -------- --------- Angel Order: Malachim ----------- Keywords: harmony, integrity, balance, wholeness, the Self, self- importance, self-sacrifice, the Son of God, centrality, the Philospher's Stone, identity, the solar plexus, a King, the Great Work. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 251 ================================================================ Sephira: Gevurah Meaning: Strength ------- ------- Planet: Madim (Mars) -------------- Briatic Color: red Number: 5 ------------- ------ Magical Image: a mighty warrior ------------- Briatic Correspondence: power ---------------------- Illusion: invincibility Obligation: courage & loyalty -------- ---------- Virtue: courage & energy Vice: cruelty ------ ---- Klippoth: bureaucracy -------- Spiritual Experience: Vision of Power -------------------- Titles: Pachad, fear; Din, justice. ------ God Name: Elohim Gevor Archangel: Kamael -------- --------- Angel Order: Seraphim ----------- Keywords: power, justice, retribution (eaten cold), the Law (in execution), cruelty, oppression, domination & the Power Myth, severity, necessary destruction, catabolism, martial arts. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 252 =============================================================== Sephira: Chesed Meaning: Mercy ------- ------- Planet: Tzadekh (Jupiter) -------------- Briatic Color: blue Number: 4 ------------- ------ Magical Image: a mighty king ------------- Briatic Correspondence: authority ---------------------- Illusion: being right Obligation: humility -------- (self-righteousness) ---------- Virtue: humility & obedience Vice: tyranny, hypocrisy, ------ ---- bigotry, gluttony Klippoth: ideology -------- Spiritual Experience: Vision of Love -------------------- Titles: Gedulah, magnificence, love, majesty ------ God Name: El Archangel: Tzadkiel -------- --------- Angel Order: Chasmalim ----------- Keywords: authority, creativity, inspiration, vision, leadership, excess, waste, secular and spiritual power, submission and the Annihilation Myth, the atom bomb, obliteration, birth, service. ================================================================ Non-Sephira: Daath Meaning: Knowledge ----------- ------- Daath has no manifest qualities and cannot be invoked directly. Keywords: hole, tunnel, gateway, doorway, black hole, vortex. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 253 ================================================================ Sephira: Binah Meaning: Understanding, ------- ------- Planet: Shabbathai (Saturn) ------ Briatic Color: black Number: 3 ------------- ------ Magical Image: an old woman on a throne ------------- Briatic Correspondence: comprehension ---------------------- Illusion: death -------- Virtue: silence Vice: inertia ------ ---- Klippoth: fatalism -------- Spiritual Experience: Vision of Sorrow -------------------- Titles: Aima, the Mother; Ama, the Crone; Marah, the bitter sea; Khorsia, the Throne; the Fifty Gates of Understanding; Intelligence; the Mother of Form; the Superior Mother. God Name: Elohim Archangel: Cassiel -------- --------- Angel Order: Aralim ----------- Keywords: limitation, form, constraint, heaviness, slowness, old- age, infertility, incarnation, karma, fate, time, space, natural law, the womb and gestation, darkness, boundedness, enclosure, containment, fertility, mother, weaving and spinning, death (annihilation). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 254 ================================================================== Sephira: Chokhmah Meaning: Wisdom ------- ------- Planet: Mazlot (the Zodiac, the fixed stars) -------------- Briatic Color: silver/white Number: 2 ------------- grey ------ Magical Image: a bearded man ------------- Briatic Correspondence: revolution ---------------------- Illusion: independence -------- Virtue: good Vice: evil ------ ---- Klippoth: arbitrariness -------- Spiritual Experience: Vision of God face-to-face ------ Titles: Abba, the Father. The Supernal Father. ------ God Name: Jah Archangel: Ratziel -------- --------- Angel Order: Auphanim ----------- Keywords: pure creative energy, lifeforce, the wellspring. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 255 ================================================================== Sephira: Kether Meaning: Crown ------- ------- Planet: Rashith ha Gilgalim (first swirlings, the Big Bang) -------------- Briatic Color: pure white Number: 1 ------------- ------ Magical Image: a bearded man seen in profile ------------- Briatic Correspondence: unity ---------------------- Illusion: attainment -------- Virtue: attainment Vice: --- ------ ---- Klippoth: futility -------- Spiritual Experience: Union with God -------------------- Titles: Ancient of Days, the Greater Countenance (Macroprosopus), the White Head, Concealed of the Concealed, Existence of Existences, the Smooth Point, Rum Maalah, the Highest Point. God Name: Eheieh Archangel: Metatron -------- --------- Angel Order: Chaioth ha Qadesh ----------- Keywords: unity, union, all, pure consciousness, God, the Godhead, manifestation, beginning, source, emanation. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 256 Chapter 3: The Pillars & the Lightning Flash ============================================ In Chapter 1. the Tree of Life was derived from three concepts, or rather one primary concept and two derivative concepts which are "contained" within it. The primary concept was called consciousness, and it was said to "contain" within it the two complementary concepts of force and form. This chapter builds on the idea by introducing the three Pillars of the Tree, and uses the Pillars to clarify a process called the Lightning Flash. The Three Pillars are shown in Figure 8. below. Pillar Pillar Pillar of of of Form Consciousness Force (Severity) (Mildness) (Mercy) Kether / (Crown) / | / | / | Binah | Chokhmah (Understanding)__________ (Wisdom) (Intelligence) | | | | /| | Daath / | | (Knowledge) / | | | / | Gevurah | / Chesed (Strength)______|_____/__ (Mercy) | | / (Love) | | / / | | | / / | | Tipheret / | | / (Beauty) | | / | | | / | | |/ | || Hod | Netzach (Glory) _______________(Victory) (Splendor) | (Firmness) | / / | / / | / / | / / Yesod / / (Foundation) / / | / | / | / Malkuth (Kingdom) Figure 8 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 257 Not surprisingly the three pillars are referred to as the pillars of consciousness, force and form. The pillar of consciousness contains the sephiroth Kether, Tiphereth, Yesod and Malkuth; the pillar of force contains the sephiroth Chokhmah, Chesed and Netzach; the pillar of form contains the sephiroth Binah, Gevurah and Hod. In older Cabalistic texts the pillars are referred to as the pillars of mildness, mercy and severity, and it is not immediately obvious how the older jargon relates to the new. To the medieval Kabbalist (and this is a recurring metaphor in the Zohar) the creation as an emanation of God is a delicate *balance* (metheqela) between two opposing tendencies: the mercy of God, the outflowing, creative, life-giving and sustaining tendency in God, and the severity or strict judgement of God, the limiting, defining, life-taking and ultimately wrathful or destructive tendency in God. The creation is "energized" by these two tendencies as if stretched between the poles of a battery. Modern Kabbalah makes a half-hearted attempt to remove the more obvious anthropomorphisms in the descriptions of "God"; mercy and severity are misleading terms, apt to remind one of a man with a white beard, and even in medieval times the terms had distinctly technical meanings as the following quotation shows [1]: "It must be remembered that to the Kabbalist, judgement [Din - judgement, another title of Gevurah] means the imposition of limits and the correct determination of things. According to Cordovero the quality of judgement is inherent in everything insofar as everything wishes to remain what it is, to stay within its boundaries." I understand the word "form" inprecisely this sense - itis that which defines *what* a thing is, the structure whereby a given thing is distinct from every other thing. As for "consciousness", I use the word "consciousness" in a sense so abstract that it is virtually meaningless, and according to whim I use the word God instead, where it is understood that both words are placeholders for something which is potentially knowable in the gnostic sense only - consciousness can be *defined* according to the *forms* it takes, in which case we are defining the forms, *not* the consciousness. The same qualification applies to the word "force". My inability to define two of the three concepts which underpin the structure of the Tree is a nuisance which is tackled traditionally by the use of extravagant metaphors, and by elimination ("not this, not that"). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 258 The classification of sephiroth into three pillars is a way of saying that each sephira in a pillar partakes of a common quality which is "inherited" in a progressively more developed and structured form from of the top of a pillar to the bottom. Tipheret, Yesod and Malkuth all share with Kether the quality of "consciousness in balance" or "synthesis of opposing qualities", or but in each case it is expressed differently according to the increased degree of structure imposed. Likewise, Chokhmah, Chesed and Netzach share the quality of force or energy or expansiveness, and Binah, Gevurah and Hod share the quality of form, definition and limitation. From Kether down to Malkuth, force and form are combined; the symbolism of the Tree has something in common with a production line, with molten metal coming in one end and finished cars coming out the other, and with that metaphor we are now ready to describe the Lightning Flash, the process whereby God takes on flesh, the process which created and sustains the creation. In the beginning...was Something. Or Nothing. It doesn't really matter which term we use, as both are equally meaningless in this context. Nothing is probably the better of the two terms, because I can use Something in the next paragraph. Kabbalists call this Nothing "En Soph" which literally means "no end" or infinity, and understand by this a hidden, unmanifest God-in- Itself. Out of this incomprehensible and indescribable Nothing came Something. Probably more words have been devoted to this moment than any other in Kabbalah, and it is all too easy to make fun the effort which has gone into elaborating the indescribable, so I won't, but in return do not expect me to provide a justification for why Something came out of Nothing. It just did. A point crystallized in the En Soph. In some versions of the story the En Soph "contracted" to "make room" for the creation (Isaac Luria's theory of Tsimtsum), and this is probably an important clarification for those who have rubbed noses with the hidden face of God, but for the purposes of these notes it is enough that a point crystallized. This point was the crown of creation, the sephira Kether, and within Kether was contained all the unrealized potential of the creation. An aspect of Kether is the raw creative force of God which blasts into the creation like the blast of hot gas which keeps a hot air balloon in the air. Kabbalists are quite clear about this; the creation didn't just happen a long time ago - it is happening all the time, and without the force to sustain it the creation would crumple like a balloon. The force-like aspect within Kether is the sephira Chokhmah and it can be thought of as the will of God, because without it the creation would cease to *be*. The whole of creation is maintained by this ravening, primeval desire to *be*, to become, to exist, to change, to evolve. The experiential distinction between Kether, the point of emanation, and Chokhmah, the creative outpouring, is elusive, but some of the difference is captured in the phrases "I am" and "I become". Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 259 Force by itself achieves nothing; it needs to be contained, and the balloon analogy is appropriate again. Chokhmah contains within it the necessity of Binah, the Mother of Form. The person who taught me Kabbalah (a woman) told me Chokhmah (Abba, the Father) was God's prick, and Binah (Aima, the mother) was God's womb, and left me with the picture of one half of God continuously ejaculating into the other half. The author of the Zohar also makes frequent use of sexual polarity as a metaphor to describe the relationship between force and form, or mercy and severity (although the most vivid sexual metaphors are used for the marriage of the Microprosopus and his bride, the Queen and Inferior Mother, the sephira Malkuth). The sephira Binah is the Mother of Form; form exists within Binah as a potentiality, not as an actuality, just as a womb contains the potential of a baby. Without the possibility of form, no thing would be distinct from any other thing; it would be impossible to distinguish between things, impossible to have individuality or identity or change. The Mother of Form contains the potential of form within her womb and gives birth to form when a creative impulse crosses the Abyss to the Pillar of Force and emanates through the sephira Chesed. Again we have the idea of "becoming", of outflowing creative energy, but at a lower level. The sephira Chesed is the point at which form becomes perceptible to the mind as an inspiration, an idea, a vision, that "Eureka!" moment immediately prior to rushing around shouting "I've got it! I've got it!" Chesed is that quality of genuine inspiration, a sense of being "plugged in" which characterizes the visionary leaders who drive the human race onwards into every new kind of endeavour. It can be for good or evil; a leader who can tap the petty malice and vindictiveness in any person and channel it into a vision of a new order and genocide is just as much a visionary as any other, but the positive side of Chesed is the humanitarian leader who brings about genuine improvements to our common life. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 260 No change comes easy; as Cordova points out "everything wishes to remain what it is". The creation of form is balanced in the sephira Gevurah by the preservation and destruction of form. Any impulse of change is channelled through Gevurah, and if it is not resisted then something will be destroyed. If you want to make paper you cut down a tree. If you want to abolish slavery you have to destroy the culture which perpetuates it. If you want to change someone's mind you have to destroy that person's beliefs about the matter in question. The sephira Gevurah is the quality of strict judgement which opposes change, destroys the unfamiliar, and corresponds in many ways to an immune system within the body of God. There has to be a balance between creation and destruction. Too much change, too many ideas, too many things happening too quickly can have the quality of chaos (and can literally become that), whereas too little change, no new ideas, too much form and structure and protocol can suffocate and stifle. There has to be a balance which "makes sense" and this "idea of balance" or "making sense" is expressed in the sephira Tiphereth. It is an instinctive morality, and it isn't present by default in the human species. It isn't based on cultural norms; it doesn't have its roots in upbringing (although it is easily destroyed by it). Some people have it in a large measure, and some people are (to all intents and purposes) completely lacking in it. It doesn't necessarily respect conventional morality: it may laugh in its face. I can't say what it is in any detail, because it is peculiar and individual, but those who have it have a natural quality of integrity, soundness of judgement, an instinctive sense of rightness, justice and compassion, and a willingness to fight or suffer in defense of that sense of justice. Tiphereth is a paradoxical sephira because in many people it is simply not there. It can be developed, and that is one of the goals of initiation, but for many people Tiphereth is a room with nothing in it. Having passed through Gevurah on the Pillar of Form, and found its way through the moral filter of Tiphereth, a creative impulse picks up energy once more on the Pillar of Force via the Sephira Netzach, where the energy of "becoming" finds its final expression in the form of "vital urges". Why do we carry on living? Why bother? What is it that compels us to do things? An artist may have a vision of a piece of art, but what actually compels the artist to paint or sculpt or write? Why do we want to compete and win? Why do we care what happens to others? The sephira Netzach expresses the basic vital creative urges in a form we can recognize as drives, feelings and emotions. Netzach is pre-verbal; ask a child why he wants a toy and the answer will be "I just do". "But why," you ask, wondering why he doesn't want the much more "sensible" toy you had in mind. "Why don't you want this one here." "I just don't. I want this one." "But what's so good about that one." "I don't know what to say...I just like it." Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 261 This conversation is not fictitious and is quintessentially Netzach. The structure of the Tree of Life posits that the basic driving forces which characterize our behavior are pre-verbal and non-rational; anyone who has tried to change another person's basic nature or beliefs through force of rational argument will know this. After Netzach we go to the sephira Hod to pick up our last cargo of Form. Ask a child why they want something and they say "I just do". Press an adult and you will get an earful of "reasons". We live in a culture where it is important (often essential) to give reasons for the things we do, and Hod is the sephira of form where it is possible to give shape to our wants in terms of reasons and explanations. Hod is the sephira of abstraction, reason, logic, language and communication, and a reflection of the Mother of Form in the human mind. We have a innate capacity to abstract, to go immediately from the particular to the general, and we have an innate capacity to communicate these abstractions using language, and it should be clear why the alternative translation of Binah is "intelligence"; Binah is the "intelligence of God", and Hod underpins what we generally recognize as intelligence in people - the ability to grasp complex abstractions, reason about them, and articulate this understanding using some means of communication. The synthesis of Hod and Netzach on the Pillar of Consciousness is the sephira Yesod. Yesod is the sephira of interface, and the comparison with computer peripheral interfaces is an excellent one. Yesod is sometimes called "the Receptacle of the Emanations", and it interfaces the emanations of all three pillars to the sephira Malkuth, and it is through Yesod that the final abstract form of something is realized in matter. Form in Yesod is no longer abstract; it is explicit, but not yet individual - that last quality is reserved for Malkuth alone. Yesod is like the mold in a bottle factory - the mold is a realization of the abstract idea "bottle" in so far as it expresses the shape of a particular bottle design in every detail, but it is not itself an individual bottle. The final step in the process is the sephira Malkuth, where God becomes flesh, and every abstract form is realized in actuality, in the "real world". There is much to say about this, but I will keep it for later. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 262 The process I have described is called the Lightning Flash. The Lightning Flash runs as follows: Kether, Chokhmah, Binah, Chesed, Gevurah, Tiphereth, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, Malkuth, and if you trace the Lightning Flash on a diagram of the Tree you will see that it has the zig-zag shape of a lightning flash. The sephiroth are numbered according to their order on the lightning flash: Kether is 1, Chokhmah is 2, and so on. The "Sepher Yetzirah" [2] has this to say about the sephiroth: "When you think of the ten sephiroth cover your heart and seal the desire of your lips to announce their divinity. Yoke your mind. Should it escape your grasp, reach out and bring it back under your control. As it was said, 'And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning,' in such a manner was the Covenant created." The quotation within the quotation comes from Ezekiel 1.14, a text which inspired a large amount of early Cabalistic speculation, and it is probable that the Lightning Flash as described is one of the earliest components of the idea of sephirothic emanation. The Lightning Flash describes the creative process, beginning with the unknown, unmanifest hidden God, and follows it through ten distinct stages to a change in the material world. It can be used to describe *any* change - lighting a match, picking your nose, walking the dog - and novices are usually set the exercise of analyzing any arbitrarily chosen event in terms of the Lightning Flash. Because the Lightning Flash can be used to understand the inner process whereby the material world of the senses changes and evolves, it is a key to practical magical work, and because it is intended to account for *all* change it follows that all change is equally magical, and the word "magic" is essentially meaningless (but nevertheless useful for distinguishing between "normal" and "abnormal" states of consciousness, and the modes of causality which pertain to each). It also follows that the key to understanding our "spiritual nature" does not belong in the spiritual empyrean, where it remains inaccessible, but in *all* the routine and unexciting little things in life. Everything is equally "spiritual", equally "divine", and there is more to be learned from picking one's nose than there is in a spiritual discipline which puts you "here" and God "over there". The Lightning Flash ends in Malkuth, and it can be followed like a thread through the hidden pathways of creation until one arrives back at the source. The next chapter will retrace the Lightning Flash by examining the qualities of each sephira in more detail. [1] Scholem, Gershom G. "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism", Schoken Books 1974 [2] Westcott, W. Wynn, ed. "Sepher Yetzirah". Many reprintings. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 263 Chapter 4: The Sephiroth ======================== This chapter provides a detailed look at each of the ten sephiroth and draws together material scattered over previous chapters. Malkuth ------- Malkuth is the Cinderella of the sephiroth. It is the sephira most often ignored by beginners, the sephira most often glossed over in Cabalistic texts, and it is not only the most immediate of the sephira but it is also the most complex, and for sheer inscrutability it rivals Kether - indeed, there is a Cabalistic aphorism that "Kether is in Malkuth, and Malkuth is in Kether, but after another manner". The word Malkuth means "Kingdom", and the sephira is the culmination of a process of emanation whereby the creative power of the Godhead is progressively structured and defined as it moves down the Tree and arrives in a completed form in Malkuth. Malkuth is the sphere of matter, substance, the real, physical world. In the least compromising versions of materialist philosophy (e.g. Hobbes) there is nothing beyond physical matter, and from that viewpoint the Tree of Life beyond Malkuth does not exist: our feelings of identity and self-consciousness are nothing more than a by-product of chemical reactions in the brain, and the mind is a complex automata which suffers from the disease of metaphysical delusions. Kabbalah is *not* a materialist model of reality, but when we examine Malkuth by itself we find ourselves immersed in matter, and it is natural to think in terms of physics, chemistry and molecular biology. The natural sciences provide the most accurate models of matter and the physical world that we have, and it would be foolishness of the first order to imagine that Kabbalah can provide better explanations of the nature of matter on the basis of a study of the text of the Old Testament. Not that I under-rate the intuition which has gone into the making of Kabbalah over the centuries, but for practical purposes the average university science graduate knows (much) more about the material stuff of the world than medieval Kabbalists, and a grounding in modern physics is as good a way to approach Malkuth as any other. For those who are not comfortable with physics there are alternative, more traditional ways of approaching Malkuth. The magical image of Malkuth is that of a young woman crowned and throned. The woman is Malkah, the Queen, Kallah, the Bride. She is the inferior mother, a reflection and realization of the superior mother Binah. She is the Queen who inhabits the Kingdom, and the Bride of the Microprosopus. She is Gaia, Mother Earth, but of course she is not only the substance of this world; she is the body of the entire physical universe. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 264 Some care is required when assigning Mother/Earth goddesses to Malkuth, because some of them correspond more closely to the superior mother Binah. There is a close and deep connection between Malkuth and Binah which results in the two sephiroth sharing similar correspondences, and one of the oldest Cabalistic texts [1] has this to say about Malkuth: "The title of the tenth path [Malkuth] is the Resplendent Intelligence. It is called this because it is exalted above every head from where it sits upon the throne of Binah. It illuminates the numinosity of all lights and causes to emanate the Power of the archetype of countenances or forms." One of the titles of Binah is Khorsia, or Throne, and the image which this text provides is that Binah provides the framework upon which Malkuth sits. We will return to this later. Binah contains the potential of form in the abstract, while Malkuth is is the fullest realization of form, and both sephiroth share the correspondences of heaviness, limitation, finiteness, inertia, avarice, silence, and death. The female quality of Malkuth is often identified with the Shekhinah, the female spirit of God in the creation, and Cabalistic literature makes much of the (carnal) relationship of God and the Shekhinah. Waite [7] mentions that the relationship between God and Shekhinah is mirrored in the relationship between man and woman, and provides a great deal of information on both the Shekhinah and what he quaintly calls "The Mystery of Sex". After the exile of the Jews from Spain in 1492, Kabbalists identified their own plight with the fate of the Shekhinah, and she is pictured as being cast out into matter in much the same way as the Gnostics pictured Sophia, the outcast divine wisdom. The doctrine of the Shekhinah within Kabbalah and within Judaism as a whole is complex and it is something I don't feel competent to comment further on; more information can be found in [3] & [7]. Malkuth is the sphere of the physical elements and Kabbalists still use the four-fold scheme which dates back at least as far as Empedocles and probably the Ark. The four elements correspond to four readily-observable states of matter: solid - earth liquid - water gas - air plasma - fire/electric arc (lightning) In addition it is not uncommon to include a fifth element so rarified and arcane that most people (self included) are pushed to say what it is; the fifth element is aethyr (or ether) and is sometimes called spirit. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 265 The amount of material written about the elements is enormous, and rather than reproduce in bulk what is relatively well-known I will provide a rough outline so that those readers who aren't familiar with Kabbalah will realize I am talking about approximately the same thing as they have seen before. A detailed description of the traditional medieval view of the four elements can be found in "The Magus" [2]. The hierarchy of elemental powers can be found in "777" [4] and in Golden Dawn material [5] - I have summarized a few useful items below: Element Fire Air Water Earth God Name Elohim Jehovah Eheieh Agla Archangel Michael Raphael Gabriel Uriel King Djin Paralda Nichsa Ghob Elemental Salamanders Sylphs Undines Gnomes It amused me to notice that the section on the elemental kingdoms in Farrar's "What Witches Do" [6] had been taken by Alex Saunders lock, stock and barrel from traditional Cabalistic and CM sources. The elements in Malkuth are arranged as follows: South Fire East Zenith Aethyr+ West Air Nadir Aethyr- Water North Earth I have rotated the cardinal points through 180 degrees from their customary directions so that it is easier to see how the elements fit on the lower face of the Tree of Life: Tiphereth Fire Hod Yesod Netzach Air Aethyr Water Malkuth Earth Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 266 It is important to distinguish between the elements in Malkuth, where we are talking about real substance (the water in your body, the breath in your lungs), and the elements on the Tree, where we are using traditional correspondences *associated* with the elements, e.g.: Earth: solid, stable, practical, down-to-earth Water: sensitive, intuitive, emotional, caring, fertile Air: vocal, communicative, intellectual Fire: energetic, daring, impetuous Positive Aethyr: glue, binding, plastic Negative Aethyr: unbinding, dissolution, disintegration Aethyr or Spirit is enigmatic, and I tend to think of it in terms of the forces which bind matter together. It is almost certainly a coincidence (but nevertheless interesting) that there are four fundamental forces - gravitational, electromagnetic, weak nuclear & strong nuclear - known to date, and current belief is that they can be unified into one fundamental force. On a slightly more arcane tack, Barret [2] has this to say about Aethyr: "Now seeing that the soul is the essential form, intelligible and incorruptible, and is the first mover of the body, and is moved itself; but that the body, or matter, is of itself unable and unfit for motion, and does very much degenerate from the soul, it appears that there is a need of a more excellent medium:- now such a medium is conceived to be the spirit of the world, or that which some call a quintessence; because it is not from the four elements, but a certain first thing, having its being above and beside them. There is, therefore, such a kind of medium required to be, by which celestial souls [e.g. forms] may be joined to gross bodies, and bestow upon them wonderful gifts. This spirit is in the same manner, in the body of the world, as our spirit is in our bodies; for as the powers of our soul are communicated to the members of the body by the medium of the spirit, so also the virtue of the soul of the world is diffused, throughout all things, by the medium of the universal spirit; for there is nothing to be found in the whole world that hath not a spark of the virtue thereof." Aethyr underpins the elements like a foundation and its attribution to Yesod should be obvious, particularly as it forms the linking role between the ideoplastic world of "the Astral Light" [8] and the material world. Aethyr is often thought to come in two flavors - positive Aethyr, which binds, and negative Aethyr, which unbinds. Negative Aethyr is a bit like the Universal Solvent, and requires as much care in handling ;-} Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 267 Working with the physical elements in Malkuth is one of the most important areas of applied magic, dealing as it does with the basic constituents of the real world. The physical elements are tangible and can be experience in a very direct way through recreations such as caving, diving, parachuting or firewalking; they bite back in a suitably humbling way, and they provide CMs with an opportunity to join the neo-pagans in the great outdoors. Our bodies themselves are made from physical stuff, and there are many Raja Yoga-like exercises which can be carried out using the elements as a basis for work on the body. If you can stand his manic intensity (Exercise 1: boil an egg by force of will) then Bardon [9] is full of good ideas. Malkuth is often associated with various kinds of intrinsic evil, and to understand this attitude (which I do not share) it is necessary to confront the same question as thirteenth century Kabbalists: can God be evil? The answer to this question was (broadly speaking) "yes", but Kabbalists have gone through many strange gyrations in an attempt to avoid what was for many an unacceptable conclusion. It was difficult to accept that famine, war, disease, prejudice, hate, death could be a part of a perfect being, and there had to be some way to account for evil which did not contaminate divine perfection. One approach was to sweep evil under the carpet, and in this case the carpet was Malkuth. Malkuth became the habitation for evil spirits. If one examines the structure of the Tree without prejudice then it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that evil is quite adequately accounted for, and there is no need to shuffle evil to the periphery of the Tree like a cleaner without a dustpan. The emanation of any sephirah from Chokhmah downwards can manifest as good or evil depending on circumstances and the point of view of those affected by the energy involved. This appears to have been understood even at the time of the writing of the "Zohar", where the mercy of God is constantly contrasted with the severity of God, and the author makes it clear that one has to balance the other - you cannot have the mercy without the severity. On the other hand, the severity of God is persistently identified with the rigors of existence (form, finiteness, limitation), and while it is true that many of the things which have been identified with evil are a consequence of the finiteness of things, of being finite beings in a world of finite resources governed by natural laws with inflexible causality, it not correct to infer (as some have) that form itself is *intrinsically* evil. The notion that form and matter are *intrinsically* evil, or in some way imperfect or not a part of God, may have reached Kabbalah from a number of sources. Scholem comments: "The Kabbalah of the early thirteenth century was the offspring of a union between an older and essentially Gnostic tradition represented by the book "Bahir", and the comparatively modern element of Jewish Neo-Platonism." Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 268 There is the possibility that the Kabbalists of Provence (who wrote or edited the "Sepher Bahir") were influenced by the Cathars, a late form of Manicheanism. Whether the source was Gnosticism, Neo-Platonism, Manicheanism or some combination of all three, Kabbalah has imported a view of matter and form which distorts the view of things portrayed by the Tree of Life, and so Malkuth ends up as a kind of cosmic outer darkness, a bin for all the dirt, detritus, broken sephira and dirty hankies of the creation. Form is evil, the Mother of Form is female, women are definitely and indubitably evil, and Malkuth is the most female of the sephira, therefore Malkuth is most definitely evil...quod erat demonstrandum. By the time we reach the time of S.L. Mathers and the Golden Dawn there is a complete Tree of evil demonic Klippoth *underneath* Malkuth as a reflection of the "good" Tree above it. I believe this may have something to do with the fact that meditations on Malkuth can easily become meditations on Binah, and meditations on Binah have a habit of slipping into the Abyss, and once in the Abyss it is easy to trawl up enough junk to "discover" an averse Tree "underneath" Malkuth. This view of the Klippoth, or Shells, as active, demonic evil has become pervasive, and the more energy people put into the demonic Tree, the less there is for the original. Abolish the Klippoth as demonic forces, and the Tree of Life comes alive with its full power of good *and* evil. The following quotation from Bischoff [10] (speaking of the Sephiroth) provides a more rational view of the Klippoth: Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 269 "Since their energy [of the sephiroth] shows three degrees of strength (highest, middle and lowest degree), their emanations group accordingly in sequence. We usually imagine the image of a descending staircase. The Kabbalist prefers to see this fact as a decreasing alienation of the central primeval energy. Consequently any less perfect emanation is to him the cover or shell (Klippah) of the preceding, and so the last (furthest) emanations being the so-called material things are the shell of the total and are therefore called (in the actual sense) Klippoth." This is my own view; the shell of something is the accretion of form which it accumulates as energy comes down the Lightning Flash. If the shell can be considered by itself then it is a dead husk of something which could be alive - it preserves all the structure but there is no energy in it to bring it alive. With this interpretation the Klippoth are to be found everywhere: in relationships, at work, at play, in ritual, in society. Whenever something dies and people refuse to recognize that it is dead, and cling to the lifeless husk of whatever it was, then you get a Klippah. For this reason one of the vices of Malkuth is Avarice, not only in the sense of trying to acquire material things, but also in the sense of being unwilling to let go of anything, even when it has become dead and worthless. The Klippah of Malkuth is what you would get if the Sun went out: Stasis, life frozen into immobility. The other vice of Malkuth is Inertia, in the sense of "active resistance to motion; sluggish; disinclined to move or act". It is visible in most people at one time or another, and tends to manifest when a task is new, necessary, but not particularly exciting, there is no excitement or "natural energy" to keep one fired up, and one has to keep on pushing right to the finish. For this reason the obligation of Malkuth is (has to be) self-discipline. The virtue of Malkuth is Discrimination, the ability to perceive differences. The ability to perceive differences is a necessity for any living organism, whether a bacteria able to sense the gradient of a nutrient or a kid working out how much money to wheedle out of his parents. As Malkuth is the final realization of form, it is the sphere where our ability to distinguish between differences is most pronounced. The capacity to discriminate is so fundamental to survival that it works overtime and finds boundaries and distinctions everywhere - "you" and "me", "yours" and "mine", distinctions of "property" and "value" and "territory" which are intellectual abstractions on one level (i.e. not real) and fiercely defended realities on another (i.e. very real indeed). I am not going to attempt a definition of real and unreal, but it is the case that much of what we think of as real is unreal, and much of what we think of as unreal is real, and we need the same discrimination which leads us into the mire to lead us out again. Some people think skin color is a real measure of intelligence; some don't. Some people think gender is a real measure of ability; some don't. Some people judge on appearances; some don't. There is clearly a difference between a bottle of beer and a bottle of piss, but is the color of the *bottle* important? What *is* important? Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 270 What differences are real, what matters? How much energy do we devote to things which are "not real". Am I able to perceive how much I am being manipulated by a fixation on unreality? Are my goals in life "real", or will they look increasingly silly and immature as I grow older? For that matter, is Kabbalah "real"? Does it provide a useful model of reality, or is it the remnant of a world-view which should have been put to rest centuries ago? One of the primary exercises of an initiate into Malkuth is a thorough examination of the question "What is real?". The Spiritual Experience of Malkuth is variously the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel (HGA), or the Vision of the HGA (depending on who you believe). I vote for the Vision of the HGA in Malkuth, and the Knowledge and Conversation in Tiphereth. What is the HGA? According to the Gnosticism of Valentinus each person has a guardian angel who accompanies that individual throughout their life and reveals the gnosis; the angel is in a sense the divine Self. This belief is identical to what I was taught by the person who taught me Kabbalah, so some part of Gnosticism lives on. The current tradition concerning the HGA almost certainly entered the Western Esoteric Tradition as a consequence of S.L. Mather's translation [11] of "The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage", which contains full details of a lengthy ritual to attain the Knowledge and Conversation of the HGA. This ritual has had an important influence on twentieth century magicians and it is often attempted and occasionally completed. The powers of Malkuth are invoked by means of the names Adonai ha Aretz and Adonai Melekh, which mean "Lord of the World" and "The Lord who is King" respectively. The power is transmitted through the world of Creation by the archangel Sandalphon, who is sometimes referred to as "the Long Angel", because his feet are in Malkuth and his head in Kether, which gives him an opportunity to chat to Metatron, the Angel of the Presence. The angel order is the Ashim, or Ishim, sometimes translated as the "souls of fire", supposedly the souls of righteous men and women. In concluding this section on Malkuth, it worth emphasizing that I have chosen deliberately not to explore some major topics because there are sufficient threads for anyone with an interest to pick up and follow for themselves. The image of Malkuth as Mother Earth provides a link between Kabbalah and a numinous archetype with a deep significance for some. The image of Malkuth as physical substance provides a link into the sciences, and it is the case that at the limits of theoretical physics one's intuitions seem to be slipping and sliding on the same reality as in Kabbalah. The image of Malkuth as the sphere of the elements is the key to a large body of practical magical technique which varies from yoga-like concentration on the bodily elements, to nature-oriented work in the great outdoors. Lastly, just as the design of a building reveals much about its builders, so Malkuth can reveal a great deal about Kether - the bottom of the Tree and the top have much in common. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 271 References: [1] Westcott, W. Wynn, ed. "Sepher Yetzirah", many editions. [2] Barrett, Francis, "The Magus", Citadel 1967. [3] Scholem, Gershom G., "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism", Schocken 1974 [4] Crowley, A, "777", an obscure reprint. [5] Regardie, Israel, "The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic", Falcon, 1984. [6] Farrar, Stewart, "What Witches Do", Peter Davies 1971. [7] Waite, A.E, "The Holy Kabbalah", Citadel. [8] Levi, Eliphas, "Transcendental Magic", Rider, 1969. [9] Bardon, Franz, "Initiation into Hermetics", Dieter Ruggeberg 1971 [10] Bischoff, Dr. Erich, "The Kabbala", Weiser 1985. [11] Mathers, S.L., "The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage", Dover 1975. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 272 Chapter 4: The Sephiroth (continued) ======================== This chapter provides a detailed look at each of the ten sephiroth and draws together material scattered over previous chapters. Yesod ----- Yesod means "foundation", and that is what Yesod is: it is the hidden infrastructure whereby the emanations from the remainder of the Tree are transmitted to the sephira Malkuth. Just as a large building has its air-conditioning ducts, service tunnels, conduits, electrical wiring, hot and cold water pipes, attic spaces, lift shafts, winding rooms, storage tanks, a telephone exchange etc, so does the Creation, and the external, visible world of phenomenal reality rests (metaphorically speaking) upon a hidden foundation of occult machinery. Meditations on the nature of Yesod tend to be full of secret tunnels and concealed mechanisms, as if the Creation was a Gothic mansion with a secret door behind every mirror, a passage in every wall, a pair of hidden eyes behind every portrait, and a subterranean world of forgotten tunnels leading who knows where. For this reason the Spiritual Experience of Yesod is aptly named "The Vision of the Machinery of the Universe". Many Yesod correspondences reinforce this notion of a foundation, of something which lies behind, supports and gives shape to phenomenal reality. The magical image of Yesod is of "a beautiful naked man, very strong". The image which springs to mind is that of a man with the world resting on his shoulders, like one of the misrepresentations of the Titan Atlas (who actually held up the heavens, not the world). The angel order of Yesod is the Cherubim, the Strong Ones, the archangel is Gabriel, the Strong or Mighty One of God, and the God-name is Shaddai el Chai, the Almighty Living God. The idea of a foundation suggests that there is a substance which lies behind physical matter and "in-forms it" or "holds it together", something less structured, more plastic, more refined and rarified, and this "fifth element" is often called aethyr. I will not attempt to justify aethyr in terms of current physics (the closest concept I have found is the hypothesized Higgs field); it is a convenient handle on a concept which has enormous intuitive appeal to many magicians, who, when asked how magic works, tend to think in terms of a medium which is directly receptive to the will, something which is plastic and can be shaped through concentration and imagination, and which transmits their artificially created forms into reality. Eliphas Levi called this medium the "Astral Light". It is also natural to imagine that mind, consciousness, and the soul have their habitation in this substance, and there are volumes detailing the properties of the "Etheric Body", the "Astral Body", the "Causal Body" [1,2] and so on. I don't take this stuff too seriously, but I do like to work with the kind of natural intuitions which occur spontaneously and independently in a large number of people - there is power in these intuitions - and it is a mistake to invalidate them because they sound cranky. When I talk about Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 273 aethyr or the Astral Light, I mean there is an ideoplastic substance which is subjectively real to many magicians, and explanations of magic at the level of Yesod revolve around manipulating this substance using desire, imagination and will. The fundamental nature of Yesod is that of *interface*; it interfaces the rest of the Tree of Life to Malkuth. The interface is bi-directional; there are impulses coming down from Kether, and echoes bouncing back from Malkuth. The idea of interface is illustrated in the design of a computer system: a computer with a multitude of worlds hidden within it is a source of heat and repair bills unless it has peripheral interfaces and device drivers to interface the world outside the computer to the world "inside" it; add a keyboard and a mouse and a monitor and a printer and you have opened the door into another reality. Our own senses have the same characteristic of being a bi-directional interface through which we experience the world, and for this reason the senses correspond to Yesod, and not only the five traditional senses - the "sixth sense" and the "second sight" are given equal status, and so Yesod is also the sphere of instinctive psychism, of clairvoyance, precognition, divination and prophecy. It is also clear from accounts of lucid dreaming (and personal experience) that we possess the ability to perceive an inner world as vividly as the outer, and so to Yesod belongs the inner world of dreams, daydreams and vivid imagination, and one of the titles of Yesod is "The Treasure House of Images". Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 274 To Yesod is attributed Levanah, the Moon, and the lunar associations of tides, flux and change, occult influence, and deeply instinctive and sometimes atavistic behavior - possession, mediumship, lycanthropy and the like. Although Yesod is the foundation and it has associations with strength, it is by no means a rigid scaffold supporting a world in stasis. Yesod supports the world just as the sea supports all the life which lives in it and sails upon it, and just as the sea has its irresistible currents and tides, so does Yesod. Yesod is the most "occult" of the sephiroth, and next to Malkuth it is the most magical, but compared with Malkuth its magic is of a more subtle, seductive, glamorous and ensnaring kind. Magicians are drawn to Yesod by the idea that if reality rests on a hidden foundation, then by changing the foundation it is possible to change the reality. The magic of Yesod is the magic of form and appearance, not substance; it is the magic of illusion, glamour, transformation, and shape-changing. The most sophisticated examples of this are to be found in modern marketing, advertising and image consultancies. I do not jest. My tongue is not even slightly in my cheek. The following quote was taken from this morning's paper [3]: Although the changes look cosmetic, those responsible for creating corporate image argue that a redesign of a company's uniform or name is just the visible sign of a much larger transformation. "The majority of people continue to misunderstand and think that it is just a logo, rather than understanding that a corporate identity programme is actually concerned with the very commercial objective of having a strong personality and single-minded, focussed direction for the whole organization, " said Fiona Gilmore, managing director of the design company Lewis Moberly. "It's like planting an acorn and then a tree grows. If you create the right *foundation* (my itals) then you are building a whole culture for the future of an organization." I don't know what Ms. Gilmore studies in her spare time, but the idea that it is possible to manipulate reality by manipulating symbols and appearances is entirely magical. The same article on corporate identity continues as follows: "The scale of the BT relaunch is colossal. The new logo will be painted on more than 72,000 vehicles and trailers, as well as 9,000 properties. The company's 92,000 public payphones will get new decals, and its 90 shops will have to changed, right down to the yellow door handles. More than 50,000 employees are likely to need new uniforms or "image clothing". Note the emphasis on *image*. The company in question (British Telecom) is an ex-public monopoly with an appalling customer relations problem, so it is changing the color of its door handles! This is Yesodic magic on a gigantic scale. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 275 The image manipulators gain most of their power from the mass-media. The mass-media correspond to two sephiroth: as a medium of communication they belong in Hod, but as a foundation for our perception of reality they belong in Yesod. Nowadays most people form their model of what the world (in the large) is like via the media. There are a few individuals who travel the world sufficiently to have a model based on personal experience, but for most people their model of what most of the world is like is formed by newspapers, radio and television; that is, the media have become an extended (if inaccurate) instrument of perception. Like our "normal" means of perception the media are highly selective in the variety and content of information provided, and they can be used by advertising agencies and other manipulative individuals to create foundations for new collective realities. While on the subject of changing perception to assemble new realities, the following quote by "Don Juan" [4] has a definite Cabalistic flavour: "The next truth is that perception takes place," he went on, "because there is in each of us an agent called the assemblage point that selects internal and external emanations for alignment. The particular alignment that we perceive as the world is the product of a specific spot where our assemblage point is located on our cocoon." One of the titles of Yesod is "The Receptacle of the Emanations", and its function is precisely as described above - Yesod is the assemblage point which assembles the emanations of the internal and the external. In addition to the deliberate, magical manipulation of foundations, there are other important areas of magic relevant to Yesod. Raw, innate psychism is an ability which tends to improve as more attention is devoted to creative visualization, focussed meditation (on Tarot cards for example), dreams (e.g. keeping a dream diary), and divination. Divination is an important technique to practice even if you feel you are terrible at it (and especially if you think it is nonsense), because it reinforces the idea that it is permissible to "let go" and intuits meanings into any pattern. Many people have difficulty doing this, feeling perhaps that they will be swamped with unreason (recalling Freud's fear, expressed to Jung, of needing a bulwark against the "black mud of occultism"), when in reality their minds are swamped with reason and could use a holiday. Any divination system can be used, but systems which emphasize pure intuition are best (e.g. Tarot, runes, tea-leaves, flights of birds, patterns on the wallpaper, smoke. I heard of a Kabbalist who threw a cushion into the air and carried out divination on the basis of the number of pieces of foam stuffing which fell out). Because Yesod is a kind of aethyric reflection of the physical world, the image of and precursor to reality, mirrors are an important tool for Yesod magic. Quartz crystals are also used, probably because of the use of crystal balls for divination, but also because quartz crystal and amethyst have a peculiarly Yesodic quality in their own right. The average New Age shop filled with crystals, Tarot cards, silver jewelry (lunar association), perfumes, dreamy music, and all the glitz, glamour Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 276 and glitter of a demonic magpie's nest, is like a temple to Yesod. Mirrors and crystals are used passively as foci for receptivity, but they can also be used actively for certain kinds of aethyric magic - there is an interesting book on making and using magic mirrors which builds on the kind of elemental magical work carried out in Malkuth [5]. Yesod has an important correspondence with the sexual organs. The correspondence occurs in three ways. The first way is that when the Tree of Life is placed over the human body, Yesod is positioned over the genitals. The author of the Zohar is quite explicit about "the remaining members of the Microprosopus", to the extent that the relevant paragraphs in Mather's translation of "The Lesser Holy Assembly" remain in Latin to avoid offending Victorian sensibilities. The second association of Yesod with the genitals arises from the union of the Microprosopus and his Bride. This is another recurring theme in Kabbalah, and the symbolism is complex and refers to several distinct ideas, from the relationship between man and wife to an internal process within the body of God: e.g [6]. "When the Male is joined with the Female, they both constitute one complete body, and all the Universe is in a state of happiness, because all things receive blessing from their perfect body. And this is an Arcanum." or, referring to the Bride: "And she is mitigated, and receiveth blessing in that place which is called the Holy of Holies below." or, referring to the "member": "And that which floweth down into that place where it is congregated, and which is emitted through that most holy Yesod, Foundation, is entirely white, and therefore is it called Chesed. Thence Chesed entereth into the Holy of Holies; as it is written Ps. cxxxiii. 3 'For there Tetragrammaton commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.'" It is not difficult to read a great deal into paragraphs like this, and there are many more in a similar vein. Suffice to say that the Microprosopus is often identified with the sephira Tiphereth, the Bride is the sephira Malkuth, and the point of union between them is obviously Yesod. The third and more abstract association between Yesod and the sexual organs arises because the sexual organs are a mechanism for perpetuating the *form* of a living organism. In order to get close to what is happening in sexual reproduction it is worth asking the question "What is a computer program?". Well, a computer program indisputably begins as an idea; it is not a material thing. It can be written down in various ways; as an abstract specification in set theoretic notation akin to pure mathematics, or as a set of recursive functions in lambda Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 277 calculus; it could be written in several different high level languages - Pascal, C, Prolog, LISP, ADA, ML etc. Are they all they same program? Computer scientists wrestle with this problem: can we show that two different programs written in two different languages are in some sense functionally identical? It isn't trivial to do this because it asks fundamental questions about language (any language) and meaning, but it is possible in limited cases to produce two apparently different programs written in different languages and assert that they are identical. Whatever the program is, it seems to exist independently of any particular language, so what is the program and where is it? Let us ignore that chestnut and go on to the next level. Suppose we write the program down. We could do it with a pencil. We could punch holes in paper. We could plant trees in a pattern in a field. We can line up magnetic domains. We can burn holes in metal foil. I could have it tattooed on my back. We can transform it into radically different forms (that is what compilers and assemblers do). It obviously isn't tied to any physical representation either. What about the computer it runs on? Well, it could be a conventional one made with CMOS chips etc.....but aren't there a lot of different kinds and makes of computer, and they can all run the same program. It is also quite practical to build computers which *don't* use electrons - you could use mechanics or fluids or ball bearings - all you need to do is produce something with the functionality of a Turing machine, and that isn't hard. So not only is the program not tied to any particular physical representation, but the same goes for the computer itself, and what we are left with is two puffs of smoke. On another level this is crazy; computers are real, they do real things in the real world, and the programs which make them work are obviously real too....aren't they? Now apply the same kind of scrutiny to living organisms, and the mechanism of reproduction. Take a good look at nucleic acids, enzymes, proteins etc., and ask the same kind of questions. I am not implying that life is a sort of program, but what I am suggesting is that if you try to get close to what constitutes a living organism you end up with another puff of smoke and a handful of atoms which could just as well be ball-bearings or fluids or....The thing that is being perpetuated through sexual reproduction is something quite abstract and immaterial; it is an abstract form preserved and encoded in a particular pattern of chemicals, and if I was asked which was more real, the transient collection of chemicals used, or the abstract form itself, I would answer "the form". But then, I am a programmer, and I would say that. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 278 I find it astonishing that there are any hard-core materialists left in the world. All the important stuff seems to exist at the level of puffs of smoke, what Kabbalists call form. Roger Penrose, one of the most eminent mathematicians living has this to say [7]: "I have made no secret of the fact that my sympathies lie strongly with the Platonic view that mathematical truth is absolute, external and eternal, and not based on man-made criteria; and that mathematical objects have a timeless existence of their own, not dependent on human society nor on particular physical objects." "Ah Ha!" cry the materialists, "At least the atoms are real." Well, they are until you start pulling them apart with tweezers and end up with a heap of equations which turn out to be the linguistic expression of an idea. As Einstein said, "The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible", that is, capable of being described in some linguistic form. I am not trying to convince anyone of the "rightness" of the Cabalistic viewpoint. What I am trying to do is show that the process whereby form is impressed on matter (the relationship between Yesod and Malkuth) is not arcane, theosophical mumbo- jumbo; it is an issue which is alive and kicking, and the closer we get to "real things" (and that certainly includes living organisms), the better the Cabalistic model (that form precedes manifestation, that there is a well-defined process of formation with the "real world" as an outcome) looks. The illusion of Yesod is security, the kind of security which forms the foundation of our personal existence in the world. On a superficial level our security is built out of relationships, a source of income, a place to live, a vocation, personal power and influence etc, but at a deeper level the foundation of personal identity is built on a series of accidents, encounters and influences which create the illusion of who we are, what we believe in, and what we stand for. There is a warm, secure feeling of knowing what is right and wrong, of doing the right thing, of living a worthwhile life in the service of worthwhile causes, of having a uniquely privileged vantage point from which to survey the problems of life (with all the intolerance and incomprehension of other people which accompanies this insight), and conversely there are feelings of despair, depression, loss of identity, and existential terror when a crack forms in the illusion, and reality shows through - Castaneda calls it "the crack in the world". The smug, self-perpetuating illusion which masquerades as personal identity at the level of Yesod is the most astoundingly difficult thing to shift or destroy. It fights back with all the resources of the personality, it will enthusiastically embrace any ally which will help to shore up its Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 279 defenses - religious, political or scientific ideology; psychological, sociological, metaphysical and theosophical claptrap (e.g. Kabbalah); the law and popular morality; in fact, any beliefs which give it the power to retain its identity, uniqueness and integrity. Because this parasite of the soul uses religion (and its esoteric offshoots) to sustain itself they have little or no power over it and become a major part of the problem. There are various ways of overcoming this personal demon (Carroll [8], in an essay on the subject, calls it Choronzon), and the two I know best are the cataclysmic and the abrasive. The first method involves a shock so extreme that it is impossible to be the same person again, and if enough preparation has gone before then it is possible to use the shock to rebuild oneself. In some cases this doesn't happen; I have noticed that many people with very rigid religious beliefs talk readily about having suffered traumatic experiences, and the phenomenon of hysterical conversion among soldiers suffering from war neuroses is well known. The other method, the abrasive, is to wear away the demon of self-importance, to grind it into nothing by doing (for example) something for someone else for which one receives no thanks, praise, reward, or recognition. The task has to be big enough and awful enough to become a demon in its own right and induce all the correct feelings of compulsion (I have to do this), helplessness (I'll never make it), indignation (what's the point, it's not my problem anyway), rebellion (I won't, I won't, not anymore), more compulsion (I can't give up), self-pity (how did I get into this?), exhaustion (Oh No! Not again!), despair (I can't go on), and finally a kind of submission when one's demon hasn't the energy to put up a struggle any more and simply gives up. The woman who taught me Kabbalah used both the cataclysmic and the abrasive methods on her students with malicious glee - I will discuss this in more detail in the section on Tiphereth. The virtue of Yesod is independence, the ability to make our own foundations, to continually rebuild ourselves, to reject the security of comfortable illusions and confront reality without blinking. The vice of Yesod is idleness. This can be contrasted with the inertia of Malkuth. A stone is inert because it lacks the capacity to change, but in most circumstances people can change and can't be bothered. At least, not today. Yesod has a dreamy, illusory, comfortable, *seductive* quality, as in the Isle of the Lotus Eaters - how else could we live as if death and personal annihilation only happened to other people? The Klippothic aspect of Yesod occurs when foundations are rotten and disintegrating and only the superficial appearance remains unchanged - Dorian Gray springs to mind, or cases where the brain is damaged and the body remains and carries out basic instinctive functions, but the person is dead as far as other people are concerned. Organizations are just as prone to this as people. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 280 [1] A.E. Powell, "The Etheric Double", Theosophical Publishing House, 1925 [2] A.E. Powell, "The Astral Body", Theosophical Publishing House, 1927 [3] "It's the Image Men We Answer To", The Sunday Times, 6th. Jan 1991 [4] Castenada, Carlos, "The Fire from Within", Black Swan, 1985. [5] N. R. Clough, "How to Make and Use Magic Mirrors", Aquarian 1977 [6] S.L. Mathers, "The Kabbalah Unveiled", Routledge & Kegan Paul 1981 [7] Roger Penrose, "The Emperor's New Mind", Oxford University Press 1989 [8] Peter J. Carroll, "Psychonaut", Samuel Weiser 1987. Copyright Colin Low 1991 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 281 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Footprints in the Chamber - Towards a Quantum Qabbala, by Fra.: +0- The Qabbala has through the ages been used as a directory towards the understanding of the universe and man`s relationship to it. Since former Aeons of magick have had their perceptions rooted in the observance of simple cause and effect relationships, the Qabbala itself, having attained its nascence in the earlier traditions, was unfortunately bogged down by this limited apprehension of the universe. Here mathematics as used in a more or less Pythagorean context provide a sort of key with which to approach the unfathomable nature of human consciousness. To this very day there are groups which still adhere to and openly practice the more traditional ramifications of Qabbalistic principles which are still firmly rooted in the mire of Nineteenth Century Newton-sewed-it-all-up-there-are-no-more-mysteries physics. But of course, owing to the leaps and bounds acquired by a very unpredictable but consistent quantum model of reality as observed in our laboratories, this simplistic view is necessarily obsolete. We no longer live, we have learned (if indeed we ever did) in a simple cause and effect universe where the source can always be gleaned from observable effect. For the same reasons, Newtonian-based magic must give way to a more quantum model. Newton`s apple must now take into consideration Heisenberg`s Uncertainty Principle. The secret wisdom must follow suit towards quantumization. Another unfortunate tendency of some modern practioners of Qabbala is to continue to regard everything from the standpoint of the Demiurge, Yahweh, which of course is the basis of the now obsolete (and dangerous) Judeo-Christian foundation of religious thought which has held western civilization in its thrall for about two thousand years. Personally I find it amazing that modern practioners, who despite no real Semitic disposition still practice an unmistakably orthodox Jewish mysticism. It was Aleister Crowley, that great Qabbalistic agent provocateur, who initiated the process of liberating the Qabbala from its otherwise Judaic orientation. (This is not anti-semitism but a necessary step towards individual development. It must also be stated that a Qabbala had been in use centuries earlier by the Egyptians. The Jews merely adopted it to their own religious precepts. They didn`t invent it. The actual origin most likely predates Egyptian history.) Crowley emphasized that the enlightened magician must, after careful study and application of his knowledge, develop his own Qabbalistic framework. By virtue of this the magician has arrived at a more chaotic paradigm in opposition to a purely empirical view. Crowley, by adapting the Qabbala to a Thelemic context initiated that first leap forward into the quantum age. Thus, the foundation for a more quantum/chaotic system was lain. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 282 I would like now to redefine the secret wisdom in terms of quantumization as follows: "The Qabbala is a table of observed synchronicities wherein multi- dimensional potentia overlap into the field of perception implying a correlation/interaction as perceived on a three-dimensional plane." The sum of the parts of the whole is determined by conceptual visualization and the observer`s ostensible observation thereof. It is therefore merely a perceptual tool for perceiving hidden meaning in the world determined entirely by the perceived-perception of the perciper (in the language of Satre), which will alter its form and content (via expansion and contradiction) according to the percipere`s own innate tendencies. The qabbala is no longer merely a mathematical construct of an ordered universe as conceived by divine will. Instead it becomes a kind of computerized network of extra-sensory information. Even the idea of a prima causa itself may be inadequate as well. This idea is based solely upon a linear time frame and is therefore a corollary of our erroneous perception of time whose actual nature may tend more towards the cyclical. Primitive man, for example was very well aware of this fact, and acted in accordance with it. (This may have to do with primitive people being more in tune with their own circadian rhythms. This expresses a more lunar-intuitive cycle rather than our own solar one.) If perception of time is based upon natural rhythms which effect the body coupled with our observance of nature, then our concept of time is entirely contrary to what nature itself is telling us. We are thus unaligned with a proper time framework. Since a cycle is essentially a circle, no beginning or ending can be found. And, it is already been theorized that there are other dimensions of reality in which time as we know it (in a durational, linear sense of perception) simply cannot exist. The universe has again and again defied our attempts a definable order upon it. Yet, mysteriously it does seem to act intelligently, even though this cannot be grasped by a rigid point A to point B structure. What emerges is a kind of chaotic mandala structure, and it is the task of quantum qabbalism to apprehend, as much as is possible, the interior of this structure. This opens the doors to practical mysticism as opposed to impractical mysticism. The qabbala must then be updated to accommodate this vital realization in regard to its properties of being able to regulate perceptive awareness via interacting forces springing from more or less hidden dimensions whose effect is known but not the cause. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 283 The understanding of the intention of creation is a product of the mind of the qabbalist himself. The fabric of reality is thereby flexible, effected by his own experience of it, and in turn, this experience determines his perception of it, which is altered by the interaction of these elements, more clearly understood as a transaction. In other words, one perceives his environment and that environment by virtue of one`s perception of it begins to act accordingly to the reality model which is believed to be true. This could be described as a kind of Copenhagen Interpretation as applied to qabbalistic principles. The qabbalist then shares a unique position of receiving qabbalistic impressions via observable systematic synchronicities by means of inclination represented in his own psyche. These impressions will translate back as meaningful data insofar as the transaction between observer and the observed becomes enacted. His perception modifies the universe and in turn, the universe modifies his perception. (This can serve as a representation of the union of microprosopus and macroprosopus.) The feedback of this required information will be meaningful to him alone as it is a byproduct of his own psychic field. He becomes a kind of decoder of esoteric information which he has learned to process. From this quantum/chaos framework the qabbala can be regarded as a four (or five) dimensional transaction as revealed in the mundane world, whereby an enriched quality of information provides the key to a higher understanding of the universe and of oneself, provided the person in question is capable of processing this information. From this perspective, ghosts, poltergeists, and other enigmas of paranormal phenomena can be understood as failed communication or remnants of a highly coded system which hasn`t been solved. The problem arises when one dimension fails to adequately "translate" into another. You might term this the Tower of Babel Effect. The information being received is misinterpreted due to inadequate tools of reception and perhaps an inability to use tools properly. There is also a basic misunderstanding of what this information means and to what extent the source can be determined. This is a little like trying to demonstrate fourth dimension physics by a purely three dimensional means. The instances of paranormal phenomena as described above, may be due to a discrepancy of overlapping dimensions which allows for a greater margin of error which impedes effective communication between the dimensions themselves. One is reminded of Plato`s parable of the cave, wherein the shadows of the things observed on the wall of the cave are mistaken for reality itself. Granted, a shadow does resemble the object projecting it, but it is hardly the object itself. It is the task of the quantum qabbalist to make allowances for this margin of interpretive miscalculation by preparing for it in advance and thus integrating this possible glitch into his qabbalistic computer. He makes allowances for this possible occurrence of organizational entropy and thus he is able to use it to his advantage. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 284 The idea of a qabbala based upon an exploration of prima causa is no longer valid in the quantum age. The quantumized qabbalist learns to regard himself in the mirror of chaos. For him, the old Gnostic dictum of "there is no part of me which is not of the gods", is literally true. His "Tree of Life" is based squarely upon the apprehension of his own enigmatic existence. He is more interested in a practical application of his qabbalistic ideas and principles for himself and others, than a cosmological game of hide and seek wherein one searches for a prima causa "God" figure. But even for this, he has an explanation: By careful observation of himself within the mirror of chaos he has learned that the miracle of creation is somehow a byproduct of his own consciousness and that he has played an inexplicable role in the very act itself. ("Did ye not know that ye were gods?") Joyously he has found that the tracks of God etched across the illimitable sands of time in the accelerated particle chambers of his own expanding consciousness. Thus has he learned to adore the divine mystery of existence donning the masks of creation. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 285 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Dark Night of the Soul Fra.: Apfelmann "The Dark Night of the Soul" is the name given to that experience of spiritual desolation that all students of the Occult pass through at one time or another. It is sometimes characterized by feelings that your occult studies or practices are not taken you anywhere, that the initial success that one is sometimes granted after a few months of occult working, has suddenly dried up. There comes a desire to give up on everything, to abandon exercises and meditation, as nothing seems to be working. St.John of the Cross. a christian mystic, said of this experience, that it; "...puts the sensory spiritual appetites to sleep, deadens them, and deprives them of the ability to find pleasure in anything. It binds the imagination, and impedes it from doing any good discursive work. It makes the memory cease, the intellect become dark and unable to understand anything, and hence it causes the will to become arid and constrained, and all the faculties empty and useless. And over this hangs a dense and burdensome cloud, which afflicts the soul, and keeps it withdrawn from the good." Though the beginner may view the onset of such an experience with alarm (I know I did), the "Dark Night" is not something bad or destructive. In one sense it may be seen as a trial, a test by which the Gods examine our resolve to continue with occult work, and if you are not completely whole-hearted about your magical studies, it is during this period (at its beginning) that you will give up. The Dark Night of the Soul should be welcomed, once recognized for what it is (I have always received an innate "warning" just before the onset of such a period), as a person might welcome an operation that will secure health and well-being. St.John of the Cross embraced the soul`s Dark Night as a Divine Appointment, calling it a period of "sheer grace" and adding; "O guiding Night, O Night more lovely than Dawn, O Night that has united the lover with his beloved Transforming the Lover in her Beloved." When entering the Dark Night one is overcome by a sense of spiritual dryness and depression. The notion, in some quarters, that all such experiences should be avoided, for a peaceful existence, shows up the superficiality of so much of contemporary living. The Dark Night is a way of bringing the Soul to stillness, so that deep psychic transformation may take place. All distractions must be set aside, and it is no good attempting to fight or channel the bursts of raw energy that from time to time may course through your being. This inner compulsion to set everything aside results in the outer depression, when nothing seems to excite. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 286 The only thing to do is obey your inner voice and become still, waiting for the inner transformation, (which the "Dark Night" heralds), to take place. You may not be aware for a very long time of the results of that inner change, but when the desire to work comes again and the depression lifts, the Dark Night has (for a moment) passed. No one can help during this time, and in many cases there is hardly anyone to turn for advice. One must disregard the well-meaning advice of family and friends to "snap out of it" this is no ordinary depression, but a deep spiritual experience which only those who have passed through themselves (in other words to a magical retreat) but for many, as the routines of everyday life prohibits this, all you can do is cultivate an inner solitude, a stillness and silence of heart, and wait, (like a chrysalis waits for the inner changes that will result in a butterfly) for the Transformation to work itself out. There are many such "Dark Nights" that the occult seeker must pass through during the mysterious process of mitigation. They are all trials but experience teaches one to cope more efficiently. With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann * Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 287 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Weaving Webs by David Rankine The Mantra Web is a very simple and effective technique for using sonics in a group. Choose a mantra with a number of syllables corresponding to the numbers of operators, eg. IAO for 3 people. The operators should link hands, left palm up and right palm down, and slowly start to circle clockwise, each vibrating their syllable. As this is done the operators should each project a thread of light from their Solar Plexus (Manipura chakra) to a central focal point. The color(s) of the threads of light should be determined before the operation according to its purpose and the current beliefs of the operators. As the speed and resonance of the mantra is built up over a period of time, so the web is empowered, until a climax is reached and the web energy directed by a pre-specified operator to its purpose. This is just a sketchy outline of the technique, which obviously can be used for much more than this. Some of the more common uses for this technique include healing (with the individual in the center at the focus, crystals would also boost the energy levels); sexual magick (with operator(s) in the center and, if possible, the climax timed accordingly); empowering sigils, and so on. If the operators vibrate their syllable alternately instead of together, the mantra will spin around the circle and have a positively disorienting effect on the operators. It is important that the operators visualize their thread of light continuously, and not just when vibrating their mantra syllable. I particularly recommend this technique for outdoor use, especially at suitably aspected power sites. However, if you are using a stone circle or any other site of magick, please do think about what aspects the site has, and preferably visit beforehand to achieve some rapport with the site. sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Supradimensionality Part I by Fra. Forovius The Quest for Unknown ENNEAD: Supradimensionality itself cannot be experienced directly; our senses are not equipped for it. We are used to aligning our consciousness with the three space dimensions, and these proceed along the dimension of time. Whereas we can move freely in space, we experience the dimension of time as a continuum that goes inevitably in one direction - from past to future, with no return. People often lay all their hopes and theories on some new, fourth or fifth, or whatever, dimension, when they are confronted with supernatural phenomena and ask themselves where it all came from. At the very least science fiction novels tend to overstress supradimensions; as a source of UFOs, for example, or of inexhaustible energy sources and similar things. In this article I would like to try out a little mind experiment with you to see if we might get a feeling for what it could be like if a gate opens to other dimensions. Let`s take a look: In answering the question about the meaning of the word "dimension", we should leave out all overburdened explanations, be it SciFi or traditional mathematics. Mathematics is a perfect symbolic language(!) for the relationships of numbers and quantities, as it is very accurate and gives exact results where normal language gives up. But not everything is true that can be proven by mathematics, it is just conclusive. Let`s use our imagination first... For the following we begin at the simplest point. Try to experience your surroundings as a one-dimensional being. You can use all your senses as in hot/cold, hard/soft, light/dark, silent/loud. You can move only along one line in one direction - forward. So, now you are sitting in your easy-chair and start to move as a tiny speck of dust. At first the world is soft and comfortable; the room`s center gets a bit more cool, although light; then, at the wall, it is extremely hard, dark and uncomfortable, and so on. For every section of the way you have gone you have a single, irreversible impression. Sounds familiar doesn`t it, like we think of the "eternal flow of time and aeons". But let`s steer clear od speculation that would not be apt for a speck of dust. Resume: when every section of this way has it`s own distinct characteristic (not affectable by time, because time doesn`t exist), it is inconceivable for us that in some places other conditions along the same length in same sector may exist, just to the right or left of the way. Don`t forget - right/left have not been invented yet! Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 289 Were it able to move left or right, if only slightly, it might be able to experience different conditions on the same spot of its one-dimensional axis (on a border, a corner, a different surface). But what lies outside its one-dimensional paradigm is unknowable. The model for this paradigm is, therefore, that along the dimension there can only be one condition at one spot. Let`s shift now to a 2-dimensional paradigm. Now the first dimension and the 2nd can be used, and the room presents itself to us like a section with an even surface. Along the first dimension there are still the same conditions as before, but to the side (left/right) there are some more. The model is changed as follows: along dimension 1 (length) there can be different conditions, but at different levels of dimension 2 (width). This new being acts in a more familiar manner as, like maps for example, it orients itself according to a horizontal and vertical axis. You can guess how the riddle continues. We learn to move or grow up and down. Now different conditions are possible on the same surface coordinates but at different heights and depths. In the new paradigm there is only one condition at one point in space. Finally, we shift to our normal paradigm by adding time. We can now observe different conditions at the same point of space at different times, and can formulate the paradigm as follows: At the same point in space only one object can exist at the same time. This is a long established model of physics, matching perfectly our mechanical world and our senses. In this mental experiment we have learned 2 things: 1, Moving along a dimension, one can recognize differences. This is the characteristic of a dimension, not its definition. 2, After each shift to the next dimension, the model (dogma) of the preceding one is superseded. Generally, the most recent dimension is a continuum, ie., a dimension that goes irreversible in one direction. Our own paradigm model consists of the (old) 3 space dimension plus the (new) time as a continuum. How could a world look like that contains one dimension more, the fifth one, called "E" or Ennead for example? (I think Ennead is an expression from a science fiction novel, but the Ancient Egyptians had a similar expression for the place where all possibilities exist that don`t exist here; or where all the possibilities manifest that are kept by us from manifesting in this world here.) You can construct the new model dogma by yourself: at one and the same point of space and time there CAN be different conditions (objects, colors, temperatures...), but at a different Ennead(!!). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 290 BUT: at the same point of space at the same time and Ennead, there is again only one condition (object etc.) possible! This game can theoretically be continued forever, but soon gets uninteresting, because everything becomes far-fetched. The step to the next dimension implies several interesting changes because: - first of all it calls for the parallel existence of different things and events, side-by-side and at the same spot of the space/time-paradigm. This sounds very much like the sometimes incomprehensible reports of mystic experiences, whether from contemporary times like the Seth-books, or long ago, like Meister Eckhart, Tauler or Seuse. It is also similar to the picture of the 4 worlds of the Kabbala which exists inside one another, and it makes certain Egyptian mysteries understandable. - it makes a huge number of connections possible that we normally would not think of. Numerous events inexplicable by rational thinking may have their roots here, because causality is only valid in the exact space/time paradigm and loses its ultimate character the moment a new dimension is brought in. - most probably, and here all thinking and imagination stops, it replaces the time continuum with a ubiquitous time dimension (like length, width and height in our paradigm) where we can move freely forwards and backwards - but always at the same Ennead. Again, this dimension shift doesn`t free us completely, it just opens a gate and makes the next border visible. The question about the quality or sense of this new E-dimension remains unanswered. But our familiar dimensions also have no state or sense or quality; they just exist and make us feel that they exist by limitations of our sense of movement etc. Although we live in this system, we cannot give a real definition of it (should we really?), only some more or less mathematical explanations. We just experience that along a dimension something changes. Dimensions let things happen. We feel something has changed along a dimension and we measure it by looking for regular changes. We measure time by observing the regular movements of the sun and the earth, but with no feeling for their pure quality. Also, a new dimension E would not change our world radically; its only effect to our paradigm would be that some additional things happened - miraculously side-by-side in time. But as we have no sensors for this, it would be totally imperceptible. And should a short impression slip through, it would be instantly erased by our mind`s censor. Moreover, if some of us should get to this dimension it would prove nearly impossible to explain it to others; having no common language, comparisons or symbols for it. This mental experiment has done its job, if we have achieved a feeling for what supradimensionality could be. Our paradigm is not the ultimate possibility, others exist - in between! Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 291 Other Forms of Existence: Anyone used to observing nature from the heart, will have seen that it doesn`t like to have jumps in it; especially when it is only to be fitted into an artificial theoretical system of the human brain`s. Therefore, it is not consequent to assume that our paradigm of a space+time-continuum is the only valid system. The motto cannot be: "either you are with us in our system, or you are non-existent!" - a logical chain that we tend to follow all too often. If there are more simple dimensional systems, they will surely have their inhabitants. However, the creative amongst you should refrain from designing flat monsters for a 2-dimensional world now. As explained before, this all exists in our world, one in the other! Again a little mental experiment may show us the way. Let`s imagine the following: 1, We put away all conditions related to the last dimension, the continuum. At the same time the last-but-one dimension becomes the continuum automatically, as explained before, because the last dimension always is a continuum (!!). It is interesting that our time-continuum physically is related only to movement, which means that everything able to move freely can experience time.(As stated here, the gift that our space+time paradigm gives to us is motion. Now, in Ancient Egypt, a very important symbol was the Ankh, meanings originally a sandal`s belt (scientists say). So, the meaning of the respective hieroglyph means "TO WALK". On Egyptian pictures, when a GOD gives life to a HUMAN he hands an ANKH to him, i.e. giving him LIFE = TO WALK = MOVEMENT.) So we ignore everything that has to do with motion. And the space becomes continuum. 2, We look for forms of existing lacking exactly that last paradigm element, ie., (in our case) time and movement. That means we are looking for something that fulfills the picture of this reduced paradigm. In our previous example: something that doesn`t move, but spreads in space continuously and irreversibly. Just let the picture grow before thinking further; that`s it - GROWING! Anything that grows steadily and cannot shrink deliberately. We may think of plants growing, clouds rising, micro-organism, fungi etc. For example, a tree starts from an exact point in space (the seed) and spreads evenly according to a distinct blueprint. Its size, especially the section rings of its stem, correlate exactly with its age; that means spatial growing and age match exactly. It cannot shrink definitely; it is able to drop leaves or branches, but they soon grow back to make it fill the same space occupied before. The process of spatial growth is irreversible. A harrowing thought - most probably we "grow" through time in the same manner! Maybe, even like some herbs or grass that die off in Autumn and grow again in the Spring - a picturesque allegory of death and rebirth! For our next example we again take one dimension less. Now there is no free (active) motion and no growth in space. The continuum is the surface. A much more tricky paradigm. Something existing here must have the tendency to spread in surface as much as possible and never contract again deliberately. Hmmm.. what`s the biggest surface on earth? Of course, water! Water, as a liquid, can be formed freely, as it has no fixed form and will mould itself to fit any surface. But it Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 292 cannot be compressed, and has the tendency to fill a space from beneath with the maximum of even surface at the same time. The gain with this form of existence is in the changeability of form - its flexibility and adaptability. The picture for this is the ocean, the river, or organisms like lichens which exist in clumps or patches. Our next move is one more step towards reduction of existence. Now there is no area and no spreading over a surface. The continuum is dimension 1, the line, and everything else is fixed. In this paradigm all solid objects exist. Changes, if any, are only allowed along one line and are irreversible as in falling towards a center of gravity for example, or rolling down a slope. This dimension 1 does not have to be a straight line, but is the most efficient and best way of coming nearer to the center of attraction. Irreversible. It`s interesting to see that we humans still align our orientation in space according to these same systems as described. The vertical line is a solid object hanging down, the plumb-rule; the horizontal surface, the level, is adjusted by hydrostatic balance (with water!). And the only independent (ie., not geodetic) system for measuring height is an instrument derived from a barometer (the altigraph), which works on the basis of the expansion and reduction of a specific gas volume in a sealed shell. These thoughts are certainly a little bit hard to chew on, but I`m sure they give enough themes for meditation. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 293 Here`s an example for a simple meditation; freestyle of course. Get yourself into a trance-journey somehow. You may use a shamanic technique or jump through a Tattwa sign or whatever you prefer and are best used to. Let`s take the water element for example. According to classical technique, you imagine the horizontal syrinx sign and go through it (but in silver and not in green as usual when you want to explore the water world) and become the water yourself. Try to let the feeling flow freely. Flow down, spread, split into drops while breaking on a stone that lies in the water way; flow down as a torrent etc.; trickle to the ground; evaporate to the sky; experience total passivity in the respect of controlled growth or active motion. Be totally passive! It is important to collect oneself after this meditation and perform a thorough earthing. This exercise is comparatively easy with the water element. It is also possible with a 3-dimensional system (plant or cloud), but more complicated, or with 1-dimensional system (solid object), but the latter takes a long time in my experience. The purpose of this exercise is to get a feeling for the structure and physical reality of other dimensional existence and their relation with other systems, and to comprehend that these need not be projected to distant universes, but really exist in our world and that we meet them every day. For people dealing with magic it is of immense value to get the right feeling of the existence of one universe in the other, and to be able to shift from a low dimensional system to a supradimensional system and vice versa. This is because we face many phenomena reaching into our paradigm from other systems. For example, severe distortions of reality go hand-in-hand with deep trance, (lucid) dreams and precognition. These all make our reality and our normal environment appear more or less different from normal experience: for example, when we experience our home in dream reality or on a mental journey, the table in the room isn`t where it normally used to be or maybe the window is on another wall and looks into a different landscape etc.. All this is due to distortions along the 5th dimension (the Ennead as I named it provisionally). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 294 Let`s continue our little mental experiment, but this time in the forward direction. At first we see no differences, when we go from our paradigm to a 4+1 dimensional system. Obviously we have no sense and no feeling for what`s happening when we go beyond our 3+1 (space+time) system. So the new mental experiment leads nowhere. It`s worth it to demonstrate that no practical model comes from mental speculations in this direction. But we can derive a description from our "experiences" with low-dimensional systems. Keeping the last paradigms in mind and adding a new dimension, the Ennead, we can formulate the new paradigm by same method as follows: "At the same place in space at the same time there ARE different conditions possible at different E-dimensions." Exactly like the addition of a "new" time-dimension to the old 2+1 (area+space) paradigm makes free movement possible for the first time, so also the addition of a new dimension E to our 3+1 paradigm makes it possible (at least theoretically) for the following to exist: - the one-inside-the-other-existence of different entities and conditions - parallel worlds - events occurring simultaneously in time - time travel (forward and backwards). The key to all this seems to be the existence of "parallel worlds", and I want to take a little look into how our ability to distinguish objects function. If different things exist on the same spot at the same time this implies that the same things exist in different worlds (systems, universes etc., it`s all the same!). The explanation for this you will find in the section Other Forms of Existence. Things are distinguishable for us by their presence (POSITION in space+time) and their QUALITY (that we check by our senses). They are different if they have different position and/or quality. Example: sheep A is as dull as sheep B, looks the same, sounds the same, smells the same. I know they are different as one stands beside the other (ie. at different positions at the same time). If there are enough sheep that are so similar and they run among each other, I can distinguish nothing. That is unless I mark them to make them look different; or one has changed its appearance, by having been sheared, for instance. Then it looks different at a different time, but still is essentially the same. In all these cases we orient according to differences and coherence of existence, and not very reliably at that. I want to show with this shaggy sheep tale that the question of continuous existence throughout different positions and qualities is not easily resolved, and therefore we should be carefully before we discount all talk of "double existence, parallel worlds etc.". Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 295 Existence is hard to imagine and contradicts with experience and commonsense unless we postulate the existence of parallel worlds in which all possibilities at least potential exist. But only one possibility becomes reality. By taking this thought further, we see that all these parallel worlds contain the possibilities of life, and we move through all this, making reality out of one of them - by DECISION or free will, call it as you like. A picture that we also find in some of Castaneda`s books. Outlook: The question remains unanswered is: What makes these parallel worlds manifest (ie. how often do "I" exist) or just remain hypothetical assumptions. But this is without importance for us at the moment. In a simple and subjective way, only that which we experience actually manifests. For me it appears dimly that out of Ennead only the parallel worlds through which we pass by our subjective experience, our acting and our reality become reality and sharply outlined. All else remains dim and unreal but may be experienced by others - who knows? This is similar to a widespread network of rails in a railway shunting station, with numerous railtracks linked by switches, but only ONE track being used by a train. The switches stand for important decisions which open this or that way. According to our decisions we pass a track leading more "up" or "down", more "ahead" or "back" (all seen from Ennead), or we just shuttle back and forth in the middle. To help to understand this we can look at certain games, like chess, that show how the chain of events is predetermined by decisions that lie far back in the past. By playing chess you can get an idea of the reality of fate, and that some errors taken in the past can hardly be set right whilst some may easily be. These causal chains may be very long in any case. The previously described Ennead system could work in a similar fashion to this: exactly like our space+time paradigm enables us to move, so the jump into the space/time+ennead paradigm opens the gates to potentiality and its network of connections. Although we cannot take part in this because of our limited senses, and we cannot jump into the next dimension and its adherent paradigm, we can take a peek behind the curtain and at least get a feeling for the kind of interference therein. It may open a new view on things hitherto believed to be inevitable: the passing of time, all our actions and interactions, and on fate itself. Are we just "programmed" towards another target or direction, that can only be seen from above, from Ennead, from the next dimension? Do we "move" in Ennead with our decisions (and this implies things like character, mental attitudes, views and opinions, by which we decide on this or that way)? Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 296 However, for a being fixed and rooted in his/its paradigm, there is not much difference how it decides. A root or a branch can grow in this or that way, and reacts to certain stimuli like light or water, but remains fixed and not suited for free movement. The more simple an animal is organized, the more unidirectional its reactions are: "lurk - snap - gorge" and suchlike. The (occasionally) more complex motivations of men lead me conclude that we may be on the threshold before the door to the next paradigm. (Similar to plant-like organisms, corals for example, that are fixed to the ground but can push out and pull in their tentacles... Hagazussa already?). We can "move" in this way - and this is certainly the most noble expression of "do what thou wilt" and Thelema - by influencing our position in Ennead consciously and constantly, and without mercy giving our decisions a certain orientation and thereby "moving" with this through Ennead and the parallel worlds. (If our personal "thelema" was not a nonsense ie. Choronzon.) I`m sure many of you have experienced that after somebody changed their attitude and opinions, sometimes their environment also begins to change, but without any causal reasons! Just the right people appear; some lucky (or unlucky) opportunities open up; old friends seem to withdraw and appear more and more strange... Maybe a new parallel world has opened, and you move in? But besides these speculations and as a last consequence this means we bring all that we face by our own decisions, and we blame nobody else but our own good selves for "all the bad luck and hard days we suffer from". On the other hand we are not responsible to anything/anybody/anygod for all the shit we are in... its our own hard way! All that has to do with character building starts here. Here and now and in our own earthbound and mortal life and in our own paradigm, we have the chance to move in a certain direction, perhaps "up" or "down" or maybe recognized only from aside/above/from Ennead. Even from the next paradigm maybe. But we have the chance NOW. Possibilities are numerous. Let`s use them for maximum experience. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 297 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com CELTIC CRAFT READING LIST - 6 JULY 1991 Rowan Moonstone *** Marks especially good books. Read these FIRST!! Keep in mind, this is simply a listing of the books that I have found useful. Question everything. A.E.(GEORGE RUSSELL); "The Candle of Vision", Quest Books, Theosophical Pub. 1975 ALFORD, VIOLET; "The Hobbyhorse & Other Animal Masks", Merlin Press 1978 AMERICAN CONFERENCE FOR IRISH STUDIES; "Guide to Irish Studies in the U.S.A." 1987 ANWYL, EDWARD; "Celtic Religion in Pre-christian Times", Archibald Constable & Co. 1906 *** ARTOS, ALLEN; "Arthur, The King of Light", Lorien House 1986 ASHE, GEOFFREY; "The Ancient Wisdom", London 1977 BAIN, GEORGE; "Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction", Dover Pub. 1973 BARBER, CHRIS; "Mysterious Wales", Paladin Press 1983 BOASE, WENDY; "Folklore of Hampshire & the Isle of Wight", Rowman & Littlefield 1976 BONWICK, JAMES; "Irish Druids and Old Irish Religion", Arno Press 1976 BORD, JANET & COLIN; "The Secret Country", Grenada 1978 *** BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Mysterious Britain", Grenada 1974 *** BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Earth Rites", Grenada 1983 *** BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Sacred Waters", Paladin Books 1986 *** BREFFNY, BRIAN DE, ed.; "Ireland, A Cultural Encyclopedia", Thames & Hudson 1983 BREFFNY, BRIAN DE; " The Irish World", Thames & Hudson 1986 BRIGGS, KATHERINE; "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees, & Boggarts", Pantheon 1979 BRIGGS, KATHERINE; "Nine Lives; Cats in Folklore", Rudledge & Kegen Paul 1980 BROWN, PETER, ed. & selected by; "Book of Kells", Alfred A. Knopf 1980 CAMPBELL, J.F. & GEORGE HENDERSON; "The Celtic Dragon Myth", Newcastle Pub. 1981 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 298 CARMICHAEL, ALEXANDER; "Celtic Invocations", Vineyard 1972 CASTLEDEN, RODNEY; "The Wilmington Giant", Turnstone 1983 CHADWICK, NORA; "The Celts", Pelician 1970 CHANT,JOY; "The High Kings", Bantam 1983 CHMELOVA, ELENA; "Celtic Tales", Exeter Books 1982 CLARE, T.; "Archelogical Sites of Devon & Cornwall", Moorland Pub. 1982 COGHLAN, RONAN; "Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend", Donard Press 1979 COHANE, JOHN PHILLIP; "The Key", Crown Pub. 1969 COLLUM, PADRAIG; "Treasury of Irish Folklore", Crown Pub. 1967 COLLUM, PADRAIC; "Treasury of Irish Folklore", rev. ed. Killenny Press 1967 COLLUM, PADRAIC; "The King of Ireland's Son", McMillian & sons 1933 CONWAY, D.J.; "Celtic Magic", Llewellyn Pub. 1990 COOKE, GRACE & IVAN; "The Light in Britain", White Eagle Pub. Trust 1983 COSMAN, MADELEINE, PELNER; "Medieval Holidays and Festivals", Charles Scribmer & Sons 1981 CROSSLEY-HOLLAND, KEVIN, ed.; "Mabon of the Mabinogion", Thorsen Pub. 1984 CUNLIFFE, BARRY; "The Celtic World", McGraw Hill MCMLXXIX *** CURTAIN, JEREMIAH; "Myths and Folk Tales of Ireland", Dover Books 1975 DAMES, MICHAEL; "The Avebury Cycle", Thames & Hudson 1977 *** DANAHER, KEVIN; "The Year in Ireland", (Leinster Leader, Ltd. 1972) Mercier Press 1972 *** DANIEL, GLYN & PAUL BAHN; "Ancient Places - The Prehistoric & Celtic Sites of Britian", Constable 1987 DAVIDSON, THOMAS; "Rowan Tree and Red Thread", Edinburgh 1949 DAVIES, EDWARD; "The Mythology and Rites of the British Druids", J. Booth 1809 DELANEY, FRANK; "The Celts", Little Brown & Co. 1986 DILLON, MYLES; "Early Irish Literature", University of Chicago Press 1948 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 299 DINNENN, REV. PATRICK S.; "Irish- English Dictionary", Irish Textes Society 1927 DUGGAN, COLM; "Treasures of Irish Folklore", Mercantile Marketing Consultants, Ltd. 1983 DYER, JAMES; "The Penguin Guide To Prehistoric England & Wales", Penguin Books EVANS-WENTZ, W. Y.; "The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries", Universtiy Books 1966 *** FELL, BARRY; "America, B.C.", Wallaby Books 1976 FITZPATRICK, JIM; "The Silver Arm", Paper Tiger Press 1981 FITZPATRICK, JIM; "The Book of Conquests", E.P. Dutton 1978 FLOWER, ROBIN; "The Irish Tradition", Clarendon Press 1947/1978 FORDE, JOHNSTON J.; "Prehistoric Britian & Ireland", W.W. Norton & Co. 1976 FRAZIER, SIR JAMES GORDON; "The Golden Bough", (The Macmillan Company, 1951) Avenel 1981 FRENCH, J.M.F.; "Prehistoric Faith and Worship", London 1912 FROUD, BRIAN & ALAN LEE; "Faeries", Harry M. Abrams 1978 GANTZ, JEFFERY; "Early Irish Myths & Sagas", Penquin 1982 GERALD OF WALES; "The History & Topography of Ireland", Penquin 1982 GLASSIE, HENRY; "Irish Folk History", University of Pennsylvannia Press 1982 GREGORY, LADY AUGUSTA; "Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland", Colin Smythe 1920/1979 GREGORY, LADY AUGUSTA; "Gods and Fighting Men of the Celts", John Murray 1913 *** GUARD, DAVID, "Dierdre: A Celtic Legend", Celestial Arts 1977 HERM, GERHARD; "The Celts", St. Martin's Press 1975 HIGGINS, GODFREY; "Celtic Druids", Philosohpical Research Society 1977 HOPE, MURRY; "Practical Celtic Magic", Aquarian Press 1987 IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Poems of Egan O'Rahilly", Rev. P.S. Dinnenn & T.O. Donough 1966 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 300 IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Duanaine Finn", Vol VII, part 1, ed. & trans. Eoin MacNeil IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; Keating, "History of Ireland, Vol 1-4, 1902/1987 IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Adventures of Suibhne Geilt", ed. & trans. J.G. O'Keefe 1913 IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Poems on the Marcher Lords", ed. Anne O'Sullivan & Padrain O'Riain 1987 IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Labor Gabala Erenn", parts 1-4, Trans. R.A.S. MacAlister 1941 *** JACKSON, KENNETH HURLSTONE; "A Celtic Miscellany", Penguin 1980 JACKSON, KENNETH HURLESTONE; "The Oldest Irish Tradition; A Window on the Iron Age", Cambridge 1964 JACOBS, JOSEPH; "Celtic Fairy Tales", Dover 1963 JONES, GWYN & THOMAS; "The Mabinogion", Dragon's Dream 1982 *** JOYCE, P.W.; "Social History of Ancient Ireland", Vol 1 & 2 Benjamin Blum Pub. 1968 *** KERR, MILDRED L., HARNES, ELIZABETH & ROSS, FRANCES; "Giants & Faires", Charles E. Merrill Co. 1946 KINSELLA, THOMAS; "The Tain", Oxford Univ. Press 1969 *** KNEIGHTLY, THOMAS; "The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves, and Other Little People", Avenel Press 1978 KNIGHT, GARETH; "The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend", Aquarian Press 1983 KRUTA, VENCESLAS & VERNER FORMAN; "The Celts of the West", Orbis 1985 LEAMY, EDMUND; "Golden Spears", Desmond Fitzgerald 1911 LEHMANN, RUTH P.M.; "Early Irish Verse", University of Texas Press 1982 LOGAN, PATRICK; "The Old Gods", Apple Tree Press 1981 LONSDALE, STEVEN; "Animals & the Origin of the Dance", Thames & Hudson 1982 LUCY, SEAN; "Love Poems of the Irish", Mercier Press 1977 MACALISTER, R.A.S.; "Tara; A Pagan Sanctuary of Ancient Ireland", Charles Schribner & Sons 1931 *** MACCANA, PROINSIAS; "Celtic Mythology", Hamlyn Pub. 1970 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 301 MACCULLOCH, JOHN ARNOTT; "Religion of the Ancient Celts", Folcroft Library, 1977rep. MACCULLOCH, JOHN ARNOTT; "The Mythology of all Races in Thirteen volumes; Celtic, Volume III.", Cooper Square Pub. 1967 MACLENNAN, MALCOLM; "A Promouncing & Emtylogical Dictionary of the Gaelic Language", (Scots Gaelic) Aberdeen Univ. Press 1979 MACMANUS, SEUMAS; "The Story of the Irish Race", Devin-Adair Co. 1981 MACNEILL, MAIRE; "The Festival of Lughnasa", Oxford, 1962 *** MARKALE, JEAN; "Women of the Celts", Inner Traditions International Ltd. 1986 MARRIS, RUTH; "The Singing Swans & Other Irish Stories", Fontana Lions 1978 MARSH, HENRY; "Dark Age Britain", Dorset Press 1970 MATTHEWS, CAITLIN; "The Elements of The Goddess", Element Books 1989 MATTHEWS, CAITLIN; "The Elements of The Celtic Tradition", Element Books 1989 McNEIL, F. MARTIN; "The Silver Bough, Vol 1.: Scottish Folklore & Beliefs", Cannon Gate Classic 1956/1989 O'BRIEN, CHRISTIAN; "The Megalithic Odyssey", Turnstone 1983 O'CONNOR, FRANK; "Short History of Irish Literature", Capricorn Books 1967 O'CONNOR, NORREYS; "Battles & Enchantments", Books for Libraries Press 1922/1970 O'DRISCOLL, ROBERT; "The Celtic Consciousness", George Braziller 1982 O'SULLIVAN, DONALD; "Carolan: The Life & Times & Music of an Irish Harper", Vol 1 & 2, Celtic Music 1983 PEPPERS & WILCOCK; "A Guide to Magical & Mystical Sites - Europe & the British Isles", Harper Colophon Books 1977 POWELL, T.G.E.; "The Celts", Thames & Hudson 1980 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 302 QUILLER, PETER & COURTNEY DAVIS; "Merlin, The Immortal", Spirit of Celtia 1984 REES, ALWEN & BRINLEY; "Celtic Heritage", Oxford 1971 *** RHYS, JOHN; "Celtic Folklore, Welsh & Manx, Vol.I" ROLLESTON, T.W.; "Myths & Legends - Celtic", Avenel Press 1985 ROSS, ANNE; "Pagan Celtic Britian", Rudledge & Kegen Paul 1967 *** ROSS, ANNE, & DON ROBBINS; "The Life & Death of A Druid Prince", Summit 1989 *** RUTHERFORD, WARD; "Celtic Mythology", Aquarian Press 1987 RUTHERFORD, WARD; "The Druids, Magicians of the West", Aquarian Press 1978 *** SEYMOUR, ST. JOHN; "Irish Witchcraft and Demonology", 1913 SHARKEY, JOHN; "Celtic Mysteries", Thames & Hudson 1975/1987 SJOESTEDT, MARIE-LOUISE; "Gods and Heroes of the Celts", Methven & Co. Ltd. 1949 *** SMITH, LESLEY M.; "The Dark Age: The Making of Britian", Schocker Books 1984 SPENCE, LEWIS; "The Minor Traditions of British Mythology", Rider & Co. 1948 SPENCE, LEWIS; "The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain", Anchor Press SPENCE, LEWIS; "British Fairy Origins", Aquarian Press 1946 SQUIRE, CHARLES; "Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance", Newcastle 1975 *** STEWART, R.J.; "Book of Merlin", Blandford Press 1988 STEWART, R.J., ed.; "Merlin & Woman", Blandford Press 1988 STEWART, R.J.; "Mystic Life of Merlin", Arcana Press 1986 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 303 STEWART, R.J.; "The Underworld Tradition", Aquarian Press 1985 SUTHERLAND, ELISABETH; "Ravens & Black Rain", Corgi Books 1985 *** THURNEYSON; "Old Irish Reader", Dublin Institut for Advanced Studies 1968 TOULSON, SHIRLEY; "The Winter Solstice", Jill Norman & Hobhouse 1981 *** WHITE, CAROLYN; "A History of Irish Fairies", Mercier Press 1976 *** WHITLOCK, RALPH; "In Search of Lost Gods", Phaidon Press 1979 WILDE, LADY; "Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, & Superstitions of Ireland With Sketches of the Irish Past" Chatto & Windus 1925 WILLIAMS, GWYNN A.; "Madoc, The Legend of the Welsh Discovery of America", Oxford Univ. Press 1987 WILLIAMSON, JOHN; "The Oak King, the Holly King & the Unicorn", Harper & Row 1974 *** WOOD-MARTIN, W. G.; "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Vols 1 & 2", Kennicat Pub. 1902/1970 *** YEATS, W.B.; "Fairy & Folktales of Ireland", Pan Books 1882 & 1882/ 1973 YEATS, W.B. & LADY GREGORY; "Irish Myth, Legend, & Folklore", Avenel Press 1986 YOUNG, ELLA; "The Wondersmith and His Son", David McKay Co. 1927 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 304 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com THE COVENANT OF THE GODDESS PURPOSE The Covenant of the Goddess was founded in 1975 to increase cooperation among Witches, and to secure for Witches and covens the legal protection enjoyed by members of other religions. FUNCTIONS The Covenant publishes a newsletter; issues ministerial credentials on request to qualified persons; sponsors a national festival each summer; and encourages networking nationally, as well as regionally through local councils. STRUCTURE The Covenant is incorporated as a non-profit religious organization in California, though it has grown to be a nationwide organization. It is a confederation of covens and solitaires of various traditions, who share in the worship of the Goddess and the Old Gods and subscribe to a common code of ethics. The Covenant holds a Grand Council annually to elect national officers, set a budget, and decide matters which require deliberation by the full membership. Decisions are usually made by consensus. CODE OF ETHICS * An ye harm none, do as ye will. * Since our religion and arts and practices peculiar to it are the gift of the Goddess, membership and training in a local coven or tradition are bestowed free, as gifts, and only on those persons who are deemed worthy to receive them. However, a coven may expect each of its members to bear a fair share of its ordinary operating expenses. * All persons have the right to charge reasonable fees for the services by which they earn a living, so long as our religion is not thereby exploited. * Every person associated with this Covenant shall respect the autonomy and sovereignty of each coven, as well as the right of each coven to oversee the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical development of its members and students in its own way, and shall exercise reasonable caution against infringing upon that right in any way. * Members of this Covenant shall respect the traditional secrecy of our religion. * Members of this Covenant should ever keep in mind the underlying unity of our religion as well as the diversity of its manifestations. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 305 * These ethics shall be understood and interpreted in light of one another, and especially in light of the traditional laws of our religion. CONFIDENTIALITY All information give to the Covenant of the Goddess or any of its officials is considered strictly confidential, unless you indicate otherwise. No information about members is published or given out without explicit written permission. Direct access to the Covenant's mailing list is limited to the Board of Directors. Maximum privacy is assured. NEWSLETTER At every Sabbat the Covenant publishes a newsletter of Craft and Pagan news, original articles, poetry, humor, rituals and announcements. Member covens receive the newsletter automatically. Individual coveners and non-members who donate a suitable tax-deductible gift will also be placed on the mailing list, to receive the newsletter and other mailings. Circulation is limited to members and friends of the Covenant. FINANCES An annual membership tithe is set every year by the Grand Council to cover bare expenses, based on the previous year's expenses and any projected cost increases. The annual financial statement is published in the newsletter. Other activities are supported by fund-raising. All contributions to the Covenant of the Goddess are greatly appreciated and are tax-deductible. APPLYING FOR MEMBERSHIP Any Goddess-supporting coven or solitaire can be eligible for membership in the Covenant of the Goddess if certain criteria and requirements are met. All inquiries into membership should be sent to the National Credentials Officer. If the coven or solitaire is in an area near a local council, the National Officer will forward the inquiry to the local Credentials Officer, who will respond. A member can apply in person at a council meeting, or by filling out the appropriate form and sending it in with the initial membership tithe. GENERAL CRITERIA FOR COVEN MEMBERSHIP * Generally focus thealogy and ritual, etc., around worship of the Goddess and the Old Gods (or the Goddess alone). * Believe and follow a code of ethics compatible with that of the Covenant. * Have been meeting monthly or oftener for at least six months. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 306 * Have three more members who have been formally accepted into the clergy. * Be a cohesive, self-perpetuating group. REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP Full Membership: The applicant must be recommended without reservation by two active members of the Covenant. Provisional Membership: The applicant may be recommended by one member; and then within a year and a day make a viable effort to get to know other members, in order to achieve Full Member status. The appropriate Credentials Officer (National or local) shall verify information regarding criteria and credentials. COVEN-AT-LARGE This is the term we use to represent the many Witches who are solitaires, i.e. practicing alone. Each local council may devise its own standards for admission of coveners-at-large, in harmony with national guidelines. LOCAL COUNCILS A local council is a smaller branch of the Covenant, consisting of at least three member covens of at least two different traditions, in reasonably close geographic proximity to each other. The local councils generally meet more often than the national organization. They may initiate independent projects, sponsor local festivals and workshops, and generally work together for common goals close to home. As the Covenant continues to grow, we encourage new member covens close to one another to form their own local councils. VOTING When a matter requiring a decision is presented before the Covenant in council, it is discussed by the members in attendance until a consensus is reached. If a consensus cannot be reached, then a vote is taken. A coven holding a current Full Membership is entitled to one vote. Each such coven also holds the power to veto, though this is exercised only in extreme cases. A coven with Provisional Membership is entitled to one vote, but does not hold veto power. A coven-at-large is entitled to one vote if, and only if, three individuals are physically present at the council and unanimous in their choice of vote. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 307 MINISTERIAL CREDENTIALS In order to receive Ministerial Credentials as a Priestess or Priest, a person shall: 1. Be an active member of a coven which is a Full Member of the Covenant. 2. Have been "confirmed" to taking on the full commitment to the requirements of that coven's Tradition of our religion. 3. Have undergone at least a full year of active training for the ministry of that Tradition. These credentials shall remain valid only so long as the person remains an active member of the coven which remains an active member of the Covenant. In order to be eligible to receive Ministerial Credentials as an Elder, a person shall: 1. Satisfy (2.) and (3.) above. 2. Have undergone an additional full year of active training for the ministry. 3. Be fully able to form a coven, admit members, and train them in the tenets and practices of that Tradition. These credentials shall remain valid for life, unless specifically revoked, so long as the person remains in contact with the Covenant. THE NATIONAL FESTIVAL The annual Grand Council or national business meeting is held as part of a national festival, which is open to the whole membership as well as Pagans and Witches who are not part of the Covenant. The festival is usually held at a secluded campground or resort, and moves to a different area of the country each summer. In addition to the council meeting, the program includes workshops on magick and the Craft, concerts, a potluck feast, a talent show, and the opportunity to purchase (or barter for) art, crafts and ritual tools by Pagan artisans. Registration information is available in the newsletter. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Write to: Covenant of the Goddess, P.O. Box 1226, Berkeley, CA 94704. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 308 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality I am a Pagan andI dedicate Myself tochanneling the Spiritual Energy of my Inner Self to help and to heal myself and others. * I know that I am a part of the Whole of Nature. May I grow in understanding of the Unity of all Nature. May I always walk in Balance. * May I always be mindful of the diversity of Nature as well as its Unity and may I always be tolerant of those whose race, appearance, sex, sexual preference, culture, and other ways differ from my own. * May I use the Force(psychic power) wisely and never useit for aggression nor for malevolent purposes. May I never direct it to curtail the free will of another. * May I always be mindfulthat I create my own reality and that I have the power within me to create positivity in my life. * May I always act in honorable ways: being honest with myself and others, keeping my word whenever I have given it, fulfilling all responsibilities and commitments I have taken on to the best of my ability. * May I always remember that whatever is sent out always returns magnified to the sender. May the Forces of Karma move swiftly to remind me of these spiritual commitments when I have begin to falter from them, and may I use this Karmic feedback to help myself grow and be more attuned to my Inner Pagan Spirit. * May I always remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals in the face of adversity and negativity. May the Force of my Inner Spirit ground out all malevolence directed my way and transform it into positivity. May my Inner Light shine so strongly that malevolent forces can not even approach my sphere of existence. * May I always grow in Inner Wisdom & Understanding. MayI see every problem that I face as an opportunity to develop myself spiritually in solving it. * May I always act out ofLove to all other beings on this Planet -- to other humans, to plants, to animals, to minerals, to elementals, to spirits, and to other entities. * May I always be mindful that the Goddess and God in all their forms dwell within me and that this divinity is reflected through my own Inner Self, my Pagan Spirit. * May I always channel Love and Light from my being. May my Inner Spirit, rather than my ego self, guide all my thoughts, feelings, and actions. SO MOTE IT BE Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 309 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Craft (Witchcraft - NOT to be confused with Satanism. A true Witch has nothing to do with this, even though there are some Satanists who (unright-fully) call themselves "Witch".) contains a large number of groups with bonds to each other, for the most part, which are looser than those you will find between Christian churches. Each has it's own traditions, it's own beliefs, it's own pantheon, etc. So just WHAT is it that, overall, a Witch believes in? The American Council of Witches was formed to determine what it was that all Witches have in common, belief-wise. In the early 1970's, a paper was released with their findings, and gives a good overall picture of it. The following is the text of that paper. ====================================================================== BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CRAFT 1. The first principle is that of love, and it is expressed in the ethic, "DO AS YOU WILL, SO LONG AS YOU HARM NONE" a)love is notemotional in it'sessence, but isan attribute of the individual as expressed in relation to other beings; b) harming others can be by thought, word, or deed; c> it is to be understood the "none" includes oneself; d) theharm which isto be regardedas unethical isgratuitous harm; war, in general, is gratuitous harm, although it is ethical to defend oneself and one's liberty when threatened by real and present danger, such as defense against invasion. 2. The Witch must recognize and harmonize with the forces of the universe, in accord with the Law of Polarity: everything is dual; everything has two poles; everything has it's opposite; for every action there is a reaction; all can be categorized as either active or reactive in relation to other things. a) Godhead is one unique and transcendent wholeness, beyond any limitationsor expressions; thus,it is beyond our human capacity to understand and identify with this principle of Cosmic Oneness, except as It is revealed to us in terms of It's attributes and operation. b) The most basic and meaningful attribute of the One that we, as humans, can relate to and understand, is that of polarity, of action and reaction; therefore Witches recognize the Oneness of the Divinity, but worship and relate to the Divine as the archetypal polarity of God and Goddess, the All-Father and the Great Mother of the universe. The Beings are as near as we can approach to the One within our human limitations of understanding and expression, though it is possible to experience the divine Oneness through the practices of the Mysteries. c) Harmony does not consist of the pretty and the nice, but the balanced, dynamic,poised co-operation and co-relation. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 310 3. The Witch must recognize, and operate within the framework of the Law of Cause and Effect; every action has it's reaction, and every effect has it's cause. All things occur according to this law; nothing in the universe can occur outside this law, though we may not always appreciate the relation between a given effect and it's cause. Subsidiary to this is the Law of Three, which states that whatever goes forth must return threefold, whether of good or ill; for our actions affect more than people generally realize, and the resulting reactions are also part of the harvest. 4. As Above, So Below. That which exists in the Macrocosm exists, on a smaller scale and to a lesser degree, in the Microcosm. The powers of the universe exist also in the human, though in general instance they lie dormant. The powers and abilities can be awakened and used if the proper techniques are practiced, and this is why initiates of the Mysteries are sworn to guard the secrets from the unworthy: Much harm can be done by those who have power without responsibility, both to others and to themselves according to the Laws of Cause and Effect and of Threefold Return. a) Since our philosophy teaches that the universe is the physical manifestation of the Divine, there can be nothing in the universe which does not partake of the nature of the Divine; hence, the powers and attributes of the Divine exist also in the manifest, though to much smaller degree. b) These powers can be awakened through the various techniques of theMysteries, and,although they areonly capable of small effects in and of themselves, it is possible to use them in order to draw upon the forces of the universe. Thus humanity can be the wielders of the power of the Gods, a channel for Godhead to act within It's own manifestation. This, then, is further reason for the oath of secrecy. c) Since the universe is the body of the One, possessing the same attributes as the One, it's Laws must be the principles through and by which the One operates. By reasoning from the known to the unknown, one can learn of the Divine, and thus of oneself. Thus the Craft is a natural religion, seeing in Nature the expression and revelation of Divinity. 5. We know that everything in the universe is in movement or vibration and is a function of that vibration. Everything vibrates; all things rise and fall in a tidal system that reflects the motion inherent in the universe and also in the atom. Matter and energy are but two poles of one continuous phenomenon. Therefore the Witch celebrates, harmonizes with, and makes use of the tides of the universe and of life as expressed through the cycle of the seasons and the motion of the solar system. These ritual observances are the eight great Festivals of the Year, referred to as the Wheel of the Year. Further, the Witch works with the forces and tides of the Moon, for this body is the mediator of much energy to our planet Earth and thus to ourselves. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 311 6. Nothing is dead matter in the universe. All things exist, therefore all things live, though perhaps in a different manner from that which we are used to calling life. In view of this, the Witch knows that there is no true death, only change from one condition to another. The universe is the body of Godhead, and therefore possesses one transcendent consciousness; all things partake of the consciousness, in varying levels of trance/awareness. a) Because of this principle, all things are sacred to the Witch, for all partake of the one Life. b) Therefore the Witch is a natural ecologist, for Nature is part of us as we are a part of Nature. 7. Astrology can be useful in marking and interpreting the flow and ebb of the tides of our solar system, and thus of making use of those tides; astrology should not be debased into mere fortune-telling. 8. Throughout the development of the human race, civilizations have seen and worshipped many and various attributes of the Divine. These universal forces have been clothed in forms which were expressive to the worshipper of the attribute of the Godhead which they expressed. Use of these symbolic representations of t h e natural and divine forces of the universe, or god forms, is a potent method for contacting and utilizing the forces they represent. Thus the Gods are both natural and truly divine, and man-made in that the forms with which they are clothed are products of humanity's striving to know the Godhead. a) In keeping with the Law of Polarity, these god-forms are brought into harmony by the one great Law whichstates: All Gods are oneGod. All Goddesses areone Goddess. There is one Initiator. This law is an expression of our understanding that all of the forces of the universe, by whatever ethnic god-form is chosen to clothe and relate to whichever force, can be resolved into the fundamental polarity of the Godhead, the Great Mother and the All-Father. b) It is the use of differing god forms, of differing ethnic sources or periods,which is the basis ofmany of the differencesbetween thevariousTraditions oftheCraft. EachTraditionuses theforms,andthusthenames,which to thatTradition bestexpress and awakenan understandingofthe forcerepresented,accordingto the areas of emphasis of the Tradition. c) Because we know that differing names or representations arebutexpressionsofthesamedivineprinciplesand forces,werequire ourmemberstoswearthat theywill nevermockthenames bywhichanotherhonors theDivine, eventhough thosenames bedifferentfrom andseemingly lessexpressive thanthe namesand godforms usedby our Tradition(for tothe membersof anotherTradition, using it's names, oursmay easily seemequally less expressive). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 312 9. A Witch refuses to allow her/himself to be corrupted by the great guilt neuroses which have been foisted on humanity in the name of the Divine, thus freeing the self of the slavery of the mind. The Witch expresses responsibility for her/his actions, and accepts the consequences of them; guilt is rejected as inhibiting to one's self-actualization, and replaced by the efforts of the Witch to obey the teachings of harmlessness, responsibility for t h e consequences of one's actions, and the goal of actualizing the full powers of the individual. a) We refuse to believe that a human being is born innately sinful,and recognizetheconcepts ofsinandguilt aretremendouslyinhibitingto thehumanpotential;the consequencesof theLawof CauseandEffect,called karma bysome, arenot punishment,but therecurrences of situations andtheir effectsbecause theindividualas notgained the Wisdomneeded tohandle or avoidsuch situations. b) There is no heaven except that which we ourselves make of ourlifeonEarth,andlikewisethereisnohellexcept theeffectsofourunwiseactions.Deathisnotfollowed bypunishmentorreward,but bylifeandthecontinuing evolution of the human potential. c) One cannot damn the divine in oneself; one can, however, cutoneselfofffromitthroughthe rejectionofwisdom anda refusaltostrive forself-realization. This cutting off does not lead to personal suffering in"hell", forthereisnoSelftosufferifthetieto one'sown divinityhasbeensevered;whatremainsis merelyanemptyshell,a"personality"orthought-form devoid of it's ensouling Spark of the Divine Fire. 10. We know of the existence of the life-force which ensouls all living things, that is, all that exists. We know that a spark of this Divine Fire is within each and every thing that exists, and that it does not die; only the form of it's existence changes. We know that this spark of the life-force returns to manifestation again and again in order to fully realize and actualize it's potential, evolving finally to the peak and essence of existence which is pure being. In this process of reincarnation each form returns in the same type of form, though it's ever-increasing actualization may lead to higher levels of existence of that form. Man returns as man, cat as feline, mineral as mineral, each class of form evolving as the individual forms of that class evolve. 11. This process of evolution through successive incarnations in manifest form works through the utilizations of wisdom gained, t h e essence of the life-experience. This essence of experience, o r Wisdom, is an attribute of the spark of life itself, one and inseparable (see 9a). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 313 12. We must care for the body, for it is the vehicle of the spark of life, the form by which we attain. Thus we must heal the body of it's ills and keep it a tuned and perfected tool; so must we heal others (both physically and psychologically) as far as it is within our power to do so. However, we cannot interfere with the life of another, even to heal, except at their request or with t h e i r express permission; unless such non-interference would be inhibiting to our own, ethical existence and development -- and even then the responsibilities and consequences must be understood and accepted. This, then, is one of the important reasons for the communal life the Witches under the guidance of t h e Priesthood: That the group may be guided by wisdom and experience, with the aid and support of one's peers; and that one's actions may be guided by the influence of the ethical life of the group as a whole. 13. Harmony with, and utilization of, the great natural forces of the universe is called magick. By magick we speak, not of the supernatural, but of the superbly natural, but whose laws and applications are not as yet recognized by the scientific establishment. The Witch must strive to recognize these forces, learn their laws, attune her/himself to them, and make use of them. The Witch must also be aware that power corrupts when used_only_ for thegains of theself, and thereforemust strive to serve humanity: Either through the service in the Priesthood, or by example and effects of his/her life on others. The choice must be made in accord with the true nature of the Witch. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 314 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal. Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co., 80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original author.! IN GRANDMOTHER'S LAP Copyright 1987, RMPJ "Morals are the nagging fear that somebody somewhere may be having a good time." --H. L. Mencken What is the difference between one of us and Oral Roberts? Well, hopefully there are lots of differences, but the top one on my list is that I work on being ethical and he is a moralist. The moralist knows how everybody else should behave in order to be a good person, avoid Hell, fit into decent society, etc., etc. He is quite likely to feel that he is a valid exception to all his own rules, since he can handle temptation and control his outcomes. His main characteristic is frantic paranoid distrust of other people. No one should be seen nude, for instance, because this would be un-bearably sexually arousing and lead to promiscuity, neglect of ordinary duties, etc. He knows he can control himself, but everybody else has to be "protected" from their evil impulses. His major defence is projection: "I'm not oversexed, and of course I'd never want to be or want to be unfaithful to my wife, but that woman in the (name situation or article of clothing) sure is asking for it. Ultimate expressions of this type of thinking are wife-beating -- one man said, "When I walked into the self-help group I thought that when they heard what I'd had to put up with they'd con-gratulate me for not having killed her." -- and witch-burning -- "I am a good person. Bad things do not happen to good people. A bad thing has happened to me. Somebody did it! Kill them!" In essence, the moralist is saying "It can't be my fault (I'm not able to face the idea that it might be my fault). It must be somebody else's fault. If people would just follow these few simple rules, which I'll be glad to explain to them, nothing would go wrong and I wouldn't have to feel anxious. But since they won't all follow my rules, everything is their fault, not mine, and I don't have to feel anxious." Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 315 To me this is nauseating. I have no idea how you "should" behave; who are you? What's the situation? Who else is affected? Even then, the best I could offer would be some suggestions of courses of action which might have good results -- but I don't believe there are any simple rules for human conduct which are always "right." What I do believe is that ethical behavior consists of choosing your actions such that you can look at yourself in the mirror in the morning without flinching. Which means I can see a Corsican being ethical and killing another person as part of a feud; a gypsy being ethical and defrauding a gaujo. I suspect that what I mean here is that ethics impel you to be true to your own values, while morals make you want to a) control others, and b) not get caught yourself. But being ethical implies that they are your own values, which you have thought through and decided to accept, and not just the ones you have swallowed whole from your family or culture. Marjoe, a famous evangelist who later went straight, described preaching hellfire and damnation and then going back to the motel and making love to his girlfriend of the moment -- who had to be flown in from New York so the locals wouldn't know what he was doing. Oral Roberts says people have to give him $8 million, or God will "call him home." These are examples of people whose highest priority is influencing others, making the right kind of impression - the actuality doesn't seem to be really relevant to their choice-making process. The ethical person, on the other hand, may not care at all about the impression he is erig; he will say in total sincerity "I know I look like a fool for doing it, but I couldn't have lived with myself if I hadn't." Or even harder, "I know you think I'm being hard and cruel, but I honestly believe this is the best solution in the circumstances." Next issue (are you holding your breath?) the difference be- tween act idealism and absolute idealism, or how to tell a witch from a fundamentalist without a score card. The Spinster Aunt .......... FROM RMPJ, 2/3/1987 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 316 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com EXEGESIS ON THE WICCAN REDE by Judy Harrow originally published in HARVEST - Volume 5, Number 3 (Oimelc, 1985) second publication: THE HIDDEN PATH - Volume X, Number 2 Beltane, 1987) All religions began with somebody's sudden flashing insight, enlightenment, a shining vision. Some mystic found the way and the words to share the vision, and, sharing it, attracted followers. The followers may repeat those precise and poetic words about the vision until they congeal into set phrases, fused language, repeated by rote and without understanding. Cliches begin as great wisdom - that's why they spread so fast - and end as ritual phrases, heard but not understood. Living spirituality so easily hardens to boring religious routine, maintained through guilt and fear, or habit and social opportunism - any reason but joy. We come tothe Craft witha first generation'sjoy ofdiscovery, and a first generation's memory of bored hours of routine worship in our childhood. Because we have known the difference, it is our particular challenge to find or make ways to keep the Craft a living, real experience for our grandchildren and for the students of our students. I think the best ofthese safeguards is already builtinto the Craft as we know it, put there by our own good teachers. On our Path, the mystic experience itself is shared, not just the fruits of mysticism. We give all our students the techniques, and the protective/supportive environment that enable almost every one of them to Draw the Moon and/or Invoke the God. This is an incredibly radical change from older religions, even older Pagan religions, in which the only permissible source of inspiration has been to endlessly reinterpret and reapply the vision of the Founder (the Bible, the Book of the Law, the Koran, ... ). The practice of Drawing the Moon is the brilliant crown of the Craft. But notice how often, in the old myths, every treasure has its pitfalls? I think I'm beginning to see one of ours. Between the normal process of original visions clotting into cliche, and our perpetual flow of new inspiration, we are in danger of losing the special wisdom of those who founded the modern Craft. I do not think we should assiduously preserve every precious word. My love for my own Gardnerian tradition does not blind me to our sexist and heterosexist roots. And yet, I want us to remain identifiably Witches and not meld into some homogeneous "New Age" sludge. For this, I think we need some sort of anchoring in tradition to give us a sense of identity. Some of the old sayings really do crystallize great wisdom as well, life-affirming Pagan wisdom that our culture needs to hear. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 317 So I think it's time for a little creative borrowing from our neighbors. Christians do something they call "exegesis;" Jews have a somewhat similar process called "midrash." What it is something between interpretation and meditation, a very concentrated examination of a particular text. The assumption often is that every single word has meaning (cabalists even look at the individual letters). Out of this inspired combination of scholarship and daydream comes the vitality of those paths whose canon is closed. The contemporary example, of course, is Christian Liberation Theology, based on a re-visioning of Jesus that would utterly shock John Calvin. Althoughour canon is not closed - andthe day it is the day I quit - I'm suggesting that we can use a similar process to renew the life of the older parts of our own still-young heritage. So, I'dlike totry doingsome exegesison anessential statement of the Craft way of life. Every religion has some sort of ethic, some guideline for what it means to live in accordance with this particular mythos, this worldview. Ours, called the Wiccan Rede, is one of the most elegant statements I've heard of the principle of situational ethics. Rather than placing the power and duty to decide about behavior with teachers or rulebooks, the Rede places it exactly where it belongs, with the actor. eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: AN IT HARM NONE, DO WHAT YOU WILL. I'd like to start with the second phrase first, and to take it almost word by word. Do what YOU will. This is the challenge to self-direction, to figure out what we want, and not what somebody else wants for us or from us. All of us are subject to tremendous role expectations and pressures, coming from our families, our employers, our friends, society in general. It's easy to just be molded, deceptively easy to become a compulsive rebel and reflexively do the opposite of whatever "they" seem to want. Living by the Rede means accepting the responsibility to assess the results of our actions and to choose when we will obey, confront or evade the rules. Do what you WILL. This is the challenge to introspection, to know what we really want beyond the whim of the moment. The classic example is that of the student who chooses to study for an exam rather than go to a party, because what she really wants is to be a doctor. Again, balance is needed. Always going to the library rather than the movies is the road to burnout, not the road to a Nobel. What's more, there are others values in life, such as sensuality, intimacy, spirituality, that get ignored in a compulsively long-term orientation. So, our responsibility is not to mechanically follow some rule like "always choose to defer gratification in your own long-term self interest," but to really listen within, and to really choose, each time. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 318 DO what you will. This is the challenge to action. Don't wait for Prince Charming or the revolution. Don't blame your mother or the system. Make a realistic plan that includes all your assets. Be sure to include magic, both the deeper insights and wisdoms of divination and the focusing of will and energy that comes from active workings. Then take the first steps right now. But, beware of thoughtless action, which is equally dangerous. For example, daydreaming is needed, to envision a goal, to project the results of actions, to check progress against goals, sometimes to revise goals. Thinking and planning are necessary parts of personal progress. Action and thought are complementary; neither can replace the other. When youreally lookat it, wordby word, itsounds likea subtle and profound guide for life, does it not? Is it complete? Shall "do what you will" in fact be "the whole of the law" for us? I think not. The second phrase of the Rede discusses the individual out of context. Taken by itself, "DO WHAT YOU WILL" would produce a nastily competitive society, a "war of each against all" more bitter than what we now endure. That is, it would if it were possible. Happily, it's just plain not. Pagan myth and modernbiology alike teach us that ourEarth is one interconnected living sphere, a whole system in which the actions of each affect all (and this is emphatically not limited to humankind) through intrinsic, organic feedback paths. As our technology amplifies the effects of our individual actions, it becomes increasingly critical to understand that these actions have consequences beyond the individual; consequences that, by the very nature of things, come back to the individual as well. Cooperation, once "merely" an ethical ideal, has become a survival imperative. Life is relational, contextual. Exclusive focus on the individual Will is a lie and a deathtrap. The qualifying "AN IT HARM NONE," draws a Circle around the individual Will and places each of us firmly within the dual contexts of the human community and the complex life-form that is Mother Gaia. The first phrase of the Rede directs us to be aware of results of our actions projected not only in time, as long-term personal outcomes, but in space - to consider how actions may effect our families, co-workers, community, and the life of the Earth as a whole, and to take those projections into account in our decisions. But, like the rest of the Rede, "an it harm none" cannot be followed unthinkingly. It is simply impossible for creatures who eat to harm none. Any refusal to decide or act for fear of harming someone is also a decision and an action, and will create results of some kind. When you consider that "none" also includes ourselves, it becomes clear that what we have here is a goal and an ideal, not a rule. The Craft,assuming ethical adulthood,offers us norote rules. We will always be working on incomplete knowledge. We will sometimes just plain make mistakes. Life itself, and life-affirming religion, still demands that we learn, decide, act, and accept the results. Judy Harrow Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 319 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Witches' Creed Hear Now the words of the witches, The secrets we hid in the night, When dark was our destiny's pathway, That now we bring forth into light. Mysterious water and fire, The earth and the wide-ranging air, By hidden quintessence we know them, And will and keep silent and dare. The birth and rebirth of all nature, The passing of winter and spring, We share with the life universal, Rejoice in the magical ring. Four times in the year the Great Sabbat Returns, and the witches are seen At Lammas and Candlemas dancing, On May Eve and old Hallowe'en. When day-time and night-time are equal, Whensun is at greatest and least, The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned, And Witches gather in feast. Thirteen silver moons in a year are, Thirteen is the coven's array. Thirteen times at Esbat make merry, For each golden year and a day. The power that was passed down the age, Each time between woman and man, Each century unto the other, Ere time and the ages began. When drawn is the magical circle, By sword or athame of power, Its compass between two worlds lies, In land of the shades for that hour. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 320 This world has no right then to know it, And world of beyond will tell naught. The oldest of Gods are invoked there, The Great Work of magic is wrought. For the two are mystical pillars, That stand at the gate of the shrine, And two are the powers of nature, The forms and the forces divine. The dark and the light in succession, The opposites each unto each, Shown forth as a God and a Goddess: Of this our ancestors teach. By night he's the wild wind's rider, The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades. By day he's the King of the Woodland, The dweller in green forest glades. She is youthful or old as she pleases, She sails the torn clouds in her barque, The bright silver lady of midnight, The crone who weaves spells in the dark. The master and mistress of magic, That dwell in the deeps of the mind, Immortal and ever-renewing, With power to free or to bind. So drink the good wine to the Old Gods, And Dance and make love in their praise, Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us In peace at the end of our days. And Do What You Will be the challenge, So be it Love that harms none, For this is the only commandment. By Magic of old, be it done! Doreen Valiente, "Witchcraft For Tomorrow" pp.172-173 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 321 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Hill Country Pagan Grove Austin, Texas, U.S.A. Published December 1982 by C.C.C. Creative Cooperative Consolidated 12611 Research Blvd. Number 125 Austin, Texas 78759 U.S.A. First edition, December 1982 Second edition, revised, April 1983 PREFACE Some have asked how this little booklet came into being. It's all very straightforward: as the most visible representatives of paganism here in Austin, Texas, I and my consort, Arnthor Phalius, are asked often to appear in public to talk about witchcraft. The questions included here are those most often asked, along with the answers we give. Of course we cannot pretend to speak for all Pagans, only for ourselves. But the little booklet has been well-received as a non-threatening method of getting to know a subject like Wicca. Occasionally we will find someone who has had negative experiences with persons who call themselves Wiccans or Witches, and in those cases they expressed relief on find that `other types' of Pagans existed than those which had given them their initial bad impressions. The Directory* is an individual effort at networking in the Sunbelt. Here in Texas there are many traditions and varieties of Paganism, and if one isn't to be alone, one must learn that there are more similarities than differences in Paganism and the other major religions. Pagans have always known this, but for various reasons, have not stepped forward as representatives of this view. I (Merlana) am a mystic who responds to the Universal Mind as it is expressed in Nature. It is my deep belief that persons who reverence these principles are unified at bottom, and separated only by the illusion of words, which are not reality. Sometimes words aren't even adequate representations of `Reality`! It is my intention in this little booklet to re-define some issues and terms in the way that my tradition sees them. It so happens that much of the rest of Paganism falls within this general framework. (NOTE: A `tradition' is a varietal type, like `denomination'). If youalready know the subject and wish to differ, your comments are welcome. If you are new to the subject, perhaps here you'll find some questions answered, and (if wanted) fellowship with others who are on similar paths. Directory* listings are free to those in the Sunbelt of the USA (South and Southwest.) New editions are published irregularly. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 322 If you don't live in the Sunbelt, but have goods or services which interest Pagans, you may also put an ad into the Directory.* Write for details. Blessed be, Merlana April 1983 1. WHAT IS WICCA? `Wicca' (pronounced Wick-ah) is one name given to the Nature religions practiced in Northern Europe and the Middle East from the times of the ice ages. It is one spiritual path out of many in a group of spiritual practices known as NeoPaganism. NeoPaganism is currently in a world-wide revival, led by persons and groups in the United States and Britain. 2. HOW DO WICCA AND NEOPAGANISM FIT TOGETHER? Wicca is one subsidiary form, or `tradition,' similar to the way Christianity has many forms. One can be a Christian and still be Baptist, Methodist or Roman Catholic. In the same way, one can be a Pagan but ascribe to another, more specific, sub-variety of philosophy. 3. IS IT THE SAME AS WITCHCRAFT? One linguistic theory has the word Wicca coming from Olde English `Wicca-Craeft', meaning `craft of the wise ones.' Most followers of Wicca (and most Pagans) prefer not to use the terms `witchcraft' or `witch' because of the emotional connotations these words carry in our society. Generally, one who calls him or herself a `witch' without further qualifications is seeking notoriety and special attention. Those of us who guard the portals of personal Power (like Carlos Casteneda's character Don Juan) are normally hard to find or engage in discussion. Our Mysteries are carefully hidden from the world, and from those who might be tempted to misuse them. 4. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ABOUT GOD? Although Pagans generally agree that one God exists and is the same regardless of name, they vary in specific concepts about God, as in other religions. What an individual Pagan holds is strictly a matter of personal belief. However, occasionally a tradition will teach highly-specific concepts, structures and mythologies. If one finds oneself in disagreement, the best policy is `voting with the feet', or withdrawing to find another group who better agrees. NOTE: Sometimes it may be easierto gather together a group of people who believe as you do to form an entirely new group. That's the purpose of networking, or what the booklet is designed for. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 323 Most Wiccans divide the Godhead (generally conceived of as Mother Nature) into two forces. One force is male and the other female. They are called respectively: The God and The Goddess. Between them, these two divinities create balance and harmony in the Eternal Dance. They represent the forces of birth, death and regeneration symbolized in the change of the seasons. Wiccans call 5this cycle The Wheel Of The Year. Most rituals celebrate the Wheel Of The Year and our deep, meaningful participation in natural cycles of change. Because the male force has been in ascendancy for thousands of years due to the Christian, Moslem and Jewish religions, there is presently a tendency to emphasize The Goddess, especially by feminists (or by those whose personal concept of God happens to be female). We also believe in Magick, which is a partnership between humanity and the Universal Mind. This partnership creates changes in what we normally call `reality', i.e., change accomplished with prayer. These changes can seem miraculous or merely coincidental, and always include personal effort. Magick is not the same as `wishing.' 5. WHAT HAPPENS AT A WICCAN CEREMONY? There are several types of get-togethers that Pagans of all traditions attend. The most available and open is called a `Grove,' where those who wish may study both spiritual and ceremonial topics. Most groves emphasize fellowship and harmony of mind between their members. You should choose one as much for how you blend with the personalities of the members as for a particular brand of teaching. Eight times a year, at the solstices and equinoxes, May Day, Halloween, and other points on the lunar calendar, Pagans gather together (usually outdoors under trees) to celebrate Nature and the turn of the seasons. These celebrations consist of dancing, prayer, invocations, and rituals passed down from the many traditions through the ages. We also urge participants to develop and use their own original rituals and to share them with others. Because we dance and pray in a standing Circle (or sometimes a spiral), and because we draw at these times from the Universe spherical energies of protection and power - these meetings are called (appropriately enough!) Circles. 6. HOW CAN I ATTEND A GROVE OR CIRCLE? Wiccans and Pagans tend to be very private, and do not advertise their faith at publicly as some others might. This is mainly because of past persecutions. However, for those who are sincerely interested, there always exist persons with whom to visit and explore that interest. Check the Directory* at the back of this booklet for names of others who are open to contacts. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 324 If you are sincere and rally want to setout upon the Pagan path, the first step is to find a Grove to study with. After a Grove accepts you, eventually you will attend Circles. 7. DO I HAVE TO GIVE UP MY OTHERSPIRITUAL PATHS TO BECOME A WICCAN? That will depend on the tradition and the teacher. In general, Pagans are most tolerant of any philosophical structure, and ask only that the tolerance be returned. You will not be requested to do anything that differs with your beliefs and spiritual needs. 8. DOES BEING PAGAN MAKE A PERSON SPECIAL OR DIFFERENT? Well yes, of course. But the special qualities are available to everybody. Everything that Pagans do with Magick is done in other religions by other names. It is only that we have found that these particular formulas, beliefs, and celebrations work best for us. These are varying approaches to (and grasps of) personal Power. One way of recognizing someone who is truly Powerful is to note whether he or she seems to need control or influence over others. True personal power is content to control only the self, and personal reality. 9. DO YOU CAST SPELLS ON OTHER PEOPLE? The major law in our religion is: "Do what you will, an it hurt no other." (The Golden Rule) In other words, no one is prevented from exploration of God and GodSelf as long as others are not harmed. We do believe in directing the energies of the universe toward accomplishment of certain ends, but magick is never effective on another person unless the person specifically requests it and takes responsibility for that request. Attempts at so-called `black' magick, or use of the universal energies for negative or harmful purposes, only result in karmic backlash magnified at least threefold on the unfortunate would-be black magician. Our tradition does not believe in the possibility of `psychic attack', and hence does not teach methods for combating it. Our philosophy tells us that to raise a force against `psychic attack' is only to create that which you fear. 10. ARE PAGANS ANTI-CHRISTIAN? No. But many Christians are anti-Pagan. Historically there has existed an adversary relationship between Christianity and the Nature Religions (largely created by Christians.) It takes much universal love not to strike back when attacked, and occasionally a Pagan might seem bitter or afraid as the result of anti-Pagan treatment. This is only a personal reaction, not a characteristic of the religion itself. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 325 It is also true that Wiccans and Pagans have suffered dismissal from jobs and worse simply from their religious affiliation being revealed. Events like these lead to a certain caution and sometimes even an attitude approaching mild paranoia. 11. WHO IS IN CHARGE OF PAGANISM? Each person is in charge of him or herself, responsible totally to Godd/ess. One might hear an individual called High Priestess, or Priest, but this title has more to do with the role played in ceremonies than with status in any formal hierarchy. Groves and teaching groups sometimes have various levels of initiation, but again, these are individual to each tradition. 12. WHAT MAKES WICCA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PATHS THAT BELIEVE IN THE PSYCHIC POWERS? We usually find that people most often comment on the robes and the tools. Traditionally we wear special garments while engaging in devotions, as a male Jew wears prayer shawl and skullcap. The garments have symbolisms, and stand for beliefs of the person wearing them. The tools are: a cup, knife, staff (or wand), and the pentacle, a 5-pointed star with 5th point upward, enclosed in a circle. For those familiar with the tarotcards, this was the original source of the tarot suits as well as many meanings and symbolisms in the tarot deck. 13. WHAT IS DONE WITH THE TOOLS? They are used, along with other objects, like candles, bells, and incense to focus energies and influence Universal forces with our prayers. If the format reminds you of Roman Catholic mass, that's because much of the indigenous Nature Religion's mysteries were `adopted' when Christianity moved into Northern Europe -- into England, Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia ... the lands of the Celts. Also, if the tools and concepts seem to resemble elements in Rosicrucianism, the Caballa, and the Masonic Temple, it is because the latter paths drew and adopted Pagan rituals and forms for other uses. Since ours was an oral tradition we gratefully acknowledge the role these organizations played in bringing to modern times knowledge and insights which have otherwise been lost. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 326 Here's a bit of trivia: Although the Founding Fathers of the U.S.A. generally held indifferent attitudes about Christianity they were all thirty-third degree Masons. Obviously they sought to incorporate their high ideals into writing our first constitution. This odd fact explains to some people why fundamentalist Christians and the constitution occasionally seem to be at cross-purposes. 14. HOW LARGE IS THE RELIGION? Since Wicca, or Paganism, is an alternative religion uninterested in power or clout, we measure our `size' usually only by spiritual growth. There is a national newspaper published quarterly by which many Pagans keep in touch. 15. WHAT ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY? That's magick, too! Craft practitioners of old WERE the scientists ... there was need for healers and herbalists, agriculture and astronomy experts. The scientific method has now made teaching these subjects respectable in universities. But in the process we have lost the lore's former integration of the spiritual relationship between God Expressed As Nature and ourselves. Manyof us are scientifically trained and hold technological jobs and interests. This does not interfere with but only adds to a desire for ritual celebration and union with Godd/ess. Also many of us are ourselves practicing psychics, or are interested in extrasensory perception (ESP) and its uses. Paganism makes available a philosophical structure for all of these ends utilized effectively for millennia. It urges individuals to develop their personal powers within that structure and to use them thereafter in a responsible way. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 327 16. THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE: WHY DON'T I EVER HEAR OR READ ABOUT PAGAN CHARITIES OR GOOD WORKS? Good news makes terrible press. News media and supermarket tabloids would much rather print scandal and controversy. How many times have you seen a headline that attributed a person's conduct to his/her belief in Witchcraft? Do you ever see the same types of stories about Moslems, Jews or Christians? In addition, organized charity can only be accomplished undercertain forms of organized religious structures. That takes leadership, delegation of powers, community resources and accumulation of money and collective wealth. We focus instead on personal responsibility and the necessity of reflecting Godd/ess in our characters and lives. Occasionally persons in the Craft will join together to change a situation or to help someone, but this is always done quietly and with the full knowledge and permission of those for whom the help of change in requested. It is always done without taking public credit. We feel that Godd/ess knows, and that is all we need. 17. HOW CAN WE SUM THIS UP IN A FEW WORDS? Wicca, a branch of the spiritual movement called Neopaganism (or Paganism) is primarily a religion of personal, mystical relationship between the Universal Mind as expressed in Nature and the individual. It believes in Magick, or positive change wrought by prayer and ceremonial ritual. It brings its practitioners the joy of union and harmony with Godd/ess as expressed in Nature as well as fellowship with other persons who are on similar paths. Personal responsibility and growth are stressed, dogma and rigid beliefs are discouraged. MAY GODD/ESS SPEAK TO YOU IN THE VOICE YOU HEAR BEST. BLESSED BE! Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 328 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A LITTLE LESS MISUNDERSTANDING (What Christians Don't Understand about Neopaganism) by J. Brad Hicks Q: Are you a witch? A: That's actually a tricky question to answer, so let me go about it in a round-about way. What I am is a Neopagan. Neopaganism is a beautiful, complex religion that is not in opposition to Christianity in any way - just different. However, some of the people that the Catholic church burned as "witches" were people who practiced the same things that I do. In identification with them and the suffering that they went through, some of us (Neopagans) call ourselves witches. One expert, P.E.I. Bonewits, says that there are actually several kinds of groups who call themselves "witches." Some are people whose ancestors were the village healers, herbalists, midwives, and such, many of whom had (or were ascribed to have) mental, psychic, or magical powers, which were passed down through the family in the form of oral tradition, and Bonewits calls them "Traditional Witches." Some are people who have deliberately used the term to oppose themselves to Christianity, are practicing "Satanists," and practice (deliberately) most of the practices invented by the Inquisitors. Bonewits calls them "Gothic" or "Neo-Gothic Witches." Of a different kind are some radical feminist groups, who call themselves witches because they believe that the original Inquisition was primarily anti-female; some of these also practice magic, many of them do not - Bonewits calls them "Feminist Witches." But the vast majority of modern witches are harmless people who worship God in many forms, including the Lord of the Dance, the Lady, and the Mother Earth. These are the people that Bonewits (and I) call"Neopagan Witches" - and this is what I am. I hope that this helps more than it confuses. Q: Are you a devil worshipper? A: I'm tempted to just say, "No!" and leave it at that, but that probably isn't enough. Devil worship (including Satanism) is really a Christian heresy. (If you don't believe me, ask an expert - say, any well-read pastor or theology professor.) In order to worship Satan, you have to believe in him - and there are no references to Satan outside of the Christian Bible. So to be a Satanist or a devil worshipper, you have to believe in the accuracy of the Christian Bible, then identify yourself with God's Enemy, proclaim that you are "evil," and then try to "fight against Jesus" or similar nonsense. Neopagans do not accept the Christian Bible as a source of truth. As a source of some beautiful poetry, sometimes, or as a source of myth, but not as a source of truth. Emphatically, we do not believe that God has an Opposite, an evil being trying to destroy God, the world, man, or whatever. So it is non-sensical to say that Neopagans worship Satan. Of course, many people insist that any god other than JHVH/Jesus (and his other Biblical names) is a demon or an illusion created by Satan. Well, you're welcome to believe that if you like - but over half of the world's population is going to be unhappy at you. Jews and followers of Islam are just as confident that they worship the True God as you are, and resent being called devil worshippers. So do I. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 329 Q: What do Neopagans believe about God? A: Neopaganism is a new religion with very, very old roots. It harks back to the first religions that man ever practiced (based on the physical evidence). Neopagans worship a variety of symbols from the Old Religions - the practices of the ancient Celts, the Greeks, the Egyptians, the Romans - and differ with each other over what those symbols really represent. What I (and many others) believe is that they are all aspects of God (or maybe, the Gods) - some kind of beautiful, powerful, and loving being or force that ties all of life together and is the origin of all miracles - including miracles such as written language, poetry, music, art ... Q: Do Neopagans have a Bible? A: Not most of us. The closest analogue would be a witch's Book of Shadows, which is a sort of notebook of legends, poetry, history, and magic ritual which is copied by every newly-initiated witch, then added to. But on the whole, even a Book of Shadows isn't what Christians think of as a Bible. It's not infallible (couldn't be, they've been brought to us via hastily-copied texts under trying circumstances), it doesn't prescribe a specific code of morality (except for a few general guidelines), and it doesn't claim to be dictated by God - except for a few, debatable parts. Those of us who aren't witches don't even have that much. Neopaganism is a religious system that relies more on the individual than on the Book or the Priest. One of the principal beliefs of Neopaganism is that no one, not Pope nor Priest nor Elder, has the right to interfere with your relationship to God. Learn from whomever you want, and pray to whatever name means the most to you. Q: Did you say magic? Do Neopagans believe in the occult? A: Cringe. What a badly worded question - but I hear it all the time. Neopagans as a rule don't "believe in the occult" - we practice magic. Magic is simply a way to focus the mental abilities that you were born with, and use them to change the world in positive ways. Magic can also be mixed with worship; in which case it differs very little from Christian prayer. Q: But I thought that you said that you weren't a demon-worshipper? A: That's right. Magic and demonology are two different things. Magic you also know as "psychic powers" or "mentallics" or even as "the power of positive thinking" - in essence, the magical world view holds that "reality" is mostly a construct of the human mind, and as such, can be altered by the human mind. That's all there is to it. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 330 Q: How do you become a Neopagan? A: In a very real sense, nobody every "becomes" a Neopagan. There are no converts, as no conversion is necessary. Neopaganism is an attitude towards worship, and either you have it or you don't. My case is not atypical. All of my life, I have been fascinated by the old mythologies. I have always found descriptions of the Greek Gods fascinating. If I had any religious beliefs as a child, it was that somewhere, there was a God, and many people worship Him, but I had no idea what His name was. I set out to find Him, and through an odd combination of circumstances, I because convinced that his Name was Jesus. But seven years later, I had to admit to myself that Whoever God is, he answers non-Christians' prayers as well as those in the name of Jesus. In either case, true miracles are rare. In both cases, the one praying has a devout experience with God. After searching my soul, I admitted that I could not tell that I was better off than when I believed in the Old Gods. And in the mean time, I had found out that other people also loved the Old Gods - and that they call themselves Neopagans. When I realized that what I believed was little or no different that what they believed, I called myself a Neopagan, too. The common element for nearly all of us is that nearly all of us already believed these things, before we found out that anyone else did. "Becoming" a pagan is never a conversion. It's usually a home-coming. No one ever "brainwashed" me. I finally relaxed, and stopped struggling against my own self. Q: I've heard about witches holding orgies and such. Do you? A: No, that sort of thing doesn't appeal to me. Most of the crap that you've heard about "witch orgies" is nonsense made up by the National Enquirer to sell magazines. But I shouldn't be flippant about this, because it underlies a serious question - what kind of morality do Neopagans hold to? "Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: An it harm none, do what thou will!" from an old Book of Shadows That about sums it all up. Neopaganism teaches that it is harmful to yourself (and dangerous) to harm others. It also teaches that trying to impose your moral standards on somebody else's behavior is (at least) foolish - and probably dangerous, as you run some serious chance of hurting that person. Perhaps in a sense Neopagans don't have morality, for as R. A. Wilson said, "There are no commandments because there is no Commander anywhere," but Neopagans do have ethics - standards for behavior based on honor and mutual benefit. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 331 Q: I saw on the news that Neopagans use a star in a circle as their emblem. Isn't that a Satanic symbol? A: A pentacle (that's what it's called) is a Satanic symbol in precisely same sense that the cross is a Nazi symbol. The German National Socialist Party used an equal-armed cross with four flags attached to it as their emblem. (Yes, I know - that's a swastika. Well, before the Nazis made the word common knowledge, people just called it a "bent cross" - it's an old heraldic symbol, and it means the same thing that a normal cross does). That doesn't make the Nazis good Christians, and it doesn't make Christians into Nazis. In the same sense, Satanists (and some rock groups) use a type of pentacle as their emblem. That doesn't make them Neopagans, nor does it mean that Neopagans are Satanists (or even rock-and-rollers). Q: Are Neopagans opposed to Christianity? A: Some Neopagans are ex-Christians, and I'm not going to deny that some of them have a grudge against the Church because of what they perceived as attempts to control their minds. Further, many Neopagans are suspicious of the Church, because it was in the name of Jesus Christ that nine million of our kind were murdered. Neopagans are opposed to anyone who uses force to control the minds of others. Does that include you? If not, then it means that Neopagans as such are not opposed to you. Do you work for the benefit of mankind, are you respectful to the Earth? Then it makes us allies, whether or not either of us wants to admit it. - - - - - - - - - - There are manyother misconceptions in the popularmind about the Neopagan religion. Unless you've studied it, read about it from sympathetic sources, then you really don't know anything about Neopagan history, beliefs, practices, customs, art, science, culture, or magic. But it would take several entire books to teach you, and I already fear that I will be accused of trying to win converts (despite what I've said above). If you are curious and willing to learn, try some of the following books: Margot Adler, _Drawing Down the Moon_ Starhawk, _The Spiral Dance_ P.E.I. Bonewits, _Real Magic_ Stewart Farrar, _What Witches Do_. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 332 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com NEOPAGANISM By Eric S. Raymond I. Introduction The neopagan phenomenon is a loose collection of religious movements, experiments and jokes that offers a healthy alternative to the dogmatism of the Judeo/Christian/Islamic mainstream (on the one hand) and the mushy-mindedness of most 'New Age' groups (on the other). This article,prepared atthe requestof anumber ofcurious net. posters, offers a brief description of neopagan thought and practice. A list of good sources for further study are listed at the end. II. What is a neopagan? I used the term 'religious' above, but as you'll see it's actually more than somewhat misleading, and I (like many other neopagans) use it only because no other word is available for the more general kind of thing of which the neopagan movement and what we generally think of as 'religion' are special cases. Neopaganism is 'religious' in the etymological sense of 're ligare', to rebind (to roots, to strengths, to the basics of things), and it deals with mythology and the realm of the 'spiritual'. But, as we in the Judeo/Christian West have come to understand 'religion' (an organized body of belief that connects the 'supernatural' with an authoritarian moral code via 'faith') neopaganism is effectively and radically anti-religious. I emphasize this because it is important in understanding what follows. Common characteristics of almostall the groups that describe themselves as 'neopagan' (the term is often capitalized) include: 1. Anti-dogmatism Neopagan religions are religions of practice, pragmatism and immediate experience. The emphasis is always on what they can help the individuals in them to *do* and *experience*; theology and metaphysics take a back seat, and very little 'faith' or 'belief' is required or expected. In fact many neopagans (including yours truly) are actively hostile to 'faith' and all the related ideas of religious authority, 'divine revelation' and the like. 2. Compatibility with a scientific world-view This tends to follow from the above. Because neopaganism is centered in experiences rather than beliefs, it doesn't need or want to do vast overarching cosmologies or push fixed Final Answers to the Big Questions -- understanding and helping human beings relate to each other and the world as we experience it is quite enough for us. Thus, we are generally friendly to science and the scientific world-view. Many of us are scientists and technologists ourselves (in fact, by some counts, a plurality of us are computer programmers!). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 333 3. Reverence for nature, sensuality, and pleasure Mostneopaganisms makeheavy use ofnature symbolismand encourage people to be more aware of their ties to all the non-human life on this planet. Explicit worship of 'Gaia', the earth ecosphere considered as a single interdependent unit, is common. Veneration of nature deities is central to many traditions. Ecological activism is often considered a religious duty, though there is much controversy over what form it should take. Bypreference, mostneopagans holdtheir ceremoniesoutdoors under sun or moon. Seasonal changes and astronomical rhythms (especially the solstices, equinoxes and full and new moons) define the ritual calendar. Ritual and festivenudity arecommon; to benaked before natureis often considered a holy and integrating act in itself. Sex is considered sacramental and sexual energy and symbolisms permeate neopagan practice (we like to contrast this with Christianity, in which the central sacrament commemorates a murder and climaxes in ritual cannibalism). 4. Polytheism, pantheism, agnosticism Most neopaganisms are explicitly polytheistic -- that is, they recognize pantheons of multiple deities. But the reality behind this is more complex than it might appear. First, many neopagans are philosophical agnostics or even atheists; there is a tendency to regard 'the gods' as Jungian archetypes or otherwise in some sense created by and dependent on human belief, and thus naturally plural and observer-dependent. Secondly, asin many historicalpolytheisms, there isan implicit though seldom-discussed idea that all the gods and goddesses we deal with are 'masks', refractions of some underlying unity that we cannot or should not attempt to approach directly. And thirdly, there is a strong undercurrent of pantheism, the belief that the entire universe is in some important sense a responsive, resonating and sacred whole (or, which is different and subtler, that it is proper for human beings to view it that way). Many neopagans hold all three of these beliefs simultaneously. 5. Decentralized, non-authoritarian organization; no priestly elite Neopagans have seen what happens when a priesthood elite gets temporal power; we want none of that. We do not take collections, build temples, or fund a full-time clergy. In fact the clergy-laity distinction is pretty soft; in many traditions, all members are considered 'in training' for it, and in all traditions every participant in a ritual is an active one; there are and can be no pew-sitting passive observers. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 334 Mostneopagan traditionsare (dis)organizedashorizontal networks of small affinity groups (usually called 'circles', 'groves', or 'covens' depending on the flavor of neopagan involved). Priests and priestesses have no real authority outside their own circles (and sometimes not much inside them!), though some do have national reputations. Many of us keep a low profile partly due to a real fear of persecution. Too many of our spiritual ancestors were burned, hung, flayed and shot by religions that are still powerful for a lot of us to feel safe in the open. Down in the Bible Belt the burnings and beatings are still going on, and the media loves to hang that 'Satanist' label on anything it doesn't understand for a good juicy story. Also, we never proselytize. This posting is about as active a neopagan solicitation as anyone will ever see; we tend to believe that 'converts' are dangerous robots and that people looking to be 'converted' aren't the kind we want. We have found that it works quite well enough to let people find us when they're ready for what we have to teach. 6. Reverence for the female principle Oneof the most striking differencesbetween neopagan groups and the religious mainstream is the wide prevalence (and in some traditions dominance) of the worship of goddesses. Almost all neopagans revere some form of the Great Mother, often as a nature goddess identified with the ecosphere, and there are probably more female neopagan clergy than there are male. Most neopagan traditions are equalist (these tend to pair the Great Mother with a male fertility-god, usually some cognate of the Greek Pan). A vocal and influential minority are actively feminist, and (especially on the West Coast) there have been attempts to present various neopagan traditions as the natural 'women's religion' for the feminist movement. The effects of this kind of politicization of neopaganism are a topic of intense debate within the movement and fuel some of its deepest factional divisions. 7. Respect for art and creativity Neopaganism tends to attractartists and musicians as muchas it attracts technologists. Our myth and ritual can be very powerful at stimulating and releasing creativity, and one of the greatest strengths of the movement is the rich outgrowth of music, poetry, crafts and arts that has come from that. It is quite common for people joining the movement to discover real talents in those areas that they never suspected. Poets and musicians have the kind of special place at neopagan festivals that they did in pre-literate cultures; many of our best-known people are or have been bards and songsmiths, and the ability to compose and improvise good ritual poetry is considered the mark of a gifted priest(ess) and very highly respected. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 335 8. Eclecticism "Steal from any source that doesn't run too fast" is aneopagan motto. A typical neopagan group will mix Greek, Celtic and Egyptian mythology with American Indian shamanism. Ritual technique includes recognizable borrowings from medieval ceremonial magic, Freemasonry and pre-Nicene Christianity, as well as a bunch of 20th-century inventions. Humanistic psychology and some of the more replicable New Age healing techniques have recently been influential. The resulting stew is lively and effective, though sometimes a bit hard to hold together. 9. A sense of humor Neopagans generally believethat itis more dangerousto takeyour religion too seriously than too lightly. Self-spoofery is frequent and (in some traditions) semi-institutionalized, and at least one major neopagan tradition (Discordianism, known to many on this net) is *founded* on elaborate spoofery and started out as a joke. Oneof the most attractive features of the neopagan approach is that we don't confuse solemnity with gloom. Our rituals are generally celebratory and joyous, and a humorous remark at the right time need not break the mood. We generally feel that anyreligion that can't stand tohave fun poked at it is in as sad shape as the corresponding kind of person. III. What kinds of neopagan are there, and where did they come from? Depending onwho you talkto and whatdefinitions you use,there are between 40,000 and 200,000 neopagans in the U.S.; the true figure is probably closer to the latter than the former, and the movement is still growing rapidly following a major 'population explosion' in the late '70s. The numericallylargest and most influentialneopagan group is the 'Kingdom of Wicca' -- the modern witch covens. Modern witchcraft has nothing to do with Hollywood's images of the cackling, cauldron-stirring crone (though wiccans sometimes joke about that one) and is actively opposed to the psychopathic Satanism that many Christians erroneously think of as 'witchcraft'. Your author is an initiate Wiccan priest and coven leader of long standing. Otherimportant subgroupsinclude thoseseeking torevive Norse, Egyptian, Amerind, and various kinds of tribal pantheons other than the Greek and Celtic ones that have been incorporated into Wicca. These generally started out as Wiccan offshoots or have been so heavily influenced by Wiccan ritual technique that their people can usually work comfortably in a Wiccan circle and vice-versa. There arealso the variousorders of ceremonialmagicians, most claiming to be the successors to the turn-of-the-century Golden Dawn or one of the groups founded by Alesteir Crowley during his brilliant and notorious occult career. These have their own very elaborate ritual tradition, and tend to be more intellectual, more rigid, and less nature-oriented. They are sometimes reluctant to describe themselves as neopagans. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 336 The Discordians (and, more recently, the Discordian-offshoot Church of the Sub-Genius) are few in number but quite influential. They are the neopagan movement's sacred clowns, puncturing pretense and adding an essential note to the pagan festivals. Many Wiccans, especially among priests and priestesses, are also Discordians and will look you straight in the eye and tell you that the entire neopagan movement is a Discordian hoax... Neopaganism used to be largely a white, upper-middle-class phenomenon, but that has been changing during the last five years. So called 'new-collar' workers have come in droves during the eighties. We still see fewer non-whites, proportionately, than there are in the general population, but that is also changing (though more slowly). With the exception of a few nut-fringe 'Aryan' groups detested by the whole rest of the movement, neopagans are actively anti-racist; prejudice is not the problem, it's more that the ideas have tended to be accepted by the more educated segments of society first, and until recently those more educated segments were mostly white. OntheEastCoast, ahigher-than-general-populationpercentage of neopagans have Roman Catholic or Jewish backgrounds, but figures suggest this is not true nationwide. There is also a very significant overlap in population with science-fiction fandom and the Society for Creative Anachronism. Politically, neopagans are distributed about the same as the general population, except that whether liberal or conservative they tend to be more individualist and less conformist and moralistic than average. It is therefore not too surprising that the one significant difference in distribution is the presence of a good many more libertarians than one would see in a same-sized chunk of the general population (I particularly register this because I'm a libertarian myself, but non-libertarians have noted the same phenomenon). These complexities are obscured by the fact that the most politically active and visible neopagans are usually ex-hippie left-liberals from the '60s. I think the most acute generalization made about pagans as a whole is Margot Adler's observation that they are mostly self-made people, supreme individualists not necessarily in the assertive or egoist sense but because they have felt the need to construct their own culture, their own definitions, their own religious paths, out of whatever came to hand rather than accepting the ones that the mainstream offers. IV. Where do I find out more? I have deliberatelynot said much aboutmythology, or specific religious practice or aims, or the role of magic and to what extent we practice and 'believe' in it. Any one of those is a topic for another posting; but you can get a lot of information from books. Here's a basic bibliography: Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 337 Adler, Margot _Drawing_Down_the_Moon_ (Random House 1979, hc) This book is a lucid and penetrating account of who the modern neo-pagans are, what they do and why they do it, from a woman who spent almost two years doing observer-participant journalism in the neo-pagan community. Especially valuable because it combines an anthropologist's objectivity with a candid personal account of her own feelings about all she saw and did and how her ideas about the neo-pagans changed under the impact of the experiences she went through. Recommended strongly as a first book on the subject, and it's relatively easy to find. There is now a revised and expanded second edition available. Starhawk _The_Spiral_Dance_ An anthology of philosophy, poetry, training exercises, ritual outlines and instructive anecdotes from a successful working coven. First-rate as an introduction to the practical aspects of magick and running a functioning circle. Often findable at feminist bookstores. Shea, Robert and Wilson, Robert Anton _Illuminatus!_ (Dell, 1975, pb) This work of alleged fiction is an incredible berserko-surrealist rollercoaster that _will_ bend your mind into a pretzel with an acid-head blitzkrieg of plausible, instructive and enlightening lies and a few preposterous and obscure truths. Amidst this eccentric tale of world-girdling conspiracies, intelligent dolphins, the fall of Atlantis, who _really_ killed JFK, sex, drugs, rock and roll and the Cosmic Giggle Factor, you will find Serious Truths about Mind, Time, Space, the Nature of God(dess) and What It All Means -- and also learn why you should on no account take them Seriously. Pay particular attention to Appendix Lamedh ("The Tactics of Magick"), but it won't make sense until you've read the rest. This was first published in 3 volumes as _The_Eye_In_The_Pyramid_, _The_ Golden_Apple_ and _Leviathan_, but there's now a one-volume trade paperback carried by most chain bookstores under SF. Campbell, Joseph W., _The_Masks_of_God_ (Viking Books, 1971, pb) One of the definitiveanalytical surveys of world mythography-- and readable to boot! It's in 4 volumes: I. _Primitive_Mythology_ II. _Oriental_Mythology_ III. _Occidental_Mythology_ IV. _Creative_Mythology_ The theoretical framework of these books is a form of pragmatic neo-Jungianism which has enormously influenced the neopagans (we can accurately be described as the practice for which Campbell and Jung were theorizing). Note especially his predictions in vols. I & IV of a revival of shamanic, vision-quest-based religious forms. The recent Penguin pb edition of this book should be available in the Mythology and Folklore selection of any large bookstore. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 338 Bonewits, Isaac, _Real_Magic_ (Creative Arts Books, 1979, pb) A fascinating analytical study of the psychodynamics of ritual and magick. This was Bonewits's Ph.D. thesis for the world's only known doctorate in Magic and Thaumaturgy (UCLA Berkeley, 1971). Hardest of the five to find but well worth the effort -- an enormously instructive, trenchant and funny book. V. Will there be more net.info on this topic? I am also available to answer questions by email or phone. Be warned that I will probably tell you to go off and study some more, rather than referring you to a group, if you haven't read at least two out of the five above or else good equivalents like Michael Harner's _Way_Of_The_Shaman_ (Castaneda, UFOlogy books and anything on astrology or the Great Pyramid will *not* count! Grrr...!). No fooling, learning to do this stuff right is hard work and demands a lot more rigor and clear thinking than most people associate with 'occultism'. But it's also fun and empowering and could turn out to be one of the couple most important things you do with your life. If response to this posting is heavy, I may post some stuff on Wiccan ritual practice and theology, that being what I know best. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 339 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com W H A T I S W I C C A ? An Introduction to "The Old Religion" of Europe and its Modern Revival by Amber K, High Priestess Our Lady of the Woods P.O. Box 176 Blue Mounds, Wisconsin 53517 (This leaflet may be reproduced and distributed exactly as-is, without further permission from the author, provided it is offered free of charge. Changes in the text, however, must be approved in advance by the author. Thank you!) WICCA (sometimes called Wicce, The Craft, or The Old Religion by its practitioners) is an ancient religion of love for life and nature. In prehistoric times, people respected the great forces of Nature and celebrated the cycles of the seasons and the moon. They saw divinity in the sun and moon, in the Earth Herself, and in all life. The creative energies of the universe were personified: feminine and masculine principles became Goddesses and Gods. These were not semi-abstract, superhuman figures set apart from Nature: they were embodied in earth and sky, women and men, and even plants and animals. This viewpoint is still central to present-day Wicca. To most Wiccans, everything in Natures -- and all Goddesses and Gods -- are true aspects of Deity. The aspects most often celebrated in the Craft, however, are the Triple Goddess of the Moon (Who is Maiden, Mother, and Crone) and the Horned God of the wilds. These have many names in various cultures. Wicca had its organized beginnings in Paleolithic times, co- existed with other Pagan ("country") religions in Europe, and had a profound influence on early Christianity. But in the medieval period, tremendous persecution was directed against the Nature religions by the Roman Church. Over a span of 300 years, millions of men and women and many children were hanged, drowned or burned as accused "Witches." The Church indicted them for black magic and Satan worship, though in fact these were never a part of the Old Religion. The Wiccan faith went underground, to be practiced in small, secret groups called "covens." For the most part, it stayed hidden until very recent times. Now scholars such as Margaret Murray and Gerald Gardner have shed some light on the origins of the Craft, and new attitudes of religious freedom have allowed covens in some areas to risk becoming more open. How do Wiccan folk practice their faith today? There is no central authority or doctrine, and individual covens vary a great deal. But most meet to celebrate on nights of the Full Moon, and at eight great festivals or Sabbats throughout the year. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 340 Though some practice alone or with only their families, many Wiccans are organized into covens of three to thirteen members. Some are led by a High Priestess or Priest, many by a Priestess/Priest team; others rotate or share leadership. Some covens are highly structured and hierarchical, while others may be informal and egalitarian. Often extensive training is required before initiation, and coven membership is considered an important commitment. There are many branches or "traditions" of Wicca in the United States and elsewhere, such as the Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Welsh Traditional, Dianic, Faery, Seax-Wicca and others. All adhere to a code of ethics. None engage in the disreputable practices of some modern "cults," such as isolating and brainwashing impressionable, lonely young people. Genuine Wiccans welcome sisters and brothers, but not disciples, followers or victims. Coven meetings include ritual, celebration and magick (the "k" is to distinguish it from stage illusions). Wiccan magick is not at all like the instant "special effects" of cartoon shows or fantasy novels, nor medieval demonology; it operates in harmony with natural laws and is usually less spectacular -- though effective. Various techniques are used to heal people and animals, seek guidance, or improve members' lives in specific ways. Positive goals are sought: cursing and "evil spells" are repugnant to practitioners of the Old Religion. Wiccans tend to be strong supporters of environmental protection, equal rights, global peace and religious freedom, and sometimes magick is used toward such goals. Wiccan beliefs do not include such Judeao-Christian concepts as original sin, vicarious atonement, divine judgement or bodily resurrection. Craft folk believe in a beneficent universe, the laws of karma and reincarnation, and divinity inherent in every human being and all of Nature. Yet laughter and pleasure are part of their spiritual tradition, and they enjoy singing, dancing, feasting, and love. Wiccans tend to be individualists, and have no central holy book, prophet, or church authority. They draw inspiration and insight from science, and personal experience. Each practitioner keeps a personal book or journal in which s/he records magickal "recipes," dreams, invocations, songs, poetry and so on. To most of the Craft, every religion has its own valuable perspective on the nature of Deity and humanity's relationship to it: there is no One True Faith. Rather, religious diversity is necessary in a world of diverse societies and individuals. Because of this belief, Wiccan groups do not actively recruit or proselytize: there is an assumption that people who can benefit from the Wiccan way will "find their way home" when the time is right. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 341 Despite the lack of evangelist zeal, many covens are quite willing to talk with interested people, and even make efforts to inform their communities about the beliefs and practices of Wicca. One source of contacts is The Covenant of the Goddess, P.O. Box 1226, Berkeley, CA 94704. Also, the following books may be of interest: (Ask your librarian.) DRAWING DOWN THE MOON by Margot Adler THE SPIRAL DANCE by Starhawk POSITIVE MAGIC by Marion Weinstein WHAT WITCHES DO by Stewart Farrar WITCHCRAFT FOR TOMORROW by Doreen Valiente Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 342 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com RE-THINKING THE WATCHTOWERS or 13 Reasons Air should be in the North ======================================= by Mike Nichols copyright 1989 by Mike Nichols (fondly dedicated to Kathy Whitworth) INTRODUCTION It all started 20 years ago. I was 16 years old then, and a recent initiate to the religion of Wicca. Like most neophytes, I was eager to begin work on my Book of Shadows, the traditional manuscript liturgical book kept by most practicing Witches. I copied down rituals, spells, recipes, poems, and tables of correspondences from every source I could lay hands on. Those generally fell into two broad categories: published works, such as the many books available on Witchcraft and magic; and unpublished works, mainly other Witches' Books of Shadows. Twenty years ago, most of us were "traditional" enough to copy everything by hand. (Today, photocopying and even computer modem transfers are becoming de rigueur.) Always, we were admonished to copy "every dot and comma", making an exact transcription of the original, since any variation in the ceremony might cause major problems for the magician. Seldom, if ever, did anyone pause to consider where these rituals came from in the first place, or who composed them. Most of us, alas, did not know and did not care. It was enough just to follow the rubrics and do the rituals as prescribed. But something brought me to an abrupt halt in my copying frenzy. I had dutifully copied rituals from different sources, and suddenly realized they contained conflicting elements. I found myself comparing the two versions, wondering which one was "right", "correct", "authentic", "original", "older", etc. This gave rise to the more general questions about where a ritual came from in the first place. Who created it? Was it created by one person or many? Was it ever altered in transmission? If so, was it by accident or intent? Do we know? Is there ever any way to find out? How did a particular ritual get into a Coven's Book of Shadows? From another, older, Book of Shadows? Or from a published source? If so, where did the author of the published work get it? I had barely scratched the surface, and yet I could already see that the questions being raised were very complex. (Now, all these years later, I am more convinced than ever of the daunting complexity of Neo-Pagan liturgical history. And I am equally convinced of the great importance of this topic for a thorough understanding of modern Witchcraft. It may well be a mare's nest, but imagine the value it will have to future Craft historians. And you are unconditionally guaranteed to see me fly into a passionate tirade whenever I'm confronted with such banal over-simplifications as "Crowley is the REAL author of the Third Degree initiation," or "Everyone KNOWS Gardner INVENTED modern Witchcraft.") Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 344 CONFLICTING TRADITIONS The first time I noticed conflicting ritual elements was when I was invited as a guest to attend another Coven's esbat celebration. When the time came to "invoke the Watchtowers" (a ritual salutation to the four directions), I was amazed to learn that this group associated the element of Earth with the North. My own Coven equated North with Air. How odd, I thought. Where'd they get that? The High Priestess told me it had been copied out of a number of published sources. Further, she said she had never seen it listed any other way. I raced home and began tearing books from my own library shelves. And sure enough! Practically every book I consulted gave the following associations as standard: North = Earth, East = Air, South = Fire, West = Water. Then where the heck did I get the idea that Air belonged in the North? After much thought, I remembered having copied my own elemental/directional associations from another Witch's Book of Shadows, her Book representing (so she claimed) an old Welsh tradition. Perhaps I'd copied it down wrong? A quick long-distance phone call put my mind at ease on that score. (When I asked her where she'd gotten it, she said she THOUGHT it was from an even older Book of Shadows, but she wasn't certain.) By now, I felt miffed that my own tradition seemed to be at variance with most published sources. Still, my own rituals didn't seem to be adversely affected. Nor were those of my fellow Coven members, all of whom put Air in the North. Further, over the years I had amassed lots of associations and correspondences that seemed to REQUIRE Air to be in the North. The very thought of Air in the East offended both my sense of reason and my gut-level mythic sensibilities. There are good REASONS to place Air in the North. And the whole mythological superstructure would collapse if Air were in the East, instead. If this is so, then why do most published sources place Earth in the North and Air in the East? Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 345 RITUAL TAMPERING Suddenly, I felt sure I knew the reason! Somewhere along the line, someone had deliberately tampered with the information! Such tampering is a long and venerable practice within certain branches of magic. In Western culture, it is most typically seen among Hermetic, Cabalistic and "ceremonial" magic lodges. It is common among such groups that, when publishing their rituals for public consumption, they will publish versions that are INCOMPLETE and/or deliberately ALTERED in some way from the authentic practice. This prevents someone who is NOT a member of the group from simply buying a book, and performing the rituals, without benefit of formal training. It is only when you are initiated into the lodge that you will be given the COMPLETE and/or CORRECTED versions of their rituals. This is how such groups guard their secrets. (And it is a telling postscript that many scholars now believe modern Witchcraft to have "borrowed" its directional/elemental correspondences from ceremonial magic sources! What a laugh if this was Crowley's last best joke on his friend Gerald Gardner!) I remember the first time I became aware of such deliberate ritual tampering. A friend of mine had been making a study of the so-called "planetary squares", talismans that look like magic squares consisting of a grid of numbers in some cryptic order. There are seven such squares -- one for each of the "old" planets. While making this study, he began coloring the grids (more for his own pleasure than anything else), making colorful mini-mosaics, using first two colors, then three, then four, and on up to the total number of squares in the grid. Six of the planetary squares yielded pleasing patterns of color. Then there was the Sun square! Against all expectation, the colors were a random jumble, with no patterns emerging. Thus, he began his quest for the CORRECTED Sun square. And I became convinced of the reality of ritual tampering. THE WATCHTOWERS All that remains, then, is for me to assemble all the arguments in favor of the Air-in-the-North model, which I have now come to believe is the CORRECTED system of correspondences. The remainder of this article will be devoted to those arguments, each with its own name and number: 1. AIRTS: This is perhaps the strongest argument. In Celtic countries, the four elemental/directional associations are referred to as the "four airts". And it is a known fact that this tradition associates Air with North. While it is true that some writers, familiar with ceremonial magic (like William Sharp and Doreen Valiente), have given "tampered" versions of the airts, it is a telling point that folklorists working directly with native oral traditions (like Alexander Carmichael and F. Marian McNeill) invariably report the Air/North connection. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 346 2. PARALLEL CULTURES: Although arguing from parallel cultures may not be as convincing, it is still instructive to examine other magical aboriginal cultures in the Western hemisphere. For example, the vast majority of Native American tribes (themselves no slouches in the area of magic!) place Air in the North, which they symbolize by the Eagle. (Aboriginal cultures lying south of the equator typically have different associations, for reasons I will discuss next.) 3. GEOPHYSICAL: If one accepts the insular British origins of elemental directions, then one must imagine living in the British Isles. To the West is the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean (i.e. water). To the East, the bulk of the European land mass (earth). South has always been the direction of fire because, as one travels south (toward the equator), it gets warmer. Which leaves North as the region of air, home of the icy winds of winter. (These last two associations would be reversed for cultures in the southern hemisphere, for whom north is the direction of the warm equatorial region, and south is the land of ice.) 4. HYPERBOREAN: In fact, an ancient name for the British Isles was "Hyperboria", which literally means "behind the north wind", thus associating north and wind (air) once more. The inhabitants were themselves called "Hyperborians", and the phrase "at the back of the north wind" (the title of one of George MacDonald's faery romances) is still current. Of all the winds of the compass, it is unquestionably the north wind (Boreas), bringer of winter, which is perceived as the strongest and most influential (cf. Robert Grave's goddess fantasy "Watch the North Wind Rise"). You don't hear too much about the other three cardinal winds. 5. SEASONAL: Many occultists associate the four seasons with the four cardinal points, as well. Hence, winter = north, spring = east, summer = south, and autumn = west. (To be precise, it is the solstice and equinox points which align with the cardinal points.) Again, in most folklore, winter is associated with air and wind, as the icy blasts that usher in the season. In spring, it is the earth which arrests our attention, with its sudden riot of blooms and greenery. Again, south relates to summer, the hottest season (fire), and west relates to autumn. 6. DIURNAL: Occultists also often associate the cardinal points of a single day to the four compass points. Thus, midnight = north, sunrise = east, noon = south, and sunset = west. (Please note that we are talking about TRUE midnight and TRUE noon here, the points halfway between sunset and sunrise, and between sunrise and sunset, respectively.) These associate nicely with the seasonal attributes just discussed. It is easy to see why sunrise should equate to east, and sunset to west. And, once again, from the perspective of the British Isles, the sun rises over land (earth) and sets over the ocean (water). South is related to noon because it is the moment of greatest heat (fire). Leaving the "invisible" element of air to be associated with the sun's invisibility, at midnight. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 347 7. MYTHOLOGICAL: In Celtic mythology, north is invariably associated with air. The pre-Christian Irish gods and goddesses, the Tuatha De Danann, were "airy" faeries (later versions came equipped with wings, relating them to sylphs). The Book of Conquests states their original home was in the north, "at the back of the north wind". And when they came to Ireland, they came in ships, THROUGH THE UPPER AIR (!), settling on the mountain tops. (It has always struck me as odd that some modern writers see mountains as a symbol of earth. The crucial symbolism of the mountain is its height, rising into the air, touching the sky. Virtually all Eastern traditions associate mountains, favorite abodes of gurus, with air. A CAVE would be a better symbol of earth than a mountain.) In Welsh mythology, too, Math the Ancient, chief god of Gwynedd (or NORTH Wales), is specifically associated with wind, which can carry people's thoughts to him. 8. YIN/YANG: Many occultists believe that the four elements have yin/yang connections. Both air and fire are seen as masculine, while earth and water are seen as feminine. If air is associated with the north point of the magic circle, and earth is east, then one achieves a yin/yang alternation as one circumambulates the circle. As one passes the cardinal points of east, south, west, and north, one passes feminine, masculine, feminine, masculine energies. This alternating flux of plus/minus, push/pull, masculine/feminine, is the very pulse of the universe, considered of great importance by most occultists. That it was equally important to our ancestors is evidenced by standing stones in the British Isles. At sites like the Kennet Avenue of Braga, the tall, slender, masculine, phallic stones alternate precisely with the shorter, diamond-shaped yoni stones. 9. GENERATOR: This argument flows out of the previous one. Practicing magicians often think of the magic circle as a kind of psychic generator. Witches in particular like to perform circle dances to "raise the cone of power". Hand in hand, and alternating man and woman, they dance clockwise (deosil) around the circle, moving faster and faster until the power is released. This model has an uncanny resemblance to an electrical generator, as man and woman alternately pass each of the four "poles" of the magic circle. These poles themselves MUST alternate between plus and minus if power is to be raised. This means that if the masculine fire is in the south, then the masculine air MUST be in the north. If the feminine water is in the west, then the feminine earth MUST be in the east. If any adjacent pair were switched, the generator would stop dead. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 348 10. MASCULINE/FEMININE AXIS: When you look at a typical map, north (the cardinal direction) is at the top. Any north-south road is a vertical line, and any east-west road is a horizontal line. Likewise, a "map" of a magic circle makes the vertical north-south axis masculine (with air and fire), while the horizontal east-west axis is feminine (earth and water). This makes logical sense. When we look at the horizon of the earth, we see a horizontal line. Water also seeks a horizontal plane. Feminine elements, considered "passive", have a natural tendency to "lay down". Fire, on the other hand, always assumes an erect or vertical position. Air, too, can rise upward, as earth and water cannot. Masculine elements, being "active", have a natural tendency to "stand up". 11. ALTAR TOOLS: In modern Witchcraft, there are four principal altar tools, the same four tools shown on the Tarot card, the Magician. They also correspond to the four Tarot suits, the four ancient treasures of Ireland, and the four "hallows" of Arthurian legend. And, like the four elements, two of them are feminine and two of them are masculine. The pentacle is a shallow dish inscribed with a pentagram, representing earth, and is here placed in the east. The womb-shaped chalice, symbolizing water, is placed in the west. They form the horizontal feminine axis. The phallic-shaped wand, representing fire, is placed in the south. And the equally phallic-shaped athame is placed in the north. They form the vertical masculine axis. (The gender associations of cup and blade are especially emphasized in the ritual blessing of wine.) 12. AXIS SYMBOLISM: In nearly every culture, the vertical line is a symbol of yang, or masculine energy. The horizontal line is yin, feminine energy. When the vertical masculine line penetrates the horizontal feminine line, forming the ancient Pagan symbol of the equal-armed cross, it becomes a symbol of life, and life-force. Place a circle around it or on it, and you have a circle-cross or "Celtic" cross, symbol of everlasting life. (Please note the importance of the EQUAL-armed cross. If one arm is longer or shorter, then the four elements are out of balance. The Christian or "Roman" cross, for example, has an extended southern arm. And many historians have commented on Christianity's excess of "fire" or zeal. Some versions actually show a shortened northern arm, indicating a dearth of "air" or intellectual qualities.) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 349 13. ASTROLOGICAL: The astrological year is divided into four equal quadrants, each beginning at a solstice or equinox. And each quadrant is governed by one of the four elements. Which element can be discovered by examining the exact MID-POINT of the quadrant. For example, the first quadrant, beginning at the winter solstice (north) is governed by air, which rules 15 degrees Aquarius, symbolized by the Man or Spirit. The second quadrant, beginning at the spring equinox (east) is governed by earth, which rules 15 degrees Taurus, the Bull. The third quadrant, beginning at the summer solstice (south) is governed by fire, which rules 15 degrees Leo, the Lion. And the fourth quadrant, beginning at the fall equinox (west) is governed by water, which rules 15 degrees Scorpio, here symbolized by the Eagle. Thus, north, east, south and west correspond to air, earth, fire, and water, and to man, bull, lion, and eagle, respectively. If the last four symbols seem familiar, it is because they represent the four elemental power points of the astrological year, and their symbols appear in the four corners of the Tarot cards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune. (The same figures were later adopted by Christians as symbols of the four gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.) If those are the arguments in favor of Air-in-the-North, where are the counter-arguments in favor of Earth-in-the-North? Surprisingly, I've heard very few. The most common by far is "But we've always done it this way." Not too convincing. However, no matter HOW persuasive my arguments may be, many have countered that magic doesn't lend itself to rational arguments. It's what FEELS right that counts. True. And there's no denying that many practitioners do just fine with earth in the north. Granted. Still, if they've never tried it the other way, how would they really know? My challenge to my fellow practitioners then is this: give Air-in-the-North a shot. Just try it on for size. See what it feels like. And not for just a single ritual. It'll take several tries just to overcome your habitual ritual mindset. And nothing is as habitual as ritual! So in order to give this a fair shake, you'll have to do a whole series of rituals with air in the north. And go into it with an open mind. Like all magic, if you decide ahead of time it won't work, it won't. Then, once you've tried it, compare it to your old method. Ask yourself what's different, if it worked any better, and why or why not. And let me know. I'd enjoy hearing about your experiences. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 350 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com What is a First Degree? Many persons feel that the first degree initiation is something that a person receives simply because this group or that wishes to accept a person into their circle (Gardenarian, Alexandrian, etc.). In the my tradition, as a first degree, you ARE a priest/ess, and as such you carry responsibilities. In some traditions, the knowledge you have gained during your first degree studies will qualify you for a third degree in that tradition. But let's look at it a minute. As I have stated, as a first degree, you ARE a priest/ess. What does this mean? In other faiths, you must go to seminary or its equivalent for a period of at least 5 years to obtain this goal. When you leave there, you are knowledgeable in not only the beliefs of your faith, but also it's history, sects, and doctrines. You have been trained to be a counselor, helper, and friend to your parishioners. You have had training in dealing with problems within your church, your community, and "the enemy". Basically, you have been given the trust of your church to be knowledgeable, loving, caring, and trustworthy. Should a Priest/ess in the craft be expected to be any less? As an Isian, the answer is a resounding NO! During your first degree studies, you are the equivalent of an Associate Pastor/Minister/Whatever. You are now in training to eventually have your own coven, or if you wish to be solitary, you are in training to be able to defend your religion to the outside world if the need arises. What are the responsibilities of a First Degree in my tradition? As always, in the this tradition, you are required to constantly be learning and growing. This does not mean that you have to be constantly be learning about the craft, but about yourself, your community, Mother Earth, etc. This responsibility does not cease even when you receive your third degree. This is a responsibility to yourself. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 351 Some of your responsibilities to the coven are listed below: 1.) To grow within the craft. 2.) Observe and participate in all circle functions of your degree or lower. 3.) To assist in preparation for all circle functions of your degree or lower. 4.) To assist any student of a lessor grade in his/her studies when asked by this student for assistance. 5.) To contribute at least one research paper of 10 pages (5 if single spaced) or more on the craft subject of your choice. 6.) Contribute in some manner to each sabbat or public gathering either by time, monies for supplies, or bringing something to share either during or after event. Time could be by arriving early to help set up, staying a little later and helping to clean up after, preparing and sharing a workshop (if open workshop is scheduled), making phone calls to remind people of the event, etc. 7.) Contribute to ideas for coven gatherings and help arrange same. (Remember, all things do not happen at Covenstead!) 8.) Be aware of any conflicts within Circle, and bring this to the attention of the HP/HPS (even if that's where the conflict is!) 9.) Be prepared to accept the responsibility of a circle or ritual should something happen to your HP/S. To some people, this may seem like a lot of expectations, but keep in mind. We are not are not training "week-end witches." You are in training to be a Priest/ess of Wicca. Your first degree is something to be proud of. You have worked hard and long to receive it, and your HP/S has found you worthy of same. May the Lord and Lady smile on your efforts. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 352 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com CHURCH OF ALL WORLDS BOX 1542 Ukiah, CA 95482 Duplicate Membership Application (as presented in GREEN EGG Oimlec 1989) Distributed Electronically to the Pagan Community by the Pagan Information Network in the general interest of all. In dedication tothe celebration of life in itsmany forms, I hereby declare my commitment to a way of life that is ethical, benevolent, humanistic, life-affirming, ecstatic and ecologically sane. I subscribe to means and methods that are creative rather than destructive, tolerant rather than authoritarian, gentle rather than violent, inclusive rather than exclusive. I pledge myself to harmonious eco-psychic awareness with the total biosphere of holy Mother Earth. Like a redwood tree, I would have my roots deep in the Earth and my branches reaching for the stars. I acknowledge my personal responsibility for myself, to my fellow humans, and to the whole of Nature; and I recognize this total responsibility, in each of us, as the source of our infinite freedom to become who we are and do what we will. I dedicate myself to my own inner growth and development that I may be of greater service to myself and the world around me. For these reasons I recognize Divinity both within and without, and I say to myself and others : THOU ART GODDESS; THOU ART GOD. I wish to unite with others upon a spiritual path that encompasses both the Heaven's and the Earth, and all the worlds between, and hereby make application to join the membership of the Church of All Worlds, in order that we may learn together and teach each other ways to bring about these ends. I understand that this association does not require the severing of any other religious ties. D a t e _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Signature_________________________________________________ I enclose $_______ as a contribution to help carry on the work of the Church. (Annual membership dues are $25 for individuals, $20 each for family members at one address.) (The Church of All Worlds is a state and federally tax-exempt 501(c)(3) religious organization. All donations are tax-deductible.) Reviewed and approved by______________________this day:_____________________ Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 353 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com What is Shamanism? Michelle Klein-Hass/SysOp, Shaman's Soup BBS Pardon me for asking, but what is Shamanism? That's one area of "the occult" that I don't remember hearing about. OK, I guess I'm the resident shamanism maven here, so I'll try to define it. Shamanism is the name (from the Tungus Shaman, meaning miracle-worker) for any tradition of ecstatic worship of the Earth, and the forces that reside and pervade Her. Most traditions of shamanism worship two deities, the God and the Goddess. In the European shamanic tradition, also known as Wicca, the God and Goddess are most commonly known as The Lord and The Lady, or Great Mother and the Lord of the Hunt. In the Yoruban tradition, they are known as Ogun and Yemaja. In the shamanic tradition of the Chiricahua Teneh (Apache), they are known as Earth Mother and Sky Father, and also as White Painted Woman and Killer of Enemies. In other traditions, there are more deities worshipped, and in most of those named, there are other lesser deities. Some forms of shamanic tradition can be classified as true polytheism, some, like the tradition of the Australian Dreamtime, are truly pantheistic (the God-force is in all, and all exists in the God-force, or as they put it, the Dreamtime) and at least in the tradition of the Yoruba (Nigerian African) and in most Native American traditions, these Gods and Goddesses are seen as emanations from a Great Spirit. In the Teneh tongue, this spirit is known as Usen', Who is neither Male nor Female but encompasses both. Joe Wilson describes the difference between the path of the Shaman and the path of the Priest this way: the Priest is the custodian of tradition and rite, the Shaman is the one who journeys within and experiences the God(esse)s directly. The path of the shaman is the path of healing, direct involvement with ones Gods/Goddesses, and the path of acquiring Power for The Good. Modern Shamanism in America is usually of two currents: Wiccan and Native. Wicca is a reconstructed system, which is probably similar but not identical to the pre-Christian religion of the Keltoi (the Britons, the Gallics, the Irish and Scottish Gael, the Picts, and the Cymri(Welsh) It used to claim quite an impressive history, but is reliably traceable to people like Gerald Gardner, who designed a system of Wiccan practice from various sources, including, supposedly, a wealthy woman whose family had practiced witchcraft for generations. He obviously had a good grasp of some of the Anthropological works on the subject, but liberally borrowed as well from Crowley, Freemasonry, and *fin de Siecle* occultism like the Order of the Golden Dawn. Artificial or authentic, it seems to still work. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 354 Native shamanism works with either traditions of a native people like the Native Americans or the Yoruba tribe (present in Santeria), or is a distillation of many practices, as is the shamanism taught by Dr. Michael Harner and by Joseph Wilson of Toteg Tribe. The true native traditions are dying out quickly, and most native Shamans are unwilling to transmit their knowledge. In some cases, the knowledge has died out, and those descendants who remain and wish to embrace the Old Ways must re-invent their tradition. My teacher, Misha Sacred Wolf of the Naiche-Tosawi band of the Chiricahua, is in that unenviable position. The Apache still exist, and they celebrate some of the old festivals for the benefit of tourists. But much of the Old Knowledge died with the coming of the white man, the reservation, and the missionaries that considered the reservation their rightful "mission field". While it is true that many Native peoples are indignant about any non-Native involvement in shamanism, and the new age movement is full to the brim with hucksters and shysters who if you give them money will teach you "how to become a Shaman", there are two non-Natives who seem to respect the Ways, and have attempted to present the teachings of Native shamanism in a respectful, reverential way. One is Dr. Michael Harner, author of "The Way of the Shaman" (Bantam) and his "core shamanism" system. His approach is sometimes a little too eclectic, with a glaring lack of the ritual and mythos that makes shamanism so powerful. He has reduced the shamanic experience to a few major elements: The Lowerworld Journey, where the shamanist comes face-to- face with their "Power Animal", which is a representative of the person's basic animal energy; The Upperworld Journey, where the person journeys to contact their "Teacher Within", who is a representation of the person's Higher Self; the Middleworld Journey, where ordinary reality is seen through non-ordinary eyes; and various techniques of healing, primarily the Jivaro "sucking doctor"technique. A non-ordinary state of consciousness is reached through rhythmic drumming, singing, and visualization. Despite the very clinical "self-help" aspect of Harner's work, it is very valuable. If you live in the Los Angeles area, you are quite fortunate in that perhaps the most exciting work in the eclectic shamanic way is going on through Toteg Tribe, a shamanic society founded and facilitated by Joseph Wilson. Joseph was a participant in the Neo-Pagan (Wiccan-shamanic) movement for more than 25 years, and is now trying to forge a new shamanic way for ALL people of the Americas. He has built on the techniques of Harner with insight from both traditional Native peoples of this land that he has studied with and entirely new ways of expression that he and others that work with him have spontaneously come up with. He does not claim to teach traditional shamanic ways, but his work is quite valuable and instead of looking behind to the old days of Tribal America, is aimed towards the 21st century and beyond. Again, I study with a woman who is of the Chiricahua Apache tradition, but I also find Wilson's work to be exciting and very important. I hope this cleared up a few things...there's a lot of good info in the file areas about shamanic practice. Hi Dicho--this is finished (sigh of relief) Enju! B*B Michelle Klein-Hass (Chihacou White Puma) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 355 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Here is the complete expansion of the Indo-European root of the word "witch", from THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF INDO-EUROPEAN ROOTS, revised & edited by Calvert Watkins (Houghton Mifflin Co.: Boston, 1985; ISBN 0-395-36070-6): WEIK- [1]. Clan (social unit above the household). 1. Suffixed form *WEIK- SLA in Latin VILLA, country house, farm: VILLA, VILLAGE, VILLAIN, VILLANELLE, (VILLEIN); (BIDONVILLE). 2. Suffixed o-grade form *WOIK-O in: a. Latin VICUS, quarter or district of a town, neighborhood: (VICINAGE), VICINITY; b. Greek OIKOS, house, and its derivativ e OIKIA, dwelling: ANDROECIUM, AUTOECIOUS, DIOCESE, DIOECIOUS, DIOICOUS, ECESIS, ECOLOGY, ECONOMY, ECUMENICAL, HETEROECIOUS, MONOECIOUS, PARISH, TRIOUECIOUS. 3. Zero-grade from *WIK- in Sanskrit VIS- dwelling, house, with derivative VAISYAH, settler: VAISYA. WEIK- [2]. In words connectid with magic and religious notions (in Germanic and Latin). 1. Germanic suffixed form *WIH-L- in Old English WIGLE, divination, sorcery, akin to the Germanic source of Old French GUILE, cunning trickery: GUILE. 2. Germanic expressive form *WIKK- in: a. Old English WICCA, wizard, and WICCE, witch: WITCH; b. Old English WICCIAN, to cast a spell: BEWITCH. 3. Possible suffixed zero-grade form *WIK-T-IMA in latin VICTIMA, animal used as sacrifice, victim (although this may belong to another root *[SHWA]WEK- not otherwise represented in English): VICTIM. WEIK- [3]. To be like. 1. Suffixed variant form *EIK-ON- in Greek EIKON, likeness, image: ICON, (ICONIC), ICONO-; ANISEIKONIA. 2. Prefixed and suffixed zero-grade form *N-WIK-ES, not like (*N-, not), in greek AIKES, unseemly: AECIUM. WEIK- [4]. Also WEIG-. To bend, wind. I. Form WEIG-. 1. Germanic *WIK- in: a. Old English WICE, wych elm (having pliant branches): WYCH ELM; b. Swedish VIKER, willow twig, wand, akin to the Scandinavian source of Middle English WIKER, wicker: WICKER; c. Old Norse vikja, to bend, turn, probably akin to the Scandinavian source of Old Nort h French WIKET, wicket (< "door that turns?): WICKET. 2. Germanic *WAIKWAZ in: a. Old Norse VEIKR, pliant: WEAK; b. Dutch WEEK, weak, soft: WEAKFISH. 3. Germanic *WIKON-, "a turning," series, in Old English WICU, WICE, week: WEEK. II. Form *WEIK-. Zero-grade form *WIK- in: a. Latin VIX (genetive VICUS), turn, situation, change: VICAR (VICARIOUS), VICE[3]; VICISSITUDE; b. Latin VICIA, vetch (< "twining plant"): VETCH. WEIK- [5]. To fight, conquer. 1. Germanic *WIK- in Old Norse VIGR, able in battle: WIGHT[2]. 2. Nasalized zero-grade form *WI-N-K- in Latrin VINCERE (past participle VICTUS), to conquer: VANQUISH, VICTOR, VINCIBLE; CONVINCE, EVICT. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 356 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com NATURE SPIRIT MAGIC By Larry Cornett INTRODUCTION: Each plant, animal, rock, and other entity has a spirit (consciousness resonance matrix). These spirits can join together, in a hive-mind, as a spirit of an area. Nature spirits include real biological intelligences, are psychically powerful, and are much less abstract and controllable than the Elementals that many magical people who perform all of their rituals indoors are familiar with. They can be extremely powerful allies. It is possible to sense nature spirits, to determine if they are receptive to a ritual planned, and to have them actively participate in magical workings if they are. SOME EFFECTS OF WORKING WITH NATURE SPIRITS: Spectacular physical manifestations can happen when working with nature spirits in the wild. I have personally seen actual foxfire mark the boundaries of a magic circle at a location that was identified as a receptive power spot and attuned to a planned ritual the day before. I have seen more than one site attuned for ritual be dry and comfortable, with a round hole in the clouds overhead, on days that were cold and rainy at other nearby locations. Birds have joined in rituals, flying around the circle when energy was being raised; and insects, birds and animals have joined in chants. In addition, the wind often responds to invocations. Generally, these spectacular manifestations happen unexpectedly. With or without such manifestations, nature spirits often will channel tremendous amounts of power into the magic being performed. It is suggested that you do not consciously try for specific manifestations. Let Nature channel her power into the magic in her own way. If approached with respect, nature may give you many pleasant surprises. Spectacular physical manifestations are not a necessary sign of success. If you need a spectacular manifestation and nature spirits know this, you will get it. The best success in magic is on the inner planes and more subtle than such manifestations. This success involves beneficial changes in consciousness that last and helpful chains of synchronicity. In addition, working with Nature Spirits can also bring a deep sense of partnership with Nature, and bring new levels of attunement. To get the best results, perform nature spirit attunement several hours to several days before the main ritual. The purposes of such attunement are to find suitable power spots and to get the help of friendly nature spirits. This timing gives Nature time to gather her children and to prepare to actively participate in the main ritual. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 357 WHAT TO NOT DO: If nature spirits are approached with disrespect by attempting to command them rather than listening to them and inviting them to work with you, nature spirits may flee, rebel, or attack. I once attended a ritual by some pseudo-Crowleyites who attempted to perform the "Ritual of the Barbarous Names" at a power spot in a forest and then to extend the circle several hundred yards in all directions. While the forest in general had loud insect and frog noises, the area at which the ritual took place got quiet immediately when the main ritualist declared that all spirits were subject unto him. The vibes from nature could best be characterized as "Oh yea, Mother...!" One participant was quickly possessed by an angry spirit and kept repeating "You killed my children, your children will never live in peace." When the priestess stepped out of the boundaries of the original circle, she was attacked by bees; and bees covered the Book of the Law. Magicians should know better than to attempt to command spirits whose true names they do not know! CALLING NATURE SPIRITS: To make the most out of working magical ritual in the wild, one should find power spots where nature spirits are receptive to the ritual planned and approach the spirits with respect, as equals. In my experience, the most effective power spots for working with the living intelligences of nature are located in wild areas with diverse, active ecologies. When entering a wild area to find a site for a ritual, find a place that feels good. Then do the following, either individually or, if in a group, as a guided meditation: o Relax, while standing upright, and focus on your breathing. Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm. Breathe together if in a group. - Feel the wind, and let it relax you and awaken your spirit within, as your deep breathing takes you into non-ordinary reality. - Picture, in your mind's eye, a light inside you. As you breathe, feel the light expand, purify and energize you - as it expands to fill your aura. - Feel yourself glowing, balanced, purified, and full of power. - Connect with your inner self (your higher self), and feel your intuitive self operating. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 358 o Feel yourself as: - The wind, full of life and intelligence, communicating with all round. - The Sunlight, warm, alive, channeling the power to communicate with nature and energizing all around. - Water, emotional, intuitive, refreshing, and connected with nature. - The Earth, and note how your physical body is able to wander while remaining part of Mother Earth. o Focus on your spiritual self, and: - Note the light within and feel it as love, - Expand the light and love beyond the immediate aura of your body to the surrounding area - where you will go to find a power spot and contact nature spirits. o Telepathically (by thinking while channeling the love and light energy) send out signals to nature spirits to emerge and be aware of your presence. - Say why you have come, and invite them to join in sharing, mutual celebration, and the work you intend. - Visualize the light and love energy you are channeling extending out and merging with the light from distant places. - Feel the power of the Earth flowing up through your body and feet. - Feel the power from the sky, and channel this power also to further energize the carrier signal of light and love for communicating with nature. - Visualize the light expanding and merging. - Continue to send out telepathic signals. o Now go deeper: - Close your eyes, sit on the Earth, and feel your connection while you channel more light and love. - Continue modulating the light and love with your thoughts - inviting receptive spirits to join with you and to make themselves known. - If in a group, someone should start playing a drum at a rate of about one beat per second; and you should listen to the drum and let the drum take you deeper. - Affirm that you are a nature magician, a medicine person, who knows and communicates with nature. Let this part of yourself emerge to full consciousness. Let the drum and the connection to your inner self awaken that part of yourself that naturally communicates with other life forms. Let it awaken your telepathic senses. - Continue sending telepathic signals to nature. - When you feel ready and an inner urge to begin, open your eyes a crack and look around, while continuing to channel love and light and telepathically calling for a response. - You may see light coming from certain areas that are receptive. You may get other signals, such as a feeling of power or love returning in a certain direction. Perhaps the type of response to this work will be unexpected; follow your intuition in interpreting it. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 359 - You may test your connection by communicating (mentally) instructions for signals for yes/no responses (such as light getting brighter for less and darker for no) and then mentally ask questions and observe the responses. o When you have found an areas that seems to be responsive and receptive, begin walking to the area, while beaming love energy. Extend your aura to the area and sense the energy. ENTERING A POWER SPOT: o Before entering a power spot, ask permission to enter. If the response is good, enter; if not, locate another more receptive area. o When entering the power spot, look around. Perhaps the responsive energy will be concentrated around some singularity (a bush, a tree, a specific branch, a moss covered rock, or other entity that stands out). Perhaps the energy will be more general. Use your intuition and feedback from the spirits to guide your actions. o If it feels right, send out a signal that you would like to touch the singularity (or the ground) for better communication. If the response is good, approach beaming love energy, and then touch or hug the singularity (or the ground). o Treat the spirits as you would other Pagans you meet for the first time - be sensitive, open, and listen. DEEPENING COMMUNICATION WITH NATURE SPIRITS: o Now that you have made contact with spirits that seem receptive, deepen the communication: - Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm, and with each breath, feel more refreshed. - Now imagine that your spine is the trunk of a tree; and, from its base, roots extend deep into the Earth. Deep into the rich moist Earth. - With every breath, feel the roots extending deeper, - Feel the energy deep within the Earth and within the waters of the Earth. Feel your roots absorbing nourishment from the Earth and from its waters. - Feel the moist, warm energy rising. - Feel it bursting up from the Earth and rising up your spine, like sap rises in a tree. - Feel the energy rise to your crown chakra (at the top of your head). - Now imagine that you have branches, branches that sweep up and then bend down towards the Earth, like the limbs of a willow. - Feel the branches extending and interweaving with your surroundings. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 360 - Feel the warm, moist energy of the Earth flowing through your branches. As it flows, feel yourself being purified, centered, and connected to the Earth. - Feel the power from the Earth flowing through your branches and then down back to the Earth, like a fountain. - Note how your branches absorb energy from the air. Also, feel them receiving light (fire) from the sky. - Feel the energy from above penetrating deep through your body into the Earth. - Feel the warmth of the Earth rising also. - Feel the energy circulating. o Notice how your branches intertwine with the branches of energy surrounding you. - Feel the energy dancing among your branches and the branches around you. - Notice how your roots also intertwine with underground energy channels. - Feel the energy dancing between your roots and the surrounding energy patterns. - Notice how you and the life around you are rooted in the same Earth, breathing the same air, receiving the same fire, drinking the same water, sharing the same underlying essence. You are one with the magical grove. o Telepathically mention the time in the past when nature spirits and people communicated regularly and the need to establish such communication now. o Test your connection by asking questions and observing the responses. WORKING WITH NATURE SPIRITS: o Explain to the spirits the purpose of your coming to them and the nature of the ritual you plan. o If the spirits you contacted are receptive: - Explain to them the details of the ritual and invite them to provide ideas. - Listen, you may receive suggestions on how to improve the ritual. Such suggestions may come in the form of hunches, visions, answers to yes/no questions using pre-arranged signals, or in other ways. - Explain what type of space is needed and ask what the best place to perform the ritual is. - You may see light or get other psychic signals leading you to other sites, or you may be at one of them. - You may also ask what the best places for other aspects of the planned work are (picnicking, individual vision quests, etc.). - If preparation of the site is needed (removing briars, preparing a fire circle, etc.) ask permission of the spirits before proceeding with such action. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 361 - Before you leave the power spot, tell the spirits you have contacted when you plan to return to do the ritual (visualizing the associated lunar and solar aspects can help with this communication). - Invite them to join in the ritual when you return and to bring their friends. - Ask if it would be best to return silently, with drums, with chanting, or with some other form of approach. - You can also ask the spirits to provide guidance for working in balance and to provide a teacher to provide further guidance. o Before you leave the power spot: - Thank the spirits, - Channel love energy, - Trigger your memory of the experience, and - If it feels right, leave an offering of tobacco, or beer and honey poured on the ground (or other suitable material). o Leave in peace and love. o Proceed to other sites that were indicated by the spirits, doing similar meditations at each site. o If you need something, like a staff, a Maypole, or a wand, you can also ask where you can find it and follow the guidance you receive (not slavishly, but as you would guidance from another Pagan). o Before leaving the general area in which you found power spots and contacted nature spirits: - Channel love energy towards the receptive sites you found, - Thank the spirits of the land, - Pull back your roots and branches, - Ground any excess energy into the Earth (placing your hands on the Earth, breathe in any excess energy, and channel the energy down your arms, while visualizing and feeling the energy going into the Earth), and - Leave in peace and love. o Naturally, you should leave the area at least as clean, and preferably cleaner, than you found it. o If you work with techniques of Wicca or Ceremonial Magic, you may find that by casting a circle, calling the Elements, the Goddess, the Gods, and the local nature spirits while you are at receptive sites, you may be able to greatly increase communication. o Through the use of drums and other power raising techniques, it is even possible to energize receptive nature spirits. The results can be very interesting. If with a coven, such circles can be done as part of a group attunement to a power spot you have located. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 362 o If you do not get good feelings in response to your explanation of the ritual and are unable to come up with a ritual that gives good responses, do not try to force a good response. You would only be fooling yourself. - Thank the spirits for their attention. - Ask them why they are not receptive (if it feels right and they are communicative). - Trigger your memory. - Pull back your "roots and branches," return any excess energy you feel into the Earth. - If it feels appropriate, leave an offering of tobacco or other appropriate material, out of respect for the spirits. - Move to a more receptive site. o If it is hard to find a site that is really receptive, you should: - Consider any impressions you got of why the nature spirits weren't receptive in the area you were in, and re-think your plans for a ritual, as necessary and appropriate. - It may also be appropriate to look for another general area in which to find a suitable power site that is receptive to the work planned. WHAT TO DO WHEN RETURNING: It can be very powerful to purify and center yourself and to attune to the spirits of the land using the techniques previously described for calling nature spirits immediately upon returning to the site. Often, individuals may have found small specific power spots to which they have a special attunement, where the spirits are interested in participating; but where the site is too small, has too much vegetation, or is otherwise unsuitable for the main ritual. Individual attunement to the spirits in such areas and inviting them to participate in the main ritual can be worthwhile. Then approach the main ritual site using the previously arranged technique. You should have the details worked out with the spirits of the land. An exceptionally powerful technique involves doing a procession through or past receptive power spots, inviting nature spirits to join as you pass each power spot, and then moving to the central power spot for the main ritual. If participants are at individual power spots, they can join the procession as it passes nearby. When consecrating space in the wild, or casting a circle, do not set up the perimeter as a barrier to all outside forces; it should be a beacon to attract friendly nature spirits, a container for holding magical power, and a barrier to spirits who it isn't right to be with. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 363 One thing that is fun and worthwhile in nature is to bring instruments, such as a rattle, a flute and/or a drum, to tune in to nature's sounds, and to make music in time to nature's sounds. You may be able to get some very interesting back and forth exchanges of music going with selected creatures of the wild, and get into an amazing jam session. After the work is complete, be sure to thank the spirits for their participation. Libations and other offerings may also be left for the spirits during and/or after the ritual. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: There are other ways of working with nature spirits. This is one approach. The author thanks Selena Fox for teaching the basic guided meditation technique for locating and contacting nature spirits at a tranceworking session sponsored by the Chameleon Club (part of the Association for Consciousness Exploration) in 1981, Vicky Smith for editorial review of this article, Isaac Bonewitz for the outline of the expanded tree meditation, and Carlos Castenada, Black Eagle, Pasha, the Goddess, the Gods, and various nature spirits for teaching the rest of the good methods. Most of this article is an expansion of an article by the author titled "Finding a Sacred Grove for Druid Initiation" by Larry Cornett, published in The Druid's Progress and in Amaranth Anthology. RIGHTS TO DISTRIBUTE THIS ARTICLE: This article is written by Larry Cornett. It is copyrighted l988; and it is hereby placed by the author in the public domain, providing it is not modified without the explicit permission of the author and providing the author is acknowledged. It may therefore be distributed freely to any BBS or other Electronic Forum or copied and handed out for free. Permission to reprint it in a publication for sale may be requested from the author, and will generally be granted in exchange for a copy of the publication containing the article. This copyright takes precedence over any copyright expressed or implied by any BBS or commercial system on which this file is posted. by Larry Cornett 9/24/'88 9527 Blake Lane, # 102, Fairfax, VA 22031 (703)352-3791 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 364 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com THE MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES A Neo-Pagan Alternative Belief System (C) 1989 By Joseph W. Teller * Free to Distribute & Copy in its Entirety For Non-Commercial Use* MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES : A QUICK INTRODUCTION Myceneaen Mysteries are an ongoing project to introduce a new path of passage and religious belief to the present Neo-Pagan community. Like anything within the Neo-Pagan Community, we do not exist in a vacuum. I have been trained in several traditions and paths of the present community, and have learned much from them, but have found that a personal lack of hereditary connection to some of the pantheons and belief systems involved have often made my practice of Celtic or Shamanistic systems to become clumsy and sometimes ineffective forme personally. Thus, to find my own way, I went forth on a combination research project and personal path searching for what path would be best for myself. The Myceneaen Mysteries are based upon a personal interface between myself and the aspects of the Early religious system and belief of the area now known as Greece, a personal comfortable status with many of the gods and goddesses of the pantheon therein which I could not find in the Celtic, Norse or American Indian belief systems. Many hours of painstaking research into t h e true culture, beliefs, gods and means of worship practiced by t h e early Myceneaens have resulted in this ongoing system of belief. It is not for all, but if you feel a true connection b e t w e e n yourself, the mythologies, the social structure and the beliefs involved then perhaps this path is for you. TheMyceneaen beliefsystemis nota total"re-creationist" idea, nor the structuring of a system out of whole cloth, but like any belief system stemming from another time and blossoming into a Neo-Pagan tradition it comes from a combination of both. The land of Myceneae has gone through not one but two dark ages in its time, and much of the original material was lost or destroyed or very badly distorted by the people that would pass through it as their conquerors, and so I have had to take some liberty to the myths, sorting them according to the values and theology they present as to whether they were of these people and if so trying to prune out the changes made by centuries of conquest. This is an ongoing project, and the belief structure will be added to as new material is encountered and adapted, but the basic structure outlined in the pages of work already completed will for the most part remain stable, with each person who takes up the system adding their own touch to the system. Thus, if you choose this path, you will be forming and helping to form the belief system for yourself and for others, making your actions and writingsjust as important as thosethat have now been finished. Few religions or belief paths truly allow the many members within it to shape the system to their own needs and t o bring about change. Myceneaen Mysteries does. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 365 If you are reading this file online a BBS or from a printout of such,or on a distributed disk, there should be several other text files here for you to read over, so please do so and feel free to distribute it at will among your fellow Neo-Pagans and all open minded non-pagan friends. Only through the greatest number of people getting involved can we do the greatest amount of improvement and gain personal enlightenment on this path. * Love, Trust & Community : The key of Myceneae * MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES : THEOLOGICAL ANSWERS The purpose of this document is to explain some of the positions of The Myceneaen Belief system that are considered important and controversial to other Religious groups, many times to the point where they will place their views not only in public view but to enforce them upon others not of their beliefs 'for their own good'. These positions are important, as they help show where we stand and also explain a bit more of what we are really about. These views are not forced on the membership of the Laos, but are t h e official accepted policies, beliefs and viewpoints of the organization in today's world - based on the overall religion. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 366 1. Contraceptive Devices. We realize the importance of life, as most nature-oriented religions do, and have a high respect for it and for the right of all to live. On the other hand we strongly believe in the right to choose one's path and actions in life. Thus, because of these factors, and in consideration of the high risk of disease in today's social circles, we support the use of all non-destructive Contraceptive means to prevent the spread of disease and the possibility of unwanted children being conceived Wedo notsupport, on theother hand, operative contraceptionthrough vasectomyor sterilization- sincethese cause an actual mutilationof the bodyand because theyare both questionablein recent studies ascauses of increased cancerrates. We have astrong belief in taking responsibility forour actions, and to utilize contraceptivedevices is to take responsibility in ones sexual activities. 2. Homosexuality/Bi-Sexuality. These concepts in Sexuality are not nor ever have been in our beliefs or those of the original Myceneaens anything but Natural. To call such actions and feelings perverse, or worse, is to deny the realities of nature and of the human condition. We areborn bi-sexual and makeour choices based on environmental enforcement. We accept Homosexuality and Bi-sexuality as true parts of life, not something to be encouraged nor discouraged, but accepted as normal. 3. Public Nudity. This one is obvious and simple, throughout most of the Neo-Pagan community it hasalways been :if you feel comfortable and won't be making too many others uncomfortable then feel welcome to any level of dress or undress that suits you. It is suggested that among a Damos that a full level of acceptance and knowing each others bodies, at least by sight, be eventually accomplished to improve the ability of the Damos to work as a true group bound in the love and trust they have declared (if you can't trust to be nude in someone's presence you probably can't trust them entirely). This will be difficult for some, it is suggested that if a member seems uncomfortable with this that they be introduced to it slowly by the rest of the group so they become more comfortable. Not only does this build trust, but it can also help in keeping tension levels down and to improve health of the group overall in some ways. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 367 4. Smoking. The smoking of tobacco in today's society is deeply enmeshed, but slowly people are bring the realization of the damage of utilizing this herb as an addictive substance regularly. We also understand the difficulties of eliminating the effects of it upon the body in withdrawal. Considering all this, there shall be no usage of such materials within ritual or within a celebration's public confines (the exception is the use of pure, natural, un-chemically treated indian tobacco for use in American Indian smoking rituals - which are rare and very limited in scope or exposure). If a smoker chooses to do so at a celebration they must go off away from the Damos and Guests to a secluded area where their second-hand smoke cannot affect anyone else in the group. The Damos should join in on trying to help the smoker get past the addiction and back to a sense of personal worth where such is unneeded (all addiction is caused by a sense of personal inferiority and incompleteness). 5. Ritual Drugs. The use of these substances should only be within certain very controlled circumstances, under extreme supervision by people who are experienced and obviously personally balanced in the matter. The use of illegal or highly controlled drugs is not encouraged and anyone choosing to do so are doing so as an individual, not as a representative of the Laos. Again, the mainword iscaution withalldrugs ifyoudon't understand all the risks then don't use the substance. 6. Alcohol. The Myceneaens were the inventors of Beer and several other naturally fermented acholic drinks, and so we cannot deny this part of the past nor the religious aspects of it. Any naturally fermented alcohol is acceptable for libation in Ritualand incelebration, butthe takingof distilled alcoholsshall not bewithin Ritual (itsalright for celebration though). Unless a ritual is specifically to Dionysus, the taking of enough alcohol to be considered 'Drunk' in circle is to be frowned upon and felt offensive. Becoming drunk in a celebration if so wished is acceptable, so long as one maintains the rules of hospitality and does not attempt to do such morally wrong things as driving intoxicated (Hosts be warned that if a guest is so intoxicated you are under obligation to make sure they either have a ride home with a non-intoxicated person or that sleeping space, at least upon your floor, is made available to them). Alcohol in small amounts acts as a natural remover of the mental shields that can block ones ability to perceive the powers of nature and oneself, thus being useful in this way. 7. Abortion. This is for many groups one of the most discussed area of personal choice. In Myceneae belief, ones spirit is not found within an embryo until the finish of the third month, and so we support the right of a woman to choose whether or not to take such an action, but do want her to consider all of the available options before doing such. Life is precious, both thatof amother andthat ofa child,but anexisting life Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 368 will hold priority overa yet-to-be born, since ifan abortion doesoccur the spirit of the child will find another bodyto gain re-entranceinto the life-cycle. We do support the use of all natural abortifacient herbs and drugs over physical operations, but again this is the choice of the mother and not for the religion to enforce. 8. Pornography. We believe that the true pornography in the world is depictions of humanities cruelties unto itself for the purpose to glorify it and encourage it. This means we label books and movies of a purely violent nature to be Pornographic (Examples of such are 'Faces of Death', 'The Green Berets' or any of the numerous 'slasher' films). Additionally we feel that films of a sexual nature that show women as inferior, mere sex objects or actually depict violent rape as something its not to be pornographic (ex: The Story of O). We have no objections to sexuality in books in films, displays of nudity or love within such. We also oppose Child-pornography, bestiality and slavery of any kind. 9. Sexual Responsibility. Myceneaen beliefs have nothing in opposition to group sex or group marriages, from Menage-a-trois to full multi-faceted tribal families. We do have a strong ruling of community to regulate ourselves, and to reduce the risks of disease and other related problems. Any member of a Damos who has a sexually transmutable disease should warn all other members of the Damos. When a person enters into a Damos they must expose such info to the members, to protect all. If a member of a Damos is in a relationship withsomeone outside theDamos they should refrain from sexual contact with members inside the Damos, unless sure that they are clear of such afflictions. Relationships within the Damos should be encouraged, as this will prevent an influx of diseases from outside unknown sources. Members of a Damos who are sexually active in any way should seek out a medical check for such problems routinely and should share the results with the members. Keeping everyone within the Damos healthy is of import to all members of the Damos. Remember a Damos is more than just a group of friends and acquaintances as is common in most Neo-Pagan groups, it is an extended family and community. HISTORICAL CONTEXT ----------------- The Mycenaean Era is not the Greece of Homer, and has many of its own unique differences that set it off from that Era. It is sometimes known as the Golden Age or Heroic Age of the ancient land we call Greece. Fledgling borne from migrants coming into the area from Syria and Persia during the Empire of Crete, the Mycenaeans were a willful folk, who accepted the rule of Crete until the Minoans fell from power by a complex series of events that caused them to abandon the Mainland and Isles of Greece and vanish back into the mists of History. Neither The Minoans nor the Mycenaeans were remembered, until our own 1840's (AD) when the ruins were discovered and slowly excavated (a process still uncompleted to this day). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 369 Egypt, it has been said, introduced government to the world (and Bureaucracy and all that goes with it). Minos introduced the concept of Laws governing all equally (which Homer's Greece would rediscover in its own era) and the value of colonization & trade. Each had its religions and cults, but it was in Mycenaean that did rise truly human gods and goddesses - those who could weep or laugh, who did not simply hold themselves aloof from the majority of the population but who were close and intricately associated with their people. In concept, and in Mycenaean Myth, we are all descended from the gods. We are all their children, and we are all working towards learning what we must to take our proper places beside them one day in a future existence. We all have within us the ability to perform feats of wonder, magic as we call it, through our own ability of will and perception. As children of the gods and goddesses, we are imperfect only in that we have not yet learned the ways to best utilize our own abilities and to work with nature thoroughly - as Neo-Pagans we can work towards this goal, unlike those who refuse to open their eyes to their own ability and instead falsely believe that nature is a force to be battled and conquered instead of one that we are part of and must work with in order to survive. We are not in any way perfect, we do not have 'the one true path' or the 'one way to enlightenment', we have simply chosen a path in this belief system and religion that serves our personal growth (some may even walk this path and then later chose another closer to their own hearts in some way). We ask that others accept the fact that we have chosen this path of our own free will, if they ask for any information we shall give it freely, and that we ask that they be tolerant of us in our every day lives and not show bigotry against us for our belief path. The Mycenaean Era, historically lasted from approx. 1700 BC, as the Minoan Empire collapsed inward, and prospered through till 1120 BC when the last shreds of it fell beneath the onslaught of the invading Dorians, who were the ancestors of Homer's Greece. The fall of Mycenaea brought with it a terrible 400 years of what has been called the 'Greek Dark Age' for the invaders destroyed all the knowledge of writing, and much of the culture and technology of the people of the land that was then Greece. They had come down out of the Northern parts of Central Europe, outnumbering the Mycenaeans and being experts at large scale war, still it took them from 1190 BCE to 1120 BCE to fully conquer the Mycenaeans. When the Dorians invaded and conquered the people, they destroyed what was then the most advanced civilized people in Europe. Mycenae had the benefits of the technology of the Minoans and the advantages of a widespread sea-trade with Syria, Italy, Sicily, Spain, Egypt, Rhodes, Persia and even possibly the Isles of Britain. This widespread trade made them one of the richest people, and their willingness to exchange knowledge and goods made them welcome in many ports. Mycenae had colonized villages in many lands, to serve as trading posts with native peoples. Their only major war was, that which we know now as the Trojan War, in 1200 BC (approx), was a successful enterprise supposedly based on principle instead of greed. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 370 Mycenae, like the native peoples of the Americas, were slowly worn down and defeated by an enemy they had sought to not war with but to trade with. The Dorians came first as raiders, then in larger numbers as they fled south from either hostile weather conditions or an unknown northern invader, and were not to be appeased with simply the lands of the neighbors of the Mycenaeans, such as the Hittites, but wanted the rich trade of the Black and Mediterranean Seas. They did not have a written language, but were evidently of similar stock of that which the Mycenaeans had once come from centuries before and spoke a similar tongue. They destroyed the citadels, palaces and shrines, burning many to the ground in their fury. They slew the learned and enslaved the poor and agricultural people to serve their own economy - they were not the peaceful folk that Homer first tries to show them to be, in Homer's day, after the ages, Mycenae was forgotten and Minoan Empire a wispy memory of long ago. Parts of the culture and its gods and goddesses were still so strongly enmeshed in the people that remained that the Dorians adapted it into their own rather than try to fight its existence, changing it to fit their own values and warlike natures. Thus the Mycenaean Age faded away in history and memory until the 1840's AD when the ruins of Mycenae were discovered and the Archaeological Society of Greece began to recover its forgotten past. Much of what we have to work with in our beliefs are based on the records of archaeological findings, the eventual deciphering of the few tablets and inscriptions in the ancient language of the people (Many of which were simply old accounting records) and the myths that have survived even the purging and nature of the Homeric era. Vocal records always change tales with the telling, and thus it has been painstakingly difficult to produce what these pages attempt to do. Much has had to been assumed in my research as the information is not available, and some has been modified to suit our modern times and needs. Thus this is not a recreation,no more than Ar nDracht Fan can claim an absolute reconstruction of Celtic Druidism, but a new view for the present and hopefully the future. Each Wanax is responsible for seeing that their Damos sits down and somehow develops a name for their Damos, and it is by this name that they will be known to other Damosi. It is suggested that Greek names or ones related to the places they choose to name sacred or to the local Native American Indian names be used (We, as members of the Myceneaen belief must realize the rights of the natives of the lands we presently live in and also respect and honor their gods, goddesses and local nature spirits and beliefs, for like the original Myceneaens we accept the validity of local deities as much as our own, some being our own known by other names and some being local powers like the dozens of river gods and nature spirits found in ancient Greece). If a name is not to be in Greek or in line with a Native American group then it should in some way reflect the nature of the people involved and their own goals together. Names, preferably, should not be more than ten words in length and not less than two. At the end of each name shall be added the word Damos, to identify it as a part of the Laos. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 371 For the present I have chosen to act as the Basileus of the 'organization', that is I wish to be a personage who will be the arbitrator (if requested by all sides) in disputes between any two or more Wanaxi or Damosi dealing with the material in my structure or in a gathering of Damosi. I will also, for the moment, hold the position of a communications point between any of the further spread Damosi. I hold this position only until we have someone who can serve better for either position and who is willing to take on the duties - the position holds no true power over other Wanaxi or the greater Damosi unless they choose to have me arbitrate. This position I will hold no longer than ten years, and preferably much less. Once a hundred Wanax are established they will have the power, by a majority decision, to decide when to replace the Basileus and with who (the who must be willing to take the office). I also ask that all Wanaxi record their record of activities (which we will call, for lack of better terminology your Damosi's Book of Records) in photocopy, ASCII text file or to be Handwritten/typed/carboned and pass this duplicate on to me to keep and utilize for communicating with all the members of the Laos (the people, in greek) of the Mycenaea faith, either within newsletters, computer files or whatever - based on the needs of each individual of the faith. This is a matter of choice of the Wanax personally, if they feel they need secrecy for some reason that is their choice and they may choose not to send such to me. I am not in a position of power in this path, simply a guide for part of the way and then it is up to your own selves to decide where you will go dealing with the path, your Wanax, your damos and your life-cycles. Many of the ancient titles and positions within Mycenae are no longer of great import in today's society, but might one day become of import. The E-qe-tai (ee-kay-tie) were the liaison between the temples and the military, I suggest that this be a position given by each Wanax to a member of their Damos when they feel the need for someone to act as a Liaison between the Damos and any other Damos, a messenger of sorts between groups, and also to serve as such if the group comes into contact with the press or other public media. This position need not be a permanent one, and several may be bestowed this title at one time if more than one series of liaisons are necessary. The Ko-Re-te (kowe-ray-tay) were military commanders within a Damos, we have no need of such at present, unless the Wanax of a group chooses that members of their Damos should learn a martial art or weapon skill for personal growth - then the Ko-Re-te will be the title given to a teacher within the group (You should not expect members of your Damos to be taught in such things by a person outside the Laos, nor can teaching be forced or required, only requested or suggested). The Lawagetas was in ancient times the 'Leader of the Host', a military leader for a collection of the Laos from more than one Damos for a particular purpose. Obviously this is not a needed position within our present structure. The Pa-si-re-u was the official responsible within a Damos responsible for the bronze smiths, again a title I cannot see the need to restore Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 372 (If anyone is skilled at this art and wishes to offer it as a teaching to members of your Damos, then grant them the title). The klawiphoroi were the key-bearers, always female, of the temple. Since our temples, shrines, groves and altars will be most likely within other buildings or outside and there is no plan to purchase buildings at present for this purpose (for we are a poor folk) this title will remain among the unused. Each individual of the Laos, including those not of a Damos, may consider themselves Mycenaean Priests and Priestesses as long as they choose to follow this path of Neo-Paganism. There are no paian (non-clerical followers), though there may be members of other faiths present at a ritual, celebration or gathering - so long as they are willing to accept the rules of hospitality. Due to legalities, children are brought into ritual rarely - they are not yet on this path and should not be forced upon it like some religions do. We must not make the mistakes that many mainstream religions have before. They can be present at an open celebration, but should not be brought into ritual until they are old enough to understand the beliefs and concepts, say not before their 16th birthday (this will be an arbitrary choice between the Wanax and the parents). Finances are the choice of the to deal with, and whether they will handle the finances of the Damos or have a separate person appointed treasurer or choose to keep no finances for the group but run the group as a 'donate anything but money' operation. I would like to hear from the Wanaxi on how they are handling their finances and the operations herein, especially any who set up their Damos as a physical communal household or farm site. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 373 THE LAWS OF HOSPITALITY FOR MYCENEAENS --------------------------------------- 1) A Guest always has the right to leave a Host's home, lands, celebration or gathering when they wish (this is not possible always in the middle of a ritual and can only be done when the officiary of the ritual grants it magically etc), without harm or threat of harm, with all that they brought with them into the locale. 2) A Host always has the right to ask a Guest to leave their home, lands, celebration, gathering or ritual without conflict of a physical or verbal nature, and to take with them all they brought with them into the locale. 3) A Host has the right to request an armed guest to peace-bond, remove from the locale or to take a weapon of any obvious nature, unless necessary for a ritual taking place, until it the guest is ready to leave without argument or conflict. 4) A Host has the right to request a guest not utilize or even bring into their home, lands, celebration, gathering or ritual any substance or device that may be legally questionable or outlawed or physically harmful to the Hosts health or that of other guests or members of the Damos. (this may be anything from drugs, alcohol, poisons, cigarettes, flamethrowers etc. all by the Host's discretion). 5) A Host may ask the following of a personal rule of hygiene or social concept be followed by a guest while within the home, celebration, ritual, lands etc (EX: the removal of shoes before entering the house, the washing of hands, maintaining a low level of noise due to someone else sleeping, sharing in the breaking of bread, etc by the host's discretion). 6) Both Host and Guest are bound by a rule of trust - none shall carry out violence of a physical or psychic nature against those present or they shall be in violation of the rules of Hospitality and nullify all such rules at that point. 7) Neither Host nor guest shall steal from the other - either doing such shall be in violation of the rules of Hospitality and they shall be annulled at that point. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 374 8) The Host may ask one service of the guest if they are to share meal, sleep within the hosts area, or in other words impose on the host in any manner. This service cannot require the leaving of the hosts area, nor be of an illegal, personally distasteful or harmful way, but will most probably be of a simple manner (and not the tasks set out historically in legend) such as assisting with the setting of the table, chopping of wood for the fire, etc. This is not mandatory, simply suggested in conceptual context of the original Mycenaean Society. 9) The Host and guest, if of different religions, will not seek to force their beliefs upon the other - discussion is allowed, but not obvious attempts to convert or proselytize. 10) The Host and guest (and members of the Hosts Damos) will not seek to force their affections on each other sexually - this does not rule out flirtation, involvement or seduction, but does rule out harassment, forced sex and rape. If a person says they are not interested then their word is final and any further consideration should be personally curbed. Violation of this rule invalidates the rules of hospitality in the situation. 11) The Host may request of a Guest reimbursement for any supplies that have been used in the feeding or entertainment of the guest that are considered excessive. Additionally a guest is expected to repay any bills of an excessive nature (such as those of long distance telephone calls) that they are responsible for. 12) A Guest at Ritual is expected to accept the Authority of the officiaries within the ritual area as absolute, and shall not question their authority or actions while within the ritual area. Nor shall a Guest seek to disrupt a ritual from within or from outside of it while it is being carried out. 13) A Guest is expected to provide a gift for a host or the hosts Damos when visiting for ritual (A food dish or libation is the common practice) or celebration. This is waved if not more than one days notice has been given or if the Guest claims a truly impoverish condition in their own life. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 375 The above may seem simplistic, obvious or unnecessary, but I feel it is important that we have a set of rules for those who cannot see the obvious and to protect all involved. Further, I'd like to request that any member of the Laos who has had the Rules violated by a Host or Guest (especially those rules dealing with violence, Forced affection, theft etc) to report them by name to me, anyone who has been found in such violation with witnesses by members of any three Damosi will be reported as such and publicized by us internally to be avoided as Guest or Host (and of course, if a legal violation occurs any Host is welcome to report them as such to the authorities). Remember that a Guest or host cannot be considered held by the rules of Hospitality if they have not seen them and agreed to them beforehand. Feel free to suggest that other Neo-pagan groups accept these rules themselves - this does not have to be just a Myceneaen only concept. ETHICS & CONCEPTS OF CONDUCT ---------------------------- You take, by using this work and collection of beliefs and the title of Myceneaen Priest or Priestess, the responsibility for your own life and actions in it. Every time you make a decision in life you are exercising your freedom and are responsible for your actions. With knowledge and power come great responsibility, to yourself, your Damos, your Waxan, the Laos, your homeland, your birth family, the human race and that of the entire planet. There are no 'evil' forces manipulating you or your actions, no devils or demons exist save in the minds of others (and if any do exist in your own mind then you must cast them out). No amount of alcohol, drugs or influence shall change the fact that you are still responsible for what you choose to do and not to do. Yes, we recognize that there are forces beyond our ability to fully conceive in this reality, that at times the gods and the goddesses might interfere with our lives, remember that there is something to be learned from each success and every failure, that they do not wish you to suffer - they simply wish you to learn and advance to one day rise above the need for the state of being what you are at present - bound within a limiting fleshly body for this cycle and for each you have and will have given to you until you have learned all this existence can teach and advance to a level where you may enjoin with the gods and see beyond our present. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 376 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com OPEN CIRCLE ETHICS by Brandy Williams Event organizers and open-circle coordinators have, I think, a responsibility to participants to provide a safe and comfor- table environment. The Pagan community here in the Pacific Northwest seems to be evolving an ethical standard governing organizers. Althea Whitebirch calls it choice-centered, and I offer my perception of it here as a model and a basis for dis- cussion. HISTORY: A few years ago, the Seattle/ Vancouver/ Portland area had no ongoing festivals. As I write, August '86, organi- zers are planning next year's schedule -- the second annual Spring Equinox Mysteries festival, the first Summer Solstice Gathering, the third annual Solitary Convention, the fourth annual Fall Equinox Festival. Many of the attendees are new -- either to Paganism or to the northwest, and the events draw people from a wide geographical area, including British Columbia, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, California, and all of Washington state. We're growing. We're growing very rapidly, and dealing with a disproportionate influx of people inexperienced in group rituals. As a result we're starting from scratch in developing organizer ground rules, and developing solutions to problems being discussed in the Pagan net nation-wide. In the Pacific northwest, the circle of organizers is very small, almost familial, and we're working from a basis of friend- ship and trust. We're concerned about each other and pay atten- tion to caring for one another. I think the combination of a small group handling a lot of newcomers has allowed us to gene- rate a uniquely compassionate set of attitudes and guidelines. This outline is my own. I'm going to phrase this is strong, definitive terms, with this qualifier: I call it Northwest Ethics because it has evolved out of discussions with other organizers. However, it isn't offered as a group consensus and any given or- ganizer might disagree with some of these points or the language. This is intended as a starting point for discussion and not a presentation of a set-in-concrete consensus. My own experience: I've staffed a number of events in and out of the community. My most recent experience was heading the SolCon '86 staff, so I'm using it as my most frequent example. RITUAL CHOICES: Althea Whitebirch and I facilitated a dis- cussion at the '85 Fall Equinox Festival that has borne substan- tial results in the local community. We argued that closed circles can do what they like, but those of us in charge of open circles should lay down some ground rules to ensure everyone's comfort and safety. Explain The Ritual. I'm personally finding it necessary to make some very basic announcements, like circle boundaries shouldn't be indiscriminately crossed, and people should only walk clockwise within them. Again, we're dealing with a lot of newcomers. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 377 No Pressure To Physically Touch. I've never seen anyone ob- ject to holding hands, but a lot of people have commented that they cringe at kisses. No kissing spirals in open circles. Why? Newcomers tend to go along with group activities, even ones they're uncertain about. Maybe they should be assertive, but more often they're not, and organizers are their voice. Choice: every event in this area includes space for people to put together their own circles, some of which can be more touching- oriented -- and are identified as such. Or we might experiment with providing an Intimate Circle, which would include a lot of hugs and kisses. The rule is: you don't have to touch anyone you don't want to, anytime. That should be clear to newcomers. Choice In Participation. In open circles, if the dancing gets too rapid or wild, participants can step back. Just bring your neighbors' hands together and move out of the way. I've also seen some ritualists allow people to cut themselves out of the circle -- the procedure was clearly explained in advance. Effective ritual evokes response. Novices are at different tolerance and skill levels than experienced ritualists, and some rituals can be overwhelming. Also, the 'boogie till you puke' crowd exhausts the older folks and the kids in the group. Experiment note: I recently separated a circle into two groups, the 'keep on dancing' people, and the 'sit down and rest' folks. Some rhythm is traded off for comfort. I've also seen two rituals staged consecutively, one quiet and one 'dance all night.' Suggestion: we can try a novice ritual, and a more power- ful one for skilled people. Also note: one northwest organizer disagreed with these sug- gested choices, feeling those who participate in a circle should be committed for the duration of the experience. It's a point. In that case, I think a clear understanding of what's to come would be essential. STIMULANTS In PANEGYRIA Vol. 3 No. 4, Althea Whitebirch argued for informed choice in using stimulants. If alcohol is used in a communal cup everyone should know, and a fruit juice or other substitute should also be available. Drugs: NOT AT EVENTS I COORDINATE! At least, not with my knowledge or approval. Private drug use hasn't been a problem so far. My concern is that if anyone is caught, it's not private any more. I'm the one who gets to deal with the police and the press, and the whole community's image suffers. If problems arise in the future, I'd consider banning drugs altogether. Organizing is tough enough -- I have a right to limit my risks. Call a closed circle and do it at home. MINORS: Young children supervised by Pagan parents are a real Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 378 joy. Teenagers with absent, non-Pagan parents or guardians are becoming a problem, even with signed in advance waivers. Some of us are leaning toward a 'no minor without attending parent' policy. How do you keep them away from the wine? Think of the issues surrounding sexuality with under-age kids. The 'what-ifs' are frightening to contemplate. I haven't made a firm decision because I know how important the contacts and support can be to our younger friends. On the other hand, they do grow up. In two years, a 16 year old can sign her own waiver. Maybe we could set up a gentle, first con- tact network to provide them with 'one on one' support, starting slowly. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 379 SOLOMONIC DECISIONS I was asked to kick out two people who wanted to attend the last SolCon, and I burned one request for a registration. I know, I know. The word 'blacklist' leaps immediately to mind. This is a tough issue. The request I burned was from a person who was suspected of having responded violently to a cri- ticism. The other two revolved around sexual ethics: men accused of coercing women into intimacy. Help. The problem, as always, is that none of the cases were clear- cut. How do I substantiate an accusation? Do I kick someone out on a suspicion? I don't want violence or sexual coercion at an event that has my name on it. I also don't want to mediate personal conflicts; that's not my job. At the moment, one well-placed person can ruin another's reputation. I've seen three people kicked from the community on ONE person's request. I've also seen people with a lot of con- tacts survive a number of complaints. Neither situation seems fair. We have a lot of options. This is an essay question: pick one and list the pros and cons. 1. Anyone at all can attend any event. 2. Each organizer must individually choose who to deny attendance to. (In practice, we do pass names to each other.) 3..Any person who has been accused by one person of one of the following things should get flagged. That is, every event orga- nizer should be notified: -Theft or destruction of another's property. -Violence against people -- assault. -Sexual coercion or abuse. This seems to me to be most workable: Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 380 4..In one case I had three complaints a man had made weird sexual phone calls to women. I called him and offered him probation: find someone to sponsor you, to be willing to act as liaison be- tween you and the community. As with minors, the sponsor should be with you at each event you attend. Then I would put the word out that you are one probation, and the sponsor should be contacted if you contact anyone on your own and misbehave. The probation would last for a year. Any repetition of the unde- sirable behavior would get you kicked from my events permanently, and I would notify other organizers. Failure to accept the probation means getting kicked immediately. I haven't had a chance to use this procedure because the per- son decided the effort wasn't worth it (a statement in itself). I notified other organizers. I'm aware this issue is extremely hot. Personally, I'm in- troducing a lot of people to the community, AND vice-versa. There are a lot of weirdos out there. I don't want to let a mass murderer loose among us (as it were). I also don't want to blacklist someone because of a personality conflict. Bottom line: some novice assertiveness training seems to be in order. CARETAKING Some of us have had good experience with 'greeters' or ombudsmen. (Ombudspeople?) It's a staff position, the sole re- sponsibility of which is to be available for participants' support, to solve problems, hold hands, and be a liaison with staff. I didn't have greeters at SolCon '86 and regretted it. Even with 30 people, the event coordinator (me) didn't have time to personally check in with everyone. I like very much that northwest events coordinators show visible concern and caring for everyone. A friend of mine said, "I love these events because I always feel so cherished." I'd like to see that become a community standard. ORGANIZER'S MAGIC SolCon '86 has a staff conceptualizer who renamed the position. An organizer is the focus, he said, of the energies coming into, and generated by the event. A festival isn't just about magic. It IS magic, and the focus has the pleasure of shepherding what another friend of mine calls the magical child through its inception, and allowing par- ticipants to share in its direction. (Rearing?) This outline is a suggestion, a template, for focusing event magic. These are the major focus points: -Conception. When the event is scheduled/sited. I saw a staff group hold a circle at the actual site several months before the Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 381 event, asking for: safety, to have enough registrants, what the event was designed to accomplish for the attendees, the staff, and the community. -Presentation. I don't know about anyone else, but for me, put- ting a flyer together is casting a spell. -Orientation. Somewhere in the first few hours of the event, ask the participants to help focus on the event's parameters -- safety, joy, solvency ... -Major or parting ritual. Of necessity the ritual coordinators will set the structure, and almost always the nature of the working as well, but eve here the attendees can have some space to give feedback. -Post-event focus: a thank-you circle. FEEDBACK It might be suggested that an organizer has a right to do whatever works, and event participants must fend for themselves. I argue that event sponsors represent the community -- create the experience of the Pagan community for many who have no other con- tacts, and as such, they are accountable to their participants and to other event organizers and community elders. Aside from the issues already discussed, there are financial ones. This year I distributed a financial accounting to SolCon '86 attendees. That was scary -- laying out the bottom line of the decisions and mistakes I made! The thing is, a lot of people asked for that kind of accounting, and I've wondered myself when I attended events. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 382 The other issue is proceeds or profits. SolCon '86 didn't make any. I had, however, planned to pay my staff some salary, thinking we should be compensated for our work. Some people dis- agreed, feeling event funds should be channelled into projects the community benefits from. Since teeny SolCon is becoming a formal organization (for legal purposes) and I'm putting myself on the Board, I won't personally be in a position to take any money out. However, I'd still like to pay the staff -- even a small amount -- because they sacrifice some of their own fun and do a lot of work to make the thing possible. Finally: organizing is a pretty heavy responsibility and a lot of work. I think we have a right to ask for hugs. I hope to see lots of discussion on these issues. Because our value is maximum tolerance for diversity, doesn't have to mean that anything goes. I think it's possible for us to reach consensus about some ground rules, to safeguard our community and everyone in it. We ask for perfect love and perfect trust. I think we need to provide a safety net to ensure it. As always, I welcome feedback. Brandy Williams Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 383 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS--LIFEWAY SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP By Usen's grace, Ho-dah.... 1.) PURPOSES: Thisis aneraofdecision.Dowe allowourselvestocutthe throatoftheMotherWhohasnourishedus asaspeciessince we "came down from the trees"? Or do we work to walk in Beauty and Harmony with Her, and cherish Her, and work to see Her healed? The resurgence of Shamanism, the primal Earth Religion of practically all of the Earth's pre-Agrarian cultures, is an important thing, foretold by the Paiute prophet Wovoka and in the Hopi Prophecies. It was said that both the Red Man would return to the Ways of the Old Ones and that the non-Native would also embrace the Lifeway. Therearenon-Nativeswho respectfullyhavechosen these Ways, and are carrying them on in a reverent way. If the Lifeway was only given for the Native peoples, it would die out within our lifetime. There are simply not enough traditional Elders left. Ithasbeenshown tosomeofus thatOurMotherThe Earthis not willing to die quietly. She has demonstrated this by the increase in natural disasters of the past decade, which continue day by day. The Hopi prophecies state that, when the "bowl full of ashes" (most interpret this as the Thermonuclear Bomb) is overturned, that Our Mother shall rise up in Her righteous anger and destroy humanity. This prophecy is coming true, although it may yet be reversible. Perhaps it is we who reverence the Ways and walk in harmony with Our Mother that may stay Her hand. The Lifeway Fellowship is here for those who wish to honor Our Mother and Our Father, Earth and Sky, and to honor The Giver Of Life, from whence all things flow in the Universe. Our world-view is primarily allied with that of the Navajo/Dineh, Apache/Teneh, and Hopi peoples. However we do not represent ourselves as the keepers of those ways. The secrets of those Nations are for them alone, unless Usen' wishes to reveal them to us. Our mission is to help heal OurMother,TheEarth,andtohelpeachotherwalk incloser Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 384 harmony with Her. We also exist to provide a way for urban andsub-urbanpeopletolearnandpractice therootShamanic techniques that aid us in finding our True Vision and True Way of Power, and following that Vision and that Way. We identify ourselves as Pagan (Webster's New World Dictionary"1.b)...apersonwhoisnota Christian,Moslem, orJew (byfaith);heathen.Paganspecificallyreferstoone of the ancient polytheistic (or pantheistic) peoples.") and as unashamed Pantheists and Polytheists. The Lifeway is trulyareligious commitment. No-onecan makea commitmenttothe Lifewayandtothe worshipofLifeGiver, TheEarth Motherand TheSky Father andremain aworshiper of other Paradigms of the Deity,much as one cannot be a Christian and worship the Greco-Roman pantheon. However this does not imply the condemnation of other Paradigms, nor impel a duty to "convert" others. WestandbyotherPaganswhodonotshareour paradigms,IE. Wiccans,Asatruans, Hellenists,and otherShamanic traditions, (African and neo-African(Santeria & Voudoun), Australian, Siberian, Traditional Native American, and Polynesian, to name a few) and even though we may disagree with some or all of their practices and beliefs, they are Brothers, Sisters and Cousins, and in times of persecution as well as times of goodwill we must defend them. We may even share in their open rituals and allow them to share in our open ceremonials. But that which is ours must remain ours, just as that which is theirs must remain theirs. 2.) THE(A)OLOGY: AsourFellowshipisinherentlyreligious, wemustdeclarea The(a)ology. (The strange spelling refers to the fact that we acknowledge a Goddess as well as a God) This is summed up very easily. There are three main powers we worship, Usen' the Life Giver, The Earth Mother, and The Sky Father. The latter Two are emanations of the First, as all, including the God and the Goddess, are emanations from Usen', which is the primeval First Cause. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 385 Usen':OnecannotlookuponTheLifeGiveras eitherMaleor Female, for The Life Giver is beyond those distinctions. Usen', and The Life Giver, are names for this First Cause, this Force that pervades all and caused all to come into being. From Usen', the God, Sky Father, and the Goddess, Earth Mother, emanate, as the lesser Deities emanate from Them. The Earth Mother: We live and walk and are sustained from The Earth Mother, which is our Earth. She is alive, and we all exist within Her as part of Her structure. Science, through the Gala Hypothesis, has finally acknowledged Her existence, and some even have learnt the lesson that our duty in this life is to care for and honor Her. This is a lesson that all must learn, for as long as we despoil Her, we risk Her wrath. She is expressed through the faces of White Painted Woman, Who is The Woman Warrior, through Corn Mother, Who is The Nourishing Mother, and through Spider Woman,WhoisTheWiseWoman,TheAncientOne,TheCustodian of Wisdom. Women are acknowledged as being human represent- atives of The Earth Mother. The Sky Father: Just as among we Humans, there is both Man and Woman, so there is no Earth Mother without Sky Father. Sky Father is the air we breathe, the flame that gives us warmth and cooks our food, and brings forth the rain that fertilizes Our Mother and allows Her to provide us with the crops and animals that sustain us. Sky Father is also expressed as The Hunter, The Warrior, and First Shaman, and is also expressed in Killer Of Enemies and The Child Of Water. He is also present and acknowledged as being present in every Man. There are other spirits that exist in the Universe, some beneficent, some maleficent. But most important is Usen', EarthMother,andSkyFather.Bywalkinginharmonywiththe God(esse)s, one can tell the Good from the Evil, welcoming in Good, and protecting each other from Evil. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 386 3.)ETHICS: We have our code of Ethics. It is neither lengthy nor overly restrictive. We do not include ancient taboos in this list, such as Mother-In-Law avoidance or the taboo against Fish, because they may not apply nowadays. If you wish to not eat fish or to avoid your Mother-In-Law for religious reasons, it is your prerogative. But it is not a requirement. 1.) If the action does not harm yourself, other people or intelligentbeings,orOurMotherTheEarth,youarefreeto do as you wish. 2.)Tochargeforhealings,sweatsorceremonials istotally wrong and extremely offensive. Also, to charge excessively for teaching is equally offensive, but a modest fee over expenses is allowable. Your conscience is the best guide, that and the Will of the Deities. 3.) Magick should be limited only to protection of Self and Loved Ones, and to healing and helping those in need, provided that permission is given by the patient and that help other than healing does not interfere with the Will of others. Magick that is used in a coercive (IE. Love spells) or destructive (harming or killing magick) way is patently wrong and is considered Black Magick. 4.) Contact of spirits by any means other than Shamanic journeyingor theVisionQuestisveryrisky,andPossession is a real possibility. The practice of mediumship, or "channeling" has no place in the Lifeway, and exposes not only Self but others to danger. 5.)Permissionmustalwaysbeaskedofthespiritsofplants and/or animals before taking them for either sustenance or for medicine. 6.) One's visions and one's personal ceremonies are one's own. Personal visions should not be spoken of, but shared visions are for all of the group. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 387 7.) It is wrong to criticize another within the group or outside the group. Racism, sexism, xenophobia or general disrespect of others has no place in the Fellowship. Individual decisions about lifestyle and other ethical issues not covered here are an individual's own affair. 4.):GROUP STRUCTURE AND INITIATION PRACTICES There is only one Initiation, which is the Initiation that makes one Kin within the group and in the sight of The Deities.Itisgivenafterone hastakentheirfirstVision Quest, has found their Power Animal(s) and has met the Shaman Within. It can only be denied to those who have met theserequirements,isyoungerthanthe legalAgeOfConsent (in most places, 18 years) is not of sound mind, and/or is under suspicion of being a Law Enforcement Officer or other person antipathetic to Pagan and/or Shamanic belief who requests initiation for fraudulent purposes (usually to infiltrate to either sabotage or publicly discredit the Fellowship) Initiation must not be denied on account of physical disabilities, blindness, deafness, or sterility, nor on account of sex, race, nationality, political belief, or sexual preference. There are no set offices within the Fellowship. Ideally, leadership should be by consensus, with true leaders being temporaryandpurpose-oriented. Facilitation ofrituals may be done by any Initiate of the Fellowship. ANYONE WHO REPRESENTS THEMSELVES AS A HIGH PRIEST/ESS OF THE LIFEWAY SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP IS A FRAUD, AND IS DOING SO CONTRARY TO THIS STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS. Support of the Fellowship is done on a purely voluntary and mutual basis. No tithe or dues should be assessed unless they have been agreed upon by all members, initiates and non-initiates alike. Membership is extended to all. But initiation is reserved for those who meet the criteria mentioned above. Non-initiates can participate in open ceremonials and in basic workshops, but may be denied participation in certain ceremonials and advanced workshops. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 388 5.) THE QUESTION OF RECOGNIZING SHAMANS In traditional societies, the title Shaman was not just an honorific, or recognition of talents. Nor was it the highest initiatory level in a Shamanic society. The Shaman was,inmostcases,abovetheChiefin decision-makingpower and was judge, doctor, father-confessor, and intercessor withtheDeitiesforthetribe.SomeShamanicsocietiesare now providing their membership with "Shaman training seminars" and "Shaman apprenticeships" that can be had for an exorbitant price. This implies that the cost of being a Shaman can be paid in money and in a set amount of time. This is not the case. Many tribes believe that the office of Shaman is not one that is earned, but one that one is borninto.Certainly,theskillsareneversomethingoneis born with, and this is not merely hereditary. Rather, when achildisborn,thecurrentShamanwouldrecognizethatthe child had the POTENTIAL of being the next one, and the child'straining wouldbeginwhenthey wereconsideredready by theShaman.At adulthood,theywould betested. Ifthey passedthetest, theywould becomethenext Shaman.If they failed, usuallythe testwas suchthatthey wouldeither die outright, or they would go insane. Many "heroic quest" tales,andmostnotablytheArthurianlegendshave echoesof this practice within the ancient Shamanic traditions of Europe. But the point that is being made here is that we should not goback tothatsortofwayof doingthings,becauseinthis society it is nigh on impossible. The stand I am offering here is that recognition as a Shaman can be conferred only through shared vision, and signs from the Deities. It is not my place to say what the signs are...it will be obvious to the Fellowship. I am not Shaman myself, and will not brook anyone calling me that. This is something I place in the lap of the Deities to decide. I cannot do anything more. It is a mockery of those people that can truly be called Shamans, who are respected, powerful people of traditional tribes, to do anything less. In any event, to claim such a title is definitely not enough, and is punishableby withdrawingFellowshipfromthe onewhoclaims to be Shaman falsely. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 389 6.) FESTIVALS AND WORSHIP DAYS The festivals are reckoned as they have been for centuries by most Southwestern tribes, by both the Sun and the Moon. Theseasonsbeginonthefirst fullmoonafteraSolsticeor an Equinox. The Solstices and Equinoxes themselves are times ofcelebrationaswell,andperhapstheperiodbetween the two (which usually works out to be no more than a week or so) could be considered a time of Holiday. Lesser ceremonialsareheldonNewMoonsandFullMoonsbetweenthe first Full Moons of the seasons. Optionally certain Pagan festivals could be celebrated in conjunction with other groups, but they are not to be adopted as official Lifeway Fellowship ceremonial days. There areotherceremonialsthatarepersonalinnature,and can be held at any time, although synchronizing them with the Festivals and the New and Full Moons is advisable. They are Naming, where a newborn child is named in the presence of the group and their Life-beads given; Coming Of Age, where the child's physical maturity is acknowledged, and where, for a short time, they become Child of the Water (if aboy)orWhitePaintedWoman(ifagirl);Initiation,where a person becomes a full-fledged member of the group, given after a person becomes a legal adult; Joining, where a man and a woman consent to be married; Unjoining, where a man and woman who are married consent to have the bond dissolved, which is to be done only after four reconcili- ation attempts fail or after evidence of marital infidelity or abuse is given before the group; the Moonlodge, which is a special sweat for women in their Moon-time; and Release, whereaceremonyforadead memberoftheFellowshipisdone to guide their soul Back Home. Other ceremonials that are dreamed or envisioned by a person or group are also encouraged. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 390 7.) SUMMING UP A few quick ones: One can be either clothed or unclothed at ceremonies, but it should be known that none of the Southwestern tribes did ceremonies in the nude. However, one should disrobe for the sweat lodge, as clothes are not only uncomfortable within the sweat lodge, but interfere with the cleansing process of the lodge. This Statement can be accepted or rejected by individual groupsthat federatethemselves withLifeway Fellowship.But federation can be denied to those groups who stray too far fromsomeofthebasicguidelines,ordoanythingthatwould sully the reputation of the Fellowship in general. Hi-dicho...this is finished. May these proceeds please Life Giver Usen', and the Mother and the Father. ENJU! Chihacou White-Puma, 1988. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 391 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Pantacle - a teaching story (c) Gary Dumbauld, 1988 Michael came, walking slowly, purposefully, to the stone circle deep in the woods. Stripped of clothes he came, naked to the wind the moon and the stars, a cord of red twice his height tied round his waist, a black-hilted knife at his left hip. He tried to still his mind, remember his lessons, push his thoughts to the back of his mind, and just feel; the feel of the Earth on which he trod, the feel of the wind on his body, the feather- weight touch of the moonlight on his skin. He tried to put himself in harmony with the grand design of the Universe, the purpose of the evening, he willed himself sternly to master his emotions, listen and look with sacred intent. He came, bearing the pantacle before him, balanced firmly on his hands. Silver, it was, silver like the moon, carved and etched, polished, burnished and blackened with signs and symbols. How he had sweated over it, this past year, with hammer and chisel, graver and burin, acids and wax, the tools of the silversmith. A year and a day it had been, since he was judged worthy to become a Priest, and given this task. His to carry, this silver shield, but not his to own, till the rite was over and he, like his father and mother before him, his aunts and uncles and grandparents for generations, inherited by solemn and sacred ceremony the High Priesthood of the Wise. The High Priestess' athame pressed to his chest, her low, clear voice as she asked him the ritual questions, roused him as from a dream, of forest dark, and woods enchanted. He answered her with a voice not quite fearful, but not as steady as he would have wished. "I come to this Circle seeking knowledge. I am Michael; my face you well know; I have been sworn and initiated into the Third Degree, but I would now seek the Priesthood of the Wise. I come, bringing as my key this sacred Pantacle, over which I have labored for a year and a day; I wish to be instructed in it's true meaning; to this end I present my self, the work of my hands, and two passwords: Perfect Love and Perfect Trust." Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 392 "All who bring such words are doubly welcome" the High Priestess replied, "and I give to you a third password, a kiss", And so saying, kissed him on the lips and whirled him sunwise into the sacred space. He gazed about himself, his eyes sliding easily over the usual implements on the altar, the candles and wands, censer, bowls of incense and salt; he looked at the High Priestess expectantly. The High Priestess spoke again, her voice reverberating through the circle, echoing back from the sacred boundary stones; "A seeker comes; this his purpose. The purpose of the Wise--to teach! As it has ever been, let it now so be done! Who shall begin?" The Priest in the North stood forward. "I shall begin. Young High Priest to be, step to the North." Michael walked to the North, handed the Priest his Pantacle, and stood silently while the Priest examined it, hoping that his work would be judged as correct, hoping he had made an accurate rendering of all the signs and symbols that he had been shown, a year and a day previous. The Priest carefully examined the pantacle, turning it about to catch the light of the central fire, then handed it back to the boy. "It is well done, all is correct. Look upon the symbol at the top of the pantacle--the upright triangle. This sign is the symbol of fire, the flame straining upwards, and stands for the three-fold salute, by which I now salute you, recognizing the fire within you, the fire of will, the will to accomplish, the will to dare. A year ago you knew nothing of the craft of the silversmith, and yet you have taught yourself to make this pan- tacle. I say again, well done!", and so saying, the Priest touched Michael with his athame on the right shoulder, the top of his head, the left shoulder, and again on the right shoulder. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 393 Putting his arm around Michael's shoulder, the Priest brought Michael around sunwards a few steps, then faced him again. "The next symbol on the pantacle is a pentagram. This pentagram stands for the five-fold salute. In the form of a pentagram with one point up, the five-fold salute symbolizes that which is the best man has to offer, ascending to the Gods, being enriched, expanded and augmented, and returning to enrich the life of mankind. Thus, the five fold salute symbolizes the microcosm of man containing the macrocosm of the Universe." So saying, the Priest touched Michael with the wand, on the right hip, head, left hip, right breast, left breast, and right hip. A priestess stepped forward, saying, "Now, with your permission, I will carry on this candidate's instruction." The Priest bowed to her, and returned to his place in the North. The Priestess took Michael by the hand and walked with him farther around the circle, still moving sunwards. She stopped, released his hand, and faced him, taking up a bowl of blue paint. Stepping closer, she reached out her blue-daubed hand, and made the sign of the labrys on his chest. "The next symbol on the pantacle is that of the Goddess in her aspect as the two moons, monthly waxing and waning. The waxing moon symbolizes that which is outgoing and constructive in mankind, the waning moon that which is hidden and withdrawn. The waning moon also reminds us that for every accomplishment there will be failures, that for every gain in our lives there will be setbacks; we are not to weep and wail against the Gods, or fate, or karma, but we should accept that there is a balance, and the balance will be maintained, whether we will it or not. Constructive and destructive, life and death--this is the way the world is made; that which dies paves the way for the next round of life." The Priestess linked arms with him then, and they moved farther sunwards about the circle. She turned to him, and kissed him firmly on the mouth, saying "The next symbol on the pantacle is the kiss. I kiss you, Michael, because we are human; the Gods have created us male and female. I also kiss you in token of the perfect love and perfect trust I have for you, and for the perfect love and perfect trust you declared for us when you entered this holy space. That is why you were greeted by the High Priestess with a kiss." Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 394 Michael stood, blushing. He could still taste the sweetness of her mouth, and his body wanted to respond to her as man to woman--it was well he was carrying the pantacle in front of him; then he got himself under control, realizing the importance of this lesson; the ritual kiss would always be more than a handshake between equals, but never quite a sexual overture; an acknowledgement, not a demand. He sighed, composed himself, and looked at the next sign on the pantacle. A stern-looking Priest came towards Michael, his face set in grim lines, carrying something Michael could not quite make out. The man faced Michael, then walked behind him, carrying what could now be clearly seen as a cat o'nine tails. Michael flinched in anticipation of being struck; surely the Priest was not going to whip him? Ouch! Yes he was! "Michael," the Priest said, between strokes, "the next sign on the pantacle is the scourge. The scourge of memory. Stand tall, now, and be still, it will hurt worse if you try to avoid it." Now he had stopped striking Michael with the scourge. The welts on his back stung and burned, but Michael tried to ignore the pain and concentrate on the Priest's voice as he continued. "Michael, you told us at your First Degree initiation that you were willing to suffer to learn. This scourge will not be applied to your back again in a physical sense, but I want you to learn to look back upon your life; and take power from the foolish stupid things you have done. The mistakes, the petty jealousies, the little hurts you've inflicted on your friends, your parents, the people around you. Remember, Michael, and as you remember, allow yourself to feel sad, to feel the pain and embarrassment you've caused. Feel it, take the power from it, then let it go! Go onward, take strength from your past, don't dwell on it, but don't pretend the past never happened." The Priest again stepped behind Michael, this time carrying a pot of something in his hand. Michael flinched again as something touched his back, but this was cool and soothing, drawing out the pain. The Priest waited a few moments, till he saw that the cooling balm had done its work, then took Michael gently by the hand and drew him along, ever sunwards, to explain the next symbol. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 395 "The next symbol on the pantacle is the sign of the God, the horned circle. The horned circle represents, among other things, the Cretan bull, annually sacrificed by our ancestors. The bull symbolizes the wild magic of the God, the intuitional magic, the magic that springs from the instinct. The Cretan priests sacrificed the bull, thus indicating the triumph of reason and intellect over instinct and intuition. We, however are not Cretans, and we do not immolate the bull of intuition on the altar of reason. Logic and reason are fine in their place, but never neglect the way you feel; never forget that the universe is a mixture, a combination, a melding of the tangible and the unreal, instinct and logic. Now I must retire, your instruction will be completed by the High Priestess." The High priestess approached Michael, walking slowly, deliberately, each foot placed with purpose, her upright carriage reminding him of her status, first among equals, High Priestess of the Coven, the Circle of the Wise. She stepped closer. "Michael," she said, "the last symbol on the rim of the pantacle is the inverted triangle, the alchemical symbol of water; representing the number three, the number of life. It is a gate, a gateway of life, a gateway of time, for time is past, present, and future; life is body, mind, spirit. I am about to bestow upon you, the three-fold kiss, to bring your body, your past, your mind, the present, your spirit, and the future to bear on this moment." So saying, she bent and kissed him, first on the right shoulder, then the left; kneeling she kissed him just above the phallus, and then on his right shoulder again. "Michael, you have now passed around the rim of the pantacle, let us now move to the center, and I will instruct you in the meaning of the central pentagram. The pentagram in the center of the pantacle is the sign of mankind. If I stand thus, with feet apart, hands stretched to the winds, head erect, the pentagram will enclose my body. We therefore can observe that the pentagram in the center of the pantacle represents mankind in the center of the universe, surrounded by Goddess and God; blessings and reminders; past, present and future; good memories and bad; light and life, love and law. The central pentagram therefore can serve as a reminder to us, that the Universe was NOT made for man, man was made for the Universe." Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 396 She knelt at his feet, smiling, and kissed him, first on the left foot, then the right, saying, "I bless your feet, Michael, that have brought you in these ways, reminding you to be ever ready to go on foot, to help, protect, and defend the brothers and sisters of the Wise." She kissed his knees, saying, "I bless your knees, reminding you to ever go on bent knee in humility when supplicating the Deities, that one who knows his own worth will gladly kneel in order to learn." She kissed his phallus, and said, "I bless and consecrate the organ of generation, that in time you may know that love is the great teacher of equality; love is the prime example of man and woman as equals; two beings, alike in all ways, equal in all ways, but totally different; one incomplete without the other; forever opposite, but forever complimentary. Indiscriminate sex will gain you nothing, Michael, for though sex is magic, love is the magician." She kissed his right and left breast, saying "I bless your breast, and remind you to keep within the safe repository of the breast, the secrets of the Wise, as if under lock and key." Then she kissed him on the mouth, and said, "I bless your mouth, Michael; henceforth, as a High Priest, you will be a teacher, and the words of your mouth, based in knowledge, leavened with intuition and instinct, uttered with magical will, shall live in the memory of the Wise. Go forward, make your progress, High Priest and Magus! Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 397 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Defining Chaos By: Mark Chao Introduction * Chaos, according to the `Oxford English Dictionary' means: 1. A gaping void, yawning gulf, chasm, or abyss. 2. The `formless void' of primordial matter, the `great deep' or 'abyss' out of which the cosmos or order of the universe was evolved. There are a couple of additional definitions, but they are irrelevant to this discussion. When chaos is used in magic, there is no place for confusion or disorder. Chaos is the creative principle behind all magic. When a magical ritual is performed, regardless of `tradition' or other variables in the elements of performance, a magical energy is created and put into motion to cause something to happen. In his book, `Sorcery as Virtual Mechanics', Stephen Mace cites a scientific precedent for this creative principle. I quote: "To keep it simple, let us confine our example to just two electrons, the pointlike carriers of negative charge. Let us say they are a part of the solar wind--beta particles, as it were--streaming out from the sun at thousands of miles a second. Say that these two came close enough that their negative charges interact, causing them to repel one another. How do they accomplish this change in momentum? "According to quantum electrodynamics, they do it by exchanging a "virtual" photon. One electron spawns it, the other absorbs it, and so do they repel each other. The photon is "virtual" because it cannot be seen by an outside observer, being wholly contained in the interaction. But it is real enough, and the emission and absorption of virtual photons is how the electromagnetic interaction operates. "The question which is relevant to our purpose here is where does the photon come from. It does not come out of one electron and lodge in the other, as if it were a bullet fired from one rock into another. The electrons themselves are unchanged, except for their momenta. Rather, the photon is created out of nothing by the strain of the interaction. According to current theory, when the two electrons come close their waveforms interact, either cancelling out or reinforcing one another. Waveforms are intimately tied to characteristics like electric charge, and we could thus expect the charges on the two electrons to change. But electron charge does not vary; it is always 1.602 x (-19) coulombs. Instead the virtual photons appear out of the vacuum and act to readjust the system. The stress spawns them and by their creation is the stress resolved". Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 398 Austin Spare understood this principle in regard to magical phenomena long before scientists discovered photons or began experiments in the area of chaos science. Austin Osman Spare-some history * Austin Spare was born at midnight, Dec. 31st, 1886 in a London suburb called Snow Hill. His father was a London policeman, often on night duty. Spare showeda natural talent for drawing at an early age, and in 1901-1904 left school to serve an apprenticeship in a stained-glass works, but continued his education at Art College in Lambeth. In 1904 he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art. In that year he also exhibited a picture in the Royal Academy for the first time. In 1905 he published his first book, `Earth Inferno'. It was primarily meant to be a book of drawings, but included commentaries that showed some of his insight and spiritual leanings. John Singer Sargent hailed him as a genius at age 17. At an unspecified time in his adolescence, Spare was initiated into a witch cult by a sorceress named Mrs. Patterson, whom Spare referred to as his "second mother". In 1908 he held an exhibition at Bruton Gallery. In 1910 he spent a short time as a member of the Golden Dawn. Becoming disenchanted with them, he later joined Crowley's Argentum Astrum. The association did not last long. Crowley was said to have considered Spare to be a Black Magician. In 1909 Spare began creation of the `Book of Pleasure'. In 1912 his reputation was growing rapidly in the art world. In 1913 he published the `Book of Pleasure'. It is considered to be his most important magical work, and includes detailed instructions for his system of sigilization and the "death postures" that he is well known for. 1914-1918 he served as an official war artist. He was posted to Egypt which had a great effect on him. In 1921, he published `Focus of Life', another book of drawings with his unique and magical commentaries. In 1921-1924 Spare was at the height of his artistic success, then, in 1924 he published the `Anathema of Zos', in which he effectively excommunicated himself from his false and trendy artistic "friends" and benefactors. He returned to South London and obscurity to find the freedom to develop his philosophy, art and magic. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 399 In 1947 Spare met Kenneth Grant and became actively involved with other well-known occultists of the period. In 1948-1956 he began work on a definitive Grimoire of the Zos Kia Cultus, which is referred to in his various writings. This is unfinished and being synthesized from Spare's papers by Kenneth Grant, who inherited all of Spare's papers. Much of this information was included in `Images and Oracles of Austin Osman Spare' by Kenneth Grant, but there are some unpublished works which Grant plans to publish after completion of his Typhonian series. References for this section are mostly from Christopher Bray's introduction to `The Collected Works of Austin Osman Spare' and from `Excess Spare', which is a compilation by TOPY of photocopied articles about Spare from various sources. The Magic of Austin Osman Spare * Spare's art and magic were closely related. It is reputed that there are messages in his drawings about his magical philosophy. One particular picture of Mrs. Patterson has reportedly been seen to move; the eyes opening and closing. Spare is best known for his system of using sigils. Being an artist, he was very visually oriented. The system basically consists of writing down the desire, preferably in your own magical alphabet, eliminating all repeated letters, then forming a design of the remaining single letters. The sigil must then be charged. There is a variety of specific ways to do this, but the key element is to achieve a state of "vacuity" which can be done through exhaustion, sexual release or several other methods. This creates a `vacuum' or `void' much like the condition described in the introduction to this discussion, and it is filled with the energy of the magician. The sigil, being now charged, must be forgotten so that the sub-conscious mind may work on it without the distractions and dissipation of energy that the conscious mind is subject to. Spare recognized that magic comes from the sub-conscious mind of the magician, not some outside `spirits' or `gods'. Christopher Bray has this to say about Spare's methods in his introduction to `The Collected Works of Austin Osman Spare': "So in his art and writing, Spare is putting us in the mood; or showing by example what attitude we need to adopt to approach the `angle of departure of consciousness in order to enter the infinite. What pitch of consciousness we need to gain success. "One must beware making dogma, for Spare went to great pains to exclude it as much as possible to achieve success in his magic; however a number of basic assumptions underpin chaos magic. "Chaos is the universal potential of creative force, which is constantly engaged in trying to seep through the cracks of our personal and collective realities. It is the power of Evolution/Devolution. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 400 "Shamanism is innate within every one of us and can be tapped if we qualify by adjusting our perception/attitude and making our being ready to accept the spontaneous. Achieving Gnosis, or hitting the `angle of departure of consciousness and time', is a knack rather than a skill." There are other methods to utilize the same concept that Spare explains for us. Magicians since Spare have written about their own methods and explanations of his method quite frequently in occult magazines, mostly in Great Britain. Spare is certainly not the first person in history to practice this sort of magic, but he is the one who has dubbed it (appropriately), Chaos. Chaos since A.O.S. * Austin Spare died May 15, 1956, but his magic did not die with him. There have been select groups of magicians practicing versions of Chaos ever since, especially in Northern England and Germany. In 1976, a couple of dozen Chaos Magicians, including Peter J. Carroll and Ray Sherwin, announced the formation of a new magical Order, the Illuminates Of Thanateros. The intention of the group was to have an Order where degrees expressed attainment rather than authority, and hierarchy beyond just organizational requirements was non-existent. There are those who say that this lofty ambition has failed and that the Order has since slipped into a hierarchical power structure; Ray Sherwin "excommunicated" himself for this reason, but the Order continues and is identified as the only international Chaos organization to date. The IOT has since spread to America. There are smaller groups of Chaos practitioners, as well as individuals practicing alone. Chaos since Spare has taken on a life of its own. It will always continue to grow, that is its nature. It was only natural that eventually the world of science would begin to discover the physical principles underlying magic, although the scientists who are making these discoveries still do not realize that this is what they are doing. It is interesting that they have had the wisdom to call it chaos science... In the abovw part of my series on Chaos, I've made scant reference to the IOT due to lack of information, however, in typical Murphy's Law fashion, a letter just arrived filling in some blank spots and pointing out to me that I made one mistake in chronology. The story goes; In 1977/78 Ray Sherwin was editor and publisher of a magazine called `The New Equinox', which Pete Carroll was a regular contributor to. Unsatisfied with the choices of available magical groups in England at the time, they formed the IOT. They advertised in `New Equinox' and the group formed and progressed as previously explained. Ray Sherwin dropped out before Pete Carroll went on to form `The Pact'. They are still friends, and Pete has graciously consented to write an introduction to Ray's newest edition of `The Book of Results' which will be available through TOPY soon. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 401 Chaos Science * Modern chaos science began in the 1960's when a handful of open- minded scientists with an eye for pattern realized that simple mathematical equations fed into a computer could model patterns every bit as irregular and "chaotic" as a waterfall. They were able to apply this to weather patterns, coastlines, all sorts of natural phenomena. Particular equations would result in pictures resembling specific types of leaves, the possibilities were incredible. Centers and institutes were founded to specialize in "non-linear dynamics" and "complex systems." Natural phenomena, like the red spot of Jupiter, could now be understood. The common catch-terms that most people have heard by now; strange attractors, fractals, etc., are related to the study of turbulence in nature. There is not room to go into these subjects in depth here, and I recommend that those who are interested in this subject read `Chaos: making a new science' by James Gleick and `Turbulent Mirror' by John Briggs & F. David Peat. What we are concerned with here is how all this relates to magic. Many magicians, especially Chaos Magicians, have begun using these terms, "fractal" and "strange attractor", in their everyday conversations. Most of those who do this have some understanding of the relationship between magic and this area of science. To put it very simply, a successful magical act causes an apparently acausal result. In studying turbulence, chaos scientists have realized that apparently acausal phenomena in nature are not only the norm, but are measurable by simple mathematical equations. Irregularity is the stuff life is made of. For example, in the study of heartbeat rhythms and brain-wave patterns, irregular patterns are measured from normally functioning organs, while steady, regular patterns are a direct symptom of a heart attack about to occur, or an epileptic fit. Referring back again to "virtual" photons, a properly executed magical release of energy creates a "wave form" (visible by Kirlian photography) around the magician causing turbulence in the aetheric space. This turbulence will likely cause a result, preferably as the magician has intended. Once the energy is released, control over the phenomena is out of the magician's hands, just as once the equation has been fed into the computer, the design follows the path set for it. The scientists who are working in this area would scoff at this explanation, they have no idea that they are in the process of discovering the physics behind magic. But then, many common place sciences of today, chemistry for example, were once considered to be magic. Understanding this subject requires, besides some reading, a shift in thinking. We are trained from an early age to think in linear terms, but nature and the chaos within it are non-linear, and therefore require non-linear thinking to be understood. This sounds simple, yet it reminds me of a logic class I had in college. We were doing simple Aristotelian syllogisms. All we had to do was to put everyday language into equation form. It sounds simple,and it is. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 402 However, it requires a non-linear thought process. During that lesson over the space of a week, the class size dropped from 48 to 9 students. The computer programmers were the first to drop out. Those of us who survived that section went on to earn high grades in the class, but more importantly, found that we had achieved a permanent change in our thinking processes. Our lives were changed by that one simple shift of perspective. Chaos science is still in the process of discovery, yet magicians have been applying its principles for at least as long as they have been writing about magic. Once the principles of this science begin to take hold on the thinking process, the magician begins to notice everything from the fractal patterns in smoke rising from a cigarette to the patterns of success and failure in magical workings, which leads to an understanding of why it has succeeded or failed. There is a diagram of a fractal design on the cover of `Kaos' magazine #11 (now out of print) that would be a wonderful example of magic at work and the many paths that the energy may follow... Defining Chaos Magic * Chaos is not in itself, a system or philosophy. It is rather an attitude that one applies to one's magic and philosophy. It is the basis for all magic, as it is the primal creative force. A Chaos Magician learns a variety of magical techniques, usually as many as s/he can gain access to, but sees beyond the systems and dogmas to the physics behind the magical force and uses whatever methods are appealing to him/herself. Chaos does not come with a specific Grimoire or even a prescribed set of ethics. For this reason, it has been dubbed "left hand path" by some who choose not to understand that which is beyond their own chosen path. There is no set of specific spells that are considered to be `Chaos Magic spells'. A Chaos Magician will use the same spells as those of other paths, or those of his/ her own making. Any and all methods and information are valid, the only requirement is that it works. Mastering the role of the sub- conscious mind in magical operations is the crux of it, and the state called "vacuity" by Austin Osman Spare is the road to that end. Anyone who has participated in a successful ritual has experienced some degree of the `high' that this state induces. An understanding of the scientific principles behind magic does not necessarily require a college degree in physics (although it wouldn't hurt much, if the linear attitude drilled into the student could be by-passed), experience in magical results will bring the necessary understanding. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 403 This series is directed toward the increasing numbers of people who have been asking, "What is Chaos Magic?" It is very basic and by no means intended to be a complete explanation of any of the elements discussed. Many of the principles of magic must be self-discovered, my only intent here is to try to define and pull together the various elements associated with Chaos Magic into an intelligible whole. For those who wish to learn more about this subject, I have prepared a suggested reading list for the last section, however, I must emphasize that there are always more sources than any one person knows about, so do not limit yourself to this list. Chaos has no limits... Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 404 For Further Reading: * `The Book Of Pleasure' by Austin Osman Spare `Anathema Of Zos' by Austin Osman Spare available from: Abyss 34 Cottage St. Box 69 Easthampton, MA. 01027 catalog on request * `A Book Of Satyrs' by Austin Osman Spare `Images and Oracles of Austin Osman Spare' by Kenneth Grant `The Early Work of A.O.S.' `Excess Spare' `Stations In Time' available from; TOPY P.O. Box 18223 Denver, CO. 80218 write for information * available from most bookstores (at least by special order): `Chaos: making a new science' by James Gleick `Turbulent Mirror' by John Briggs & F. David Peat `Liber Null & Psychonaut' by Peter J. Carroll `Practical Sigil Magick' by Frater U.D. * Magazines dealing with Chaos Magic(k): Chaos International BM SORCERY London WC1N 3XX England * Thanateros P.O. Box 89143 Atlanta, GA. 30312 * Mezlim N'Chi P.O. Box 19566 Cincinnati, OH. 45219 * Mezlim deals with a wide range of magical traditions, but the editor has expressed an interest in articles dealing with Chaos. Articles about Chaos can be found in other Ceremonial Magick magazines as well, as the editors see fit. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 405 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Notes on the role of the historical Egregore in modern Magic by Fra.: U.D. It is quite easy to poke fun at the historical claims of most magical and mystical orders, especially when they purport to have derived from "very ancient", possible even "Atlantean" or, to top it all, "pre-Atlantean" brotherhoods for whose existence even the most sympathetic historical scholar worth his name would be very hard pressed to find any significant proof. Actually, it is rather a cheap joke to cite, for example, AMORC`s claims that even good old Socrates or Ramses II (of all people!) were "Rosicrucians". However, the trouble only starts when adepts mistake these contentions for _literal_ truths. "Literal", of course, derives from literacy and the letters of the alphabet. And, as Marshall MacLuhan has justly in his "Understanding Media" and perhaps even more so in "The Gutenberg Galaxy", western civilization has a very strong tendency towards _linear_ thinking, very probably due to - at least in part - the linear or non-pictographic nature of our alphabet. The very structure of this alphabet informs us at quite a tender age to think in terms of linear logics such as cause and effect, or, more interestingly in our context, PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE. This is not at all a "natural necessity" as most people are wont to think, for the ideographic or pictographic "alphabets" as used for example in ancient Egypt or even modern China and Japan tend to bias the correspondingly acculturalised mind towards what MacLuhan terms "iconic thinking" - a perception of holistic factors rather than the systematization into separate (preferably indivisible) single units. Western thought has formulated this problem as the dichotomy of the _analytic_ and the _synthetic_ approach. But it is perhaps no coincidence that our contemporary culture tends to associate "synthetic" with "artificial" , vide modern chemistry. Now magical and mystical thinking is quite different; in fact it is not half as interested in causality as is linear thought. Rather, it strives to give us an overall, holistic view of processes within our perceived space-time continuum; an overall view which includes the psychology of the observer to a far stronger degree than even modern physics seems to have achieved in spite of Heisenberg`s uncertainty principle and Einstein`s earlier theory of relativity. In other words, mythological thinking is not so much about literal ("alphabetic"?) truth but rather about the "feel" of things. For example, a shaman may claim that the current rain is due to the rain goddess weeping because of some sad event. He might predict that her phase of mourning will be over in two days` time and that the deluge will then end. A Western meteorologist might possibly come to similar prognoses, but he will of course indignantly deny using any of "this mystic stuff" in the process. His rain goddess takes the form of barometric pressure, wind velocity and direction, air humidity and the like - but who is to say which view is the "truer" one, as long as abstract and mystic predictions prove to be accurate? From an unbiased standpoint, the modern demons "barometric pressure", "wind velocity" and factors of a similar like are just as abstract and mythic as the shaman`s hypothetical rain goddess - especially so for us laymen who religiously follow the daily indoctrination via the TV weather forecasts and satellite photograph divination: all we can do is _believe_ in what the expert tells us is the truth. The non-shaman in a shamanic society shares a very similar fate when he has to believe simply that the rain goddess Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 406 wants to be comforted say, by a substantial donation of meat or tobacco in the course of a fully fledged tribal ritual. There _is_ an important difference however. If we accept the model (strongly propagated by A.O. Spare, who was, of course, in his very special manner, quite an orthodox Freudian) of magic primarily taking place within the subconscious (Freud) or, less ambiguous, the unconscious (Jung); and if we furthermore agree that said unconscious is not only the source of personal magical energy (mana, or, as I prefer to term it, _magis_) but tends to think and act in symbols and images, we might come to the conclusion that our shaman`s explanation may perhaps not be scientificly more satisfying in Western terms, but it is surely more in accord with the way our unconscious tends to perceive reality. In that sense it is not only more "natural" but, one suspects, even downright _healthier_ for psychic hygiene. It is, so to speak, more "ecological and holistic" in terms of psychic structure. As an aside I might mention that it is the better explanation for practical magical reasons as well. For at least rain goddesses can be cajoled into happiness by magical technique, ritual trance and the like until they stop weeping, a task a meteorologist will hardly be able to imitate. (Actually I have preferred the magic of rain prevention to the more classical example of rain making because it is far more relevant to our own geography and experience). In recent years Rupert Sheldrake`s theory of morphogenetic fields has raised quite a hue and cry, not only within the confines of the scientific community but strangely enough among occultists too. I find this latter reaction quite astonishing, because a lot of what Mr. Sheldrake basically claims is nothing more than the old, not to say ancient, tenet of philosophical idealism: namely that there is what in both German and English is called "Zeitgeist", a form of unique time-cum-thought quality, leading to surprisingly similar albeit completely independent models of thought, technical inventions, political truths and so on. One would rather expect the people to be profoundly intrigued to be among materialist/positivist biologists or physicist rather that occultists who have traded in the Zeitgeist principle ever since occult thought proper as we understand it arose in the Renaissance. From a pragmatic point of view Mr. Sheldrake is behaving very much like our meteorologist, replacing mythic explanations with crypto-mythic "scientific" factors. Unfortunately, most scientific scholars tend to fear a devaluation of scientific termini tecnici; once they are mentioned in the wrong "context" (almost invariably meaning: by "wrong" people) they are readily labelled as "non-" or "pseudo-" scientific - which is, after all, precisely what happened to poor Mr. Sheldrake amongst his peers in spite of all his academic qualifications. This example goes to show how very much estranged occultists can be from their own sources even when working with them daily. Reality too is always the reality of its description: we are marking our pasts, presents and futures as we go along - and we are doing it all the time, whether we are conscious of the fact or not, whether we like it or not, we are constantly reinventing our personal and collective space-time continuum. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 407 Space seems rather solid and unbudging; even magic can do very little it seems to overcome its buttresses of solidity and apparent inertia, occasional exceptions included. (May it be noted that I include matter in this space paradigm, because solid matter is usually defined by the very same factors as is space - namely width, length and height.) Time, on the other hand, is much more volatile and abstract, so much so in fact that it is widely considered to be basically an illusion, even among non-occultist laymen. And indeed in his famous novel "1984" George Orwell has beautifully, albeit perhaps unwillingly, illustrated that history is very little more than purely the _description of history_. (Which is why it has to be rewritten so often. It seems that mankind is not very happy with an "objective past" and prefers to dabble in "correcting" it over and again. This is quite an important point I shall refer to again later on.) History is, after all, the defining of our past own roots and our _present_ position within our linear space-time continuum in relation to past and future. Very often, unfortunately, the description and interpretation of history seem little more pathetic endeavour to obtain at least a minimum of objectivity in a basically chaotic universe. The expression "ordo ab chao" is more or less a summary of Western thought and Weltanschauung, of the issues straining and stressing the Western mind since ancient Greece. Chaos is considered "evil", order on the other hand is "good" - then the political philosophy, if you care to dignify it by this terms, of "law and order", appeals to people`s deeply rooted fears of loss of stability and calculability. ("Anarchy" is another widely misunderstood case in point.) The ontological fact that everything is transitory has never been particular well-received in Western philosophy and theology. Now before you get the impression that I am only trying to impose a typical exercise in heavyhanded Teutonic style philosophical rambling upon your overbusy reading mind, let me hasten to point out that if past, present and future are, at least in principle, totally subjective, we as magicians are locally perfectly free to do what we like with them. For the magician is a) the supreme creator of his own universe and b) the master of Illusion (ref. the Tarot card "The Magician/Juggler"). This freedom of historical choice, however, is seldom realized let alone actively applied by the average magician. Maybe one of the reasons for this has to do with the somewhat pathetic fact that most of us tend to live our lives in a more or less manner, being mild eccentrics at best, distinctly avoiding becoming too much over the top. There are a number of possible explanations for this, ranging from "every magician is just another guy/gal like me" to "prevention of insanity". As we deal all the time with insanity - i.e. extremely unorthodox states of consciousness by bourgeois standards, we magicians prefer some stability in our everyday lives and makeups, but this is not really our topic. Rather than delve into social normality of the average magician I should like to investigate the many bogus claims to antiquity as put forward by a multiple of magical and mystical orders from this point of view. Such orders range from Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism and Theosophy to such venerable institutions as the O.T.O., the Golden Dawn and many others. Their historical claims are usually quite Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 408 stereotyped: the spectrum covered includes Atlantis, Lemuria, Mu, Solomon, Moses, Dr. Faustus, St. Germain, the Gnostics, the Knight Templar,the Cathars, the Illuminati, the Holy Grail myth, prehistoric witchcraft, matriarchy, shamanism etc. Now it is quite common for shamans, to cite one example, to claim that in the good old days (usually, of course, dating back to a non-calibrated, non-defined time immemorial) things used to be much, much better. One of the more profane reasons for this contention may be the fact that most of these shamans have already achieved quite a venerable age in their trade; and don`t we all know the typical attitude of old crones towards modernity ? It may not sound particular spiritual or holy but maybe all we are seeing here is the primitive`s parallel to the "Now when I was in Poona with Royal Indian Army, young lad..." reported occasionally to be heard in some of today`s pubs. But there is more to it, I think. By calling up "bogus" ancestors from Moses via Solomon to Dr. Faustus and St. Germain, the magician not only reinvents his own history, he also is summoning up the egregore of these "entities" (along with all their powers and inhibitions of course) - or, to put into Mr. Sheldrake`s terminology, their morphic fields. By violating all the painstaking endeavors of the meticulous historian, by simply ignoring a number of tedious and possibly contradictory facts and questions (such as whether Moses and Solomon have ever _really_ been sorcerers of some standing in their own time) the magician becomes God in the fullest sense of the expression: not only does he choose his relatives in spirit quite arbitrarily, he even claims the right to do what not even the judaeo-christian god of the old testament is ever described as doing, namely changing "objective past" at will. This type of creative historicism appeals, so it seems, very strongly to the unconscious mind, supplying it with a great deal of ideological back-up information, thus reducing its conscious-mind-imposed limits of "objectivity" to at least some modicum of superficial probability. It is only when the occultist mixes up the different planes of reference, when he purports to speak of "objective linear truth", instead of mythic or symbological, decidedly non-linear truth, that serious problems arise.This should be avoided at all costs in order not to strain our psychic set-up by contradictory evidence, which can easily result in an unwilled-for neutralization of all magic powers. But this, of course, is the same problem as with occult scientism. "Rays" are quite a convincing hypothesis to base telepathic experiments on, as long as you don`t try to overdefine said rays by epitheta such as "electromagnetic" or the like. For if you do, you become the victim of scientists`zealous inquisition boards. Or, as Oscar Wilde might have put it, it is not truth which liberates man`s mind but lying. (Which, again, is one of the reasons why Aleister Crowley entitled his magnum opus "The Book of Lies" in the first place...) Let us then resort to _creative historicism_ whenever we find it useful. Let us not have "historical objectivity" dictated to us by the powers that be. Let us accept our fuzziness of expression which is, after all, little more than a honest acknowledgement of the Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 409 fact that symbols and images are always more than just a little ambiguous, as our dreams well prove every night. As in divination, it does not pay to become overprecise in magic: the more you try to define a spell, the higher probability of failure. It is quite easy to charge a working talisman quite generally "for wealth"; it is quite another to charge it to "obtain the sum of $347.67 on March 13th at 4.06 p.m. in 93, Jermyn Street, 3rd floor" and still expect success. While the latter may strangely enough succeed occasionally, this is usually only the freak exception of the rule. However, by systematically rewriting our past in fuzzy terms, possibly eventing past lives and biographies for ourselves consciously or arbitrarily, we are fulfilling the final demand of Granddaddy Lucifer`s "non serviam". Let nobody impose his or her time and history parameters on you! And for practical exercise, allow your clock occasionally to be well in advance of your contemporaries`; let it sometimes lay behind for a few hours _and_ minutes (do not just change the hour hand as this would make it easy to recalculate into demiurge`s "real" space-time continuum, making you yet again its slave!) Do this to learn about your former ill-advised humility towards the current time paradigm - and about the illusory character of time and its measurement in general. Rewrite your personal and family history daily, invent your own kin and ancestors. "Problems with Mom and Dad? Pick a new couple!" Experiment with retroactive spells, try to heal your friend`s flu before he even contracted it. But do this in a playful spirit lest your censor should whack you for your constant violations of the rules of this game by again confusing the frames of reference. Jump from one parallel universe to the next one, never permit yourself to stand still and become enmeshed by Maya`s veil (you are supposed to be the _Master_ of illusion, remember?). And don`t panic: for nothing is true, everything is permitted. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 410 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal. Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co., 80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original author.! POWER ANIMALS by Alernon Come to us: Eagle, Wolf, Bear and Cougar. Dance we now The Power dances. Eagle soaring above the peaks, Share with us freedom, majesty and fighting skills. Teach us lessons we need to learn. Dance with us The Power dances. Wolf, cunning tracker, by day or night. Share with us endurance, courage and adaptability. Teach us lessons we need to learn. Dance with us The Power dances. Bear, trampling along earthen paths, Share with us Mighty strength and sense of smell. Teach us lessons we need to learn. Dance with us The Power dances. Cougar, lonely tracker of terrains, Share with us Agility, stamina and endless curiosity. Teach us lessons we need to learn. Dance with us The Power dances. Movements slow Movements rapid. Frenzied swaying Upward, downward. Dipping, turning Round and round. Dance we now The Power dances. Dancing partners, You and I. With me, in me I am you, you are me. Together as one, Yet separate, too. Dance we now The Power dances. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 411 Awaken now All Spirit Beings, To dance the dances With your human kin. Dance the Cycles Of Life and Death, Hope and Fear, Good and Evil. Dance the Cycles, Now and Again. Lowerworld, Upperworld, Journeying now and forevermore. Of Time and Space All is Once, There is none. Dance the dances Again and again. .......from R.M.P.J. 8/86 Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 412 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Care and Feeding of Crystals by Matrika co-sysop of PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network Crystals have been in the lime-light ever since celebrities such as Shirley Mcleane and Cher have come out of the closet and admitted they were "New-Agers". However, along with this public scrutiny, has also been a whole bunch of misconceptions. The most common of which is that a person just wears a crystal like jewelry or carries it and it works like some kind of instant stage-magic or prestidigitation. This, of course, is not the case. To get the full effect of "Crystal Power" in your life means, as with so much else, that you must put into it what you take out of it. So here are a few simple guidelines for those of you who plan on taking this subject seriously. 1. Selecting your Crystal To select a Crystal is not all that much different from selecting a pet or a work of art. When you go into the store to purchase your crystal - or any other stone used in healing or Psychic work - just pick the one that "calls" to you. Handle the various stones and place them, one by one, in your receptive hand. (the one that is not your dominant hand; if you are right-handed or ambi-dextrous, your receptive hand is your left. If you are completely left-handed your receptive hand is your right.) The stone that is right FOR YOU will "pull" you to it. This may not be the stone that looks the clearest or the most impressive, either. Our societies materialistic values and our conditioning to accept them must not enter into our decision, which is very hard for most of us at first. Our first tendency is to judge the stone -as we always judge ourselves and everything else in a constant stream of thoughts- by what we have been conditioned to believe is "good" or "bad". If the piece you are choosing is for a specific purpose; i.e. for healing, or to enhance your psychic abilities, or for meditation; it will help if you keep that purpose in mind while you are selecting the stone. An interesting phenomena often happens to people who are just going into the gem and mineral healing or psychic work. Most people start off with clear quartz, because it has the most applications. They go into a store or a gem show to purchase a clear quartz and find themselves drawn to all kinds of other "rocks" (as the collectors call them) too. Many times they bring a bag of various mineral specimens home with them. Later they look up the stones in one of the many reference books on this subject, only to find the stones they were drawn to are exactly the ones they need to deal with issues or illnesses that they need to work on. The very first thing you need to do when you first get a crystal is to "clear it" from the imbalanced energies of anyone else who has touched it. Crystals "work" because of their piezoelectrical field. Researchers in Kirlian photography and other subjects have long shown us that the body is surrounded by a field of electro-magnetic energies, which psychics call the AURA. People who have studied this subject tell us that Crystals help us by attuning their piezoelectrical charge to the charge of our auras. So we must first remove the charges from the stone that come from other's handling of it. This is done by leaving the stone in sea-salt (available at almost any health-food store) for 3 days. The only time you will have to use this technique - which is drastic - to cleanse the stone is Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 413 when you first buy it. The reason I say the technique is drastic is because it erases ALL of your energy from the stone too, so the stone has to be rebonded. (explained later) This piezoelectrical effect of the stone is the same reason that quartz is useful in making computers, telephones, watches, and in other electronic devices. 2. the regular maintenance of your stone The regular care and maintenance of your stone is really quite simple. First of all a gentler method of clearing the piece should be used at least once a week and after any uses in either physical or inner (mental/emotional/spiritual) healing work. This can be done in several ways. First of all, you can run it under COOL - no extremes of temperature PLEASE - water in your sink for several minutes, while visualizing (intensely imagining in vivid detail, from a meditative or extremely relaxed state) all imbalanced energies leaving it. You can also leave it in mugwort (an herb) for 2-3 days buried it in carefully. You can also place it in a flowerpot with an african violet plant, but you should know that if it has been used to heal any severe conditions, the plant will die. The stones should also be re-charged about once a month or after every use. For other stones, direct sunlight is not such a good idea as it can fade the colors. You can get the reflected energy of the sun by placing them in the moonlight during the waxing of the moon. (from one day after the new moon through the night of the full moon) They can also be charged by surrounding them in a circle of quartz points that have been charged by the sun, with the points of the crystals facing inward toward the stones being charged. Another method is to purchase an amethyst or quartz cluster and place the stones on it. A cluster is a specimen with several individual crystals on it. Oh, and if you charge the stone by a circle of crystals, be sure they have been cleared and charged themselves before using them to charge anything else. The circle should consist of at least 4 points, but 8 is best. These stones used for charging do NOT have to be large at all. 3. Using your stones Stones are tools in our psychic work and, as in any other object used, work by focusing the mind's powers. To get the best use out of them, more than just wearing them or carrying them is required. They should be used from a state of meditation, while visualizing the goals we wish to accomplish with them - such as healing, increased Psychic perception, etc. A good way to do this for to help you focus and a self-hypnosis tape that relates to your goals and use it. And if you are using the crystals in healing, be aware that they are NOT meant to replace the care of a competent health professional - but many people find them a useful adjunct to it. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 414 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Date: 10-May-89 22:29 From: Warren Stott Subj: Ethics in Magick A local group recently sponsored a seminar on the ethics of magick. I was unable to attend but heard the tapes of the session. Several people on this echo were present and had thoughtful things to say as did the others in attendance. I would like to address a few ideas that came up there and, of course, are significant to all people that work magick. The question of hexing came up. A rousing chorus ensued saying essentially that many folks there felt their own ethical model does not allow hexing. Initially, I put myself in that group as well. I am not a bad person, I do not intentionally hurt people. After some thought, though, I asked myself this question. If there is a conceivable ethical situation where I might sucker punch someone, why would there not be such a time to zap them with the same magnitude of magick? If I punch someone when they have no known defense against me, I am opening the serious potential to harm them. My punch might not hurt them at all, it might surprise them more than hurt them, it might hurt them enough that they get the message I was sending, or it might blind or even kill them. I would not know until after the fact. If I felt justified in punching them, I would probably do it. If they turned and destroyed me, I would have to question my judgement afterwards. Likewise if I blinded them. Acceptance of the karmic debt was raised as part of this justification cycle. By going ahead and hitting them, I tacitly or implicitly accept the debt. Personal destruction or harming the other guy, it is the same, I accept the debt by my action. Now where is the ethical question here? I have often done things, things as simple as saying something in a certain way, that I immediately want to retract. If I hit this fellow, I probably would want to take it back afterward. Is it ethical to act in a fashion that given a little thought you would realize you will regret later? Magick works in the same way. Presuming the ability to control the magickal zap to the relative intensity of the sucker punch, the results are just as unknown. So you accept the karmic debt, so you zap away. "Do what ye will" as long as you accept the debt makes it ethical? I don't think so, I think it is in fact unethical to hit or zap the person. But I might do it anyway. It is not really so much a question of ethics as it is a question of responsibility. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 415 No doubt Ollie North thinks that it is unethical to break the law. But he did. No doubt Jim Wright takes the ethics of public office very seriously, but he is now in deep refritos over an ethical dilemma of his own making. Shit Happens. (For those of you with new babies, Doo Doo Happens.) Ethics is a model of what we would like in the ideal. That ideal we measure ourselves against. We can parade case examples all day to test this conclusion but it is still unethical to harm another. But we do it, both physically and magickly. So, ethical hexing, there is no such thing. I caste a hurt-you-this-much zap on the intended, I have acted unethically. "An ye harm none." No disclaimer or release for special situations is given or implied. She will see me break this, karma will see that the ripples in the pool come back to me. All together, She will see me take responsibility, ethics be damned. One more time, the chorus swells and this time I am sure that I am part of that group. There is no ethical justification for hexing. Just don't piss me off though, I might be willing to take responsibility for my actions. Bambi died for us, kicking and screaming in torment! -Warren- Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 416 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com CANDLE MAGIC 1 One of the simplest of magical arts which comes under the heading of natural magic is candle burning. It is simple because it employs little ritual and few ceremonial artifacts. The theatrical props of candle magic can be purchased at any department store and its rituals can be practiced in any sitting room or bedroom. 2 Most of us have performed our first act of candle magic by the time we are two years old. Blowing out the tiny candles on our first birthday cake and making a wish is pure magic. This childhood custom is based on the three magical principals of concentration, will power and visualization. In simple terms, the child who wants his wish to come true has to concentrate (blow out the candles), visualize the end result (make a wish) and hope that it will come true( will power). 3 The size and shape of the candles you use is unimportant, although highly decorative, extra large, or unusually shaped candles will not be suitable as these may create distractions when the magician wants to concentrate on the important work in hand. Most magicians prefer to use candles of standard or uniform size if possible. Those which are sold in different colors for domestic use are ideal. 4 The candles you use for any type of magical use should be virgin, that is unused. Under no circumstances use a candle which has already adorned a dinner table or been used as a bedroom candle or night-light. There is a very good occult reason for not using anything but virgin materials in magic. Vibrations picked up by secondhand materials or equipment may disturb your workings and negate their effectiveness. 5 Some magicians who are artistically inclined prefer to make their own candles for ritual and magical use. This is a very practical exercise because not only does it impregnate the candle with your own personal vibrations, but the mere act of making your own candle is magically potent. Specialist shops sell candle wax and molds together with wicks, perfumes, and other equipment. 6 The hot wax is heated until liquid and then poured into the mould through which a suitably sized wick has already been threaded. The wax is then left to cool and once is this has occurred the mould is removed , leaving a perfectly formed candle. Special oil-soluble dyes and perfumes can be added to the wax before the cooling process is complete to provide suitable colors and scents for a particular magical ritual. Craft shops which sell candlemaking supplies can also provide do-it-yourself books explaining the technicalities of the art to the beginner. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 417 7 Once you have purchased or made your ritual candle it has to be oiled or 'dressed' before burning. The purpose of dressing the candle is to establish a psychic link between it and the magician through a primal sensory experience. By physically touching the candle during the dressing procedure, you are charging it with our own personal vibrations and also concentrating the desire of your magical act into the wax. The candle is becoming an extension of the magician's mental power and life energy. 8 When you dress a candle for magical use, imagine that it is a psychic magnet with a North and a South pole. Rub the oil into the candle beginning at the top or North end and work downwards to the half-way point. Always brush in the same direction downwards. This process is then repeated by beginning at the bottom or south end and working up to the middle. 9 The best type of oils to use for dressing candles are natural ones which can be obtained quite easily. Some occult suppliers will provide candle magic oils with exotic names. If the magician does not want to use these, he can select suitable oils or perfumes from his own sources. The oils soluble perfumes sold by craft shops for inclusion in candles can be recommended. 10 the candles you use can be colored in accordance with the following magical uses: white- spirituality and peace. red- health,energy,strength,courage, sexual potency. pink- love affection and romance. yellow- intellectualism, imagination, memory and creativity green- fertility, abundance, good luck and harmony blue-inspiration, occult wisdom, protection and devotion purple Material wealth, higher psychic ability, spiritual power and idealism silver- clairvoyance, inspiration, astral energy and intuition orange- ambition. career matters and the law. 11 If you wanted to use candle magic for healing, you would select a red candle to burn. To pass an exam, burn a yellow candle, to gain esoteric knowledge burn a blue candle or for material gain, burn a purple one. It is obvious these colors relate to the signs of the zodiac and the planetary forces. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 418 12 The simples form of candle magic is to write doesn't the objective of your ritual on a virgin piece of paper. You can use color paper which matches the candle. Write your petition on the paper using a magical alphabet, such as theban, enochian, malachain,etc. As you write down what you want to accomplish through candle magic-- a new job, healing for a friend, a change of residence, a new love affair, etc.-- visualize your dream coming true. Visualize the circumstances under which you might be offered a new job, imagine your employer telling you that your salary has been increased or conjure up a vision of your perfect love partner. 13 When you have completed writing down your petitio, carefully fold up the paper in a deliberately slow fashion. Place the end of the folded paper in the candle flame and set light to it. As you do this concentrate once more on what you want from life. 14 When you have completed your ritual, allow the candle to have completely burned away. You do not need to stay with the candle after the ritual, but make sure that is safe and that red-hot wax will not cause damage or fire. Never re-use a candle which has been lit in any magical ritual. IT should only be used in that ritual and then allowed to burn away or be disposed of afterwards. 15 If you are conducting a magical ritual which involves two people (e.g. an absent healing for a person some distance away) then the second person can be symbolically represented during the ritual by another candle. /all you need to do is find out the subject's birth date and burn the appropriate candle for that zodiacal sign. These are as follows- ARIES red TAURUS green GEMINI yellow CANCER silver LEO orange VIRGO yellow LIBRA pink SCORPIO red SAGITARIUS purple CAPRICORN black AQUARIUS all colors PISCES mauve Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 419 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Elemental Cauldrons Using a cauldron, symbol of inspiration and rebirth, has brought new dimensions to both group and solitary work. A cauldron decorates the center of the Circle during Lesser Sabbats. An air cauldron at a spring rite creates a misty, magical quality for the ceremony. In summer, the cauldron will flash and spark. A blue flame burns mysteriously within the Water cauldron during the autumn festival. Throughout Yule, the Earth cauldron burns steadfast and constant. During moon rites, when magick is done, we write the purpose of our working on flash papers and toss them into the burning cauldron while chanting. A working cauldron should be of cast iron, with a tight-fitting lid, three sturdy legs, and a strong handle. Season your cauldron before using it for the first time. Pour in generous helping of salt and lighter fluid, slosh it up to the rim and wipe dry. For indoor use it MUST have a fireproof base or your workings will summon up yellow-coated salamander spirits from the fire department. EARTH Cauldron Layer salt, wax shavings, three powered or ground herbs, fighter fluid and ivy leaves in the cauldron while focus and chanting. Use a candle to light it. When the smoke starts to roll, extinguish the cauldron by putting the lid on. AIR Cauldron Using tongs, put a chunk of dry ice is a small glass or ceramic bowl and place the bowl on a cloth in the bottom of the cauldron. Allow the cauldron to smoke as long as the ice lasts. The mists create excellent images for scrying. FIRE Cauldron Cover theinside bottom with dirtor sand to dissipateheat. Light incense charcoal and add either salt petter for flame and spark or flash powder for a different but spectacular effect. To assist in releasing or firing off peak energy, try using flash "bombs". Make a small pocket in a piece of flash paper, fill with flash powder and tie with thread. The "bomb" should be about the size of your smallest fingernail. The results are spectacularly bright, so use the powder sparingly. Don't look directly at the flash as you drop the "bomb" in the cauldron. WATER Cauldron. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 420 At least seven days before the ritual, place equal quantities of three appropriate herbs in a pint glass jar. Fill the rest of the jar with Everclear (200 proof alcohol), cap tightly, and shake gently while concentrating on the purpose of the ritual. Add a chant if its feels right. Let the jar rest in a dark, warm spot and shake twice daily, charging with purpose. Before the ritual, place a fireproof ceramic or glass bowl in the cauldron. Pour in the herb mixture, being careful none spills into the cauldron. Light with a candle to produce a beautiful blue flame. The cauldron, as the fifth elemental spirit, symbolizes inspiration, rebirth, illumination and rejuvenation. Use a Fire cauldron with salt petter to cast a Circle. Use the mists of an Air cauldron for an initiation. Burn away hate, prejudice and negative self-images, with a Water cauldron. The Earth cauldron is ideal for indoor Beltane rites. Remember to place a burning cauldron on a fireproof surface. Practice safety when using any volatile materials and you will enjoy your cauldron for many rites. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 421 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A N I R I S H M Y T H C O N C O R D A N C E ===================== by Mike Nichols copyright 1985 c.e. by MicroMuse Press [This information may be reproduced and distributed exactly as is, without further permission from the author, provided the statement of authorship and copyright are retained, and provided it is offered free of charge. Changes in the text, however, must be approved in advance by the author. MicroMuse Press is a division of The Magick Lantern, 1715 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO 64111. 816/531-7265] 'Myth is what we call other people's religion.' --Joseph Campbell The following concordance isbased on 'Gods and FightingMen' by Lady Augusta Gregory, first published in 1904. Page number references are to the 1976 trade paperback edition published by the MacMillan Company of Canada Limited. Brief supplementary material is taken from 'Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend' by Ronan Coghlan, published in 1979 by Donard Publishing Comapany, and referenced as 'DIM' in the following text. As this is intendedto be a concordanceof the Irishmythological cycle only (as opposed to heroic, legendary, or historical material), references are limited to Part I, Books I - V, of Lady Gregory's volume. 'Gods and Fighting Men' was selected as the primary text for this concordance because it represents the most comprehensive synthesis of variant sources (both published and oral) ever attempted as a continuous narrative of Irish mythology. Lady Gregory lists her published sources as follows: O'Curry, 'Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish' 'MSS. Materials' 'Atlantis' De Jubainville, 'Cycle Mythologique' 'Epope'e Celtique' Hennessy, 'Chronicum Scotorum' Atkinson, 'Book of Leinster' 'Annals of the Four Masters' Nennius, 'Hist. Brit.' (Irish Version) Zimmer, 'Glossae Hibernacae' Whitley Stokes, 'Three Irish Glossaries' 'Revue Celtique' 'Irische Texte' Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 422 'Gaedelica' 'Dinnsenchus' Nutt, 'Voyage of Bran' 'Proceedings Ossianic Society' O'Beirne Crowe, 'Arma Columcille' Dean of Lismore's Book Windisch, 'Irische Texte' Hennessy et. al., 'Revue Celtique' 'Kilkenny Archaeological Journal' Keatinge's 'History' 'Oyia' Curtin's 'Folk Tales' 'Proceedings Royal Irish Academy' 'MSS. Series' Dr. Sigerson, 'Bards of Gael and Gall' Miscellanies, 'Celtic Society' Muller, 'Revue Celtique' Standish Hayes O'Grady, 'Silva Gaedelica' Abhean - son of Bicelmos, he was the harper of the Tuatha de Danaan, brought from the hills by the Men of the Three Gods (37). Aedh (1) - killed by Brian, he was one of the three sons of Miochaoin (q.v.), the others being Corc and Conn (59) Aedh (2) - along with Angus and Artrach, one of the three sons of Bodb Dearg, he was the comeliest of them. Troops of poets from Ireland and Alban used to be with him, so that his place was called 'The Rath of Aedh of the Poets' (78). Aedh (3) - a son of the Dagda, he was killed by Corrgenn, who suspected Aedh was involved with his wife (82) Aer - one of two Druids of the Sons of the Gael (the other was Eithis) who was killed in the first battle against the Tuatha De Danaan, and was given a great burial (75) Ai - the plain where Niall pursued Cailcheir, before it went through a lake (81) Aife - along with two other daughters of Midhir of the Yellow Hair, Doirenn and Aillbhe, she was given as wife to one of the three sons of Lugaidh Menn (79). Ailbhe - (Ai-noo-al) one of the three daughters of Oilell and a foster-child of Bodb Dearg (124) Ailell Anglonach - of the One Fault, brother of Eochaid Feidlech, he fell in love with his brother's wife, Etain, and pined for her until she agreed to heal him (95) Aillbhe - along with two other daughters of Midhir of the Yellow Hair, Doirenn and Aife, she was given as wife to one of the three sons of Lugaidh Menn (79). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 423 Aille - the daughter of Cormac (q.v.) (107) Aine (1) - the daughter of Modharn, who gave a cook to the sons of Lugaidh Menn (79) Aine (2) - some said she was the daughter of Manannan, but some said she was the Morrigu, she owned the Cathair Aine. But she often gave her love to men, and she was called Leanan Sidhe, the Sweetheart of the Sidhe (86). Wisps of straw are burned in her honor on St. John's Eve. She is associated with meadow-sweet, and invoked against sickness. According to legend, she was raped by the king of Munster (DIM). Ainge - she was a daughter of the Dagda, who made her a great vat (81) Airmed - sister of Miach, she spread her cloak on which to arrange the herbs which sprang from the grave of her murdered brother. But Diancecht, still jealous of Miach, mixed up the herbs, so that no one knows all their right powers to this day (35). She was the daughter of Diancecht and sister of Octruil, and helped them in their healing work at the well of Slaine (64) Airnelach - brother of Tadg and Eoghan, he was captured by Cathmann and made to cut firing (115), but was later rescued by Tadg (120) Amergin - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he spoke with Banba upon Slieve Mis (71) and was sent as messenger to the Tuatha De Danaan (72) and quieted the storm sent against his people by them and was the first to set foot in Ireland after that (74). Heber gave him a share of the two provinces of Munster after the Battle of Tailltin (75). Angus - along with Artrach and Aedh, one of the three sons of Bodb Dearg (78) Angus Og - son of the Dagda, he advised his father how to kill Cridenbel and what reward to ask of Bres (33). After the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, only four men of the Fomor were left in Ireland, and they were driven out one Samhain night by Morrigu and Angus Og (67). He was considered for kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat (77). Also called the Frightener or Disturber, for the unrest he occasioned in horses and cattle (83). His loves included Enghi, Derbrenn, and Caer Ormaith (84). He was the Irish love-god (DIM). Anvil of the Dese - see Indeoin na Dese (81) Aobh - (Aev, or Eev) the eldest of the three daughters of Oilell, foster-daughter of Bodb Dearg and wife of Lir and, by him, mother of Fionnuala, Aodh, Fiachra, and Conn, though she died bringing the latter two to birth (125) Aodh - (Ae, rhyming to 'day') one of the four children of Lir and Aobh, he was turned into a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife (126) Aodh Aithfhiosach - of the quick wits, a son of Bodb Dearg, he was sent in search of the children of Lir (132) Aoibhell - (Evill) a woman of the Sidhe who dwelt at Craig Liath, she Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 424 tried to prevent her lover from joining a battle (87). Her harp fortells death for any who hear it (88). Aoife - (Eefa) one of the three daughters of Oilell and a foster-child of Bodb Dearg (124), she became the wife of Lir after her sister Aobh had died in childbirth (125). Through jealousy, she changed Aobh's four children into swans at Loch Dairbhreach (126) Aonbharr - styled 'of the One Mane', he is Manannan's horse, as swift as the naked cold wind of spring. She can gallop across the sea, and no rider was ever killed off her back (41). She was often ridden by Lugh (43). Arias - styled the 'fair-haired poet', one of the four wise men and teachers of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland. His home was Finias (27). Arranan - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he died by falling from the mast to the deck of his ship as the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland (73) Artrach - along with Angus and Aedh, one of the three sons of Bodb Dearg, he had a house with seven doors and taught the king's son of Ireland and of Alban how to throw spears and darts (78) Athluain - a ford of the Shannon that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) Badb - (Bibe) one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she was a battle goddess (27). She, along with Macha and Morrigu , used powers of enchantment to bring mists , clouds of darkness, and showers of fire and blood over the Firbolgs at Teamhair for three days (29). Sometimes regarded as the same as Nemain, her name means 'crow' and she could appear in that guise. She was the wife of Net (DIM). Balor - styled 'of the Evil Eye' or 'of the Strong Blows' (38), he is chief king of the Fomor (36), husband of Ceithlenn and, by her, the father of Ethlinn (42). One of his eyes had the power of death in it, so that none could look at it and live (38), and he also had the power of putting on a different shape (39). He was also the father of 12 'white-mouthed' sons, all among the chief men of the Fomor (42). At the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, Lugh made a spear cast that brought Balor's evil eye out through the back of his head, instantly killing him and 27 of his own army, thus fulfilling the prophecy that he would be killed by his grandson (66). Banba - the wife of MacCuill and a queen of the Tuatha De Danaan, one of three daughters of the Dagda whose name was given to Ireland afterwards (27), she met the Sons of the Gael on Slieve Mis and spoke with Amergin (71), and was later killed in the Battle of Tailltin (75). Banna - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 425 Battle of Taillten - the great battle between the Sons of the Gael and the Tuatha De Danaan, after which the Sons of the Gael had the rulership of Ireland (75) Bearna nah-Eadargana - the Gap of Separation, it is a place that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) Bechulle - one of two witches of the Tuatha De Danaan (the other was Dianan) who had the power to turn trees and stones and sods of earth into an armed host (62) Bed of the Dagda - in the house of the Dagda at the Brugh na Boinne (80) Beinn Edair - the dwelling place of Tuireann (60), mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint (58) Belgata - the great mountain to the rear of Magh Nia in Connacht (29) Beltaine - May Day (28) Bennai Boirche - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Berbhe - see Green of Berbhe (42) Betach - see Fiachna (121) Bicelmos - see Abhean (37) Birog - styled 'of the Mountain', a woman-Druid who helped Cian win the love of Ethlinn who had been imprisoned in a tower. When Ethlinn bore a child (Lugh), Balor would have had it killed, but Birog rescued it (40). Birthplace of Cermait Honey-Mouth - in the house of the Dagda at the Brugh na Boinne (80) Blai-Slieve - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Boann - a water goddess, wife of Nechtan and mother, by the Dagda, of Angus, she is associated with the River Boyne (DIM). Also see Dabilla (80) Bodb - (Bove) see Rudrach and Dergcroche (117) Bodb Dearg - (Bove Darrig) son of the Dagda, he was king of Connacht when Bres and his army landed in Ireland to battle Lugh (43). He lived at Sidhe Femen, was eldest among the children of the Dagda, and was given the kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat (77). His three sons were Angus, Artrach, and Aedh (78), his daughter was Scathniamh (80) and his musician was Fertuinne (79). Two other sons were Aodh Aithfhiosach and Fergus Fithchiollach (132) Boinn - variant of Boinne, one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 426 Boinne - the salmon of the dumb Boinne are mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint (58) Bran (1) - the son of Tuiren (68) Bran (2) - son of Febal, he was called by the silver branch to board a boat and journey to the Land of Women, Tir na mBan (105) Brath - see Mide (68) Breagan - see Cuailgne (75) Bres - son of Eri and Elathan (35), a champion of the Tuatha de Danaan, he was sent to meet Sreng of the Firbolgs (28). He was the most beautiful of all the young men, and he was chosen king after Nuada (31). 'As beautiful as Bres' was a common saying. However, he was known for his lack of hospitality (32), and was deposed when Nuada was reinstated as king (35). By Brigit, he was father of Ruadan (64). Bresal Etarlaim - the Druid who helped Fuamach to destroy Etain (88) Bri - the daughter of Midhir, she died of a broken heart because she could not be with her love, Leith, and the hill of Bri Leith, the spot where she died, was named for them (88) Bri Leith - home of Midhir the Proud (77), named after his daughter Bri, and her love Leith (88) Bri Ruri - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Brian - styled 'Flame of Valour' (60), along with Iuchar and Iucharba, he is one of the three sons of Tuireann (47) and his sister, the daughter of Tuireann, was Ethne (50). He had the power to change his own shape and that of his two brothers (51). He caused the death of Cian (44), Tuis (53), Pisear (54), Dobar (55), Miochaoin and his three sons (59). Brigit - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she was a woman of poetry, healing, and smith's work. Her name came from Breo-saighit, meaning a fiery arrow (27). She was daughter of the Dagda and, by Bres, mother of Ruadan (64) Brugh na Boinn - (or Brugh na Boinne - 57) the place where Lugh kept the Scuabtuinne (50) and the place where the Dagda had his house which Angus took from him by trickery (81) Buan - the nine lasting hazels of Buan dropped their nuts into the Well of Knowledge where the salmon would eat them, sending their husks floating out on the five streams that flowed from the well (108 & 110) Buas - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Caer of the Fair Hair - see Inis Cenn-fhinne (49) Cailcheir - one of the swine of Debrann, it was called by Corann's harping (81) Cainte - Cian, Cu, and Ceithen were the three sons of Cainte, and they Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 427 had a long-standing feud with the three sons of Tuireann (43) Cairbre - see Erc (31) Camel - son of Riagall, he was one of the two door-keepers at Teamhair when Lugh first arrived (37) Caoilte - (Cweeltia) one of the last of the Fianna, he was loved by Scathniamh (80) Carn Corrslebe - a place near Loch Ce' (67) Carpre - (variant of Corpre) he had the power to compose a satire that would shame men so they could not stand against fighting men (62) Carpre Lifecar - the son of Cormac (q.v.) (107) Cassmail - one of the Tuatha De Danaan, he was killed by Octriallach at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65) Cathair Aine - a stone belonging to Aine that would cause madness in someone who sat on it (86) Cathbad - the Druid, he aided Conchubar in treacherously slaying the sons of Usnach (97) Cathmann - son of Tabarn and king of Fresen, he captured Tadg, his wife (whom he took as his own wife), and two brothers (115), but was later killed by him (120) Cauldron - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha de Danaan brought to Ireland from the north. It came from the city of Murias, and no one ever went from it unsatisfied (27). Ce' - the Druid of Nuada, he was wounded in the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, and when he died and was buried near Carn Corrslebe, a lake burst out over his grave and it was called Loch Ce'. (67) Cecht - the plough (28) Ceis Corain - the place where the champions of Connacht (all except Niall) gave up their pursuit of Cailcheir (81) Ceithen - along with Cian (q.v.) and Cu, he was one of the three sons of Cainte. Cu and Ceithen went towards the south, while Cian went north, to gather the Riders of the Sidh to help Lugh in his battle with Bres (43). Ceithlenn - styled 'of the Crooked Teeth, she was queen of the Fomor, the wife of Balor and, by him, the mother of Ethlinn (42) She gave the Dagda a dreadful wound at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65) Celtchar of Cualu - see Leith (88) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 428 Cermait - styled 'Honey-Mouth', son of the Dagda, his three sons shared the kingship of Ireland at the time of the invasion of the Sons of the Gael (72), and were killed in the Battle of Tailltin (75). His birthplace was the house of the Dagda at Brugh na Boinne (80). Cesair - the first that ever reached Ireland, she later dwelt on Inislocha where Tadg met her (118) Cesarn - one of the three Druids of the Firbolgs who broke the enchantment laid upon them by Badb, Macha, and Morrigu (30) Children of Rudraighe - see Eimher (75) Ciabhan - (Kee-a-van) of the Curling Hair, the King of Ulster's son, he went to Manannan's country (111), won the love of Cliodna, but lost her due to the treachery of Iuchnu (112) Cian (1) - a man of the Tuatha de Danaan (27), brother of Goibniu and Samthainn (39), and father of Lugh by Ethlinn (37), he was present when Nechtan deceived King Bres (32). He lived at Druim na Teine (39), and his famous cow was the Glas Gaibhnenn (39). Along with two other brothers, Cu and Ceithen, he was one of the three sons of Cainte (43). He had the power of shape-shifting and was killed (by Brian) while in the form of a pig (44). Cian (2) - son of Olioll and father of Tadg (114) Cliach - the Harper of the King of the Three Rosses in Connacht, he vainly sought one of Bodb Dearg's daughters in marriage. Loch Bel Sead sprang up under his feet (77). Cliodna - (Cleevna) of the Fair Hair, daughter of Gebann, she gave her love to Ciabhan but, through the treachery of Iuchnu, she was drowned (112) She had three colorful birds, whose sweet singing could lull the sick to sleep (DIM). Codal - of the Withered Breast, he threw yew rods for Eochaid to discover the hiding place of Midhir and Etain (96) Coir-cethar-chuin - 'the Four-Angled Music', it was another name for Uaitne (q.v.) (67) Coll - the hazel-tree (28) Collbrain - see Nechtan (106) Colpa - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), his ship was wrecked as the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland, and he drowned while trying to reach land at Inver Colpa (73) Colum Cuaillemech - styled 'of the Three New Ways', he was a smith of the Tuatha de Danaan (37) Comb and the Casket of the Dagda's wife - a hill near the house of the Dagda at Brugh na Boinne (80) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 429 Compar - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of the four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eine, Eathfaigh, and Coron (41) Conaire - High King of Ireland, grandson of Etain and Eochaid, who got his death by Midhir and his people (96) Conall Cearnach - of the Red Branch of Ulster, he was descended from the line of the sons of Eimher (75) The slayer of Anluan, he originally may have been a horned god (DIM). Conan Maol - it was his gold, hidden in a cairn, that Caoilte gave to Scathniamh as a bride-price (80) One of the Fianna, he was regarded as something of a buffoon (DIM). Conchubar Abratrudh - of the Red Brows, the father of Liban (115) Conn (1) - killed by Brian, he was one of the three sons of Miochaoin (q.v.), the others being Corc and Aedh (59) Conn (2) - of the Hundred Battles, King of Teamhair, grandfather of Cormac (106), he tried to stop his son Connla from going to Manannan's country (113) Conn (3) - one of the four children of Lir and Aobh, he was turned into a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife (126) Connacht - one of the five provinces of Ireland (31), it is where the Tuatha de Danaan first landed (27). Both Magh Rein (28) and Magh Nia (with the mountain Belgata) were there (29), as well as the river Unius (61). It was the province chosen by Sreng for the Firbolgs after they were defeated by the Tuatha de Danaan (31). Connla - of the Red Hair, son of Conn, he went to Manannnan's country despite his father's efforts to prevent it (113) Coran - the Druid of Conn, he tried to keep Connla from being taken to Manannan's country (113) Corann (1) - Lugh passed through the 'place of the bright-faced Corann' on his way to do battle with Bres (45) Corann (2) - Diancecht's harper, and the best harper of the Dagda's household, he called Cailcheir with his harp (81) Corc - killed by Brian, he was one of the three sons of Miochaoin (q.v.), the others being Conn and Aedh (59) Cormac - grandson of Conn, King of Teamhair, he journeyed to Manannan's country to bring back his wife, Ethne; his daughter, Aille; and his son, Carpre Lifecar (106) Coron - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of the four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eine, Eathfaigh, and Compar (41) Corpre - son of Etain, he was a poet of the Tuatha de Danaan who cursed Bres for his lack of hospitality with the first satire ever Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 430 made in Ireland (34) Corr Slieve na Seaghsa - the Round Mountain of the Poet's Spring, it is a place that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) Corrgenn - a great man of Connacht who, while visiting the Dagda, killed Aedh because he suspected him to be involved with his wife (82) Craisech - thick-handled spears belonging to Sreng, they were sharp at the sides though they had no points (29) Credenus - styled 'the Craftsman', he was a chief among the Tuatha de Danaan (27) Credne Cerd - styled 'the Brazier' (64), a worker in brass for the Tuatha de Danaan (37) Cridenbel - an idle blind man with a sharp tongue who always demanded the Dagda's three best bits of food. Starving, the Dagda hid three pieces of gold in the three bits and this killed Cridenbel (33). Crimthan Cass - the King of Connacht and father of Laegaire (121) Cron - mother of Fianlug, she was at the forge of Goibniu grinding spears when Ruadan was killed (64) Crow of Battle - see Morrigu (27) Cruacha - the maidservant of Etain who accompanied her when she departed with Midhir. Cruachan in Connacht was named after her (96) Cruachan Aigle - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Cu - along with Cian (q.v.) and Ceithen, he was one of the three sons of Cainte. Cu and Ceithen went towards the south, while Cian went north, to gather the Riders of the Sidh to help Lugh in his battle with Bres (43). Cuailgne - the son of Breagan, he and his brother Fuad, two of the best leaders of the Sons of the Gael, were both killed in the rout of the Tuatha De Danaan (he at Slieve Cuailgne), following the Battle of Tailltin (75) Cualu - the home of Celtchar (88) Cuan - the wood of Cuan was cleared away by Duach and the men of Ireland so there could be a gathering around Taillte's grave (68) Culain - although he may have been Manannan in another guise, he was the great smith, originally living on the Island of Falga, who was invited by Conchubar to live on the plains of Muirthemne, where Cuchulain killed his great dog and thereafter took the name Cuchulain, meaning 'the hound of Culain' (98) Dabilla - a little hound belonging to Boann (80) Dagda, the - father of Eire, Fodla, Banba (27), Angus Og (33), Bodb Dearg (43), Brigit (64), Cermait (72), Ainge and Diancecht (81).. Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 431 Known as a good builder, he was ordered by Bres to build raths (33). Styled 'the good god' (63) and 'the Red Man of all Knowledge' (80), he got a dreadful wound from a spear thrown by Ceithlenn in the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65) and he owned a magic harp called Uaitne (67). His house was at the Brugh na Boinne, where Dichu was his steward and Len Linfiaclach was the smith (81). His personal name was Eochaid O Uathair, and he had a magical club which could slay or heal (DIM). Dalbaech - see Elathan (1) (35) Dalbh - see Goll (121) Dana - greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan (from whom they take their name), she was called the Mother of the Gods (28) De Domnann - see Indech (61) Debrann - owned Cailcheir, the swine that was called by Corann's harping (81) Delbaeth (1) - see Elathan (3) (61) Delbaith (2) - see Eri (35) Denda Ulad - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Deorgreine - a Tear of the Sun, daughter of Fiachna, she was given to Laegaire as his wife in Magh Mell (123) Derc-Loch - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Dergcroche - son of Bodb, he and his brother Rudrach were the two kings of Inislocha (117) Dianan - one of two witches of the Tuatha De Danaan (the other was Bechulle) who had the power to turn trees and stones and sods of earth into an armed host (62) Diancecht - father of Miach (34), he was a chief among the Tuatha de Danaan, and understood healing (27). He fashioned an arm of silver for Nuada, who had lost his own in battle (34). Also father of Octruil and Airmed, he restored slain warriors in the healing well of Slaine (64). His father was the Dagda and his harper was Corann (81). Dichu - steward first to the Dagda (81) and then to Angus (82) Dobar - the King of Siogair killed by Brian (55), he was the owner of two horses and a chariot that were among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49) Doirenn - along with two other daughters of Midhir of the Yellow Hair, Aife and Aillbhe, she was given as wife to one of the three sons of Lugaidh Menn (79). Dolb - the smith of the Fomor (63) Donall Donn-Ruadh - styled 'of the Red-brown Hair', he was one of the sons of Manannan. His brothers included Sgoith Gleigeil, Goitne Gorm-Shuileach, and Sine Sindearg. His foster brother was Lugh (41). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 432 Donn - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he and twenty-four others died when the ship he commanded was wrecked as the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland (73) Druim Cain - Teamhair (q.v.) (31) Druim na Descan - Teamhair (q.v.) (31) Druim na Teine - the Ridge of Fire, the dwelling place of the three brothers, Goibniu, Samthainn, and Cian Druimne - son of Luchair, he made a cooking oven for the Dagda at Teamhair (80) Duach (1) - see Echaid (37) Duach (2) - styled 'the Dark', husband of Taillte, he built the Fort of the Hostages in Teamhair, and organized the men of Ireland to cut down the wood of Cuan (68) Dur-da-Bla - 'the Oak of Two Blossoms', it was another name for Uaitne (q.v.) (67) Eab - son of Neid, he was one of the chief men of the Fomor (42) Eadon - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she was called the nurse of poets (27) Eas Dara - in west Connacht, it is the harbour where Bres and his army landed in Ireland to battle Lugh (43) Easal - the King of the Golden Pillars, he was the owner of seven self-regenerating pigs that were among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49). A daughter of Easal's was the wife of the King of Ioruaidh (56). Eathfaigh - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of the four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eine, Coron, and Compar (41) Echaid - styled 'the Rough', son of Duach, he was foster-father of Lugh (37) Eimher - (Aevir) the son of Ir, he divided Ulster between himself and some other chiefs of the Sons of the Gael following the Battle of Tailltin. It was of his sons, that were called the Children of Rudraighe, and that lived in Emain Macha for 900 years, that both Fergus and Conall Cearnach were descended. (75) Eine - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of the four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eathfaigh, Coron, and Compar (41) Eire - variant of Eriu, one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she was one of three daughters of the Dagda who gave her name to Ireland (27) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 433 Eithis - one of two Druids of the Sons of the Gael (the other was Aer) who was killed in the first battle against the Tuatha De Danaan, and was given a great burial (75) Elathan (1) - the son of Dalbaech and a king of the Fomor, he was father of Bres by Eri, a woman of the Tuatha de Danaan (35). He came to her over the sea in a vessel of silver, himself having the appearance of a young man with yellow hair, wearing clothes of gold and five gold torcs (35). Elathan (2) - son of Lobos, he was one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) Elathan (3) - son of Delbaeth, he was one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) Emhain Abhlach - (Avvin -------) an island paradise, the place to which Bran journeyed (105) Emain Macha - the capitol of Ulster, named after the twins of Macha (DIM), the place where the Children of Rudraighe lived for 900 years (75) Emmass - see Macha (65) Eochaid (1) - (Eohee) son of Erc, he was king of the Firbolgs when the Tuatha de Danaan first came to Ireland (28) Eochaid (2) - along with Fiacha and Ruide, one of the sons of Lugaidh Menn, King of Ireland (78) Eochaid (3) - son of Sal, he was killed by Fiachna after capturing his wife (121) Eochaid Feidlech - also called Airem, of the Plough, High King of Ireland, he wedded the reborn Etain (by whom he had a daughter, Esa), but lost her to Midhir in a chess game, but got her back by beseiging Bri Leith (96) Eoghan - (Owen) brother of Tadg and Airnelach, he was captured by Cathmann and made to run a ferry (115), but was later rescued by Tadg (120) Erc (1) - see Eochaid (1) (28) Erc (2) - descended from the children of Sreng in Connacht, the son of Cairbre, he gave Cuchulain his death (31) Erc (3) - son of Ethaman, he was a teller of tales for the Tuatha de Danaan (37) Eremon - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he spoke with Eriu upon the hill of Uisnech (72) Eri - a woman of the Tuatha de Danaan (32), the daughter of Delbaith, she was mother of Bres by Elathan, a king of the Fomor (35). She was the wife of Cethor (DIM). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 434 Eriu - variant of Eire, the wife of MacGreine and a queen of the Tuatha De Danaan whose name was given to Ireland afterwards, she met the Sons of the Gael on the hill of Uisnech, and talked with Eremon. One moment she would be a wide-eyed beautiful queen, and the next she would be a sharp-beaked, grey-white crow (72). She led the Tuatha De Danaan in the first battle fought against the Sons of the Gael, but was beaten back to Tailltin where she was killed in the Battle of Tailltin (75). Esa - daughter of Etain and Eochaid Feidlech (96) Ess Dara - near Magh Tuireadh-2 (q.v.) (63) Ess Ruadh - home of Ilbrech (77) Etain - see Corpre (34) Etain Echraide - the second wife of Midhir, she was driven out by Fuamach, taken in by Angus, turned into a fly by Fuamach, swallowed by Etar's wife, and reborn as Etain, later the wife of Eochaid Feidlech (by whom she had a daughter, Esa), who lost her to Midhir in a chess game, but got her back by attacking Midhir's stronghold at Bri Leith (95) Etar - of Inver Cechmaine, King of the Riders of the Sidhe, his wife swallowed Etain in the form of a fly who fell into her drinking cup, and nine months later gave birth to her again (89) Ethaman - see Erc (3) (37) Ethlinn - daughter of Balor and Ceithlenn (42), she was mother of Lugh by Cian (37). Because a Druid foretold that Balor would get his death from his own grandson, Balor locked Ethlinn in a tower (attended by 12 women) to keep her away from men. Described as 'tall and beautiful', she came to Teamhair after the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, and married Tadg. By him, she was mother of Muirne and Tuiren. (68) Ethne (1) - daughter of Tuireann and sister of Brian, Iuchar, and Iucharba (50) Ethne (2) - the wife of Cormac (q.v.) (107) Fachtna - physician to Eochaid Feidlech (91) Fail-Inis - a beautiful whelp belonging to the King of Ioruaidh, the Cold Country, that was among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49). This king's wife was a daughter of Easal's (56). Fais - the wife of Un, she was killed in the first battle fought between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Sons of the Gael, in the place later called the Valley of Fais (75) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 435 Falias - styled 'great', one of the four cities of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland. Its teacher was Morias, and its treasure was the Lia Fal, the Stone of Virtue (27) Falga - see Island of Falga Fand - daughter of Flidhais, her bright vessels were made by Len Linfiaclach (81). Manannan's wife, and Cuchulain's mistress (DIM). Fathadh Canaan - descended from the line of Ith, he held sway over the whole world, taking hostages of the streams, the birds and the languages (76) Feast of the Age - Manannan made this feast for the Tuatha de Danaan (after they were defeated) where they ate his magic swine and drank Goibniu's ale (77). Febal - see Bran (103) Fer Ferdiad - of the Tuatha De Danaan, he was a Druid and pupil of Manannan who was killed by him for causing the death of Tuag (97) Ferdiad - descended from the children of Sreng in Connacht, he made a good fight against Cuchulain (31). He was one of the race called Gaileoin (76) Fergus - the son of Rogh, he was descended from the line of the sons of Eimher (75) Fergus Fithchiollach - of the chess, a son of Bodb Dearg, he was sent in search of the children of Lir (132) Fertuinne - son of Trogain, he was a magician given by Bodb Dearg to the sons of Lugaidh Menn (79) Fiacha - along with Eochaid and Ruide, one of the sons of Lugaidh Menn, King of Ireland (78) Fiachna - son of Betach and father of Deorgreine (123), of the men of the Sidhe, his wife was captured by Eochaid, whom he killed, but she was then given to a nephew, Goll (121), but Goll was killed by Laegaire and Fiachna's wife was restored to him (122) Fiachra - one of the four children of Lir and Aobh, he was turned into a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife (126) Fianlug - see Cron (64) Fianna of Ireland - a band of legendary soldiers and Finn was the head of them (68) Figal - see Gamal (37) Figol - son of Mamos, he was a Druid of the Tuatha de Danaan who had the power to cause showers of fire to fall on his enemies (62) Findemas - see Findgoll (32) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 436 Findgoll - son of Findemas, a Druid who advised Nechtan in the deceiving of King Bres (32) Finias - one of the four cities of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland. Its teacher was Arias, and its treasure was the Spear of Victory (27) Finn - son of Muirne, he was Head of the Fianna of Ireland (68) Fionn - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Fionnuala - one of the four children of Lir and Aobh, she was turned into a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife (126) Firbolg - styled 'the Men of the Bag', they were the people who lived in Ireland before the Tuatha de Danaan but after the people of Nemed, and they had come from the South (28) First Battle of Magh Tuireadh - the first battle fought in Ireland by the Tuatha de Danaan (31). Begun at Midsummer, the Firbolgs were defeated after four days (30). Flidais - Lugh wore the cloak of the daughters of Flidais when the sons of Tuireann returned to Ireland to pay him their fine (57) Flidhais - see Fand (81) Fodla - (Fola) daughter of the Dagda, wife of MacCecht, and a queen of the Tuatha De Danaan whose name was given to Ireland afterwards, she met the Sons of the Gael on Slieve Eibhline (71) and was killed in the Battle of Tailltin (75). Fodhla - variant of Fodla (q.v.) Fomor - people who lived beyond the sea or below the sea west of Ireland, they demanded heavy tribute from the Tuatha de Danaan. They were led by a giant and his mother, and they each had but one foot or one hand. They were friendly with the Firbolgs but jealous of the Tuatha de Danaan (32). Ford of Destruction - the name given to the foot of Unius since the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66) Fort of the Hostages - in Teamhair, it was built by Duach (68) Freagarthach - styled 'the Answerer', the sword of Manannan, whoever was wounded by it would never get away alive, and whoever it was bared against would lose their strength (41) Fresen - a beautiful country, of which Cathmann was king, that lay to the south-east of the Great Plain (114) Fuad - he and his brother Cuailgne, two of the best leaders of the Sons of the Gael, were both killed in the rout of the Tuatha De Danaan (he at Slieve Fuad), following the Battle of Tailltin (75) Fuamach - the very jealous first wife of Midhir, she attempted to destroy Etain with magic, and was herself killed by Angus for it (89) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 437 Gae Bulg - the spear of Cuchulain (DIM) Gaedhal - styled 'of the Shining Armour' and 'the Very Gentle'. The sons of Gaedhal were also called the Sons of the Gael (q.v.) (71) Gael - see Sons of the Gael (71) Gaible - son of Nuada of the Silver Hand, he stole a vat from Ainge and hurled it away (81) Gaible's Wood - the beautiful wood that sprang up on the spot where Ainge's vat was hurled by Gaible (81) Gaileoin - a race of Ireland that had a reputation for lies, big talk, injustice, and good fighters (Ferdiad was one of them), but the Druids drove them out of Ireland (76) Gairech - one of two hills (the other being Ilgairech) that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) Gamal - son of Figal, he was one of the two door-keepers at Teamhair when Lugh first arrived (37) Garbhan - he and Imheall were the Dagda's two builders, and they built the rath around the grave of Aedh, called the Hill of Aileac (82) Garden in the East of the World - three golden apples from this garden were among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (48) Gebann - the son of Treon (119) and a chief Druid in Manannan's country, his daughter was Cliodna (112) Glas Gaibhnenn - (Glos Gov-nan) belonging to Cian, she was a wonderful cow whose milk never failed (39) Goll - son of Dalbh and a brother's son of Eochaid, he got Fiachna's captured wife after Eochaid died (121) but was killed in battle by Laegaire (122) Gnathach - one of the three Druids of the Firbolgs who broke the enchantment laid upon them by Badb, Macha, and Morrigu (30) Goibniu - styled 'the Smith' (27), the son of Tuirbe (81),and brother of Cian and Samthainn (39), he was a chief among the Tuatha de Danaan (27), and lived at Druim na Teine (39). His ale kept whoever tasted it from age and from sickness and from death (77). Goitne Gorm-Shuileach - styled 'the Blue-eyed Spear', he was one of the sons of Manannan. His brothers included Sgoith Gleigeil, Sine Sindearg, and Donall Donn-Ruadh. His foster brother was Lugh (41). Goll - one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) Gorias - styled 'shining', one of the four cities of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland. Its teacher was Urias, and its treasure was the Sword (27) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 438 Grave End - place at Indeoin na Dese where Len Linfiaclach would cast his anvil (81) Great House of a Thousand Soldiers - in Teamhair, north of the little Hill of the Women Soldiers (31) Great Strand - see Traig Mor (114) Green of Berbhe - a plain in Lochlann (42) Green of Teamhair - in Teamhair, it lay to the west of the Hill of Hostages (31) Grellach Dollaid - also called 'the Whisper of the Men of Dea', it is the place where Lugh, Nuada, the Dagda, Ogma, and Diancecht made their secret plans to rise against the Fomor (40) Grian - the sun (28), and a fairy queen in County Tipperary (DIM) Hall of the Morrigu - in the house of the Dagda at the Brugh na Boinne (80) Happy Plain - see Magh Mell hazels of wisdom, nine - hazel-trees of inspiration and the knowledge of poetry of the Tuatha de Danaan. They grew by a well below the sea, out of which the seven streams of wisdom spring and return. In the well are the five salmon of knowledge who eat the nuts that fall from the hazel trees. If anyone eats one of the salmon, all wisdom and all poetry would be theirs (28). Heber - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he was one of only three who survived when the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland (73). He was awarded the two provinces of Munster (less the share he gave to Amergin) after the Battle of Tailltin (75). Heremon - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), his ship was wrecked as the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland, but he got safely to land at Inver Colpa (73) He was awarded Leinster and Connacht after the Battle of Tailltin (75). High Seat - of Teamhair, it lay to the south-west of the Hill of Hostages (31) Hill of Aileac - 'the Hill of Sighs and of a Stone', it was the rath built over the burial site of Aedh (82) Hill of Dabilla - a hill near the house of the Dagda at Brugh na Boinne (80) Hill of Hostages - a hill in Teamhair, north-east of the High Seat (31) Hill of Miochaoin - in the north of Lochlann, three shouts given on this hill were among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 439 Hill of Sighs and of a Stone - see Hill of Aileac (82) Hill of the Axe - see Tulach na Bela (81) Hill of the Sidhe - a hill in the north-east of Teamhair, where the well Nemnach was located (31) Hill of the White Field - see Sidhe Fionnachaidh Hill of the Women Soldiers - styled 'little', it lay to the south of the Great House of a Thousand Soldiers, in Teamhair (31) Hill of Uisnech - on the west side of Teamhair, where Nuada held an assembly of his people (40) House of the Women - in Teamhair, it is where the great feasts were held. It had seven doors to the east and seven doors to the west (31). Ilbrech - of Ess Ruadh, he was considered for kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat (77) Ilgairech - one of two hills (the other being Gairech) that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) Imheall - he and Garbhan were the Dagda's two builders, and they built the rath around the grave of Aedh, called the Hill of Aileac (82) Indech - son of De Domnann and father of Octriallach, he was a king of the Fomor who fell and was crushed in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) Indeoin na Dese - 'the Anvil of the Dese', where Len Linfiaclach would cast his anvil every night after work (81) Ingnathach - one of the three Druids of the Firbolgs who broke the enchantment laid upon them by Badb, Macha, and Morrigu (30) Ingol - one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) Inis Cenn-fhinne - called the Island of the Fair-Haired Women (59) and the Island of Caer of the Fair Hair, the women of this island had a cooking-spit that was among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49) Inis Daleb - one of the four paradises of the world, the others being Inislocha to the west, Inis Ercandra to the north and Adam's Paradise to the east (118) Inis Ercandra - one of the four paradises of the world, the others being Inislocha to the west, Inis Daleb to the south and Adam's Paradise to the east (118) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 440 Inislocha - Lake Island, seen by Tadg on his voyages, and ruled by two kings, Rudrach and Dergcroche, sons of Bodb (117). It is the fourth paradise of the world, the others being Inis Daleb to the South, Inis Ercandra to the north, and Adam's Paradise to the East (118) Inver Cechmaine - home of Etar, where the reborn Etain first met Midhir while she was bathing (89) Inver Colpa - in Leinster (75), the place got its name because Colpa, one of the sons of Miled, was drowned there, although his brother Heremon came safely to shore there (73) Inver Sceine - in the west of Munster, it is where the race of the Sons of the Gael first landed in Ireland (71) Inver Slane - to the north of Leinster, it is where the race of the Sons of the Gael made their first attempt to land in Ireland (71) Ioruaidh - see Fail-Inis (49) Ir - father of Eimher (75) and one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he was known for his bravery in battle but he died when his ship was wrecked as the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland, and he was buried on Sceilg Michill (73) Irish - the language of both the Firbolgs and the Tuatha de Danaan (29) Island of Falga - original dwelling place of Culain, the Smith (97) Island of Joy - Bran left some of his men ashore there on his way to Emhain (105) Island of the Fair-Haired Women - see Inis Cenn-fhinne (59) Island of the Tower of Glass - Balor lived there in the days the Fomor visited Ireland often. From this island, the Fomor would capture ships that passed near. They thus defeated the ships of the sons of Nemed in a time before the Firbolgs were in Ireland. (38) Islands of Mod - islands from which Ogma was ordered by Bres to bring firing every day (32) Ith - one of the race of the Sons of the Gael, he was killed by treachery while in Ireland, and it was to avenge his death that the race of the Sons of the Gael invaded Ireland (72). From his line was descended Fathadh Canaan (76). Iuchar - along with Iucharba and Brian, he is one of the three sons of Tuireann (47) and his sister, the daughter of Tuireann, was Ethne (50) Iucharba - along with Iuchar and Brian, he is one of the three sons of Tuireann (47) and his sister, the daughter of Tuireann, was Ethne (50) Iuchnu - he played music to Cliodna in the curragh until she fell asleep and was drowned (112) Kath Brese - the Dagda made a trench around it (33). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 441 King of the Great Plain - father of Taillte (37) Laegaire - son of Crimthan Cass, he killed Goll in battle in order to restore Fiachna's captured wife to him (122), after which he took Fiachna's daughter as his own wife and ruled as a king in Magh Mell (123) Lake Island - see Inislocha (117) Lake of Birds - see Loch na-n Ean (121) Lake of the Dwarfs - see Loch Luchra (112) Lake of the Oaks - see Loch Dairbhreach (126) Land of Promise - dwelling place of the Riders of the Sidh (41). See Tir Tairngaire (111) Land of the Ever-Living Ones - see Tir-nam-Beo (113) Land of the Ever-Living Women - the place to which Fer Ferdiad was trying to take Tuag when she drowned (98) Land of Women - see Tir na mBan (105) Laoi - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Leanan Sidhe - Sweetheart of the Sidhe, a title given to Aine (86) Leat Glas - Indech's poet, he was present at Indech's death at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66) Leith - (Leh) the son of Celtchar, he loved Bri, but she died before they could be together and the hill of Bri Leith was named after them (88) Len Linfiaclach - smith to the Dagda, he made the bright vessels of Fand (81) Lia Fail - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha de Danaan brought to Ireland from the north. It came from the city of Falias (27). It was kept to the north of the Hill of Hostages, and it used to roar under the feet of every true king of Ireland (31). Liath - son of Lobais, he was one of the chief men of the Fomor (42) Liath-Druim - Teamhair (q.v.) (31) Liban - daughter of Conchubar Abratrudh and wife of Tadg, she was captured and taken to wife by Cathmann, but was later rescued by Tadg (115) Life River - the salmon of the Life River are mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint (58) Lir - father of Manannan (27), of Sidhe Fionnachaidh, he was considered for kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 442 (77). He married Aobh (by whom he had four children), and then her sister Aoife (125). Lobais - styled 'the Druid', he was father of Liath and one of the chief men of the Fomor (42) Lobos - see Elathan (2) (61) Loch Arboch - see Slaine (64) Loch Bel Sead - the lake that is on top of a mountain, it sprang up under the feet of Cliach (78) Loch Ce' - see Ce' (67) Loch Cuan - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Loch Dairbhreach - (Loch Darvragh) Lake of the Oaks, where Aoife changed Aobh's four children into swans (126) Loch Dearg - the dwelling-place of Bodb Dearg (124) Loch Decket - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Loch Echach - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Loch Feabhail - the burial place of Aedh, son of the Dagda (82) Loch Febail - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Loch Laeig - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Loch Luchra - the Lake of the Dwarfs, near Manannan's city, in Tir Tairngaire (112) Loch Luimnech - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Loch Mescdhae - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Loch na-n Ean - the Lake of Birds, where Laegaire met Fiachna (121) Loch Orbsen - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Loch Riach - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Loch Righ - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Lochlann - the dwelling place of the men of the Fomor (42) Loscuinn - it lay to the north of the river Unius (61) Luachaid - see Luchtar (37) Luan - see Pisear (49) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 443 Luath - two swift men of the Fomor were named Luath, and they gathered an army for Bres when he went to do battle with Lugh (42) Luchair - see Druimne (80) Luchta - variant of Luchtar (q.v.), styled 'the Carpenter' (64) Luchtar - son of Luachaid, he was the carpenter of the Tuatha de Danaan (37) Lugaidh Menn - King of Ireland. Eochaid, Fiacha, and Ruide were three of his sons (78). Lugh - (Loo) styled 'Lamh-Fada', of the Long Hand (41), son of Cian and Ethlinn, and foster-son of Taillte and Echaid, he was also styled 'Ildanach', the Master of all Arts (37). Nuada abdicated the throne to him for 13 days in order to enlist his help against the Fomor (38). His foster-brothers were the sons of Manannan (41). At the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, he made a spear cast that brought Balor's evil eye out through the back of his head, instantly killing him and 27 of the army of the Fomor (66). Father of Cuchulain (DIM). MacCecht - styled 'Son of the Plough', he was the husband of Fodhla (71) MacCuill - styled 'Son of the Hazel', he was the husband of Banba (71) MacGreine - styled 'Son of the Sun', he was the husband of Eriu (72) Macha - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she fed on the heads of men slain in battle (27). She, along with Badb and Morrigu , used powers of enchantment to bring mists , clouds of darkness, and showers of fire and blood over the Firbolgs at Teamhair for three days (29). The daughter of Emmass, she was killed by Balor in the second battle of Mag Tuireadh (65). Maeltine Mor-Brethach - styled 'of the Great Judgments', he was a wise man of the Tuatha De Danaan who advised Lugh not to spare the life of Bres after the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66) Magh Cuilenn - (Moy Cullin) the place where some say Uillenn Faebarderg killed Manannan in battle (96) Magh Luirg - the Plain of Following, it is a place that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) Magh Mell - (Moy Mal) the Pleasant Plain, in Manannan's country (113) Magh Mell - the Happy Plain, where Laegaire ruled as king, along with Fiachna (121) Magh Mor - 'the Great Plain'. See Taillte (68) Magh Mor an Aonaigh - the Great Plain of the Fair, the place where Lugh and the Riders of the Sidh met Bres and his army of the Fomor in battle (45) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 444 Magh Nia - the second settlement of the Tuatha de Danaan in Ireland, better fortified and farther west in Connacht than Magh Rein (29) Magh Rein - (Moy Raen) the first settlement of the Tuatha de Danaan in Ireland (28) Magh Tuireadh (1) - (Moytirra) see First Battle of Magh Tuireadh (31) Magh Tuireadh (2) - not the same as the place where the battle between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Firbolgs was fought, but to the north, near Ess Dara. It is where the great battle between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Fomor was fought, that was later called the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (63) Mamos - see Figol (62) Manannan - (Mananuan) son of Lir, a chief of the Tuatha de Danaan who was greater even than their king, Nuada (27). His sons are Donall Donn-Ruadh, Sgoith Gleigeil, Goitne Gorm-Shuileach, and Sine Sindearg (41). Manannan understtod all enchantments, so the Tuatha de Danaan left it to him to find places for them where they would be safe from their enemies. He chose the most beautiful hills and valleys of Ireland and put hidden walls about them (77). He helped Angus to get the Brugh na Boinne away from the Dagda by trickery (81). Aine may have been his daughter (86). Some say he was killed by Uillenn Faebarderg in battle at Magh Cuilenn (96). He raised Deirdre's children, taught Diarmuid the use of weapons, taught Cuchulain the use of the Gae Bulg. Some say he was Deirdre's father and a shape-changer, and was Culain, the Smith (97). He was the major sea god, ruling Tir Tairngiri. His wife was Fand (DIM). Mata - the Sea-Turtle that could suck down a man in armour (80) Mathgen - the great magician of the Tuatha de Danaan who had the power to topple mountains onto his enemies (61) Mechi - the son of the Morrigu, he was killed by MacCecht (85) Miach - son of Diancecht and brother of Airmed, he was better at healing than his father. He replaced the silver hand that Diancecht had fashioned for Nuada with Nuada's original hand and healed it. Diancecht, jealous of his son's healing powers, killed him. But 365 healing herbs sprang up from his grave (34). Mide - the son of Brath, he kindled the first fire that was ever kindled in Ireland, at Uisnech, for the sons of Nemed (68) Midhe - (Mee) the plain of Midhe was the place Taillte was buried with a mound raised over her grave (68). Also see Uisnech of Midhe (58) Midhir (1) - of Bri Leith, styled 'the Proud', he was considered for kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat (77). His first wife was Fuamach, his daughter was Bri, and his second wife was Etain (88). Midhir (2) - styled 'of the Yellow Hair', he was chief of the Men of Dea. His three daughters, Doirenn, Aife, and Aillbhe, were given as wives to the three sons of Lugaidh Menn (79). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 445 Midsummer Day - when the first battle between the Firbolgs and the Tuatha de Danaan began, which lasted for four days (30) Miled - the sons of Miled, including Amergin (71), Eremon (72), Arranan, Donn, Ir, Heremon, Colpa, and Heber (73), led the invasion of the race of the Sons of the Gael into Ireland (71). His wife was Scota (75). Miochaoin - killed by Brian, he was guardian of the Hill of Miochaoin (q.v.) and, along with his sons (Corc, Conn, and Aedh), he was under bonds not to allow any shouts to be given from that hill. Cian got his learning with them (49) Men of Dea - see Tuatha de Danaan (27) Men of the Bag - see Firbolgs (28) Modharn - see Aine (79) Morias - one of the four wise men and teachers of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland. His home was Falias (27). Mor-Loch - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Morrigu - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she was styled 'the Crow of Battle' (27) or 'the Battle-Crow (61). She, along with Badb and Macha , used powers of enchantment to bring mists , clouds of darkness, and showers of fire and blood over the Firbolgs at Teamhair for three days (29). After the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, only four men of the Fomor were left in Ireland, and they were driven out one Samhain night by Morrigu and Angus Og. She also proclaimed the news of the victory to the hosts and the royal heights of Ireland and to its chief rivers and invers (67). Mechi was her son (85). Aine may have been her daughter (86). Mother of the Gods - see Dana (28) Muaid - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Muirne - daughter of Ethlinn and Tadg and sister of Tuiren and mother of Finn (68) Muirthemne - see Plain of Muirthemne (43) Murias - styled 'rich', the southern-most of the four cities of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland. Its teacher was Senias, and its treasure was the Cauldron (27) Nas - the place where Lugh held his court following the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (68) Nechtan (1) - on the advice of the Druid Findgoll, to deceive King Bres, who taxed his people of the milk of all dun cows, he singed all the cows of Ireland in a fire of fern, making them dark brown. (32). He was the husband of Boann (DIM). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 446 Nechtan (2) - the son of Collbrain, he begged Bran to leave Emhain and return to Ireland but, upon reaching shore, he crumbled to ashes (106) Neid - see Eab and Seanchab (42) Neit - he was a chief among the Tuatha de Danaan, and a god of battle (27) Nem - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Nemed - see Island of the Tower of Glass (38). The first fire ever kindled in Ireland (at Uisnech, by Mide) was for the sons of Nemed (68). Nemnach - a well on the Hill of the Sidhe, out of which flowed the stream called Nith (31) Nemthann - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Nes - a magical spear made by Goibniu that would burn up like fire anyone whom it struck (65) Net - husband of Badb, an early Irish god of war (DIM) Niall - a champion of Connacht, he was drowned while attempting to pursue Cailcheir through a lake (81) Nine Poets of the Fomor - among the chief men of the Fomor, they had learning and the gift of foreknowledge (42) Nith - flowing from the well of Nemnach, it was the stream on which the first mill in Ireland was built (31) Nuada - king of the Tuatha de Danaan when they first came to Ireland (27). He lost his arm in the first battle of Magh Tuireadh and hence, he lost the kingship (31). Diancecht fashioned an articulated arm of silver for him and he was called Nuada Argat-lamh, of the Silver Hand, for ever after (34), even though Miach later restored his original hand (34). After that, he was restored to the kingship (35). The father of Tadg (68) and Gaible (81), he was killed by Balor in the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65) Octriallach - son of Indech, he was one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) On his advice, the Fomor threw stones into the well of Slane until it was dried up and a cairn raised over it, that was called Octriallach's Cairn (64). He killed Cassmail in the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65). Octriallach's Cairn - see Octriallach (64) Octruil - the son of Diancecht and brother of Airmed, he helped them in their healing work at the well of Slaine (64) Ogham - the stone raised over Cian's grave had his name written on it in Ogham (47), the script of pre-Christian Ireland which was invented by Ogma (DIM) Ogma - styled 'the shining poet' (32), father of Tuireann (43) and Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 447 brother of Nuada, he was a champion among the Tuatha de Danaan (37), and taught them writing (27) He found the sword Orna at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66) Oilell - of Aran, his three daughters were Aobh, Aoife, and Ailbhe (124) Olioll - see Cian (114) Orna - the sword of Tethra found by Ogma at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, it had the power to tell of all the deeds that had been done by it (66) Pisear - the King of Persia killed by Brian (54), he was the owner of the Luan, a deadly spear that was among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49) Plain of Muirthemne - the place where Cian was killed by the sons of Tuireann (43) Plain of the Two Mists - a beautiful plain where Goll fell in battle against Laegaire (122) Plain of Victory - in Manannan's country (114) Pleasant Plain - see Magh Mell (113) Prison of the Grey of Macha - in the house of the Dagda at the Brugh na Boinne (80) Rachlainn - in the sea, from which a young man of the Tuatha gave the sons of Lugaidh Menn magical wedding gifts (79) Rath Chobtaige - between this rath and Teamhair was the rath given by Angus Og to the sons of Lugaidh Menn (79) Rath of Aedh of the Poets - see Aedh (78) Red Branch of Ulster - Conall Cearnach was of that line (75) Riagall - see Camel (37) Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh - mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint (58) Riders of the Fomor - from Lochlann, seven battalions of them accompanied Bres to do battle against Lugh (42) Riders of the Sidh - from the Land of Promise, they accompanied Lugh on his return to Teamhair (41), and again in his battle with Bres and his army of the Fomor at Magh Mor an Aonaigh (45) Rogh - see Fergus (75) Ruadan - son of Bres and of Brigit, he was sent to spy on the Tuatha De Danaan during the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, but was killed by Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 448 Goibniu after he tried to kill him (64) Rudrach - he and his brother Dergcroche were the two kings of Inislocha (117) Ruide - along with Eochaid and Fiacha, one of the sons of Lugaidh Menn, King of Ireland (78) Ruirtech - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Sal - see Eochaid (121) salmon of knowledge, five - see hazels of wisdom (28) Samair - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Samhain - (Sow-in) after the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh, only four men of the Fomor were left in Ireland, and they were driven out one Samhain night by Morrigu and Angus Og (67) Samthainn - brother of Cian and Goibniu, he lived with them at Druim na Teine (39) Scathniamh - (Scau-nee-av) styled 'the Flower of Brightness', she was a daughter of Bodb Dearg who gave her love to Caoilte (80) Sceilg Michill - the small island where Ir was buried (73) Scetne - the place where the host of the Fomor landed in Ireland just before the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (60) Scota - the wife of Miled, she was killed in the first battle fought between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Sons of the Gael (75) Scuabtuine - styled 'the Sweeper of the Waves', it was Manannan's curragh, which was often used by Lugh and kept at Brugh na Boinn (50) Seanchab - grandson of Neid, he was one of the chief men of the Fomor (42) Sean-Slieve - Lugh passed the head of it on his way to do battle with Bres (45) Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh - at Magh Tuireadh (2), it is where the great battle between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Fomor took place (63), after which there were only four men of the Fomor left in Ireland, till they were driven out one Samhain night by Morrigu and Angus Og (67) Segois - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Senias - one of the four wise men and teachers of the Tuatha De Danaan before they came to Ireland. His home was Murias (27). Sgoith Gleigeil - styled 'the White Flower', he was one of the sons of Manannan. His brothers included Goitne Gorm-Shuileach, Sine Sindearg, and Donall Donn-Ruadh. His foster brother was Lugh (41). Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 449 Shannon - a river containing the ford of Athluain (45), it was named after Sionan, one of the only women (probably a goddess) to eat of the salmon of knowledge (DIM) Sidhe Femen - (Shee -----) home of Bodb Dearg, and he put great enchantments about it (77) Sidhe Fionnachaidh - the Hill of the White Field, on Slieve Fuad; the home of Lir (77) Sine Sindearg - styled 'of the Red Ring', he was one of the sons of Manannan. His brothers included Sgoith Gleigeil, Goitne Gorm-Shuileach, and Donall Donn-Ruadh. His foster brother was Lugh (41). Siogair - see Dobar (49) Sionnan - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62), a variant of Shannon (q.v.) Sital Salmhor - one of the chief men of the Fomor (42) Siuir - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Slaine - lying to the west of Magh Tuireadh (2) to the east of Loch Arboch, the well of Slaine was used by Diancecht, Octruil, and Airmed to restore to lifethe slain warriors of the Tuatha De Danaan in the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (64) Slane - vaiant of Slaine (q.v.) (64) Slieve Bladma - (Sleev ------) one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Slieve Cuailgne - the place where Cuailgne was killed (75) Slieve Eibhline - the place where the Sons of the Gael met Fodhla (71) Slieve Fuad - the place where Fuad was killed (75), and the location of Sidhe Fionnachaidh (77) Slieve Leag - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Slieve Macca Belgodon - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Slieve Mis - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62), it is where the Sons of the Gael met Banba, and Amergin talked with her (71) Slieve Snechtae - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Sligech - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) Sons of the Gael - also called the sons of Gaedhal, they came from the south to invade Ireland and avenge the death of Ith, one of their race who had come to Ireland before and met his death there (71) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 450 Spear of Victory - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha De Danaan brought to Ireland from the north. It came from the city of Finias (27). Sreng - a great fighting man of the Firbolgs, he was sent to meet the Tuatha De Danaan when they first came to Ireland (28). He led the forces of the Firbolgs after King Eochaid fell (31), and it was he that struck off Nuada's arm (31). Stone of Virtue - the Lia Fail (q.v.) (27) streams of wisdom, seven - see hazels of wisdom (28) Sweetheart of the Sidhe - see Leanan Sidhe (86) Sword - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha De Danaan brought to Ireland from the north. It came from the city of Gorias (27). Tabarn - see Cathmann (114) Tadg (1) - (Teig) son of Nuada and husband of Ethlinn and, by her, father of Muirne and Tuiren (68) Tadg (2) - the son of Cianand and brother of Airnelach and Eoghan, he went to the Land of the Ever-Living Ones (114) on his journey to rescue his wife, Liban, and his two brothers (120) Taillte - daughter of the king of Magh Mor and wife of Duach and foster-mother of Lugh, she died during Lugh's kingship and was buried on the plain of Midhe and is honored each summer by fires and keening and games and sports at the place called Taillten (68) Taillten - named after Taillte, it is the place where fires, keening, games and sports are held each summer in her honor (68) Tailltin - (probably a variant of Taillten) it is the place Eriu's forces were driven back to during the first battle between the Sons of the Gael and the Tuatha De Danaan, and where the Battle of Tailltin (q.v.) was subsequently fought (75) Tarba - the oak-wood where Niall caught up with Cailcheir (81) Teamhair - (T'yower, or Tavvir) residence of Eochaid when the Tuatha de Danaan first came to Ireland (28). The Tuatha de Danaan took possession of it after the first battle of Magh Tuireadh, and from that time it was the chief place of Ireland, for its king was the High King. It was sometimes called Druim Cain, the Beautiful Ridge, and Liath-druim, the Grey Ridge, and Druim na Descan, the Ridge of the Outlook. The king's rath lay to the north (31). The Dagda made his home here after losing the Brugh na Boinne to Angus (82) Tethra - a king of the Fomor, he owned the sword called Orna that was later found by Ogma (66) Three Gods of Craftsmanship - Credne, Luchtar, and Goibniu (DIM) Tiabhal - one of the Queens of the sea, her image was placed by Culain Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 451 on Conchubar's magical shield (98) Tir Tairngaire - the Land of Promise, Manannan's country (111) Tir-nam-Beo - the Land of the Ever-Living Ones, Manannan's country (113) Tower of Glass - on the Island of the Tower of Glass (q.v.), it was the home of Balor (38) Traig Mor - the Great Strand, in Manannan's country (114) Traigh Eothaile - the strand where King Eochaid fell in the battle against the Tuatha de Danaan. He was buried there with a great heap of stones raised over his grave (30). Treon - of the Tuatha De Danaan; see Gebann (119) Trogain - see Fertuinne (79) Tuag - fosterling of Conaire the High King, she was loved by Manannan, but his pupil Fer Ferdiad failed in his attempt to bring her to Manannan, and the girl drowned (98) Tuaidh - see Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh (58) Tuatha de Danaan - (Too-a-ha-dae Donnan) styled 'the Men of Dea', the people of the gods of Dana who came from the North through the air in a mist to Ireland (27). They landed in north-west Connacht on Beltaine (28). Tuirbe - father of Goibniu the Smith, he was famous for the cast of his axe (81) Tuireann - son of Ogma, his own three sons were Brian, Iuchar, and Iucharba (47) and his daughter was Ethne. His sons had a long-standing feud with the three sons of Cainte and they killed Cian on the Plain of Muirthemne (43) Tuiren - daughter of Ethlinn and Tadg, sister of Muirne, and mother of Bran (68) Tuis - the King of Greece, killed by Brian (53), he was owner of a healing pig-skin that was among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (48) Tulach na Bela - 'the Hill of the Axe', place from which Tuirbe would cast his axe (81) twelve chief lochs of Ireland - they are Derc-Loch, Loch Luimnech, Loch Orbsen, Loch Righ, Loch Mescdhae, Loch Cuan, Loch Laeig, Loch Echach, Loch Febail, Loch Decket, Loch Riach, and Mor-Loch (62) twelve chief mountains of Ireland - they are Slieve Leag, Denda Ulad, Bennai Boirche, Bri Ruri, Slieve Bladma, Slieve Snechtae, Slieve Mis, Blai-Slieve, Nemthann, Slieve Macca Belgodon, Segois, and Cruachan Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD 452 Aigle (62) twelve chief rivers of Ireland - they are the Buas, the Boinn, the Banna, the Nem, the Laoi, the Sionnan, the Muaid, the Sligech, the Samair, the Fionn, the Ruirtech and the Siuir (62) Uaitne - also called Dur-da-Bla and Coir-cethar-chuin, it was the Dagda's magic harp which was taken by the Fomor during the second battle of Magh Tuireadh. Lugh and the Dagda and Ogma went to retrieve it. When the Dagda called to it, it sprang toward him, killing nine men of the Fomor on its way. The Dagda then played the sleeping strain and as the Fomor slept, he restored to Ireland all the cattle that the Fomor had taken in tribute. (67) Uillenn Faebarderg - of the Red Edge, some say he killed Manannan in battle at Magh Cuilenn (96). Uisnech - mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint (58), the place where the five provinces meet, and the first place there was ever a fire kindled in Ireland (by Mide). Some say that Lugh died there (68). The hill of Uisnech is where the Sons of the Gael met Eriu, and Eremon spoke with her (72). Ullad Echne - it lay to the south of the river Unius (61) Un - the husband of Fais (75) Unius - a river of Connacht where the Morrigu was washing herself when the Dagda returned from the camp of the Fomor (61). The foot of the Unius was called the Ford of Destruction since the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66) Urias - styled 'of the noble nature', one of the four wise men and teachers of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland. His home was Gorias (27). Valley of Fais - a valley at the foot of a mountain, it is were Fais was killed (75) Valley of the Mata - near the house of the Dagda at Brugh na Boinne (80) Wall of the Three Whispers - in Teamhair, it was near the House of the Women (31) Wave of Tuaidh - see Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh (58) Whisper of the Men of Dea - see Grellach Dollaid (40) Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD BOOK OF SHADOWS BOOK THE SECOND PP. 453 - 906 RIDERS OF THE CRYSTAL WIND TABLE OF CONTENTS A Minster Speaks Out (J. gordon Melton) .........................975 A Plea For Initiation Standards (Ellen Cannon Reed) .............908 A Tale of Two Witches (Mike Nichols) ............................147 All Hallows Eve (Mike Nichols) ..................................137 Altar Dedication (Durwydd) .....................................125 Amazing (Pagan?) Grace ..........................................959 Ancient Art, The ................................................551 Answers (Grove of the Unicorn) ..................................479 Asatru (Rathulvf Jamieson) ......................................952 Astral Projection (Monroe Technique) ............................783 Athame Dedication (Durwydd) .....................................125 Autarchic Creed .................................................562 Banes, Bindings, and Mirrors (Judy Harrow, Hugh Read) ...........628 Bare Bones 3rd Degree (Humor) ...................................463 Basic Beliefs of WICCA (C.O.G.) .................................947 Basic Love Spell ................................................958 Basic Spell Construction ........................................113 Basic Principles (American Council of Witches)...................310 Basic Ritual Outline (ED FITCH) ...................................6 Beltaine Ritual (Firestar Coven, 1986) ...........................36 Beltane Ritual (Seastrider) .....................................464 Beltane, Its Origins (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................126 Bible, Books not included .......................................652 Bibliography (annotated) ........................................929 Binding A Spell (Farrar & Farrar) ...............................157 Blood Sacrifice (Althea Whitebirch) .............................547 Burning Times, The (Marios) .....................................951 C.O.G. Pledge ...................................................309 Channeling (Jast) ...............................................969 "Condensed" Definition of Wicca (Lady Phoenix) ..................948 Candle Colors ...................................................982 Candle Magic ....................................................417 Candle Scents ...................................................988 Candlemas (Gwydion) .............................................537 Candlemas (Mike Nichols) ........................................168 Catharsis Circle (Judy Harrow).....................................8 Cauldrons (Elemental)............................................420 CELTIC NUMEROLOGY (Mike Nichols) ................................454 CELTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY (Rowan Moonstone) ...........................298 Chants w/ASCII Notation (L.A.Hussey) ...........................1081 Chaos Magic (Mark Chao) .........................................398 Charge of the Phone Goddess (Magenta Griffith) ..................759 Charge of the Goddess, The ......................................193 Charge of The Horned God, The ...................................936 Check List for A Well Working Group (Earthrite BBS) .............957 Church of All Worlds ............................................353 Christian "Cults" ..............................................1000 Circle Closing ..................................................540 Circle Casting (Avaloian)........................................541 Circle Purification for Asthmatics ..............................780 Circle Casting (after Valiente and Farrar) ......................130 Circles, why use them? (Mel White) ...............................65 Cleansing (Rowan Moonstone) .......................................2 Comparison of Wicca and Christianity.............................622 Computer Blessing (Zahai Stewart) ...............................757 Coven Offices ...................................................762 Coven Leadership ................................................543 Covenant of the Goddess .........................................305 Consciousness & Politics (Carol Moore)......................... i TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Craft Ethics (J. Crowley) .......................................751 Creation Story ..................................................619 Creed Of The People Of God (Catholic) ..........................1005 Crone Energies (Grey Cat) .......................................559 Crystals, their care and feeding (Matrika).......................413 Cult Danger Evaluation Frame (P.E.I.Bonewits) ...................343 CUUPS (C.O.G. Salt Lake City) ..................................1002 "Dark Night of the Soul".........................................286 DCW Landmarks ...................................................492 Degrees within Covens ...........................................623 Deity Engineering Worksheet .....................................607 Denver Area Wiccan Network ......................................200 Descent of The Goddess (Sewna Silvara) ..........................750 Dianic Wicca (Inanna Seastar) ...................................614 Divination (Bibliography) .......................................605 Divination (RMPJ) ...............................................603 Drawing Down the Moon ...........................................557 Dream Problem Solving ...........................................573 Dream Bibliography ..............................................576 Dream Life ......................................................571 Dream-News ......................................................567 Dreams Precognition .............................................575 Dying God (Ammond ShadowCraft)...................................685 Eclectic Circle Ceremony (Durwydd) ...............................40 EcoMagick .......................................................614 Eight Paths to Altered States (Carrie McMasters).................222 Elements, A Hermetic Summoning (Marios) .........................960 Elemental Correspondences (from Starhawk) .......................979 Elemental Correspondences .......................................560 Ethics and Morals (RMPJ) ........................................315 Ethics and Magick (Warren Stott) ................................415 Ethics and Love Magick (Mike Nichols) ...........................554 Ethics or Etiquette .............................................565 Etymology of "Wicca" ............................................356 Evolution of Wiccan Ritual (Paul Hume) ..........................946 Exorcism ........................................................613 Festivals .......................................................587 Film Guide '89 (Mike Nichols)....................................528 First Degree, What is it? .......................................351 FISH (Creative use of Christian Symbology) ......................611 Five Fold Kiss ..................................................744 Fool ............................................................590 Fortune, The (RMPJ) .............................................953 Full Deck Tarot Spread ..........................................625 Full Moon Ritual (Seastrider)....................................634 Fundamentals of Human Ecology ...................................616 Glossary (Rowan Moonstone & Durwydd MacTara) ....................206 Gnosticism.......................................................694 God/Goddess Balance (Adrienne)...................................223 Golden Dawn (Calif.).............................................689 Golden Dawn Training (outline)...................................691 Goodwife (Story by L.A. Hussey) .................................644 Great Rite, The (Symbolic) ......................................656 Greek Fire Initiation............................................982 Halloween, Origins of (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................26 Handfasting ......................................................68 Harvest Home (Mike Nichols) .....................................176 Harvest Thoughts (Gary Dumbauld) ................................630 Harvest Home - 1987 (Michael Fix) ................................13 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Heal The Earth (a meditation) ...................................661 Healing (one method) ............................................655 Healing Myth (Nihasa) ...........................................165 Helpful Hints (Humor) ...........................................966 Heretic's Corner (RMPJ) .........................................869 Heyokah (RMPJ) ..................................................632 Hidden Codes in the Torah .......................................733 High Technology Meets The Ancient Wisdom ........................964 History (Weyland Smith) .........................................786 History of Witch Craft ..........................................791 Homeblessing (Selena Fox) .......................................663 Hypnosis 101 ....................................................667 Imbolc (Solitary Ritual) ........................................664 Initiation, Outdoor (adaptation) .................................72 Initiation (Brad Hicks) ..........................................50 Introductory Book List ..........................................926 INVOCATIONS Freyja (unknown) ............................................56 Frigg (Russ Anderson) .......................................55 Brigit (Russ Anderson) ......................................57 Baldur (unknown) ............................................55 Freyr (unknown) .............................................56 Herne (unknown) .............................................57 Thorr (unknown) .............................................58 Irish Myth Concordance (Mike Nichols) ...........................422 Ishtar ..........................................................740 Issian Circle (Matrika) ..........................................59 K.A.M. ..........................................................735 Kabballah (Colin Low)............................................236 Kali and Modern Physics .........................................730 Keltria (The Henge of) ..........................................739 Lady Day (Mike Nichols) .........................................171 Lammas (Mike Nichols) ...........................................174 "Landmarks" (D.C.W.) ............................................990 LBRP, an Essay (Tim Maroney) ....................................103 Learning Process ................................................962 Lilith (BBS Conversation) ......................................1083 LLEW, Death of (Mike Nichols) ...................................179 Lucid Dreaming (Omni Magazine) ..................................955 MABON Outline (anonymous) ........................................43 Magick, Physics, & Probability (Hurn) ...........................811 Magick (A. Crowley) .............................................817 Magick Vs. Prayer (Salgamma) ....................................684 Magickal Book List ..............................................923 Magick Course Outline (Amber K.).................................815 Magickal Ethics (Judy Harrow) ...................................502 Magickal History (Fra.: Apfelman) ...............................406 Magickal Definitions (RMPJ) .....................................814 Magickal Laws (after P.E.I. Bonewits) ...........................831 Magickal Musical Selection Guide ...............................1079 Magickal Pyramid, The (Durwydd MacTara).........................1096 Magickal Stones & Gems ..........................................912 Manhood Rituals (RMPJ) ..........................................760 Mantra Web technique ............................................288 Mayan Deities (777 Supplement) ..................................834 Mayday Celebration (Mike Nichols) ...............................837 MAYDAY Celebration (Mike Nichols) ................................79 Media Management (Windfire Coven) ...............................851 Maychants (4) (Tanscribed by SeaStrider).........................911 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Memory & Perception, a new Model (Paul Seymour).................1077 Midsummer (Mike Nichols) .........................................45 Mind Control Techniques (Dick Sutphen) ..........................512 Models of Magick (incomplete)....................................216 Modern Pagaism, Q&A .............................................920 Modern Pagan Persecution (Jonathan Hutchins) ....................942 Mothers Day Message ............................................1076 Monotheism vs. Polytheism (Dan Holdgriewe) ......................941 Mycenaen Mysteries (J. Teller)...................................365 Mystical Pentagram ..............................................110 Nature Spirit Magick (Larry Cornett) ............................357 Necromancy (reprint) ............................................841 Neo-Pagan Ritual (Brad Hicks) ....................................77 Neo-Paganism (J. Brad Hicks) ....................................329 NeoPagism (Eric S. Raymond) .....................................333 NLP- Applied Magic (Brandy Williams).............................459 NROOGD SAMHAIN - 1987 (l.a. Hussey) ..............................21 Occult Resurgence, A theory .....................................224 ODINISM, What is it? ............................................764 Open Circle Ethics (Brandy Williams) ............................377 Open Letter to A New Witch ......................................910 Open Letter to Selena Fox (Isaac Bonewits) .....................1089 Opening (ending) The Circle ......................................12 Origins of the Mandan (Madoc) ...................................949 Pantacle, The (Gary Dumbauld) ...................................392 Personal effects of Ritual (Nihasa) .............................868 Polarity and Single Sex Covens (Marios) .........................945 Pornography & Pagan Ideals ......................................972 Power Animals (RMPJ).............................................411 Psychic Self-Defense ............................................594 Psychic Attack ..................................................563 "Quantum" Kaballah...............................................282 Quantum Magick (Larry Cornett) ..................................857 Quilting and "Craft" (J.M. Cortese) ............................1103 Rainforest Ritual (Michael Harismedes, 1988) ....................212 Ritual Bath (Sewna Silvara) .....................................745 Runes, What are they? (Lokrien) .................................215 Runic Thorn Ritual (Faunus) ....................................1097 Sangreal Sodality, The (Alfgar Maharg) ..........................944 Samhain Notes (Farrar)...........................................143 Samhain Ritual (L. A. Hussey) ....................................19 Samhain Ritual (O.T.O.) .........................................145 Samhain (United Wiccan Church) ..................................141 Satanism vs. Wicca (Diane Vera)..................................194 Saxon Wicca (Matrika) ...........................................158 Scorpio Dragon (Sewna Silvara) ..................................749 Second Degree (Gary Dumbauld) .....................................3 Sex and Magick (Fra. Apfelmann)..................................231 Shamanic Binding (Gaffer Maccluiunn) ............................937 Shamanic Lifeways Fellowship (Michelle Haas) ....................384 Smudging (Michelle Haas) ........................................184 Solitary Moon Rite, Issian (Ellen Cannon Reed) .................1100 Sophia and Gnosticism (Terry J. McCombs) .......................1105 Spitual Emergence or Emergency (Paul Seymour) ...................939 Spring Equinox (Farrar and Farrar) ..............................182 Standing Stones Book Of Shadows (Scott Cunninham) ..............1010 Strings On The Winds (Bardic Fiction)............................778 "Super-Dimensionality" ..........................................289 Taleisin's thoughts .............................................676 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Tea Ritual (Sewna Silvara, Triskelion)...........................747 Technology and The Craft (Fun!) .................................132 The Postures of Ecstasy .........................................617 Tool List (Seastrider) ..........................................136 Tool Blessing Ritual ............................................122 Tool Consecration ................................................17 Traditional Wicca (K.A.M.) ......................................186 Trickster Energies ..............................................234 Twelve Exercises Nobody Needs ...................................619 Wartime (Michelle Haas, 1991) ...................................117 Watch Towers, Rethinking The (Mike Nichols) .....................344 What is WICCA? (Texas Pamphlet) .................................322 What is Shamanism? (Michelle Haas) ..............................354 What is Wicca? (Amber K.) .......................................340 Wicca, from My Point of View (Lady Phoenix) .....................149 Wiccan Information Network .....................................1087 Wiccan Way, The .................................................192 Wiccan Pentagram Ritual (Paul Hume) ..............................98 Wiccan Traditions, A comparison (Hurn, RMPJ) ....................154 Wiccan Path (Madoc)..............................................227 Wiccan Shamanism (Selena Fox) ...................................162 Wiccan Principles (American Council of Witches, 1974)............190 Wiccan Rede, An Exegesis (Judy Harrow) ..........................317 Witchcraft Q&A (Dr. Leo Martello) ...............................150 Witches Creed (Doreen Valiente_ .................................320 Women vs. Men (Michele Haas).....................................195 YULE (Mike Nichols) ..............................................84 Yule in Britain (Tana) ...........................................94 Yule Ritual (Starhawk) ...........................................88 v 453 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com TOWARD A CELTIC NUMEROLOGY ========================== by Mike Nichols '...I have been a word among letters.' --the Book of Taliesyn, VIII What's in a word? Or a name? What special power resides in a word, connecting it so intimately to the very thing it symbolizes? Does each word or name have its own 'vibration', as is generally believed by those of us who follow the Western occult tradition? And if so, how do we begin to unravel its meaning? Just what, exactly, is in a word? Well, LETTERS are in a word. In fact, letters COMPRISE the word. Which is why Taliesyn's remark had always puzzled me. Why didn't he say he had been a 'letter among words'? That, at least, would seem to make more logical sense than saying he had been a 'word among letters', which seems backwards. Unless... Unless he was trying to tell us that the word is NOT the important thing -- the critical thing is the LETTERS that make up a word! The Welsh bard Taliesyn was, after all, a pretty gifted fellow. He certainly put all the other bards at Maelgwyn's court to shame. And over the years, I've learned never to take his statements lightly -- even his most enigmatic statements. Perhaps he was really suggesting that, in order to understand the true meaning of a word or name, one must first analyze the letters that comprise it. Of course, this is certainly not a new theory. Any student of arcane lore would at once recognize this concept as belonging in the opening remarks of any standard text on numerology. But to read the same meaning behind a line of poetry penned by a 6th century Welsh bard may be a bit surprising. Is it possible that the Celts had their own system of numerology? Let us begin the quest by asking ourselves what we know about numerology in general. Most of our modern knowledge of numerology has been gleaned from ancient Hebrew tradition, which states that the true essence of anything is enshrined in its name. But there are so many names and words in any given language that it becomes necessary to reduce each word to one of a small number of 'types' -- in this case, numerological types from 1 to 9 (plus any master numbers of 11, 22, etc.). This is easily accomplished by assigning a numerical value to each letter of the alphabet, i.e. A=1, B=2, C=3, and so on. Thus, to obtain the numerical value of any word, one simply has to add up the numerical values of all the letters which comprise the word. If the sum is a two digit number, the two digits are then added to each other (except in the case of 11, 22, etc.) to obtain the single digit numerical value of the entire word, which may then be analyzed by traditional Pythagorean standards. 454 The problemhas always been howto be sure ofthe numerical value of each letter. Why SHOULD A equal 1, or B equal 2, or Q equal 8? Where did these values come from? Who assigned them? Fortunately, the answer to this is quite simple in most cases. Many ancient languages used letters of the alphabet to stand for numbers (Roman numerals being the most familiar example). Ancient Hebrew, for instance, had no purely numerical symbols -- like our 1, 2, 3, etc. -- so their letters of the alphabet had to do double duty as numbers as well. One had to discern from the context whether the symbol was meant as letter or number. This was true of classical Latin, as well. Thus, in languages such as these, it is easy to see how a number became associated with a letter: the letter WAS the number. It is a bit more difficult to see how the associations in 'modern' numerology came into being. The modern numerological table consists of the numbers 1 through 9, under which the alphabet from A through Z is written in standard order: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 --------------------------------- A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z This arrangement seems somewhat arbitrary, at best. At the very least, it is difficult to sense any 'intrinsically meaningful' relationship between a letter and its numerical value. After all, our modern alphabetical symbols and our modern numerical symbols (Arabic) come from two completely different sources and cultures. For this reason, many contemporary numerologists prefer the ancient Hebrew system because, at least here, there is a known connection between letter and number. However, when we attempt to adapt this system to the English language, a whole new set of problems crops up. For one, the entire alphabet is arranged in a different order and some of our modern letters have NO Hebrew equivalents. Thus, based on the Hebrew alphabet, the only letters for which we have numerical values are the following: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ------------------------------------ A B G D H V Z P Y K L M N W Q R S T Obviously, a modernnumerologist wouldn't get veryfar with this table. In order to compensate for the missing letters in the Hebrew system, most modern textbooks on numerology 'fill in' the missing letters by 'borrowing' numerical values from the Greek alphabet, thus mixing cultural symbols in an eclectic approach that is not entirely convincing. 455 Another problem is the exclusion of the number 9 from the table -- which modern textbooks often 'explain' by saying that the Hebrews did not use the number 9, since it was a 'sacred' and 'mystical' number. The real truth, however, is far less esoteric. The fact is, the Hebrew alphabet DID have letters with the numerical value of 9 -- the letters Teth and Sade. But, since Teth and Sade do not have equivalents in our modern English alphabet, the 9 value must be left out. And finally, it is once again difficult to see any INTRINSIC relationship between a Hebrew letter and the number it represents. Why should one symbol stand for 1, or another for 2, or yet another for 3, and so on? The whole superstructure seems somewhat shaky. But letus now turn our attention to a Celtic alphabetic system called the 'Ogham'. This alphabet is written by making a number of short strokes (from 1 to 5) below, above, or through a 'base line' (which in practice tended to be the edge of a standing stone). Thus, A, O, U, E, and I would be written, respectively: ---/----//----///----////----/////--- Of course, in this system it is easy to see how a letter becomes associated with a number, since the numerical value of each letter is implicit. Thus, A=1, O=2, U=3, E=4, and I=5. (It is true there is much disagreement and confusion among modern scholars as to how the Ogham alphabet should be rendered. Further, a number of different Oghams seem to have been employed at various times by different Celtic cultures. But this confusion usually centers on whether the strokes should be above, below, or through the base line -- NOT on the number of strokes used. On that point, there is general agreement. And though orientation to the base line is important, it is not essential to our discussion of numerology, since we need only concern ourselves with the NUMBER of strokes used.) Thus, based on the work of such scholars as P.C. Power, S. Ferguson, D. Diringer, I. Williams, L. Spence, and D. Conway, I have synthesized the following table of Celtic numerology: 1 2 3 4 5 --------------------------------- A D T C I B G U E N H L V F P M O W J Q X K R S Y Z 456 Using this table, the student of Celtic numerology would then proceed to analyze any word in the generally accepted manner. One should not be concerned that the numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9 do not appear in this system, as the Ogham alphabet had NO letters with these values (as opposed to the Hebrew alphabet which DID have letters with the missing 9 value, as mentioned earlier). Another consideration is that the Ogham alphabet is just that -- an alphabet. It never represented any particular language, and historically it has been employed by many different languages. Again by contrast, the Hebrew alphabet was structured for a particular language -- Hebrew -- and many problems arise when we attempt to adapt it to a language for which it is not suited. Althoughthe Ogham alphabet onlyhas letter valuesfrom 1 through 5, all of the numbers from 1 through 9 (plus any master numbers of 11, 22, etc.) will be used in the final analysis (just as in the Hebrew system). To understand how this works, let us try an example. We will use the name of the Welsh goddess Rhiannon: R + H + I + A + N + N + O + N 5 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 5 + 5 + 2 + 5 = 29 2 + 9 = 11 Most numerologists will agree that 11 is a 'master number' or 'power number' and therefore it is not further reduced by adding the two digits (although, if one does this, 1 + 1 = 2, and 2 is considered the first even and feminine number in the numerical sequence, certainly appropriate for a Welsh Mother Goddess). Viewed as an 11, the analysis is usually that of someone who is on a 'higher plane of existence' (certainly appropriate for a goddess), someone who brings 'mystical revelation'. Often this is someone who feels slightly distant from the people surrounding him or her, and who has trouble feeling any real empathy for them (which seems to fit a faery queen who has come to live in the land of mortals). Also, this is sometimes the number of the martyr, or of someone unjustly accused (which is certainly true of Rhiannon's story as told in the 'Mabinogi', in which she is falsely accused of destroying her own son). By way of contrast,the 'modern' system would haveRhiannon be a 3, a somewhat inappropriate masculine number (not that all feminine names should always yield a feminine number -- but one would at least expect it to do so in the case of an archetypal mother goddess). The Hebrew system would yield an even more inappropriate 4, that being the number of the material world and all things physical (and since Rhiannon hails from faery, she is definitely not of this material plane.) 457 By now, some of my more thoughtful readers may think they see some inconsistency in my approach. Why have I gone to so much trouble to point up the flaws in traditional systems of numerology (even going so far as to suggest an entirely new system), only to fall back on interpretations of the numbers that are strictly traditional? The reason is this: all of my objections thus far have been limited to METHODOLOGY. When it comes to interpreting the meaning of the numbers, I have no quarrel with the traditional approach, since here we enter the field of universal symbolism. All systems of numerology, be they Hebrew, modern, Oriental, or whatever, tend to attach the same interpretive meaning to the numbers. When Three Dog Night sings, 'One is the loneliest number that you'll ever know...', it is a statement which is immediately understood and agreed upon by people from widely diverse cultures. And the same holds true for all other numbers, for we are here dealing with archetypal symbols. It is worth repeating that, although I believe this system to have a firm theoretical basis, it is still in an embryonic state -- highly tentative, highly speculative. To the best of my knowledge, it is also an original contribution to the field of numerology. While some writers (notably Robert Graves in 'The White Goddess') have dealt with the numerical values of Ogham letters, I believe this article is the first instance of employing it specifically as a system of numerology. I have spent many long hours working with Celtic numerology -- putting abstract theory to use in practical application -- but much work remains to be done. For this reason, I would be happy to hear from readers who are interested in the subject and who would like to share their own experiences and thoughts. 458 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Bare Bones Third Degree Elevation (spoof) (Emphasis on action with minimal vocal requirements.) by Orion 1. Ritual Bath - Both play in water for an inappropriately long time. 2. Casting of Circle - Cast in the usual manner with items at hand. 3. Reason and Challenge - "You're here for Thirds. Are you ready for the test? 4. Response - "Ready, willing and able!" 5. The Mystery - Perform Great Rite multiple times until sated or worn out. 6. Cakes and Wine - Required in order to continue. 7. Reprise - Repeat step 5 if desired. 8. Closing of Circle - Must be done before falling asleep. 463 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com BELTANE This a Pagan Ritual file, of interest to Neo-Pagans,specifically Wiccan based religions. Equipment- see standard list Set up a candle in each of the four cardinal directions. Lay the rest of the tools on the altar cloth or near it. The altar can be on the ground, a table, a rock or a stump. The altar should be in the center or just north of center of the Circle. Light the six candles and the incense, start the music and begin the ritual. The Beltane ritual should start before sunrise or in the evening of April 30th. This is to welcome the sun in and to make effective use of the bonfire. The party or the ritual should finish some time after sunrise. THE RITUAL Facing North, the High Priest and Priestess kneel in front of the altar with him to her right. She puts the bowl of water on the altar, places the point of her athame in it and says: "I exorcise thee, O Creature of Water, that thou cast out from thee all impurities and uncleanliness of the world of phantasm; in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia" She then puts down her athame and holds up the bowl of water in both hands. The High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the altar, puts his athame in the salt and says: "Blessings be upon this Creature of Salt; let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth hencefrom, and let all good enter herein; wherefore so I bless thee,that thou mayest aid me, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia." He then puts down his athame and pours the salt into the bowl of water the High Priestess is holding. The High Priest then stands with the rest of the Coven outside the Circle. The High Priestess then draws the Circle with the sword, leaving a gap in the Northeast section. While drawing the Circle, she should visualize the power flowing into the Circle from off the end of the sword. She draws the Circle in a East to North or deosil or clockwise direction. She says: "I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou beest a meeting place of love and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness and evil; a boundary between men and the realms of the Mighty Ones; a rampart and protection that shall preserve and contain t h e power that we shall raise within thee. Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia." 464 The High Priestess lays down the sword and admits the High Priest with a kiss while spinning him deosil and whispers: "Blessed Be" He then admits a women the same way. Alternate-male-female-male. Then the High Priestess finishes closing the Circle with the sword. She then names three witches to help strengthen the Circle. The first witch carries the bowl of consecrated water from East to East going deosil, sprinkling the perimeter as she/he goes. They then sprinkle each member in turn. If the witch is male, he sprinkles the High Priestess last who then sprinkles him. If female she sprinkles the High Priest last, who then sprinkles her. The bowl is replaced on the altar. The second witch takes the incense burner around the perimeter and the third takes one of the altar candles. While going around the perimeter, each person says: "Black spirits and white, Red spirits and grey, Harken to the rune I say. Four points of the Circle, weave the spell, East, South, West, North, your tale tell. East is for break of day, South is white for the noontide hour, In the West is twilight grey, And North is black, for the place of power. Three times round the Circle's cast. Great ones, spirits from the past, Witness it and guard it fast." All the Coven pickup their athames and face the East with the High Priest and Priestess in front, him on her right. The High Priestess says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air; I do summon, stir, and call you up to witness our rites and to guard the Circle." As she speaks she draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with her athame: 1,6 4 3 2 7 5 The High Priest and the rest of the Coven copy her movements with their athames. The High Priestess turns and faces the South and repeats the summoning: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire; I do summon, stir and call you up, to witness our rites and to guard the Circle." 465 She does the same pentagram and then faces West and says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water, ye Lords of Death and Initiation; I do summon, stir, and call you u p , to witness our rites and to guard the Circle." She faces North with rest of the Coven and says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth; Boreas, thou gentle guardian of the Northern Portals; thou powerful God and gentle Goddess; we do summon, stir and call you up, to witness our rites and to guard the Circle." The Circle is completed and sealed. If anyone needs to leave, a gate must be made. Using the sword, draw out part of the Circle with a widdershins or counter-clockwise stroke. Immediately reseal it and then repeat the opening and closing when the person returns. In this part of the ritual the Goddess becomes incarnate in the High Priestess. The High Priestess stands in front of the altar with her back to it. She holds the wand in her right hand and the scrounge in her left. She crosses her wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge above them while holding them close to her breast. The High Priest stands in front of her and says: "Diana, queen of night In all your beauty bright, Shine on us here, And with your silver beam Unlock the gates of dream; Rise bright and clear. On Earth and sky and sea, Your magic mystery Its spell shall cast, Wherever leaf may grow, Wherever tide may flow, Till all be past. O secret queen of power, At this enchanted hour We ask your boon. May fortune's favor fall Upon true witches all, O Lady Moon! The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he does this: Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar. Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty. Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names." 466 For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. The High Priest kneels again and invokes: "I invokethee andcall uponthee, MightyMother ofus all, bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love do I invoke thee to descend upon the body of this thy servant and priestess." During this invocation he touches her with his right forefinger on her right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the right breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms out and down, with the palms forward and says: "Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend Before thee, I adore thee to the end, With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore. Thy foot is to my lip (he kisses her right foot) my prayer up borne Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend To aid me, who without thee am forlorn." The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and says: "Of the Mother darksome and divine Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss; The five point star of love and bliss Here I charge you in this sign." The High Priest says: "Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also calledamong manArtemis,Astarte, Athene,Dione,Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianhod, Isis and by many other names." The High Priestess, who should be in a trance, says as the Goddess: "Whenever you have need of anything, once in a month, and better it be when the Moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of Immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon Earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold I am the Mother of all living things, and my love is poured out upon the 467 earth. I who am the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thouwho seekest to seekfor me, know thyseeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; and if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee,thou will never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire." This declamation can be said by the High Priestess, the High Priest or the Coven as a whole. "Hear now the words of the witches, The secrets we hid in the night, When dark was our destiny's pathway, That now we bring forth into the light. Mysterious Water and Fire, The Earth and the wide ranging Air, By hidden quintessence we know them, And will keep silent and dare. The birth and rebirth of all nature, The passing of winter and spring, We share with the life universal, Rejoice in the magical ring. Four times in the year the Great Sabbat Returns, and the witches are seen At Lammas and Candlemas dancing, On May Eve and old Hallowe'en. When day time and night time are equal, When sun is at greatest and least, The four lesser Sabbats are summoned, Again witches gather in feast. Thirteen silver moons in a year are, Thirteen is the Coven's array. Thirteen times at Esbat make merry, For each golden year and a day. The power was passed down the ages, Each time between woman and man, Each century unto the other, Ere time and ages began. When drawn is the magical circle, By sword or athame of power, It's compass between the two worlds lies, In the land of shades that hour. This world has no right to know it, And the world beyond will tell naught. The oldest of gods are invoked there, The Great Work of Magic is wrought. For two are the mystical pillars, That stand at the gate of the shrine, And two are the powers of nature, The forms and the forces of the divine. The dark and the light in succession, 468 The opposites each unto each, Shown forth as a God and a Goddess: This did our ancestors teach. By night he's the wild wind's rider, The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades. By day he's the King of the Woodland, The dweller in green forest glades. She is youthful or old as she pleases, She sails the torn clouds in her barque, The bright silver lady of midnight, The crone who weaves spells in the dark. The master and mistress of magic, They dwell in the deeps of the main, Immortal and ever renewing, With power to free or to bind. So drink the good wine to the Old Gods, And dance and make love in their praise, Till Elphames's fair land shall receive us In peace at the end of our days. And Do What Thou Wilt shall be the challenge, So be it in love that harms none, For this is the only commandment, By magic of old, be it done! Eight words the Witches Creed fulfill: If It Harms None, Do What Thou Will! The High Priest faces the Coven, raises his arms wide and says: "Bagabi lacha bachabe Lamac cahi achababe Karellyos Lamac lamac bachalyas Cabahag sabalyos Baryolos Lagaz atha cabyolas Samahac atha famolas Hurrahya!" The High Priestess and the Coven repeat: "Hurrahya!" 469 The High Priest and High Priestess face the altar. The High Priest continues: "Great God Cernunnos, return to Earth again! Come to my call and show thy self to men. Shepherd of Goats, upon the wild hill's way, Lead thy lost flocks from darkness unto day. Forgotten are the ways of sleep and night Men seek for them, whose eyes have lost the light. Open the door of dreams, whereby man come to thee. Shepherd of Goats, O answer unto me!" The High Priest and the rest of the Coven then say: "Akhera goittiakhera beitti!" And lower their hands on the second phrase. This is a ring dance as usual. This can be replaced or others added as desired. Everyone should take part. Use what music you feel comfortable with. Walpurgis Night, the time is right, The ancient powers awake. So dance and sing, around the ring, And Beltane magic make. Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night, Upon the eve of May, We'll merry meet, and summer greet, Forever and a day. New life we see, in flower and in tree, And summer comes again. Be free and fair, like earth and air, The sunshine and the rain. Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night, Upon the eve of May, We'll merry meet, and summer greet, Forever and a day. As magic fire be our desire To tread the pagan way, And our true will find and fulfill, As dawns a brighter day. Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night, Upon the eve of May, 470 We'll merry meet, and summer greet, Forever and a day. The pagan powers this night be ours, Let all the world be free, And sorrow cast into the past, And future blessed be! Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night, Upon the eve of May, We'll merry meet, and summer greet, Forever and a day. The Coven spread themselves out around the Circle. They start a soft rhythmic clapping. The High Priestess says: "Now it is time for the Oak King to impregnate Our Lady. No longer will she be the Virgin Huntress and Maiden. She is now to be Hecate, the Queen of Elphame. But first she must catch him." This song is from Robert Graves "White Goddess". It is an old Scottish Craft song. In it, the High Priest turns into a variety of animals and the High Priestess chases him. Starting with the High Priest and Priestess, then followed by the other couples in the Coven, the men are chased by the women. The ladies use a scarf to signify the capture at the end of the song. The dancers should try to imitate the animals they are playing. The dance and the tune should be slow. After all the couples have done so, the High Priestess and Priest repeat it. High Priest: "O, I shall go into a hare With sorrow and sighing and mickle care, And I shall go in the Devil's name Aye, till I be fetched hame." High Priestess: "Hare, take heed of a bitch greyhound Will harry thee all these fells around, For here come I in Our Lady's name All but to fetch thee hame." Coven: "Cunning and art he did not lack But aye her whistle would fetch him back." 471 High Priest: "Yet I shall go into a trout With sorrow and sighing and mickle doubt, And show thee many a merry game Ere that I be fetched hame." High Priestess: "Trout take heed of an otter lank Will harry thee close from bank to bank, For here come I in Our Lady's name All but for to fetch thee hame." Coven: "Cunning and art he did not lack But aye her whistle would fetch him back." High Priest: "Yet I shall go into a bee With mickle horror and dread of thee, And flit to hive in the Devil's name Ere that I be fetched hame." High Priestess: "Bee, take heed of a swallow hen Will harry thee close, both butt and ben, For here come I in Our Lady's name All but to fetch thee hame." Coven: "Cunning and art he did not lack But aye her whistle would fetch him back." High Priest: "Yet I shall go into a mouse And haste me unto the miller's house, There in his corn to have good game Ere that I be fetched hame." High Priestess: "Mouse take heed of a white tib-cat That never was balked of a mouse or a rat, For I'll crack thy bones in Our Lady's name: Thus shall thee be fetched hame." Coven: "Cunning and art he did not lack But aye her whistle would fetch him back." 472 The High Priestess finally catches the High Priest at the last refrain. She drapes a scarf over his neck to signify her catching him. The Maiden and the Coven say: "TheQueen of Elphame has caught herSon who is also her Consort. They must mate so that the Earth may bear it's fruits and that man and animal may live. " The High Priest and High Priestess, and the rest of the couples in the Coven, kiss with vigour. The men should wilt and fade back to the edge of the Circle. The women gather around the unlit bonfire or the cauldron with the candle in it. The High Priestess says: "The Oak King is dead. He has died of his love for the Lady that the Earth may live. So has it been for year after year, since time began. But the Oak King, the God of the Waxing year, must live so the crops in the Earth can come forth. " The Coven shouts: "Kindlethe Beltanefire.Maythe OakKingliveagain. Maythe Earth bring forth her fruits, may the animals bear their young and the land be fruitful again." The High Priestess lights the bonfire using a taper lit from the altar candle. She then says: "Come back to us, Oak King, that the land may be fruitful." The men gather around the fire, next to their partners, and the say in unison: "I am the stag of seven tines; I am a wide flood on the plain; I am a wind on the deep waters; I am a shining tear of the sun; I am a hawk on a cliff; I am fair among flowers; I am a god who sets the head afire with smoke." The High Priestess and High Priest lead a ring dance around the bonfire. Start out with "A Tree Song" from Rudyard Kipling's "Weland's Sword" story in "Puck of Pook's Hill". The dance should be joyful. "Oh, do not tell the Priest of our Art, Or he would call it sin; But we shall be out in the woods all night, Aconjuring summer in! And we bring you news by word of mouth For women, cattle and corn Now is the sun come up from the South With Oak, and Ash and Thorn!" Continue the dance with this song and/or any others that sound appropriate. 473 This chant goes to the tune of the old folksong, "The Lincolnshire Poacher": Come join the dance, that doth entrance, And tread the circle round. Be of good cheer, that gather here, Upon this merry ground. Good luck to we that faithful be, And hold our craft so dear, For 'tis our delight of a shiny night, In the season of the year. Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night, In the season of the year. While stars do shine, we pledge the wine Unto the Gods of old, Nor shall there fail the witch wassail, Nor shall their fire grow cold. Good luck to we that faithful be, And hold our craft so dear, For 'tis our delight of a shiny night, In the season of the year. Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night, In the season of the year. Throughout, about and round about, By flame that burneth bright, We'll dance and sing, around the ring, At witching hour of night. Good luck to we that faithful be, And hold our craft so dear, For 'tis our delight of a shiny night, In the season of the year. Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night, In the season of the year. Near the end of the dance, the High Priestess should call out the name of either a person or a couple. They should then jump over the fire while making a wish. They should then rejoin the ring and another couple or person do it. When ready, stop the dance and sit down about the fire. After a break, perform the Great Rite. 474 The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman alternately as far as possible, facing the center. The High Priestess and High Priest stand facing each other in the center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with his back to the South. The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. he says, as he does this: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar. Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty. Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names. For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. The High Priestess then lays herself down, face upwards, with her arms and legs outstretched to form the Pentagram. The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels facing her, with his knees between her feet. The High Priest calls a woman witch by name, to bring his athame from the altar. The woman does so and stands with the athame in her hands, about a yard to the West of the High Priestess's hips and facing her. The High Priest calls a male witch by name, to bring the chalice of wine from the altar. He does so and stands with the chalice in his hands, about a yard to the East of the High Priestess's hips and facing her. The High Priest delivers the invocation: "Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past all worshipped; The altar of all things. For in old time, Woman was the altar. Thus was the altar made and placed, And the sacred place was the point within the center of the Circle. As we have of old been taught that the point within the center is the origin of all things, Therefore should we adore it; Therefore whom we adore we also invoke. O Circle of Stars, Whereof our father is but the younger brother, Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, Before whom time isashamed, the mind bewildered, and the understanding dark, Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love. Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud, And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee, O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light, Continuous on of the heavens; Let it be ever thus 475 That men speak not of thee as One, but as None; And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art continuous. For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore; The point of life, without which we would not be. And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars; In beauty and strength were they erected To the wonder and glory of all men." The High Priest removes the veil from the High Priestess's body, and hands it to the woman witch, from whom he takes his athame. The High Priestess rises and kneels facing the High Priest, and takes the chalice from the man witch. (Note that both of these handings over are done without the customary ritual kiss. The High Priest continues the invocation: "Altar of mysteries manifold, The sacred Circle's secret point Thus do I sign thee as of old, With kisses of my lips anoint." The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues: "Open for me the secret way, The pathway of intelligence, Beyond the gates of night and day, Beyond the bounds of time and sense. Behold the mystery aright The five true points of fellowship...." The High Priestess holds up the chalice, and the High Priest lowers the point of his athame into the wine. Both use both of their hands for this. The High Priest continues: "All life is your own, All fruits of the Earth Are fruits of your womb, Your union, your dance. Lady and Lord, We thank you for blessings and abundance. Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us! Blessed Be. Then, draw the Invoking Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate with the athame. "Here where Lance and Grail unite, And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip." The High Priest hands his athame to the woman witch and then places both his hands round those of the High Priestess as she holds the chalice. He kisses her, and she sips the wine; she kisses him, and he sips the wine. Both of them keep their hands round the chalice while they do this. 476 The High Priest then takes the chalice from the High Priestess, and they both rise to their feet. The High Priest hands the chalice to a woman witch with a kiss, and she sips. She gives it to a man with a kiss. The chalice is passed around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the entire Coven has sipped the wine. The chalice can be refilled and any one can drink from it without repeating the ritual once the chalice has gone around once. The woman lays down her athame and passes the cakes to the man with a kiss,he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around the Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine and some cake for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After the meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors, or behind in the woods or field, when you leave if you are working outdoors. The High Priestess faces East,with her athame in her hand. The High Priest stands to her right with the rest of the Coven behind them. If any tools have been consecrated, they should be held by the person furthest to the back. The Maiden stands near to the front to blow out each candle in turn. The Priestess says "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air; we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart t o y o u r pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell....Hail and farewell." As she speaks, she draws the Banishing Pentagram of Earth in the air in front of her thus, each time: 2 7 4 5 6 1 3 The rest of the Coven copy the Pentagram and chorus in on the second hail and farewell. The Maiden blows out the candle and the Coven faces the south and the High Priestess says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire; we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart to your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell....Hail and farewell." She turns to the West and says: "Ye Lordsof theWatchtowers ofthe West,yeLords ofWater; ye Lords of Death and Initiation; we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart to your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell ....Hail and farewell." 477 She turns to the North and says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth; Boreas, thou gentle guardian of the Northern Portals; thou powerful God, Thou gentle Goddess; we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart for your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell ....Hail and farewell." This ends the Circle. The party following this should be a loving one. If there is a May Pole available, circle the May Pole. Beltane is also a time for forfeits. The High Priestess picks out the people and their forfeit, except the High Priest picks out the last one to play on the High Priestess. Beltane is also a time for "green wood marriages" and other unbridled sexuality and such. (Distributed in the public domain via Seastrider) 478 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com LANDMARKS OF THE CRAFT by "Eli". Copyright 2000 The Drudic Craft of the Wise (www.thedcw.org). A landmark is a prominent feature used to mark the boundaries of real estate. Therefore, these landmarks of the Craft ar prominent features of the American Rite, or Druidic Craft of the Wise. Just as departing from the landmarks in real estate signifies that one has departed from that piece of land, so does departure from the landmarks of our Craft signify such a person or organization has departed from the correct defines of the Craft. Other branches of the Craft sometimes call this their "Law". THE LANDMARKS The landmarks were given to man by The Great God, Pan, In the dim, dark ages of the past For the rule and regulation of the wise, To advise and help them in their troubles And relations, one with the other, That all might work and love together. They are the Bill of Rights of each member, And the code of operation of the Coven. And are to be honored by all Or else they become meaningless and of little use, And departure therefrom by any person or Coven Shall be a departure from the rest of the Covens Which constitute the American Rite. And they shall be disfellowshipped, they from the rest of us, And no further communication shall be established Concerning things of the Craft With either He or They until They shall return to the fold of the Craft In love and cooperation. For the Gods love the Wise, the Brethren of the Way, And so should we return that love. But this can only be done and made manifest by love expressed In deeds for the Brethren of the Craft, Not in pride, but in cooperation and sincerity. THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT Any person, be male or female, who is of good mind And free to decide for himself in good faith, Who shall learn of the Craft and its Tenets, And shall desire to follow the Way, Shall be permitted to do so, And none may say him "Nay". And the Gods will love him and look after him, And they shall bless him on all things, And his needs shall always be satisfied, As he shall show forth love and affection For all the brethren and sisters of the Craft, And he shall obey the Admonishments Of the Craft as to secrecy and correct living. 492 THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued) And when he shall desire to join the Craft, And to follow the Way to Perfection, He shall make his desires known to any member Of the Priesthood. And they shall observe his readiness and sincerity, And shall then administer the rites of Secrecy, which is sacredness and brotherhood. But a Priest shall accept the Sister, And a Priestess the Brother, As an eternal reminder of The duality of the Universe. And a new name and secret mark Shall be given each new fellow. By this name, and under this mark, Shall they be known among the members Of the Craft, in love and harmony, And their old name and identity shall not be known Even among the members of their own Coven, And none shall inquire for his name or his house And he shall inquire these of none. But the Gods have decreed, that in joining the Rite, Free Will and independence shall not be in jeopardy. And he shall have the right to follow the Way. Walking alone if he will it that way, Or with a Coven of living brethren If he so shall choose; And he shall have the right To withdraw from any coven at any time Without the need to say why, If he shall so choose. And this either for the purpose of joining another Or to become solitary for his own reasons, And there will be none to censure; And he shall have the right to remain In a certain Coven, and none shall say him "Nay", Or to attempt to force him to leave and depart; Except that should he lose harmony with them Then they may so decide And he shall depart. But no man shall have the right To speak for the Craft, And leaving one Coven does not mean Leaving the Craft, or Leaving the Way And each is free, then, or at any time later, To remain solitary Or to seek admission to another Coven. 493 THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued) But let him and each other fellow of the Craft Keep a book, and this shall be of the colors of the Craft, That it may be readily recognized, And here he shall keep all the Laws and Landmarks, And the tenets of the Craft, That he might not forget, And if he do forget, that his mind might be Renewed. And in this book, all things shall be the mark Of his own hand, and in ink, That it shall be long lived. Let each of the brothers and sisters Copy what they will from the book, Providing that they are of sufficient worthiness, To receive it, and are of sufficient rank, Or that the writings are of sufficient nature As pertain to their own rank. Never suffer this book out of hand or possession, And never borrow the writings of another To keep, but merely to copy. And each shall guard and keep these writings, As his most sacred possession And destroy them when danger threatens. However, should one be of sufficient power, To remember his past as a wise man, This book and other Craft artifacts, May be buried in a stone box Prepared for them from time to time, And this in view of immediate death, And the desire to save them for a future life. Otherwise, on notice of impending death, This book should be destroyed by fire, As well as other things of the Craft, Which one may posses. But the wise man will have nothing around Which has only a Craft use or meaning, But only things which can be used in daily affairs. If there is no reason to own a sword, Then do not own one; The white wand is just as powerful, And less distinctive in the minds of the infidels. If a white wand is too distinctive, Then any old wand will do for the purpose Of the ceremonies. 494 THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued) Have no names written and signs drawn On anything permanently, When necessary these can be written In charcoal or chalk And erased immediately without the telling of tales. Let the knife have the shape of, And be stored with the kitchen knives; Let the cord be seen around the house, And be used for a vulgar purpose, In order to fool the infidels. Never boast, never threaten, never brag Of your powers; not even to the Craft, Above all, never harbor ill thoughts toward another For the power may make it happen for harm; And never wish ill to anyone. As it will Occur. If anyone speaks of the Craft, to down it, Remember: the Craft needs no defense, For it has the Father and All things will be as He wishes In the end. THE COVEN And it shall be that any Fellow of the Craft, Finding himself in a place where he knows of no Coven, Or other Fellow of the Craft Shall have the right, nay, even the duty, To seek out such a Coven, Or other Fellow of the Craft Without censure. Provided that he shall not reveal secrets to jeopardize His former Coven or the members of it, Or the Craft itself. And two or three Fellows shall have the right To meet and discuss subjects of Craft interest, And to help each other along On the Way to Perfection, Except that Craft ceremonies Must be done by the Priesthood. Any five fellows who shall desire To form a Coven may do so, And they shall apply for a charter To any High Priest or Priestess, And they shall then select and choose A man and a woman to lead them. And their elected leaders shall be ordained by their High Priest, And they shall choose two more, A woman to be the deputy; to learn to be a priestess, And a Scribe for their Coven. THE COVEN (continued) 495 But these shall not be ordained to the Priesthood, Unless also qualified for another reason. And this Coven shall belong to the High Priest, And shall be answerable to him in all their doings, Because they did owe their Priesthood to him, And he shall act at all times in their interest As their Spiritual Father in the Craft So that he may lead them as they walk The way to perfection. But the newly appointed Priesthood, Should it be lacking in the knowledge and wisdom needed, For the positions to which they have been set apart Then it shall be his responsibility as their High Priest, To lead and instruct them, Or cause it to be done by another. But should the new Coven refuse to follow The teachings and instructions of their Spiritual Father, Then he may, at his discretion and Judgement, Recall their charter, and their right to work as a Coven. For that which one can give he may also retrieve, And they shall not again meet, Unless they can find another High Priest, Who will assume responsibility over them. It is the bounden duty of the High Priest to preside, For all things must be presided over by the High Priesthood; And should any Coven desire to change, Their allegiance from one High Priest to another, For any reason, even the loss of harmony, Or if, in their considered opinion, their Spiritual Father Is no longer spiritual, or serving the Father Then they shall be reordained in the Priesthood By the New High Priest, and this shall then Have superceded the original ordinations, And there shall be for them A new Spiritual Father. And if any Priest or Priestess, or other member of the Priesthood, Find themselves in a place wherein there is no Coven for them to lead, Then it is their bounden duly to try to the extent of their Power To find Fellows of the Craft And organize them into a Coven. And should they find that there are no other Fellows of the Craft, In that place, but there are some of the same good bend of mind, It is then their duty to teach them by word and deed, Until there be sufficient to form a Coven, And this shall be done under the supervision, And with the knowledge of their High Priest, Through which they received their ordination And their Powers. THE COVEN (continued) And they shall obligate, teach and initiate all the members of their Coven, And they shall be theirs and they shall be to them 496 As elder brothers and sisters, And shall care for them in all their affairs, And not just at meetings, For it is in this that the Craft differs From all man-made institutions. Should any member be absent, and love of the Priestess is such That she shall continue to contact them in any manner And by any method possible, To tender them her loving care At all times of sickness or stress. And should any member move to a far city The Priestess will continue to care for them In love, by whatever method is available, Until such time as they shall, Of their own free will, Obligate themselves to another Priestess. And the Priestess shall at all times remember That she is the direct representative of the Goddess to her Coven, And the Priest is the direct representative of The unknown God, the Father, And both must act as such at all times. Yet the Priestess shall have whomever she shall choose As her Priest, be he of that rank, or qualified to be, Or else another Fellow, who shall be called her Magister. And she must remember at all times that the man provides the power, For the woman to direct, and so it is, That the Priest resigns all his power over to her, Yet it is not his power, nor hers to keep, It is the power of God to use in the performance Of the Work. The Power of God is only lent to be used, Wisely and Justly. Both the members of the Priesthood shall remember their Spiritual Father, At all times with gratitude, love, veneration and cooperation, keeping constantly in contact, and acting with him in utmost harmony, For they must always remember that the power And wisdom which they use, Comes to them through him. In the days of old, ere the coming of Christendom, The Craft was free and open in its ceremonies, And entire states and nations worshipped the Gods Freely and without restraint; 497 THE COVEN (continued) But in these unhappy days, we must remain secret, And hold our rites and ceremonies in secret, And there are those who will talk, even without torture, Which loosens any tongue. Then let it be ordained, heeded and supported by all That no Coven shall know wherein The next Coven shall abide, or who its members be, Except only the Priestess, Magister and Deputy, And even they shall not remember Except for good and sufficient reason. But, and if only, it should be safe, may the covens meet In some safe place for festivals, and while there, None may say whence they came, nor give their true names, Or tell of where or when their meetings are, and No secret things shall be spoken of At these festivals for fear of Cowans and Eavesdroppers. Let each Priestess govern her own Coven in justice and love, Ever heeding the advice and instructions of her High Priest. She will ever heed the complaints of the brethren And strive to settle all differences between them with love. But there are those who, in pride, will ever strive To force their will upon others But these are not necessarily evil And will think that they do rightly. Oft they have good ideas and such ideas Should be discussed in council with their brethren. But if they will not agree with their brethren, Or if they say "I will not work under this Priestess", Then they shall have the right to withdraw from that Coven, And work Solitary. Or if five or more of them shall withdraw, They shall have the right To form another Coven under another Priestess. Even as it shall be the right of any five or more persons of a Coven To withdraw, and form a new Coven, for any reason whatever, But they shall then utterly avoid the old Coven In all things, as it shall then have ceased to exist for them. 498 THE BOOK OF SHADOWS Let every Coven of whatever rank Keep a record in a book of black and silver, And it shall contain, first, the Landmarks and Tenets, Then a collection of Wisdom of the Craft, The Rites and Ceremonies of the Coven As well as the History of the Coven, And its charter empowering it to work. And a record of every meeting shall be written therein, Together with a record of the doings of any member thereof With the other side, or the Father, or Any other thing which is for the teaching of all, Even unto the listing of herbs and medicines Spells and incantations and Rites Which contain power for the use of man. This book shall be kept by the Scribe, And it shall be kept and approved by the Priesthood And also the High Priesthood, when it shall come, But no names or Craft secrets shall be written therein That he Craft should not be betrayed Should the book be taken by force, Or slyness, by the infidels. And when the coven shall disband, It shall be the duty of the High Priesthood To secure this book and make suitable disposition That it might not endanger the Craft Or any brother within it As if the Coven were a person or Fellow And the book were his book, So let it be burned. 499 THE PRIESTHOOD The Mother, The seven Elder Children, and all the worlds, Draw their power from the Father. But the children of the Father are like the sands of the sea, And He has ordained and set apart certain of his older children, To help and assist Him in caring for the younger children, And has given them the Power and the Wisdom to do so, And these children constitute the Priesthood. The Father will bestow this power upon whom he will, and none may say him "Nay" Yet also may the Priesthood choose workers and helpers And shall share their power with them, And this is called ordination. The Power of the Priesthood is that of the Father And it is love unfeigned and sincere, Compassion and gentleness and meekness, Persuasion and long-suffering and kindness, And there is no authority over the free will of men Inherent in the Priesthood, Nor to be assumed by the members of it. And the Power of the Priesthood is the Power of God, And the Power of God can never be wielded by an ungodly man, Nor an evil man; nor the love of God by an unloving man; And when the man becomes evil, the Power of God is withdrawn from him. Nor can a member of the Priesthood be inactive, For inactivity without cause is lack of love for the Father, And this man's priesthood shall depart from him At the end of a year and a day, For it is truth eternal, That the thing which is unused will be taken away. So if any Fellow of the Craft shall desire the Priesthood, First let him learn to be a leader of men, For a Priest with no following is no Priest, And his Priesthood is in vain. So therefore let the Fellow who would be a Priest First learn the knowledge and wisdom he will need in the new appointment, Then let him learn to lead men, and When he shall either have been selected As leader for his Coven, Or when he shall have gathered up a Coven of his own, Then let him apply for ordination. And he shall apply to a High Priest, for it is written That only the higher can ordain the lesser, That there shall be an unbroken line Of power and authority extending Back through the line of ordination, To the Father Himself. 500 And no man can ordain his peers, For the Lord's House is not a house of confusion, So let not the line be broken For it is the cable tow by which Men are drawn from the lower Up to the greater;-- An impossibility without it. And each must work within their line of ordination In perfect love and perfect trust, With perfect harmony in all things, But should they find that they fall out of harmony With their line of ordination, Then let him seek another, to be ordained of him To be their new spiritual Father. Let the Priesthood be a leadership of fact; not of fancy, For those who have no following to lead, Why are they in the Priesthood? 501 THE PRIESTHOOD (continued) And so it is that they who lose or give away their following, Or they who through inactivity have lost their power, Or they who are not in harmony and love with their Spiritual Father; Shall be retired from a rank to which entitled Other than by leadership of men. But this can only be done by he who ordained them, For only those who give can take away, Yet each High Priest is responsible that this is done. Should any Fellow fain the Priesthood, and use it wisely and well, The Gods have decreed that those who serve them Shall prosper and grow in this life, And shall gain eternal perfection To be freed from the Wheel of Life, And to become like unto the angels In that they should be perfect. For perfection is to be gained by love, And there is no greater love than to Lay down one's life for his brethren In their service and for their sake, And the Father will reward them for Their labor of love, because He is not unjust. FINIS 502 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC: Getting Specific about Magical Ethics Sometimes a clichejust wearsout. It losesmeaning or, worse,begins to say things we never meant. I think it's time to retire the phrase "black magic." Saying"black" when we mean "evil" is nasty nonsense. In the first place, it reinforces the racist stereotypes that corrupt our society. And that's not all. Whenever we say "black" instead of "bad," we repeat again the big lie that darkness is wrong. It isn't, as people who profess to love Nature should know. Darkness canmean the inside of the womb, and the seed germinating within the Earth, and the chaos that gives rise to all truly new beginnings. In our myths, the one who goes down to the underworld returns with the treasure. Even death, to the Wiccan understanding, is well-earned rest and comfort, and a preparation for new birth. Using "black" to mean "bad" is a blasphemy against the Crone. But even if we no longer speak of magic as "black" or "white," we still need to think and speak about the ethics of magic. Although black is not evil, some actions are evil. It simply is not true that anything a person is strong enough or skilled enough to do is OK, nor should doing what we will ever be the whole of the law for us. We need a clear and specific vocabulary that enables us to choose wisely what we will do. We need to replace the word "black," not simply to drop it. Some Pagans have tried using "negative" as their substitute, but that turned out to be confusing. For some people, "negative" means any spell to diminish or banish anything. Some things - tumors, depression, bigotry - are harmful. There's nothing wrong with a working to get rid of bad stuff. "Left-handed" is another common term for wrongful practice, very traditional, but just as ignorant, superstitious and potentially harmful as the phrase "black magic" itself. So in Proteus we tried using the word "unethical." That's a lot better - free of extraneous and false implications - but still too vague. Gradually, I began to wonder whether using any one word, "black" or "unethical" or whatever, might just be too general and too subjective. Perhaps all I really tell a student that way is "Judy doesn't like that." I won't settle for blind obedience. If ethical principles are going to survive the twin tests of time and temptation, people need to understand just what to avoid, and why. Even more important, they need a basis for figuring out what to do instead. Especially when it comes to projective magic. Projectivemagic means active workings,the kind inwhich we project our will out into the world to make some kind of change. This is what most people think of when they use the word magic at all. Quite clearly, magic that may affect other people is magic that can harm. This is the basis of the proverb "a Witch who can't hex can't heal." Either you can raise and direct power, or you can't. Your strength and skill can be used for blessing or for bane. The choice - and the karma - are yours. 503 Just as some people feel that strength and skill are their own justification, others feel that any projective magic is always wrong - that it is a distraction from our one true goal of union with the Divine or a willful avoidance of the judgments of Karma. I think these attitudes are equally inconsistent with basic Wiccan philosophy. Weare taught that we will find theLady within ourselves or not at all, that the Mother of All has been with us from the beginning. We can't now establish a union that was always there. All we can do, all we need to do, is become aware. Knowing what it feels like to heal and empower, again and again till you can't dismiss it as coincidence, is one of the most powerful methods for awakening that awareness. It makes no sense to say that the direct experience and exercise of our indwelling divinity distracts from the Great Work. Indeed, it is this intimate connection between our magic and our self-realization that our ethics protect. Wrongful use of magic will choke the channel. No short term gain could ever compensate for that. The karmic argument againstpractical workings seems to meto arise from a paranoid and defeatist world view. Even if we assume that the hardships in this life were put there by the Gods for a reason, how can we be so sure that the reason was punishment? Perhaps instead of penance to be endured, our difficulties are challenges to be met. Coping and dealing with our problems, learning magical and mundane skills, changing ourselves and our world for the better - in short, growing up - is that not what the Gods of joy and freedom want from us? One of the most radically different things about a polytheistic belief system is that each one of us has the right, and the need, to choose which God/desses will be the focus of our worship. We make these choices knowing that whatever energies we invoke most often in ritual will shape our own further growth. Spiritual practices are a means of self-programming. So we are responsible for what we worship in a way that people who take their One God as a given are not. Think about this: what kind of Power actively wants us to submit and suffer, and objects when we develop skills to improve our own lives? Not a Being I'd want to invite around too often! So it will not workfor us to rule out projectivemagic completely; nor should we. Total prohibitions are as thoughtless as total permissiveness or blind obedience. Ethical and spiritual adults ought to be able to make distinctions and well-reasoned choices. I offer here a start toward analyzing what kinds of magic are not ethical for us. Baneful magicis magic done forthe explicit purposeof causing harm to another person. Usually the reason for it is revenge, and the rationalization is justice. People who defend the practice of baneful magic often ask "but wouldn't you join in cursing another Hitler?" For adults there is no rule without exceptions. If you think you would never torture somebody, consider this scenario: in just half an hour the bomb will go off, killing everybody in the city, and this terrorist knows where it is hidden.... 504 It's a bad mistake to base your ethics on wildly unlikely cases, since none of us honestly knows how we would react in that kind of extreme. Reasonable ethical statements are statements about the behaviors we expect of ourselves under normally predictable circumstances. We all getreally angry on occasion, and sometimeswith good cause. Then revenge can seem like no more than simple justice. The anger is a normal, healthy human reaction, and should not be repressed. But there's no more need to act it out in magic than in physical violence. Instead of going for revenge - and invoking the karmic consequences of baneful magic - identify what you really need. For example, if your anger comes from a feeling that you have been attacked or violated, what you need is protection and safe space. Work for the positive goal, it's both more effective and safer. The consequences of baneful magic are simply the logical, natural and inevitable psychological effects. Even in that rare and extreme situation when you may decide you really do have to use magic to give Hitler a heart attack, it means you are choosing by the same choice to accept the act's karma. Magical attack hurts the attacker first. The only way I know how to do magic is by use of my imagination, by visualizing or otherwise actively imagining the end I want, and then projecting that goal with the energy of emotional/physiological arousal. All the techniques I know either help me to imagine more specifically or to project more strongly. So the only way I can send out harm is by first experiencing that harm within my own imagination. Instant and absolute karma - the natural, logical and inevitable outcomes of our own choices. I would think, also, that somebody dumb enough to dosuch workings often would soon lose the ability to imagine specifically, as their sensitivity dulled in sheer self-defense. That callusing effect is the reality behind the pious proverb that says "if you abuse it, She'll take it away." But not every othermagician is ethical. Psychic attacksdo happen. Should we not defend ourselves? Of course we should. Leaving ourselves open to psychic attack is no good example of the autonomy and assertiveness our chosen Gods expect. But first, how can we be sure what we are experiencing really is psychic attack? Thefantasy ofpsychic attackis often aconvenient excusethat allows us to avoid looking at our own shortcomings. When lack of rest or improper nutrition is the cause of illness, or a project isn't completed on time because of distraction, it's a real temptation to put the blame outside ourselves. Doing this too easily betrays our autonomy just as badly as meek submission to attack does. Then, to compound matters, projected blame becomes an excuse for unjust revenge -- and that is baneful magic without excuse. Once in a rare while, some fool really does tryto throw a whammy. It's hard to predict when you might be targeted. Passive shields are always a good idea. Like a mirror, these are totally inactive until somebody sends unwelcome energy. Then a shield will protect you completely and bounce back whatever is being thrown. You may not even know consciously when your shield is working, but the result is perfect justice. 505 Perfect justice; elegant and efficient. You won't hurt anybody out of paranoia or by mistake. And perfect protection, even though we do not have perfect knowledge. Bindings, according to some, arecompletely defensive. They do not harm, only restrain. But imagine yourself being bound - perhaps by someone who believes themselves justified - and notice the feeling of impotence and frustration. Binding is bane from the viewpoint of the bound. Even if restraint were truly not harm, bindings are just plain poor protection. They target a particular person or group. What if you suspect the wrong person? Somebody harmless is bound and your actual attacker is not bound. Shields, which cover you, not your supposed enemy, will cover you against any enemy, known or unknown. So, baneful magic, besides being painful in the short run and crippling in the long run, is never necessary. There are better ways of self protection, and retribution is the business of the Gods. Coercive magicis magicthat targets anotherperson to makethem give us something we want or need. When most people think of the "Magic Power of Witchcraft," this is what they have in mind. The spell to make the teacher give you a good grade, or the supervisor give you a good evaluation, the spell to make the personnel officer or renting agent choose you, the spell to attract that cute guy, all are examples of coercive magic. So, what's wrong with high grades, a good job, a raise, a nice apartment and a sexy lover? There's nothing at all wrong with those goals. An it harm none, do what ye will. As long as nobody is hurt, go for it! But don't strive toward good ends by coercive means. Although there is no deliberate intent to do harm or cause pain in coercive workings, other people are treated as pawns. Their autonomy and their interests are ignored. For Pagans, to do this is total hypocrisy. We profess to follow a religion of immanence, one that places ultimate meaning and value in this life on this Earth, here and now. We claim to see every living thing, humans included, as a sacred manifestation. To do honor to this indwelling divinity, we place great value on our own personal autonomy. How can we then justify treating other people as objects for our use? Nor is it harmless. Forcing the will, controlling the independent judgement of another human being, is harm. Once again, empathy leads to understanding. Just imagine you are the person whose will and judgement is being externally controlled. How does puppethood feel? From the viewpoint of the target, the harm is palpable. 506 The Pagan and Wiccan community asa whole is also hurt by coercive magic. One of the main reasons people fear and hate Witches is our reputation for controlling others. This is an old, dirty lie, created by the invading religion in an attempt to discredit the indigenous competition. Today, that reputation is mostly perpetuated by people who claim to be "our own," who teach unethical coercive magic by mail order to strangers whose ethical sensitivity cannot be evaluated long distance. May the Gods preserve the Craft! People who are connected to thesituation, but invisible to us,may also be seriously hurt: the cute guy's fiancee, the other applicant for that job. What you think of as a working designed only to bring good to yourself can bring serious harm to innocent third parties, and the karma of their pain will be on you. That isn't the only way an incomplete view of the situation can backfire. There's a traditional saying that goes, "be careful about what you ask for, because that's exactly what you will get." What if he is gorgeous, but abusive? What if the apartment house is structurally unsound? Better to state your legitimate needs (love in my life, a nice place to live) and let the Gods deal with the details. Finally,remember this: asking specificallylimits us towhat we now know or what we can now imagine. But I remember a time when I could not have imagined being a priestess. What if the cute guy in the office is perfectly OK, but your absolutely perfect soul-mate will be in the A+P next Wednesday? The more specifically targeted your magic is, the more you limit yourself to a life of tautology and missed chances. And beyond all the scenario spinning lies the instant karma, the natural, logical and inevitable consequence of the act. It's more subtle than in the case of baneful magic, since you are not trying to imagine and project pain, but the damage is still real. Every time you treat another human being as a thing to be pushed and pulled around for your convenience and pleasure, you are reinforcing your own alienation. The attitude of being removed from and superior to other people takes you out of community. As the attitude strengthens, so will the behavior it engenders. The long term result of coercive magic, as with mundane forms of coercion, is isolation and loneliness. Are youbeginning to think thatmagic is useless?Did I justrule out all the good stuff: love charms, job magic, spells for good grades? Not at all. It is not only ethical but good for you to do lots of magic to improve your own life. Whenever it works you will get more than you asked for - because along with whatever you asked for comes one more experience of your own effectiveness, your power-from-within. Work on yourself and your own needs and desires without targeting other people. Then feel free! Ask for what you want. Visualize it and raise power for it and act in accordance on the material plane. "I need a caring and horny lover with a good sense of humor." "I want an affordable apartment near where my coven meets with a tree outside my window." "I need to be at my best when I take that exam next week." Fulfill your dreams, and sometimes let the Gods surprise you with gifts beyond your dreams. 507 Manipulative magic is magicthat targets another person forwhat we think is "their own good," without regard for their opinions in the matter. In the general culture around us, this is normal. As you read this, you may have some friend or relative praying for you to be "saved" from your evil Pagan ways and returned to the fold of their preference. These people mean you well. By their own lights, they are attempting to heal you. We work from a very different thealogical base. Aspolytheists, weaffirm thediversity of thedivine andthe divinity of diversity. If there is no one, true, right and only way in general, do we dare to assume that there is one obvious right choice for a person in any given situation? If more than one choice may be "right," how can one person presume they know what another person would want without asking them first? No life situation ever looks the same from outside as it does to the person who is experiencing it. Are you sure you even have all the facts? Are you fully aware of all the emotional entanglements involved? Perhaps that illness is the only way they have of getting rest or getting attention. Perhaps they stay in that dead end job because it leaves them more energy to concentrate on their music. How do you know till you ask? And,to furthercomplicate theanalysis, it'spossible thatthe person you are trying to help would agree with you about the most desirable outcome, but fears and hates the very idea of magic. They have as much of a right to keep magic out of their own life, as you have to make it part of yours! Ourreligion teaches thatthe sacredlives withineach person,that we can hear the Lady's voice for ourselves if we only learn to listen. "... If that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without." In behavioral terms, when you take another person's opinion about their own life seriously, you are reinforcing them in thinking and choosing for themselves. The more you do this, the more you encourage them to listen for the sacred inner voice. Conversely, whenever you ignore or override a person's feelings about their own life, you are discounting those feelings and discouraging the kind of internal attention that can keep the channels to wisdom open. Although well-intentioned meddling may actually help somebody in the short run, in the longer run it trains them to dependency and indecision. Few intentional banes damage as severely. This is especially true because even the untrained and unaware will instinctively resist overt ill-will, but in our culture we are trained to receive "expert" interference with gratitude. Check byasking yourself, "who'sin charge here?" Theanswer to that will tell you whether you are basically empowering or undermining the person you intend to help. And, as usual, the effects go both ways. The same uninvited intervention that fosters passivity in the recipient will foster arrogance in the "rescuer." It's control and ego-inflation masked as generosity. It's very seductive. 508 If you makethis a habit, youwill come to believethat other people are incompetent and powerless. Then what happens when you need help? Your contempt will make it impossible for you to see what resources surround you. Manipulative magic is ultimately just as alienating as coercive magic - and it's a much prettier trap! The way to avoid the trap is to do no working affecting another person without that person's explicit permission. Proteans are pledged to this, and I think it's a good idea for anybody. You don'tneed to waitpassively forthe person toask. It'sperfectly all right to offer, as long as you are willing to sometimes accept "no" for your answer. For the person who believes s/he is unworthy or who is simply too shy, offering help is itself a gift. Taking their opinion seriously is an even greater gift: respect. Therule is thatwhenever itis in anyway physically possibleto ask, you must ask. If it's not important enough to pay long distance charges, it certainly isn't important enough to violate a friend's autonomy. If asking is literally not possible, then and only then, here are a few exceptions: Sometimesan illness or injuryhappens very suddenly,and the person is unconscious or in a coma before you could possibly ask them. If you know that this person is generally comfortable with magic, you may do workings to keep their basic body systems working and allow the normal healing process the time it needs. If they are opposed to magic, for whatever reason, back off! Traditionally, anunconscious personis understood tobe temporarily out of their body. Maintaining their body in habitable condition is preserving their option, not choosing for them. Doing maintenance magic requires a lot of sensitivity. At some point, the time may come when you should stop and let the person go on. Be sure to use some kind of divination to help you stay aware. This is a hard road. It may be your lover, your child, lying there helpless. Any normal human being would be tempted to drag them back, to force them to stay regardless of what is truly best for them, regardless of what they want. Don't repress these feelings, they do no harm, even though your actions might. It takes great strength and non-possessive love to recognize that your loved one knows their own need. You may be calling them back to a crippled body, to a life of pain. You may be calling them back from the ecstasy of the Goddess. And this is no more your right than it would be to murder them. If a person is temporarily not reachable, you may charge up a physical object, such as an appropriate talisman or some incense. When you present it to them, give them a full explanation. It is their choice whether to keep or use your gift. By interposing an object between the magic and the target in this way, you can work the magic in Circle, with the coven's power to draw on, and still get the person's permission before the magic is triggered. 509 With all these rulesabout permission, perhaps it would besafer to work only on ourselves? Safer, yes, but not nearly as good. If you have permission, you may do any working for another person that you might do for yourself. Coercive magic is just as unacceptable when somebody else asks for it, and you may not do manipulative magic on your friend's mother, even at your friend's request. The permission must come from the magic's intended target and from nobody else. With proper permission, working magic for others is good for all concerned. Every act of magic has two effects. One is the direct effect, the healing or prosperity working or whatever was intended. The other is a minute change in the mind and the heart of the person who does the working. Everything we experience, and especially everything that we do in a wholehearted and focused way - the only way effective magic can be done - changes us. Each experience leaves its tiny trace, but the traces are cumulative. They mold the person we will become. Our karma is our choice. Instant karma can also be good karma. Logical, natural and inevitable outcomes can be desirable. When you send out good, what you send it with is love. Love is the driving force. When you let love flow freely, the channel down to love's wellspring stays clear and open. When you send out good, you direct it along the web of person-to-person connection, and awareness of that web is reinforced. The totality of that web is the basis of community. When you send out good it feels good. In the same way that sending out bane requires imagining pain, sending out blessing requires imagining pleasure, strongly and specifically. And, when you send out good, just the same as when you call it to yourself, you reinforce your sense of effectiveness in the world. Blessings grow in the fertile ground of mutuality, to the benefit of all. A pattern isbecoming visible.In baneful magic,the magicianintends to harm the target. In coercive magic, the intent toward the target is neutral. In manipulative magic, the magician actually means the target well. But no matter how different the intent may be, in all three cases magic is done to affect another person without that person's permission. In all three cases, the target, the practitioner and ultimately the community are all hurt. And in all three cases, there are safer and more effective ways to reach the valid goals that we mean to aim for. So, perhaps there is a descriptive word that covers all wrongful magical workings after all. How about "non-consensual" or "invasive" magic? There's one thing left to examine: the paradox of making rules to protect personal autonomy. If we make some of our choices as a community, by discussing things together and arriving at a common understanding about what magical behaviors are acceptable among us, then we choose and shape the kind of community we become. Or wecould give up ourright to choose,because we feelwe shouldn't tell each other what to do. Some people believe that a refusal to set community standards promotes personal autonomy. It never has before. Appeals toindividual rights can bereal seductive. Noneof us wants Big Brother looking over our shoulders, telling us what to do "for our own 510 good." For Witches in particular - members of a religious minority with bad image problems - this is a very legitimate fear. But make sure when somebody talks about "rights" without specifying something like "religious practice rights" or "the right to consensual sex," that you find out just what "rights" they mean. Rhetoric about"rugged individualism" hasbeen usedin recenthistory to fast talk us into letting the rich or strong dominate all our lives. Without anything to stop them, they can destroy the forestland, or deny jobs or apartments to "cultists." Personal autonomy for most of us is diminished when we allow that. Magic can be used for dominance,just the same as muscle or money. There is no difference, ethically, between the magical and the mundane. We are not obligated to tolerate power trippers among us. We are not obligated to run our own community by the slogans and ground rules of the dominator culture. Thinking about "rights," or about "laws" for that matter, in the abstract leads to "all or nothing" thinking - immature and slogan driven. I don't think we should ever "just say" anything. We need a deeper and more mature analysis. We need to ask questions like "right to do what?" and "law against what?" We need to get away from absolutes and to look in practical terms at the advantages or disadvantages of our choices. Once more,our religion itself showsus the way tosteer between the false choices. "An it harm none, do what you will." What a person does that affects only herself - magical or mundane - is truly nobody's business but her own. For example, consensual sexual behavior affects only the participants. But toxic waste dumping affects everybody in the watershed. As long as we look at behavior in terms of private choices or individual will, we obscure the distinction that really makes a difference. If we're serious about wanting to give each of us the most possible control over our own lives, then decisions should be made by all the people affected by the behavior - not just by the people acting. As soon as another person is magically targeted, that other person is affected. If we allow such targeting without consent, we are not supporting personal autonomy, we are subverting it! When the behavior begins to affect us all - for example when real estate development threatens the salt marshes, and ultimately the air supply - or, very specifically, when invasive magic erodes the trust we need to work together - then we have a right to protect ourselves as a community. No ideology should turn us into passive victims when something we hold precious stands to be destroyed. Invasive magichurts the targetfirst, and soonthe actor, butin the long run it hurts all of us. It's been so long since we've been able to meet together, share our knowledge, help one another in need. Pagan community is very new, and still very fragile. It can only grow in safe space. 511 The People of this Land forbade skirmishes around the pipestone quarries, keeping that sacred source open to all. Otherwise, no sane person would go there, and the Old Ways would wither. For much the same reason, we cannot tolerate poppets in our council meetings. An atmosphere of coercion and manipulation and magical duels does not nurture community. Eventually, for self protection, the gentle will either change or go away. We could lose what we have misguidedly refused to protect. As within, so without: our karma is our choice. Judy Harrow 512 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com THE BATTLE FOR YOUR MIND by Dick Sutphen Persuasion & Brainwashing Techniques Being Used On The Public Today SUMMARY OF CONTENTS The Birth of Conversion/Brainwashing in Christian Revivalism in 1735. The Pavlovian explanation of the three brain phases. Born-again preachers: Step-by-Step, how they conduct a revival and the expected physiological results. The "voice roll" technique used by preachers, lawyers and hypnotists. New trance-inducing churches. The 6 steps to conversion. The decognition process. Thought-stopping techniques. The "sell it by zealot" technique. True believers and mass movements. Persuasion techniques: "Yes set," "Imbedded Commands," "Shock and Confusion," and the "Interspersal Technique." Subliminals. Vibrato and ELF waves. Inducing trance with vibrational sound. Even professional observers will be "possessed" at charismatic gatherings. The "only hope" technique to attend and not be converted. Non-detectable Neurophone programming through the skin. The medium for mass take-over. I'm Dick Sutphen andthis tape is a studio-recorded,expanded version of a talk I delivered at the World Congress of Professional Hypnotists Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although the tape carries a copyright to protect it from unlawful duplication for sale by other companies, in this case, I invite individuals to make copies and give them to friends or anyone in a position to communicate this information. Although I've been interviewed about the subject on many local and regional radio and TV talk shows, large-scale mass communication appears to be blocked, since it could result in suspicion or investigation of the very media presenting it or the sponsors that support the media. Some government agencies do not want this information generally known. Nor do the Born-Again Christian movement, cults, and many human-potential trainings. Everything I will relate only exposes the surface of the problem. I don't know how the misuse of these techniques can be stopped. I don't think it is possible to legislate against that which often cannot be detected; and if those who legislate are using these techniques, there is little hope of affecting laws to govern usage. I do know that the first step to initiate change is to generate interest. In this case, that will probably only result from an underground effort. In talkingabout this subject, I am talking about my own business. I know it, and I know how effective it can be. I produce hypnosis and subliminal tapes and, in some of my seminars, I use conversion tactics to assist participants to become independent and self-sufficient. But, anytime I use these techniques, I point out that I am using them, and those attending have a choice to participate or not. They also know what the desired result of participation will be. 513 So, to begin, I want to state the most basic of all facts about brainwashing: IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF MAN, NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN BRAINWASHED AND REALIZED, OR BELIEVED, THAT HE HAD BEEN BRAINWASHED. Those who have been brainwashed will usually passionately defend their manipulators, claiming they have simply been "shown the light" . . . or have been transformed in miraculous ways. The Birth of Conversion CONVERSION is a "nice" word for BRAINWASHING . . . and any study of brainwashing has to begin with a study of Christian revivalism in eighteenth century America. Apparently, Jonathan Edwards accidentally discovered the techniques during a religious crusade in 1735 in Northampton, Massachusetts. By inducing guilt and acute apprehension and by increasing the tension, the "sinners" attending his revival meetings would break down and completely submit. Technically, what Edwards was doing was creating conditions that wipe the brain slate clean so that the mind accepts new programming. The problem was that the new input was negative. He would tell them, "You're a sinner! You're destined for hell!" As a result, one person committed suicide and another attempted suicide. And the neighbors of the suicidal converts related that they, too, were affected so deeply that, although they had found "eternal salvation," they were obsessed with a diabolical temptation to end their own lives. Oncea preacher, cult leader,manipulator or authority figure creates the brain phase to wipe the brain-slate clean, his subjects are wide open. New input, in the form of suggestion, can be substituted for their previous ideas. Because Edwards didn't turn his message positive until the end of the revival, many accepted the negative suggestions and acted, or desired to act, upon them. Charles J. Finney was another Christian revivalist who used the same techniques four years later in mass religious conversions in New York. The techniques are still being used today by Christian revivalists, cults, human-potential trainings, some business rallies, and the United States Armed Services . . . to name just a few. Let me point out here that I don't think most revivalist preachers realize or know they are using brainwashing techniques. Edwards simply stumbled upon a technique that really worked, and others copied it and have continued to copy it for over two hundred years. And the more sophisticated our knowledge and technology become, the more effective the conversion. I feel strongly that this is one of the major reasons for the increasing rise in Christian fundamentalism, especially the televised variety, while most of the orthodox religions are declining. The Three Brain Phases The Christians may have been the first to successfully formulate brainwashing, but we have to look to Pavlov, the Russian scientist, for a technical explanation. In the early 1900s, his work with animals opened the door to further investigations with humans. After the revolution in Russia, Lenin was quick to see the potential of applying Pavlov's research to his own ends. 514 Three distinct and progressive states of transmarginal inhibition were identified by Pavlov. The first is the EQUIVALENT phase, in which the brain gives the same response to both strong and weak stimuli. The second is the PARADOXICAL phase, in which the brain responds more actively to weak stimuli than to strong. And the third is the ULTRA-PARADOXICAL phase, in which conditioned responses and behavior patterns turn from positive to negative or from negative to positive. With the progression through each phase, the degree of conversion becomes more effective and complete. The way to achieve conversion are many and varied, but the usual first step in religious or political brainwashing is to work on the emotions of an individual or group until they reach an abnormal level of anger, fear, excitement, or nervous tension. Theprogressive result of thismental condition isto impair judgement and increase suggestibility. The more this condition can be maintained or intensified, the more it compounds. Once catharsis, or the first brain phase, is reached, the complete mental takeover becomes easier. Existing mental programming can be replaced with new patterns of thinking and behavior. Other often-used physiological weapons to modify normal brain functions are fasting, radical or high sugar diets, physical discomforts, regulation of breathing, mantra chanting in meditation, the disclosure of awesome mysteries, special lighting and sound effects, programmed response to incense, or intoxicating drugs. The sameresults can beobtained in contemporarypsychiatric treatment by electric shock treatments and even by purposely lowering a person's blood sugar level with insulin injections. Before I talk about exactlyhow some of the techniques areapplied, I want to point out that hypnosis and conversion tactics are two distinctly different things--and that conversion techniques are far more powerful. However, the two are often mixed . . . with powerful results. How Revivalist Preachers Work If you'd like to see a revivalist preacher at work, there are probably several in your city. Go to the church or tent early and sit in the rear, about three-quarters of the way back. Most likely repetitive music will be played while the people come in for the service. A repetitive beat, ideally ranging from 45 to 72 beats per minute (a rhythm close to the beat of the human heart), is very hypnotic and can generate an eyes-open altered state of consciousness in a very high percentage of people. And, once you are in an alpha state, you are at least 25 times as suggestible as you would be in full beta consciousness. The music is probably the same for every service, or incorporates the same beat, and many of the people will go into an altered state almost immediately upon entering the sanctuary. Subconsciously, they recall their state of mind from previous services and respond according to the post-hypnotic programming. Watch the people waiting for the service to begin. Many will exhibit external signs of trance--body relaxation and slightly dilated eyes. Often, they begin swaying back and forth with their hands in the air while sitting in their chairs. Next, the assistant pastor will probably come out. He usually speaks with a pretty good "voice roll." Voice Roll Technique 515 A "voice roll" is a patterned, paced style used by hypnotists when inducing a trance. It is also used by many lawyers, several of whom are highly trained hypnotists, when they desire to entrench a point firmly in the minds of the jurors. A voice roll can sound as if the speaker were talking to the beat of a metronome or it may sound as though he were emphasizing every word in a monotonous, patterned style. The words will usually be delivered at the rate of 45 to 60 beats per minute, maximizing the hypnotic effect. Now the assistant pastor begins the "build-up" process. He induces an altered state of consciousness and/or begins to generate the excitement and the expectations of the audience. Next, a group of young women in "sweet and pure" chiffon dresses might come out to sing a song. Gospel songs are great for building excitement and INVOLVEMENT. In the middle of the song, one of the girls might be "smitten by the spirit" and fall down or react as if possessed by the Holy Spirit. This very effectively increases the intensity in the room. At this point, hypnosis and conversion tactics are being mixed. And the result is the audience's attention span is now totally focused upon the communication while the environment becomes more exciting or tense. Right about this time, when an eyes-open mass-induced alpha mental state has been achieved, they will usually pass the collection plate or basket. In the background, a 45-beat-per-minute voice roll from the assistant preacher might exhort, "Give to God . . . Give to God . . . Give to God . . ." And the audience does give. God may not get the money, but his already wealthy representative will. Next, the fire-and-brimstone preacher will come out.He induces fear and increases the tension by talking about "the devil," "going to hell," or the forthcoming Armageddon. In the last such rally I attended, the preacher talked about the blood that would soon be running out of every faucet in the land. He was also obsessed with a "bloody axe of God," which everyone had seen hanging above the pulpit the previous week. I have no doubt that everyone saw it--the power of suggestion given to hundreds of people in hypnosis assures that at least 10 to 25 percent would see whatever he suggested they see. In most revivalist gatherings, "testifying" or "witnessing" usually follows the fear-based sermon. People from the audience come up on stage and relate their stories. "I was crippled and now I can walk!" "I had arthritis and now it's gone!" It is a psychological manipulation that works. After listening to numerous case histories of miraculous healings, the average guy in the audience with a minor problem is sure he can be healed. The room is charged with fear, guilt, intense excitement, and expectations. 516 Now thosewho want tobe healed are frequentlylined up aroundthe edge of the room, or they are told to come down to the front. The preacher might touch them on the head firmly and scream, "Be healed!" This releases the psychic energy and, for many, catharsis results. Catharsis is a purging of repressed emotions. Individuals might cry, fall down or even go into spasms. And if catharsis is effected, they stand a chance of being healed. In catharsis (one of the three brain phases mentioned earlier), the brain-slate is temporarily wiped clean and the new suggestion is accepted. For some, the healing may be permanent. For many, it will last four days to a week, which is, incidentally, how long a hypnotic suggestion given to a somnambulistic subject will usually last. Even if the healing doesn't last, if they come back every week, the power of suggestion may continually override the problem . . . or sometimes, sadly, it can mask a physical problem which could prove to be very detrimental to the individual in the long run. I'm not saying that legitimate healings do not take place. They do. Maybe the individual was ready to let go of the negativity that caused the problem in the first place; maybe it was the work of God. Yet I contend that it can be explained with existing knowledge of brain/mind function. The techniques and staging will vary from church to church. Many use "speaking in tongues" to generate catharsis in some while the spectacle creates intense excitement in the observers. The use of hypnotic techniques by religions is sophisticated, and professionals are assuring that they become even more effective. A man in Los Angeles is designing, building, and reworking a lot of churches around the country. He tells ministers what they need and how to use it. This man's track record indicates that the congregation and the monetary income will double if the minister follows his instructions. He admits that about 80 percent of his efforts are in the sound system and lighting. Powerful soundand the properuse of lightingare ofprimary importance in inducing an altered state of consciousness--I've been using them for years in my own seminars. However, my participants are fully aware of the process and what they can expect as a result of their participation. Six Conversion Techniques Cults and human-potential organizations are always looking for new converts. To attain them, they must also create a brain-phase. And they often need to do it within a short space of time--a weekend, or maybe even a day. The following are the six primary techniques used to generate the conversion. The meeting or training takesplace in an area whereparticipants are cut off from the outside world. This may be any place: a private home, a remote or rural setting, or even a hotel ballroom where the participants are allowed only limited bathroom usage. In human-potential trainings, the controllers will give a lengthy talk about the importance of "keeping agreements" in life. The participants are told that if they don't keep agreements, their life will never work. It's a good idea to keep agreements, but the controllers are subverting a positive human value for selfish purposes. The participants vow to themselves and their trainer that they will keep their agreements. Anyone who does not will be intimidated into agreement or forced to leave. The next step is to agree to complete training, thus assuring a high percentage of conversions for the organizations. They will USUALLY have to agree not to take drugs, smoke, 517 and sometimes not to eat . . . or they are given such short meal breaks that it creates tension. The real reason for the agreements is to alter internal chemistry, which generates anxiety and hopefully causes at least a slight malfunction of the nervous system, which in turn increases the conversion potential. Before the gathering is complete, the agreements will be used to ensure that the new converts go out and find new participants. They are intimidated into agreeing to do so before they leave. Since the importance of keeping agreements is so high on their priority list, the converts will twist the arms of everyone they know, attempting to talk them into attending a free introductory session offered at a future date by the organization. The new converts are zealots. In fact, the inside term for merchandising the largest and most successful human-potential training is, "sell it by zealot!" At least a million people are graduates and a good percentage have been left with a mental activation button that assures their future loyalty and assistance if the guru figure or organization calls. Think about the potential political implications of hundreds of thousands of zealots programmed to campaign for their guru. Be wary of an organization of this type that offers follow-up sessions after the seminar. Follow-up sessions might be weekly meetings or inexpensive seminars given on a regular basis which the organization will attempt to talk you into taking--or any regularly scheduled event used to maintain control. As the early Christian revivalists found, long-term control is dependent upon a good follow-up system. Alright. Now, let's look at the second tip-off that indicates conversion tactics are being used. A schedule is maintained that causes physical and mental fatigue. This is primarily accomplished by long hours in which the participants are given no opportunity for relaxation or reflection. The third tip-off: techniquesused to increasethe tension in theroom or environment. Number four: Uncertainty. I could spend hours relating various techniques to increase tension and generate uncertainty. Basically, the participants are concerned about being "put on the spot" or encountered by the trainers, guilt feelings are played upon, participants are tempted to verbally relate their innermost secrets to the other participants or forced to take part in activities that emphasize removing their masks. One of the most successful human-potential seminars forces the participants to stand on a stage in front of the entire audience while being verbally attacked by the trainers. A public opinion poll, conducted a few years ago, showed that the number one most-fearful situation an individual could encounter is to speak to an audience. It ranked above window washing outside the 85th floor of an office building. So you can imagine the fear and tension this situation generates within the participants. Many faint, but most cope with the stress by mentally going away. They literally go into an alpha state, which automatically makes them many times as suggestible as they normally are. And another loop of the downward spiral into conversion is successfully effected. The fifth clue that conversion tactics are being used is the introduction of jargon--new terms that have meaning only to the "insiders" who participate. Vicious language is also frequently used, purposely, to make participants uncomfortable. 518 The final tip-off isthat there isno humor in thecommunications . .. at least until the participants are converted. Then, merry-making and humor are highly desirable as symbols of the new joy the participants have supposedly "found." I'm not saying that good does not result from participation in such gatherings. It can and does. But I contend it is important for people to know what has happened and to be aware that continual involvement may not be in their best interest. Over the years,I've conductedprofessional seminars toteach peopleto be hypnotists, trainers, and counselors. I've had many of those who conduct trainings and rallies come to me and say, "I'm here because I know that what I'm doing works, but I don't know why." After showing them how and why, many have gotten out of the business or have decided to approach it differently or in a much more loving and supportive manner. Many of these trainers havebecome personal friends, and it scaresus all to have experienced the power of one person with a microphone and a room full of people. Add a little charisma and you can count on a high percentage of conversions. The sad truth is that a high percentage of people want to give away their power--they are true "believers"! Cult gatheringsor human-potential trainings arean ideal environment to observe first-hand what is technically called the "Stockholm Syndrome." This is a situation in which those who are intimidated, controlled, or made to suffer, begin to love, admire, and even sometimes sexually desire their controllers or captors. But let me inject a wordof warning here: If you think youcan attend such gatherings and not be affected, you are probably wrong. A perfect example is the case of a woman who went to Haiti on a Guggenheim Fellowship to study Haitian Voodoo. In her report, she related how the music eventually induced uncontrollable bodily movement and an altered state of consciousness. Although she understood the process and thought herself above it, when she began to feel herself become vulnerable to the music, she attempted to fight it and turned away. Anger or resistance almost always assures conversion. A few moments later she was possessed by the music and began dancing in a trance around the Voodoo meeting house. A brain phase had been induced by the music and excitement, and she awoke feeling reborn. The only hope of attending such gatherings without being affected is to be a Buddha and allow no positive or negative emotions to surface. Few people are capable of such detachment. 519 Before I go on,let's go backto the six tip-offsto conversion. Iwant to mention the United States Government and military boot camp. The Marine Corps talks about breaking men down before "rebuilding" them as new men--as marines! Well, that is exactly what they do, the same way a cult breaks its people down and rebuilds them as happy flower sellers on your local street corner. Every one of the six conversion techniques are used in boot camp. Considering the needs of the military, I'm not making a judgement as to whether that is good or bad. IT IS A FACT that the men are effectively brainwashed. Those who won't submit must be discharged or spend much of their time in the brig. Decognition Process Once the initial conversion is effected, cults, armed services, and similar groups cannot have cynicism among their members. Members must respond to commands and do as they are told, otherwise they are dangerous to the organizational control. This is normally accomplished as a three-step Decognition Process. Step One is ALERTNESS REDUCTION: The controllers cause the nervous system to malfunction, making it difficult to distinguish between fantasy and reality. This can be accomplished in several ways. POOR DIET is one; watch out for Brownies and Koolaid. The sugar throws the nervous system off. More subtle is the "SPIRITUAL DIET" used by many cults. They eat only vegetables and fruits; without the grounding of grains, nuts, seeds, dairy products, fish or meat, an individual becomes mentally "spacey." INADEQUATE SLEEP is another primary way to reduce alertness, especially when combined with long hours of work or intense physical activity. Also, being bombarded with intense and unique experiences achieves the same result. Step Two is PROGRAMMED CONFUSION: You are mentally assaulted while your alertness is being reduced as in Step One. This is accomplished with a deluge of new information, lectures, discussion groups, encounters or one-to-one processing, which usually amounts to the controller bombarding the individual with questions. During this phase of decognition, reality and illusion often merge and perverted logic is likely to be accepted. StepThree is THOUGHT STOPPING: Techniques areused to cause the mind to go "flat." These are altered-state-of-consciousness techniques that initially induce calmness by giving the mind something simple to deal with and focusing awareness. The continued use brings on a feeling of elation and eventually hallucination. The result is the reduction of thought and eventually, if used long enough, the cessation of all thought and withdrawal from everyone and everything except that which the controllers direct. The takeover is then complete. It is important to be aware that when members or participants are instructed to use "thought-stopping" techniques, they are told that they will benefit by so doing: they will become "better soldiers" or "find enlightenment." There are threeprimary techniquesused for thoughtstopping. Thefirst is MARCHING: the thump, thump, thump beat literally generates self-hypnosis and thus great susceptibility to suggestion. 520 Thesecond thought stopping technique is MEDITATION. If you spend an hour to an hour and a half a day in meditation, after a few weeks, there is a great probability that you will not return to full beta consciousness. You will remain in a fixed state of alpha for as long as you continue to meditate. I'm not saying this is bad--if you do it yourself. It may be very beneficial. But it is a fact that you are causing your mind to go flat. I've worked with meditators on an EEG machine and the results are conclusive: the more you meditate, the flatter your mind becomes until, eventually and especially if used to excess or in combination with decognition, all thought ceases. Some spiritual groups see this as nirvana--which is bullshit. It is simply a predictable physiological result. And if heaven on earth is non-thinking and non-involvement, I really question why we are here. The third thought-stopping technique is CHANTING, and often chanting in meditation. "Speaking in tongues" could also be included in this category. All three-stopping techniques produce an altered state of consciousness. This may be very good if YOU are controlling the process, for you also control the input. I personally use at least one self-hypnosis programming session every day and I know how beneficial it is for me. But you need to know if you use these techniques to the degree of remaining continually in alpha that, although you'll be very mellow, you'll also be more suggestible. True Believers & Mass Movements Before ending this section on conversion, I want to talk about the people who are most susceptible to it and about Mass Movements. I am convinced that at least a third of the population is what Eric Hoffer calls "true believers." They are joiners and followers . . . people who want to give away their power. They look for answers, meaning, and enlightenment outside themselves. Hoffer, who wrote THE TRUE BELIEVER, a classic on mass movements, says, "true believers are not intent on bolstering and advancing a cherished self, but are those craving to be rid of unwanted self. They are followers, not because of a desire for self-advancement, but because it can satisfy their passion for self-renunciation!" Hoffer also says that true believers "are eternally incomplete and eternally insecure"! I know this from my own experience. In my years of communicating concepts and conducting trainings, I have run into them again and again. All I can do is attempt to show them that the only thing to seek is the True Self within. Their personal answers are to be found there and there alone. I communicate that the basics of spirituality are self-responsibility and self-actualization. But most of the true believers just tell me that I'm not spiritual and go looking for someone who will give them the dogma and structure they desire. Never underestimate the potential danger of these people. They can easily be molded into fanatics who will gladly work and die for their holy cause. It is a substitute for their lost faith in themselves and offers them as a substitute for individual hope. The Moral Majority is made up of true believers. All cults are composed of true believers. You'll find them in politics, churches, businesses, and social cause groups. They are the fanatics in these organizations. 521 Mass Movements will usually havea charismatic leader. The followers want to convert others to their way of living or impose a new way of life--if necessary, by legislating laws forcing others to their view, as evidenced by the activities of the Moral Majority. This means enforcement by guns or punishment, for that is the bottomline in law enforcement. A common hatred, enemy, or devil is essential to the success of a mass movement. The Born-Again Christians have Satan himself, but that isn't enough--they've added the occult, the New Age thinkers and, lately, all those who oppose their integration of church and politics, as evidenced in their political reelection campaigns against those who oppose their views. In revolutions, the devil is usually the ruling power or aristocracy. Some human-potential movements are far too clever to ask their graduates to join anything, thus labeling themselves as a cult--but, if you look closely, you'll find that their devil is anyone and everyone who hasn't taken their training. There are mass movements without devils but they seldom attain major status. The True Believers are mentally unbalanced or insecure people, or those without hope or friends. People don't look for allies when they love, but they do when they hate or become obsessed with a cause. And those who desire a new life and a new order feel the old ways must be eliminated before the new order can be built. Persuasion Techniques Persuasion isn't technically brainwashing but it is the manipulation of the human mind by another individual, without the manipulated party being aware what caused his opinion shift. I only have time to very basically introduce you to a few of the thousands of techniques in use today, but the basis of persuasion is always to access your RIGHT BRAIN. The left half of your brain is analytical and rational. The right side is creative and imaginative. That is overly simplified but it makes my point. So, the idea is to distract the left brain and keep it busy. Ideally, the persuader generates an eyes-open altered state of consciousness, causing you to shift from beta awareness into alpha; this can be measured on an EEG machine. First, let me give you an example of distracting the left brain. Politicians use these powerful techniques all the time; lawyers use many variations which, I've been told, they call "tightening the noose." Assume for a moment that you are watching a politician give a speech. First, he might generate what is called a "YES SET." These are statements that will cause listeners to agree; they might even unknowingly nod their heads in agreement. Next come the TRUISMS. These are usually facts that could be debated but, once the politician has his audience agreeing, the odds are in the politician's favor that the audience won't stop to think for themselves, thus continuing to agree. Last comes the SUGGESTION. This is what the politician wants you to do and, since you have been agreeing all along, you could be persuaded to accept the suggestion. Now, if you'll listen closely to my political speech, you'll find that the first three are the "yes set," the next three are truisms and the last is the suggestion. 522 "Ladies and gentlemen: are you angry abouthigh food prices? Are you tired of astronomical gas prices? Are you sick of out-of-control inflation? Well, you know the Other Party allowed 18 percent inflation last year; you know crime has increased 50 percent nationwide in the last 12 months, and you know your paycheck hardly covers your expenses any more. Well, the answer to resolving these problems is to elect me, John Jones, to the U.S. Senate." And I think you've heard all that before. But you might also watch for what are called Imbedded Commands. As an example: On key words, the speaker would make a gesture with his left hand, which research has shown is more apt to access your right brain. Today's media-oriented politicians and spellbinders are often carefully trained by a whole new breed of specialist who are using every trick in the book--both old and new--to manipulate you into accepting their candidate. The concepts and techniques of Neuro-Linguistics are so heavily protected that I found out the hard way that to even talk about them publicly or in print results in threatened legal action. Yet Neuro-Linguistic training is readily available to anyone willing to devote the time and pay the price. It is some of the most subtle and powerful manipulation I have yet been exposed to. A good friend who recently attended a two-week seminar on Neuro-Linguistics found that many of those she talked to during the breaks were government people. Another technique that I'm just learning about is unbelievably slippery; it is called an INTERSPERSAL TECHNIQUE and the idea is to say one thing with words but plant a subconscious impression of something else in the minds of the listeners and/or watchers. Let me give you an example: Assume you are watching a television commentator make the following statement: SENATOR JOHNSON is assisting local authorities to clear up the stupid mistakes of companies contributing to the nuclear waste problems." It sounds like a statement of fact, but, if the speaker emphasizes the right word, and especially if he makes the proper hand gestures on the key words, you could be left with the subconscious impression that Senator Johnson is stupid. That was the subliminal goal of the statement and the speaker cannot be called to account for anything. Persuasion techniques are also frequently used on a much smaller scale with just as much effectiveness. The insurance salesman knows his pitch is likely to be much more effective if he can get you to visualize something in your mind. This is right-brain communication. For instance, he might pause in his conversation, look slowly around your living room and say, "Can you just imagine this beautiful home burning to the ground?" Of course you can! It is one of your unconscious fears and, when he forces you to visualize it, you are more likely to be manipulated into signing his insurance policy. 523 The Hare Krishnas, operating in every airport,use what I call SHOCK AND CONFUSION techniques to distract the left brain and communicate directly with the right brain. While waiting for a plane, I once watched one operate for over an hour. He had a technique of almost jumping in front of someone. Initially, his voice was loud then dropped as he made his pitch to take a book and contribute money to the cause. Usually, when people are shocked, they immediately withdraw. In this case they were shocked by the strange appearance, sudden materialization and loud voice of the Hare Krishna devotee. In other words, the people went into an alpha state for security because they didn't want to confront the reality before them. In alpha, they were highly suggestible so they responded to the suggestion of taking the book; the moment they took the book, they felt guilty and responded to the second suggestion: give money. We are all conditioned that if someone gives us something, we have to give them something in return--in that case, it was money. While watching this hustler, I was close enough to notice that many of the people he stopped exhibited an outward sign of alpha--their eyes were actually dilated. Subliminal Programming Subliminals are hidden suggestions that only your subconscious perceives. They can be audio, hidden behind music, or visual, airbrushed into a picture, flashed on a screen so fast that you don't consciously see them, or cleverly incorporated into a picture or design. Most audio subliminal reprogramming tapes offer verbal suggestions recorded at a low volume. I question the efficacy of this technique--if subliminals are not perceptible, they cannot be effective, and subliminals recorded below the audible threshold are therefore useless. The oldest audio subliminal technique uses a voice that follows the volume of the music so subliminals are impossible to detect without a parametric equalizer. But this technique is patented and, when I wanted to develop my own line of subliminal audio cassettes, negotiations with the patent holder proved to be unsatisfactory. My attorney obtained copies of the patents which I gave to some talented Hollywood sound engineers, asking them to create a new technique. They found a way to psycho-acoustically modify and synthesize the suggestions so that they are projected in the same chord and frequency as the music, thus giving them the effect of being part of the music. But we found that in using this technique, there is no way to reduce various frequencies to detect the subliminals. In other words, although the suggestions are being heard by the subconscious mind, they cannot be monitored with even the most sophisticated equipment. If we were able to come up withthis technique as easily as we did,I can only imagine how sophisticated the technology has become, with unlimited government or advertising funding. And I shudder to think about the propaganda and commercial manipulation that we are exposed to on a daily basis. There is simply no way to know what is behind the music you hear. It may even be possible to hide a second voice behind the voice to which you are listening. Theseries by Wilson Bryan Key, Ph.D., on subliminals in advertising and political campaigns well documents the misuse in many areas, especially printed advertising in newspapers, magazines, and posters. 524 The big question about subliminals is: dothey work? And I guarantee you they do. Not only from the response of those who have used my tapes, but from the results of such programs as the subliminals behind the music in department stores. Supposedly, the only message is instructions to not steal: one East Coast department store chain reported a 37 percent reduction in thefts in the first nine months of testing. A 1984 article in the technical newsletter, "Brain-Mind Bulletin," states that as much as 99 percent of our cognitive activity may be "non-conscious," according to the director of the Laboratory for Cognitive Psychophysiology at the University of Illinois. The lengthy report ends with the statement, "these findings support the use of subliminal approaches such as taped suggestions for weight loss and the therapeutic use of hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming." Mass Misuse I could relatemany stories that support subliminal programming, but I'd rather use my time to make you aware of even more subtle uses of such programming. I have personally experienced sitting in a Los Angeles auditorium with over ten thousand people who were gathered to listen to a current charismatic figure. Twenty minutes after entering the auditorium, I became aware that I was going in and out of an altered state. Those accompanying me experienced the same thing. Since it is our business, we were aware of what was happening, but those around us were not. By careful observation, what appeared to be spontaneous demonstrations were, in fact, artful manipulations. The only way I could figure that the eyes-open trance had been induced was that a 6- to 7-cycle-per-second vibration was being piped into the room behind the air conditioner sound. That particular vibration generates alpha, which would render the audience highly susceptible. Ten to 25 percent of the population is capable of a somnambulistic level of altered states of consciousness; for these people, the suggestions of the speaker, if non-threatening, could potentially be accepted as "commands." Vibrato This leads to the mention of VIBRATO. Vibrato is the tremulous effect imparted in some vocal or instrumental music, and the cycle-per-second range causes people to go into an altered state of consciousness. At one period of English history, singers whose voices contained pronounced vibrato were not allowed to perform publicly because listeners would go into an altered state and have fantasies, often sexual in nature. People who attend operaor enjoy listeningto singers like MarioLanza are familiar with this altered state induced by the performers. ELFs Now, let's carry this awareness a little farther. There are also inaudible ELFs (extra-low frequency waves). These are electromagnetic in nature. One of the primary uses of ELFs is to communicate with our submarines. Dr. Andrija Puharich, a highly respected researcher, in an attempt to warn U.S. officials about Russian use of ELFs, set up an experiment. Volunteers were wired so their brain waves could be measured on an EEG. They were sealed in a metal room that could not be penetrated by a normal signal. Puharich then beamed ELF waves at the volunteers. ELFs go right through 525 the earth and, of course, right through metal walls. Those inside couldn't know if the signal was or was not being sent. And Puharich watched the reactions on the technical equipment: 30 percent of those inside the room were taken over by the ELF signal in six to ten seconds. When I say "taken over," I mean that their behavior followed the changes anticipated at very precise frequencies. Waves below 6 cycles per second caused the subjects to become very emotionally upset, and even disrupted bodily functions. At 8.2 cycles, they felt very high . . . an elevated feeling, as though they had been in masterful meditation, learned over a period of years. Eleven to 11.3 cycles induced waves of depressed agitation leading to riotous behavior. The Neurophone Dr. PatrickFlanagan is a personalfriend of mine. Inthe early 1960s, as a teenager, Pat was listed as one of the top scientists in the world by "Life" magazine. Among his many inventions was a device he called the Neurophone--an electronic instrument that can successfully program suggestions directly through contact with the skin. When he attempted to patent the device, the government demanded that he prove it worked. When he did, the National Security Agency confiscated the neurophone. It took Pat two years of legal battle to get his invention back. In using thedevice, you don't hear or see a thing; it is applied to the skin, which Pat claims is the source of special senses. The skin contains more sensors for heat, touch, pain, vibration, and electrical fields than any other part of the human anatomy. In one of his recent tests, Pat conducted two identical seminars for a military audience--one seminar one night and one the next night, because the size of the room was not large enough to accommodate all of them at one time. When the first group proved to be very cool and unwilling to respond, Patrick spent the next day making a special tape to play at the second seminar. The tape instructed the audience to be extremely warm and responsive and for their hands to become "tingly." The tape was played through the neurophone, which was connected to a wire he placed along the ceiling of the room. There were no speakers, so no sound could be heard, yet the message was successfully transmitted from that wire directly into the brains of the audience. They were warm and receptive, their hands tingled and they responded, according to programming, in other ways that I cannot mention here. The more we find out about how human beings work through today's highly advanced technological research, the more we learn to control human beings. And what probably scares me the most is that the medium for takeover is already in place! The television set in your living room and bedroom is doing a lot more than just entertaining you. Before I continue, let me point out something else about an altered state of consciousness. When you go into an altered state, you transfer into right brain, which results in the internal release of the body's own opiates: enkephalins and Beta-endorphins, chemically almost identical to opium. In other words, it feels good . . . and you want to come back for more. 526 Recent tests byresearcher Herbert Krugman showedthat, while viewers were watching TV, right-brain activity outnumbered left-brain activity by a ratio of two to one. Put more simply, the viewers were in an altered state . . . in trance more often than not. They were getting their Beta-endorphin "fix." To measure attention spans, psychophysiologist Thomas Mulholland of the Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts, attached young viewers to an EEG machine that was wired to shut the TV set off whenever the children's brains produced a majority of alpha waves. Although the children were told to concentrate, only a few could keep the set on for more than 30 seconds! Most viewers are already hypnotized. To deepen the trance is easy. One simple way is to place a blank, black frame every 32 frames in the film that is being projected. This creates a 45-beat-per-minute pulsation perceived only by the subconscious mind--the ideal pace to generate deep hypnosis. The commercials or suggestions presented following this alpha-inducing broadcast are much more likely to be accepted by the viewer. The high percentage of the viewing audience that has somnambulistic-depth ability could very well accept the suggestions as commands--as long as those commands did not ask the viewer to do something contrary to his morals, religion, or self-preservation. The medium for takeover is here. By the age of 16, children have spent 10,000 to 15,000 hours watching television--that is more time than they spend n school! In the average home, the TV set is on for six hours and 44 minutes per day--an increase of nine minutes from last year and three times the average rate of increase during the 1970s. It obviously isn't getting better . . . we are rapidly moving into an alpha-level world--very possibly the Orwellian world of "1984"--placid, glassy-eyed, and responding obediently to instructions. A research project by Jacob Jacoby, a Purdue University psychologist, found that of 2,700 people tested, 90 percent misunderstood even such simple viewing fare as commercials and "Barnaby Jones." Only minutes after watching, the typical viewer missed 23 to 36 percent of the questions about what he or she had seen. Of course they did--they were going in and out of trance! If you go into a deep trance, you must be instructed to remember--otherwise you automatically forget. I have just touched the tip of the iceberg. When you start to combine subliminal messages behind the music, subliminal visuals projected on the screen, hypnotically produced visual effects, sustained musical beats at a trance-inducing pace . . . you have extremely effective brainwashing. Every hour that you spend watching the TV set you become more conditioned. And, in case you thought there was a law against any of these things, guess again. There isn't! There are a lot of powerful people who obviously prefer things exactly the way they are. Maybe they have plans for? 527 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A NEO-PAGAN FILMOGRAPHY An Annotated List of Recommended Viewing ======================= (compiled 3/89) by Mike Nichols Although this list is a long one, it could easily have been much longer. In fact, the hard part was deciding which of many good movies had to be left out, due to limitations of space. So I used a few rules to guide me. First, I gave preference to movies that had a strong Pagan message, as opposed to films that are 'merely' entertaining. Thus, a film like 'Never Cry Wolf', though it has no supernatural elements, made the list; whereas superbly crafted atmospheric entertainments like 'Gothic' and 'Eyes of Fire' didn't. Second, in dealing with the supernatural, I concentrated on films that informed, or at least stayed within the realms of possibility. Hence, I include 'The Haunting', but not 'Poltergeist'. Inevitably, I will have left out some of your favorites, for which I apologize in advance. But I had to stop somewhere. APPRENTICE TO MURDER, 1988, C-94m D: R.L. Thomas. Donald Sutherland, Chad Lowe, Mia Sara, Knut Husebo, Rutanya Alsa. Intriguing fact-based story of a man who was a 'hex-meister' in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. His practice of folk medicine lands him in trouble with the law, and a final confrontation with a rival sorcerer leads to a charge of murder. Sutherland is appealing in the lead role, and the story unfolds mainly through his eyes. Mia Sara does a nice job in a supporting role. There's a lot of authentic folk magic to lend atmosphere. THE BELIEVERS, 1987, C-114m D: John Schlesinger. Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver, Harley Cross, Robert Loggia, Elizabeth Wilson, Lee Richardson, Harris Yulin, Richard Masur, Carla Pinza, Jimmy Smits. Afterthe death ofhis wife, Sheen andhis son moveto New York City, where they become involved in a grisly series of cultish human sacrifices. Although the religion of Santeria is unfortunately shown in a negative light, there is enough authenticity to lend lots of interest. A gripping thriller. BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE, 1958, C-103m D: Richard Quine. James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovaks, Hermione Gingold. Yes, I'm well aware that this movie, based on the John Van Druten play, is responsible for more misinformation about Witchcraft than anything outside the 'Bewitched' TV series. Still, I hardly know a Pagan who doesn't love it. For many of us, it was the first time we'd encountered the idea of Witchcraft alive and well in a modern metropolis. And Kim Novak is STILL my idea of what a Witch OUGHT to look like. And none of us will ever forget Kovak's reading of the line 'Witches, boy! Witches!' Or Stewart's offhand comment that it feels more like Halloween than Christmas. Lots of fun. 528 BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON, 1973-Italian-British, C-121m D: Franco Zeffirelli. Graham Faulkner, Judi Bowker, Leigh Lawson, Alec Guinness, Valentina Cortese, Kenneth Cranham For most Pagans, St. Francis of Assisi is usually considered an honorary Pagan, at the very least. His insistence on finding divinity in nature is exactly what Paganism is all about. This film biography portrays his extreme love of and sensitivity to nature with poignant beauty. And the musical score by Donovan is such a perfect choice that, having heard it, nothing else would ever do. This is also a visually stunning film, as those who remember Zefferelli's 'Romeo and Juliet' might expect. If ever Christianity could be made palatable to the sensibilities of Neo-Pagans, it would have to be through the eyes of a nature mystic like Francis. The Catholic Church came close to naming him a heretic but, at the last minute, the Pope (played by Alec Guinness) sanctioned him. (Old Obi Wan comes through again!) BURN, WITCH, BURN!, 1962-British, 90m D: Sidney Hayers. Janey Blair, Peter Wyngarde, Margaret Johnston, Anthony Nicholls. Based on the Fritz Leiber classic 'Conjure Wife' and scripted by Richard Matheson, this is an interesting view of Witchcraft. Granted, this has as many misconceptions as 'Bell, Book, and Candle', yet the premise is intriguing: that ALL women are secretly Witches, and ALL men don't know about it. This is mainly about one woman's use of magic to advance the career of her schoolteacher husband. DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE, 1959, C-93m D: Robert Stevenson. Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery, Jimmy O'Dea, Kieron Moore, Estelle Winwood. Simply the best fantasy ever filmed. No kidding. This is a PERFECT little movie, and (along with 'The Quiet Man') the ultimate St. Patrick's Day film. Sharpe is sensational as Darby O'Gill, who likes to sit in the pub telling stories about his adventures with the King of the Leprechauns. Unbeknownst to everyone, they are TRUE stories! Every tidbit of Irish folklore, from banshees to the crock of gold to the costa bower (the death coach) is worked into the plot. The music and songs are great. So is the cast, many of whom were brought over from the Abbey Theater in Dublin! Sean Connery makes his screen debut, in a SINGING role! The subsequent untimely death of Janet Munro robbed the screen of one of its brightest actresses. (Her character's combination of willfulness and femininity is a textbook study. Compared to her, Princess Leia's character is not 'strong-willed' -- it's just snotty!) The special effects are miraculous for 1959! When Darby walks into King Brian's throne room, we walks THROUGH a crowd of Leprechauns, and I defy anyone to find a matte line! In fact, the special effects are so good throughout, that you FORGET that they're special effects, and end up deciding that they must have rounded up some real Leprechauns from somewhere. 529 THE DARK CRYSTAL, 1983-British, C-94m D: Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Performed by Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Brian Muehl, Jean Pierre Amiel, Kiran Shaw. The creators of the Muppets come up with an entire fantasy world, where even the flora and fauna are original. And this world is in grave peril unless the missing shard of the Dark Crystal can be found and restored to it. This is a hero-quest in the classic mold, with art stylings by Brian Froud. Although wonderfully imaginative and entertaining, it has a very strong message of mysticism, all about universal balance and the synthesis of opposites. (One wonders if the entire quartz crystal fad of the late 1980's had its origins here!) DON'T LOOK NOW, 1973-British, C-110m D: Nicolas Roeg. Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania, Massimo Serato. Based ona so-so occultthriller by Daphnedu Maurier, thisbecomes a brilliant film in the hands of Italian director Nicolas Roeg (famed for 'The Man Who Fell to Earth). Shortly after their daughter has drowned, Sutherland (who restores mosaics in old churches) and his wife go to Venice where they meet two sisters who are spiritualists. They begin to receive messages from the daughter, who keeps warning Sutherland to leave Venice because he is in mortal danger. If ever a film captured the real feeling of how psychic ability operates, this is it. The use of subjective editing, and the symbolic use (and total control of!) color throughout the film is masterful. (This film also contains one of the most stylish love scenes ever filmed.) Squeamish people need to be warned about the violent ending, however. THE DUNWICH HORROR, 1970, C-90m D: Daniel Haller. Sandra Dee, Dean Stockwell, Ed Begley, Sam Jaffe, Lloyd Bochner, Joanna Moore, Talia Coppolia (Shire). Nice adaptation of an H. P.Lovecraft story, with a wonderfulcast. Dean Stockwell is the quintessential ritual magician, both mysterious and compelling. He steals the original 'Necronomicon' from a library in order to 'bring back the Old Ones', a race of powerful but dark beings that inhabited the earth before humans. Sam Jaffe is wonderful as his crazed grandfather. (What happened to the father is part of the mystery!) And Sandra Dee is perfect as the innocent virgin chosen to be the unwilling host mother for the rebirth of these demons. (Some versions of the film cut the last scene short, which shows a developing fetus superimposed over Dee's abdomen. 'Nuff said.) By the way, no film has ever shown the raw power of otherworldly beings as well as this. No 'latex lovelies' here. Just pure, unadulterated elemental force. Nice job! THE EMERALD FOREST, 1985, C-113m D: John Boorman. Powers Boothe, Meg Foster, Charley Boorman, Dira Pass. A look atour ownculture through theeyes of theaboriginal tribesof the Amazon. (They call us the 'termite people', because of the deforestation and industrial development we have brought to their homeland.) The director's son, Charley, is totally convincing as a young boy raised by aborigines. Great music by Junior Homrich. 530 THE ENTITY, 1983, C-115m D: Sidney J. Furie. Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, Jacqueline Brooks, David Lablosa, George Coe, Margaret Blye. The trulyfrightening thing about thismovie is that it'sbased on a true story, about a woman who is repeatedly violently raped by an invisible presence. Initially, she seeks the help of a psychologist, who is a strict behaviorist and thinks that it is all 'in her mind'. It is not until a chance encounter with a team of parapsychologist from the local university that she finally finds people who understand her problem. One of the film's great strengths is its portrayal of the professional rivalry that develops between the psychologist (who has begun taking a personal interest) and the parapsychologists, who are interested in investigating the phenomena. The final scene in the gymnasium is the only part of the film based on speculation only. At last report, the case was still active. EXCALIBUR, 1981-British, C-140m D: John Boorman. Nicol Williamson, Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi, Corin Redgrave, Paul Geoffrey. A stylish adaptationof ThomasMalory's 'Le MorteD'Arthur'. Boorman knew exactly what he was doing in combining certain key characters and keeping the spirit of the legends. The Grail Quest is especially well handled. Williamson's Merlin and Mirren's Morgana are both brilliant performances. Great music. Try to see this one on the big screen. HARVEY, 1950, 104m D: Henry Koster. James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Peggy Dow, Charles Drake, Cecil Kellaway, Victoria Horne, Jesse White, Wallace Ford, Ida Moore. Imagine a movie that chooses as its main theme a Welsh animal spirit called a pooka (or 'pwcca' in Welsh)! That would be improbable enough by today's standards. But the fact that it happened in a 1940's Pulitzer Prize-winning play and subsequent movie boggles the mind! The pooka in question is a 6-foot invisible rabbit named Harvey, who manifests himself only to a gentle tippler named Elwood P. Dowd, played to perfection by Stewart. Jesse White (the lonely Maytag repairman) made his film debut here. Few movies are as much fun as this. THE HAUNTING, 1963, 112m D: Robert Wise. Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, Lois Maxwell, Fay Compton Based on ShirleyJackson's masterpiece 'TheHaunting of HillHouse', this is probably the ultimate ghost movie. A parapsychologist and a team of student assistants investigate a haunted house. Based on the premise that no ghost ever hurts anyone physically; the damage is always done by the victim to himself, psychologically. Julie Harris is marvelous. INHERIT THE WIND, 1960, 127m D: Stanley Kramer. Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly, Florence Eldridge, Dick York, Harry Morgan, Donna Anderson, Elliot Reid, Claude Akins, Noah Beery, Jr., Norman Fell. This should be required viewing for every Pagan. For many of us, there came a time when our own ideologies simply collided head-on with fundamental Christian faith, and we knew we could no longer accept it. Never has a movie embodied this theme so well. Based on the play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, it deals with the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925 in Tennessee, where a high school teacher was arrested for teaching Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The debate that ensued was between two of the most brilliant minds of their day, the great trial lawyer Clarence Darrow for the defense, and two-time Presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution. Kelly's character is based on acid-tongued columnist H. L. Mencken. This is riveting, from first to last. 531 JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL, 1973, C-120m D: Hal Bartlett. Many seagulls. Although the film is flawed and drags a little toward the end, it is nevertheless well worth seeing. The photography is beautiful, and Neil Diamond's score (including 'Skybird') is marvelous. It is, of course, based on Richard Bach's marvelous tale of a little seagull that refuses to fit in with his flock, preferring to follow a higher, more mystical, calling. This is yet another one you should try to see on the big screen. LADYHAWKE, 1985, C-124m D: Richard Donner. Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leo McKern, John Wood, Ken Hutchison, Alfred Molina. Whoever decidedon themusic for thisfilm should beshot! Think what a nice soundtrack by Clannad would have been like. That reservation aside, this is a great medieval fantasy concerning two lovers who have been separated by a curse, and a young thief who becomes their ally, an unusual but charming role for Matthew Broderick. (If anyone ever gets around to filming Katherine Kurtz's 'Deryni' books, this is the team that ought to do it.) THE LAST UNICORN, 1982, C-84m D: Rankin & Bass. Voices of Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, Tammy Grimes, Robert Klein, Angela Lansbury, Christopher Lee. Based on theincomparable fantasy novel by PeterS. Beagle, this is very adult animation. And because Beagle himself wrote the screenplay, this film contains spiritual one-liners that hit you right in the gut. Example: 'Never run from anything immortal. It attracts their attention.' Though this is NOT classic Disney animation (in fact, it looks like limited animation), the voice-work, screenplay, and art stylings are all so good, you're inclined to overlook it. Angela Lansbury's character voice for Mommy Fortuna is marvelous. And there's a lovely lyrical score by the group America. THE LAST WAVE, 1977-Australian, C-106m D: Peter Weir. Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett, (David) Gulpilil, Frederick Parslow, Vivean Gray, Nanjiwarra Amagula. Chamberlainplays anAustralian lawyerdefending anaborigine accused of a murder that was actually done by magic. This is a rare and wonderful glimpse into the tribal religion of the native Australians, their myths, and their belief in the Dream Time. Peter Weir (famed for 'Picnic at Hanging Rock') directs this atmospheric thriller. LEGEND, 1985-British, C-89m D: Ridley Scott. Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent, Alice Playten, Billy Barty. Oneof the mostvisually luscious filmsever created. Every frame is gorgeous. The plot is nearly archetypal, with evil (Curry) attempting to seduce innocence (Sara). Though it's hard to accept Cruise as the hero of this Grimm's-like fairy tale, Curry and Sara turn in good performances. The European version runs 20 minutes longer and retains the original (and, in my opinion, superior) musical score by Jerry Goldsmith. The American score is by Tangerine Dream. 532 THE LORD OF THE RINGS, 1978, C-133m D: Ralph Bakshi. Voices of Christopher Guard, William Squire, John Hurt, Michael Sholes, Dominic Guard. This ambitious but flawed animated feature covers half of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy, ending much too abruptly. But for all the criticism usually heaped upon this film, there ARE moments of absolute genius. Such as the Dark Riders attempting to kill Frodo and friends in their beds at the Prancing Pony Inn. Or Gandalf and Frodo's moonlit walk through the Shire. Or the first time Frodo puts on the ring. These moments alone make the movie well worth seeing. NEVER CRY WOLF, 1983, C-105m D: Carroll Ballard. Charles Martin Smith, Brian Dennehy, Zachary Ittimangnaq, Samson Jorah. A brilliant performance by Smith (based on author Farley Mowat) as a young man sent to study wolves in the Arctic. Again, we are treated to the insights of the native culture (the Innuit), and are shown how it has been debased through contact with our own greedy culture. This film contains some of the most spectacular nature photography ever put on film. Ballard was chief nature photographer for Disney Studios for years. Try to see this one on the big screen. NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE, 1979-West German, C-107m D: Werner Herzog. Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz, Roland Topor. Forvampire lovers, this film isthe creme de lacreme. Werner Herzog is a leader of modern German Expressionist cinema, and here he is operating at the top of his form. The spooky atmosphere is so thick you could peel it off the screen in layers. (Try to see this one in the theater.) The creepiness of Kinski's Dracula is equaled only by the classic beauty of Adjani's Lucy. This is the perfect film for Halloween night. The German language version with English subtitles is far superior to the English version, and slightly longer. (The SOUND of the German dialogue actually fits the mood of the film better.) ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, 1970, C-129m D: Vincente Minnelli. Barbra Streisand, Yves Montand, Bob Newhart, Larry Blyden, Simon Oakland, Jack Nicholson. Alan Lerner & Burton Lane score. Probablyinspired by the case of BrideyMurphy, this musical is all about hypnosis, past life regression, ESP, reincarnation, and other 'New Age' topics (though 20 years too early). (One wonders how Shirley MacLaine missed starring in this. Yet, one is thankful for small favors.) Streisand is wonderful, especially in the lavish flashback sequences. Montand should have been replaced. Still, the plot's surprising turns are well within the realm of supernatural possibility. 533 THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW, 1988, C-98m D: Wes Craven. Bill Pullman, Cathy Tyson, Zakes Mokae, Paul Winfield, Brent Jennings, Theresa Merritt, Michael Gough. Directed by Wes Craven (famed for his 'Nightmare on Elm Street' series), this is the true story of Wade Davis, an ethnobotanist who is sent to Haiti to bring back the secret of the so-called Zombie drug, tetrodotoxin. But the local practitioners of 'Voodoo' don't yield their secrets too easily and, before it's all over, Davis finds himself a victim of the drug -- which gives Craven carte blanche for the wonderful special effects he's famous for. Like 'The Believers', this film unfortunately shows the native religion (Voudoun) primarily in a negative light. Still, at times it manages to capture its beauty, mystery and innocence, especially in the festival scenes when the entire village spends the night asleep in a candle-lighted forest. 7 FACES OF DR. LAO, 1964, C-100m D: George Pal. Tony Randall, Barbara Eden, Arthur O'Connell, John Ericson, Kevin Tate, Argentina Brunetti, Noah Beery, Jr., Minerva Urecal, John Qualen, Lee Patrick, Royal Dano. For people who think that decent fantasy films are a recent development, this movie is going to come as a delightful surprise. The special effects and gentle magic of director George Pal was the perfect means of bringing the Charles Finney classic 'The Circus of Dr. Lao' to the screen. Randall, in a tour de force performance of six roles, is the mysterious Chinese guru, Dr. Lao, whose travelling circus changes the course of history for a small Western town. For the better. A lovely and funny film with a spiritual dimension that would appeal to every Pagan. Nice musical score by Leigh Harline combines Western and Oriental music. SILENT RUNNING, 1971, C-89m D: Douglas Trumbull. Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, Jesse Vint. Should be subtitled 'Druidsin Spaaaaace!!!' Aboard thedeep space ship Valley Forge, the very talented Bruce Dern (in his most likable film role ever) battles to save the last vestiges of the Earth's forests. Special effects by the team that created '2001'. And a brilliant musical score by Peter Schickele (whose better-known comic persona is P.D.Q. Bach), sung by Joan Baez. SLEEPING BEAUTY, 1959, C-75m D: Clyde Geronimi. Voices of Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Elinor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Jo Allen, Barbara Luddy. The all-time masterpiece of the animator's art, this is the most lavish and most expensive (by contemporary standards) animated feature ever done by Disney studios. The uninitiated may babble about 'Fantasia', but the true cognoscente of animation know that THIS is the apogee of the art form. From the lush color stylings (heavy use of greens and purples), to the elegantly stylized backgrounds, to the figure of Maleficent (designed by Marc Davis), to a fire-breathing dragon that wasn't equaled until 'Dragonslayer', this film is superb. Voice work by Audley and Felton is outstanding. The film should also serve as a textbook example of how to adapt a classical score (Tchaikovsky's 'Sleeping Beauty Ballet') to a movie soundtrack. Never has it been done better. See it. One last consideration: this was filmed in the extra-wide-screen Technerama process, and naturally loses a lot when transferred to video. Try to see this in a theater. One with a BIG screen and a state-of-the-art sound system. You will be amazed. 534 SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, 1983, C-94m D: Jack Clayton. Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd, Pam Grier, Royal Dano, Shawn Carson, Vidal Peterson, Mary Grace Canfield, James Stacy, narrated by Arthur Hill. RayBradbury's fantasy novel is brought tothe screen by a director who understands it. This is a mood piece, and it's done to perfection. It all takes place in that strange twilight halfway between children's make-believe and the world of the supernatural. You're never quite sure which it is. Jonathan Pryce is utterly mesmerizing as the sinister Mr. Dark, leader of a mysterious travelling carnival. He has so much screen presence you can barely take your eyes off him. I haven't seen an actor in such total control of a role since Gene Wilder did 'Willy Wonka'. An added bonus is that Bradbury himself wrote the screenplay, and it shows. It's a real cut above the insipid screenplays we're all used to. STAR WARS, 1977, C-121m D: George Lucas. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, voice of James Earl Jones (as Darth Vader) Despite the spaceships and high-tech doodads, this is really more fantasy than science fiction. And the reliance which director George Lucas placed in the theories of Joseph Campbell help shape a story that is very near to myth. The other two movies in the trilogy, 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' are also important. The main interest to most Pagans lies in the mystical sub-motif of 'the Force', a kind a 'mana' that is ethically neutral, but may be used in magic for either good (as evidenced by Obi Wan Kenobe) or evil (as evidenced by Darth Vader). In the second film, it is the great Jedi Master, Yoda (created by Muppet masters, Jim Henson and Frank Oz), who teaches us most about the Force. This is pure magic. THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS, 1980, C-84 D: John Hough. Bette Davis, Carroll Baker, David McCallum, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Kyle Richards, Ian Bannen, Richard Pasco. What I wouldn't giveto have seen thisas a teenager! Johnson stars as a girl whose family has just rented an old English country house, where she is haunted by the image of a young girl who disappeared years ago. During a strange seance-type initiation ritual. In the ruins of an old chapel. During a freak lightning storm. During an eclipse. The subtext is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Even though such elements remain unstated, for those of us interested in power points, ley lines, and astronomical alignments, this movie is a real treat. Someone Knew Something! Sadly, the end is badly flawed. But no matter, because the fun is in the getting there. A delightful cast, and great atmosphere throughout, make this film special. THE WICKER MAN, 1973-British, C-95m D: Robin Hardy. Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, Lindsay Kemp. Based on the Anthony Shaffer thriller,this movie is a favorite of most Pagans. The plot concerns a police sergeant (Woodward) sent to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, on a small island off the coast of Scotland. There he finds a completely Pagan society. Local color and beautiful folk music enhance the most loving portrayal of a Pagan society ever committed to film. Unfortunately, in the end, the Pagans are 'revealed' to be the requisite bad guys. If you can overlook the ending, however, this is fine movie. Every Pagan I know who's seen it wants to move to Summer Isle immediately. WILLOW, 1988, C-125m D: Ron Howard. Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis, Jean Marsh, 535 Patricia Hayes, Billy Barty, Pat Roach, Gavan O'Herlihy. Despitethe story byGeorge Lucas, thisis NOT the'Star Wars' of the fantasy genre. Too derivative (especially Mad Martigan, who is a Han Solo clone). Still, the film has a lot to say about magic, and Davis gives a delightful performance. Jean Marsh is terrific as the evil Queen Bavmorda (in a role that almost parallels her role as Queen Mombi in 'Return to Oz'). And the scene in which Chirlindrea appears to Willow in the forest is as close to an epiphany of the Goddess as I've ever seen on film. That scene alone is worth the admission price. WINDWALKER, 1980, C-108m D: Keith Merrill. Trevor Howard, Nick Ramus, James Remar, Serene Hedin, Dusty Iron Wing McCrea. This is the best cowboy-and-Indian movie I've ever seen. Mainly because there are no cowboys in it. It is pure Native American. Trevor Howard is incredible as the old Indian chief who returns from the dead in order to protect his family, and restore to it a lost son, a twin who was stolen at birth by an enemy tribe. This film FEELS more like genuine Native American than any other I can think of. The Utah mountain scenery is breath-taking. Costuming (mostly furs) is authentic. And dialogue is actually in the Cheyenne and Crow languages, with English subtitles. And there's enough mysticism (especially in the old Indian's relationship with his horse) to please any Pagan audience. WIZARDS, 1977, C-80m D: Ralph Bakshi. Voices of Bob Holt, Jesse Wells, Richard Romanus, David Proval, Mark Hamill. Post-holocaust scenario withthe forcesof evil technologyled bythe wizard Blackwolf arrayed against the forces of benevolent magic led by the wizard Avatar. With background stylings a la Roger Dean, and character design that borrows from Vaughn Bode, this is tongue-in-cheek wizardry at its finest. The character of Elinor, a faery nymph, is a complete success -- a milestone in adult animation. Great voice work and nice music. And who is that wonderful (uncredited) narrator??? XANADU, 1980, C-88m D: Robert Greenwald. Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck, Gene Kelly, James Sloyan, Dimitra Arliss, Katie Hanley. Yeah, yeah, I know. On one level, it's just Olivia Newton-John on roller-skates. But on another level, it is the story of how one of the nine muses of classical mythology (Terpsichore) comes down from Olympus to inspire a young artist. On yet a third level, it is the biggest Hollywood musical produced since the golden years of MGM. And it works well on all counts. The brilliant musical score (including several chart-toppers) is provided by the Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne, and Olivia does them up proper. Gene Kelly might not dance as well as he once did, but he can still charm as well. And did anyone notice that's Sandahl Bergman leading the muses in dance? As if that weren't enough, the film includes a delightful animated segment that marked the debut for Don Bluth studios, which later gave us 'The Secret of NIHM' and 'An American Tail'. 536 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com C A N D L E M A S by Gwydion Cinhil Kirontin It seems quite impossible that the holiday of Candlemas should be considered the beginning of Spring. Here in the heartland, February 2nd may see a blanket of snow mantling the Mother. Or, if the snows have gone, you may be sure the days are filled with drizzle, slush, and steel-grey skies -- the dreariest weather of the year. In short, the perfect time for a Pagan Festival of Lights. And as for Spring, although this may seem a tenuous beginning, all the little buds, flowers and leaves will have arrived on schedule before Spring runs its course to Beltane. "Candlemas" is the Christianized name for the holiday, of course. The older Pagan names were Imbolc and Oimelc. "Imbolc" means, literally, "in the belly" (of the Mother). For in the womb of Mother Earth, hidden from our mundane sight but sensed by a keener vision, there are stirrings. The seed that was planted in her womb at the solstice is quickening and the new year grows. "Oimelc" means "milk of ewes", for it is also lambing season. The holiday is also called "Brigit's Day", in honor of the great Irish Goddess Brigit. At her shrine, the ancient Irish capital of Kildare, a group of 19 priestesses (no men allowed) kept a perpetual flame burning in her honor. She was considered a goddess of fire, patroness of smithcraft, poetry and healing (especially the healing touch of midwifery). This tripartite symbolism was occasionally expressed by saying that Brigit had two sisters, also named Brigit. (Incidentally, another form of the name Brigit is Bride, and it is thus She bestows her special patronage on any woman about to be married or handfasted, the woman being called "bride" in her honor.) The Roman Catholic Church could not very easily call the Great Goddess of Ireland a demon, so they canonized her instead. Henceforth, she would be "Saint" Brigit, patron saint of smithcraft, poetry, and healing. They "explained" this by telling the Irish peasants that Brigit was "really" an early Christian missionary sent to the Emerald Isle, and that the miracles she performed there "misled" the common people into believing that she was a goddess. For some reason, the Irish swallowed this. (There is no limit to what the Irish imagination can convince itself of. For example, they also came to believe that Brigit was the "foster-mother" of Jesus, giving no thought to the implausibility of Jesus having spent his boyhood in Ireland!) Brigit's holiday was chiefly marked by the kindling of sacred fires, since she symbolized the fire of birth and healing, the fire of the forge, and the fire of poetic inspiration. Bonfires were lighted on the beacon tors, and chandlers celebrated their special holiday. The Roman Church was quick to confiscate this symbolism as well, using "Candlemas" as the day to bless all the church candles that would be used for the coming liturgical year. (Catholics will be reminded that the following day, St. Blaise's Day, is remembered for using the newly-blessed candles to bless the throats of parishioners, keeping them from colds, flu, sore throats, etc.) The Catholic Church, never one to refrain from piling holiday upon holiday, also called it the Feast of the Purification of the 537 Blessed Virgin Mary. (It is surprising how many of the old Pagan holidays were converted to Maryan Feasts.) The symbol of the Purification may seem a little obscure to modern readers, but it has to do with the old custom of "churching women". It was believed that women were impure for six weeks after giving birth. And since Mary gave birth at the winter solstice, she wouldn't be purified until February 2nd. In Pagan symbolism, this might be re-translated as when the Great Mother once again becomes the Young Maiden Goddess. Today, this holiday is chiefly connected to weather lore. Even our American folk-calendar keeps the tradition of "Groundhog's Day", a day to predict the coming weather, telling us that if the Groundhog sees his shadow, there will be "six more weeks" of bad weather (i.e., until the next old holiday, Lady Day). This custom is ancient. An old British rhyme tells us that "If Candlemas Day be bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year." Actually, all of the cross-quarter days can be used as "inverse" weather predictors, whereas the quarter- days are used as "direct" weather predictors. Like the other High Holidays or Great Sabbats of the Witches' year, Candlemas is sometimes celebrated on it's alternate date, astrologically determined by the sun's reaching 15-degrees Aquarius, or Candlemas Old Style (this year, February 6th). Another holiday that gets mixed up in this is Valentine's Day. Ozark folklorist Vance Randolf makes this quite clear by noting that the old-timers used to celebrate Groundhog's Day on February 14th. Once again, this shows the resultant confusion of calendar changes and "lost days" that have accumulated down the centuries. For modern Witches, Candlemas O.S. may be seen as the Pagan version of Valentine's Day, with a de-emphasis of "hearts and flowers" and an appropriate re-emphasis of Pagan carnal frivolity. This also re-aligns the holiday with the ancient Roman Lupercalia, a fertility festival held at this time, in which the priests of Pan ran through the streets of Rome whacking young women with goatskin thongs to make them fertile. The women seemed to enjoy the attention and often stripped in order to afford better targets. One of the nicest folk-customs still practiced in many countries, and especially by Witches in the British Isles and parts of the U.S., is to place a lighted candle in each and every window of the house, beginning at sundown on Candlemas Eve (February 1), allowing them to continue burning until sunrise. Make sure that such candles are well seated against tipping and guarded from nearby curtains, etc. What a cheery sight it is on this cold, bleak and dreary night to see house after house with candle-lit windows! And, of course, if you are your Coven's chandler, or if you just happen to like making candles, Candlemas Day is the day for doing it. Some Covens hold candle-making parties and try to make and bless all the candles they'll be using for the whole year on this day. 538 Other customs of the holiday include weaving "Brigit's crosses" from straw or wheat to hang around the house for protection, performing rites of spiritual cleansing and purification, making "Brigit's beds" to ensure fertility of mind and spirit (and body, if desired), and making Crowns of Light (i.e. of candles) for the High Priestess to wear for the Candlemas Circle, similar to those worn on St. Lucy's Day in Scandinavian countries. All and all, this is certainly one of the prettiest holidays celebrated in the Pagan seasonal calendar. 539 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com OPENING THE CIRCLE The High Priestess goes to each of the four directions in turn, and draws a Banishing Pentacle, saying, Guardians of the East (South, West, North), Powers of Air (Fire, Water, Earth), we thank you For joining in our circle And we ask for your blessing As you depart May there be peace between us Now and forever. Blessed be. She raises her athame to the sky and touches it to the earth, then opens her arms and says, The circle is open, but unbroken, May the peace of the Goddess Go in your hearts, Merry meet, and merry part. And merry meet again. Blessed be. 540 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Ritual of Casting Sacred Circle Many times we are asked "how do you cast a circle ?" There are so many different was that this can be done. Differs from each Tradition to the next. Even within our own Avaloian Tradition we make improvisions on this. The main factor is to cast a sacred space. A space that separates this world from the other. A space that we ourselves make holy. And that is what is important. A space that you set aside from all else, to glorify and exalt. For you are the one casting, cleansing, purifying, and setting it aside from all else. Before you cast, one should make sure of the intent of casting. Ask yourself why you are doing it. Once you have this the gathering is made easier. If you are doing this with a group of people One must be chosen to be the Lord or Lady. The Lord or Lady usually has one person who waits them. This is not to say the Lord or Lady is higher than they, but the fact that they shall be the God/dess incarnate. You may also do this solitary. Depending on the amount tending. The Lord/Lady has the sword brought to them. All else are standing outside where the circle is to be cast. The Lord/Lady takes the sword and walk deosil (clockwise) around the space to be cast. The wait has a small bell with them. Beginning at the East, the sword, in a non-threatening manner, is raised. The wait rings the bell. All fill fall silent. Moving clockwise the Lord/Lady salute each direction. If there are four novices present each will stand to the directions as the Lord/Lady passes. Lord/Lady: Let all those that wish to partake enter ye now ! (the bell is rung) Everyone enters by stepping forward (no actual circle has been cast yet) Wait: My Lord/Lady all those that wish to partake in this Magickal Rite are now present. I pray you, cast the Sacred Circle. Lord/Lady: What thou doth sees makes here this night, shall be forever within this circle. So Mote It Be ! (When anyone speaks the So Mote It Be or Blessed Be, all shall repeat it) Again at the East, the Lord/Lady takes the sword and draws within the ground or upon the floor the circle saying as the pass... "I draw this magick circle let no evil or ill will cross its mark." Once the Lord/Lady has reached the East again, They take the sword and place it upon the shoulders of the novice, and says... "be thou the guardian of this gate... I call I summon I stir oh ye spirits of Air, come forth now I pray thee and witness our Rite. So Mote It Be !" The Guardian answers: I am he/she the guardian, no evil or ill will shall pass by me, My Lord/Lady. the Wait rings the bell The Lord/Lady goes to each quarter and perform the same, on each guardian. The Wait will ring the bell as each guardian answers. Once the quarters are called the Lord/Lady goes to the center of the circle as the Wait preforms the cleansing of the circle with salt and water. 541 Incense can be used instead of salt and water mixture. The Lord/Lady summons the spirit of the Great Lady and the Great Lord by saying.... Great Lady witness now your children who stand before you in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. Standing East, with the censer the Lord/Lady says.... Great Maiden Come To Us..... All repeat.... Standing South, with the torch or candle the Lord/Lady says.... Great Mother Come To Us.... All repeat... Standing West, with chalice of wine or water, the Lord/Lady says... Ancient Queen of Wisdom Come To Us.... All repeat... Standing North, with the salt, the Lord/Lady says.... Brother Come To Us... All Repeat... Drumming, rattles, any form of music making can be added to this. As you can take note there really isn't any particular God or Goddess called, this is the Avaloian Tradition. All Gods are one God, all Goddesses are one Goddess. So there is the very basic beginnings of Magical Workings... you can take it from here..... Do What Thou Wilt, Save Harm None, Shall Be the Whole. Bright Blessing... Lord OberRon Knight of the Sacred Light 542 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com LOOKING AT YOURSELF before you go a step further, take a good long look at your desires, motivation and skills. What role do you see yourself playing in this new group? "Ordinary" member? Democratic facilitator? High Priestess? And if the last -- why do you want the job? The title of High Priestess and Priestess are seductive, conjuring up exotic images of yourself in embroidered robes, a silver crescent (or horned helm) on your brow, adoring celebrants hanging on every word which drops from your lips... Reality check. The robes will be stained with wine and candle wax soon enough, and not every word you speak is worth remembering. A coven leader's job is mostly hard work between rituals and behind the scene. It is not always a good place to act out your fantasies, because the lives and well-being of others are involved, and what is flattering or enjoyable to you man not be in their best interest. So consider carefully. If your prime motive is establishing a coven is to gain status and ego gratification, other people will quickly sense that. If they are intelligent, independent individuals, they will refuse to play Adoring Disciple to your Witch Queen impressions. They will disappear, and that vanishing act will be the last magick they do with you. And if you do attract a group ready to be subservient Spear Carriers in your fantasy drama -- well, do you really want to associate with that kind of personality? What are you going to do when you want someone strong around to help you or teach you, and next New Moon you look out upon a handful of Henry Milquetoasts and Frieda Handmaidens? If a person is willing to serve you, the they will also become dependent on you, drain your energy, and become disillusioned if you ever let down the Infallible Witch Queen mask for even a moment. Some other not-so-great reasons for starting a coven: a) because it seems glamorous, exotic, and a little wicked; b) because it will shock your mother, or c) because you can endure your boring, flunky job more easily if you get to go home and play Witch at night. Some better reasons for setting up a coven, and even nomination yourself as High Priest/ess, include: a) you feel that you will be performing a useful job for yourself and others; b) you have enjoyed leadership roles in the past, and proven yourself capable; or c) you look forward to learning and growing in the role. Even with the best motives in the world, you will still need to have -- or quickly develop -- a whole range of skills in order to handle a leadership role. If you are to be a facillitator of a study group, group process insights and skills are important. These include: 543 1) Gatekeeping, or guiding discussion in such a way that everyone has an opportunity to express ideas and opinions; 2) Summarizing and clarifying; 3) Conflict resolution, or helping participants understand points of disagreement and find potential solutions which respect everyone's interests; 4) Moving the discussion toward consensus, or at any rate decision, by identifying diversions and refocussing attention on goals and priorities; and 5) Achieving closure smoothly when the essential work is complected, or an appropriate stopping place is reached. In addition to group process skills, four other competencies necessary to the functioning of a coven are: ritual leadership, administration, teaching, and counseling. In a study group the last one may not be considered a necessary function, and the other three may be shared among all participants. But in a coven the leaders are expected to be fairly capable in all these areas, even if responsibilities are frequently shared or delegated. Let us look briefly at each. Ritual leadership involves much more that reading invocations by candlelight. Leaders must understand the powers they intend to manipulate: how they are raised, channeled and grounded. They must be adept at designing rituals which involve all the sensory modes. They should have a repertoire of songs and chants, dances and gestures or mudras, incense and oils, invocations and spells, visual effects and symbols, meditations and postures; and the skill to combine these in a powerful, focused pattern. They must have clarity of purpose and firm ethics. And they must understand timing: both where a given ritual fits in the cycles of the Moon, the Wheel of the Year, and the dance of the spheres, and how to pace the ritual once started, so that energy peaks and is channeled at the perfect moment. And they must understand the Laws of Magick, and the correspondences, and when ritual is appropriate and when it is not. By administration, we refer to basic management practices necessary to any organization. These include apportioning work fairly, and following up on its progress; locating resources and obtaining them (information, money, supplies); fostering communications (by telephone, printed schedules, newsletters etc.); and keeping records (minutes, accounts, Witch Book entries, or ritual logbook). Someone or several someone's has to collect the dues if any, buy the candles, chill the wine, and so forth. 544 Teaching is crucial to both covens and study groups. If only one person has any formal training or experience in magick, s/he should transmit that knowledge in a way which respects the intuitions, re-emerging past life skills, and creativity of the others. If several participants have some knowledge in differing areas, they can all share the teaching role. If no one in the group has training and you are uncertain where to begin, they you may need to call on outside resources: informed and ethical priest/esses who can act as visiting faculty, or who are willing to offer guidance by telephone or correspondence. Much can be gleaned from books, or course -- assuming you know which books are trustworthy and at the appropriate level -- but there is no substitute for personal instruction for some things. Magick can be harmful if misused, and an experienced practitioner can help you avoid pitfalls as well as offering hints and techniques not found in the literature. Counseling is a special role of the High Priest/ess. It is assumed that all members of a coven share concern for each other's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare, and are willing to help each other out in practical ways. However, coven leaders are expected to have a special ability to help coveners explore the roots of their personal problems and choose strategies and tactics to overcome them. This is not to suggest that one must be a trained psychoanalyst; but at the least, good listening skills, clear thinking and some insight into human nature are helpful. Often, magickal skills such as guided visualization, Tarot counseling and radiasthesia (pendulum work) are valuable tools as well. Think carefully about your skills in these areas, as you have demonstrated them in other organizations. Ask acquaintances or co-workers, who can be trusted to give you a candid opinion, how they see you in some of these roles. Meditate, and decide what you really want for yourself in organizing the new group. Will you be content with being a catalyst and contact person -- simply bringing people with a common interest together, then letting the group guide its destiny from that point on? Would you rather be a facillitator, either for the first months or permanently: a low- key discussion leader who enables the group to move forward with a minimum of misunderstanding and wasted energy? Or do you really want to be High Priestess -- whatever that means to you -- and serve as the guiding spirit and acknowledged leader of a coven? And if you do want that job, exactly how much authority and work do you envision as part of it? Some coven leaders want a great deal of power and control; others simply take an extra share of responsibility for setting up the rituals (whether or not they actually conduct the rites), and act as "magickal advisor" to less experienced members. Thus the High Priest/ess can be the center around which the life of the coven revolves, or primarily an honorary title, or anything in between. 545 That is one area which you will need to have crystal-clear in your own mind before the first meeting (of if you are flexible, at least be very clear that you are). You must also be clear as to your personal needs on other points: program emphasis, size, meeting schedule, finances, degree of secrecy, and affiliation with a tradition or network. You owe it to prospective members and to yourself to make your minimum requirements known from the outset: it can be disastrous to a group to discover that members have major disagreements on these points after you have been meeting for six months. 546 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com BLOOD SACRIFICE by Althea Whitebirch We have all moved through periods of crisis in our lives; things ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, from the death of someone close to us to final exams. Events which are extremely stressful--which threaten our lives, home, future or security--would seem t call for strong measures of assistance. There have been many times that I have felt that the course of events required swift and strong intervention of a deity. Blood sacrifice is, to my mind, one of the more powerful magics one could perform, and so seemed particularly suitable for this. But it's rather ethically sticky. I may feel that the kind of energy contained in the outpouring of blood would be most efficacious in a serious situation, but I'm dead-set against the use of an unwilling victim for the purpose. So, in the past I've spilled my own blood with an athame, at the same time offering up prayers; it just didn't seem to work as well as I thought it would. Perhaps, I thought, one needs lots of blood to generate any appreciable amount of energy. Then a friend suggested what seemed the perfect solution--blood donation! I'd been giving blood for several years and the thought just never had occurred to me before. So the next time I went in to donate, I approached it as ritual sacrifice for a particular purpose, and both the process and results seemed to be much improved. Since then I've gone to donate blood many times, each time with a prayer for healing for the recipient of my blood, and a request for aid from the deity that seemed most appropriate. For those of you who've never donated blood before, I can provide a few details of the process. It's not very frightening, and it can be a very spiritually moving experience, I'll tell you! As well, remember that you don't sell blood (at least not in Puget Sound), you donates it. You can sell plasma--the straw-colored fluid that makes up the bulk of your blood--but not blood itself. The first time you go in you'll fill out a medical questionnaire: the Puget Sound Blood Bank doesn't want your blood if you're ill right then (or just getting over something), taking certain medications, ever had hepatitis or malaria, or are in a high-risk category for contracting AIDS (Haitian, homosexual, needle-using drug user or prostitute). If you have any questions, they'll be happy to answer them. After you fill out the questionnaire, they'll take your blood pressure and a blood sample (like sticking your finger with a pin) to test your hemocrit (% of hemoglobin) as well as determining what type your blood is. If your hemocrit count isn't high enough they'll send you home. Nowadays, all blood is sent to a lab to be tested for presence of AIDS anti-bodies as well; if you test positive they'll notify you by mail. You'll be asked if you've eaten in the last four hours, and if not, sent to the canteen for cookies and juice. 547 Then comes the fun part--you go lie down on a table where a phlebo- tomist (who draws the blood) asks you some questions, verifies your name, and then sets you up to donate. They tie a rubber hose around your arm, so the vein will stand out and be easy to find. They use cold liquid ethyl chloride on your arm, to numb it where the needle goes in. I won't say that it doesn't hurt when the needle is inserted--it does but it's tolerable--when it's in place though, you'll hardly know it's there. (You may get the idea from all this that I'm a stoic--hardly! I'm a wimp when it comes to pain, but this I can handle.) At this time they'll leave you there for up to five minutes while you clench and relax your hand (to keep the blood from clotting) and the blood flows into a little plastic bag. It's warm and red, and rather reassuring, really. At this time you can get into some really serious prayer, or hum a little healing chant for the person your blood's going to. (I once was doing this and got a flash image of a little boy, a burn victim. I always wondered who got my blood that day.) I wouldn't recommend getting too spaced-out though; remember you've got to be able to return to yourself when you want to, and the physical effects of giving blood can make some people light-headed or slightly woozie. When they ask you how you're feeling, be honest, not macho. You don't want to embarrass yourself by fainting. Afterwards they'll ask you to have some juice and cookies. By all means, do! For one thing, you've earned them; for another it's impor- tant to replace the fluid and blood sugar you just gave up. Working magic really takes it out of you, too (at least it does me). In my experience, there are several good reasons to use this parti- cular method of blood sacrifice: a) It doesn't require the death of one of the Gods' children. b) It is giving of yourself--for the good of others as well as your own. c) It is safe--the Blood Bank uses sterile instruments and never re-uses needles, so you can't catch anything. d) You have the added benefit of being able to see the blood as it's being given (somehow that adds to my experience), and a pint is a lot more than I've ever been able to get with a knife! Next time you want to get the Gods' attention, try it! 548 The Grove of Phoenix Rising * FOUR WEEK FAST * FIRST WEEK * If you normally eat meat, begin to eliminate it from your diet during this first week. If you feel you must eat it, eat a small amount and no more than 3 times during the week. * Eliminate all alcoholic beverages, carbonated beverages (except for bottled waters such as Artesia, etc.), and diet drinks. Substitute fruit juices or fruit drinks. * Refrain from smoking (anything), or using any other intoxicants. * Cut way back on any other stimulants, such as coffee or tea or cocoa. No more than three cups a day if you are a heavy coffee or tea drinker. * Use as little salt as possible and no other spices. * Refrain from sweets - cakes, pies, candy. * Drink large amounts of fluids, especially water. * * SECOND WEEK * Eliminate meat entirely. Substitute dairy products - IN MODERATION. * Continue to limit intake of stimulants (coffee, tea, cocoa), cutting back to no more than two cups a day. * Continue to avoid tobacco, alcohol, other intoxicants, spices, and soft drinks, and use as little salt as possible. * Continue to drink large amounts of water. * Your diet should consist largely of vegetables and grains, with large amounts of liquids. * * THIRD WEEK * Limit intake of stimulants (coffee, tea, cocoa) to one cup a day. * Continue to avoid tobacco, alcohol, other intoxicants, meat, spices, and soft drinks, and use as little salt as possible. * Do not use meat in seasoning vegetables. * Your diet should consist of vegetables and fruits only. Raw vegetables and fruits are best (nuts can be included). Drink large amounts of water and substitute fruit or vegetable juices for meals as often as possible. * FOURTH WEEK (first four days) * 549 Fluids only. Fruit and vegetable juices in desired quantity, cutting back each day. Drink large amounts of water. If you feel you must have coffee, limit it to a cup a day (a half cup if possible). * If you feel you must have something the first day or so of this week, a small handful of raisins or other dried fruit may be taken. Nibble slowly. As the week progresses, continue to cut back on nibbles and the amount of juice taken. A spoonful of honey added to hot water helps satisfy the craving for hot beverages and gives you an energy boost. * * THE FAST * The fast should last for three days. It is best to do this on a weekend and if possible, alone and in the woods. (Go camping!) * Drink lots of water and if you feel the need for an energy stimulant, a small amount of honey may be added to hot water. * Spend as much time as possible in meditation. This period should sooth your spirit as well as cleanse your body. RELAX! * You will probably want to sleep a lot. Do so. Allow yourself to drift with your thoughts. Do not attempt to solve your problems during this time. They will solve themselves later, for your mind will be clearer after the fast is over. * Most people feel great the first day, a little weakness the second day, and great again on the third day. * * AFTER THE FAST * Eat lightly for your first meal after the fast. It is best to begin by returning to fruit and vegetable juices and working your slowly into solid foods over a few days. * * THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS TO DRINK LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER ALL THE WAY THROUGH! This flushes out toxins the body is releasing. 550 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com THE ANCIENT ART Once upon a time, a long time ago, there were people who believed in laughter, joy and love. They believed in many deities, but the most important to them was their Great Mother Goddess. They believed in and lived with the powers of Nature. They reveled in the Wind, the Rain, the Snow and the Sunlight. They marveled at and revered the changing of the seasons and saw therein great excitement and wisdom to be gained. They knew that if they tended, cared for and loved the Earth, in return She would provide for, care for and love them. They saw that all around them the world was filled with Life, much as their own but in many different and wonderful forms. They felt the life of the flowers, plants and trees and respected them for that life essence. They looked about and observed all the many types of animals and saw that they were kindred to them and loved them. They felt and observed the great Love of the Goddess all about them and knew kinship with the Moon. They were practioners of The Old Religion, worshipers of The Great Mother. Witch! The very word instantly invokes visions for each of us, visions which vary greatly from individual to individual. Many of these visions, however, are quite false, brought about by many centuries of severe persecutions, misrepresentations, prejudice and, in recent years, lack of knowledge. Witchcraft! What is it really? Witchcraft is the oldest, most irrepressible religion in the world because it stimulates the intellect, promotes a simple, practical way of life and, most importantly, is emotionally satisfying. Its roots lie in the ancient Matriarchal systems of Goddess worship. A religion of Nature in which the primary deity is female (The Essence of Femininity, The Earth Mother, The Great Mother, etc.). It was easy for the Wise Ones to look at the world around them and see the great importance of Feminine Principle. The female was, indeed, the one who bore the young, perhaps the most magickal of all events to ancient man. Then, she played by far the most important role in rearing the young, being totally responsible for feeding, for without her milk there was no life past birth. She was responsible for the teaching and early care of the young. In all youths the greatest comfort and nurturing love were connected with the mother. These revelations and experiences could hardly lead to any other choice than the total reverence and deification of the female. Although The Great Mother is the most important deity, Witches do, generally, recognize many Goddesses and/or Gods and are, therefore, polytheistic. The tenets of Witchcraft are few but all-encompassing, for with three simple Universal Observations all of life can be explained and understood: 1) Reincarnation - Mortality 2) Cause & Effect - Magick 3) Retribution - Morality Reincarnation enlightens the Witch to the fact that, as we come 551 to this material world over and over in a series of learning periods, or lifetimes, we will eventually have to experience all things, be all things, understand all things. This creates a great tolerance for other viewpoints in the Witch. Cause & Effect, and an understanding of it, allows the Witch to see what makes the world work and how to live most efficiently. It gives them a great advantage in that it explains the working of Magick. Retribution shows the Witch, in graphic terms, that every thought one might have, every action one may take, is returned in like kind. This realization forms the basis of the Moral Code of the Witch. The Patriarchal Societies which evolved in later times had no tolerance for the Goddess religions and systematically set out to destroy the material vestiges, kill or convert the adherents and wipe out all knowledge of them. They destroyed the temples and other places of worship, desecrated the sacred groves and magickal places, attempted to pervert the old deities, mutilated and totally suppressed sacred art, tore down libraries and burned books, tortured and killed the practitioners of the Old Religions, demeaned, persecuted and oppressed women in general and passed strictly enforced laws which made theirs the State Religion and forbade all other viewpoints. Despite the centuries of insidious persecution, deliberate destruction and perversions at the hands of the Christian Conspirators, Witchcraft has survived. COMMON INQUIRIES I've heard the terms 'White Witch' and 'Black Witch'. Can you explain? In this connotation, white is referring to Positive, Black is referring to Negative. A White Witch then is someone who tries to do Positive or Good things. Black Witch could be a term used to describe someone who deliberately does Negative or Bad things. A True Witch believes in the Law of Retribution and would never deliberately harm anyone or anything or participate in Negative or Destructive acts. 552 Is it possible for me to practice Witchcraft and remain a Christian? No. The Christian Doctrine states, unequivocally, that Christians shall have no other Gods before the Christian God. Christian Doctrine says to believe in any other deities or to practice any other religion is not only evil but should be punished by death, specifically naming Witchcraft. The Christian Doctrine also denies Reincarnation and prescribes punishment for those who practice Magick. Devil worship? Witches do not worship the Devil. Witchcraft predates Christianity and does not incorporate a belief in the Christian Devil. The Wise Ones did deify the Masculine Principle and quite often He was depicted as The Great Horned God; Pan, Cernunnos, the Great Stag, The Green Man. To the Traditional Witch, the Masculine Deity (the Goddess' Consort) is very important, revered and loved. He is the perfect Father, the Lord Protector. The Horned God of the Witches is loving, kind and good. Don't men have difficulty with a supreme female deity? There are some groups which give equal status to the female and male deities. Neo-Pagans are, by definition, people who attempt to live with the Old Country Ways in a new, modern day manner. And while, in this modern era, equal status for the deities may be popular, as it relates to Witchcraft it is historically incorrect. Therefore, a group which does not recognize the Goddess as primary deity is not practicing The Ancient Art. Indeed, they, generally, know very little about Witchcraft, despite their claims. Traditional Dualistic Witches do most emphatically believe that women and men are equal, but have no trouble relating to the Goddess. The Male Witch finds great comfort and solace in his Great Mother. Do I have to join a Coven? No. It is not necessary nor is it desirable for a great many people. Some people enjoy the support and companionship a Coven provides, others enjoy solitary worship. The Coven, which is an extremely close knit worship group, may not be possible for some because of location, family climate, availability, etc. 553 Why is Witchcraft secretive? The horror of the 'Burning Time' is still very real to the Witch. The past persecutions were severe. Even so, in today's more enlightened society the need for complete secrecy has lessened and many are able to share their beliefs openly. Very few, however, are willing to expose their very personal and private religious expressions to others who may not understand. What do I have to do to become a Witch? The answer to this question is very simple. To become a Witch one must follow the religion of Witchcraft. To do this one must believe in the Goddess as primary deity and follow the three basic tenets. How simple! How uncomplicated! How Pagan! Everything else concerning witchcraft is simply minor details. Details that vary from Aspect to Aspect, Coven to Coven and individual to individual. The details are relatively personal. They should not become more important than the basic tenets. If you do not understand, believe and practice Witchcraft, you are not a Witch. No one can make you a Witch. Reading about it can not make you a Witch. An Initiation can not make you a Witch. Saying you are a Witch, one thousand and fifty two times, can not make you a Witch. In the search for your individual path beware of those who would take advantage of you. Do not fall prey to the unscrupulous charlatans who would swindle you in a monetary sense (mail-order courses, charges for teaching or initiations, vows of poverty, etc.), exploit you sexually or manipulate you for their own personal ego-trips. 554 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com 'Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness.' -- Bertrand Russell CHARMED, I'M SURE The Ethics of Love Spells ========================= by Mike Nichols * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To gain the love of someone: On a night of the full moon, walk to a spot beneath your beloved's bedroom window, and whisper his/her name three times to the nightwind. --Ozark love spell * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * It seems tobe an immutable law ofnature. You are interviewedby a local radio or TV station, or in some local newspaper. The topic of the interview is Witchcraft or Paganism, and you spend the better part of an hour brilliantly articulating your beliefs, your devotion to Goddess and nature, the difference between Witchcraft and Satanism, and generally enlightening the public at large. The next day, you are flooded with calls. Is it people complimenting you on such a splendid interview? No. People wanting to find out more about the religion of Wicca? Huh-uh. People who are even vaguely interested in what you had to say??? Nope. Who is it? It's people asking you to do a love spell for them! This used to drive me nuts. I'd take a deep breath and patiently explain (for the thousandth time) why I won't even do love spells for myself, let alone anyone else. This generally resulted in my caller becoming either angry or defensive, but seldom more enlightened. 'But don't you DO magic?', they ask. 'Only occasionally,' I answer. 'And aren't most magic spells love spells?', they persist. That was the line I really hated, because I knew they were right! At least, if you look at the table of contents of most books on magic, you'll find more love spells than any other kind. This seems as true for the medieval grimoire as for the modern drugstore paperback. Why? Why so many books containing so many love spells? Why such an emphasis on a kind of magic that I, personally, have always considered very negative? And to make matters even more confusing, the books that do take the trouble of dividing spells between 'positive' and 'negative' magic invariably list love spells under the first heading. After all, they would argue, love is a good thing. There can never be too much of it. Therefore, any spell that brings about love must be a GOOD spell. Never mind that the spell puts a straightjacket on another's free will, and then drops it in cement for good measure. 555 And thatis whyI hadalways assumedlove magicto benegative magic. Years ago, one of the first things I learned as a novice Witch was something called the Witch's Rede, a kind of 'golden rule' in traditional Witchcraft. It states, 'An it harm none, do what thou will.' One uses this rede as a kind of ethical litmus test for a spell. If the spell brings harm to someone -- anyone (including yourself!) -- then don't do it! Unfortunately, this rule contains a loophole big enough to fly a broom through. It's commonly expressed, 'Oh, this won't HARM them; it's really for their own good.' When you hear someone say that, take cover, because something especially nasty is about to happen. That's why I had to develop my own version of the Witch's Rede. Mine says that if a spell harms anyone, OR LIMITS THEIR FREEDOM OF THOUGHT OR ACTION IN ANY WAY, then consider it negative, and don't do it. Pretty strict, you say? Perhaps. But there's another law in Witchcraft called the Law of Threefold Return. This says that whatever power you send out, eventually comes back to you three times more powerful. So I take no chances. And love spells, of the typical make-Bobby-love-me type, definitely have an impact on another's free will. Sowhy are they so common? It's taken me yearsto make peace with this, but I think I finally understand. The plain truth is that most of us NEED love. Without it, our lives are empty and miserable. After our basic survival needs have been met, we must have affection and companionship for a full life. And if it will not come of its own accord, some of us may be tempted to FORCE it to come. And nothing can be as painful as loving someone who doesn't love you back. Consequently, the most common, garden-variety spell in the world is the love spell. Is there ever a way to do a love spell and yet stay within the parameters of the Witch's Rede? Possibly. Some teachers have argued that if a spell doesn't attempt to attract a SPECIFIC person into your life, but rather attempts to attract the RIGHT person, whomever that may be, then it is not negative magic. Even so, one should make sure that the spell finds people who are 'right' for each other -- so that neither is harmed, and both are made happy. Is there ever an excuse for the make-Bobby-love-me type of spell? Without endorsing this viewpoint, I must admit that the most cogent argument in its favor is the following: Whenever you fall in love with someone, you do everything in your power to impress them. You dress nicer, are more attentive, witty, and charming. And at the same time, you unconsciously set in motion some very powerful psychic forces. If you've ever walked into a room where someone has a crush on you, you know what I mean. You can FEEL it. Proponents of this school say that a love spell only takes the forces that are ALREADY there -- MUST be there if you're in love -- and channels them more efficiently. But the energy would be there just the same, whether or not you use a spell to focus it. Iwon't attempt to decidethis one for you. People must arrive at their own set of ethics through their own considerations. However, I would call to your attention all the cautionary tales in folk magic about love spells gone awry. Also, if a love spell has been employed to join two people who are not naturally compatible, then one must keep pumping energy into the spell. And when one finally tires of this (and one will, because it is hard work!) then the spell will unravel amidst an emotional and psychic hurricane that will make the stormiest divorces seem calm by comparison. Not a pretty picture. It should be noted that many spells that pass themselves off as love spells are, in reality, sex spells. Not that there's anything surprising 556 in that, since our most basic needs usually include sex. But I think we should be clear from the outset what kind of spell it is. And the same ethical standards used for love spells can often be applied to sex spells. Last year, the very quotable Isaac Bonewits, author of 'Real Magic', taught a sex magic class here at the Magick Lantern, and he tossed out the following rule of thumb: Decide what the mundane equivalent of your spell would be, and ask yourself if you could be arrested for it. For example, some spells are like sending a letter to your beloved in the mail, whereas other spells are tantamount to abduction. The former is perfectly legal and normal, whereas the latter is felonious. One mitigating factor in your decisions may be the particular tradition of magic you follow. For example, I've often noticed that practitioners of Voudoun (Voodoo) and Santeria seem much more focused on the wants and needs of day-to-day living than on the abstruse ethical considerations we've been examining here. That's not a value judgement -- just an observation. For example, most followers of Wicca STILL don't know how to react when a Santerian priest spills the blood of a chicken during a ritual -- other than to feel pretty queasy. The ethics of one culture is not always the same as another. And speaking of cultural traditions, another consideration is how a culture views love and sex. It has often been pointed out that in our predominant culture, love and sex are seen in very possessive terms, where the beloved is regarded as one's personal property. If the spell uses this approach, treating a person as an object, jealously attempting to cut off all other relationships, then the ethics are seriously in doubt. However, if the spell takes a more open approach to love and sex, not attempting to limit a person's other relationships in any way, then perhaps it is more defensible. Perhaps. Still, it might be wise to ask, Is this the kind of spell I'd want someone to cast on me? Love spells. Whether to dothem or not. If you area practitioner of magic, I dare say you will one day be faced with the choice. If you haven't yet, it is only a matter of time. And if the answer is yes, then which spells are ethical and which aren't? Then you, and only you, will have to decide whether 'All's fair in love and war', or whether there are other, higher, metaphysical considerations. 557 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com DRAWING DOWN THE MOON In this ritual the Goddess becomes incarnate in the High Priestess. The High Priestess stands in front of the altar with her back to it. She holds the wand in her right hand and the scrounge in her left. She crosses her wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge above them while holding them close to her breast. The High Priest stands in front of her and says: "Diana, queen of night In all your beauty bright, Shine on us here, And with your silver beam Unlock the gates of dream; Rise bright and clear. On Earth and sky and sea, Your magic mystery Its spell shall cast, Wherever leaf may grow, Wherever tide may flow, Till all be past. O secret queen of power, At this enchanted hour We ask your boon. May fortune's favor fall Upon true witches all, O Lady Moon!" The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he does this: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar. Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty. Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names." For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.The High Priest kneels again and invokes: "I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, bylife and love doI invoke theeto descend uponthe body of this, thy servant and priestess." 558 During this invocation he touches her with his right forefinger on her right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the right breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms out and down, with the palms forward and says: "Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend Before thee, I adore thee to the end, With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore. Thy foot is to my lip (he kisses her right foot) my prayer up borne Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend To aid me, who without thee am forlorn." The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and says: "Of the Mother darksome and divine Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss; The five point star of love and bliss Here I charge you in this sign." The High Priestess should be in a trance now. This is a good time to do the Charge or the Witches' Creed. When the Charge or Creed is finished, the Goddess must be dismissed. It is bad magical practice not to do so. The High Priest faces the Priestess and says: "We thank you Our Lady for attending our rites. We bid you farewell till next we call you. Blessed Be." Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983 and dismissal added by Seastrider. Distributed over various BBS systems via Ravensong. 559 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com CALLING ALL CRONES by Grey Cat Into the dark, the pale light of the waning moon brings forth shapeless shadows; bushes, a wandering stone fieldwall, nameless areas of blackness. Some still, some moving; no night for good folk to stray from cot or castle. Black hares amove across the moors, black cattle idly gossip together, one old woman dressed in black searches the grass for secret herbs. And there amongst the standing stones, age heavy upon their backs, three hags dare all the mercy of God's Holy Mother Church to make the magic of an older race. ``Call old Mother Piggot, she knows the proper words for warts.''... ``Tis Goody Nurse you'll need if it's a son ye want.''... ``Tis naught but an Old Wives Tale.''... ``Don't mind Mother, she hasn't been herself since she went through the Change of Life.'' Looming high over the imagination of humankind, the shadow of the Crone casts a miasma of fear and uselessness, power and casting-- out, across the myths of our race and society. I have talked and talked to women who either have arrived at crone time or who are preparing themselves for this transition and we have found much to talk about. And I think that it is important that we keep right on talking after the season of Gatherings has passed for the year. I have absolutely no interest in trying to start a newsletter for Crones, nor really of founding OWL (Old Woman's League), SOW (Salty Old Women), CRONE (Clearly Rational Older Natural Energy), nor HAG (Honorable Aged Geniuses). However, I, no more than many of you, want to have to wait until next year to get a chance to discuss all these fascinating topics. So how about some suggestions, and perhaps some offers of help. Would we like to cooperate in an APAZine* which dispenses with an editing and layout burden, leaving some low-- level bookkeeping which I don't mind doing. Does someone feel like working on a Newsletter? Do we want to form a loose organization as part of or instead of the above? Or are most of us too busy to do anything about this between gatherings? I'll be sending this letter to people I know personally and to many Pagan publications; you'll probably see it often enough to be sick of the whole idea. But there is a lot of magick available in the Time of the Crone. There is a lot of sociological pressure to understand, combat or accept. And there is a whole lot of our lives left for us to function as Crones. If we don't figure out what it is and what to do with it, nobody else will. So write me at the address below (SASE appreciated) and let me know what you think about the whole idea, what you might be willing to do, what insights you may have about Crone Time -- let's figure out what has been left out of all the books. We're already ``Uppity Women'' and we've nothing to lose but a bad rap. (Crones are assumed to be women more or less at the age of menopause or past it. Baby Crones are any who realize that this time is not far away.) Grey Cat P.O. Box 181 Crossville, TN 38555 560 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com THE ELEMENTS Air Fire Water Earth Akasha Characteristics Transparent, light Force of motion Clear, Heavy Massive Essence Reflective Animator Reflective, Insula. Insulator Multi dimensional Insulator Weightless Absorptive Resists motion Transformative Compressible & Radiative Non-compressible non compress/Expand Compr/Expandable Expandable Compr/Expandable Expandable Endurance Endurance, mobile Moveable, Mutable Non-mutable Smooth flowing Stable, solid Highly mutable Malleable Storable Malleable/mutable Non-mutable malleable, balanced, Male, Penetrating Male,Penetrating Female,Receptive Receptive-to water Transcends E,A,F,W Mediator Evaporates water Mediator Female yet immanent Reacts to Energy for movement by Carries Fire Renews and Carries Fire air Air & Earth nourishes Non-local Essence Logos, switching Power, force Act of choosing Underlying Underlying, mechanism prime mover Intuitive Stability connecting all Energy Flow Crown down Spine behind Front to heart Base of spine up Non local heart to hands with love energy Feeling Free Enthusiastic, Love Centeredness Ecstasy & Bliss energized Correspondences Direction East South West North Center Direction of view Outward Forward/Future Inward To past Holistic Part of Person Mind Will, lifeforce Emotions,intuition Body Spirit (spirit) Consciousness Intelligence Will Wisdom Memory Enlightenment Physical action Thinking Asserting will Making love Sleep, experiencing Breaking barriers Partying, unity Spiritual aspect Enlightenment Life-force Compassion Serenity/beingness Om tat sat Colors Clear/White/Blue Red/Yellow Silver/blue/purple Green/gold/brown Ultraviolet Time Dawn Noon Sunset Night Now and all time Season Spring Summer Fall Winter Kalpas Astrological Libra, Aq., Gemini Ares,Leo,Sagitar. Cancer,Scorp,Pices Capr.,Taurus, Virgo 3,7,11 House Mercury Tarot Swords (esp. Queen) Rods Cups Disks Physical state Gas Plasma/Energy Liquid Solid Singularity Spirits Sylph Salamander Undine Gnome Demigods,God(ess)s Deities Zeus, Urania, Ares, Hestia, Poseidon, Aphrodite Gaia, Pan, Hera Isis, Buddha, Ahura Athena, Aradia Brigid, Hermes Tiamat,Isis Demeter, Rhiannon Mazda, Quan Yin, True Thoth, Pele, Vulcan,Agni Adonis, Dionysus will, Zeus, Hera Power Animals Eagle/hawk Dragon, lion Fish, seal Buffalo, stag Any Otter Symbol Circle Triangle Crescent Square Infinity Sign, white egg, equal arm cross Tools Incense Red Candle Chalice Pentagram Wand, Athame, Crystal 561 cauldron, ankh Incense/Odor Sandlewood/mellow Frankincense/spicy Rose/flowery Musk/Goaty/earthy Combination incense Feeling cool & fresh Warm Tingles like spray Rigidity, Centered Taste Salty Bitter Image Billowing clouds Erupt. Volcano Waterfall Mountain/landscape Blue-white light plants & animals Word of Power YOD-EH-VAV-HE ADNI(add dough nay) AHIA (Aiy Hey Yeh) AGLA (ah gal lah) OM Kabbalistic action Movement Expansion Contraction Stability Underlying essence 562 Wind Spirit Eurus Notus Zephyrus Borus Tornado of power manifesting deities Bija Yam (Yaungg) Ram (Raumgg) VAM (Vaungg) Lam (Laung) Hum (Haumgg)/Om Affirmation I am intelligent I am powerful I am creative I am strong, I am balanced & intuitive centered & know I am all Posture Arms raised Arms above head Arms extended Arms extended back straight Parallel forming triangle palms up palms down arms sweep then at side Virtues Intelligence, Courage, Love, compassion Centeredness Beyond practical, joy enthusiasm, receptivity,flexib. Patience, truth willpower forgiveness thorough, dependable Vices Impulsive,frivolous Anger, jealousy Indifference, Dullness, laziness Beyond boasting, hatred, bullying depression inconsiderateness easily fooled unstable hang-ups Chakra Heart behind waste Behind sex organ Base Crown/third eye Other Quick response Brigid Networking communicative linking people into social unit active Dawn, day, drive heat, yellow plants expression of DNA Benevolent dictator Purple Billowing clouds 563 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com THE AUTARCHIC CREED We of the Old Religion have our own particular compact with our deities that charges simply, "An it harm none, do as ye will." And our gods do not despise us for being human but delight in our celebrations of life and love. We are ageless souls, only for a while within bodies - merely visitors upon this plane. We are brothers to the gods and only temporarily cousins to the ape, and our lives belong to us, not to this world nor to its earthly governors. We are not doomed to shame and decay; not lost; not indentured to perish with earthly manifestations; not disposed to eternal misery for any past or present lapses of courage or wisdom. We are as children in the school of life who must learn our lessons, on life at a time, before we graduate. Our lives span the march of time, striving upward, subordinate only to our individual probity and growth. But in this mortal life, greedy, trivial hierophants and mundane rulers have perpetrated a fraud upon humanity. They have purloined for profit and temporal power, our legitimate heritage, and that of all society, and have substituted for it shame, despair, and fear, inventing evil deities to terrify and to constrain mankind from the exercise of his own native conscience. Still we take our uncertain portion time and again, joining with the species on this plane, only to meet with earthly disunity and distress; only to be told by bogus, uncelestial shepherds that we are deficient and fundamentally iniquitous; constantly rebuked that our natural birthright is insubstantial or even sinful, and that we must cleave to the pious injunctions of reigning mortals, no matter how oppressive, or suffer beyond measurable time, yearning for some mythical golden glory just out of reach, but somehow never quite worthy of it. That is the apocryphal hell and the fabled satan; they are of mortal creation; they are now, not in some remote bye-and-bye; and those who choose to believe in them perpetuate them in this earth. But nevertheless, by sublime design, despite narrowness, folly or fear, we all, each and every one, possess this wondrous legacy: that each of us sustains a singular covenant with the cosmic, in that the soul is and ever was, one with the universe, conducting itself in concordance with the absolute. And whatever paths it may walk, or whichever faith it may follow, on sojourn at a time, each shall as a consequence of that oneness, and attuning with its destiny, eventually return on its own to its source to again be part of that totality, atoned, aware and unshackled. "JUSTIFICUS" 564 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Dealing with psychic attack Zhahai Stewart What to do if you think you are being attacked. 1 - Question if it is really either imagination, or coming from within yourself. Something may be trying to get your attention, but it may not be external, and by focussing on an external "enemy" you may be missing the point. 2 - Check to see if you are yourself inadvertently sending something out; maybe someone is just reflecting some energy back! Nothing is gained if you get into adversarial mode in that case. Many people have been taught that reflecting is the proper response. 3 - Put up a grounding shield. Ground it out, send it to the Mother who can recycle the energy. Grounding is usually taught to every student. If you don't feel you can be a "conduit" safely, ground it by reflecting it downward to the Earth; that is a big target and easy to hit. By grounding it out, you are protecting yourself, yet not being caught up in it. What not to do. 1 - Figure out who is sending it and counter attack. You might be wrong, and may be starting a feud. You might be right, but they may not realize that they are "sending" so you may start a feud or cause unnecessary harm. Even if you are right, you are escalating a feud, of which we have too many. This is commonly discussed as a bad idea. 2 - Put up a reflective shield which will return the energy to the sender. This is commonly discussed as a good idea, but we disagree. We think this is unwise. For one thing, it is not necessary; if you can make an accurate return reflection, you can certainly reflect it to Earth instead (where it can be recycled). There is no reason you should not be able to ground out more energy than you can accurately reflect to the sender, if viewed properly. For another, your accuracy in returning it may be less than perfect. You might hit close but not close enough; if you can't reflect it to earth, you are going to have trouble reflecting it to an unknown person. Sometimes this is discussed as if once you return it, the sender will just stop; because they will awaken to what they are doing, or because the returning energy will be too much to handle. The thing which is seldom mentioned is that if the sender (assuming there is one) was consciously attacking, they will likely already be prepared with their own mirrors, etc. Great, if we put near perfect mirrors at each end and pump in energy, maybe we can get a psychic laser effect; guess who is just on the other side of the mirrors to catch the intensified leakthru? 565 If they weren't aware of sending, they will probably just assume they are being attacked and take countermeasures. If they follow the 3 steps above, fine, nothing is damaged. But many of them will immediately think they have to put up a defensive mirror, or maybe worse (see below; they may decide to teach you a lesson for attacking them). Few people naturally respond to perceived attacks positively (especially if they are in such a bad mood already as to be sending without even realizing it). Another serious concern is getting drawn into a unacknowledged feud by your own weaknesses. It is often agreed that one should reflect back exactly what is received, without adding anything of one's own. But the same people who advocate that may use terms implying "returning it with enthusiasm". There appears to be an easily tapped source of self-righteousness in most people feeling attacked, and it is _very hard_ not to get drawn into imagining, at some level, the satisfying effects of the energy going back to the attacker; that draws one into a "counter-attack" even without realizing it. Grounding it does not. Watch for yourself when people are discussing "returning to sender"; see if there isn't very often a hidden desire for revenge or retribution lurking there grasping for their "control panel" - and deflecting their normal attempts at staying centered by claiming to do no more than is "justified". Justified is not the question; self knowledge and balance are. There is another thread which shows up often in discussions like these; the need to "teach the sender a lesson". In some cases, I have even heard this justified as "protecting the community". This way lies many... ....PRINT D did the goddess give you an "agent of threefold return" marshall's badge, that exempts you from any consequences "because you are just an agent"? That hubris is gonna teach some hard lessons, but the self appointed marshall may be the major recipient. It would be a little bit healthier to just shed the self-righteousness and call it an ego driven feud. "Teaching them a lesson" gets filed under the pitfalls of righteousness, the ways that one's own weaknesses seduce one. Also consider, what if despite your initial impression, the negative energy is really coming from inside, from part of you? Are you going to be better off "reflecting it back" (maybe with additional conscious or unconscious oomph) or grounding it? "Gee, I returned it but good, and now they have stepped it up; the sender really needs a lesson!". That may be more true than you know, bucko. Notice that nowhere do we say that one has no "right" to put up a reflective shield; of course one does, and is fully justified. Also, possibly, unwise. There is a distinction between what one has a "right" to do in "self defense", and what is wise to get drawn into. Reflecting it is neither necessary, nor likely to produce positive results, but if _that itself_ is the lesson to be learned, what can I say? Each chooses their own path, and that is as it should be. At least if one has considered the above, one should know what they are stepping into. 566 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com ETHICS OR ETIQUETTE by Ellen Recently in conversation with friends in a small intimate gathering, I mentioned outer-court names and passed on gossip. Later I was told that I had "violated etiquette." Had I? Etiquette is socially accepted forms of behavior, agreed upon by the members of a community. Ethics involves morality, the nature of right as determined by a group or an individual.I believe there is a great deal of confusion of these terms in the "Pagan Community." Going by fairly traditional rules there are the "Laws of Wicca." Among these there is a very firm one saying one should never reveal another person as a Witch without their permission. However a person who has revealed themselves publicly as a witch shouldn't complain. And is it a violation of ethics to tell of a person by their outer-court name? Only insiders could know the legal name of the person, so what is the danger? Ethics can be fairly easily agreed upon in the general pagan community. Anything that puts someone else in an embarrassing or dangerous position is unethical. We all make mistakes at times, but we try to act in a manner consistent with our ethical code. Etiquette, on the other hand, is very deceiving. We assume, since we are all members of the "Neo-Pagan Community" that we have the same etiquette. But the only etiquette I have ever been explicitly told about involves greetings to be exchanged between members of a group and their high priestess or between two high priestess of different groups. What about a more common meeting? Say a friend of mine is tired of being a solitary and wishes to come to a group celebration. What etiquette should I follow to bring this person to such a circle? I could either contact the group beforehand and ask permission, or tell them I will be bringing a guest, or I could simply bring a guest - with no warning at all. In the first situation, the responsibility and decision is theirs; in the second I am responsible for my guest's behavior; in the third I am a boor and will never be invited to their circles again. No one has covered all the possible conflict situations in the Pagan Community. So there is no way I could agree to follow an "etiquette." My general code is simply to use common sense, and give the other person an easy out. For example, if you think someone else is a Witch and wish to find out, you might tell them that you are one. To receive trust you have to give it first. 567 A secondary problem in this situation is how does one keep a secret? Should one only speak in whispers, or when no one is within 100 paces? I think that looks furtive and produces suspi- cion in the mind of outsiders. Or do we follow Poe's lead and put the secret out in the open and disarm the opposition? I know several people who studiously "maintain secrecy" but everyone knows that they are "witches." Worse, because of their secrecy, their colleagues don't know what a witch is except it must be nasty since they won't speak of it. I do not proclaim my religion, nor do I hide it, and I have never had any problems. I hear 3rd hand horror stories but would like to hear first hand experiences, good or bad. Please write me c/o Panegyria. 568 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Dream News ---------- NUCLEAR NIGHTMARES: With the threat of nuclear war hanging overhead, it is not surprising that our dreams might reflect this source of anxiety. In fact, reports peace psychologist Randy Morris, PhD, many children in our country, not to mention in other nations, have had nuclear imagery in their dreams. Are such dreams simply another example of how daily anxieties are reflected in our nighttime ruminations? Possibly, but Dr. Morris offers another explanation. "Could it be some kind of collective survival mechanism to come as close as possible to experiencing, in order to reject, our self-destruction?" . "I believe," he states, in answer to his question, "that nuclear nightmares represent an impulse on the part of this collective psyche to confront directly the horror of nuclear war, literally, to 'imagine the unimaginable,' and by so doing to take the first step toward healing this festering rupture in the family of man. These dreams, as expressions of pure emotion, have the power to motivate people to work in new ways for peace movement." Dr. Morris notes that the threat of nuclear war is increased by the number of people who simply cannot imagine that it would ever happen. Nuclear nightmares tend to be very "real" in their feeling, and thus may be a natural counterbalance to the ostrich syndrome. . Anyone who has had a nuclear nightmare, or any kind of dream involving nuclear imagery, is invited to write a letter to Randy Morris, PhD, Hiroshima International School, 2-2-6 Ushita-naka, Higashi-ku, Hiroshima 730, Japan, leave a message in ANECDOTAL PSI or PREMONITIONS REGISTRY. SUDDEN DEATH SYNDROME: SUICIDE BY NIGHTMARE: A healthy adult goes to sleep at night but then never wakes up. The medical examiners can find no cause of death? What happened. No one knows, but it happens enough to have earned a name, "sudden death syndrome," and to warrant having the Atlanta Center for Disease Control monitor the incidence of such cases. One population group, Laotian refugees, has a higher than average mortality from sudden death syndrome. Dr. Joseph Jay Tobin, reporting in the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry (July, 1983), presents a case study that leads him to suggest that this phenomenon may be suicide by nightmare. . The patient was a male refugee from war-torn Laos, who had been recently relocated with his family to their own apartment in an American city. Shortly thereafter, the man complained of difficulty sleeping. He reported nightmares in which something (once a cat, once a dog and once a woman) came to him in his bedroom, sat on his chest and tried to prevent his breathing. Dr. Tobin arranged for a Laotian healer to perform a "spirit cure," which was consistent with the patient's world view. Afterwards, Dr. Tobin investigated further into the patient's background. 569 . Examination of the patient's history revealed that he was suffering from "survivor's guilt." This post-traumatic malady, first identified in survivors of the Holocaust, combines depression and paranoia with the nagging feeling, "why was I saved when so many others died?" Dr. Tobin also discovered that among South Asian persons there is the belief in something akin to "voodoo death," called banqunqut, or "Oriental nightmare death," in which a person is believed to be killed during sleep by a spirit which squeezes out the breath. Apparently a similar belief was held in Europe during the Middle Ages. At that time, the name, "incubi" was given to the presumed spirit, from the Latin word for nightmare, incubus. . Previous medical research has indicated that heart attacks can be precipitated in dreams and that certain psychosomatic disorders can be dangerously aggravated during the sleep state. Other research focussing on the healing potential of dreams, nevertheless receives indirect support for the physical potency of dreams by the suggestion that they might also be a vehicle of death. DREAM AFTER SURGERY RESTORES INTEGRITY OF PERSONALITY: Major surgery is a harrowing experience, a trauma to the personality, for the person submits their life, while unconscious under anesthesia, to the operation of other people's hands upon their vital organs. The most critical aspect of the surgery experience--the operation itself--seems beyond the reach of the patient's personality to integrate, as would be needed following any traumatic experience, because of the anesthesia. Patient's occasional reports of "witnessing" their operation, and statements, by psychics such as Edgar Cayce or philosophers such as Alfred North Whitehead, that the mind never sleeps, that it registers everything, would suggest that despite the anesthesia, it should be theoretically possible for the post-operative patient to regain access to the surgery experience so that it could be digested and the recovery made more complete. Dr. Paul W. Pruyser, of the Menninger Foundation, reporting in the Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic (June, 1983) suggests that such an integration of the surgery experience may occur through a dream! . Dr. Pruyser writes about his experience undergoing emergency, triple coronary bypass surgery and how his recuperation was helped by a dream he had five days after the operation. In his dream, he visits a little-known, secluded part of the hospital grounds, a ruins site from the 19th century, where he encounters a heavy metal door. The door opens with eerie creak and he enters a dimly lit cave. He finds three strange, two-story, cubical habitats, each with leaky and rusty pipes meant to furnish heat to the inside from a centrally located, old-fashioned wood-burning cook stove that was very dilapidated. 570 . When he awoke from this dream, he reports that he felt elated and immensely satisfied, because, in his own words, "my mind had found access to an experience I was not supposed to have undergone at all because of the total anesthesia." He believes, for example, that the creaking of the door was actually the sound of his rib cage when it was opened by the surgeon. He provides background information to develop an interpretation of the details of the dream, which in essence refers to his confrontation with his heart and its clogged arteries and with his ancestral history of coronary deficiency. More generally, he ascribes to his dream an act of restoration of the integrity of his personality--"a guarantee of the continuity of selfhood"--after being the threatened by his near brush with death. The ability of dreams to spontaneously provide this otherwise missing ingredient to total recovery deserves further investigation. (Author's address: Menninger Foundation, P.O. Box 829, Topeka, KS 66601). GROUP DREAMING: What happens when a group of people attempt to dream about the same thing? The December, 1983 issue of Omni Magazine reports the work of Henry Reed (DreamNet Sysop) on an intriguing approach to studying the psychic potential of dreams. A group of dreamers would be gathered together, he would introduce them to a stranger said to be suffering from an undisclosed problem, and ask the group to dream for this person, to see if they could dream up a solution to the person's problem. In the morning the dreams were analyzed, the person's problem was revealed, and the pieces of information from the several dreams were pieced together to develop a solution. Most of the dreams evidenced psychic information in the dreams. Pooling the dreams enhanced the visibility of the psychic effect. Having a good reason for dreaming telepathically seems to increase the probability of psychic material in the dreams. For further reading: "Dreaming for Mary, "Sundance Community Dream Journal, #3 (See Mail Order Services). EXPLORING YOUR DREAMS: For a "hands-on" guide to the "New Dreamwork" see the October, 1983 issue of New Age Journal. It has a comprehensive special section on what's happening in the world of the new dreamworker. It gives several different approaches to dreamwork, has articles on some of the prominent dreamworkers, as well as general discussion of current developments and controversies. 571 NEW LUCID DREAM INDUCTION TECHNIQUE: Robert Price and David Cohen, of the University of Texas at Austin, report that they have accidentally discovered a method for inducing lucid dreams. It happened while they were researching the ability of a subject to control, while asleep in the dream state, the sounding of a tone being played in the dream laboratory. A biofeedback setup was used, such that whenever the sleeping subject entered the dream state, with rapid eye movements (REM), a loud tone would be played. This tone would interrupt sleep, but if the subject could increase the amount of rapid eye movements, he could terminate the tone, and sleep in peace. They found that their research subject could learn this task. Then the subject began to report lucid dreaming, that is being aware in the dream state that he was dreaming, and reported that he tried to move his eyes as a means of signalling to the experimenter. A "communication" system was thus set up between the experimenter and the dreaming subject. The researchers suggest that such a biofeedback situation may be an effective way to learn lucid dreaming. Reported in Lucidity Letter, November, 1983 (See Mail Order Services). TELEPATHIC DREAMS IN COUNSELING: A counselor whose dreams provide psychic information about clients has a powerful addition to his kit of clinical tools. Kenneth Orkin, Ph.D., has written an article entitled, "Telepathic Dreams: Their Application During the Counseling Process," describing his experiences with psychic dreaming about clients. He is in private practice in Miami, Florida. He recounts several types of psychic dreams, including precognitive dreaming about the problems of a client who would be coming for a consultation in the future, with the dream providing information about the source of that person's problem. He also recounts a story about a dream that provided past-life information about a client. His article appeared in the November, 1983 issue of A.R.E. Journal. You may write to the author c/o A.R.E., P.O. Box 595, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. 572 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Dream Life & Waking Life: Both are Creations of the Person There is a growing appreciation for the variety of dream phenomena, such as the creativity in dreams and their sometimes transpersonal aspects. Older theories that generally ignored such facts are being replaced by newer ones that attempt to account for such phenomena. Most recently, Gordon Globus, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Philosophy at the University of California, Irvine, has taken a stab at integrating such perspectives as psychoanalysis, transpersonal psychology, cognitive science, and phenomenological philosophy in a pleasantly person- able statement of a view of dreams that readers of Perspective can live with. That dreams are a creative experience is one of the main factors that he wishes to explain. The author rejects the notion, in existence before Freud made it law, that dreams are merely rearrangements of past memory experiences. Instead, the author claims that dreams are created "de novo," meaning from scratch. In defending this position, he finds himself arguing that our waking life is also an experience that we create, thus placing his work close at hand to the metaphysical perspective that claims that we "create our own reality." Both realms are created "in the image" (meaning "in the imagination") of the person, in the same way God has been said to create the world. The symmetry between the creative aspect of both dream existence and waking existence, and the "divine" role given to the person, is pleasing both to the ancient Buddhist and modern spiritual metaphysician. The question is, how does this modern, scientifically grounded theoretician justify such a metaphysical basis to dreams and waking life? He does so by reference to both the leading edge theories of perceptual psychology and certain philosophical traditions. Perceptual psychology has long abandoned the camera analogy to explain how we see things. Plato's concept of the archetype, the transpersonal, non-material "ideas" that govern the actual ideas and things that we experience, has gained new favor in modern thinking about the perceptual process. Instead of theorizing that our perceptual mechanisms "photograph" what is out there, modern work has forced the theory that we already "know" or "suppose" what it is that we are trying to perceive, and then we search and analyze data bits according to their significance and fit to what we are attempting to "perceive." Meaning and intention are more significant to perception, in modern theory, than light waves and photo-sensitivity. In other words, the creative and subjective processes in perception are given more central prominence, and the physics of perception are accorded more the status of tools than primary determinants. Similarly, the philosophy of science has been arguing that facts, as such, do not exist; rather theories--in other words, intentional approaches to creating meaning--are what determine which data bits constitute facts, and determines whether or not the data bits will even be noticed. 573 Perhaps such philosophical abstractions seem cloudy or irrelevant, but the mechanistic, sensory-based, objective approach to perception (whether in visual perception or scientific knowing) has been undergoing radical changes. Fans of the transpersonal dimension of life who assume that the eye sees like a camera have an unnecessarily tough time trying to justify as scientific their views on ESP. Realizing how scientific and philosophical views on perception have evolved makes ESP seem more natural than supernatural. Thus the author's work does us a great service. It provides a readable treatise on how one can argue, on the basis of both scientific and philosophical grounds, that dreams, not to mention our lives, are pregnant with meaning (sometimes transpersonal meaning), and deserve our attention. Source: Dream life, waking life: The human condition through dreams. Published by the State University of New York Press, 1987. 574 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Taken from AMERICAN HEALTH July/August 1987. How to problem-solve in your dreams ----------------------------------- Your dreams are "written" in your own private vocabulary; that's why their meaning is often unclear (and why dream books you buy at the corner newsstand won't explain your own visions). Moreover, the language of dreams is sensory and visual, whereas the language of daily life is verbal. You need to translate a dream much as you would a foreign language. Unfortunately, the same force s that make us disguise problems in our dreams are likely to hinder our recognizing them when we're awake. Even Freud had trouble with self-analysis. So an impartial listener - attained therapist - can help. "It's a collaborative process," says New York psychoanalyst Walter Bonime, author of the classic text, THE CLINICAL USE OF DREAMS (Da Capo Press, $29.50) But that doesn't mean you shouldn't explore your dreams alone or with a partner. People who keep dream journals say that over time, patterns often emerge. To put your dreams to work solving problems, try this routine: o Program yourself to wake up after every REM period. I did it while writing this article simply by telling myselfI wanted to at bedtime. But don't make it a regular habit. "The ability to maintain consciousness during sleep can backfire," says Dr. Neil Kavey, director of the Columbia-Presbyterian sleep lab. "If you can't shut it off, you may have trouble remaining asleep, or you may sleep so poorly that you feel you didn't sleep at all." o Put a notebook and pen or tape recorder at your bedside. o At bedtime, select a problem and sum it up with a question, such as "Should I take this new job?" Write it down and list possible solutions. o Turn off the lights and reflect on these solutions. Stick with it until you drift off to sleep. o When you wake up - during the night or in the morning - lie still. To jog your memory, pretend you're a detective interviewing an eyewitness. What's the last thing you remember? Before that? Going backward can help you more easily reconstruct a dream. o Write down or tape record all that you remember. Do it before you shower and have breakfast. o If you have trouble catching dreams, try sleeping late on weekends The longest dreams occur in the last part of sleep and many of us cut sleep short on week nights. 575 Once you've recorded your dream, how do you decode it? Tell it to yourself in the third person, suggest psychologist Lillie Weiss in DREAM ANALYSIS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY (Pergamon Press, $11.95). This may give you some distance from the dream and help you see the actions more clearly. Then look at the part of the dream that is the most mysterious. "Frequently the most incongruous part provides the dream message," Weiss says. In her dream-therapy study, Cartwright asks participants to examine and try to change repetitive, troublesome dreams along seven dimensions: o Time orientation. Do all your dreams take place in the past? Try positioning them in the present or future. o Competence to affect the outcome. Tryfinding a positive way to resolve a dream. o Self-blame. In your dreams, do you hold yourself responsible when things go wrong? Must you? o Relation to former role: If your divorced, do you still dream of yourself as married? If you have lost your job, do you still see yourself at work? Consider alternatives. o Motivation. Do you dream of being nurtured? Can you think of a way to take care of yourself? o Mood. What would make a dream more pleasant? o Dream roles: Do you like the part you play in your dreams? What role would you prefer? 576 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com . This following is an excerpt from "Psi Notes", prepared by William Braud, Ph.D., of the Mind Science Foundation in San Antonio, Texas. Question: What percentage of a person's dreams are precognitive (foretell the future) and how can we recognize the difference between a precognitive dream and an ordinary dream? Answer: A large proportion of precognitive experiences occur during dreams. One survey indicates that as many as 65 percent of precognitive experiences occurred during sleep. Precognitive dreams also seem to provide more complete and more accurate information than do waking psychic experiences. . There's no way to know with certainty what percentage of our dreams are precognitive. The content of the majority of our dreams is probably quite mundane, involving replays of experiences of the day, perhaps some wish fulfillment, and maybe even "random" content. But now and then, dreamers do have accurate glimpses of the future as they sleep. . The only way to know with certainty which dreams are precognitive and which are not is to keep a dream diary of all dreams and check to see which come true and which don't. Some persons are able to associate certain feelings of confidence in connection with psychic dreams - but these are very subtle feelings which are difficult to put into words and which may differ from person to person. . Let me describe a program of research in which we are more certain about what's going on. This research program was initiated by a New York psychiatrist, Dr. Montague Ullman, as a result of his observation that he and his patients were sharing telepathic dreams in the context of psychotherapy. A dream laboratory was set up at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. Ullman, along with his associates Stanley Krippner and Charles Honorton, designed experiments in which persons spent the night in the dream lab. They were monitored electro-physiologically in order to detect physiological indications of dreaming - these indications include: an activated EEG, rapid eye movements, and reduced muscle tension. When these indications of dreaming occurred, the sleeper was awakened and asked to describe his dream. These descriptions were tape-recorded and later transcribed. The next day, a target experience was randomly selected and the subject then went through some waking sensory experience. What was discovered was that the sleeper was able to have accurate dreams about events of which no one was as yet aware at the time of the dream, but which were randomly selected the next day. 577 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com DREAM BIBLIOGRAPHY ================== Appreciation is extended to Kathy Seward of the University of New England, in Biddefored, Maine for providing this information. 2 ALLEN-R-MICHAEL/ATTENUATION OF DRUG-INDUCED ANXIETY DREAMS AND PAVOR NOCTURNUS BY BENZODIAZEPINES./JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY. 1983 MAR VOL 44(3) 106-108. 3 ANON-/AN APPARENTLY PRECOGNITIVE DREAM. 1969, DEC, VOL. 45(742), 170-171. 4 ARENA-R. MURRI-L. PICCINI-P. MURATORIO-A/DREAM RECALL AND MEMORY IN BRAIN LESIONED PATIENTS/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIOR.1984 VOL 9(1) 31-42. 5 ATWAN-ROBERT/IVORY AND HORN: DREAMS AND BILATERALITY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIOR. 1984 VOL 9(1) 177-189. 6 BADALAMENTI-ANTHONY-F/TIME IN THE DREAM/JOURNAL OF RELIGION & HEALTH. 1983 WIN VOL 22(4) 334-339. 7 BELOFF-JOHN/A NOTE ON AN OSTENSIBLY PRECOGNITIVE DREAM/ JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1973 DEC VOL. 47(758) 217-221. 8 BENDER-HANS/THE GOTENHAFEN CASE OF CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DREAMS AND FUTURE EVENTS: A STUDY OF MOTIVATION/ INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHIATRY. 398-407. 9 BERTINI-M. VIOLANI-CRISTIANO/CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES, REM SLEEP, AND DREAM RECALL/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIOR. 1984 VOL 9(1) 3-14. 10 BLACKMORE-SUSAN-J/OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCES, LUCID DREAMS, AND IMAGERY: TWO SURVEYS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1982 OCT VOL 76(4) 301-317. 11 BLACKMORE-SUSAN-J/HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN OBE? THE WORDING OF THE QUESTION/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1982 JUN VOL 51(791) 292-302. 12 BLECHNER-MARK-J/CHANGES IN THE DREAMS OF BORDERLINE PATIENTS/CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1983 JUL VOL 19(3) 485-498. 13 BLICK-KENNETH-A. HOWE-JOAN-B/COMPARISON OF THE EMOTIONAL CONTENT OF DREAMS RECALLED BY YOUNG AND ELDERLY WOMEN/JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 JAN VOL 116(1) 143-146. 14 BRAKEL-LINDA-W/THE FATE OF THE DREAM AFTER AWAKENING: STAGES TOWARD ANALYTIC UNDERSTANDING/JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 MAR VOL 5(1-2) 97-108. 578 15 BUCK-LUCIAN-A. GEERS-MARGARET-B/VARIETIES OF CONSCIOUSNESS: I. INTERCORRELATIONS/JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1967, 23(2), 151-152. 16 CARPINTER-PAUL-J. CRATTY-BRYANT-J/MENTAL ACTIVITY, DREAMS AND PERFORMANCE IN TEAM SPORT ATHLETES/ INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY. 1983 VOL 14(3) 186-197. 17 CARTWRIGHT-ROSALIND-D. LLOYD-STEPHEN. KNIGHT-SARA/ BROKEN DREAMS: A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE AND DEPRESSION ON DREAM CONTENT/PSYCHIATRY. 1984 AUG VOL 47(3) 251-259. 18 CAVALLERO-CORRADO. CICOGNA-PIERCARLA/COMPARING REPORTS OF THE SAME DREAM: PROPOSALS FOR A STRUCTURAL/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1983 OCT VOL 57(2) 339-356. 19 CERNOVSKY-ZACK-Z/DREAM RECALL AND ATTITUDE TOWARD DREAMS/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1984 JUN VOL 58(3) 911-914. 20 CICOGNA-PIERCARLA/RESTRUCTURING DREAM-RECALL/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1983 OCT VOL 57(2) 629-630. 21 CLYNE-JACKSON-SHEILA-A/DEFENSIVENESS IN DREAM RECALL IN RESPONSE TO A PROVOCATIVE DAY RESIDUE/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 SEP VOL 44(3-B) 906. 22 COMARR-A-ESTIN. CRESSY-JEFFREY-M. LETCH-MICHAEL/ SLEEP DREAMS OF SEX AMONG TRAUMATIC PARAPLEGICS AND QUADRIPLEGICS/SEXUALITY & DISABILITY. 1983 SPR VOL 6(1) 25-29. 23 COOLIDGE-FREDERICK-L. BRACKEN-DUANE-D/THE LOSS OF TEETH IN DREAMS: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION/PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORTS. 1984 JUN VOL 54(3) 931-935. 24 COOLIDGE-FREDERICK-L. FISH-CYNTHIA-E/DREAMS OF THE DYING/OMEGA: JOURNAL OF DEATH & DYING. 1983-84 VOL 14(1) 1-8. 25 COVELLO-EDWARD/LUCID DREAMING: A REVIEW AND EXPERIENTIAL STUDY OF WAKING INTRUSIONS DURING STAGE REM SLEEP/JOURNAL OF MIND & BEHAVIOR. 1984 WIN VOL 5(1) 81-98. 26 CRICK-FRANCIS. MITCHISON-GRAEME/THE FUNCTION OF DREAM SLEEP/NATURE. 1983 JUL VOL 304(5922) 111-114. 27 DEVEREUX-GEORGE/PATHOGENIC DREAMS IN NON-WESTERN SOCIETIES/IN G. E. VON GRUNEBAUM AND R. CAILLOIS (EDS.), THE DREAM AND HUMAN SOCIETY. 213-228. 28 DIMIDJIAN-VICTORIA-J/SEEING ME, BEING ME, BECOMING THE ME I WANT TO BE: THE IMPORT OF THE DREAM IN IDENTITY FORMATION DURING WOMEN'S EARLY ADULT YEARS/WOMEN & THERAPY. 1983 WIN VOL 2(4) 33-48. 29 DOMINO-GEORGE/ATTITUDES TOWARDS DREAMS, SEX DIFFERENCES AND CREATIVITY/JOURNAL OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR. 1982 VOL 16(2) 112-122. 30 DOYLE-MARIE-C/ENHANCING DREAM PLEASURE WITH SENOI STRATEGY/JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 MAR VOL 40(2) 467-474. 31 EBON-MARTIN/PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL DREAM STUDIES/IN G. E. VON GRUNEBAUM AND R.CAILLOIS (EDS.), THE DREAM AND HUMAN SOCIETY. (SEE 43:10), 163-177. 32 EICHELMAN-BURR/HYPNOTIC CHANGE IN COMBAT DREAMS OF TWO VETERANS WITH 579 POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER/1985 JAN VOL 142(1) 112-114. 33 EIGEN-MICHAEL/ ON TIME AND DREAMS/PSYCHOANALYTIC REVIEW. 1983 SUM VOL 70(2) 211-220. 34 EISENBUD-JULE/CHRONOLOGICALLY EXTRAORDINARY PSI CORRESPONDENCES IN THE PSYCHOANALYTIC SETTING/ PSYCHOANALYTIC REVIEW. 1969, 56(1), 9-27. 35 EISER-ALAN-S/A LABORATORY STUDY OF DREAMING IN ENDOGENOUS DEPRESSION/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 DEC VOL 44(6-B) 1957. 36 EPSTEIN-ARTHUR-W/ SIMMONS-NINA-N/APHASIA WITH REPORTED LOSS OF DREAMING/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. 1983 JAN VOL 140(1) 108-109. 37 EPSTEIN-ARTHUR-W/THE CONTRIBUTION OF CEREBRAL HEMISPHERIC DISEASE TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF DREAM TYPE AND CONTENT/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIOR. 1984 VOL 9(1) 15-30. 38 EPSTEIN-ARTHUR-W/THE WAKING EVENT-DREAM INTERVAL/ AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. 1985 JAN VOL 142(1) 123-124. 39 FABER-P-A. SAAYMAN-G-S. PAPADOPOULOS-R-K/FANTASY, ITS EFFECTS UPON THE ARCHETYPAL CONTENT OF NOCTURNAL DREAMS/ JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1983 APR VOL 28(2) 141-164. 40 FARRELL-RONALD-A/SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DREAM CONTENT OF HOMOSEXUALS/INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY. 1983 FAL VOL 29(3) 183-189. 41 FENWICK-PETER ET AL/LUCID DREAMING: CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DREAMED AND ACTUAL EVENTS IN ONE SUBJECT DURING REM SLEEP/BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 JUN VOL 18(4) 243-267. 42 FIERZ-H-K/ANALYTICAL PSYCHOTHERAPY AND DREAM, RESISTANCE AND WHOLENESS/ANALYTISCHE PSYCHOLOGIE. 1976 VOL 7(4) 275-285. 43 FISCHMAN-LAWRENCE-G/DREAMS, HALLUCINOGENIC DRUG STATES, AND SCHIZOPHRENIA: A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL COMPARISON/SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN. 1983 VOL 9(1) 73-94. 44 FISS-HARRY/TOWARD A CLINICALLY RELEVANT EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY OF DREAMING/HILLSIDE JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY. 1983 VOL 5(2) 147-159. 45 FOSSHAGE-JAMES-L/THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF DREAMS: A REVISED PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE/PSYCHOANALYSIS & CONTEMPORARY THOUGHT. 1983 VOL 6(4) 641-669. 46 FOULKES-DAVID ET AL/LONG-DISTANCE, 'SENSORY-BOMBARDMENT' ESP IN DREAMS: A FAILURE TO REPLICATE/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1972 DEC VOL. 35(3) 731-734. 47 FOULKES-DAVID. SCHMIDT-MARCELLA/TEMPORAL SEQUENCE AND UNIT COMPOSITION IN DREAM REPORTS FROM DIFFERENT STAGES OF SLEEP/SLEEP. 1983 SEP VOL 6(3) 265-280. 580 48 FURST-KATHRYN-A/ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION OF WOMEN'S DREAMS IN EARLY ADULTHOOD/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 JAN VOL 44(7-B) 2242-2243. 49 GACKENBACH-JAYNE. SCHILLIG-BARBARA/LUCID DREAMS: THE CONTENT OF CONSCIOUS AWARENESS OF DREAMING DURING THE DREAM/JOURNAL OF MENTAL IMAGERY. 1983 FAL VOL 7(2) 1-13. 50 GERSHAM-HARRY/CURRENT APPLICATION OF HORNEY THEORY TO DREAM INTERPRETATION/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS/ 1983 FAL VOL 43(3) 219-229. 51 GLOBUS-G. KNAPP-P. SKINNER-J/AN APPRAISAL OF TELEPATHIC COMMUNICATION IN DREAMS/PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY. 1968, 4(3), 365. 52 GOLLUB-DAN/DREAM INTERPRETATION/PSYCHOLOGY: A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR. 1983 VOL 20(2) 30-33. 53 GUNTER-P-RICHARD/RELIGIOUS DREAMING: A VIEWPOINT/ AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTHERAPY. 1983 JUL VOL 37(3) 411-427. 54 HALL-CALVIN-S/""A UBIQUITOUS SEX DIFFERENCE IN DREAMS'' REVISITED/JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY & SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY/ 1984 MAY VOL 46(5) 1109-1117. 55 HALL-JAMES-A/TOWARD A PSYCHO-STRUCTURAL THEORY: HYPNOSIS AND THE STRUCTURE OF DREAMS/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS. 1984 JAN VOL 26(3) 159-165. 56 HALL-JAMES-A/DREAMS AND TRANSFERENCE/ COUNTERTRANSFERENCE: THE TRANSFORMATIVE FIELD/CHIRON. 1984 31-51. 57 HARALDSSON-ERLENDUR/SOME DETERMINANTS OF BELIEF IN PSYCHICAL PHENOMENA/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1981 OCT VOL 75(4) 297-309. 58 HARTMAN-FRANK-R/A REAPPRAISAL OF THE EMMA EPISODE AND THE SPECIMEN DREAM/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1983 VOL 31(3) 555-585. 59 HASTINGS-ARTHUR-C/DREAMS OF FUTURE EVENTS: PRECOGNITIONS AND PERSPECTIVES/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PSYCHOSOMATIC DENTISTRY & MEDICINE. 1977 VOL 24(2) 51-60. 60 HEARNE-KEITH-M/THREE CASES OF OSTENSIBLE PRECOGNITION FROM A SINGLE PERCIPIENT: 1. SADAT ASSASSINATION; 2. REAGAN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT; 3. S.S. ACHILLE LAURO INCIDENT/ JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1982 JUN VOL 51(791) 288-291. 61 HEARNE-KEITH-M/AN AUTOMATED TECHNIQUE FOR STUDYING PSI IN HOME ""LUCID'' DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1982 JUN VOL 51(791) 303-304. 62 HEARNE-KEITH-M/AN OSTENSIBLE PRECOGNITION OF THE ACCIDENTAL SINKING OF H.M/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1982 JUN VOL 51(791) 283-287. 581 63 HEARNE-KEITH-M/""LUCID'' DREAMS AND ESP: AN INITIAL EXPERIMENT USING ONE SUBJECT/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1981 FEB VOL 51(787) 7-11. 64 HEARNE-KEITH-M/LUCID DREAM INDUCTION/JOURNAL OF MENTAL IMAGERY. 1983 SPR VOL 7(1) 19-23. 65 HERMAN-JOHN-H ET AL/EVIDENCE FOR A DIRECTIONAL CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN EYE MOVEMENTS AND DREAM IMAGERY IN REM SLEEP/SLEEP. 1984 MAR VOL 7(1) 52-63. 66 HIMELSTEIN-PHILIP/DREAM SYMBOL OR DREAM PROCESS?/ PSYCHOLOGY: A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR. 1984 VOL 21(1) 9-11. 67 HONE-VALERIE/DREAMS AS PREPARATION FOR DEATH: A STUDY OF THE MANIFEST AND LATENT DYING CANCER PATIENTS/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 MAY VOL 44(11-B) 3528. 68 HONORTON-CHARLES/SIGNIFICANT FACTORS IN HYPNOTICALLY-INDUCED CLAIRVOYANT DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1972 JAN VOL. 66(1) 86-102. 69 HONORTON-CHARLES. STUMP-JOHN-P/A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF HYPNOTICALLY-INDUCED CLAIRVOYANT DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1969, 63(2), 175-184. 70 HONORTON-CHARLES/REPORTED FREQUENCY OF DREAM RECALL AND ESP/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1972 OCT VOL. 66(4) 369-374. 71 HOWE-JOAN-B. BLICK-KENNETH-A/EMOTIONAL CONTENT OF DREAMS RECALLED BY ELDERLY WOMEN/SO PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1983 FEB VOL 56(1) 31-34. 72 INGMUNDSON-PAUL-T/DREAMING, REM SLEEP, AND MEMORY/ DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1985 JAN VOL 45(7-B) 2342. 73 JACKSON-M-P/SUGGESTIONS FOR A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT TO TEST PRECOGNITION IN DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1967, 61(4), 346-353. 74 JOHNSON-MARCIA-K. KAHAN-TRACEY-L. RAYE-CAROL-L/DREAMS AND REALITY MONITORING/JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: GENERAL. 1984 SEP VOL 113(3) 329-344. 75 KAUVAR-ELAINE-M/BLAKE'S INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS: ""MENTAL FORMS CREATING.''/AMERICAN IMAGO. 1984 SPR VOL 41(1) 19-45. 76 KIRTLEY-DONALD-D. SABO-KENNETH-T/AGGRESSION IN THE DREAMS OF BLIND WOMEN/JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT & BLINDNESS. 1983 JUN VOL 77(6) 269-270, 295. 77 KOH-JUSUCK/DESIGN FOR FANTASY AND FANTASY FOR DESIGN: USING FANTASY AND DREAM FOR CREATIVITY AND SYMBOLISM IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN/EDRA: ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN RESEARCH ASSOCIATION. 1983 NO 14 36-47. 78 KOLB-GISELA-E/THE DREAM IN PSYCHOANALYTIC GROUP THERAPY/ INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY. 1983 JAN VOL 33(1) 41-52. 79 AU KOUKKOU-M. LEHMANN-D/DREAMING: THE FUNCTIONAL STATE-SHIFT HYPOTHESIS: A NEUROPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MODEL/ BRITISH JOURNAL OF 582 PSYCHIATRY. 1983 MAR VOL 142 221-231. 80 KRAMER-MILTON. KINNEY-LOIS. SCHARF-MARTIN/EXPERIENCES IN DREAMS/PSYCHIATRIC JOURNAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA. 1983 MAR VOL 8(1) 1-4. 81 KRIPPNER-S ET AL/A LONG-DISTANCE ''SENSORY BOMBARDMENT'' STUDY OF EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION IN DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1971, OCT, VOL. 65(4), 468-475. 82 KRIPPNER-S/INVESTIGATIONS OF ''EXTRASENSORY'' PHENOMENA IN DREAMS AND OTHER ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PSYCHOSOMATIC DENTISTRY & MEDICINE. 1969, 16(1), 7-14. 83 KRIPPNER-S. ULLMAN-M. HONORTON-C/A PRECOGNITIVE DREAM STUDY WITH A SINGLE SUBJECT/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1971 APR VOL. 65(2) 192-203. 84 KRIPPNER-STANLEY. ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TELEPATHY AND DREAMS: A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT WITH ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM-ELECTRO-OCULOGRAM MONITORING/JOURNAL OF NERVOUS & MENTAL DISEASE. 1970, DEC, VOL. 151(6), 394-403. 85 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/NORMAL DREAM AND MAN'S PLIABLE FUTURE/ PSYCHOANALYTIC REVIEW. 1969, 56(1), 28-43. 86 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF ESP IN DREAMS: SEX DIFFERENCES IN SEVENTY-FOUR TELEPATHY SESSIONS/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1970, JUL, VOL. 64(3), 277-285. 87 KRIPPNER-STANLEY. HONORTON-CHARLES. ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/A SECOND PRECOGNITIVE DREAM STUDY WITH MALCOLM BESSENT/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1972 JUL VOL. 66(3) 269-279. 88 KRIPPNER-STANLEY. ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TELEPATHIC PERCEPTION IN THE DREAM STATE: CONFIRMATORY STUDY USING EEG-EOG MONITORING TECHNIQUES/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1969, DEC, VOL. 29(3), 915-918. 89 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/DREAMS AND OTHER ALTERED CONSCIOUS STATES/JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION. 1975 WIN VOL 25(1) 173-182. 90 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/DREAMS AND OTHER ALTERED CONSCIOUS STATES/PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF SOUTH AFRICA. 1981 DEC VOL 2(2) 18-34. 91 KRISHNAN-RANGA-R. VOLOW-MICHAEL-R. CAVENAR-JESSE-O. MILLER-PATRICIA-P/DREAMS OF FLYING IN NARCOLEPTIC PATIENTS. SO PSYCHOSOMATICS. 1984 MAY VOL 25(5) 423-425. 92 KUPER-ADAM/THE STRUCTURE OF DREAM SEQUENCES/CULTURE, MEDICINE & PSYCHIATRY. 1983 JUN VOL 7(2) 153-175. 93 LAMBERT-KENNETH/REFLECTIONS ON A CRITIQUE OF HILLMAN'S APPROACH TO THE DREAM BY WA. SHELBURNE/JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 JAN VOL 29(1) 57-66. 583 94 LANG-RUDIE-J. OCONNOR-KIERON-P/PERSONALITY, DREAM CONTENT AND DREAM COPING STYLE/PERSONALITY & INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. 1984 VOL 5(2) 211-219. 95 LEBOEUF-ALAN. MCKAY-PATRICIA. CLARKE-KEITH/LATERAL EYE MOVEMENTS AND DREAM RECALL IN MALES: A RE-APPRAISAL/ COGNITION & PERSONALITY. 1983-84 VOL 3(1) 61-68. 96 LEHMANN-HERBERT/FREUD'S DREAM OF FEBRUARY 1918/ INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF PSYCHO-ANALYSIS. 1983 VOL 10(1) 87-93. 97 LEVITAN-HAROLD/DREAMS WHICH CULMINATE IN MIGRAINE HEADACHES/PSYCHOTHERAPY & PSYCHOSOMATICS. 1984 JUL VOL 41(4) 161-166. 98 LEWIN-ISAAC/THE PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY OF DREAMS IN THE BIBLE/JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY & JUDAISM. 1983 SPR-SUM VOL 7(2) 73-88. 99 LOTHANE-ZVI/REALITY, DREAM, AND TRAUMA/CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1983 JUL VOL 19(3) 423-443. 100 LYNCH-VINCENT-J/WORKING WITH DREAMS: A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THERAPIST AND PATIENT/PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHIATRIC CARE. 1983 JAN-MAR VOL 21(1) 21-25. 101 MALAKOFF-CHERYL-A/DREAM RECALL AS A FUNCTION OF SELF CONCEPT AND PERSONAL VALUES/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 SEP VOL 45(3-B) 1021. 102 MANLEY-FRANCIS-J/THE EFFECT OF INTENTIONAL DREAMING ON DEPRESSION/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 JUN VOL 43(12-B) 4154. 103 MARTIN-JAY/THREE STAGES OF DREAMING: A CLINICAL STUDY OF HENRY MILLER'S DREAM BOOK/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 APR VOL 12(2) 233-251. 104 MARTINETTI-RAYMOND-F/DREAM RECALL, IMAGINAL PROCESSES AND SHORT-TERM MEMORY: A PILOT STUDY/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1983 DEC VOL 57(3, PT 1) 718. 105 MAYKUTH-PATRICIA-L/INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT IN DREAMS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF 3- TO 8-YEAR OLDS/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 DEC VOL 45(6-B) 1941-1942. 106 MELSTROM-MARGARET-A. CARTWRIGHT-ROSALIND-D/EFFECTS OF SUCCESSFUL VS. UNSUCCESSFUL PSYCHOTHERAPY OUTCOME ON SOME DREAM DIMENSIONS/PSYCHIATRY. 1983 FEB VOL 46(1) 51-65. 107 MEZENTSEV-V-A/ARE THERE MIRACLES IN NATURE?/MOSCOW, USSR: MOSKOVSKII2 RABOCHII2, 1967. 240 P. 108 MONTRELAY-MICHELE/ON FOLDING AND UNFOLDING: AN EXAMPLE OF DREAM INTERPRETATION IN ANALYSIS/PSYCHOANALYTIC INQUIRY. 1984 VOL 4(2) 193-219. 109 MURRI-LUIGI ET AL/DREAM RECALL IN PATIENTS WITH FOCAL CEREBRAL LESIONS/ARCHIVES OF NEUROLOGY. 1984 FEB VOL 41(2) 183-185. 584 110 MYERS-ROBERT-K/THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DREAMS AND DREAMERS IN MODERN PSYCHOLOGICAL LITERATURE/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1985 JAN VOL 45(7-B) 2316. 111 MYERS-WAYNE-A/AN ATHLETIC EXAMPLE OF THE TYPICAL EXAMINATION DREAM/PSYCHOANALYTIC QUARTERLY. 1983 OCT VOL 52(4) 594-598. 112 NAROTRA-R-S/A STUDY OF DREAM ANALYSIS/ASIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY & EDUCATION. 1983 VOL 11(2) 14-18. 113 PALESKI-ZBIGNIEW/PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF BELIEF IN ''PROPHETIC'' DREAMS/PSYCHOLOGIA WYCHOWAWCZA. 1970, SEP, VOL. 13(4), 523-527. 114 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/THE GENIUS OF THE DREAM/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1983 WIN VOL 43(4) 301-313. 115 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/THE POET AS DREAMER/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 JAN VOL 12(1) 59-73. 116 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/RECOVERY OF EARLY MEMORIES ASSOCIATED WITH REPORTED DREAM IMAGERY/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. 1984 DEC VOL 141(12) 1508-1511. 117 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/DECONSTRUCTING THE MANIFEST DREAM/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1984 VOL 32(2) 405-420. 118 PARKER-A. BELOFF-J/HYPNOTICALLY-INDUCED CLAIRVOYANT DREAMS: A PARTIAL REPLICATION AND ATTEMPTED CONFIRMATION/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1970, OCT, VOL. 64(4), 432-442. 119 PATALANO-FRANK/COLOR IN DREAMS AND THE PSYCHOANALYTIC SITUATION/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 SUM VOL 44(2) 183-190. 120 PERLMUTTER-RICHARD-A. BABINEAU-RAYMOND/THE USE OF DREAMS IN COUPLES THERAPY/PSYCHIATRY. 1983 FEB VOL 46(1) 66-72. 121 PEROLD-ETIENNE-A/ON EXPLANATION IN PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE DREAM/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 NOV VOL 44(5-B) 1603-1604. 122 PETERS-LARRY-G/THE ROLE OF DREAMS IN THE LIFE OF A MENTALLY RETARDED INDIVIDUAL/ETHOS. 123 POTTINGER-JOSEPHINE-S/THE EFFECT OF POSTHYPNOTIC SUGGESTION ON DREAM RECALL/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 JAN VOL 44(7-B) 2257. 124 RANDALL-JOHN-L/CARD-GUESSING EXPERIMENTS WITH SCHOOLBOYS/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1974 SEP VOL 47(761) 421-432. 125 RENIK-OWEN/THE CLINICAL USE OF THE MANIFEST DREAM/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1984 VOL 32(1) 157-162. 126 ROBBINS-PAUL-R. HOUSHI-FARZANEH/SOME OBSERVATIONS ON RECURRENT DREAMS/BULLETIN OF THE MENNINGER CLINIC. 1983 MAY VOL 47(3) 262-265. 127 RUIZ-KAY-N/AN EXPERIMENT USING AN IMAGING METHOD BASED ON SENOI-DREAMWORK WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITICS/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 JUL VOL 44(1-B) 324. 128 SABO-KENNETH-T/EMOTIONS IN THE DREAMLIFE OF PARAPLEGICS: A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 APR VOL 43(10-B) 585 3374-3375. 129 SALTZMAN-NOLAN/ELICITING EMOTIONS OF DREAMS AND MEMORY FRAGMENTS IN BIO PSYCHOTHERAPY/INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECLECTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY. 1984 SEP VOL 3(1) 1-6. 130 SARGENT-CARL-L. HARLEY-TREVOR-A/THREE STUDIES USING A PSI-PREDICTIVE TRAIT VARIABLE QUESTIONNAIRE/JOURNAL OF PARAPSYCHOLOGY. 1981 SEP VOL 45(3) 199-214. 131 SARGENT-LARRY/DREAMS IN THE NUCLEAR AGE/JOURNAL OF HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 SUM VOL 24(3) 142-156. 132 SARLIN-M-BRUCE/THE USE OF DREAMS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH DEAF PATIENTS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 JAN VOL 12(1) 75-88. 133 SCHAPIRO-S-A/A CLASSIFICATION SCHEME FOR OUT-OF-BODY PHENOMENA/JOURNAL OF ALTERED STATES OF CONCIOUSNESS. 975-76 VOL 2(3) 259-265. 134 SCHROER-THOMAS/ARCHETYPAL DREAMS DURING THE FIRST PREGNANCY/PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES. 1984 SPR VOL 15(1) 71-80. 135 SCHUHL/SOCIETE MOREAU DE TOURS: IS THE PROBLEM OF SORCERERS ONE THAT IS PURELY PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL?/ANNALES MEDICO-PSYCHOLOGIQUES. 1968, 2(4), 592. 136 SECHZER-PHILIP-H/DREAMS WITH LOW-DOSE KETAMINE IN OBSTETRICAL PATIENTS/CURRENT THERAPEUTIC RESEARCH. 1984 MAR VOL 35(3) 396-404. 137 SHELBURNE-W-A/A CRITIQUE OF JAMES HILLMAN'S APPROACH TO THE DREAM/JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 JAN VOL 29(1) 35-56. 138 SHEPARD-ROGER-N/ECOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON INTERNAL REPRESENTATION: RESONANT KINEMATICS OF PERCEIVING, IMAGINING, THINKING, AND DREAMING/PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW. 1984 OCT VOL 91(4) 417-447. 139 SIEGEL-RONALD-D/A COMPARISON OF FREUD'S AND JUNG'S APPROACHES TO DREAM INTERPRETATION/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 JUL VOL 45(1-B) 366. 140 SILBER-AUSTIN/A SIGNIFICANT ""DREAM WITHIN A DREAM.''/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1983 VOL 31(4) 899-915. 141 SLOCHOWER-HARRY/FREUD'S DEJA VU ON THE ACROPOLIS: A SYMBOLIC RELIC OF ''MATER NUDA.''/PSYCHOANALYTIC QUARTERLY. 1970, 39(1), 90-102. 142 SMITH-ROBERT-C/A POSSIBLE BIOLOGIC ROLE OF DREAMING. PSYCHOTHERAPY & PSYCHOSOMATICS. 1984 JUL VOL 41(4) 167-176. 143 SPARROW-GREGORY-S./AN EXPLORATION INTO THE INDUCTION OF GREATER REFLECTIVENESS AND ""LUCIDITY'' IN NOCTURNAL DREAM REPORTS. DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 SEP VOL 45(3-B) 1050. 144 SPERO-MOSHE-H./A PSYCHOTHERAPIST'S REFLECTIONS ON A COUNTERTRANSFERENCE DREAM./AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 SUM VOL 44(2) 191-196. 145 STEIN-MARTIN-H./RATIONAL VERSUS ANAGOGIC INTERPRETATION: XENOPHON'S DREAM AND OTHERS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1984 VOL 32(3) 529-556. 586 146 STERN-DEREK-A. SAAYMAN-GRAHAM-S. TOUYZ-STEPHEN-W./ THE EFFECT OF AN EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED DEMAND ON NOCTURNAL DREAM CONTENT./JOURNAL OF MENTAL IMAGERY. 1983 FAL VOL 7(2) 15-31. 147 TART-CHARLES-T. FADIMAN-JAMES./THE CASE OF THE YELLOW WHEAT FIELD: A DREAM-STATE EXPLANATION OF A BROADCAST TELEPATHIC DREAM./PSYCHOANALYTIC REVIEW. 1974-1975 WIN VOL 61(4) 607-618. 148 TART-CHARLES-T./THE CONTROL OF NOCTURNAL DREAMING BY MEANS OF POSTHYPNOTIC SUGGESTION./INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PARAPSYCHOLOGY. 1967, 9(3), 184-189. 149 THACKREY-SUSAN-E./THE TROPICS OF THE DREAM: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CLASSICAL DREAM THEORY IN THE LIGHT OF THE STRUCTURALIST APPROACH/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 MAY VOL 44(11-B) 3512. 150 THALBOURNE-MICHAEL-A./SOME CORRELATES OF BELIEF IN PSYCHICAL PHENOMENA: A PARTIAL REPLICATION OF THE HARALDSSON FINDINGS./PARAPSYCHOLOGY REVIEW. 1984 MAR-APR VOL 15(2) 13-15. 151 THOLEY-PAUL./RELATION BETWEEN DREAM CONTENT AND EYE MOVEMENTS TESTED BY LUCID DREAMS./PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1983 JUN VOL 56(3) 875-878. 152 THOLEY-PAUL./TECHNIQUES FOR INDUCING AND MANIPULATING LUCID DREAMS./1983 AUG VOL 57(1) 79-90. 153 TOLAAS-JON./DREAMING: A PSI MODALITY?./ PSYCHOENERGETIC SYSTEMS. 1976 JUL VOL 1(4) 185-195. 154 TRENHOLME-IRENE. CARTWRIGHT-ROSALIND. GREENBERG-GLEN./ DREAM DIMENSION DIFFERENCES DURING A LIFE CHANGE./ PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH. 1984 MAY VOL 12(1) 35-45. 587 155 TYSON-PAUL-D. OGILVIE-ROBERT-D. HUNT-HARRY-T./ LUCID, PRELUCID, AND NONLUCID DREAMS RELATED TO THE AMOUNT OF EEG ALPHA ACTIVITY DURING REM SLEEP. PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY. 1984 JUL VOL 21(4) 442-451. 156 ULLMAN-M. KRIPPNER-S. HONORTON-C./A CONFIRMATORY STUDY OF THE TELEPATHIC DREAM WITH EEG-REM MONITORING/ PSYCHOPHYSICS. 1968, 5(2), 218. 157 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE./KRIPPNER-STANLEY. FELDSTEIN-SOL. EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED TELEPATHIC DREAMS: TWO STUDIES USING EEG-REM MONITORING TECHNIQUE. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHIATRY. 1966, 2(5), 420-437. 158 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TI RAPID EYE MOVEMENT DREAM-MONITORING TECHNIQUES IN CURRENT ESP RESEARCH./TRANSACTIONS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 1967, 30(2), 265-270. 159 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/PSI COMMUNICATION THROUGH DREAM SHARING. PARAPSYCHOLOGY REVIEW. 1981 MAR-APR VOL 12(2) 1-8. 160 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE & KRIPPNER-STANLEY/ESP IN THE NIGHT. PSY 1970, JUN, VOL. 4(1), 46-50, 72. 161 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE & KRIPPNER-STANLEY/AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO DREAMS AND TELEPATHY: II. REPORT OF THREE STUDIES./AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. 1970, 126(9), 1282-1289. 162 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TELEPATHY AND DREAMS./EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE & SURGERY. 1969, VOL. 27(1-2), 19-38. 163 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE. KRIPPNER-STANLEY/A LABORATORY APPROACH TO THE NOCTURNAL DIMENSION OF PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE: REPORT OF A CONFIRMATORY STUDY USING THE REM MONITORING TECHNIQUE/BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 1969, JUL, VOL. 1(3), 259-270. 588 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com FESTIVALS --------- Within the Pagan community there are many holidays and Sabbats celebrated for various means, and not all celebrate each holiday/Sabbat in the same exact way or for the same reasons. The following is a general list of the Holidays most common between all the Sects within Neo-Paganisim. YULE (Winter Solstice, December 20-23 (varies according to the particular date on the standard calendar according to when the Solstice will occurastronomically)).Longest nightof theyear, theturning point whenthe days shall afterwardsgrow longer as winterbegins its passageinto thecoming spring.It is,inthe Goddessworship, the time when she gives forth again to the birth of the Divine Sun child who shall be both child and eventually lover and father of the next child in the cycle. Winter Solstice for pagans is a time of feasting and the exchanging of gifts and is the original Holiday that the Christian religions modified into their own Christmas, even upto the birth of the child (Most theologians who have spent time studying the birth of Jesus admit he was born in either March or April, not the celebrated Christmas date we all know from the standard calendar - it was moved to this date to help induce Pagans to give up their old ways yet allow them their holidays during the spread of Christianity thru Europe and the British Isles). Traditional adornments are a Yule Log, usually of oak, and a combination of mistletoe and holly (also all later plagiarized into Christian ways). CANDLEMAS (Brigid's Day, February 2nd) Not common to all pagans, this is very popular with Wiccans and various Celtic sects. Brigid is the Celtic goddess of fire and inspiration (Poetry, smithcraft and healing) as well as yet another representation of the Fertility of Femininity and Love. Brigid had such a strong following among the Celtics that the Christian church decided it was easier to assimilate her into their own system, and so there came about the making of Saint Brigit and all the stories they created about her so that her followers would leave their old beliefs enough so they would not side with the Druids, who were known at that time as 'the snakes' because of their tendency to have tamed snakes that were used to help produce various healing mixtures via their venom, and who were violently opposing the Catholic church. In History, of course, the druids lost against the overwhelming odds presented by the church, led by a man who would then be himself sainted by the church, their Saint Patrick (who was no clergyman but a warrior). Thus Christian rule of various sorts came into Ireland. Handcrafts are often sacrificed to Brigid or dedicated to her as they are started on this day. Its celebration is done with many candles and as usual much feasting. The Christians also took, moved slightly and used this d a t e b y creating St. Valentine and using the day for one of chaste l o v e reflections. 589 Eostar Ritual (Spring Equinox, March 20-23 dependant on actual astronomical event) This is the start in the pagan year of spring, at least among Wiccans and Celtics. The first flowers are praised and the Gods and Goddesses thanked for the true return to happier times for all. Eostar is oneof the more colorful holidays, not one of the somber colors found in Yule and Candlemas. Feasting and socializing are the important factors in this holiday as well as the celebration of the return of color to the natural world. In the Christian calendar, again to draw early worshipers, they marked this as the final days and rebirth of Jesus (when according to history he died in June!) Beltane (May Eve, April 30th-May 1st) Most important to pagans, save f o r Samhain, I don't know of any Pagan group that doesn't celebrate t h i s holiday in some way. Beltane is the great Fertility rite of life, starting at dusk on the 30th and continuing until the dawn of the 1st. The union of the God and Goddess to conceive the sun-child to be takes place upon this holiday, no matter which tradition of paganisim is involved. Beltane is the one holiday most discouraged by the Christians, who didn't even use it as a point for a holiday of their o w n because the power and nature of the day involved. Still, even in Christianized Ireland the May day dance of the Maypole remained, as d i d the giving of flowers to those you loved or cared for as friends. T h e Maypole is a symbol of the union of the God and Goddess to create life, the pole itself a phallic symbol while the dancers and their streamers or vines of flowers represent the fertile womb of the goddess a s i t takes in the Phallus of the god and takes in his seed. Besides t h e Maypole often a bonfire is present, and members of the group are encouraged to jump the flames for luck and their own fertility. Food, drink and love are the order of the evening. In most sects the celebration of Beltane will become one large orgy as the participants are encouraged to enact their own unions of love. Beltane is the time o f m a n y marriages/handfastings in the pagan community (in some it is the point where one chooses to begin and end relationships of a physical nature). Clothing is very optional in most get togethers on this holiday, and mostly it is sensual and colorful. Even those sects that are prudish about things tend to accept the rules of the holiday, as it is the holiday of free love. It is said that a child conceived on this day will grow up to wield great power and knowledge and to be healthier than upon any other. Litha (Summer Solstice, June 20-23, dependant on actual astronomical event) Held on the longest day of the year, the Solstice is the celebration of lights triumph over darkness and that of the bountiful beauty that light brings into life. Flowers are common in the circle, roses and brightcheerful wildflowers are upon the altar and usually worn by all. It is the changing point of the year, and the celebration of the spiral dance of the year is common among Wiccans. It a celebration with much joy, and much feasting. Many wiccans will attire themselves i n bright colors and equally bright adornments of flowers. Litha' usual food fare may include honeycakes or cornbread. Litha is not celebrated by all sects nor in the same way. 590 Lughnasad (August 1st) The great corn ritual of Wiccan belief (in Celtic realms this is the celebration of the wheat god, corn is an Americanization and it is possible there is an American Indian traditional holiday near this date that was borrowed by the American Neopagans). THis is the big celebration of the harvest (Sort of a Pagan Thanksgiving, but the time clock is different as is that of the Celtics). Much feasting and dancing occur, thou it is a bit more somber than many of the other holidays. Some Pagans celebrate this day as merely the day to bake their bread and cakes for the coming winter and do no actual rituals save that of blessing the foods prepared. Mabon (Fall Equinox, Sept. 20-23, dependant on actual astronomical event) A lesser holiday, this is not widely celebrated and is most come with Pure wiccan groups, especially those who are based in the works of Starhawk and other Dianic sects. This is the weavers festival, and a braiding of cords are done in the process of casting a spell to add to ones life from what it is, each person weaving unto themselves what they wish and the coven as a whole weaving all the cords together to unite the power and efforts symbolically. SAMHAIN (Halloween Oct 31st) THe year ends traditionally in Wiccan beliefs with this holiday. Samhain is said to be the period of time when the gates between the worlds are least guarded and the veils their thinnest. It is a time for dimensional openings and workings, and a l s o t h e celebration of the death of the year king. It is a somber holiday, one of dark clothes and thoughts for the dead, it is said to be the time when those of necromantic talents can speak with the dead and it is certainly a time to remember ones dead. It is a time of endings of relationships and bad situations and it is the time when one can see the glimmer of hope in the future. THere are as many concepts attached to this holiday as any other. 591 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com THE HOLY FOOL: The Third member of the Triad -some musings by: the Bard * "Remember, the Moon is only half as big as the Earth, but it's twice as far away." -Anonymous * After some time musing on the concept of Goddess/God that is common in Wiccan (and most Neo-Pagan groups) and seeing the common theme of "things come in threes" in these belief systems, I fell to wondering "Why only the God and Goddess? If all things come in threes, where is the Third Aspect that should be there?" So what is this Third Aspect? I feel it is the Holy Fool; the Prometheus who is the Trickster, the God (neuter) that rolls the dice. This also fills in certain holes in neo-Pagan Theology that have bothered me for some time, too. First, we need to have a quick look at the Holy Fool in religious and/or cultural beliefs, both primitive and modern: American Indian: Aztec: Ueuecoyotl Caddo: Coyote Chinook: Coyote Coos: Coyote Haida: Raven Hopi: Mudhead Kachina, Clown Kachina Kiowa: Coyote Navaho: Coyote Nez Perce: Coyote Omaha: Coyote, Rabbit, Iktinike, Orphan Pueblo: Koshare Sioux: Spider Tillamook: Coyote Tinglit: Raven Winnebago: Rabbit Zuni: Coyote African: Spider, Tortoise, Rabbit, Jackal Graeco/Roman: Pan, Dionysis Celtic: Phooka and the like (see Irish: Fear Dearg, and a host of others. The Fool must love Ireland very much...He made so many of Itself there!) Norse: Loki...-and- Balder Banks Island: Clat Micronesia: Nareau England: Puck, Black Jack Davy Christianity: "Doubting" Thomas, and The Christ Himself, in many ways....and Judas, too. 20th Cent. North American: Bugs Bunny, The Joker, Mr. Mxyzpltk, Murphy, ("And Pooh is a -good- example, too!" said Eeyore) 592 Neo-Paganism: Discordians 18th thru 20th Cent. Appalachian: Jack (from British Isles) 18th and 19th Cent. N.A. Black: Br'er Rabbit, Long John, &c. German: Tyl Eulenspiegel Italy: Harlequin (check out Agatha Christie's stories about "Harley Quinn." VERY interesting!) Islamic: Juha, Abu Nawwas, Mullah Nasruddin, Nasreddin Khoja, Nasreddin Hodja Japanese: Fox, Hotei, and the whole concept of Zen...... And the many, many instances of the Hero figure and his Friend in most people's mythology....Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Robin Hood and Little John, the Mythic Hollywood Western Hero and his ridiculous sidekick, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.....and many times you see the recurrent theme of the Great Betrayal of the Hero, which leads to His death...and to His Resurrection! One immediately sees that the Fool is a universal constant in folk belief, just as the Goddess and God are! (NB: I have not gotten more specific for two reasons: one, for limitations of space, and two, to encourage others to do a little reading on their own!) As most things, the Fool is Personified in three basic Aspects that (of course) overlap with each other and with the God and Goddess. The first is that of the Saviour God, the Prometheus, the Culture Hero, who brings Knowledge (and -occasionally- Wisdom) to Mankind. This Aspect loves Mankind with all His Being, and only wishes Good. His Good Intentions sometimes fall short of His (or Mankind's) expectations, however. Thesecond isthat ofthe Clown,the Nerd,the Jerk,that teaches by his own mistakes (and who usually comes out ahead because of His own Innocence.) This Aspect is mostly neutral, and is how He seems to mostly manifest Himself. Butletus notforget thethird,and darker,side oftheFool, best exemplified by Jack Nicholson's portrayal of The Joker in the film version of "Batman." Just as the Goddess has Her Dark side (the Crone, the Morrigan, &c) and the God has His (Odin as Death-God) so does the Fool have a terrifying Aspect (at least, from the human point of view): Chaos Personified. This is not an Aspect to invoke, as It does not care. Period. It is the ultimate psychopath, the ultimate Spoiled Brat, the quintessence of Ego-centric self-love. In some circles, it could be quite nicely named Ahriman, or Shaitan, or Satan, because it fits all concepts of that Middle-Eastern deity....except one: It does not care if Man worships It or not. It is not in -conflict- with the God and/or Goddess, It is -not- on the kind of power-trip that the Judeo-Christian Satan is represented as having, it just -is-. It should be considered as neither "good" nor "evil," though it can personify both or either....or neither! This is confusing, but with a little thought the concept will (hopefully) come clear. 593 (And, just in passing, the film version of "Batman" is perhaps a very good metaphor for the eternal struggle between the Fool-as-Prometheus (Batman) and the Fool-as-Chaos (the Joker). Areyou confused? If youare, GOOD! If you arenot, keep thinking by not-thinking. (wha-a-a-a-a-t?) Some of thebest examples ofthe three Personifications arefound in the Navaho and Zuni tales of Coyote, or the Br'er Rabbit tales, or the older Bugs Bunny cartoons, or even Walt Disney's Goofy. And, while speaking of classic animation, if you can see any of the cartoons of the Cannibal Boy and the Mynah Bird, do so! It shows not one, but TWO Aspects in action! For a look at His more serious (?) side, try J.R.R. Tolkien's wonderful evocation of Tom Bombadil.....who is described as "the oldest." Prof. Tolkien came very close to the core of the truth with that one! The Fool is your slightly daffy Uncle, that comes to visit at Christmas and is such fun to be with, but who seems to have a sadness about him too, that you found out later, when you were all grown up, was his slide into alcoholism. The Fool is the American sit-com "Daddy" who never seems to get anything right, but wins out in the end anyway. The Fool is the classic scene of Bugs Bunny, floating in a washtub in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, happily singing "As Time Goes By," blissfully uncaring about his obvious predicament...one which would send a human into sheer despair....knowing that something will turn up, some scam that he can pull that will get him out of the washtub and into clover again. The Fool is the Tarot's Fool, of course....but He is also the Hanged Man. Do -not- invoke the Fool unless you are ready for literally ANYTHING to happen! He just might turn you into a Large Green Frog just to observe what happens......He is capricious. He is unpredictable. He is what He is, and nothing you can do will turn Him from His Purpose, whatever that may be at any given moment. He is "Murphy," and whatever can go wrong, WILL go wrong...or right. Unless you have an uncommonly flexible mind, you -might- not be able to handle it! He has no Festival, unless it is the Lupercal, or perhaps April Fool's Day, or even New Year's Eve, for every day is His, as He chooses. Some have inquired about the seeming overlap of functions in the Goddess/God/Fool triad, and this should be addressed here. The modern Western mind tends to "pigeonhole" things, and rigidly excludes other things from these pigeonholes. This, I feel, is in some ways an error in thinking, especially about the Triad. 594 One cannot and should not "compartmentalize" the God/Fool/Goddess into three rigidly separate Beings, but rather think of them as three separate sources of ripples in the same Pond: the ripples interact and intersect, and act on each other, but move within the same Source, whatever That may be. -the Bard at Samhain, 1990 CE I wish I could list all of my sources, but if I did, it would add several pages to this text, and I am trying to keep it short. I -will- recommend reading one book, however, that will give a great insight into the Holy Fool: CONTRARIWISE Zohra Greenhalgh, Ace (paperback) April 1989 0-441-117112-2 (it has a sequel, but I can't remember the title offhand....) * "Rimble, Rimble!" * Permission is granted to reprint this article, both in electronic and in print. Any copy of this article must include the WHOLE article, and any comments should be sent net-mail to "the Bard" at FIDOnet 1:114/29 (602) 439-7080. Copies of any printed reproduction of this article should be forwarded to "the Bard" c/o DEUS EX MACHINA BBS, PO Box 35190, PHOENIX, AZ 85069. Thanks! 595 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com PSYCHIC SELF-DEFENSE by =Carlin= One of the problems which faces the aspiring witch or magician is an increased sensitivity to and awareness of the "unseen" forces of the world. Usually this sensitivity is a delight, but occasionally it becomes a nightmare -- in the most literal sense of the word. In particular, this article deals with what spiritualists and shamans would refer to as spirit obsession -- a cluster of "symptoms" that differ from possession, but that still can destroy the integrity of the victims gives some background information on obsession, and then outlines a few "generic" techniques that will benefit those subject to this form of "psychic harassment." DEFINING OBSESSION Obsession occurs in every nation and subculture,and as a result every magical subculture has had it's own way of defining and dealing with the phenomena involved. Modern medicine, with the exception of Jungian and "New Age" psychiatry/psychology, tends to dismiss obsession as either hysteria or budding schizophrenia. The major religions, for the most part, now agree with this evaluation. Of course, the "New Right" fundamentalists are likely to see a demon in every corner.... Either of these approaches tends to disempower the afflicted person by destroying her/his trust in his own inner processes and making him dependent on the "expert" who will control the attempt to cure him/her. Spiritualists will warn you against psychic attack or unprotected dealings with the Dead. Work will tell you that the problem is either openness to astral influences or rebellion within the psyche . There is more to being human than the conscious mind, and unintegrated and unrecognized "complexes" within the psyche will sometimes have separate agendas that can lead to "attack from within" if those needs are continually ignored. My own tendency is philosophically Jungian-to-agnostic,but practically Shamanic. I tend to view such"entities" as psychological. However, the techniques I use are more effective if the problem is "projected" outward and treated as if it were the result of attack by a sentient being. Even if obsessions are caused by "complexes", a truly well established complex takes on enough "life" to be regarded as a "secondary personality" demanding of respect. If someone is having to live with obsession, chances are that the person is more interested in resolving the problem than debating metaphysics. The methodology outlined below is designed to work, whether you agree with the philosophy behind it or not. These techniques are "homeopathic" in nature, contrived with the idea of strengthening the victIm's "psychic immune system" to the point where s/he no longer can be victimized. Without this increase in inner power, the person can be temporarily freed from the obsession, but remains vulnerable to "evil influence" in the future. 596 THE BEGINNINGS OF OBSESSION Checking a person's personal history, one will usually find that obsessions begin during periods where stress,negative emotions, or injury have impaired that person's natural self-protective abilities. Or where the person has been unprepared or confused and has intentionally or unintentionally "dropped his/her guard" around someone already disturbed. Or where the person has been abused and degraded since early childhood and is consequently continually open to negative influences. In psychological terminology, old "complexes" are cathected during periods when the ego is foundered in depression, weakening the "auric shield" that normally will protect against "outside influences," as well as the physical body. This auric shield can also be "pierced" during "psychic attacks," leaving a "hole" through which invading astral-organisms can pass freely. In the same way, "evil spirits" are contagious. Emotional, sexual, or magical intimacy with someone already obsessed can allow the entity to pass over to oneself. And an extreme period of rage or vengefulness can attract like to like, bringing one to the attention of "vengeful creatures" in the "lower astral." SYMPTOMS OF OBSESSION Among the most common symptoms of obsession is a brooding fixation upon some negative thought or act. The obsessed person being unable to "turn off" the voice that urges her/him on to self-destructive or vindictive acts. The idea that one is the Messiah or the rightful ruler of the universe, or too low to continue to live may repeatedly intrude upon consciousness. To consider much addictive behavior to be the result of obsession by "earth-bound spirits" or elementals. No longer having physical bodies, the "astral low-lifes" push susceptible living humans into overindulging in whatever the discarnate entity still craves. In other cases, the symptoms take other forms. Sleep can be disrupted by repeated nightmares or night terrors. The individual may awaken with no memory of the contents of the dream, but over time will develop insomnia or a fear of sleep. Especially in children,the shadows of night can resolve themselves into terrifying images, and there can be an overwhelming sense of being constantly watched. Visual "hallucinations" may force themselves onto the physical plane or may manifest themselves solely upon the "mind's eye." At times the obsession can be relatively benign. Budding magicians can "pick up hitchhikers" during their initial workings, and these "creatures" may well content themselves with acting as Guardians of its cases the "entities" will only "act out"when the magician re-enters trance or attempts to work on the astral levels. People who work with divinatory techniques without proper training and grounding are especially vulnerable, with the Ouija board being the worst offender. This is one reason that the traditional religions, which do not want the general populace trained in magical techniques,urge people away from divinatory practices. Obsessions that strike those not trained to magick are usually not so courteous. In the more entrenched cases,physical symptoms other than insomnia can manifest. Especially when one is very tired or ill, the obsession attempt can escalate and begin to unbalance the homeostatic mechanisms of the body. Constipation,sinusitis and migraine headaches are the more usual manifestations, along with extreme pallor, edema, and mental confusion and memory loss. Poltergeist activity is also sometimes reported.The obsessing entity can also color the impressions of others. 597 One can suddenly find oneself being accused of unsavory attitudes or persistently misunderstood. At the same time, truly unsavory characters will be attracted to the new image and will begin to pop up out of the woodwork. THE MAGICAL APPROACH There are many things that one can do if one suspects that obsession has occurred. One can treat it as a demon and turn to spiritual authority for help. One can treat it as mental illness and turn to psychiatric explanations. One can ignore it as much as possible, or begin to avoid the activities that call it forth. One can also "raise one's energies" using self-help techniques such as those outlined in following paragraphs.Any one of the above reactions cripples one as a magician, however. From a ceremonial viewpoint, one must pass the "Guardian on the Threshold" before one can pass on to the next level of development.From a Jungian standpoint, one must develop rapport with and "reintegrate" the rejected portion; from a Shamanic standpoint, one must "turn" the entity and either dismiss it or convert it into a spirit helper. THE INNER DIALOGUE Step one, using the magical approach, is to become acquainted with the "entity" and engage it in dialogue.In some instances the entity will turn out to be malevolent, in other's only "immature" or confused and angry at being ignored. Before engaging in this activity, one is advised to ground and center, and to shield in whatever manner one's tradition suggests. One is also advised to begin/continue in whatever other spiritually protective exercises one has faith in.If there is someone available to work with the afflicted person, have that helper prepare a list of non-leading(Not "are you a demon?," but "what are you?") questions. Then drop into light trance and Then let the other person ask the questions while the victim answers with the first thing that pops into his/her head. In effect, s/he will be voluntarily "channelling" for the entity's unconscious and perhaps "denied" (officially) circumstances.If there is no other person, then the victim must do whatever form of divination or trance work he/she have developed to contact his/her subconscious. Those with vivid imaginations can simply find a quiet moment and ask "are you there?," personifying the "entity" in the same way that children create imaginary friends. Afterwards, no matter what the technique used, the obsessed person is to be certain that his/her aura is closed and that s/he is grounded and centered. AFTER "CONTACT" At this point s/he may have failed to make contact.In which case there is nothing to him/her to do but repeat the exercise until either it works or s/he is sure it isn't going to work. If real contact does not occur, then s/he might attempt to simply banish "it". It is possible that the entity will not answer directly, but will begin to up its activity level or bring a string of unusual circumstances into the obsessed person's life. 598 It is more likely, however, the have begun a dialogue. Sometimes "complexes"are immature parts of our own personalities that will calm down and begin to behave themselves once "they" no longer feel that they are being ignored.If the obsessing image is that of an animal, or even an ugly humanoid being, then it may simply be time to intensify one's spiritual quest and face down one's power animal or dark side. Frequently, these allies will attempt to come to the aid of someone undergoing psychic attack, and because of the general atmosphere of fear,will be perceived as threats and turned away themselves.Eventually, in either case the "entity" can either be"reintegrated" into the personality, or "kept" as a spirit-helper by those with shamanic leanings. If one is ALSO under psychic attack, the ally will probably help in the defense once asked and properly recognized. "LOST SOULS" AND WORSE On the other hand, "it" may claim to be a spirit or other entity that requires help. If the request is not ridiculous o consider honoring it. The author has personally dealt with a "poltergeist" who claimed to be a woman who had died of yellow fever over a century ago. When questioned, the "spirit" was confused at first, then admitted that she had died in delirium and had not realized that she was dead until "awakened" out of her stupor by some young people using a Ouija board. When asked what she wanted, the reply was "Pray for me." The poltergeist activity ended as soon as prayers were begun, and the last message received from the spirit was "Thank God, I'm free." Not being able to make herself understood on the material plane by any other means, the "spirit" had resorted to knocking physical objects around to attract attention. If someone of "mediumistic" nature had been about, she might have obsessed that person instead in her bid to gain attention. The obsession would have become malevolent only if the obsessed person repeatedly blocked her out or otherwise caused her to become cases of obsession in relatively "normal"persons will fall into one of the first few categories.In rare cases, the obsessed may have had his/her attempt at contact met with a voice screaming "DIE, DIE, DIE." Or something similar and profane. This is where the spiritual practices suggested in the following paragraphs will be of greatest benefit, followed by professional help or even exorcism, if necessary. (Even where an entity seems totally hostile, it is sometimes possible to "turn" it through raising "light"as described below.) 599 SELF-HELP WITH OBSESSION Not everyone is a magician and not everyone wishes to open the "can of worms" of the subconscious.The following activities are very useful in "uprooting"spiritual obsession by increasing "light". In cases of "mild" obsession only a few of these measures,or a simple ritual of dismissal, will be sufficient to be rid of the problem.In more entrenched cases, these techniques should be continued for the healing period, accompanied by Inner Work, depth psychology, or other techniques that promote self-understanding. Those suffering from physical symptoms should also work to strengthen their immune system and improve their diet and lifestyle. If possible, the severely afflicted individual should have a counselor, teacher, or trusted friend monitor his/her progress "just in case." EXAMPLE TECHNIQUES FOR "RAISING THE LIGHT" For a period of three months, the obsessed should "cleanse" him/herself daily in whatever manner her/his spiritual tradition decrees. Grounding and centering are excellent techniques, as is renewing oneself through visualizing the aura as strong and untainted. One can draw pictures of oneself expelling all darkness or meditate on the same image.Prayer is useful, as is catching oneself thinking the old negative thoughts and declaring that one has "taken that out of the Law" or "averted" the consequences. If the afflicted has friends who engage in spiritual pursuits, send him/her mental support and positive energy. The individual is also advised to spend time in sacred places where evil is barred from entering, and to refrain from the company of persons s/he knows are bad for her/him.If already attuned to ritual work, the victim can"cleanse" his/her home or have it cleansed by someone trusted. Those who have faith in Holy Water should sprinkle and apply it liberally. Afterwards, if the obsessed is truly serious about being rid of a persistent fixation, s/he can burn white candles constantly while awake and at home. This will act as a symbol of the"light" one wishes to draw into one's life. The most seriously affected are advised to surround their beds with a protective circle and never to sleep in a darkened room. Other religious/protective symbols can be placed in sight and called upon, and protective incenses such as sandalwood may be burned. The important thing is to keep one's spiritual goal constantly in mind and the"entity one's determination to improve. This may seem like a great deal of effort, but the effect will be to "open" the individual to positive influences, even if s/he doesn't believe in "demons".The individual will be "raising his/her energy" level to the point where something "dark" cannot even bear to approach her/him, and keeping the energy "high"for a long enough period that "it" will become "discouraged" and fade from sight.At the end of the three months, the "entity" should either be weakened severely from being "starved" or should be gone. If it is gone, then a ritually adept person can do a rededication wherein the formerly obsessed is declared sealed against recurrences. If the problem still exists, then the cause may actually be mental illness brought on by a brain imbalance or early trauma. In any case, entrenchment of that degree of severity is beyond the scope of any self-help article to deal with. In every case the author has seen or dealt with however, vast improvement over the three month period. 600 DIANISM IN A NUIT-SHELL Recently, I got back in touch with my teacherafter nearly two years and dropped a couple of bombshells on her: I had changed gender identity and had come together with two other women to form a Dianic coven. When the initial shock wore off, Rita sent me a complete run of Protean Synthesis and a solicitation for this article. Several yearsago I subscribed toseveral stereotypes regarding "those peculiar Dianics". They were thealogically unbalanced, they hated men, they denied that men had souls, they were all lesbians, they couldn't spell (in the orthographic sense; no one has yet accused Dianics of inability to work magick), etc. etc. When I came together with my covensisters, I realized that these notions were at most partially true and some cases were patently false. Ibelieve there are onlythree valid generalizationsthat can be made about Dianics: 1) We are all feminists. 2) We all look to the Goddess(es) far more than to the God(s). 3) We are all eclectics. Note well that there are plenty of non-Dianic feminist Witches, non-Dianic eclectics, and non-Dianics who are primarily Goddess-oriented. There are also doubtless a good many feminist, Goddess-oriented eclectics who do not choose to call themselves Dianic. In my own case I use the "If it quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck" argument, as well as the fact that my HPS learned the Craft as a Dianic and runs Dianic rituals. Some of thestereotypical generalizations I can dismiss out of hand. I don't know of a single Dianic who denies that men have souls. Even Z Budapest doesn't believe that piece of tripe anymore! It is true that Dianism is particularly attractive to separatists, and many separatists actually hate men. Many Dianics are lesbians. Some misspell words like "woman", women", "egalitarian", and "holistic" on purpose. Not all fit these, however, and I think that Z Budapest in her younger, or spiritual bomb-throwing, days represents an extreme and a small minority. There are a number of males involved in Dianism, and some of those are men [NB: I use the terms "man" and "woman" to indicate gender identity, that is, how one's heart, mind, and/or soul are configured. I use "male" and "female" to indicate physical sex, that is, how one's plumbing is configured. I hope this dispels confusion.]. Thealogical and magickalimbalance isnot soeasily dismissedand needs to be addressed further, as that is the most valid objection that thoughtful Witches have to Dianism. The apparent imbalance comes from the Dianic emphasis on Goddess-worship, often to the complete exclusion of God-worship. This upsets many Witches' sense of polarity balance. The resolution of this apparent imbalance lies in the consideration of other polarities than sexual and/or gender as the primary polarity. There are indeed many other polarities to consider: true-false, life-death, dark-light, rational-mystical, creation-destruction, order-chaos, and good-evil, to name but a few. One problem with the masculine-feminine polarity is that there is a strong tendency to express all other polarities in terms of it. The Chinese were particularly fond of this, and mapped everything they liked into the yang side, and everything they disliked or feared into the yin side, the patriarchal no-accounts! 601 One thingI have discovered isthat if you lookhard enough, you can find goddesses to fit both ends of most polarities. Some even occupy both ends simultaneously. Inanna, my matron goddess, is a good case in point. She is the Sumerian goddess of love, war, wisdom (which she won in a drinking bout!), adventure, the heavens, the earth, and even of death (in the guise of her dark aspect, Ereshkigal). A very busy lady indeed is Inanna. At this point it becomes largely a matter of personal preference rather than of polarity, whether one chooses a god or a goddess to occupy a particular place in a ritual. NoDianic I know ofdenies the existence ofthe God. Indeed, He gets mentioned as the consort of the Goddess with some frequency in Z Budapest's HOLY BOOK OF WOMEN'S MYSTERIES, which is close a thing as there is to a Dianic version of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows. He is there, and sometimes we will invoke Him, when it is appropriate. He makes His own path, and we follow our own, and when they cross naturally we honor Him and do not avoid Him. We also do not force the paths to cross simply to lend an artificial balance to a ritual where none is really needed. Now that I have spilled agood deal of ink over what Dianismis not, I should now say a few words about what it is: a movement of feminist, eclectic, Goddess-oriented Witches. Feminism: This covers avast multitudeof virtues andsins. Ido not think the stereotypical radical lesbian separatist is as common as is believed. Moderate to liberal feminism is probably far more common, even among Dianics. Certainly my own coven contains no separatists! There are too many nice men out there, even though surveys have shown that 70% or more of all men are potential rapists. The nice ones are found among those who are not in that repulsive majority; you just have to look to find them. One of the places you might find such nice men is in Dianic covens! Some are mixed groups, at least some of those of the branch founded by Morgan McFarland. My own is something of a mixed up group, I suppose. While we do not currently have any men in the coven, two of the three of us were born male and still have original-equipment plumbing. The Goddess and our HPS accept us unreservedly as women. Eclecticism: If there isone dictum of Z Budapest's thatbears repeating to everyone in the Craft, and which gets followed by many, it is "When in doubt, invent." Dianics tend toward creative ritual, drawing from any and all possible sources. I have yet to see a Dianic equivalent of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, nor do I ever hope to see one. 602 Goddess Orientation: I've discussed this at some length while talking about polarity. There are some wags who have said that Dianics are nothing but matriarchal monotheists. I tell you three times: The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag! The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag! The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag! A much closer analogy would be that Dianics have taken the Classical pantheon and reclaimed most of the roles. This, too, is oversimplifying, but it is not nearly as wide of the mark as the usual criticism. At some point I may write up a long exegesis on the Dianic Goddess, but not here. My own personal involvement with Her comes from a great feeling of comfort I do not find elsewhere. She feels right. I have a great deal of difficulty accepting known rapists (most of the Olympian males are this, especially Zeus, Hades, and Pan!) into my personal pantheon. I also feel a personal vocation from the Mother; it is rather incongruous to me to embrace a male deity wholeheartedly when the Goddess comes to me and calls me Her daughter. This goes doubled, redoubled, in pentacles, and vulnerable for lovers of women. Ihope thislittlediscussion ofDianism-in-a-Nuitshell hasproved enlightening to you. It is not a path for everyone, but it is a valid path for some, and in considering it I hope that you can now ignore the garbage that has been put forth in the past as "data" regarding it. Inanna Seastar Birdsnest Coven 603 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com DIVINATION This seems like a fairly good time of year to be talking about divination. What is it, why do we do it, and what's in it for us? Lots of people think it's a way of avoiding responsibility - if the future is preordained, we might as well go back to bed. Of course, that's not it at all. Divination is the use of any one of several methods to obtain information which is not directly accessible to the conscious mind of the person asking the question. Whether you use cards, crystals, a pendulum, ink, lead, dice, the flight of birds or anything else, what you are really doing is opening your end of a channel to higher wisdom. I consider the "actual" source of that wisdom irrelevant and immaterial; it could be one's own subconscious, the collective unconscious, the Gods' will, telepathic insight, or a big computer buried in the Balkans. It's still additional information which is not as tainted by ego and intellect's limitations as most. So what do we do with it? The same things we do with any other information; add it to what we already know and develop a synthesis that can help us do our decision-making. The easiest way to analyze the process is with a concrete (well, maybe jello) example: A young man has been between relationships for some time. He wants very much to link up with the great love of his life, but is not aware of anyone on the horizon. He is putting himself in a position to meet new people, presenting himself as attractively as he can, and generally taking care of business, but no results. He has to decide whether to take a work-related course at night or not. It will take a lot of time and there are not likely to be any women attending. His progressed horoscope is neutral. He gets his cards read. They say: [PAUSE] 1.Nothing at all about love, but a lot about skilled craftsman- ship and satisfaction through work. He decides to relax and wait for a better time, takes the course, and is rewarded with a modest promotion which enhances his satisfaction with his job. 2.A lot about increasing social activities, leading to the start of a new romance, leading to great happiness and satisfaction after some difficulties are resolved. He does not take the course, and meets a really nice interesting lady at a party given by a friend (which he couldn't have attended had he taken the course). 604 3.That he is overlooking sources of emotional gratification in his current situation. Given the information, he starts looking around and discovers that one of his quieter friends is a really thoughtful and insightful person who helps him learn to know himself better, and that a young cousin needs a mentor and this relationship gives him a lot of pleasure and fulfillment. He begins to feel much more ready for a good relationship, and much less impatient to have one start. These examples illustrate the point made above; divination provides you with choices, and you take the consequences, no matter what the oracles say. Treat them with respect, not adoration or blind compliance, and may they always show you the truth. Blessed Be, The Spinster Aunt ...from RMPJ 12/86 605 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Divination Bibliography TAROT Butler, Bill. Dictionary of the Tarot. (Schocken Books, 1975). Campbell, Joseph and Richard Roberts. Tarot Revelations. (Vernal Equinox Press, 1979). Case, Paul Foster. The Tarot. (Maccy Publishing, 1947). Cavendish, Richard. The Tarot. (Harper & Row, 1975). Connelly, Eileen. Tarot - A New Handbook for the Apprentice. (Newcastle Publishing, 1979). Crowley, Aleister. The Book of Thoth. (Samuel Weiser, Inc. 1984). TheEgyptian(GoldenDawn)TarotbyTheMaster Therion. Douglas, Alfred. The Tarot. (Taplinger Publishing, 1972). Gettings, Fred. The Book of Tarot. (Triune Books, 1973). Gray, Eden. A Complete Guide to the Tarot. (Bantam Books, 1970). Gray, Eden. The Tarot Revealed. (Signet Books, 1960). Greer, Mary K. Tarot for Yourself. (Newcastle Publishing, 1984). Hargrave, Catherine Perry. A History of Playing Cards. (Dover Publishing, 1966). Hutton, Alice. The Cards Can't Lie. (Hippocrene Books, 1983). Kaplan, Stuart R. The Encyclopedia of Tarot. (U.S.Games Systems, 1978). Konraad, Sandor. Classic Tarot Spreads. (Para Research, 1985). Leland, Charles Godfrey. Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling. (University Books, 1962). * Nichols, Sallie. Jung and Tarot. (Samuel Weiser Inc. 1980). Good but lengthy examination of the Jungian aspects of the Tarot. Noble, Vicki. Motherpeace. (Harper & Row, 1983). * Pollack, Rachel. Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. Part I: The Major Arcana. (Aquarian Press, 1980). Excellent explanation of the Tarot, using the Rider Waite deck. Highly recommended. * Pollack, Rachel. Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. Part II: The Minor Arcana and Readings. (Aquarian Press, 1980). Good explanations of various reading methods and extensions. Roberts, Richard. Tarot and You. (Morgan and Morgan, 1975). 606 * Walker, Barbara G. The Secrets of the Tarot. (Harper & Row, 1984). Examination of the origins and symbolism of the Tarot. Beautifully done. * Wang, Robert. The Qabalistic Tarot. (Samuel Weiser, Inc. 1983). Good reference for the Golden Dawn system of Tarot. THE I CHING Chu, W.K. and W.E. Sherril. The Astrology of the I Ching. (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1976.) Chu, W.K. and W.E. Sherril. An Anthology of I Ching. (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1977.) Legge, James. I Ching, Book of Changes. (University Books, 1964). Ni, Hua-Ching. Tao, The Subtle Universal Law and the Integral Way of Life. (Shrine of Eternal Breath of Tao, 1979). Ni, Hua-Ching. The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth. (Shrine of Eternal Breath of Tao, 1983). Pattee, Rowena. Moving With Change. (Arkana, 1986). Interesting approach to oriental divination. Cards also available. Ponce, Charles. The Nature of the I Ching, Its Usage and Interpretation. (Award Books, 1970). Trosper, Barry R. and Gin-Hua Leu. I Ching: The Illustrated Primer. (KGI Publications, 1986). Walker, Barbara G. The I Ching of the Goddess. (Harper & Row, 1986). Waltham, Clae. I Ching. (Ace Books, 1969). Adaptation of the work by James Legge. Wilhelm, R. and C.G. Jung. The Secret of the Golden Flower. (Harcourt, Brace and World, 1931). RUNES Blum, Ralph. The Book of Runes. (St. Martin's Press, 1982). Set comes with a set of runestones. Osborn, Marijane and Stella Longland. Rune Games. (Routledge & Kegan Paul, Ltd. 1982). CARTOUCHE Hope, Murray. The Way of Cartouche. (St. Martin's Press, 1985). Set comes with cards. 607 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com OLD MAGIC EXORCISM Power of wind have I over thee. Power of wrath have I over thee. Power of fire have I over thee. Power of thunder have I over thee. Power of lightning have I over thee. Power of storm have I over thee. Power of moon have I over thee. Power of sun have I over thee. Power of stars have I over thee. Power of the heaven's and the worlds have I over thee. (lift sword over head with both hands and chop down.) Eson! Eson! Emaris! Garner, Alan; "The Moon of Gomrath"; Ballantine 614 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com E C O M A G I C --------------- The following is excerpted from an article, Making Magic For Planet Earth, written by Selena Fox for Circle Network News (Box 219, Mt. Horeb, WI 53572 ) and presented here as being of public interest to the pagan community at large. Selena, I didn't have time to ask your permission, I presume that by the very nature of your writings you want them to be shared with as many people as possible, and so they are presented here. This is submitted with this statement and not to be edited, by Shadowstar of Boston MA. "There are many things thatcan be done in spiritual realmsto help bring about solutions to the world's problems: * We can kindle spiritualfriendships with other lifeforms through communication with Nature Spirits, who can be teachers for us and allies in bringing about planetary healing. * We can do daily meditations in whichwe creatively visualize the spiritual body of the planet glowing with radiant healing light. * We can organize and/or take part in ecumenical planetary prayer services and rituals with practitioners of other spiritual paths and cultures. * We canhonor Mother Earth as an aspect of the divine in our solo and group rituals. * We can send Mother Earth our love and pray for planetary health each time we visit a stone circle, sacred grove, place of power, temple, shrine or other sacred site. * We can do spiritual healing magic for the planet in our circles. It is important to reinforce whatever spiritual work we do with physical action. There are a variety of ways to do this and you should decide on at least one approach and then carry it out. Here are a few examples: * Recycle trash from your household, take paper, plastics, glass, aluminum cans, and other recyclables to recycling centers. *Recycle clothes and no longer needed household items by donating them to charities to distribute to the needy. * Join and actively participate in environmental action groups. * Write government officialsand urge them to takespecific actions on specific environmental issues, such as stopping all ocean dumping. * Write letters and articles for publications about the need for environmental preservation. * Plant trees as part of reforestation efforts. * Compost food scraps. * Stop buying and using non-bio-degradable detergents. 615 * Boycott products from companies that are destroying the Amazon rainforest. * Pick up cigarette butts and other non-biodegradable litter from parks and other wilderness areas. * Donate money to nature preserves. * Give talks atschools, civic groups, churches andin other places in your area about ecological issues. * Read publications, view films, and attend presentations inorder to keep informed about ecological conditions and to learn about additional ways you can work for planetary healing. * Conserve electricity, water and other resources on a daily basis. * Network with others. 616 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Fundamental Laws of Human Ecology 1. We're all in it together. Everything is connected to everything else. You can't do just one thing. 2. The Earth and its resources are finite. or You can't get something for nothing. 3. As energy and other resources are used, there is an overall decrease in the amount of usefulness. (Second Law of Thermodynamics> 4. Everything must go somewhere-there is now away. 5. Up to a point, the bigger the better; beyond that point, the bigger the worse. or To everything there is an optimum size. 6. Everything is becoming something else. 7. In most cases, the greater the diversity of a system, the greater its stability. 8. Nature frequently but not always "knows" best. Note: People use antibiotics to counter nature. 9. We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us. - Winston Churchhill 10. As human beings, one of our inalienable rights is the right to live in a clean environment. 11. Our environment does not belong to us alone. It was used by our forefathers, passed on to us, and we are charged with the responsibility of passing it undamaged to all future generations. 12. All persons must be held responsible for their own pollution. 13. All persons are created with an equal right to live in dignity and peace and to work out a meaningful existence. Everyone is entitled to a fair share of the world's resources-provided one is carrying one's own share of the responsibilities for maintaining an orderly world. 14. Comfortable living, in harmony with nature, should be each society's goal. 15. Our dependence on technology is, today, so strong and widespread, that we are compelled to use technology as a means for getting out of our environmental dilemma. 16. No national purpose however urgent, no political or economic necessity however pressing can possibly justify the risk of bringing all human history to an end. 617 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Posture of Ecstasy The nature of ecstatic states of consciousness may be encoded in their postures. The types of visions, prophecies or healing abilities that accompany ecstatic states may have less to do with the religious content surrounding the ceremonies of ecstasy than with the posture assumed by the people undergoing the ecstatic experience. This unusual hypothesis is being proposed by psychological anthropologist Felicitas D. Goodman, PhD, based on observation of people in ecstatic states and her experiments training people to enter such states of consciousness. In some of her earlier re- search, Dr. Goodman learned that she could induce an ecstatic state in a subject through the use of a gourd rattle similar to that used in many primitive shamanistic ceremonies. While a subject, alone, or in a group, walked in a circle, or simply sat, Dr. Goodman would shake this rattle in a steady manner for 15 minutes. The use of the rattle was based on the hypothesis that "acoustic driving" affects the functioning of the brain, blocking the verbal left hemisphere and opening access the intuitive right hemisphere. Within five minutes, most subjects were giving indications of being in an altered state of consciousness. At the end of the experiment, their verbal reports confirmed that they had been experiencing something resembling an ecstatic state, including visions and variations in body image. Noting that the content of these visions seemed to vary as a function of which subjects had remained standing and which had become seated, Dr. Goodman ran a series of experiments to specifically test the effect of posture. To obtain experimental postures, she went to ethnographic resources to locate either photographs of shamans in ecstasy, or artistic renditions of this state. She found five different postural positions. In her subsequent experiments, she would ask her subjects to assume a particular posture, commence the rattle playing for 15 minutes, then obtain their reports. She found that these reports were highly consistent for a given posture, but differed between various postures. For example, one posture was similar to sitting in meditation, except that the legs are both tucked under the body and turned toward the right. Subjects experienced color sensations, spinning and strong alterations in mood. This posture was that assumed by Nupe Mallam diviners. According to the literature, the divination experience begins by alterations in moods. 618 In another posture, subjects stood erect with their heads back and their hands clasped at the abdomen. Subjects reported warmth, a flow of energy rising, and a channel opening at the top of the head. According to the ethnographic literature, this posture had been associated with healing, involving the flow of energy. In a similar manner, the other postures tested produced experiences resembling the reports of native shamans who assume the posture in their trance work. The author can only speculate concerning the mechanism by which posture affects the content of ritualized trances. We know that posture affect mood states. It is perhaps by their effect upon a wide variety of psychophysiological variables that posture affects the course of ecstasy. (Source: "Body posture and the religious altered state of consciousness: An experimental investigation," Journal of Humanistic Psychology, Summer, 1986, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 81-118. Author's address: Cuyamungue Institute, 114 East Duncan St., Columbus, OH 43202.) 619 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Men's Circle Copyright 1987 by R.M.P.J. Those of you who attended the "Opening the Sky" ritual at Dragonfest this year probably realized that a large part of it was a Creation Myth. At the Manhood Ritual on Friday night, Thomas's Circle Invocation was also a Creation Myth, although a very brief one. Perhaps it is in the stars, but I have been thinking about a Pagan Creation Myth for several months now and perhaps this is as good a time as any to publish it. The basic idea originally came when some people complained that science didn't have any mystery or poetic power in its formulations. That is not really true, it is just that not enough scientists are trained to write well, or encouraged to present new knowledge in a form that will appeal to all levels of our minds. Well, I decided to have a go at it, and the following myth is based pretty closely on modern cosmology and evolutionary theory. .................................. In the beginning therewas neither matter nor energy,neither was there space nor time, force and form were not. Yet there was Something. Poised between Spirit and Void, without form or qualities, pure potentiality, the first physical manifestation had existence. Scientists call it the Primordial Singularity, occultists call it the Cosmic Egg. It changed, and the first moment of time came to be. It expanded, and space was born. Not the space we know, but one of many dimensions, and that space was filled with the first Force. So intense was that Force that space itself altered. Dimensions folded back on themselves, while others expanded mightily. The first Form came to be. As the infant universe expanded it changed subtly, and as naturally as snowflakes forming in the air, the first material manifestation precipitated out of nothingness. Neither matter nor energy as we know them, but yet both. The Element Fire was born. The universe continued to expand, and the one Force became two forces, then three and finally four. Matter and energy became distinguishable, and the Element Earth was born from Fire. A hundred thousand years went by, and the universe continued to expand and cool until, quite suddenly, the fire died, space became transparent to light, and there were great clouds of cool gas, moving freely. The Element Air was born. The clouds began to draw together, then break apart into smaller clouds, and smaller still, until a limit was reached, and a hundred thousand clouds collapsed inward upon themselves, swirling and twisting, flattening and smoothing, rippling, and organizing themselves. The Element Water was born. 620 One cloud, like many of its siblings, took on astructure like a great pinwheel, with spiral arms stretching out from its center. It was Galaxias, our Milky Way. Within its turbulent swirling, smaller eddies formed and contracted, tighter and tighter. At the center of one a spark grew bright then another and another. The first stars were lighted, and shown in a universe grown dark. Many of them burned prodigally for a time and then exploded, hurling the ashes of their burning outward, ashes such as oxygen and carbon and nitrogen; star stuff, life stuff. Generations of stars came and went over the billions of years, and out in one of the spiral arms a cloud of gas and dust began to collapse like so many others before. It contracted, and a new star lighted, with a disc of dust and gas circling it. The disc became lumpy as grains of dust and crystals of ice collided and stuck together. The lumps touched and merged, ever growing in the light of the young star. Finally, nine bodies circled the new star, which would one day be called Sol, or simply, the Sun. Third out from the sun a rare event had happened. Two young planets had collided and merged violently, forming a single planet. In the violence of that collision, part of the surfaces of both had been ripped off and hurled out to form a ring of molten rock which quickly drew together to form a giant satellite. The Earth and the Moon had been born in a passionate joining. Asthe young Earth cooled,great volcanos belchedforth gases from its still hot interior. An atmosphere of steam and carbon dioxide formed and then clouds appeared. The first rains began, pouring down on the rocks and washing down into the low places. The oceans were born. Water evaporated from the oceans and fell again as rain, dissolving minerals from the rocks and carrying them into the sea. The early ocean became richer and richer in dissolved minerals and gases. Lightning in the young atmosphere formed new substances which added to the complexity of the mix. The dissolved substances in the oceans became more and more complex, until one day a complex molecule attracted simpler compounds to itself, and then there were two, then four. Life was born. From its simple origins, Life grew in complexity, until one day a patch of green appeared, drawing energy from the Sun, and exuding oxygen. Within a short time the atmosphere changed radically. The sky became blue, the air clear and rich in oxygen. As the Earth had shaped Life, so Life began to shape the Earth. Delicately balancing and ever re-balancing between the furnace heat of her sister Venus, and the icy cold of her brother Mars, Gaia, the Living Earth, had come to be. The first animals appeared and swam in the oceans. Then venturesome ones crawled onto the land. The forms taken by life changed. Fish appeared, and dragons walked the land. Tiny furred creatures supplanted the great dragons, whose descendants now flew through the skies, clothed in feathers. By and by some of the furred creatures came down from the trees and began to walk about on their hind legs, and then they started picking things up. Soon they were using the things they picked up. Then they started talking to each other. After they had been talking for a while, they started thinking. Some of them even started thinking about where they had come from and where they were going. And they began to wonder how everything had come to be - and why. .................................. 621 Well, there it is. Now thatit's written I'mwondering what itall means. You who read this have as much right to interpret it as the author, who after all is mostly gathering the thoughts and conclusions of other men and women and putting them into a hopefully attractive package. Creation myths are supposed to tell us something about the world we live in and our relationship with that world, and perhaps about ourselves. This one seems to be telling us that the world in which we live was not made, like a clock, it grew, like an embryo in an egg. We humans are as much a part of our world as the eye of an embryo is part of the embryo. We are the part of the world that "sees". And what about the Gods? Where do they fit into all this? Well, eggs generally have a mother and a father, and newborn chicks aren't aware of either until they open their eyes. We are the eyes of our world, and one of our functions is to see the Mother and Father. ___Robin 622 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com From: ROWAN MOONSTONE To: ALL Subj: CHRISTIANITY AND WICCA The following is the comparison listing of Christianity and Wicca that I mentioned in a previous message. It was prepared by Kerr Cuchulain, who is the Canadian Chapter Head for the Witches League for Public Awareness, in response to a request from a Christian minister who contacted the League. Christianity Wicca Patriarchal/Paternalistic Duotheistic (Goddess/God)* Dualistic: divinity separate Monistic: Divinity inseparable from everyday world from everyday world Resurrection Reincarnation Heaven: destination of Christian Summerland: resting place between souls incarnations Hell No equivalent Satan No equivalent Original Sin No equivalent Redemption/Atonement/Confession Karma/Threefold Law(evil returns uponthe perpetratorthree-fold) Hierarchy/Authoritarian No hierarchy/ Autonomy Bible( scripture) No equivalent ** Sabbats based upon Biblical Seasonal and Lunar Sabbats and Christian historical events Prophets/Saints/Messiahs no equivalent Generally daylight worship Some worship nocturnal(lunar esbats) Churches/temples Circles case where convenient usually no formal temple no size restrictions on small groups (covens) 3-13 people usual though congregations may be larger. 10 Commandments Wiccan Rede Harm none Psychic phenomena generally Psychic abilities encouraged discouraged except for (magick) "miracles" * Names vary from tradition to tradition. lDifferent aspects of the Goddess/God have different names creating the impression that Wicca may be pantheistic. ** Wiccans use a book called the "Book of Shadows". This is a working notebook rather than a scriptural text. 623 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com DEGREES OF INITIATION SPARROW SONG What do the three ( or four ) degrees of Wicca entail? Well, as I see it, the (in my case) three degrees reflect levels of competency. You have to know and maybe even be able to teach various things to be upped a degree. Also, I see the degrees as much like Church hierarchy. First degree makes you a priest/priestess, and makes you responsible for a small part of the lay community. Second degree is kinda like being a bishop -- that's also when you become an "Elder" -- and makes you responsible for lay community and what first degrees are in your group. In other words, 2nd degree has more and greater attendant responsibilities (which is as it should be, no?). In my tradition, 3rd degree is given when it looks like the person is ready to go off and found a coven of his/her own (preferably with his/her mate -- they like to give thirds in pairs), which the person then should do (cause there shouldn't be more than one set of 3rds in a coven). 3rd is rather closer to 2nd than 2nd is to 1st, as I see it. And in the way of what one must know, well, it seems to consist of memorizing a basic ritual and knowing why it works, plus various other things too numerous and eclectic to mention here. Ultimately, I think, advancement is according to the whim of the High Priestess & Priest. Yea, it's a pain, but if you don't like it you can always "invent yer own grandmother" and start off on your own. After all, that's one of the good things about this religion: its flexibility. And as long as you don't dismember animals and children, you may even be recognized and acknowledged! (mostly joking) Seriously, I've been finding the whole degree system a pain lately, a source of unfair manipulation along the carrot-and-stick lines, so I'm somewhat bitter about it all. Brighit (are you out there?) may be better able to explain it, since she's a HPs herself, and of a very formalized tradition... Seems that while I've been gone there have been one or two requests for me to comment on things ... First, on degree systems: Yes, SeaHawk is right, we Gardnerians do have a fairly rigid system although each coven interprets it slightly differently. In Tobar Bhride [my coven] our first degree is NOT considered clergy nor is it eligible for CoG credentials because it is considered an acknowledge- ment of one's commitment to the Craft and the Coven, but not necessarily a commitment to clerical responsibility. First degrees are considered competent to do a circle for themselves only -- and given only that part of the Book which is relevant to that scope of practice. Second degree Priest/ess/es are considered teachers, and in our particular coven must have taught us, as a coven, something before elevation to that degree is considered. They are eligible to lead group celebrations and also eligible for CoG Ministerial Credentials. Elders, Third Degree Witches, in Tobar Bhride, are those with direct experience of deity through a formalized ritual of possession. This experience, and a year of service to Tobar Bhride, are the requirements for Third Degree. 624 I agree with SeaHawk about the sometimes arbitrary forces at work in initiation and elevation. Unfortunately in many covens the HP & HPs feel themselves oathbound to be arbitrary, authoritarian and autocratic, and absolutely not subject to any constraint or needing any consensus whatsoever. Or in some covens they will agree to consensus on the little things and arbitrarily disperse the big ones . In Tobar Bhride, to avoid this, we have made a rule for ourselves: if a person fulfills all the paper requirements for initiation/elevation and does not receive that degree within two Sabbats' time, the Council of Elders is FORCED to explain why to the petitioner. This seems to curb the temptation to such authoritarian use of power ... 625 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Full Deck Tarot Star Spread by Unicornis There are very few Tarot spreads which use the entire deck in a single unified pattern. What follows is a description of such a spread. It is best suited for situations in which a great deal of complexity is present, and for 'general' readings. The steps for creating the spread are: 1: Thoroughly shuffle the deck until it 'feels' right. While I personably do not allow another person to shuffle my cards, if the reading concerns another it is acceptable to allow that person to hold the deck while concentrating upon the matter in question. This is a personal preference, but I am convinced that the relationship between reader and deck is a very personal one and that contact with the deck by another may 'confuse' the reading. 2: Dealing from the 'bottom' of the deck (i.e. withthe cards face down and dealing from the topmost position), create thirteen piles of six cards each. The first pile is in the center and the other twelve are in a circle around it. Each pile should be dealt consecutively (all six cards at once). Although it is not necessary to actually place them so, at least understand that the first card dealt in a pile (Card 0) is in the center of a circle of five cards (Card 1 through Card 5). This circle is, in actuality, a Star. When laying them out in a Star, use the following spread for each pile: 1 3 4 0 5 2 Note that if you trace the numbers from 1 to 5 you will trace a five-pointed star, always moving clockwise around the circle to reach the next point. 3: Interpret the spread. Interpretation of this spread is based upon the astrological symbolism of the twelve houses. The first pile of cards in the circle of twelve piles is House 1, the second is House 2, etc.. 626 The individual piles delineate the specific factors at work in each of the twelve basic areas. Card 1 represents the matter in question (the 'problem', question, etc.). Card 2 represents the 'source' (cause of the problem, inception of a project, etc.). Card 3 represents factors which bear upon the matter, but which are external to it (and probably out of the control of the querant). Card 4 represents actions taken with regard to the matter. Card 5 represents the outcome of those actions. Card 4 is the most difficult to interpret, since 'action' could here represent several different things. First of all, it might represent an action which has already been taken. If so, then Card 5 will represent the probable outcome, unless counter actions are taken. Secondly, it might represent the action which the querant is asking about (i.e. 'Should I ...'. Card 5, again, represents the probable outcome. Thirdly, it might represent the suggested course of action (answer to the question 'What should I ...'). In this case, Card 5 is the suggested goal. It is quite possible that Card 5 will relate to a past outcome (i.e. everything has already transpired). If this seems to be the case, then it is possible that all five cards must be interpreted as relating to another person, instead of the querant. Most of the time the sense of Card 4 should be apparent from the context of the reading. Card 0 always represents the 'heart' of the individual Star spread. Usually, this relates to the querant's own relationship to the matter which is germane to the house in question. It can also, however, represent the underlying ('behind the scenes') factors which precipitated the matter, not to be confused with the 'cause' of a problem. In this sense, it will usually represent motivations, rather than actions. In some cases Card 0 will represent a person, other the querant, to which the Star actually relates. In such a case, an attempt should be made, based upon the situation and the nature of the card to identify that person, since this implies that the matter is either out of the hands of the querant or the querant is only an 'ambient' factor (and will then be represented by Card 3 for that particular Star. In a similar manner, Pile 0 (the one at the center of the circle), represents the 'heart' of the entire reading. This will always pertain to the reasons (motivations) of the querant, and interpretation of this Star spread must be used to modify all of the others. This is not the place to delve into the meanings of the twelve houses in detail. There are many good books in print which deal with this. I highly recommend the following, which give excellent interpretations of the twelve astrological houses (coinciding with the twelve 'Stars' of this Tarot spread): The Astrological Houses: The Spectrum of Individual Experience by Dane Rudhyar The Astrology of Personality by Dane Rudhyar A Handbook for the Humanistic Astrologer by Michael R. Meyer The full deck star spread lends itself admirably to an in-depth study of any matter. The human condition is far too complex to use a 627 simple yes-no approach to any matter of importance. More so than spreads which involve only a small number of the total factors which could come into play, the full deck star spread allows detailed analysis of all of the options and avenues which are available. It will also show how the outcome of an action might affect areas of the querant's life which were not specifically part of the reason for consulting the Tarot in the first place. It might take a little longer to use, and might require a little more effort on the part of the interpreter, but the extra work will be repaid many-fold in the certainty that no stone was left unturned. 628 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Self-defense and Banes Judy Harrow I surely agree that we have every right to protect ourselves and our "own folk" from attack. But I do believe that shield and mirror workings are more efficient, effective and elegant at accomplishing the goal of self-protection. Consider this - a mirror working is perfect justice. If I am mistaken, either that psychic attack is being done at all or about the perpetrator, a bane will jeopardies me karmically and (if psychic attack truly is being done by somebody other than the one I suspect) fail to protect me. A mirror sits there passively, ignores any mistaken paranoia that I may occasionally get, does nothing at all until and unless an attack happens, and then sends the bad energy directly back to the exactly deserving person or group in exactly the proper amount and kind. A mirror is perfect justice. A grounding shield is perfect mercy, taking bad energy and dissipating it harmlessly. I think I already said this but I recently talked one of my students into using a grounding shield where she would have been perfectly entitled to use a mirror. The situation is an ongoing battle between my student's lover and his former wife. While the ex-wife did an entirely unjustifiable attack, and would fully deserve to have it returned full force, all this would really accomplish would be to perpetuate the craziness, hostility and tension in the situation - and both the couple's innocent children and my student are being hurt. Better for all concerned to ignore justice and drain as much of the tension as possible, to make room for the healing that all of them need. A grounding shield is perfect mercy. Butbanes and bindings, whilethey may giveshort term protection, risk your own karma, are susceptible to mistake, and may, if misdirected, even fail of their well-intended purpose. Sure you're entitled to self-protection. This is just a lousy way to go about it. I guess my kind of Warrior is Athena, the wise defender. warmly / Judy From: Hugh Read You have a gentle way. For myself, I love Minerva who I feel is a Being unto Herself. The concept of the Grounding Shield is clear to me...would you care to share the practice with me. Justice has little interest for me. That takes care of itself in the process of time. We are all amply repayed for our varies deeds simply by wearing this body of ours. Healing is far more to the point. The word Justice makes me cringe a bit, though long ago I came to peace with Justice. One of my more angry prayers is May he/she have perfect Justice, NOW! Instant karma, NOW...and I always add, and so may it be with me. I remember telling this to a New Age teacher a few years ago. He turned pale and promised me auto accidents, fire, theft and robbery if I did that. Well, I am still bopping along with my share in the chancier aspects of life affirming perfect Justice for my self and every now and then in those very rare (!) moments of anger instant Karma for me and whoever. I love the idea of a shield that will ground and disperse any nasties send grovelling in my direction. Let Healing Be the Way!!! Tender bliss and explosive ecstacy be yours as the days pass softly! 629 From: Judy Harrow It's visualization either way. For the grounding shield, it is velvety, absorptive black (Oops, I should say that MINE is - you may alter this to whatever will convince your Younger Self). Every so often along it's length, for me every 2-3 yards, there is a post somewhat like a fence post that extends deep into the ground and is conductive like a lightening rod. Trust mother Earth to filter any kind of energy back into simple, pure, undifferentiated energy and recycle it to wherever it is most needed. So the shield catches incoming energy and channels it down through the purifying rocks. I don't know exactly how to describe physically how the shield can be semi-permeable, allowing in the well-wishes of your friends, but, as semi permeable membranes exist in Nature, helping each cell maintain its water/salt balance, so can this shield. Can you conceive of a substance both velvet and mesh? That's how it is with me. Onthe justice endof the spectrum, myown Younger Selfis a bit of a literalist. A flat mirror will not work for me, since the angle of incidence is complementary to the angle of reflection, which means that bad energy is actually diverted from the sender and bounced onto innocent parties. My mirror looks like a waffle, and is optically designed to send stuff back exactly where it came from. It's also semi-permeable, and that is even harder to explain. I guess Younger Self is not altogether consistent. On the issue of choosing between the two modes. Justice is a tautology. It will do no better - and no worse - than getting you back to where you began. It protects and maintains, but does not allow for growth. Perhaps you've read Diana Paxon's wonderful book "Red Mare, White Stallion." At the beginning, the women of the tribe have a ritual opportunity to make a wish for the coming year. But the heroine does something even better. When her turn comes, she tells the Goddess "Mother, You choose." Had she chosen, she could not possibly have received anything more than she was capable of imagining. Taking the risk of not choosing was opening herself to surprise and transformation. Reading that was a mind-blow forme. Since then, I have tried to take Diana's dare as much as possible, and not limit myself to tautology. I don't do it all the time, but I stretch toward it. The mirror/shield question resonates with that for me. Minerva/Athena wears a shieldand helmet, and carries aspear. My Sister is a Warrior, but always in defense of the community and always for justice. Never for greed or domination. It is worthy to protect what you have, and worthy to reach beyond. warmly / Judy 630 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal. Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co., 80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original author.! The Way it Looks from Here Hello again. Lots of changes the last couple of months, both for me and for relatives, friends, acquaintances... This time I think I'd like to talk about "harvest season" for a bit. There are times in the various rites and ceremonies that have to do with the `gathering in' time of the year, when we feel that we need to offer up the "fruits of the harvest" to the Gods. We carefully select the best examples of what we have grown and nurtured since planting-time, polish our apples and scrape the mud off the squash and pumpkins, shuck a few ears of corn perhaps, and bring it all to the altar to offer in solemn ritual to the Lord and Lady, hoping to justify the time and labor we've spent. It is certainly not my purpose here to be skeptical of that pursuit, rather to expand our horizons a bit. For a great many years I followed this "custom", and I must say I never thought much about it all. Two years ago, my father was diagnosed as having cancer. The doctors toiled mightily over him for the past two years, but to no avail. My father passed into Summerland on October 14th, a week short of his 81st birthday, just a few months shy of 50 years of marriage. I couldn't say that Dad was a Pagan in most senses of the word. He did, however, have some interesting views on my religious practices. This last spring, I was trying to explain to Dad why we have harvest celebrations; something he said jarred me out of a rut, as it were, and got me thinking on a parallel, if different track. If, he said, you believe that the Goddess and God are responsible for everything being here, why do you make a big deal out of the harvest offering? The Gods already "own" everything you're trying to give them... Dad pointed out to me that, given a modicum of rain and sun, most plants will grow and flower and fruit entirely on their own, untouched by human hands. Well, that set me to thinking. I've been mulling this over for a few months, and I'm still a bit confused. However, let me have a go at explaining what my thoughts are at this point on the "offering". 631 When I select fruits and vegetables from the garden to offer up to the Gods, the offering I make is not just the produce I lay on the altar. As Dad said, things will grow without, and sometimes in spite of what we do. What I'm doing is offering the fruits of my labor, not the produce itself. I've taken what the Gods gave me, and hopefully increased the yield by watering, fertilizing, hoeing, weeding.... Am I not saying, "I thank you for the raw materials, see what I've accomplished with your gift"? Is life not a gift of the Gods? Every time I step up to the altar in circle, should I not offer up the best of myself in Their service? A little child will pick up a stick or a rock off the street, and give it to you because he loves you. It's all he has to give. We have so much more. The Gods gave us life; they gave us the tools to mold it. By intellect, willpower, emotion, we become who and what we are. If we use those tools, what we offer to the Gods is surely a more acceptable thing to give. My Dad didn't have the easiest or the best of life. Yet, though he had to work six days out of seven most of his life to make a home for Mom and me, he did it with a right good will. He learned everything he could; he did what he had to and a good deal extra; he loved life, nature and his family. He left a leg- acy in the hearts and minds of those who knew him that will not soon be forgotten. I can only hope that when it's time for my final "harvesting", I can make as acceptable an offering as he. And that's the way it looks from here. ___Gary Dumbauld, editor. ..........from RMPJ 12/86 632 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal. Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co., 80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original author.! CONCERNING THE HEYOKAH Copyright 1987, T. W. Moore Hello, people! Before I get to the subject of this little piece, let me give you a bit of information as to its roots. Recently I have been doing a lot of writing, horror stories for the most part, and this article grew out of that. It is also derived from a dream that I had not too long ago and something that has puzzled me until recently. Now, with all that out of the way, let's get to it. Those of you who are familiar with Native American beliefs already have an idea of what a heyokah is. For the benefit of those who aren't, I'll try to briefly describe him for you. Who knows? There may well be a counterpart in your own tradition. The word heyokah comes from the Lakotah (Sioux) and is used in reference to a particular type of shaman. According to tradition, the heyokah is one who has "dreamed of the Thunder Spirits." This dream bestows great powers upon the medicine man/medicine woman, one of which is reputed to be an ability to influence storms. However, these powers have their price in that the shaman becomes a "contrary/" If you've seen the movie Little Big Man, then you have seen a sample of the heyokah's antics. Of course, this was a parody of the real thing, but our subject does do a lot of clowning around in reverse. Now I've read quite a bit on the subject (there's a lot out there, too), but still couldn't put it together. There seemed to be something missing! It's only in the last month or so that it's become clear to me and I'd like to share my insights with you. 633 Probably the greatest barrier to my understanding was the one created by language. Not being able to speak Lakotah, and additionally not knowing the culture, I lost something in the translation. Here's the whole picture, as I see it anyway. In his vision, the heyokah comes into direct contact with the life-force itself. This is symbolized by the Thunder Spirits that he dreams of. When this occurs, a death/rebirth sequence is begun, which gives the shaman the capacity to control some of the manifestations of life-force. This would include an ability to influence storms and, as is typical of the shamanic experience, the power to heal. He also becomes a very potent teacher. This last is where the "contrariness" comes into focus, in two ways. The first is that the heyokah is teaching us about our selves. By "mirroring" all of our doubts, fears, hatreds, weaknesses, etc. he forces us to examine what we really are. For example, if you have any self-hatred (a common malady in our society) this sacred teacher will make you look at it. The second aspect of his mirroring is that, as we are taught, the heyokah heals us of our hurts. This is the most important and remarkable part of the holy man's clowning. For this wonderful shaman takes our pain and transforms it into laughter. And what can heal a human beings faster than to laugh at ourselves? As you can see, these "sacred clowns" had a very important role in traditional societies. And personally, I think we could use a few more of them in today's world. Suggested Reading SEVEN ARROWS, Hyemeyosts Storm . SONG OF HEYOKAH, Hyemeyosts Storm . LAME DEER: SEEKER OF VISIONS, Richard Erdoes and Lame Deer. SHAMANIC VOICES, Joan Halifax. If anyone would like to respond to this or has anything to share with me, please write to me c/o Post Office Box 11125, Englewood, CO 80110 .......... FROM RMPJ, 2/3/1987 634 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com FULL MOON RITUAL GROUP The Esbat takes place on the nights of the New Moon and the nights of the Full Moon. On these nights, the Coven usually does any kind of magical work and business they need to. It is enacted, hopefully every Full Moon. Set up: Place a candle in each of the four cardinal directions.Lay the rest of the tools on the altar cloth or near it. The altar can be on the ground, a table, a rock or a stump. The altar should be in the center or just north of center of the Circle. Light the six candles and the incense, start the music and begin the ritual. THE RITUAL Facing North, the High Priest and Priestess kneel in front of the altar with him to her right. She puts the bowl of water on the altar, places the point of her athame in it and says: "I exorcise thee, O Creature of Water, that thou cast out from thee all impurities and uncleanliness of the world of phantasm; in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia" She then puts down her athame and holds up the bowl of water with both hands. The High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the altar, puts his athame in the salt and says: "Blessings be upon this Creature of Salt; let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth hencefrom, and let all good enter herein; wherefore so I bless thee,that thou mayest aid me, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia." He then puts down his athame and pours the salt into the bowl of water the High Priestess is holding. The High Priest then stands with the rest of the Coven outside the Circle. The High Priestess then draws the Circle with the sword, leaving a gap in the Northeast section. While drawing the Circle, she should visualize the power flowing into the Circle from off the end of the sword. She draws the Circle in a East to North or deosil or clockwise direction. She says: "I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou beest a meeting place of love and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness and evil; a boundary between men and the realms of the Mighty Ones; a rampart and protection that shall preserve and contain the power that we shall raise within thee. Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia." 635 The High Priestess lays down the sword and admits the High Priest with a kiss while spinning him deosil and whispers"Bless Be" . He then admits a women the same way. Alternate male female male. Then the High Priestess finishes closing the Circle with the sword. She then names three witches to help strengthen the Circle. The first witch carries the bowl of consecrated water from East to East going deosil, sprinkling the perimeter as she/he goes. They then sprinkle each member in turn. If the witch is male, he sprinkles the High Priestess last who then sprinkles him. If female she sprinkles the High Priest last, who then sprinkles her. The bowl is replaced on the altar. The second witch takes the incense burner around the perimeter and the third takes one of the altar candles. While going around the perimeter, each person says: "Black spirits and white, Red spirits and grey, Harken to the rune I say. Four points of the Circle, weave the spell, East, South, West, North, your tale tell. East is for break of day, South is white for the noontide hour, In the West is twilight grey, And North is black, for the place of power. Three times round the Circle's cast. Great ones, spirits from the past, Witness it and guard it fast." All the Coven pickup their athames and face the East with the High Priest and Priestess in front, him on her right. The High Priestess says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air; I do summon, stir, and call you up to witness our rites and to guard the Circle." As she speaks she draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with her athame: 2 7 4 5 6 1 3 The High Priest and the rest of the Coven copy her movements with their athames. The High Priestess turns and faces the South and repeats the summoning: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire; I dosummon,stirand callyouup, towitnessour ritesandto guard the Circle." She does the same pentagram and then faces West and says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water, ye Lords of Death and Initiation; I do summon, stir, and call you up, to witness our rites and to guard the Circle." 636 She faces North with rest of the Coven and says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of E a r t h ; Boreas, thougentleguardian oftheNorthernPortals; thoupowerful God and gentleGoddess;we dosummon,stirandcallyou up,towitness our rites and to guard the Circle." The Circle is completed and sealed. If anyone needs to leave, agate must be made. Using the sword, draw out part of the Circle with a widdershins or counterclockwise stroke. Immediately reseal it and then repeat the opening and closing when the person returns. In this part of the ritual, the Goddess becomes incarnate in the High Priestess. The High Priestess stands in front of the altar with her back to it. She holds the wand in her right hand the scrounge in her left. She crosses her wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge above them while holding them close to her breast. The High Priest stands in front of her and says: "Diana, queen of night In all your beauty bright, Shine on us here, And with your silver beam Unlock the gates of dream; Rise bright and clear. On Earth and sky and sea, Your magic mystery Its spell shall cast, Wherever leaf may grow, Wherever tide may flow, Till all be past. O secret queen of power, At this enchanted hour We ask your boon. May fortune's favor fall Upon true witches all, O Lady Moon!" The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he does this: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar. Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty. Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names." For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.The High Priest kneels again and invokes: 637 "I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us a l l , bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love do I invoke thee to descend upon the body of this thy servant and priestess." During this invocation he touches her with his right forefinger on her right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the right breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms out and down, with the palms forward and says: "Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend Before thee, I adore thee to the end, With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore. Thy foot is to my lip (he kisses her right foot) my prayer up borne Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend To aid me, who without thee am forlorn." The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and says as the Goddess: "Of the Mother darksome and divine Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss; The five point star of love and bliss Here I charge you in this sign." The High Priest starts off by saying: "Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also called among man Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianhod, Isis and by many other names." 638 The High Priestess, who should be in a trance, says as the Goddess: Whenever you have need of anything, once in a month, and better it be when the Moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of Immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon Earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold I am the Mother of all living things, and my love is poured out upon the earth. I who am the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who seekest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; and if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee,thou will never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire." The High Priest faces the Priestess and says: "We thank you Our Lady for attending our rites. We bid you farewell till next we call you. Blessed Be." 639 The Witches' Creed should be said by the entire Coven. "Hear now the words of the witches, The secrets we hid in the night, When dark was our destiny's pathway, That now we bring forth into the light. Mysterious Water and Fire, The Earth and the wide ranging Air, By hidden quintessence we know them, And will keep silent and dare. The birth and rebirth of all nature, The passing of winter and spring, We share with the life universal, Rejoice in the magical ring. Four times in the year the Great Sabbat Returns, and the witches are seen At Lammas and Candlemas dancing, On May Eve and old Hallowe'en. When day time and night time are equal, When sun is at greatest and least, The four lesser Sabbats are summoned, Again witches gather in feast. Thirteen silver moons in a year are, Thirteen is the Coven's array. Thirteen times at Esbat make merry, For each golden year and a day. The power was passed down the ages, Each time between woman and man, Each century unto the other, Ere time and ages began. When drawn is the magical circle, By sword or athame of power, It's compass between the two worlds lies, In the land of shades that hour. This world has no right to know it, And the world beyond will tell naught. The oldest of gods are invoked there, The Great Work of Magic is wrought. For two are the mystical pillars, That stand at the gate of the shrine, And two are the powers of nature, The forms and the forces of the divine. The dark and the light in succession, The opposites each unto each, Shown forth as a God and a Goddess: This did our ancestors teach. By night he's the wild wind's rider, The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades. By day he's the King of the Woodland, The dweller in green forest glades. She is youthful or old as she pleases, She sails the torn clouds in her barque, The bright silver lady of midnight, The crone who weaves spells in the dark. The master and mistress of magic, They dwell in the deeps of the main, Immortal and ever renewing, With power to free or to bind. 640 So drink the good wine to the Old Gods, And dance and make love in their praise, Till Elphames's fair land shall receive us In peace at the end of our days. And Do What Thou Wilt shall be the challenge, So be it in love that harms none, For this is the only commandment, By magic of old, be it done! Eight words the Witches Creed fulfill: If It Harms None, Do What Thou Will! The High Priest faces the Coven, raises his arms wide and says: "Bagabi lacha bachabe Lamac cahi achababe Karellyos Lamac lamac bachalyas Cabahagy sabalyos Baryolos Lagaz atha cabyolas Samahac atha famolas Hurrahya!" The High Priestess and the Coven repeat: "Hurrahya!" The High Priest and High Priestess face the altar. The High Priest continues: "Great God Cernunnos, return to Earth again! Come to my call and show thy self to men. Shepherd of Goats, upon the wild hill's way, Lead thy lost flocks from darkness unto day. Forgotten are the ways of sleep and night Men seek for them, whose eyes have lost the light. Open the door of dreams, whereby man come to thee. Shepherd of Goats, O answer unto me!" The High Priest and the rest of the Coven then say: "Akhera goittiakhera beitti!" 641 This invocation can be said by anyone or everyone. "Diana of the rounded moon, The Queen of all enchantments here, The wind is crying through the trees, And we invoke thee to appear. The cares of day departed are, The realm of might belongs to thee; And we in love and kinship join With all things wild and free. As powers of magic round us move, Now let time's self dissolve and fade. Here in the place between the worlds May we be one with nature made. Thy consort is the Horn'd One, Whose sevenfold pipes make music sweet. Old Gods of life and love and light, Be here as merrily we meet! For ye the circle's round we tread, And unto ye the wine we pour; The sacred Old Ones of this land, Ye we invoke by ancient lore By magic moon and pagan spell, By all the secrets of the night, Dreams and desires and mystery, Borne on the moonbeams' silver light. Now may we hear, or may we see, Or may we know within the heart, A token of true magic made, Ere from this circle we depart." Pause and wait in silence. There may come a sound, an outward sign or inner vision. When you feel the time is right, end the period of silence by bowing towards the altar and saying: "O GoddessQueen of Night, O Horn'd One of might, In earth and sky and sea May peace and blessing be!" Relax. You can also do any other magic craft at this time. The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman alternately as far as possible, facing the center. The High Priestess and High Priest stand facing each other in the center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with his back to the South. The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he does this: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar. Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty. Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names. 642 For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. The High Priestess then lays herself down, face upwards,with her arms and legs outstretched to form the Pentagram. The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels facing her, with his knees between her feet. The High Priest calls a woman witch by name, to bring his athame from the altar. The woman does so and stands with the athame in her hands, about a yard to the West of the High Priestess's hips and facing her. The High Priest calls a male witch by name, to bring the chalice of wine from the altar. He does so and stands with the chalice in his hands, about a yard to the East of the High Priestess's hips and facing her. The High Priest delivers the invocation: "Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past all worshipped; The altar of all things. For in old time, Woman was the altar. Thus was the altar made and placed, And the sacred place was the point within the center of the Circle. As we have of old been taught that the point within the center is the origin of all things, Therefore should we adore it; Therefore whom we adore we also invoke. O Circle of Stars, Whereof our father is but the younger brother, Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, Before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the understanding dark, Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love. Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud, And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee, O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light, Continuous on of the heavens; Let it be ever thus That men speak not of thee as One, but as None; And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art continuous. For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore; The point of life, without which we would not be. And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars; In beauty and strength were they erected To the wonder and glory of all men." The High Priest removes the veil from the High Priestess's body,and hands it to the woman witch, from whom he takes his athame. The High Priestess rises and kneels facing the High Priest,and takes the chalice from the man witch. (Note that both of these handings over are done without the customary ritual kiss.The High Priest continues the invocation: "Altar of mysteries manifold, 643 The sacred Circle's secret point Thus do I sign thee as of old, With kisses of my lips anoint." The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues: "Open for me the secret way, The pathway of intelligence, Beyond the gates of night and day, Beyond the bounds of time and sense. Behold the mystery aright The five true points of fellowship...." The High Priestess holds up the chalice, and the High Priest lowers the point of his athame into the wine. Both use both of their hands for this. The High Priest continues: "All life is your own, All fruits of the Earth Are fruits of your womb, Your union, your dance. Lady and Lord, We thank you for blessings and abundance. Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us! Blessed Be. Then, either the High Priestess or one of the other women draws the Invoking Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate with the athame. The High Priest hands his athame to the woman witch and then places both his hands round those of the High Priestess as she holds the chalice. He kisses her, and she sips the wine; she kisses him, and he sips the wine. Both of them keep their hands round the chalice while they do this. The High Priest then takes the chalice from the High Priestess, and they both rise to their feet. The High Priest hands the chalice to a woman witch with a kiss, and she sips. She gives it to a man with a kiss.the chalice is passed around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the entire Coven has sipped the wine. the chalice can be refilled and any one can drink from it without repeating the ritual once the chalice has gone around once. The woman lays down her athame and passes the cakes to the man with a kiss, he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around the Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine and some cake for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After the meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors, or behind in the woods or field,when you leave if you are working outdoors. The High Priestess faces East,with her athame in her hand. The High Priest stands to her right with the rest of the Coven behind them. If any tools have been consecrated, they should be held by the person furthest to the back. The Maiden stands near to the front to blow out each candle in turn. The Priestess says: 644 "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air; we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart to your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell ....Hail and farewell." As she speaks, she draws the Banishing Pentagram of Earth in the air in front of her thus, each time: 2 7 4 5 6 1 3 The rest of the Coven copy the Pentagram and chorus in on the second hail and farewell. The Maiden blows out the candle and the Coven faces the south and the High Priestess says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire; we dothankyou forattendingour rites;andere yedepartto your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell....Hail and farewell." She turns to the West and says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water; ye Lords of Death and Initiation; we do thank you for attending our rites;and ereyedepartto yourpleasantandlovely realms,we bid you hail and farewell....Hail and farewell." She turns to the North and says: "Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth; Boreas, thou gentle guardian of the Northern Portals; thoupowerfulGod, Thougentle Goddess;wedo thankyou for attending our rites; andere yedepart for yourpleasant andlovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell....Hail and farewell." This ends the Circle. Bless Be. (Via Seastrider, responsible for the typing and Ravensong for editing into ASCII) 645 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com THE WISE GOODWIFE "Gramma, I feel hot." "Lands, child, on a cool fall day like this? Come here and let me feel of your forehead. Tsk! Feels like fever. Off to bed with you!" "Gramma, I don't feel good." "I know, child, I know. I reckon it's time to ask Goody Hawkins to help us." "Who's Goody Hawkins?" "Hush, now, try to sleep. I'll come back soon." "Gramma, where did you go?" "Out into the woods back of the farm, child." "Why, Gramma?" "To get Goody Hawkins' help." "Who's Goody Hawkins?" "Well, that's a long story." "Tell me a story, Gramma." Well, you know 'bout the pilgrim days, Thanksgiving and all. Those people way back then, that first time, were giving thanks that they'd lived a whole year in a whole new country, without too many of 'em dyin'. Lotta times you see pictures, drawings, with lots of Indians standin' there to welcome them folks. Well, 'taint so. Weren't nobody there when they got off that boat, not but one Indian, all alone. Hist'ry books say it was him, Squanto, as taught them first folks how to live through one of our winters -- ice 'n sleet 'n snow 'n all, not like they had back in England, where they come from. But that ain't rightly so, neither. Squanto, and a few other friendly Indians as wandered in later, they taught the menfolk. But the women, those days, well, they weren't s'posed to be important, even though they did most o' the work, so we don't hear 'bout them much. Well, a woman come off'n that boat, not quite yet old as your mamma, and her name was Grace Hawkins, but ever' one called her Goody Hawkins. "Goody" is short for "good wife", and it's like callin' a lady "Missus" today. Goody Hawkins was young and pretty, though you couldn't tell that very well, 'cause in those days the womenfolk wore long skirts and long sleeves and bonnets to tuck in and hide their hair. So Goody Hawkins had beautiful long brown hair, though you couldn't see it, and skin soft as the skin of a peach. But she had a nice young husband who loved her very much, and he knew how pretty she was. And Goody Hawkins was one more thing that made her very special: she was a wise woman, who knew plants and herbs and roots and barks to make sick people feel better. They didn't have doctors like we do now, just a lot of men who figured if you were sick your blood was bad and so they'd make you bleed. That got people sicker, more often than not. They thought they were real smart, them old doctors, and maybe they were smart about gettin' money from folks. But they weren't smart 'bout the folks themselves, mostly 'cause they were too busy listening to each other talking 'bout high-falutin' doctor things in big words than listening to the sick bodies of the sick people. 646 But Goody Hawkins was different. She listened to the people talking 'bout what hurt them, and she felt of their heads and wrists and looked into their eyes and ears and mouths. And sometimes she didn't seem to look at them at all. She just closed her eyes and looked at them with her heart. And then she'd go into big clay pots and little wooden boxes in her house, and pick out just the thing a sick person needed. And do you know how she knew just the right thing, how Goody Hawkins could see with her heart and not just her eyes? Goody Hawkins was a witch. No, not like you dress up at Halloween. A real witch, a real wise woman. No warts, no wire hair, remember I told you she was pretty. And no flying broom, neither. She didn't need to fly, 'cause she could see ev'rything. Well, no, she didn't have a crystal ball. But they way my granny told me, and her granny told her, was that she had a big silver bowl, a real treasure. And she'd pour clear rainwater in that bowl, and look into it in the nighttime, with just a candle for light. And they say she could see miles away, and even years away. Into yesterday, say, or last year, or ten years ago. And sometimes, she could see tomorrow. A cauldron? Why of course she had a cauldron. Ever'one did, those days, just like we have pots and pans today. But she only had a little one at first--remember, they were poor in them first few years in America, and iron costed a lot of money. Goody Hawkins had just the little cauldron she brought with her from home, only as big as my big soup pot. What did she boil up in her cauldron? Well, not babies, I can tell you that! It was herbs, mostly, tree bark and roots and such. Anise and coltsfoot, simmered with a little sugar or honey, as good a cough syrup as you can find nowadays, and even better than some. That's a recipe my granny's granny knew, and likely Goody Hawkins as well. Goody Hawkins made ointments from herbs and grease, she made soaps for fleas and lice, she brewed teas, she made mashes for cuts and bad hurts to make them heal clean and fast. But I haven't told you the best part: Goody Hawkins could do magic. Not like making scarves disappear in her fist or pulling quarters out of your ear. I mean spells, oh yes, and special little bundles of things in little bags to keep in your pocket or put under your pillow. These had herbs in 'em, yes, and besides that she could put in a special rock, maybe, or a little short twig from a certain tree, or a piece of paper with secrets written on it, or any such small thing. You could wear one for good luck, sleep on one to have good dreams. In the nighttime, often, you could see a light shining in Goody Hawkins' cottage, warm and bright, and if you listened real hard, you might hear words, strong and beautiful, or singing so soft and sweet it might have come out of a fairy hill. And in the daytime, oh, the smells that came out of that cottage! You could tell what was brewing by the smells of the herbs in the breeze. Rosemary, mint, clove and cinnamon, lemon-leaf, basil, horehound and lavender. And hanging from the ceiling in one corner of the cottage were always bunches of drying herbs, filling the whole room with spicyness and sweetness. She brought the little boxes special from her home in England, but the rest she got right here, from the meadows and forests. 647 One day she was in the forest, gathering plants for medicines. Some of the plants were just like at home, she knew them right away. Others she didn't know, and them she would look at, and smell, and taste of--it was right dangerous, that, but weren't no other way to find out about 'em. This spring day, after their first long hard, winter had passed, Goody Hawkins went to pluck a leaf off'n a plant, to taste it. Suddenly, she heard a crashing in the bushes and a woman's voice crying out to her. She turned around and who should she see but an Indian woman, near her own age, come runnin' toward her, talkin' words she couldn't understand. This Indian woman, she snatched that leaf from Goody Hawkins and shooed her away from that plant quick as she could. The Indian woman pulled out a thin stick, rounded at one end, and waved it so that Goody Hawkins thought the other woman might hit her with it, so she backed up, afraid. But the Indian woman turned to the plant and commenced to digging it out of the ground with her stick, digging up the roots. The Indian woman pulled off the roots and pushed them into Goody Hawkins' hands, keeping some for herself. She put the roots into a deerskin bag, and 'twas then that Goody Hawkins saw other herbs and things in that bag, and figured out that t'other woman was in the woods for just the same job as herself, namely, getting herbs. Even though they didn't speak each other's language, by pantomiming and pointing they could understand each other, and Goody Hawkins learned that the leaf she'd been about to eat was deadly poison. But the roots were good eating, roasted or boiled just like a potato. How 'bout that! Plants are funny that way. Goody Hawkins realized she owed her life to the Indian woman, for warnin' her off'n them leaves. But she didn't know just how to thank her new friend. Still, they spent the rest of the day walkin' in the woods, an' Goody Hawkins learned more about the new world's plants in one day than she could've in weeks if she'd had to figure things out for herself. And by the end of the day, Goody Hawkins knew some Algonquin, and the Indian woman, Namequa, knew some words in English. Namequa saw Goody Hawkins back to the little town and then faded into the trees almost like magic. Well, the seasons came and went, and Goody Hawkins had her hands full trying to keep people well, what with the snakes and unfriendly Indians and poisonous plants all around. The folks couldn't get none of the plants they brought with 'em to grow very well, 'cause the weather was so different from England's. That mean that folks weren't eatin' right, and 'specially with the children that was bad. But Namequa showed Goody Hawkins plants that were good eating, and Goody Hawkins showed the other womenfolk, and for a time the folks there lived like Indians, what with the menfolk learnin' to hunt and fish from Squanto and the women learnin' to gather wild plants to eat from Goody Hawkins and Namequa. That first thanksgiving feast, they didn't eat just the corn and squash and beans that Squanto showed the men how to grow, they also had roasted-seed mush and lamb's-quarters gathered by the women. All those, and the deer the neighboring Indians brought, well, that was some dinner! 648 Well, little by little, them folks got settled. Other ships came, with more people, and, later, with cows and other stock. And then Goody Hawkins was busier than ever, 'cause she was s'posed to take care of sick animals, too. Back then, if a cow didn't give milk, folks were apt to think the fairies had stolen the milk in the night, so 'twas only natural they should ask their wise woman for help. Before long, there were babies, too, human and animal, and mothers needed Goody Hawkins' help to bring 'em into the world. Somehow, though, through all of this, Goody Hawkins kept time to visit with her good friend, and to keep learning, and to look into her silver bowl every now and again. Well, the years went on, and ever'body got older, and some folks just died from getting old. Goody Hawkins' husband died too, and they hadn't any children, so Goody Hawkins should have been alone in the world. But she had her friend Namequa, and every little child in the town called her "Aunt Grace"--she wasn't their real aunt, you know, but they loved her like she was, 'cause she made them things, like sweet-scented pillows, and spicy cookies, and she always listened to them when they told her things. Goody Hawkins had learned a lot from Namequa's tribe, and now that she had no husband to take care of, she spent more time visiting with her Indian friends, and they learned from her too. Indian magic is full of drums and dreaming. Goody Hawkins' magic was full of words and wishing. But she was careful not to let the rest of the folks know she was learnin' and teachin' magic. Why not? Well, folks don't like what they don't understand, is all. People were afraid of lots of things in them days, 'specially in a strange new place. And as more o' them Puritan preachers come over from England, the folks would be more secret 'bout visiting Goody Hawkins, not wanting the preachers to know they was holding to the old ways. And the preachers, 'specially one Pastor Langford, looked sidewise and never straight on at Goody Hawkins, bein' afraid she might hex 'em or some such nonsense. Well, Pastor Langford thought she was workin' for the devil, but he didn't want to say it outright, 'cause folks liked her. But even that was changing as Goody Hawkins spent more time with Namequa's tribe, and folk got to whispering about it. There was a number of men interested in marryin' to her, after her husband died, saying it wasn't right for a woman to live alone, but she didn't care 'bout any of 'em. She said no to all of 'em, and some of 'em went away mad. And folk got to saying things outright. One lady said she seen Goody Hawkins dancing naked with all them Indians. Another said there was a demon keeping Goody Hawkins company, which was why she wasn't wanting to marry again. Somebody else said that it was that demon that killed Goody Hawkins' husband. All round town words buzzed like stinging wasps. Now, when a cow wasn't giving milk, it was Goody Hawkins, not the fairies, who they thought had stolen it. Folks began to keep their children away from her. And Pastor Langford came right out and made fiery sermons about witches and the devil and sin and punishment. Goody Hawkins saw and heard all of this, but what could she do? It was her word against the words of respectable folk, and nobody was going to believe her. So she kept silent, kept to herself, and waited. 649 She didn't have to wait long. One evening, she came home from a visit to her Indian friends and found her cottage in ruins. Jars were smashed, boxes thrown all over. The herb-bunches had been torn down from the ceiling, her cauldron overturned, Bible verses scrawled all over the walls with charcoal from her fireplace. "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live", they said, and Goody Hawkins felt cold in her heart because she knew that the people wanted to kill her. And worst of all, her beautiful silver bowl was all bent and crushed, like someone had hit it with a hammer. Goody Hawkins sat down at the table in the midst of the mess, and cried. She felt helpless and angry. She wished she really could turn people into toads. She made half-hearted tries at cleaning up, but gave it up. Her heart burned with wanting to hurt the people who'd done it, and froze with knowing her life wasn't worth a straw to 'em. My granny said, that in that hour the devil did come to her, offerin' to kill the townsfolk for her, if she'd give up her soul to him, but Goody Hawkins chased him out with her broom. I think more likely, she thought about putting poison in the well-water, but knew that not only would that poison the townsfolk, it'd poison the water and the earth, and the water and earth hadn't hurt her. And she knew that killing all those folks would poison her soul, too, forever, make her sour and angry as a real wicked witch. So instead, she gathered all her power to her, all her love and strength; she threw down her hiding bonnet, and shook out her hair, which was getting grey by now, and walked proud and tall out into the town square. The folks began to gather round, saying hateful things. But Goody Hawkins lifted up her arms and began to sing, strong and sweet, in the old tongue that nobody but wise folk could speak anymore. And when the folks saw that their words couldn't hurt her, they commenced to pick up stones to throw at her. But before they could throw their stones, the preachers came and said she'd have to have a proper trial. So soldiers took Goody Hawkins away with them, away from the shouting people, and she was still singing as they locked her up. They tried to get her to tell them things, like was she partners with the devil, and had she hexed people and animals, and did she have a demon helper, and did she change into a cat to steal milk, but she never did nothing but close her eyes and sing softly, smiling like she saw something beautiful. So finally they gave up and took her to the courthouse. There all kinds of people told stories about Goody Hawkins and things she'd never really done. And all through it, Goody Hawkins stood tall, and looked straight in the faces of the folks as was doing the telling. When ever'one was through with their lyin', the judge asked Goody Hawkins had she anything to say. Goody Hawkins looked round at the folks, looking like your momma when she's gonna scold you, and began tellin' each one what she'd done for them. This one wouldn't be alive if Goody Hawkins hadn't helped his mother with the birthing. That one's daughter was deathly sick with fever, and Goody Hawkins cured her. The other one's cows were dropping down dead before Goody Hawkins found out they were eating poisonous leaves. There wasn't one person in that courtroom Goody Hawkins hadn't helped somehow over the years. And folks were looking like you do when you're getting a scolding and you know you've been wrong. 650 But Pastor Langford butted in and said that Goody Hawkins must have led the cows to the poison leaves, she must have made the little girl sick, she must have put a hex on the mother so her baby had trouble being born. And even though some folks still looked uncertain, the rest of 'em started howling for Goody Hawkins to die, and that was that. They took her out to the town square where there was a big oak tree, to hang her onto it. Some soldiers held the crowd back, while two of the others tied Goody Hawkins up, tied a rope around her neck, and threw the other end over one of the branches of the tree. Goody Hawkins wasn't scared to die, but she was scared of the pain, though she didn't let the people see that. She looked out at them and smiled, and was glad to see some people quit their shouting and look worried. Pastor Langford come up, looking nervous, and said, "Do you wish to confess your sins? You may yet be forgiven and reach Heaven." Goody Hawkins just smiled and said, "I have nothing to confess or be forgiven for, nothing I am ashamed of. I want no part of your heaven." The preacher fairly threw a fit right there, choking and stuttering, he wanted so bad to cuss and swear at her but couldn't in front of the townsfolk. So he just pointed to the soldier holding the end of the rope, and he commenced to hauling on it. Goody Hawkins felt the rope tighten and her ears started to ring, and she took what she was sure was her last breath. But suddenly there was a scream, and the rope went loose. Her head cleared, she looked around, and saw the soldier who'd been pulling her up holding onto his arm, where there was an arrow sticking out of it. Folks was shouting and running all over the place, and Goody Hawkins saw that a whole tribe of Indians had come out of the woods like magic with bows and arrows and spears and all. The soldiers couldn't get a clear shot at none of the Indians, what with folks running round like ants when their hill gets kicked over. And in the middle of all that hollerin' and confusion, Goody Hawkins felt a sharp blade between her wrists, cutting the ropes that tied her. There was two Indians there, a big young man and Goody Hawkins' friend Namequa who held a finger to her lips to shush her. The young man scooped Goody Hawkins up in his arms, and ran into the woods carrying her. All of a sudden, the Indians disappeared like morning mist, and when the folks looked round, Goody Hawkins was gone too. The folks never saw her again, and Namequa's tribe were never as friendly to them. Goody Hawkins' cottage was just left to fall down and rot, and nothing in it was ever touched. But some folks was sorry Goody Hawkins was gone, 'specially when they got sick, or their children or animals. And one day a mother whose little baby was sick as could be and nobody could help her, she went into the woods by herself, carrying an iron pot. She walked into a clearing, and waited, listening. The woods got quiet, like they were listening too, and the lady commenced to talking about the baby's problem and asking for help of whoever was listening. She put the pot down, turned around, and walked out of the woods without looking back. The next day, she came back, and where she'd left the pot, there was a little bundle of herbs, wrapped up in a soft deerskin. She ran home with it, and made it into tea for her baby, and the baby got better. 651 Well, word of the cure got round among the womenfolk. Real quiet like, it got round, not like the lies 'bout Goody Hawkins had gotten round before. They kept it a secret from the preachers, and after a while the preachers forgot about Goody Hawkins. And ever' once in a while, a woman would slip away from the town, out into the woods, carrying some small thing, that she thought Goody Hawkins might be able to use, knowing that Goody Hawkins was out there somewhere, and would hear them. And always there would be an herb packet there the next day, or a little charm, or some such. As the years went by, the herb packets stopped appearing, but the woman who turned back would see a shaft of light fall on some plant, and would take of that back home with her. And finally, even that stopped, but somehow the help always came, somebody got better. There was a song, too. My granny's granny taught her this song, and my granny taught it to me, to sing to Goody Hawkins when we needed help: With heavy heart I come and stand The oak and bonny ivy, A gift to offer in my hand. The hazel, ash and bay tree. How can I hope for any good The oak and bonny ivy, By standing in the empty wood? The hazel, ash and bay tree. But I will trust and dry my tears, The oak and bonny ivy, And know that the Wise Goodwife hears. The hazel, ash, and bay tree. Tsk! Asleep already. Good. "Child, what are you doing out of bed?" "I feel better, gramma!" "Let me feel of your forehead. Well, that's fine." "Gramma, can I have my coat?" "Where are you going, child?" "Out to the woods, gramma." "What's that you have there?" "It's a picture, gramma, look." "Well, that's right nice. I think I can guess who that is. And I see you've given her back her silver bowl! She'll be happy. Off you go, then." "Bye, gramma. I'll come back soon." (c)copyright 1986, Leigh Ann Hussey. Used with permission. If you enjoyed this story, send $5 to: Leigh Ann Hussey, 2240 Blake St. #308, Berkeley, CA 94704, and I'll send you a nicely typeset copy for your library! 652 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com THE GREAT RITE (SYMBOLIC) Preparation: the chalice should be filled with wine. A veil of at least a yard square is needed preferably of a Goddess color such as blue, green, silver, or white. The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman alternately as far as possible, facing the center. The High Priestess and High Priest stand facing each other in the center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with his back to the South. The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet,both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. he says, as he does this: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar. Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty. Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names." Forthekisson thelips,they embrace,lengthtolength,with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. TheHighPriestess thenlays herselfdown,face upwards,with her arms and legs outstretched to form the Pentagram. The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels facing her, with his knees between her feet. TheHigh Priestcalls a womanwitch byname, tobring his athame from the altar. The woman does so and stands with the athame in her hands, about a yard to the West of the High Priestess's hips and facing her. TheHigh Priestcalls amalewitch byname,to bringthe chaliceof wine from the altar. He does so and stands with the chalice in his hands, about a yard to the East of the High Priestess's hips and facing her. 657 The High Priest delivers the invocation: "Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past all worshipped; The altar of all things. For in old time, Woman was the altar. Thus was the altar made and placed, And the sacred place was the point within the center of the Circle. Aswehave ofold beentaught thatthe pointwithin thecenter is the origin of all things, Therefore should we adore it; Therefore whom we adore we also invoke. O Circle of Stars, Whereof our father is but the younger brother, Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, Before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the understanding dark, Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love. Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud, And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee, O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light, Continuous on of the heavens; Let it be ever thus That men speak not of thee as One, but as None; And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art continuous. For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore; The point of life, without which we would not be. And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars; In beauty and strength were they erected To the wonder and glory of all men." TheHigh Priestremoves theveil fromthe HighPriestess's body, and hands it to the woman witch, from whom he takes his athame. TheHigh Priestess risesand kneels facingthe High Priest,and takes the chalice from the man witch. (Note that both of these handings-over are done without the customary ritual kiss.The High Priest continues the invocation: "Altar of mysteries manifold, The sacred Circle's secret point Thus do I sign thee as of old, With kisses of my lips anoint." The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues: "Open for me the secret way, The pathway of intelligence, Beyond the gates of night and day, Beyond the bounds of time and sense. Behold the mystery aright The five true points of fellowship...." 658 TheHigh Priestessholdsupthe chalice,andtheHigh Priestlowers the point of his athame into the wine. Both use both of their hands for this. The High Priest continues: "Here where Lance and Grail unite, And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip." TheHigh Priesthandshis athametothe womanwitchand thenplaces both his hands round those of the High Priestess as she holds the chalice. He kisses her, and she sips the wine; she kisses him, and he sips the wine. Both of them keep their hands around the chalice while they do this. TheHighPriest thentakesthechalice fromtheHighPriestess, and they both rise to their feet. TheHigh Priesthands thechaliceto awoman witchwitha kiss,and she sips. She gives it to a man with a kiss. The chalice is passed around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the entire Coven has sipped the wine. The chalice can be refilled and any one can drink from it without repeating the ritual once the chalice has gone around once. To consecratethe cakes,the woman picksup her athame,and the man, kneeling before her, holds up the dish. the woman draws the Invoking Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate while the man says: "O Queen most secret, bless this food into our bodies; bestowing health, wealth, strength, joy and peace, and that fulfillment of love that is perfect happiness." The womanlaysdown herathameand passesthe cakestothe manwith a kiss, he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around the Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine and some cake for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After the meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors, or behind in the woods or field, when you leave if you are working outdoors. Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983 (Transcribed onto computer file by Seastrider) THE GREAT RITE ACTUAL Preparation: the chalice should be filled with wine. A veil of at least a yard square is needed preferably of a Goddess color such as blue, green, silver, or white. The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman alternately as far as possible, facing the center. The High Priestess and High Priest stand facing each other in the center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with his back to the South. The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet,both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. he says, as he does this: 659 "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar. Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty. Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names." For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length,with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. The High Priestess then lays herself down, face upwards,with her arms and legs outstretched to form the Pentagram. The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels facing her, with his knees between her feet. The High Priest delivers the invocation: "Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past all worshipped; The altar of all things. For in old time, Woman was the altar. Thus was the altar made and placed, And the sacred place was the point within the center of the Circle. As we have of old been taughtthat the point within the center is the origin of all things, Therefore should we adore it; Therefore whom we adore we also invoke. O Circle of Stars, Whereof our father is but the younger brother, Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, Before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the understanding dark, Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love. Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud, And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee, O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light, Continuous on of the heavens; Let it be ever thus That men speak not of thee as One, but as None; And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art continuous. For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore; The point of life, without which we would not be. And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars; In beauty and strength were they erected To the wonder and glory of all men." The Maiden fetches her athame from the altar and ritually opens a gate way in the Circle. The Coven file through and leave the room. The Maiden is the last one through and reseals the Circle. The High Priest removes the veil from the High Priestess's body. 660 The High Priestess rises and kneels facing the High Priest. The High Priest continues the invocation: "Altar of mysteries manifold, The sacred Circle's secret point Thus do I sign thee as of old, With kisses of my lips anoint." The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues: "Open for me the secret way, The pathway of intelligence, Beyond the gates of night and day, Beyond the bounds of time and sense. Behold the mystery aright The five true points of fellowship...." "Here where Lance and Grail unite, And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip." The High Priest and High Priestess now have intercourse.This is a private matter between them and none of the Coven can question them about it. When they are done, one of them ritually opens the Circle and calls the rest of the Coven. When they are back in the Circle, it is again sealed. The wine is now consecrated. A male witch kneels in front of the altar before a female witch. He holds up a chalice of wine and she holds her athame point down and lowers the athame into the wine. The man says: "As the athame is to the male, so the cup is to the female; and conjoined, they become one in truth." The woman lays down her athame on the altar and kisses the man who remains kneeling and she accepts the chalice from him. She sips the wine, kisses him again and he sips, rises, and gives it to another woman with a kiss. The chalice is passed around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the entire Coven has sipped the wine. The chalice can be refilled and any one can drink from it without repeating the ritual once the chalice has gone around once. To consecrate the cakes, the woman picks up her athame,and the man, kneeling before her, holds up the dish. The woman draws the Invoking Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate while the man says: "O Queen most secret, bless this food into our bodies; bestowing health, wealth, strength, joy and peace, and that fulfillment of love that is perfect happiness." The woman lays down her athame and passes the cakes to the man with a kiss, he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around the Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine and some cake for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After the meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors, or behind in the woods or field, when you leave if you are working outdoors. Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983 Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider. 661 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com WORLD HEALING MEDITATION By John Randolph Price In the beginning In the beginning God In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And God said Let there be light; and there was light. Now is the time of the new beginning. I am a co-creator with God, and it is a new Heaven that comes. as the God Will of God is expressed on Earth through me. It the Kingdom of Light, Love, Peace, and Understanding. And I am doing my part to reveal its Reality. I begin with me. I am a living Soul and the Spirit of God dwells in me, as me. I and the Father are one, and all that the Father has is mine. In Truth, I am the Christ in God. What is true of me is true of everyone, for God is all and all is God. I see only the Spirit of God in every Soul. And to every man woman and child on Earth I say: I love you, for you are me. You are my Holy Self! I now open my heart. and let the pure essence of Unconditional Love pour out. I see it as a Golden Light radiating from the center of my being. and I feel its Divine Vibration in and through me, above and below me. I am one with the Light. I am filled with the Light. I am illumined by the Light. I am the Light of the world. With purpose of mind, I sends forth the Light. I let the radiance go before me to join the other Lights. I know this is happening all over the world at this moment. I see the merging Lights. There is now one Light. We are the Light of the world. The one Light of Love, Peace, and Understanding is moving. It flows across the face of the Earth, touching and illuminating every soul in the shadow of the illusion. And where there was darkness, there is now the Light of Reality. And the Radiance grows, permeating, saturating every form of life. There is only the vibration of one Perfect Life now. All the kingdoms of the Earth respond, and the Planet is alive with Light and Love. There is total Oneness, and in this Oneness we speak the Word. Let the sense of separation be dissolved. Let mankind be returned to Godkind. Let peace come forth in every mind. Let Love flow forth from every heart. Let forgiveness reign in every soul. Let understanding be the common bond. And now from the Light of the world. the One Presence and Power of the Universe responds. The Activity of God is healing and harmonizing Planet Earth. Omnipotence is made manifest. I am seeing the salvation of the planet before my very eyes. as all false beliefs and error patterns are dissolved. The sense of separation is no more; the healing has taken place, and the world is restored to sanity. This is the beginning of Peace on Earth and Good Will toward all, as Love flows forth from every heart, forgiveness reigns in every soul, and all hearts and minds are one in perfect understanding. It is done. And it is so. 662 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com How I "Heal" by Matrika of PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network You asked what forms of healing people do and included things that might not be considered healing in the usual sense. Well, one of my special interests is Pagans in Recovery. This is a group of Pagans who are in 12-step recovery programs - Alcoholics Anonymous and other self-help groups that are based on A.A. such as Gamblers Anonymous, Al-Anon, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeater's Anonymous, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Emotions Anonymous etc. etc. etc. If you can think of an obstacle in your life or somebody else's, chances are that someone somewhere has started a 12-step program to deal with it. The problem is that many Pagans, Feminist Priestesses, Shamans, Druids, and any other type of Magickal folk you can think of, often don't feel comfortable in AA and these related groups. WHY? THe meetings CLOSE with the Lord's prayer or the "our father" and have many Christian overtones taken from the general culture, although they are technically supposed to be non-sectarian in their spiritual approach. Many Pagans in these groups find that they have trouble applying the steps of recovery in the context of what they believe to find recovery for their specific problems. This is particularly difficult in cases of Alcoholism and Drug addiction - and these problems DO exist to a great degree in the Pagan/Magickal communities - in which A.A. and Narcotics Anonymous are often the most successful treatment approaches available to the average person and that feeling excluded from them can mean death, insanity or jail to the person who does not find the help they need. While living in New England I wrote a series of articles on how to apply the steps of recovery in a Pagan/Magickal context in HARVEST - a popular newsletter for the Craft in that region, that is now becoming nationwide. THe last of these was printed in Yule of 1989, just before I left to move here. At the same time I discovered PAGANS IN RECOVERY had been formed on a national basis in Ohio and had a list of a large number of people, as well as nationwide contacts for networking. (Pagans in Recovery is published for $8.00 a year - address Pagans in Recovery Newsletter c/o Bekki 6500 S.R. 356 , New Marshfield OHIO 45766) An interesting note is that we both started doing this work separately and originally I also had a network called PANTHEISTS IN RECOVERY. Neither of us had known of the others existence at the time of starting the work and taking these names. Pantheists in Recovery has since merged with the national network, as I saw no need to duplicate their excellent efforts. Another interesting note is that, in my case, doing this was inspired by J.A.C.S. - an organization for Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically dependent people and their Significant others. It had been founded for the same purpose by some Jewish folks in A.A. in New York City and has now spread across the country, to Canada, and to Israel with several thousand names on their mailing lists. These people also felt the need for support to integrate their recovery program with their religion because they were non-Christians. A very special part of this extended "healing" work for me is that I have the support of my partner Koren, the sysop of PAN, who is my partner both in the Craft and in our lives together. Although he is not himself in any of these recovery programs, he has been very helpful and supportive of my work in reaching out to other Pagans who are also in these groups. 663 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com HOME BLESSING MAGICK A home blessing meditation for charging a room: o Sit Straight with palms on lap, take deep breaths, relax, and move into a mental space where you activate your intuitive senses, o Imagine a cord of energy from your spine connecting you to the Earth, and channel energy from the Earth through it, o Silently ask for divine protection, guidance, and blessing, o Direct your psychic sensing outward, and feel lines of force coming out of your aura, o Note where the strongest energy is (check out the floor,ceiling, directions, etc), Note spots that feel empty or dead, note places that feel full alive, focus on where you are sitting and how you feel at that particular spot, o Imagine a sphere of light and love energy at your heart, feel it pulsing outward with every breath. o Feel the radiance increase with every breath, feel your self as a star, continue to breathe deeply and send out the energy, letting it pulsate in the room, o When ready, start making power sounds representing the love and light you are channeling; use it to amplify the light you are weaving; and fill the room with the energy, o Then shift focus to sending a probe out into the room, and note the differences in the quality of energy and how you feel about it, oRepeat if necessary, oWhen done, feel the completeness of the work. A room blessing involving elemental quarter invocations: oFace each direction (with arms out in appropriate elemental invoking gesture), and say, while channeling and visualizing elemental power: - Powers of (say direction), - Powers of (say corresponding element), - We great you, we honor you, we welcome you here! - Watch over and bless and protect this place. oAfter each invocation, shape the energy into columns of light by sweeping ones arms together until they are parallel and sweeping them up and down while channeling and shaping the energy, oWhen the energy is properly shaped, say so "mote it be." oAfter you have done all four quarters, channel in spirit energy. To return the energy to a more mellow state while energizing yourself, put your hands out and take in a bit of the energy into your self from each direction, going widdershins, hold hands to your heart and take in the energy (techniques also exist for bringing it into a stone and retrieving it when needed). The above was taught by Selena Fox at Esotericon V, in January 1988. 664 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com SOLITAIRE IMBOLC RITUAL by Micheal Hall distributed by PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network - 1703-362-1139 Note - by Matrika, co-sysop - this ritual was written by someone I knew from the Boston MA. area a couple of years back. It is based on a combination of the lore of the Wicca and some of the afro-caribbean diaspora traditions of Paganism and Magick. ================================================================== On your altar should be placed a circle of 13 stones and, within the circle of stones, a circle of 13 candles. Within the circle of candles should be spread some maize - i.e. corn meal - and in that a waxen female candle to symbolize the Goddess on your altar. On the eastern side of the altar should be placed a small sheaf of grain with a candle inserted inside it. You should dress in your usual ceremonial garb for Magickal rites or skyclad, as you prefer. Retire to bathe in salt-water (use sea salt) before the ritual. As you do so picture the water cleansing the soul and spirit, just as it cleanses the body. When you have dressed, anoint yourself with a holy oil. When you have prepared yourself, sit in a dim quiet place and light a candle - ONE THAT IS NOT BEING USED IN THE RITES - and meditate on how at this time of year the Goddess in her fiery aspect AS LIGHT was welcomed back into the Temples and the Homes of the land. Take this candle and walk slowly to your altar. Place it in the circle of the 13 candles. Then light the two altar candles, which are separate from the circle of lights also, and the incense. (Incense should be stick or powdered incense on charcoal in a swinging burner.) Then light all the quarter candles in the 4 directions, starting in the east and going clockwise. cast your circle in the usual manner, but Invoke the Goddess with the following: "Sacred womb, giver of the secrets of Life, Mother of all that exists in the Universe, I ask your guardianship of this gathering and your assistance in my work. I am gathered in celebration of your gifts and my work is most holy. SO MOTE IT BE" and Invoke the God in the following manner: "Fire of the sky, guardian of all that exists in the Universe, I ask your guardianship of this gathering and your assistance in my work. I am gathered in celebration of your gifts and my work is most holy. SO MOTE IT BE" (continue with the circle casting if it is not already finished) Light the 13 candles and then the Goddess candle in the center and say: "Warm and quickening Light awaken and bring forth beauty for thou art my pleasure and my bounty LORD and LADY OSiRIS AND ISIS" (or you may substitute whatever names your circle uses for the God and the Goddess - or those you personally prefer) 665 Reflect a moment on the coming of the light and offer up the incense. say "O ancient Ones Timeless Goddess and Sacred King who art the heralds of springtime and it's bounties be with me now in celebration Hail to Osiris and Isis Harvest giver and blessed Lady Let this be a time and a place sacred to your power and your beauty SO MOTE IT BE" Light the candle in the sheaf of grain and hold it up with the loaf of bread in the other hand and say (or the cakes - whatever you or your tradition uses for the cakes and wine/juice ceremony) "My Lord and Lady, as the seed becomes the grain, so the grain becomes the bread, Mark the everlasting value of our seasons and their changes. " Break a piece of the bread or cakes off and burn it as an offering in the central candle. Then say " IN the deepest Icy Winter the seed of the Earth lies deep within the womb of the Great Mother. The Spring brings the heat of the Father and with their joining comes new life. The completion of the cycle brings food to the children of the world. As I taste the food I shall know the wisdom of the cycles and be blessed with the food of wisdom throughout my life" consecrate cakes and wine/juice in the usual manner and partake of them, but first raise your chalice or drinking horn and say "Hail to thee ISIS Hail to thee Osiris For thou art blessed" After this commune in meditation with the Lord and lady for a while, then close the circle in your usual manner. GOOD IMBOLC 666 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Perridwyn School of Hypnosis presents ... -HYPNOSIS 101- Hypnosis is a state offocused awareness. It issomething everyone has experienced countless times; among instances of it are waking up or getting absorbed in a good book. The characteristics of the state vary; it cannot be pinpointed on an EEG and the experience is different for everyone though there are common elements. A person can be hypnotized and while that state be having a great time at a party; no zombie eyes no intonations of Yeesss Massterr no wandering about with arms outstretched. Hypnosis does not have a unique and unmistakable insignia indicating its presence. This is generally not the case with the PROCESS of hypnosis. Patterns of hypnosis have been written up and used for decades. You can find books depicting the process in bookstores and libraries. The process is intended to create that state of focused awareness. It is this process I wish to discuss in the remainder of this post. [Hypnosis and being hypnotized will refer to the process should there be any confusion.] General Considerations Hypnosis can be thought of as a game that is binding. The rules are initially defined by the expectations of the subject which encompasses all their experiences with it everything they've seen on TV and old movies and what the subject has been told about hypnosis. These rules dictate what will and will not be effective; which inductions will and will not work; and the conduct of the subject while in the state of hypnosis. The rules are mutable. Debunking misconceptions demonstrations and providing more information -- accurate or not -- will affect the rules of the game. A professor at Stanford illustrated how greatly expectations dictate results. The gentleman told one of his introductory psychology classes that an unfailing indication of a hypnotized subject was that their right arm would float upwards. The professor told another class the same thing only in this case he specified it was the left hand that would rise. When he hypnotized members of both classes he discovered that students responded in accord with their expectations. The right arm of the members of the first class did indeed rise while with members of the second class only the left hand rose. Inhypnosis the subject callsthe shots. Their expectations outline the manner in which the game is to be played. The hypnotist wields no mystical power; she and the subject have an agreement that the process of hypnosis is conducted in a certain manner and each player behaves in a particular way. The level at which the game is played is defined by the rules and the degree of trust the subject feels for the hypnotist. A mistrustful subject will be paying far more attention to what you are doing and what you might be scheming than to what you are saying. 667 Hypnosis is useful as a catalyst. As seen above the state itself is not too exhilarating in and of itself. The process and the applications are what make it fun and useful. You can call on your mind's abilities to control pain [useful]; you can play the most intense imagination game of D&D of your life [fun]. The functionof the hypnotist is to provide a focal point and talk their partner through evoking the intended result. The process usually begins with a discussion of hypnosis. This is to determine the purpose of a session debunk misconceptions get a sense of the subject's expectations and generally make things go easier later. The induction consists of bringing the subject's awareness to something and keeping it focused. The hypnotist gives suggestions to bring about the determined purpose including any post-hypnotic suggestions. Then she guides the subject back to a normal state of awareness. WHAT HYPNOSIS IS NOT - It is not sleep. The participant is thoroughly aware of their surroundings. They may choose to ignore them. The hypnotist may ask the subject to ignore things or to focus all attention on one idea. - You can not get stuck in hypnosis. Either you will awaken on your own or the state will become one of natural sleep. Sometimes a subject requires a few more moments to return. Sometimes the subject refuses to return. This is particularly true of stage hypnosis; if a subject feels pissed off at the hypnotist it can be mightily gratifying to unnerve said offending hypnotist by not responding. Even if this is the case the subject will still either return on their own or fall asleep. - A hypnotized person will not knowingly violate their code of ethics. Milton Erickson messed around with this a bit and found it to be particularly true if he made it clear that the subject was responsible for the consequences of their actions. There are three twists here; 1. A person may do somethingseemingly unethical if it is o.k. according to their moral standards especially if they believe being hypnotized at the time is sufficient excuse. 2. Stage hypnotists evoke some silly behavior which might ordinarily be contrary to the subject's code of conduct. This is a result of group pressure of the forgivability of stage hypnosis and of the streak of hamming it up in each of us. 3. A person can be tricked. If I am told I am in a blazing hot desert sweating buckets and the only way to get cool is to take my shirt off I might do that. I will not do that because I am an exhibitionist. If I am directly told to take off my shirt first I will snap back to the here and now and next I will drop-kick the lech out of my house. Furthermore once such a maneuver is recognized the hypnotist has utterly destroyed the subject's trust and will have no further success with them. 668 NITTY GRITTY STUFF First some things concerning speaking. The hypnotist oughtnot speak in a monotone; not only is it unnecessary it is an annoyance. Rather she should make her voice congruent with what she's saying. If she is describing a soothing walk on the beach under a restful sunset she ought not sound hyper. It is useful to use a particular tone of voice when hypnotizing people. This is helpful because soon there will be an association between The Voice and the state. In addition it means you will not inadvertently trip an association if you use your normal speaking voice with someone whom you see primarily for hypnosis you are apt to zone them out just by saying Howzit goin The Voice comes with practice and you can pick it out after a while. There are definite reasons behind word choices. Sense words make things more vivid; describe the colors textures and sounds associated with that soothing walk on the beach. Repeating words and phrases helps things sink in and adds rhythm to your patter. You may opt to say things in a permissive way [in a moment you may picture yourself walking upon a soothing beach; perhaps there is a glorious sunset coloring the sky crimson and purple] or in an authoritative way [ You are walking on a beach. The beach is soothing; it makes you more and more relaxed. Notice the glorious sunset]. The choice of words is based on the situation the hypnotist's style and most of all upon the personality and rules of the subject. Make them fit. LEVERAGE Synonyms for this word include credibility and rapport. Leverage makes suggestions more effective. Things that generate leverage are accurate descriptions of present experience and accurate descriptions of future events. An accurate description of your present experience may be that your eyes are moving across these words and you feel the keyboard beneath your waiting fingers and you feel the chair beneath you and you hear noises in the background that you have not been paying much attention to until now. An accurate description of future events can be that as you read these words you will become aware of your left earlobe. Another is that when you take your next really deep breath your hand may feel somewhat lighter. I base my estimation of your awareness of your earlobe on the fact that mentioning it almost inevitably makes you think about it. The second assertion is much shakier in this context but stronger if you were being hypnotised. Relax your hands on your lap for a moment and inhale deeply. Notice how your shoulders rise a little and tug your arm up a little bit Things that are bad for credibility are ability tests and blatant contradictions of present experience. When you use an ability test you run the risk of it not working. They do work for many people and sometimes providing useful information but it is very difficult to recover gracefully from an unsuccessful ability test. The participant may reach the conclusion that they can not be hypnotized or that you are incapable of hypnotizing them. Blatant contradiction of present experience as you carefully scrutinize the upper left corner of your monitor you can become aware of the little picture of a pink-and-purple hippopotamus. Riiight. 669 Now to tie these together. If you have been correct in the past few descriptions you increase the probability you will be in the next one. As an example presume I am being hypnotized right now. I am told about how I feel the keyboard under my hands as my fingers dance from key to key (correct)I glance at my scribblings to help me clarify this thought (correct)and I hear muffled music in the background (also correct)and as I notice these things I can feel myself becoming more and more relaxed. The last assertion is pure speculation; there is no reason that those things should make me feel more relaxed and no real indication that I'm mellowing out noticing these things. However the hypnotist has been right on three counts so far. He has acquired a little credibility. My response is going to be Sure he's been right so far why not now This point is somewhat esoteric;if it makes sense fine. Ifit doesn't or even if it does read Trance-Formations listed at the end of this post. The authors go over this in detail and in a very skillful and clear fashion. Let this stand the more accurate you are, so much the better; a really incorrect statement or blatant failure is apt to be disruptive. INDUCTIONS The purpose of an induction is to focus awareness on something and gradually move through to evoking the intended results. The methods are many and varied. Very often the focal point is relaxation. Progressive relaxation consists of deliberately tensing and relaxing (sometimes just relaxing) each part of the body paying attention to releasing every bit of tension. Descriptions of soothing surroundings or experiences are also used to produce relaxation. Trance-Formations describes an induction utilizing points mentioned above. It consists of sets of six statements. The first set contains five accurate descriptions of present experience and one abstract or unverifiable statement (... and these things make you feel more and more relaxed ...and while you notice them you feel a sense of security ... and strangely enough these remind you of wrecking Aunt Milllie's car). The next set contains four present-experiences and two abstracts; then three present-experiences and three abstracts and so on until you're dealing with just the abstracts. Confusion inductions consist of confusing the hell out of someone and then providing them with an understandable option. This confusion often consists of ambiguous statements or plays on words. Take the words right write rite and Wright. As you right about the right brothers you realize you have violated the rights of those whose right this is by righting with your right instead of your left. The intended response is a huge HUH at which point you offer an understandable option ... and that makes you feel really silly! The option is an escape route from all that unpleasantness and ambiguity and therefore desirable. 670 Inductions take time. It is common for an induction to take ten or twenty minutes with a participant who has not been hypnotized much before or is unused to your style. Signs of effectiveness the participant's responses match your description. ... and that makes you feel really silly may be met with a smile; depictions of relaxation are matched with visible decreases in tension. Requests to picture scenes usually evoke rapid eye movement. If you ask your partner to do a lot of talking you will notice changes in their manner of speaking; it becomes quieter slower perhaps a little less well enunciated. Depending on what you ask them to say and how familiar you are with their normal speech patterns you may notice differences in word choices. Subjectively you or the participant may feel more lethargic and may experience dissociation. For me that means that I could do a lot of things like move my hand up a few inches but it would require so much energy and I do not think it important enough at the time to expend that energy. Also I tend to start loosing track of where I left my limbs (tee hee); I know they're there somewhere but don't think it important enough to bother to relocate them. It is desirable to make series of suggestions flow as smoothly as possible. Choppy sentences are more apt to create tension than soothe them. Flowing sentences encourage relaxation have better rhythm to them and can possess more leverage. Take these three phrases You feel the chair beneath you. You see the text on the screen. You are becoming more relaxed than ever before. The simplest way to connect them is with plain old conjunctions. You feel the chair beneath you AND you see the text on the screen AND you are becoming more relaxed than ever before. Next step up simultaneous words. AS you feel the chair beneath youyou see the text on the screen AND AT THE SAME TIME you are becoming more relaxed than ever before. The most powerful way to hook up phrases is with causal words. SINCE you feel the chair beneath you AND BECAUSE you see the text on the screen you are becoming more relaxed than ever before. SUGGESTIONS CENTRAL This is the portion of the process where you accomplish the stated purpose; the part of the game that is binding. Suggestion styles include the following: - Direct suggestion. This is where you flat-out say such and such is going to happen. When you are going to bed tonight you will feel compelled to think of purple hippos. As soon as your head touches the pillow purple hippos will occupy your every thought. 671 - Indirect suggestion. Comprised of visualization and storytelling. Visualization is just mentally creating the event. It is not restricted to just pictures; whichever senses make it more real are the ones you should appeal to. If you know the person is oriented to one sense more than another, describe with them. ( See the purple hippos dancing on your quilt. Hear them thundering up the hallway. Feel the floor shake with their every step. ) If in doubt it can't hurt to use all of them. [ Most people favor either vision hearing or kinesthics so you needn't necessarily go into how it tastes to chow down on purple hippo. If you were visualizing walking in a flower garden however it makes sense to include smell. Use what is appropriate.] Picture yourself preparing for bed. Your teeth are brushed; the sounds of traffic are hushed; and the pillow feels delightfully cool against your cheek. As you snuggle down under the pillows your mind turns to thoughts of purple hippos. Storytelling is more subtle than both direct suggestion and visualization. You relate an event or anecdote which provides a sort of framework for conduct. When I was a child every night as I went to sleep I would conjure up a rainbow zoo dancing on my bed covers. First there would be the lions as yellow as lemons. Following them were orange alligators... [blah blah blah through blue ostriches..] And last and best of all were the purple hippos. They were my favorite part of the procession; I looked forward to them as soon as my head touched the pillow. And the last thoughts on my mind were of those purple hippos cavorting on my quilt. If it's something really strange like the above you probably wish to attribute it to a weird cousin or obscure newspaper clipping. Lead into these gracefully; this example might start off with bedtime rituals in general and in the present then remembering back to bedtime rituals as a child then into your story. ( How many people will think of purple hippos the night after they read this) These should be related in an appropriately serious manner. If it's silly sound a little silly but present it as if it's important as if you were sharing it with a friend. If you make it sound important it will be received as such. Go gently with them too; don't holler PURPLE HIPPOS CAVORTING ON THE QUILT. Just weave it into its surroundings. Storytelling is best for going sideways at something for attending to integral corollaries of the purpose. Their power is in subtlety. - Subliminals. It is possible to mark out certain words as you say them. You may make a certain unobtrusive gesture change pitch or loudness slightly glance off in a certain direction -- something small enough not to require the participant's full-blown attention but designed so they will be able to perceive it. This is the hardest thing for me to give an example of because it's something I have not begun to master. If you could possibly string the words purple hippo and bedtime together in a few sentences that make enough sense so the listener doesn't get confused and go back to review them then you'd mark out those particular words with a perceivable and unique action. You'd also probably want to throw in similar words -- lavender going to sleep late-night thoughts -- to be sure the point gets across. Trance-Formations goes over this too; if you read it you may find it interesting to observe your own behavior during the subliminals chapters. 672 Phrase suggestions as positively as possible. Don't think of purple hippos is an utterly futile idea. Eating less is better put as being content with smaller portions. Pain is a loaded word; use discomfort or the presence of comfort instead. You get the idea. Participants tend to take suggestions literally. One lady was told to picture herself leaving the office then turning out the lights. When she acted on this she left work. She then turned the lights off via the circuit box. Telling someone .. and your husband is being a big pain in the neck can translate into a nasty headache. If you're doing hypnosis at night be careful with words about being wide awake when you're bringing your partner back. Be as unambiguous as possible; be aware of literal translations. This is a good place to mention trance logic and literal mindedness. Trance logic appears when the participant is really into it. Presume they believe they speak only French. If you ask if they understand English the reply will be Non. Do they know only French Oui. Literal mindedness is illustrated by asking your partner if they can raise their right hand and getting a response of Yes. Will they Yes. Now Yes. Suggestions should be given at a pace that matches the participant's breathing. It enhances rapport and is an acceptably leisurely pace. Appeal to preferred senses. If you're using hypnosis for habit modification when you're determining the purpose of the session learn what is motivating the participant. If the purpose were keeping up interest in exercise and the participant liked jogging because it created a feeling of independence don't sell the virtues of those neat suits and funky sneakers. Unless of course s/he likes them too. If you are confused by a response ask. Doesn't hurt a bit. If something unexpected happens stay calm. If it's an unusual action like drumming fingers you can ask about it. You can also incorporate it which acknowledges and accepts that action. And the drumming of your fingers makes you more and more relaxed. If someone bursts into tears suddenly stay calm. Ask why this is happening. Ask if the participant wants to continue and respect their reply. You can incorporate that too; ... and you feel those tears washing through you cleaning away your anger leaving you calm and serene. Unexpected interruptions and noises are better incorporated than ignored unless you discern from a total lack of response that they were not important enough for the participant to pay attention to. THERE AND BACK AGAIN Bringing your partner back to the here-and-now is easy. First undo any unusual suggestions that would make life unpleasant. If you suggested numbness in a hand be sure feeling is restored. If you're unsure do a general banishing. Next make it clear you are concluding. And before you return to the here and now allow yourself to bask in this feeling of relaxation. If you look down the hall you will see a door marked EXIT. Then conclude. When you're ready you can return to the here and now feeling perfectly fine in every way. 1starting to return2feeling more alert3half way there4feeling fine in every way5awake! ( Snap if you feel really showy.) 673 If your participant doesn't sit up and rub their eyes blearily within a reasonable amount of time ( a couple minutes or as soon as you get to awake! ) determine if they fell asleep. If they did it's a credit to your ability to help others feel relaxed. Make certain they heard you and know what the deal is. Restate it; if you do a count-up the best maneuver is to leave the ball in their court and let them come back when they're ready. If that seems to be taking an inordinate amount of time give suggestions about feeling more alert prepared to come back. And as usual if you're uncertain ask! A nice reinforcer is to gradually switch back from The Voice to your regular voice as you conclude. With the 1-to-5 set up you might be speaking very quietly at one and graduate until at five your voice is somewhat louder than usual. Now is an excellent time to ask for feedback. Feedback will tell you if you forgot to undo anything [ bring them back in, negate it, ask if anything else needs undoing, bring them back out]. It will tell you how you can make your style more effective in general or with just this person. It also acknowledges their part in the proceedings. If they're pissed off at you for some inconsideration it is a good time to clear the air and acknowledge the validity of their complaint. REINDUCING HYPNOSIS If you both desire to create a word, gesture, mental image, whatever that will bring the participant back to a state of deep relaxation between the main set of purpose-suggestions and the return is the place to do it. Select an appropriate item; state that when this item is done AND the participant consciously desires to return to this state of deep relaxation that it will happen. Conscious intent prevents accidentally triggering it. You do NOT want it to be inadvertently activated while the participant is driving. It might not be in their rules that they can realize the deal and correct it; it may take vital moments for that realization to arrive; it may take time to brush away those cobwebby feelings of deep relaxation -- don't put it to the test. MISCELLANY Pre-induction chats not only let you become more aware of the participant's rules it prevents problems by letting you debunk. You might not discover that this person believes they can reawaken only if you say Ah-La-Peanut-Butter-Sandwiches; telling them they'll just fall asleep is a nice margin to have. Be trust-worthy and honorable. A gentleman tried to induce me to swig a beer. I would not. He has been unable to hypnotise me since then; he has lost my trust utterly. I will not risk a second chance. Not many people will. This is intended to be an overview of general hypnosis. There are really weird variants that I don't know enough about to write up. [ F'rinstance -- inducing hypnosis like as in zoning people waaaaay out without formal inductions just talking with them. NEAT!] I left out a bunch of stuff you will find in most books on hypnosis -- history depth categories (not necessarily useful and specifics on applications. Go to your bookstore. 674 Supplement this. These are my rules of the Game. If you find them useful, keep them. GOOD BOOKS Hypnosis A Journey Into The Mind by Anita Anderson-Evangelista. The most thorough beginning book on hypnosis the library possesses. Good stuff! Trance-Formations by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. Kind of esoteric, but really neat techniques and approaches. Frogs Into Princes, also by Bandler and Grinder. Provides information on sense preferences, keywords, and rapport. Does not deal with hypnosis per se but the information within applies. Tapes or live sessions are useful for helping you pick up the pattern of patter. They can provide new approaches and effective ways to say things. THINGS I THOUGHT TO ADD IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE NIGHT Presuppositions also possess leverage. A presupposition offers achoice on the surface and at the root of it is a fundamental Given. Would you prefer to go into a light or deep trance - the given is that the state will manifest and it is also presumed that the participant is capable of deeper degrees. An induction related to the Confusion technique is overloading. Direct the participant's awareness to as many things as possible. The human mind can only attend to so many things; given too many it will start to withdraw or cut down. Offer suggestions regarding relaxation along with pointing out that they can perceive X while thinking of K. Kind of the same principle as the confusion technique. Another way to reinduce a hypnotic state is to ask the participant to recall one. To answer your questions especially very specific questions your partner re-accesses that state goes into it a little bit. Or a lot. Depends on the person and memory. If you're working with the same person you can ask them to review the last session. If your partner has been hypnotised before you can ask questions about what the hypnotist said how they were seated or lying down did the hypnotist talk in a slow drawling manner or in an intense steady one what did s/he say what did the participant find most effective -- anything pertaining to recreating the experience is fine. Then you can gracefully start an induction. Ok while you're still recalling how pleasant it was to be so deeply relaxed why don't you just let your eyes close. 675 ADDENDA When you're giving the main set of suggestions repetition of the main points is helpful. Drives the ideas home. You may wish to ask if the suggestions were well understood from time to time. Whenyou're giving suggestions in generalwatch the participant carefully especially if you're describing something. You want to be on the alert for a negative response (handy word comes fastest to mind). If you're describing something that's really loaded, unpleasant, or plain too weird you can see it by the participant's responses. Clenched hands tension around the jaw hunched shoulders tensing up in general; these and anything you recognize as a negative response are things to look out for. If you are describing the participant as swimming in the ocean and they are phobic of water or if Jaws is on their mind you will know it by these indicators. Your choices are to gracefully offer alternatives (... or if you prefer you can find yourself in a forest glade) or to inquire. 676 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Taliesin Subject:witchcraft & Prayer Jrohr states that"Magic to a witch is the same thing as prayer to a Christian" Then jrohr goes on to say"A witch would use magick in the form of a spell or a circle to focus the power of mind that is within us all." Magick is not the same thing as prayer!Prayer is not used to focus the power of mind that is within us all.Prayer is sent to outside forces.The benefits are attributed to whatever god or gods the supplicant believes in.It is also used without much hope of success. It is considered "God's will",no matter whether your god is benevolent or a zealous tyrant.I'm speaking in general about religions,not just christianity. If a ritual{such as the one's described}were being used to augment the psychic abilities of us all,given that they exist,I fail to see in what way it would be related to prayer,religion,or any sort of spirituality. If a spell or circle were being used to achieve the desired results by calling on gods or goddesses in a carefully proscribed way,intending to enforce their aid,willing or not,to enforce you will,I would not call that prayer either. I have read the Mists of Avalon.I thought it was a very interesting book,both for her ideas on religion and feminism.I think it helps make witchcraft very attractive as a religion.But is it really a religion? Is it a science based on natural abilities?What is the role of magic in witchcraft? Many people object to witchcraft from a religious point of view.It doesn't fit their beliefs or cultural biases.Others object to it from a scientific point of view because they don't believe in magic. Is a belief in magic necessary to embrace witchcraft as a religion? Is a belief in religion {i.e.faith,mysticism,enlightenment}necessary for the practice of the craft{magick}? 677 Subject: What the occult is (or may be) As a practicing witch (and I do need the practice!) I simply cannot allow a charge (as I saw it) of Satanism to go unanswered. I don't know if the guy was trying to be funny or what, but it did get some discussion going, so that's something. What I was trying to get at (reading it back) was just how little the occult has to do with religion. Most of the occult is tied up in religious beliefs, true, but then so was most of science back before the Renaissance and Copernicus. Before then, the greatest . If we begin to treat the occult the same way we would treat investigations int o physics or biology, then we Parapsychologists are studying occult and psychic phenomena, and coming up with some very interesting results. True, they have not been able to definitively prove or dis- prove anything, but please keep in mind that they are working under a tremendous social attitude that "there's some reasonable explanation for all of this." I think, that given the nature of this particular conference, we can make the assumption that occult and psychic phen- omena exist, and can be worked with at a practical level., and therefor we can go from there. (Something I picked up from religion class... to keep people from nit-picking over minutiae, you list your assumptions at the top of the page.) So there we are. THE OCCULT EXISTS. The next step is to come up with a satisfactory definition. To me, the occult consists of the entire set of ritual and ritualized behaviors intended to promote a particular psychic or psychological result. This can range from ritual magic (Beltaine gatherings and the Catholic mass) to personal rituals intended to help you get through an ordeal (sports figures preparing to go into a game, or me preparing to receive a shot.). to receive a shot). These rituals (for lack of a better word, forgive) result in a change in state, of the people involve as well as possibly a d and possibly in the world around (if such was the intent.) That may not satisfy you. Remember that at this stage, definitions are a highly personal thing., rather like your own personal philosophy. I also write this under trying circumstances (a friend is loudly championing her views as I type). A word about bookstores. Remember, bookstores cater to the public, and try to keep anything controversial off the shelves. Unless they are occult bookstores, DO NOT TRUST THE SUBJECT HEADINGS. Be careful what you buy. Flub and bunnies Shirley McLaine is next to The Necro- nomicon is next to 1400 Ways to Read Your Future in an Ordinary Deck of Playing Cards is next to... You get my meaning. Your best bet is to find a book someone else has read and liked and to special order it. It may be more expensive, but you know what you are getting. 678 It seems that throughout history different words have been given meanings that are not really what they mean. The word "occult" is one of them. The word as Jezebel pointed out means "hidden" or "secret". In fact early christianity was a "occult religion" (I find it interesting and sad that a religion that was so persecuted in its infancy has turned around and in its power persecuted other victim of bad press. The word "witch" and "faggot" are other examples. Did you ever wonder where that word fag come from?? Well its because they used to burn the homosexuals before that witches (hence "flaming faggot") To a Brit the word means " a small thatch of kindling" I could go on but I will spare you all.... Please keep in mind that language is a powerful thing. Enough of my babblings..end note.. I personally hope for the day when people can reach a level of open mindedness that no positive religion must be hidden or secret and must spend all this time and energy saying what they are NOT. By the way speaking as a future librarian, most bookstores need to have a intensive course in cataloging. I, who can find my way around Watson with no problem get lost at Town Criers!! Subject: witchcraft I hope this helps to clarify a few points. Magick to a witch is basically the same thing as prayer is a christian..again evidence of language. A witch would use magick in the form of a spell or circle to focus the power of the mind that is within us all. For example I have a object that when I feel some real negative energy I concentrate that energy and "put" it into the object then I ground out the object... another example is the burning of loveletters after the relationship has gone away. This is a way of purging the focusing. What I want to stress is that Wicca is the religion and witchcraft is the practice. A good book to read is Marion Zimmer Bradleys "The Mists of Avalon". It is basically a retelling of the Arthurian Legend though the eyes of the women. It gives a good feel of the spirit of Wicca and its conflict with the church (notice I said church not Christ) In fact Morgaine says "I have no quarrel with the christ only his priests" Please keep in mind that the book descriptions of the rituals are what it might have been like in the 6th century Witches celebrate the holidays in a more modern manner. Just as the christians celebrate edited versions of the original mass. Subject: RE:What occult is I don't think that I can leave Jezebel's basic assumptions unchallenged. I don't think that they are the minutiae but rather the basics of this discussion. I still think that you are stirring religion,mysticism,parapsychology, and magic into one large cauldron of ideas and beliefs.It's rather more clear to me that your definition of "occult"is closer to my definition of magic. I'm not at all sure that you can give magic {or magic}the categorization of a science. Let's start with parapsychology.Parapsychologists do not consider their field as having anything to do with the occult.They feel the same way about being confused with magic or witchcraft{or ufology or cryptozoology or fortune-telling,etc.}as witches do about being confused with Satanists. They're having a difficult enough time being accepted as a legitimate science as it is,due to the subjective and elusive nature of "psi"and it's inability to be reconciled with what we know to be true of"normal" 679 laws of nature. Their are three main areas of paranormal study.Informational psi {telepathy,clairvoyance,precognition,retrocognition},expressive psi {psychokinesis and related effects}and survival-related experiences. These are rather arbitrary divisions since it is often impossible to determine which category of psi may be in effect. If we have the given that people have psi experiences in all cultures and that they are a common and normal part of human experience although difficult to understand,it still requires a large conceptual leap to conclude that one could influence their world through the use of magick or ritual. Witchcraft also has much to do with religion.Many religions have promoted and accepted the inborn psi abilities of people,often without the trappings or belief system associated with ritual magic.In fact,one anthropological division made between magic and religion is the idea that religions use prayer{politely asking the god or gods to intercede on their behalf]and magic uses ritual designed to coerce or persuade the gods to act{or,if you prefer,the universe to change itself to suit you.}Either way,both of these things are quite different from the idea that people can sometimes know or do things in ways that are as yet inexplicable,but will someday be known. If you accept the presence of psi as an innate human ability,it still doesn't prove the existence of any god or gods,the efficacy of magic or magical laws or rules.It doesn't justify one belief system over any others although I can understand the temptation to point to PK and say,"see,people can move things with their minds,therefore magic works." What would be a good example of proof that their is something to"the craft"in witchcraft?I don't know.Maybe jezebel or jrohr can answer that. Does the acceptance of the existence of magic justify a belief in witch- craft as a religion?I don't think so.I think that is an entirely different concept.If witchcraft is a religion at all,a belief in magic would just be another part of that religion,although it may be necessary to it. RE: what do we worship? No, we do not worship Satan! The occult (the word means "hidden") was a perfectly legitimate field of study among the Magi before and during the Renaissance. But with the birth of "science", notably physics and chemistry (from alchemy), the study of the occult fell into disfavor because it couldn't be "proved" in the same way that the "hard" sciences can. Remember, the driving quest of the alchemists was to discover how to turn lead into gold. That is now possible. It's not easy, but it's now possible. the study of the occult has been revived and renamed "parapsychology", and there are serious, documented cases of telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, the existence of ghosts, etc.. So there is some scientific (unless you don't consider psychology to be science) evidence of "supernatural" phenomena, which may prove to be a set of very natural occurrences after all. 680 If you are studying the occult as a non-scientist, you are probably studying ways in which a person can expand her own psychic powers. Religion has little to do with it! Admittedly, the Christian church attempts to discourage people from experimenting, but the Jewish tradition has a splendid tradition of occult study in the Caballah. It is important to realize that the occult is a tool by which many things can be accomplished. THE OCCULT IS NOT EVIL IN AND OF ITSELF! A hypodermic needle, for instance, can cause great harm, by being used to inject poison or intravenous drugs (and helping the spread of such diseases as hepatitis and AIDS.) But a needle can also be used to inject vaccines, and antibiotics, and none considers banning needles simply because of the potential harm they can "do". The same is true of the occult. It is not the fact of its use that is important, it is rather the use to which it is put. An evil action is an evil action, whether it is by spell or by physical means. The Wiccans have but one law: An it harm none, do as you will. The Wiccans are also great users of positive magic. For a good, non religious look at the occult and its potential, I suggest Marian Weinstein's book POSITIVE MAGIC. I found it at Adventure here in lawrence, and I understand it can also be gotten through Lamplighter Books. Subject: What is the "occult"? I'm sorry,jezebel,but your reply to "guest"left me a bit confused. Are you trying to define occult,or defend and rationalize belief in the paranormal,or give a discourse on the ethics of the use of ritual magic? It seems to me that there are several issues here{admittedly,none of which have anything to do with devil worship}."Occult" is a very catch-all term.It seems to have been used for everything from the Necronomicon to Shirley McClaine.{Have you ever looked in the "occult section"of your local bookstore?"} I"d really be interested in seeing more conversation on these subjects. Subject: occult Well, Melisande beat me to it - I too felt that jezebel had magic and the occult confused. The occult concerns those forces/phenomena not explained by science (if/when they are explained they won't be "hidden" anymore, right?). Magic is the ritual manipulation or use of these forces. Psi is a group of related forces (which may or may not be used in a magical sense). Religion is not necessarily associated with any of the above. HOWEVER, belief in "supernatural" forces is just that, *belief*, and if you believe that when you practice magic, you affect people/the world about you, then you are accepting belief in these "supernatural" forces. I feel that this belief presupposes a "religion" of sorts. I.e. if you hold an unfounded belief (not supported by science) then you have "faith" and "faith" begets "religion". So, can there be such a thing as an atheistic witch? Go ahead, blast away. This was intended to provoke some comment! All of the above represent my own opinions which are subject to change without notice. 681 Subject: inspection There is a world of difference between a little inspection and outright dissection. It seems to me that people must have "proof" in order for something to be considered valid. That is the point that I am trying to get across. Education is a good tool for showing people every side of an issue. But if their faith (not some half-baked preacher) tells them that something is wrong or right that also is valid. The issue is freedom of choice (sound familiar??) Although this person may feel one way, he/she has no right to impose that on another person. The country that we live in is based on the separation of church and state. Period. Is a person truly believes that witches are evil and after been presented with our point of view still believes this that is his right. But that person does not have the right to take the freedom from another person I guess that what i am trying to say in a long-winded fashion is TOLERANCE is needed on both parties. Why can't we live and let live as long as there is no harm being done. Subject: 'occult' -- religion vs prayer vs magick I, and several other posters, have thus far been playing in the shallows of this interest area; I'm not the only one who's been avoiding the deeper issues here set afloat. I understand the relevance of getting the basics out in the open, where we may discuss them; I admire honest curiosity; and I respect most sincerely the desire to understand each other's points of view. So: All right, Melisande! I'll swim out to meet your questions trusting to some of that faith in Providence that I'll not stray too far off the course of logic nor yet be caught by the undertow of over-reaction. But help me out if I start to stray *too* far from solid ground, hey? jrohr is quite right in pointing out that language is a powerful tool. It can be a powerful nuisance also, at times. I doubt that any two or three of us share precisely the same definitions -- both in denotation and connotation -- for any randomly chosen set of words. That is in the nature of human thought, and thus of human language; and I think it is no bad thing, in itself. I would find it very boring to see the world always through the same eyes as everyone else, with no more sudden surprises nor the delicious strangeness of another's way of seeing. I've always preferred predictability in moderate doses only. Generally our definitions have enough common ground that we can communicate well enough; when we fail to quite understand what is meant, we certainly ought to ask! And indeed we have some slippery terms before us -- religion, magick, prayer. I've thought on my own meanings for these, and reached somewhat of the premises and beliefs underlying them. I do feel them to be separate and different things. Sam, your input regarding faith, belief in the irreproducible and unprovable, strikes a very loud chord. And by my definition, to be 'religiously' scientific is to accept the results and some of the method of science on faith -- as those who believe that psi cannot exist 'scientifically', considering not the difficulties of proving a negative hypothesis. But to me faith is a necessary but NOT sufficient condition; I've put off entering this discussion largely because the other half of my understanding of religion is difficult to articulate. To me, religion must have also an element of worship, of appreciation or love for the object of that faith, removed from all expectations of gain or profit. Prayer can be an act of worship -- but "Oh Deity or Deities, in your infinite wisdom and grace and general wonderfulness, could you possibly assist your humble servant?" is not in that category, while "Hey, nice universe you got here, God(ess)(es), really awesome work, like wow" is. 682 Prayer to me is essentially an attempt to communicate with the object of faith and worship. (By the bye, I'm sorry if 'object of etcetera' is beginning to wear on you all, but I do believe that the object of worship and subject of religion may take any number of forms for any number of people.) Prayer can attempt to communicate only faith or worship, or it can attempt to communicate a desire or request. But as a purely communicative, not an active, phenomenon, prayer cannot guarantee results, nor promise miracles. If there really are a bunch of Christian pro-lifers out there praying for the death of a pro-choice judge (I read that somewhere, but I've no idea if it's a real-world example), they may be disappointed if s/he doesn't die off soon, but it is an outcome they are prepared to accept. Magick, on the other hand, is an attempt to DO something. A properly structured spell performed under the right conditions is expected to have certain results. Granted that there's more art than science to it, it has still that element of expected repeatability, and of action. Magick may certainly have a place in religion, and it may play an important role. For example, when a clergymember of a faith that takes the literal view of the sacrament of the eucharist performs that rite, he or she is indeed performing a magickal act. I'll grant you freely that I have my doubts about the cookies and grape juice really truly transubstantiating themselves into flesh and blood, and frankly I'd not care to partake if I did believe it. (Just squeamish, I suppose!). But that's not the issue. The issue is that it is real to the person doing this, and that he (or she) expects it to happen -- nay, KNOWS that it will happen, if the thing is done correctly. The rationale for this expectability can vary -- to said clergymember, it's a matter of right, and a promise made, and a covenant agreed to. All perfectly reasonable reasons to expect it to work, in the framework of that belief. It can just as well be rooted in a belief that the operator is exercising some natural ability, just as s/he might push a car or dial a telephone on a more mundane level -- although in the latter case, the magick need not be part of a religion. (By this definition, psi may be treated as magick -- my apologies to any parapsychologists out there, in advance!) It could be derived, to the practitioner, from a bargain or from some aspect of the laws of the universe that allows him/her to coerce a power to act. I follow beliefs that do somewhat concern me regarding the source of the expectability in magick; but we should perhaps discuss that separately, if anyone wishes to, after we have agreed on definitions of terms. The current point, for me, is that the rationale behind it doesn't make it magick; it's the presence of that rationale, whatever it is, combined with the fact that the operator expects results. Now, then. Here are my definitions, and several of my precepts, as best I understand them. What do the rest of you think concerning them? Do you differ on some points? Which ones, and why, and precisely how? Do you feel that I've missed something? And again, where, in what manner, and why? Do you found your definitions from other lines of thought entirely? Once more, what are those lines of thought, exactly how do they treat the subjects to hand, and why do you feel that way about it? 683 Whether you agree or disagree, I would like to read of it. I would like to know if we are stymied by essentially different views on how the world works, or merely each by our own assumptions of what the other means. If any feel threatened by this invitation to investigate further, my apologies: I intend none, nor do I perceive any in this request (or Melisande's, or Sam's). The one who does not care to examine his beliefs is trapped is as narrow a world as he who declines to dream of anything intuitive and irreproducible in his philosophy: a world view that can't stand to be looked at once in a while makes a very poor window indeed to view the world through! Some of you have said you are active in Wicca or the craft; I'm curious to know if you were raised in the craft? If not, what belief system did you grow up in? Didn't you look at those beliefs, new and old both, before you chose your path? Don't be afraid to continue thinking, then, and to continue to examine what you believe and why. Subject: witchcraft I really must stick to my statement that a spell is very much like a prayer. The diffusion of stems from magick bringing about a altered state of consciousness. I would not say that they are identical. Each form fits the needs of the population that uses it. There are some who say that science is a religion..If I could answer why people need that facet in their life i would win the Nobel...I can answer only for myself. Why must we dissect things in order to understand them?? I have seen more things torn apart because of human fear. Why can't we as Starhawk says "dare to dream the dark" Living in such a technological and hard scientific world (as I sit a terminal ) i find some solace in that there are things that man can not define to his(or her) satisfaction. Thus perhaps the basis for the place of religion. 684 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Magick Vs. Prayer One of the questions brought up on MagickNet was the difference between Magick and prayer, and how this ties into the scheme of things in general. Well, I feel that prayer and magick are only loosely connected. In prayer, a person pleas with their deity for assistance. Energy wise, the person praying is asking that something be changed, and believes that the request will result in a change. In magick, we use ourinner energy, combined with earthly andelemental energy and Deity energy, and send this forth do accomplish the goal of our spell. I think it's like "breaking" in the game of pool. We are controlling stick (our spell), while we gather the energy to push the stick/spell. Our Cone Of Power is like the cue ball, and the racked balls are the target, which effects a change (breaks, or the goal of our spell) from the force of our energy. There may be a point where prayer becomes a type of magick (or, a psychic event) if the person knows of the personal energies involved, and releases them with the prayer. I feel that aprayer works the opposite way. The prayer is arequest to effect a change in the ambient energy and invoke God (using the Christian form). This change in energy is slower because it is "diluted" in the surrounding energy and depends solely on faith ("I believe it will happen, so it will"). Am I out in left field or just being redundant? I forgive if I'm "running at the mouth". Now I'll try and tie in Parapsychology. Magic and psi are very closely related in that (aside for leaving out the 'k' in magicK) the same form of energy is used. It's just on a different 'frequency'. When I do an object reading or empathic reading on someone/thing, I'm receiving a type of energy. When I send a Cone of Power, I'm using the same type of energy, but on a (higher?) wavelength and with greater force and higher power. Grounding negative feelings is an example of converting one form to the other. Auric healing is the opposite. So, I feel the energies are inter-changeable. I ask, as Elsbeth has, "What do you think of THIS?" As someone stated before, the definitions we are trying to define and clarify are our own, much like our beliefs- our own. We are trying to find, I believe, common ground between the nuances of our definitions and beliefs. Blessed Be! Salgamma 685 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Sacrificial God man Ammond Shadowcraft How did the Christian mythos arise? Where did it come from? The Christian myth is almost totally Pagan in origin. I used to thinkthat anythingoutside theJudeo/Christian/Moslem BeliefSystem or worldview was Pagan. Such is not the case. Thetwomain featuresofthe CBSarethe EucharistandSacrifice of a God man. These two features were well known and well loved by Pagan mystery cults centuries before the Christian Cults integrated them into the Gospels. The Eucharist goes way back into history and is based upon the ritual consumption of the God man. Osiris, Dionysus, Attis and many others were ritually consumed. The practice dates back to prehistory when a human sacrifice was identified with the God (perhaps a Vegetative God) and was sacrificed and eaten. Over the ages human sacrifice was found detestable. Animals were then substituted and sacrificed as the ritual identifier of the God which was then followed by grain offerings, breads shaped into the form of the God, sometimes in the shapes of natural items (sun, moon, etc.). The mythos of the Jewish Christ integrated this practice into it's mysteries. There is strong reason for this. For some 200 plus years before the time recorded for Jesus the Greeks and their mystery cults invaded and changed Israel for all time. A war was instituted to diminish or wipeout theHellenizing influence. Partof theHellenizing influence was an effort to update or change the Jewish religion to something more applicable to the times. After the Maccabbees War the Hellenizing cultist were driven underground; right to the heart of the Jewish mystical culture. Hence the Greek influence upon the myth of Jesus. The sacrifice of the God man (Jesus, Attis, Adonis, Osiris) was a well known and well loved feature also. In fact it was necessary to have a willing sacrifice before a Eucharist could be performed. When the sacrifice was not willing the legs and sometimes arms of the sacrifice were broken to make it look like the sacrifice was willing (not struggling against the sacrificers). Jesus was a willing sacrifice. Images of Attis (Tammuz/Dummuzi) were nailed or impaled upon a pine tree. The Jews knew this and wrote "Cursed is he who hangs upon a tree." A goat was substituted for a boy in sacrifice to Dionysus at Potniae and a hart for a virgin at Laodicea. King Athamas had been called upon to sacrifice his first born son by the Delphic Oracle, Melenloas sacrificed two children in Egypt when stayed by contrary winds; three Persian boys were offered up at the battle of Salamis. It was only inthe time of Hadrianthat the annualhuman sacrifice toZeus was abolished at Salamis in Cyprus. The God man Jesus was hung upon a tree;he was also thelamb of God.As such the sacrificeand Eucharist of the God man Jesus is purely Pagan in origin. 686 Part of the older Pagan sacrifices was in the King sacrificing his only begotten son. Jesus was the only begotten son of the King of Israel, sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. This practice was overturned in the myth of Abraham and Issac when it was found detestable andinjurious to thetribe or kingdom.Yet the Godman Jesus wassacrificed in the flesh.This was done to appealto the underground Greek mystery cults who had much in common with the Jewish Christian Cultist. "During centuries of this evolution, the Jewish people tasted many times thebitterness ofdespair and theprofound doubt denouncedby the last of the prophets. In periods when many went openly over to Hellenism, it could not be but the ancient rites of the Semitic race were revived, as some are declared to have been in earlier times oftrouble. Among therites of expiationand propitiation, nonestood traditionally higher than the sacrifice of the king, or the king's son. The Jews saw such an act performed for them, as it were, when the Romans under Anthony, at Herod's wish, scourged, crucified [lit. bound to stake], and beheaded Antigonous, the last of the Asmonean priest kings in 37 B.C." _Pagan_Christs_ page 44,45 by J. M. Robertson ThemodeofsacrificewaspredeterminedbypreviousPagan doctrine. The type of sacrifice was also predetermined by Pagan doctrine. Both the sacrifice of the king, and the king's son were incorporated into the Gospel myth.The God man Jesusis both the Kingof the Jews andthe son of God, the king of Israel. As stated before the sacrifice of the king or king's son was found injurious to the state. Before animal and grain sacrifices, criminals and prisoners of war were substituted. Yet the criminal had to be identified with the king. This was done by putting royal robes on the sacrifice and parading the sacrifice around, calling it the king. "The number three was of mystic significance in many parts of the East. The Dravidians of India sacrificed three victims to the Sun-god. Inwestern as ineastern Asia, thenumber three wouldhave its votaries in respect of trinitartian concepts as well as the primary notions of 'the heavens,the earth,and theunderworld.' Traditionally,the Syrian rite called for a royal victim. The substitution of a criminal for the king or kings son was repugnant, however, to the higher doctrine that thevictim be unblemished.To solve thisproblem oneof the malefactors was distinguished fromthe other criminalsby a ritual ofmock-crowning and robing in the spirit of 'sympathetic magic'. By parading him as king, and calling the others what indeed they were, it was possible to attain the semblance of a truly august sacrifice." _Pagan_Christs_, by J.M. Robertson page 45 There is nothing in this mythos that did not originate in other cultures. "We can only conclude that the death ritual of the Christian creed was framed in a pagan environment and embodies some of the most widespread ideas of Pagan religion. the two aspects in which the historic Christ is typically presented to his worshipers, those of his infancy and death, are typically Pagan." _Pagan_Christs_ by J.M Roberts, page 52. What about the man Jesus then? Was he divine? Did he exist? Is/was 687 he the Savior? Most, if not all, of the Christian Belief System is Pagan in origin. It is indeed hard to force oneself to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God when such titles were readily copied from Pagan doctrine. Perhaps the only item not borrowed from Pagan sources was the Messiah concept. That, of course, was taken from the Jewish hysteria of the time. In the siege of Jerusalem in 72 C.E. there were some18 Messiahs insideJerusalem alone. Neitherthe Godman Jesus nor the self proclaimed militant messiahs saved Jerusalem. Such was the measure of hysterical superstition upon the nation of Israel. "There is not a conception associated with Christ that is not common to some or all of the Savior cults of antiquity. The title Savior was given in Judaism to Yahweh; among the Greeks to Zeus, Heilos, Artemis, Dionysus, Hercales, the Dioscurui, Ceybele and Aesculapius. It is the essential conception of Osiris. So, too, Osiris taketh away sin, is the judge of the dead and of the last judgment. Dionysus, the Lord of the UnderWorld and primarily a god of feasting ('the Son of Man commeth eating and drinking'), comes to be conceived as the Soul of the World and the inspirer of chastity and self purification.[J. M. Robertson maybe referring toAttis here.] From the Mysteries of Dionysus and Isis comes the proclamation of the easy 'yoke'. Christ not only works the Dionysiac miracle, but calls himself the 'true vine.'" "Like Christ, and like Adonis and Attis, Osiris and Dionysus also suffer and die and rise again. To become one with them is the mystical passion of their worshippers. They are all alike in that their mysteries give immortality. From Mithraism Christ takes the symbolic keys of heaven and hell and assumes the function of the virgin-born Saoshyant, the destroyer of the Evil One. Like Mithra, Merodach, and the Egyptian Khousu, he is the Mediator; like Khousu, Horus and Merodach, he is one of a trinity, like Horus he is grouped with a Divine Mother;like Khousu heis joined tothe Logos; andlike Merodach he is associated with the Holy Spirit, one of whose symbols is fire." "In fundamentals, therefore, Christism is but paganism reshaped. It is only the economic and doctrinal evolution of the system--the first determined byJewish practice andRoman environment, the secondby Greek thought--that constitutesnew phenomena in religious history." _Pagan__Christs_ by J.M. Robertson pages 52,53 No religion develops in a vacuum. All religions are influenced not only by it's predecessors but by the contemporaries of the time also. Such is the nature of Christism yesterday and today. Now about Jesus the man, did he exist? I think not. All the teaching of Jesus can be attributed to other sources and grafted over the Gospel myth. Nothing he said was substantially different in any way from previous sayings. Jesus was not a man but a contrived myth. 688 "The Christian myth grew by absorbing details from pagan cults. The birth story is similar to many nativity myths in the pagan world. The Christ had to have a Virgin for a mother. Like the image of the child-godin the cultof Dionysus, hewas pictured inswaddling clothes in a basket manger. He was born in a stable like Horus--the stable temple of the Virgin Goddess, Isis, Queen of Heaven. Again , like Dionysus, he turned water into wine, like Aesculapius, he raised men from the dead and gave sight to the blind; and like Attis and Adonis, he is mourned and rejoiced over by women. His resurrection took place, like that of Mithra, from a rock tomb." The man Jesus did not exist. There are however sources that speak of others seeing him. These were secondhand sources. No direct observations were made. Atone time oranother we haveall had avision of Deity in our minds. Such is the sight of Jesus, a mental image. What of the Gospels then? They are passion plays designed to be read or acted out in front of an audience. Passion plays were a common feature of pagan religion. Looking at the Gospels themselves one finds a choppilywritten, scene byscene, display of thelife of theGod man. Only the important aspects of his life are described. The minor events and influences of the life of Jesus are not recorded, which leaves one to think that the Gospels are indeed a play. "When we turn from the reputed teaching of Jesus to the story of his career, the presumption is that it has a factual basis is so slenderas to benegligible. The Churchfound it sodifficult to settle the date ofits alleged founder's birththat the Christian erawas made to begin someyears before the year which chronologistslatter inferred on the strength of other documents. The nativity was placed at the winter solstice, thus coinciding with the birthday of the Sun-god. And the date for the crucifixion was made to vary from year to year to conform to the astronomical principle which fixed the Jewish Passover. [The Passover is moon based, an already familiar pagan method of cyclic, monthly dating.]In between thebirth anddeath of Jesus,there is analmost total absence ofinformation except about thebrief period of his ministry. Of his life between the ages of twelve and thirty we know nothing. There are not even any myths. It is impossible to establish with any accuracy the duration of the ministry from the Gospels. According to the tradition it lasted one year, which suggests that it was either based on the formula 'the acceptable year of the Lord', or on the myth of the Sun-god." _Pagan_Christs_ by J.M. Robertson, page 68 689 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A Shared Vision by D. M. DeBacker June 23, 1988 11:36 PM Gnosticism is a religious/philosophical tradition that began sometime in the last century before the present era1. The word "tradition" should be stressed because one of the tenets of Gnosticism is that of a general disdain for authority or orthodoxy. The Gnostics adhered to a belief in strict equality among the members of the sect; going so far as to chose the role of priest by drawing lots among the participates at gnostic gatherings2. They also stressed direct revelation through dreams and visions and an individual interpretation of the revelations of fellow Gnostics and sacred scriptures. The Greek word gnosis (from which we have "Gnosticism") and the Sanskrit bodhi (from which we have "Buddhism") have exactly 1 see J.M. Robinson, Introduction, in The Nag Hammadi Library (New York, 1977); hereafter cited as NHL, for a general discussion of the origins of Gnosticism. 2 Pagels, Elaine; The Gnostic Gospels;(New York, 1979); p 49 1 695 the same meaning. Both gnosis and bodhi refers to a knowledge that transcends the knowledge that is acquired through means of empirical reasoning or rational thought; it is intuitive knowledge derived from internal sources. To the Gnostic this knowledge is necessary for salvation3. "I say, You are gods!" -John 10:34 The Gnostic sects were essentially eschatological; concerned with salvation, with transcendence from the world of error (as opposed to sin) towards a knowledge of the Living God, who is knowable only through revelationary experience. The object of gnosis is God- into which the soul is transformed monistcally. This notion of assimilation into a divine essence is known in Gnostic Circles as "immanentizing the Eschaton"4. "Christ redeemed us from the Curse of the Law." -Gal.3:13 3 Barnstone, Willis, ed.; The Other Bible; (San Francisco, 1984); p 42 4 Wilson, Robert A.; The Illuminati Papers; (Berkely, 1980); p 46 2 696 The Gnostic defiance towards authority took on many levels. They developed an elaborate cosmogony, in defiant opposition to traditional Jewish and Christian beliefs. For the Jew and Christian, it was a good, though authoritarian, god that created Adam and Eve. It was through their own sin that they fell into corruption. Yet for the Gnostic, the creator was not good at all, rather he became known to the Gnostics as the Demiurge1, a secondary god below Sophia, Mother Wisdom, and the unknown God- who-is-above-all-else.2 To the Gnostics, the Demiurge- who is also known as Ialdabaoth, Sabaoth, and Saclas- acted in error when he created the material universe and mistakenly thought of himself as the only god. In Gnostic literature, Adam and Eve are seen as heroic figures in their disobedience; aided by the serpent, who gave them knowledge and who will later return in some sects as Jesus, to redeem humanity by teaching disobedience to the curse of the laws of Yahweh the Creator3. 1 Greek for "craftsman", much like the Masonic "Architect of the Universe". From Plato's Timaeus. 2 I have come up with Greek term "Theoseulogetes" to describe "God-who-is-above-all-else" which I found in Paul's Epistle to the Romans (9:5), but I hesitate to make use of it because I am not sure how it should be pronounced. 3 Hypostasis of the Archons 89:32-91:3 (NHL p. 155) 3 697 Many writers when discussing Gnosticism approach the subject with a scholarly morbidity. They tend to look upon the Gnostics as a cult of dreadful ascetics who shunned the world of error and delusion. Yet as a neo-gnostic, I can not help but see a gnostic world-view as that of looking upon the universe not as some sinister mistake, but more as a complex and complicated cosmic joke. When one first begins reading the Gnostic literature contained in the pages of the Nag Hammadi Library (cf. note p. 1), one is tempted to filter the language and the symbols of Gnosticism through a mindset of `hellfire' fright conjured by images brought from the Book of Revelations or Daniel. The key to reading the NHL is not to be frightened or distressed by some of the images, but to realize that the tractates of the NHL were collected as consciousness raising tools. To the Gnostic, the pages of NHL are not to be meant to be taken as the authoritative, apostolic writings of the Christian bible or the prophetic and patristic writings of the Jewish bible, but rather as visions shared with fellow Gnostics. The following discourse is meant to be just that- a Gnostic sharing his vision. 4 698 "When the Elohim began to create..." - Gen 1:1 As all religious thought has as its ultimate aim the thought of God, it is best that I begin my "vision" by imparting my perception of God. To me, God is indescribable, inscrutable, and ultimately "nonexistent". Any attempt at describing God invokes, what a friend termed, the "great syntax catastrophe"2. It is wrong, I believe, even to use the pronouns he or she when speaking of God; and it seems better to speak of what God is "not" rather than to speakof whatGod"is".Toparaphrase theChinesephilosopher, Lao Tse "The god that can be named is not the God"3. It is best not to even attempt a description of God, but to think of God as inscrutable by definition: that which cannot be 1 For a discussion on this translation of the opening verses of Genesis cf. Asimov, Issac; Asimov's Guide to the Bible; Vol. II; (NY, 1968); pp 16-17 2 A friend tells me that he picked up this term from an evangelical Christian in Georgia. 3 "The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and unchanging Tao. The name that can be named is not the enduring and unchanging name." Lao-Tse; Tao teh Ching (I,1)- trans. by James Legge 5 699 easily understood, completely obscure, mysterious, unfathomable, and enigmatic; the "Mystery of the Ages"1. Many Gnostics speak of God as being "non-existent"; not in the atheistic sense, but in the sense that God does not exist in the same sense as you or I or anything else in the Universe exists. In some Gnostic writings God is referredto as the "unbegotten one"2. As a Gnostic Christian, one who emphasizes the salvic influence of gnosis (knowledge) over the influence of pistis (faith), it is not enough for me merely to believe that God exists; I must know that God exists. In his epistle to the Galatians, Paul tells us that ignorance of God is a form of bondage3; and in his epistle to the Colossians, he tell us that man's purpose is to "be filled with the knowledge of [God's] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,.. and increasing in (gnosis) knowledge of God"4. Many Christian sects teach that "faith" is an unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence. To understand 1 Col 1:26 2 Tripartite Tractate; 51.24-52.6; (NHL p. 55) 3 Gal. 4:8-9 4 Col. 1:9-10 6 700 "faith" properly it requires knowing that belief and opinion are not one and the same. A mere opinion is something that is asserted or accepted without any basis at all in evidence or reason1. Whereas, to believe in something is to exercise one's faith or trust in something. Faith then could be said to be "trust"; and `faith in God' is, therefore, the same as `trust in God'. The basis of any degree of trust must be a certain degree of knowledge concerning a given object or situation. The more knowledge one has concerning, say, a person, determines the amount of trust allowed that person. For example, if you know a person to be completely unreliable, youthen have very little faith inthat person. Conversely,You havea greatdeal of faith that person is not to be trusted. If you know that a person is highly reliable, you then have built up a degree of trust in that person based on your knowledge of him. Therefore, knowledge of God must parallel faith in God. Yet how can God be known when we are not even sure that he exists? If we say that God is essentially `unknowable and can only be spoken of in terms of what God is not, then how can we come to have any knowledge of God? 1 See Adler, Mortimer J.; Ten Philosophical Mistakes; chap. 4; (New York, 1985); for a detailed discussion of knowledge and opinion. 7 701 There are basically two ways to know God. The first is by way of reason or logic and second, by way of intuitive knowledge or gnosis. We shall see in following paragraphs how the former method may help us in understanding the problems we are faced with in our attempts to know God, and many will see, also, how severelylackingthe pathof logiccan becomparedto that of the gnostic path. In studying the problem of `logical proofs' of God's existence I have come across several historical arguments of which I have grouped into what I call "The Seven Arguments and the General Argument for the Existence of the Almighty." I have labeled these arguments the Ideological (ideo as in idea), the Etiological ( `aetio' meaning cause), the Teleological (`teleo' meaning final outcome), the Cosmological (`cosmo' meaning universal), the Ontological (`onto' meaning being), the Pantheological (`pantheo' as in `pantheism'), and the Psychological (`psyche' meaning soul) Arguments. I will provide a brief discussion of each. 1] The Psychological Argument Before anything can be said concerning the reality of God or of anything else for that matter. One must take a skeptical stance. A skeptical stance would be that of doubting the reality of absolute or universal truths. In other words one 8 702 could say that the certainty of knowledge is impossible and that onecan achieve only `probable' knowledge, i.e., ideas whose validity is highly probable. An example of this would be to say that it is only highly probable that you are reading this page, but that neither you nor I can be absolutely certain of this. Yet probable knowledge implies the existence of absolute knowledge. For instance a skeptic could deny that the objects of his perceptions exist, but he could not deny that his perceptions exist. St. Augustine stated that the person who doubts all truths is caught in a logical dilemma, for he must exist in order that he may doubt. As Descartes, put it "I think, therefore I am.". In the act of doubting one establishes the absolute reality of one's own consciousness or "psykhei". For Augustine the "psykhei" comprises the entire personality of the living being, who becomes aware through self-consciousness not only that he or she is a real integrated existing person but also that he knows with absolute certainty his own activities and powers of memory, intellect, and will. Thus the being `remembers' what it is doing in the act of self-doubt; it understands or knows the immediate experience; and it can will to act or not to act as it does. Hence three aspects of the individual "psykhei" may be described as powers of memory, intellect, and will, or as activities of being, knowing, and willing. 9 703 2] The Ideological Argument Prior to the history of any object the ideal had to exist as the source imparting reality to the particular object. Humanity must exist as a universal ideal before any individual human being can possibly exist. An object's essence (ideal) must be a reality before the particular object can come into existence. Many people, when first confronted by this argument fail to understand it. One fellow thought the argument was preposterous, because he thought it somehow denied that things could be discovered by accident. He gave a convoluted example involving a chemist seeking to invent a glue and in the course of his research accidently discovering a cure for cancer. What this fellow failed to realize is that the notion of a death dealing disease such as cancer and the idea of a needed cure for cancer existed long before this bumbling chemist started on his glue project. Both the psychological and ideological arguments are really not arguments for the existence of God, but are intended as an introduction to the following arguments. 3] The Etiological Argument God, by definition, must have existed as a first cause because every effect requires a cause and this must have been true ofentire universe. Thematerial world iscontingent, unable 10 704 to create itself, hence requires something else, a necessary, spiritually uncreated Being to bring it into existence and impel it to continue its progress. The same fellow who debated the ideological argument said that the etiological argument "hurt his head" and that it reminded him of "the old chicken and the egg argument". The key wordsinthis argumentare"contingent" (meaning,"dependent on chance"; "conditional"), "necessary", and "uncreated" (see the General Argument below). The cosmological argument is almost identical to the etiological argument, yet the wording is quite different. 4] The Cosmological Argument There must have been a time when the universe did not exist, for all things in the universe are mere possibilities dependent on some other objects for their being and development; the fact that the universe does exist implies that a necessary or noncontigent Being exists who was capable of creating the universe. 5] The Ontological Argument Since we possess an idea of a perfect Being (and we can think of nothing greater or more perfect), such a Being must necessarily exist because perfection implies existence. Any idea 11 705 that is lacking in reality (any concept which has no objective reality of its own) would be imperfect, whereas one of the attributesofa perfectBeingis actualexistence(not merely an idea in any person's mind, but real existence external to any mind which happens to conceive of it). The ontological argument is possibly the oldest argument and dates back to the 4th C. of the present era. This argument has caused a great debate that rages to this day in the pages of modern textbooks on philosophy and theology. The key to this argument is "perfection" and the statement: "any concept which has no objective reality of its own would be imperfect" (and therefore not exist) is the thin thread upon which the validity of argument hangs. 6] The Teleological Argument The presence of design in the world, the fact that objects are designed with a purpose, to function for a given end, implies the existence of an intelligent, competent designer, who planned the purpose of each thing that exists. The teleological argument posses problems of its own. The same fellow who debated the previous arguments insisted that he needed proof of a design to the world and that everything has a purpose. The problem in replying to his argument is that I can not think of one useless thing existing in the universe. My mind 12 706 draws a blank in this respect and I would invite anyone to show me one thing that exists in this universe which is without design or purpose. 7] The Pantheological Argument God, the supreme unity, the original Being, and the Ideal of all ideals, has caused all things to become manifest by means of a logical unfolding of particulars from their ideals. To speak of creation is to speak of particularization, a process of unfolding that makes individual objects out of ideals. Conversely, immortality is an opposite process whereby the particulars return to their universal essence or archetypes. Immortality means the return of things to God (apocatastasis), that is their deification, so that there is complete unity of all things in God; pantheism. The Pantheological vision of God is negative in the sense that God can be characterized only in terms of comparison on the ground that the infinite is beyond human comprehension; however not beyond human contemplation. When speaking of the nature of God and using the terms of argument #1 in speaking of the nature of the psyche as that which possess memory, intellect, and will, one may say that God is Omniscient, possessing absolute memory and intellect; Omnipotent, possessing absolute will; and in the terms of the pantheological argument, Omnipresent, possessing 13 707 pure randomness and non-localized in time and space. The General Argument for the Existence of the Almighty is as follows and derived in part from the argument as put forth in How to Think About God by Mortimer J. Adler: 1. The existence of an effect requiring the concurrent existence and action of an efficient cause implies the existence and action of that cause. 2. The cosmos as a whole exists. 3. If the existence of the cosmos as a whole is radically contingent, which is to say that, while not needing an efficient cause of its coming to be, since it is everlasting, then it nevertheless does need a efficient cause of its continuing existence, to preserve it in being and prevent it from being replaced by nothingness. or 3a. If the cosmos which now exists is only one of many possible universes that might have existed in the infinite past, and that might still exist in the infinite future, and if a cosmos which can be otherwise is one that also can not be; and conversely, a 14 708 cosmos that is capable of not existing at all is one that can be otherwise than it now is, then the cosmos, radically contingent in existence, would not exist at all were its existence not caused. 4. If the cosmos needs an efficient cause of its existence or of its continuing existence to prevent its annihilation, then that cause must be one the existence of which is uncaused, and one which has reason for being in and of itself; i.e. The ultimate cause and being of the cosmos. 5. If the ultimate cause and being of the cosmos is that about which nothing greater can be thought, that being must be thought of as omnipotent, possessing absolute will; omniscient, possessing absolute knowledge; and omnipresent; non-localized in time and space. PART TWO Intuition differs from reason in that as man is a finite beingpossessing limitedsensualcontactwiththeuniverse;it is impossible for man to fully understand God through his senses or by empirical means. This, therefore, involves the understanding 15 709 of abstract concepts. We must understand the universe as being "conceptusensual"; that parallel to the objective universe there is a universe made up of abstracts. This abstract universe is viewable to us through means of symbols; objects not possessing objectivity. These symbols cannot be known by means of empirical reasoning, but by means of gnosis; without the conscience use of reasoning, immediate apprehension or understanding. It should be realized that while this abstract universe, that sits parallel to the material universe, and is sometimes referredto asthespiritual worldor heaven,isbeyond logic and reasoning; it is supported by logic and reasoning. You will recall that imperfection or "degrees of perfection" implies the existence of perfection (cf. Arg #3 and Arg #5). Perfection is an abstract ideal having no analog in our material world, yet it is intuitively known to exist. Just as there are degrees of knowledge concerning mundane truths in the material world, there are degrees of gnosis concerning revealed truths in the spiritual world. Because man in his human form is by nature limited there is a certain limit to his understanding and knowledge. Yet as all things are in a constant state of flux and change, man's knowledge is constantly growing. For everythingthat is knownobjectively thereis an abstract idea that precedes the object. The Scriptures speaks about angels and devils, the creation 16 710 of the world in seven days, etc., and many Christian sects require of their followers acceptance of these "revealed truths" by way of faith or trust. Many speak of the Bible as being infallible and without error even when portions are contradictory or counter to logic. I, however, assert that the Bible is first and foremost an anthology of religious/philosophical tradition compiled over the centuries from about 750 BCE to around 150 BCE. It should, in no way, be advertised as a "closed canon" or a compilation of the sum of man's knowledge of truth, revealed or otherwise. The Bible was written by men and is therefore subject to human error. This does not, however, discount the presence of revealed truths within the Bible or within any scripture (religious writings). If any of the above arguments fall short of convincing an individual of God's existence, the one argument that cannot be denied is the argument which provides for the proof of one's own existence (cf. Arg #1). Here we spoke of "taking a skeptical stance"; one of doubting one's own existence. Through the process of self-doubt we become faced with the reality of our existence; we cannot deny the object of our perceptions- ourselves. The question, then, is raised concerning "life and death". One may wonder: "If I exist now, was there ever a time when I did not exist and will there be a time when I will not exist?" We can 17 711 limit this by asking: "Did I exist before this lifetime and will I exist after this life?" Perhaps before these questions can be broached more should said concerning the subject of gnosis. As stated above, the Apostle Paul spoke of ignorance of God as being a form of slavery; and told us that it was our purpose to know (gnosis) and obey God1. This is reiterated in his first epistle to the Corinthians, when Paul gave "thanks to God... that in every way [they] were enriched in [Christ] with all speech and all knowledge"2. In John's first epistle, we are told that we may come to know (gnosis) God, if we keep God's Law and "walk in the same way in which [Christ] walked3. This echoed in John's Gospel chapter 14, verses 20-21; and at verse 26 he adds that the Holy Spirit will be sent to "teach [us] all things, and bring to [us] remembrance all that [Christ had] said to [us]." I have emphasized the word "remembrance" as an important part of the process of gnosis. This will be discussed in detail below. In another epistle Paul spoke of the "riches of assured understanding and knowledge (epi-gnosis) of God's mystery, of 1 See above p. 4 2 1 Cor. 1:4-5 3 1 Jn 2:3-4 18 712 Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge"1. In the seventeenth chapter of John's Gospel, Christ tells us that gnosis, knowing God, is equivalent to eternal life2; and in his epistle to the Philippians, Paul tells us that gnosis supersedes all3. In Matthew's Gospel we are told that spiritual knowledge comes to us through Christ: "I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto the little ones; yes, Father, for such was thy great pleasure. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any one whom the Son chooses to reveal him.4" When we read the thirteenth chapter of Paul's first epistle 1 Col 2:2-3 2 Jn 17:3 3 Phil 3:8-10 4 Matt 11:25-27 & Lk 10:21-22 19 713 to the Corinthians, we learn that "love" is the key to maintaining spiritual knowledge (gnosis) and faith (pistis)1; and in John's first letter we are told that "he who does not love, does not know God; for God is love"2. Besides the necessity of loving God, we are told that knowledge of truth equals knowledge of God. In Paul's letter to Titus, Paul greets his "child in common faith" by describing that, as an apostle of Christ, his main purpose is to "further the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth which accords with godliness"3. In John's Gospel we are told that the Holy Spirit is the "Spirit of truth, whom the (material) world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you"4. Jesus tells us: "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free"5. 1 1 Cor 13 2 1 Jn 4:7-8 3 Titus 1:1 4 Jn 14:17 5 Jn 8:31-32 20 714 Atsomepointsthissavingknowledgeisreferredtoas a secret knowledge. In his closing remarks to his disciple, Timothy, Paul tells him to guard closely the knowledge that has been entrusted to him and to avoid those who "chatter" about false knowledge1; and in first Corinthians, he speaks of those who imagine that they know, yet do not know as they ought to know2. In second Corinthians, Paul tells us that the mystery of the Gospel is "veiled" to those who have been blinded by the god of this world3. This concept of the "hardening the hearts" and "shutting the eyes"of the peoplecan befound in Isaiah4, Mark5, Luke6, and Acts7. Paul speaks of the process of gnosis as spiritual maturity when he tells the Corinthians that they were "fed with milk, not solid food; for [they] were not ready for 1 1 Tim 6:20-21 2 1 Cor 8:2 3 2 Cor 4:3-6 4 Isaiah 6:9-10 5 Mark 8:17-18 6 Lk 10:23 7 Acts 28:26-27 21 715 it." We are told that Jesus spoke in parables because "seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear"1; and that "not all men can receive this [knowledge] but only those to whom it is given (revealed)"2. He said that in order that those who could not understand, be allowed to understand that they would have to "turn again" and be forgiven3. This "turning again" or being "reborn" will be discussed in greater detail below. In Colossians, Paul speaks of this mystery as having been hidden from angels and men (aeons and generations)4. There is evidence in many of the books of the Bible that books which are known to authors have either been lost or intentional kept out of the Bible for a variety reasons. In his epistles, Paul speaks of epistles that do not appear in Bible. There is evidence of a third epistle to the Corinthians; perhaps one that went between the first and second epistles5; and in his closing remarks to the 1 Matt 10:13-17 2 Matt 19:11 3 Mk 4:11-12 4 Col 1:26 5 1 Cor 5:9 & 2 Cor 2:3-9; 7:10 22 716 Colossians, Paul speaks of an Epistle to the Laodiceans1. First Chronicles speaks of the Book of Nathan and the Book of Gad2; while Second Chronicles, also, speaks of a Book of Nathan and a Book of Shemaiah the Prophet3. In Jude's Epistle there is a quote from the Book of Enoch!4 Could these books have contained "secret knowledge" that could not be understand by all? Turning to the "apocrypha", those books which are not considered by some Christian sects to be a part of the "closed canon" of the Bible, we are able to discover a possible answer to our question. The Apocrypha, or "hidden" books, were never really hidden, but were kept apart from the Bible. Each Christian sect has a different "list" of books that belong in their individual "canon" and because those "lists" overlap each other many Christians today are quite familiar with a majority of the books contained in the Apocrypha. One book contained in the Apocrypha, 2 Esdras, a book that is found in many Roman Catholic Bibles, has the following information to impart to us concerning "hidden books": 1 Col 4:16 2 1 Chr 29:29 3 2 Chr 9:29; 12:15 4 Jude 9 quotes Enoch 1:9 23 717 "Therefore write all these things that you have seen in book, and put it in a hidden place; and you shall teach them to the wise among your people, whose hearts you know are able to comprehend and keep these secrets.1" (It is curious to note that this portion of 2 Esdras was added to original sometime in the third century AD; when at the same time Gnostic Christians were compiling the Nag Hammadi in Egypt!)2 Yet it seems that nothing can remain hidden forever. In Luke's Gospel Jesus prophesies that "nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light"3. Perhaps this prophecy came true when, following the dreadful destruction of WW II, two astonishing discoveries of hidden works were made; the first at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in December of 1945, and the second at Q'umran, Palestine 1 2 Esdras 12:37-38, cf. 2 Esdras 14:37-48 2 see introduction to "The Second Book of Esdras" in the New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha; Apoc p 23 3 Lk 8:17 24 718 in 1947. PART THREE Even in the Bible itself there is found "secret knowledge" that is never spoken of amongst the christian sects that consider themselves to be "orthodox". The best example of this is in the creation account of the Book of Genesis. The opening line of the first book of the Bible has been translated throughout history to read: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth1." Yet if we translate the first verse literally we find it to read: "When the Elohim began to create the heavens and the earth2." The term "Elohim" should not be translated directly to read "God" or "god", because it is the feminine plural of god (Eloah) and should probably be translated "goddesses" or "offspring of the Goddess" . Now, to many "orthodox" christians the notion that there exists "gods", in the polytheistic sense, most likely is a bizarre notion. Yet the early Hebrews were not "monotheistic", that is, a person who believes in the existence of one God, as is usually thought; but, rather, they were "henotheistic", and while believing in a multitude of gods, they focused all their worship 1 Gen 1:1 2 Cf. p 3 note 1 25 719 on their "national god". Examples of Hebrew henotheism can be found in throughout the Old Testament. In 1 Kings, chapter 18 there is an account of the prophet Elijah, a prophet of the Israelite god Yahweh, engaged in a contest with the prophets of the god Ba'al and the goddess Asherah (Ishtar)1. In 2 Kings, chapter 3 we are told that when Mesha, king of the Moabites, sacrificed his son to the Moabite god Chemosh "there came a great wrath upon " the army of the Israelites2. Further on in 2 Kings there is the story of Naaman, a Syrian general who is afflicted with leprosy. Following a raid in Israel, Naaman is told by one of his captives that there is a prophet living in Samaria who has the power to cure leprosy. Naaman then visits Elisha, where he is told to go and bathe in the Jordan river. After bathing seven times in the Jordan, Naaman is cured of leprosy, and as a result he converts and becomes a worshiper of Yahweh, god of the Israelites. He is now faced with a dilemma; as he must return to Syria, he must take "two mule's burden" of Israelite soil back with him. This is done so that he may have a plot of Yahweh's land upon which to offer sacrifice to the Israelite god. Elisha does not argue this matter with Naaman, but only tells him to "go in peace"3. 1 1 Kngs 18:19 2 2 Kngs 3:27 3 2 Kngs 5:1-19 26 720 Perhaps the strongest suggestion of Hebrew henotheism is contained in line from Ezekiel that tells of the women weeping for the Sumerian harvest god, Tammuz1. The Jewish calendar contains the month of Tammuz (usually in the summer) and one of the titles for Tammuz, "Adonai", was adopted by the Hebrews as a title for their god. The phrase "Adonai Elohim" is translated in the english Bible to read "Lord of Hosts". The Greeks, also, adopted "Adonai" and called him "Adonis"; a term used today in the english language to describe a good looking young man. In the New Testament, we are told by Saint Paul that there are "many gods and many lords"2. In Colossians, he refers to them as the "elemental spirits of the universe" or Archons3. Could it be that the Archons and the Elohim were one and the same: "elemental spirits of the universe"? In Ephesians, he refers to them as the "world rulers of the present darkness"4. In John's Gospel, Jesus puts us on equal footing with the Archons by quoting Psalms5; and in Acts we are called "God's offspring"6. 1 Ezekiel 8:14 2 1 Cor 8:5 3 Col 2:8 4 Eph 6:12 5 Jn 10:34 & Ps 82:6 6 Acts 17:27-29 27 721 The scriptures in places speak of the concept of pre- existence. God tells Jeremiah, "before I formed you in the womb I knew you"1. In Ephesians, we are told that God "chose us in him before the foundation of the world"2. Could it be that the "secret message" that the Scriptures have to impart to us is that we and the Elohim are one and the same? That we were present at the creation? That we created our own universe under God's guidance, but because we were not in harmony with each other, because a few us tried to "lord" over the others, because we were not in agreement on how to go about making the universe, and instead of making the universe according to God's design, we made it according to our design, in "our image"; could this be why the universe is such an imperfect place? Between chapters 16 and 19 of the Book of Genesis there is a curious exchange that deserves to be followed. In chapter 16 we are told the story of Hagar, the mother of Ishmael. Hagar, one of Abraham's concubines, is sent out into desert by Sarai, the first wife of Abraham. At verse seven Hagar is met by an "angel of the 1 Jeremiah 1:4-5 2 Eph 1:4 28 722 Lord". Later, after conversing with this "angel of the Lord", she refers to the angel as a "god of vision". She is shocked to think that she has actually seen "God" and has lived1. In the next chapter, Abraham is visited by a being who describes himself as "El Shaddai"2. Most english language Bibles translate this to read "God Almighty", but a literal translation would render it "El, one of the gods". In chapter 18 Abraham, we are told, is visitedagain by the"Lord", and upon looking up he sees "three men". The persons that appear to Abraham in this chapter of Genesis are usually described as being God and two of his angels, yet strangely enough the one who is thought to be God, the Almighty (omniscient and omnipresent) does not know what's going in a city on the planet Earth and remarks: "I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry which has come to me; and if not, I will know"3. After wrangling with Abraham over whether or not he would destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, we are told that "the Lord rained... fire from the Lord out of heaven"4. 1 Gen 16:7-14 2 Gen 17:1 3 Gen 18:21 4 Gen 19:24 29 723 The "main of event" occurs in the first chapters of Genesis. Here is where the Elohim see light for the first time1, and go about the process of the first creation2, that of "calling and creating" the material world3. The Elohim cause a separation to be made between the spiritual world, "the waters which were above the firmament, and the material world, "the waters which were under the firmament"4. Genesis 1:9-31 details this "ordering" of the material world. In Genesis 1:27, we are told that the Elohim created, or developed the idea of mankind in an image that the Elohim perceived. According to Rabbinic tradition this image was the image of the Higher God that the Elohim saw reflected in the firmament which they took to be that of their own. In the second creation, that of "making and forming" the material world in the "day that the Lord made the earth and the heavens"5, we are told that the Elohim actually "formed" man out of dust, but it was 1 Gen 1:4 2 Gen 1:1 - 2:3 3 Isaiah 43:7 4 Gen 1:7 5 Gen 2:4 30 724 only after the Elohim breathed into man's nostrils the "breath of life", did man become a living being1. Yet it seems that the Elohim had made a mistake. In Genesis 1:28, we are told that the Elohim had created man as an androgynous being, "male and female [they] created them." Most Gnostic Christians take this to mean that we were originally intended to posses both soul and spirit combined. It appears the Elohim had made a mistake and formed a "sleeping" soul which they attempted to manipulate2, and when they realized that they were mistaken they found it necessary to pull the "spirit" (Eve) out of the soul (Adam) in order to bring it to life; hence Adam calls Eve "the Mother of the living"3. The events that follow in the third chapter of Genesis deserve to be looked at in detail. In chapter 2, verse 9 we have been told that there are two trees in the center of the Garden of Eden; the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. In verse 17 of that same chapter we were told that the Creator had ordered Adam not to eat of the tree of knowledge, for if Adam were to eat from that tree he would die. In chapter three a serpent appears to Eve 1 Gen 2:7 2 Gen 2:16-17 3 Gen 2:21 31 725 and the following exchange takes place: Serpent: "Did [the Creator] say, `You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" Eve: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but [the Creator] said, `You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.' " Serpent: "You will not die. For [the Creator] knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you be like [the gods] knowing good and evil." Later, after eating from the tree, and, by the way, not dying, Adam and Eve "heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden"1. It is curious to note that from the exchange that follows that the Creator does not seem to know what has taken place in their "absence", just as they did not seem to know what was happening inSodom andGomorrah orwhat occurredto Cain's brother, Able2. Upon learning what has transpired the Creator 1 Gen 3:8 2 Gen 4:9 32 726 then put a curse upon the serpent, Eve, and Adam. We then learn that the Creator had lied to Adam and Eve when they told them that they would die and in remarking reveal: "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever..."1. This speaking in the plural is echoed in the Tower of Babel incident: "Come, let us go down and there confuse their language"2. Throughout time the serpent has stood as symbol of immortality. Many ancient cultures upon seeing the shed skin of a snake believed that the snake never died; only shedding one body for a new one. In Greek mythology the god Prometheus is often depicted as a winged serpent bringing the gift of fire to man. Later Prometheus was replaced by the image of the wing- footed Hermes holding aloft the caduceus or "serpent entwined staff" as he brought the secret knowledge of the gods to mankind. These images of winged and fiery serpents can be found in the Old Testament. In Numbers "the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died"3. To counteract this attack, Moses is told to "make 1 Gen 3:22 2 Gen 11:7 3 Num 21:6 33 727 a fiery serpent and set it on a pole" so that when the people see the "brazen serpent" they would not die1. This symbolic gesture of the serpent lifted up in the wilderness is reminiscent not only of the serpent in the garden, but that of Jesus on the cross2. In Isaiah's vision of God, he describes the throne of God as being surrounded by "seraphim". Seraphim may be defined as "fiery winged serpents". In 2 Kings we are told that the "brazen serpent" survived down into reign of Ahaz, king of Israel. It seems Ahaz did some house cleaning and broke the "brazen serpent" into pieces and threw it out. Is this some how a prophetic gesture of Israel's rejection of the Messiah3? CONCLUSION It should be remembered that when approaching the subject of "hidden works" or "secret knowledge" that "there is nothing hid, 1 Num 21:8-9 2 Jn 3:14-15 3 2 Kngs 18:4 34 728 except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light"1. In other words, there is nothing hidden that cannot, or will not, be found. Christ extols us to seek and find, and that when we knock at the door of mystery it will be opened to us2. It can be found that God has a "divine plan" in which God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth"3. In Acts we are told that the end of time will not come until all things have been restored to God. This "restoration of all things" became known to the early christians as the Doctrine of Apocatastasis4. Ephesians speaks of the "plan for the fullnessof time,to uniteall thingsin him, things in heaven and things on earth"5. Yet what happens to us when we die in a pre-gnostic state before the Apocatastasis? In Mark's Gospel, we are told to take heed of what we hear in the message, for "the measure you give will be the measure you get"6. This is the Doctrine of 1 Mark 4:22 2 Matt 7:7-8 3 1 Tim 2:4 4 Acts 3:21 5 Eph 1:10 6 Mk 4:24 35 729 Metrethesis; the "measure for measure" spoken of in Matthew 7:2 and the "sowing" and "reaping" in Galatians 6:71. This is the plan by which God allows all souls in the universe to eventually redeem themselves in the prison of Metempsychosis. Metrethesis and Metempsychosis are doctrines that are not unique to Christian Gnosticism. In Buddhism and the Vedic religions these doctrines are known as [The text is lost at this point.] 730 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Manifestation of Kali in Universe as an Astrophysical Anomaly By Persona Navitae 353. There is no light, nor any motion. There is no mass, nor any sound. Still, in the lampless heart of the ocean, Fasten me down and hold me drowned Within thy womb, within thy thought, Where there is naught-where there is naught! From "Kali", by Aleister Crowley In the beginning was the KAOS water, the pure creative force of undivided being. Crowley called this "Nuit", which seems to be the combination of the sky goddess "Nut" with the chaos God "Nu", or "Nun". This was the potential for manifestation before the dream of Siva, before the suffering of Sophia that coalesced into the mist of dark reality. This primal force exits in a perpetual state of non-being, always edging toward being. A binary movement sets up from this tension of pre-creation, from a state of collapsed oneness, to a state of open potential. This is the struggle between Siva; the force of perfect order, and Sakti; the force of pure chaos. In Siva is the need to collapse to stable systems, the continual drive for one-ness that uni-fests as the point monad of Kether on the Tree of Life. In Sakti is the need for continual creation, the pure fertile need to populate Universe with the divine sparks of mani-fested intelligence. From these two forces arises the numinous Androgyne. This force exists at the beginning of physical creation, from its parthenogenic fullness it emanates across the Pleroma of the void, and down the Tree to Malkuth. This mythos is at the core of the unconscious and of many creation theories. From the bliss of Androgyny comes the suffering of Maya, illusion. This is the illusion of multi- verse. Sophia, the divine mother of the Gnostics, was conceived of as Androgynous but she broke away from her partner and conceived the physical universe as a polarized order. The result was the creation of ignorance, the demiurge Yahweh. From the primal Nuit is created Babylon, and from her is Isis, but what of Nepthys? She is hidden; present but unseen. Felt but rarely named. In Indian theosophy divine Sakti exists as the primal energy behind the static monad, Siva. She is Nuit in Thelema, and her creation on the mundane level is Kali. In many systems they are considered one, which is rightly so. The job of Kali is to devour the ignorance of static non-creation and re- create Universe with new potential for mani-festation. Left to its own, Siva would freeze up Universe in a cage of entropy. This is known to physicists as the "Heat death of Universe". Heat is not a substance, not an energy. It is a process, "The transference of energy by virtue of a difference in temperature". When all forms of energy, Sakti/Kali, have been equilibrated then no more growth is possible. Any divine sparks left in such a state would no longer develope, all life would stop. 731 The Heat Death is only one scenario. It would seem possible that Universe could go on perpetually if there were some way to re-create it. All matter/energy would have to be sucked back in and thrust out in another "Big bang". This "devouring" is well known to devotees of Kali. In early myths she is known to devour the demons who would upset the balance of space-time. Kali is the Goddess of time, Kala. In time all things die and are re-born. In time all ignorance is replaced by divine Gnosis, if we accomplish nothing else in life we cannot help but learn. Experience is the great teacher. At the end of time there is no manifested existence, just the Satchidananda of bliss-being-consciousness. Kali offers the bliss of Gnosis with one hand which holds the Sangrail, freedom from fear with another raised, with a third she holds the sword that destroys Universe, and with a forth she holds a head to remind us that all situations will change, death is the constant force of new life. She is naked because she has no veils of illusion, and to remind us that the secret of re-creation is in sexual bliss. She is black because she is beyond human comprehension, this also ties in with the freudian devouring mother, who is in the realm of shadow, we all will be swallowed by Kali in the little death and the greater ones. She dances on the corpse of Siva, who has over extended himself in the attempt for divine Order. However, her dance has aroused him even in death and she stands over his erect penis to accept the seed of new creation. In the early 1930's Edwin Hubble concluded that Universe is expanding, and even in the 1920's evidence existed of such expansion. It has been postulated that if there is not enough mass in Universe then it will eventually suffer the heat death of Siva. If there is enough however, then it is possible that the expansion will slow down due to the drag of continual gravitational forces that all matter possesses, and eventually return to a single point where the explosive forces of the dynamic interplay of matter/energy will cause a new expansion. One method to determine if Universe has enough matter to halt the expansion is to add up all the luminous matter. Matter exits in particular, stable energy states. If extra energy is added to a system, then the matter present would tend to jump to a higher energy state. Every element has very particular states it prefers and will not reside in any others. This is the rule of the Siva- Order force in Universe. All chaotic energy states will either jump to a higher state, and stay there as long as the extra energy does, or it will ignore the extra force. When there isn't enough energy to maintain the element in this state, it drops to a specific lower state and sheds the excess energy. When this happens we see it as a burst of light which will be specific to each particular element. By examining the luminous evidence, astrophysicists can determine how much matter is shedding light. According to older theories all matter radiates light, and this could be used to determine how much matter was in Universe. Through these studies, it was found that there is only about 2% of the necessary amount for re- creation. 732 In 1933, Fritz Zwicky discovered that galaxies were moving much faster than they should according to the accepted theories. Speculating from the amount of matter found through the luminosity present, he found that galaxies should be breaking up. The obvious conclusion is that there is more matter present than can be seen. This substance became known as Dark Matter. Since then numerous experiments have been devised to test this theory. Vera Rubin showed that galaxies rotate as fast at the outer rim, or faster, as they do in the inner. If they are less dense at the outer edges, as the luminosity indicates, then they should move slower. Jeremiah Ostriker and James Peebles showed that without extra matter, galaxies would develope gravitational anomalies that would cause them to collapse into other forms than the spiral we usually see. It seems likely that there is Dark Matter in Universe, and estimates now indicate that it could make up as much as 95% of all physical creation. What is this Dark Matter? Nobody knows, but there are many theories. Sub-atomic particles, so small they don't radiate visible energy, Neutrinos, Magnetic Monopoles (one sided magnets), and Gravitinos (bundles of gravity, in the same sense that Photons are bundles of light) are prime candidates. So far neither Magnetic Monopoles, nor Gravitinos have been found. Arcane knowledge provides some answers assuming we ask the questions. If Isis is "Infinite Stars, Infinite Space", then what is Nepthys? Being the opposite side of Isis we have to assume she plays a part in Universe. And, if Kali's re-creation of Universe is possible, then can we see it in the process? The answer to both of these lies in the Dark Matter. In "Mumbo Jumbo" Ishmael Reed referred to "Dark Isis". I found this very intriguing at the time, and later found the connection in Isis's dark twin, Nepthys. She is dark (like Kali) because she is hidden, manifested but unseen. In his book, Reed speculated that she became dominant when Isis was shedding lunar blood (sacred to Kali), this is when the unfertile seeds are being discarded. For the aspirant this is a time of great power, and danger. Nepthys is the goddess of the night magicks, the red magick of Vamamarg sometimes referred to as the "left hand path". Hers is the force of re-creation which is so vital to the growth of the aspirant. IAO, Isis-creator, Apophis (Set, husband of Nepthys)-destroyer, and Osiris-re-creator. In Tantra, Kali is all three. She gives birth to Universe, devours it when all life has expended its energy, and re-creates it from the seeds of the old Universe. It's uncertain whether there is enough Dark Matter to cause the collapse of Universe, but clearly if there is a chance, it is in this manifestation of the Dark Goddess. Her body is the body of matter that lies "between" known spaces and stars, her power is felt in the pull of matter itself, "Love is the law, love under will" is the axion of gravity where all particles seek to unite with all others. Her books are written in the night sky, her rites are the rites of ancient humans awed by the power of the Great Sleep, and equally awed by it's power of re-creation. If Kali/Nepthys manifests at the end of time, it will be as the mouths of numerous black holes, each larger one devouring the smaller, uniting in one undifferentiated monad of space-time, not only matter sucked in but the net of creation on which it resides as well. In the Dark Matter is the new creation. 733 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A SAMPLING OF HIDDEN CODES IN THE TORAH ======================================= Here is a sampling of some of the hidden words in the Torah. Since the Hebrew cannot be uploaded, the transliteration is as follows: Aleph = A Bet = B Gimel = G Dalet = D Hey = H Vav = V Zayin = Z Chet = Kh Tet = T Yod = Y Kaf = Ch Kaf Sofit = Ch: Lamed = L Mem = M Mem Sofit = M: Nun = N Nun Sofit = N: Samech = $ Ayin = E Pei = P Phei = Ph Phei Sofit = Ph: Tzadi = Tz Kuf = Q Reish = R Shin = Sh Sin = S Tav =Th The chart below works as follows: The first column is the hidden word. Second column is the location of the starting letter. The third column is the word in the sentence which "houses" the starting letter of the hidden word. The letter enclosed is the first letter of the hidden word. If the housing word appears more than once in the same sentence, the number of the correct word appears here in parentheses. The fourth column indicates spacing, i.e., 49 indicates there are 49 letters BETWEEN the letters of the hidden word. An "R" in the fifth column indicates the hidden word is spelled out in reverse. The last column is just a transliteration of the first column for ease of comprehension. ."AMTh" Genesis 1:1-5 BRAShY 50 R Emet (Truth) ."ThVRH" Genesis 1:1-5 BRAShY 49 Torah ."ThVRH" Genesis 49:28-30 VZA 49 Torah ."ThVRH" Exodus 1:1-7 ShMV 49 Torah ."ThVRH" Exodus 39:8-13 ThChL 49 Torah ."ThVRH" Numbers 1:1-3 MSh 49 R Torah ."ThVRH" Numbers 34:9-12 Z 49 R Torah ."ThVRH" Deut. 1:5-8 ThVRH 48 R Torah ."ThVRH" Deut. 32:3-7 LALYNV 48 R Torah ."ALHYM" Genesis 1:7-9 Th 26 Elokim ."Y-VH" Genesis 1:8-9 ALYM 26 R The Name ."QYN" Genesis 4:13-15 YN 49 Cain ."HBL" Genesis 4:23-25 OD 49 Abel ."MLACh" Genesis 2:1-2 VL 26 R Malach ."ShBTh" Exodus 34:35- MH (2) 49 Shabat ."ShBTh" Exodus 35:3-5 A 49 Shabat ."ABRHM" Genesis 1:22-26 LHYM 49 1 Avraham ."Y-VH" Levit 1:1 VQRA 7 The Name ."Y-VH" Levit. 1:2-3 QRYB 21 The Name ."Y-VH" Levit. 1:3- QRYBNV 13 The Name ."Y-VH" Levit. 1:3 YQRBNV 34 The Name ."MThThYHV" Deut. 34:5-10 ShH 49 Matityahu ."YSRAL" Genesis 1:30-2:3 E 49 R Yisrael ."YSRAL" Genesis 1:31-2:1 HShSh 7 Yisrael ."LAH" Genesis 28:2-6 Ch: 49 2 Leah ."RKhL" Genesis 28:5-6 AM: 49 2 Rachel ."YHVDH" Genesis 49:8-11 YHVD 49 R,2 Yehuda ."MShH" Genesis 50:24:25 VELH 49 R,2 Moshe ."MShH" Exodus 13:18-19 ALHY 49 2 Moshe ."ThVRH" Genesis 28:13-16 ANNH 26 Torah ."MQDSh" Genesis 28:15:16 VHBThYCh:26 R Mikdash(Temple) 734 ."HMVEDYM" Genesis 1:8-16 ShMY 70 R HaMoadim ."Y-VH(Y)" Genesis 1:25-27 VES 26 The Name ."(Y)-VHY" Genesis 1:25-27 HM: 26 R The Name ."ERBH" Genesis 1:11-15 VTz: 49 Arava ."LVLB" Exodus 2:7-11 HEMH 49 Lulav ."HD$" Numbers 4:28-32 ShN 49 Hadas ."AThRG" Deut. 1:32-37 LMR 49 Etrog ."BRChH Deut. 1:1-32 HDRYM 613 Bracha ."RMBM" Exodus 11:9-12:13 BVTh Init 3 Rambam ."MShNH" Exodus 11:9-12:13 ShH 49 3 Mishneh ."ThVRH" Exodus 11:9-12:13 AV 49 3 Torah ."NTzY" Deut. 28:63-64 V$KhThM: 49 Nazi ."HShVAH" Deut. 31:16-18 MSh 49 HaShoah ."HYTLR" Genesis 8:21 ADMH 31 R Hitler ."H$" Genesis 8:1 BThB 31 Hess ."RVML" Genesis 8:20 HTHV 31 Rommel ."BQ" Genesis 8:22 VR 31 R Beck ."DNYTz:" Genesis 8:21 EV 31 Danitz ."MVTh" Genesis 8:3 HYM:(2) 31 R Mavet ."HShVAH" Genesis 8:14 ARTz: 62 2x31 HaShoah 1) "ABRHM" begins with the Aleph of ALHYM and ends about 250 letters later on the Mem of ALHYM. 2) Note the section of Torah this word is embedded in. 3) Rambam appears as the initial letters of "Rabos Mofsai B'eretz Mitzrayim. If one begins in the same pasuk on the Mem of Moshe, the Word "Mishneh" is spelled out. If one starts at the same Mem and counts 613 letters, one then Reaches a Tav, which is the first letter of the hidden word "Torah", thus completing Mishneh Torah, Rambam's famous work about the 613 Mitzvos. 735 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com An Introduction to Traditional Wicca c. 1987, Keepers of the Ancient Mysteries ( .K.A.M. ) Often Traditional Wiccans are asked to describe our religion and beliefs for interested people, who may or may not have confused us with other Pagan religions, with inversions of Christian/Islamic religions like Satanism, or with purely magical traditions with no religious base. There is a lot of flexibility in the ways that we describe ourselves, and one characteristic of Wicca is a large degree of personal liberty to practice as we please. Still, there is an outline that can be described in general terms. Many traditions will depart from one particular or another, but groups departing from all or most of these features are probably non-Wiccan Traditions attempting to stretch or distort the Wiccan name to cover what they want to do. Mysteries and Initiation Wicca is an Initiatory religion descended from the Ancient Mystery Religions. A mystery religion is not like Catholicism where a Priest is the contact point between the worshiper and the Deity, nor like Protestantism where a sacred Book provides the contact and guidelines for being with the divine. Rather a Mystery Religion is a religion of personal experience and responsibility, in which each worshiper is encouraged, taught and expected to develop an ongoing and positive direct relationship with the Gods. The religion is called a "Mystery" because such experiences are very hard to communicate in words, and are usually distorted in the telling. You have to have been there in person to appreciate what is meant. Near and far-Eastern religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Shinto are probably Mystery traditions, but Wicca is very western in cultural flavor and quite different than eastern religions in many ways. A Blend of Pagan Roots Most Wiccan Traditions, .K.A.M. included, have particular roots in the British Mystery Traditions. This includes traditions of the Picts who lived before the rise of Celtic consciousness, the early Celts, and some selected aspects of Celtic Druidism. American Wicca is directly descended from British Wicca, brought in the late 1950's by English and American Initiates of Gardnerian, Alexandrian and Celtic Wicca. These traditions are a little like the denominations in Christianity, but hopefully far more harmonious. While British Traditions are very strong in Wicca, or the Craft as it is sometimes called, other Western Mystery traditions feature prominently, including the ancient Greek Mysteries of Eleusis, Italian Mysteries of Rome, Etruria and the general countryside, Mysteries of Egypt and Persia before Islam, and various Babylonian, Assyrian and other mid-eastern Mysteries that flourished before the political rise of the advocates of "one god". 736 What's In a Name Wicca, Witchecraft, and "The Craft" are used interchangeably at times by many kinds of people. It is fair to say that all Wiccans are Witches, and many of us believe we are the only people entitled to the name. It is important to know that many people call themselves witches who are not in the least Wiccan, and that Masons also refer to themselves as "Craft", with good historical precedent. Carefully question people on the particular things they do and believe as part of their religion rather than relying on labels. Any real Wiccan would welcome such honest inquiry. Traditions and Flavor There are specific Wiccan beliefs and traditions, including worship of an equal and mated Goddess and God who take many forms and have many Names. Groups who worship only a Goddess or only a God are not traditional Wicca however they may protest, although they may be perfectly good Pagans of another sort. The Wiccan Goddess and God are linked to nature, ordinary love and children -- Wicca is very life affirming in flavor. Because we have and love our own Gods, Wiccans have nothing to do with other people's deities or devils, like the Christian God or Satan, the Muslim Allah or the Jewish Jehovah (reputedly not his real name). Christians often deny this fact because they think that their particular god is the only God, and everybody else in the whole world must be worshipping their devil. How arrogant. They're wrong on both counts. Traditional Wicca is a religion of personal responsibility and growth. Initiates take on a particular obligation to personal development throughout their lives, and work hard to achieve what we call our "True Will", which is the best possibility that we can conceive for ourselves. Finding your Will isn't easy, and requires a lot of honesty, courage and hard work. It is also very rewarding. Wicca is generally a cheerful religion, and has many holidays and festivals. In fact, most of the more pleasant holidays now on our calendar are descended from the roots Wicca draws on, including Christmas, May Day, Easter and Summer Vacation. Wicca is definitely not always serious. Dancing, feasting and general merriment are a central part of the celebrations. Wiccan Ethics Wiccans have ethics which are different in nature than most "one-god" religions, which hand out a list of "do's and don'ts". We have a single extremely powerful ethical principal which Initiates are responsible for applying in specific situations according to their best judgment. That principle is called the Wiccan Rede (Old-English for rule) and reads: "An (if) it harm none, do as ye Will" 737 Based on the earlier mention of "True Will", you will understand that the Rede is far more complex than it sounds, and is quite different than saying "Do whatever you want as long as nobody is hurt". Finding out your Will is difficult sometimes, and figuring out what is harmful, rather than just painful or unpleasant is not much easier. Initiation into Wicca People become Wiccans only by Initiation, which is a process of contacting and forming a good relationship with the Gods and Goddesses of Wicca. Initiation is preceded by at least a year and a day of preparation and study, and must be performed by a qualified Wiccan Priestess and Priest. The central event of Initiation is between you and your Gods, but the Priestess is necessary to make the Initiation a Wiccan one, to pass some of her power onto you as a new-made Priestess or Priest and to connect you to the Tradition you're joining. Women hold the central place in Wicca. A Traditional Coven is always headed by a High Priestess, a Third Degree female Witch with at least three years and three days of specific training. A Priest is optional, but the Priestess is essential. Similarly, a Priest may not Initiate without a Priestess, but a Priestess alone is sufficient. Women are primary in Wicca for many reasons, one of which is that the Goddess is central to our religion. One Religion at a Time People often ask "Can I become a Wiccan and still remain a Christian, Muslim, practicing Jew, etc. The answer is no. The "one god" religions reject other paths besides their own, including each other's. "One-god" religions also do not exalt the Female as does Wicca, and mixing two such different traditions would water them both down. Besides, you'd have to ask how serious a person who practiced two religions was about either one. Being Jewish is an exception, since it is a race and culture as well as a religion. There are many Wiccan Jews, but they practice Wicca, not Judaism. Magick and Science People interested in Wicca are usually curious about the magick that Wiccans can do. While magick (spelled with a "k" to distinguish from stage conjuring) is not a religion in itself, it is related to our religious beliefs. Wiccans believe that people have many more abilities than are generally realized, and that it is a good idea to develop them. Our magick is a way of using natural forces to change consciousness and material conditions as an expression of our "True Wills". Part of becoming a Wiccan is training in our methods of psychic and magickal development. 738 Because we believe that everything a person does returns to them magnified, a Wiccan will not work a magick for harm, since they would pay too high a price. But a helpful magick is good for both the giver and receiver! Wicca is entirely compatible with the scientific method, and we believe all the Gods and forces we work with to be quite natural, not supernatural at all. We do not, however, hold with the kind of scientific dogma or pseudoreligion that sees everything as dead matter and neglects its own method .v..by trumpeting "facts" without honest examination of evidence. Priestesses at Large? Long ago the spiritual (and sometimes physical) ancestors of Wiccans were Priestesses and Priests to the Pagan culture as well as devotees of their Mystery. Now that a Pagan culture is rising again, some ask if today's Wiccans could resume that role. This seems unlikely. Today's Pagan culture is very diverse and more interested in exploring and creating new forms than in building on existing traditions. A public role would either dilute our traditions or force them on an unwilling audience. The neo-Pagan community generally prefers "media figures" and rapid membership and growth. This is not compatible with our slow methods of training and Initiation, the insistence that livelihood come from work outside the Craft, or our needs for privacy. Our religion is not accepted in the American workplace or political system, and may never be. The most powerful Priestesses are often unknown to all but their Coveners. While all Wiccans are Pagans, all Pagans are not Wiccan, and it is best that it remain so. 739 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com The Henge of Keltria--a Neo-pagan Druidic organization What is The Henge of Keltria? The Henge of Keltria is a positive path Druidic tradition dedicated to protecting the Earth, honoring our ancestors, revering the spirits of nature and worshipping the Keltic Deities. Our focus is on spiritual development achieved through the study and practice of the Druidic Arts and Keltic Magick. Through training, networking, resources, ritual and communications we strive to provide a religious and spiritual framework through which each individual can reach his of her own full potential. What does the Henge offer? Currently the Henge of Keltria Publishes "Keltria: A Journal of Druidism and Keltic Magick" on a quarterly basis, and an introductory 31 page booklet "The Henge: An Introduction to Keltrian Druidism." Classes in neo-pagan Druidism are offered in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area on an ongoing basis. Campouts and workshops are held on an irregular basis in Northwestern Wisconsin. Future plans include a book of ritual, bardic songbook, correspondence courses, theological journal and membership directory. For more info, send a business sized SASE to: The Henge of Keltria 2350 Spring Road, PMB-140 Smyrna, GA 30080 740 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com ISHTAR: IN HER PRAISE, IN HER IMAGE ----------------------------------- By Pauline Campanelli (Originally published in Circle Network News, under the column PANTHEON; She was called Ishtar by the Babylonians, Inanna by the Sumerians, Astarte by the Greeks, and Ashtoreth by the Hebrews. She is a Goddess of Love and beauty, The Giver of All Life, The Maiden, The Mother, The Crone. As the maiden hymns were sung to her beauty and her love: "Praise the Goddess, most awesome of the Goddesses, Let one revere the mistress of the people, the greatest of the Gods. Praise Ishtar, the most awesome of the Goddesses, Let one revere the Queen of Women, the greatest of the Gods. She is clothed with pleasure and love. She is laden with vitality, charm and voluptuousness. In lips she is sweet; life is in her mouth. At her appearance rejoicing becomes full. She is glorious; veils are thrown over her head. Her figure is beautiful; her eyes are brilliant." --from a First Dynasty Babylon text, circa 1600 BCE 741 TheGoddess has her darkside too. In thisportion of a Sumerian prayer to Inanna from Ur, circa 2300 BCE, she is the bringer of death. In the following lines, "the Powers" refer to the powers and duties assigned to the various cosmic entities at the moment of creation: "My Queen, You who are guardian of all the great Powers, You have lifted the Powers, have tied them to your hands, Have gathered the Powers, pressed them to your breasts. You have filled the land with venom like a serpent. Vegetation ceases when you thunder like Ishkur. You who bring down the flood from the mountains, Supreme One who are the Inanna of Heaven and Earth." In the Epic of Gilgamesh,it is the word of Ishtar thatcauses Enlil to bring the Deluge upon her Children, and in the same legend she brings death not only to her people but her lover too: "When the glorious Ishtar raised an eye at the beauty of Gilgamesh, she said, 'Come, Gilgamesh, be thou my lover! Do but grant me thy fruit. Thou shalt be my husband, and I will be thy wife.'" But the hero refuses her, listing the fates of her other lovers: "For Tamuz, the lover of thy youth, Thou has ordained wailing year after year. Having loved the dappled Shepherd-bird, Thou smotest him, breaking his wing. In the grove he sits crying, 'My wing!' Then thou lovedst a lion, perfect in strength. Seven pits and seven didst thou dig for him. Then a stallion didst Thou love, famed in battle. The whip, the spur, the lash Thou ordainedst for him." And ratherthan marry Ishtar, Gilgameshwent in searchof immortality on his own. Images of this Great Goddess from the land of theTigris and Euphrates appear in many shapes and forms. Some of the earliest may be the clay or limestone figures discovered at the site known as Mureybit in what is today Syria. These figurines from hunter-gatherer villages of 8000 BCE range from the crude and stylized to the highly naturalistic. Like later images of Ishtar, these female divinities are depicted with their hands to their breasts. These ancient images of a goddess are not joined by a male God until a thousand years later and then he remains less important. 742 One common characteristicof the early imagesof Ishtar is thebird-like facial features. These features are also seen on images of the Goddess from the Thracian culture of what is today Bulgaria, the Vinca culture of the Central Balkans, and the Tisza culture of northeastern Hungary, circa 6000-5000 BCE. This bird Goddess of ancient eastern Europe, and the closely related Snake Goddess are frequently associated with the baking of sacred bread. Miniature temples made in the form of the Goddess contain scenes of baking bread being presided over by a priestess. Later, miniature Minoan temples contain images of a Goddess with the same bird-like features. The Greek Aphrodite is often associated with doves which are her symbol also. Like Aphrodite's consort was the Grain God Adonis, Ishtar is the consort of Tamuz, God of Grain and of bread. The "wailing year after year," in the above text refers to the annual death and subsequent resurrection of Tamuz the Grain God, the Mesopotamian equivalent of Adonis and Attis. The pierced crown and earsof figures are also reminiscent ofimages in bone and clay from Bulgaria that date to 5000 BCE (Similar piercing can be seen on bird-faced figures of the Machalilla culture of ancient Ecuador and some of the Chancay "Moon Goddess" figures of central Peru). The pierced crown is repeated in the headdress of figures from Mycenae Greece. When Dr. Heinrich Schleimann discovered figures like these, some had their arms upraised while others had their hands to their hips forming a circular outline. He thought they might represent two phases of the moon. Dr. Schleimann was probably right. The arms of the figure from a tomb form the crescent of the New Moon rising, an ancient symbol of Ishtar in her aspect as the moon Goddess. They also repeat the design of the Assyrian Moon Tree. These upraised arms from ancient Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. LikeCybele and Attis, Demeterand Persephone, Aphroditeand Adonis, and Isis and Osiris; Ishtar sought to retrieve her lover from the "house wherein the entrants are bereft of light, where dust is their fare and clay their food." When she arrived at the gate She demanded to be let in. The Gatekeeper at the command of Allatu, Queen of the Underworld and sister of Ishtar, allowed her to enter. As she passed thru the first gate, however, she was told she must remove her crown as "that is the custom of Allatu". At the second gate she had taken the pendants from her ears; at the third the chains from her neck; at the fourth the ornament from her breast; at the fifth the Girdle of birthstones from her hips; at the sixth her bracelets and anklets; and at the seventh she had the garment removed from her body. Allatu imprisoned Ishtar in teh Underworld and because of her absence from the World of the living, "the bull springs not upon the cow, the ass impregnates not the jenny, the man lies in his own chamber and the maiden lies on her side." Because of this, the God Ea sent a messenger to Allatu and caused Allatu to sprinkle Ishtar with the waters of life. As Ishtar passed thru each of the seven gates on her ascent, Her garments and her jewels were returned to her. As for Tamuz, her beloved, his fate is not known according to the Summerian myth because the last tablet of the text is missing. In a Babylonian version of the myth, however, the Gatekeeper is told "Wash him with pure water, anoint him with sweet oil, clothe him with a red garment, and let him play on a flute of lapis." As the knowledge of her brought death, so death brought resurrection. "On the day that Tamuz comes up 743 to me When with him the lapis flute and the carnelian ring come up to me, When with him the wailing men and the wailing women come up to me, May the dead rise and smell the incense!" She was worshipped as a Goddess of Loveand Beauty, a bringer of death and the mother of all life: "She is sought after among the Gods, extraordinary is her station, Respected is her word, it is supreme over them. Ishtar among the Gods, extraordinary is her station. Respected is her word, it is supreme over them." --from a first Dynasty Babylonian text, circa 1600 BCE Thepriestesses of Her temples were "harlots" detested by the Hebrews, but, in the words of The Great Goddess, "All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals." Ishtar is one of the earliest manifestations of The Great Goddess and the geographic boundaries of her worship may be far greater than is currently believed. 744 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com FIVE FOLD KISS FEMALE The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he does this: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar. Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty. Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names." For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length, with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. FIVE FOLD KISS MALE The High Priestess kneels before the High Priest and gives him the Five Fold Kiss; that is, she kisses him on both feet, both knees, phallus, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. she says, as she does this: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar. Blessed be thy phallus, without which we would not be. Blessed be thy breasts, formed in strength. Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names." For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length, with their feet touching each others. When she reaches the phallus, he spreads his arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983 Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider 745 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | RITUAL BATH | +-------------------------------------------------------------+ The purpose of a ritual bath is to cleanse Yourself, from the inside and out, of negative energies and prepare your Physical, Mental and Spiritual Self for Circle. A ritual bath is a rite in and of itself. The rite is ideally done just prior to Circle, but this is not always the case. [An example of such is if you have to travel to the meeting place.] After the rite is completed and you must travel to another place for Circle, try to keep your mind in a Spiritual frame as this will aid you in Circle. The bath water should be infused with salts, herbs oils and colors that are harmonious with the work to be done in Circle. To prepare for the bath: Select the Herbs, [it is best to have your herbs in a satchel for easier clean-up] oils and salts [of the same color as the candle] that you will be using. Have a censer and charcoal block ready to burn a corresponding incense on. Anoint a candle of appropriate color [Possibly using the same oil as you are using in the bath water.] If you have a shrine set up in your bathroom there should be a Goddess and God candle present. Have some Holy Water ready. [Holy Water is made from: 1/3 sea-water {river-water with sea-salt added will do if sea-water is unavailable}; 1/3 river-water; 1/3 spring-water {store bought is OK}.] Have a tape recorder with meditation music in the bathroom with you, as its aid to visualization and meditation is invaluable. [Be cautious to have the tape recorder far away from any water and DO NOT TOUCH IT WHILE YOU ARE STILL WET.] A glass of wine is also needed for consumption upon completion of the rite. And your libation dish for the libation to the Gods. To begin turn out the lights and light the candle(s) and incense, turn on tape, fill the tub with warm water and add herbs, oils, salts and a cup or so of Holy Water. With your Athame draw and visualize a Water or Banishing Pentagram over the bath water. All of these tools represent the four Elements; Air/the incense and the scents from the bath, Fire/the heat of the bath, Water/the bath and Holy Water and, Earth/the herbs and oils. 746 Lower yourself into the water and visualize it cleansing you of all negativity. Know that these energies are flowing from your Physical, Mental and Spiritual Self into the water. Relax and enjoy the warmth of the water, the scents in the air and the feeling of being cleansed of all negativity, let yourself drift. Now concentrate and visualize on the purpose of the coming ritual and know that you are truly prepared. When you feel you are ready, pull the plug and stay in the tub until all the water has drained. As the water is draining visualize and know that the negative energies that are now in the water are going into the Earth and are grounded. Rise up out of the tub and do a Self Blessing like the following: Anoint each area while saying aloud: Blessed be my Mind, that learns of Your ways [anointing your forehead] Blessed be my eyes, that have seen this day. Blessed be my lips, That utter Your names and keep Your secrets. Blessed be my breast(s), formed in strength (Beauty). Blessed be the phallus (Womb), For without which I would not be. Blessed be my knees, that shall kneel at thy Sacred Altar. Blessed be my feet, that have brought me in these ways. Pour a libation to the Gods and drink the wine. When dried, robe, clean-up the bathroom and take the libation outside to return it to the Earth. The rite is ended. So Mote it Be! 747 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | The Triskelion Rite of Tea | +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Purpose: The purpose of this working is to pay homage to the Gods and to reflect on Their blessings upon this your life. Tools: * Herb(s) for tea * Container for herb(s) * Cup(s) and Tea Pot * Decanter of Pure Spring Water * Brewing dish with candle * Scrying Candle Prepare By: Placing a small table or platform in the center of your working space and arranging the Brewing dish, herbs, cup(s), Tea Pot and spoon on the table. Also place the cauldron with scrying candle within for use during the meditation. (Use the diagram, which follows, as a guide for arranging of the tools.) Prior to casting the Circle, light candle and fill the Brewing dish with Spring Water from a decanter. Keep the Brewing Dish covered during the Casting, as I have found this helps the water to heat faster and hotter. +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | The Blessing of the Herbs | +-------------------------------------------------------------+ With the tip of your Athame touching the Herbs, intone this blessing: Thou has grown by favor of the Sun, The Moon, and of the dew. I make this intercession, ye herb: I beseech thee to be of benefit to me and my rite, For thy virtues are unfailing. Thou art the Dew of all the Gods, The Eye of the Sun, The Light of the Moon, The Beauty and Glory of the Sky, The Mystery of Terra. I purify thee so that Whatever is wrought by me with thee may, In all its powers, Have a good and speedy effect with good success. Be purified by my prayer and be powerful! So mote it be! When water is hot enough, place the herbs in the Tea Pot and add water from the brewing dish, give it a couple of stirs. 748 While the tea is steeping, intone this Prayer. Earth Mother Giver of life Strengthen me during my life-long strife. Teach me Your ways of perfect love, Peace, and wisdom true. Spawn from my purest heart These words to You May this prayer help me to better Myself in word and deed, To a higher plane I shall succeed. Beautiful Light of Goodness Fair Lore of old we both do share A Witch's brew, I drink to You My love for You, by day, by night In thought and in sight Will my soul learn The meaning of this life again. Pour out a cup for all present, including one for the Gods, and enjoy. Sit before the table and meditate on the blessings that the Gods have bestowed upon your life. You may use the scrying candle here to focus upon for your meditation. If the Gods so choose They may give you a Message or Vision through the blessings of the Sight. You may relax now and finish off the pot. (Note: this rite is not to take the place of The Feast, but is to be used as a time of blessing and communing with the Goddess) 749 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | The Scorpio Dragon | +-------------------------------------------------------------+ I am Scorpio and I can fly as high as the noble eagle or play it down and dirty, stinging as if a scorpion, both of which symbolize my zodiacal sign. I have been told so many times that I am passionate, intense, can be green with envy, can be vindictive that I almost begin to believe some of these appellations. If I took seriously what is said and written, I would be making love all night and planning insurgencies all day. I am drawn to the Occult, I am competitive, I desire victory but I also insist on fair play. It is not easy to defeat me because, like the fabled Phoenix, I rise from my own ashes...I come alive when most people would consider me dead and buried. I adore secrets, I am sensual, my psychic impressions usually are accurate, my dreams are prophetic and I am an incurable romantic. I delve deep, I reject superficial responses, I am the probing editor, psychoanalyst, finder of lost persons, purveyor of arcane aspects of the law, knowledgeable about taxes and various aspects of inheritance. I can be jealous, will fight for what is right, seldom do anything halfway, can fall madly in love and I can also be completely vulnerable. Yes, I can be hurt, but I also possess retaliatory weapons that might give as adversary fits. I tear down for the ultimate purpose of rebuilding on a more suitable base. I am creative, rebellious, can be fixed in my views, am willing to take a gamble but prefer a sure thing. I am tormented by the fact that evil exists. Maybe that is why I seem to be a natural healer. I abhor suffering and will risk my own skin to save others. Oh, yess, I can be evangelistic. I am dynamic and dedicated when the cause is right. In the Chinese Astrology, I am an unquenchable fire, the center of all energy, the stout heroic heart. I am truth and light, I hold power and glory in my sway. My presence disperses dark clouds. I have been chosen to tame the Fates. I AM THE DRAGON! Now, listen. If I tell you anymore, you might know everything and then lose interest. And that would devastate me! Blessed Be!.........Sewna, The Scorpio Dragon 750 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | The Legend of the descent of the Goddess | +-------------------------------------------------------------+ Now our Lady the Goddess had never loved, but She would solve all the Mysteries, even the Mystery of Death; and so She journeyed to the Underworld. The Guardians of the Portals challenged her: "Strip off thy garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught mayest thou bring with the into this our land." So She laid down her garments and her jewels, and was bound, as are all who enter the Realms of Death, the Mighty One. Such was her beauty, that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me; but let me place my cold hand on thy heart." She replied: "I love thee not. Why dost thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade and die?" "Lady," replied Death, "tis age and fate, against which I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when men die at the end of time, I give them rest and peace, and strength so that they may return. But thou! Thou art lovely. Return not; abide with me!" But She answered: "I love thee not." Then said Death: "An thou receivest not my hand on thy heart, thou must receive Death's scourge." "It is fate - better so," She said. And She knelt, and Death scourged her tenderly. And She cried, "I feel the pangs of love." And Death said, "Blessed Be!" and gave her the Fivefold Kiss, saying: "Thus only mayest thou attain to joy and knowledge." And he taught her all the Magicks. For there are three great events in the life of man: Love, Death, and Resurrection in the new body; and Magick controls them all. For to fulfil love you must return again at the same time and place as the loved one, and you must remember and love them again. But to be reborn you must die and be ready for a new body; and to die you must be born; and without love you may not be born; and this is all the Magicks. 751 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com MY CRAFT ETHICS Copyright by James T. Crowley III 1986 This article may be reproduced for personal use as long as it is complete and un edited There aredoubtlesslyreaders ofthisarticle thatbelieveI have no ethics. Those readers are entitled to there opinion however shallow I may feel that opinion is. Iam theHigh Priestof CovenantOfThe Doves,the commentsI make hereare necessarilymy personalethicsand viewpointand notthat of my High Priestess or members of the Coven. Even as a leader of a coven, I have no right or power to speak for another person. They do however necessarily govern my actions as a High Priest. The only way I know to state my ethical viewpoint is by a annotated recitationof theLawsof theCraft ofthe Wiseasthey pertain to ethics and have been revealed to me by my teachers, thewritings ofothers andthatwhich theLord andLady havemade clear to me through their visions and actions. I bear the mundane name Crowley that has a certain significance in the craft community beyond my personal contributions. Yes, I amprovedof thelegacy ofthat nameas membersof myfamily have played important parts in history. Aleister Crowley was by no means the most important of them nor the least. Aleister Crowley, the Current Lord Crowley and myself all bear common ancestorstoSir AmbroseCrowley,Lord MayorofLondon (at the time of Cromwell) and author of the 'Law Book of the Crowley Iron Works' which is considered to be the bases of British statutory law. This, I hope will clear up confusion about my relationship to Aleister Crowley. The name Hearth Witch is far more dear to me than Crowley, as it represents a true understanding of what the WICCA is. When an astronaut looks out of the window of his space capsule and sees the body of our Lady looking back at him. The astronaut knows, in that moment that technology, and the centuries of mans' labor that put him there, are pale when compared to the wonders of our Lady. 752 MY CRAFT ETHICS BY JAMES CROWLEY III 12/19/86 I feel that it is necessary to explain some of the structure of the Covenant of the Doves. We say that we have one degree but that is not strictly true. There are 4 things that happen to a person on the pathway. We cannot call them degrees as they do not happen in the same order to each person. 1. Dedication to the coven. 2. Initiation by the God and Goddess 3. Worldly recognition of their Initiation by the Gods and their ability to act as a Priest or Priestess 4. Birth or Adoption into the family which is as permanent and unrevokable as the Initiation of the Lord and Lady. THE WITCH 'LAW' Do not what you desire - do what is necessary. Take all you are given - give all of yourself. "What I have - - - I hold." When all else is lost, and not until then, prepare to die with dignity. There are two kinds of law, Law of Tribe and the Law of Goddess (ie: natural law). The Law of Tribe requires the services of a Priesthood. The Law of the Goddess require no Priesthood as they are self-enforcing. If you see an apparent violation of the law of the Goddess, there are only two possible explanations. The law is not of the Goddess but of man, or you do not understand that law of the Goddess. If you see a ball fall up, either someone is deceiving you, or you are in a spacecraft or similar artificial environment that is manifesting some of the "fine print" in the law of the Goddess. This partial telling of the laws contain both the law of the tribe and that of the Goddess. It is left to the wisdom of the student to learn which is which. THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COVEN The High Priestess must be an ordained Nymph or a Crone. The High Priest must be an ordained Magician. The High Priestess is the final word on the quality of Worship as the High Priest is the final word on the quality of Magick within the WICCA Circles. The High Priest's relationship is: Father, Brother, and Lover. The Priestess's relationship is: Mother, Sister, and Lover. 753 THE PRIEST AND PRIESTESS ARE THE LEADERS OF THE COVEN IN THE MUNDANE WORLD, NOT IT'S DICTATORS. MEMBERS MUST BE GIVEN A VOICE IN THE ACTIONS OF THE COVEN. The Covenant of the Doves is necessarily a theocracy not a democracy. Meetings are opened to all who are dedicated and sometimes to concerned outsiders. Whatever the business, it is open to discussion by all. There are no votes taken because when it is all said and done, there are only two people in the coven that bear the responsibility for the actions of this coven, the High Priestess and the High Priest. So, the final decision is theirs ALONE. When the Circle is cast by The Priest and Priestess, they are necessarily the ABSOLUTE RULERS OF THE COVEN. No witch shall enter the Circle with out PERFECT LOVE AND PERFECT TRUST in all members of the Circle. The only question of the order of the Priest or Priestess is: if told to jump, it is permissible to ask how high -- on the way up. IFONEDISAGREES WITHTHE DECISIONOF THELEADERSOF ANYCOVEN OR CIRCLE. IT IS THERERIGHT AND DUTYTO LEAVE THECOVEN. THEREIS NO OTHER LAWFUL RECOURSE. LEADERS MUST BE EVER MINDFUL THAT MEMBERS WILL SOON LEAVE AN UNJUST LEADER. THE LAW OF THE COVEN THE CIRCLE IS A PLACE THAT IS NOT A PLACE, BETWEEN THE WORLDS. A COVEN IS A FULLY AUTONOMOUS UNIT ANSWERABLE TO NO POWER BEYOND ITS OWN, SAVE THE LORD AND LADY. IN ANY DISPUTE WITHIN THE FAMILY (COVEN) OR TRIBE, NO ONE MAY INVOKE ANY LAW BUT THOSE OF THE FAMILY AND TRIBE. It being known that the Circle is a "place that is not a place, between the worlds", and that what is between the Worlds does not concern the World. Discussion of actions taking place within a consecrated circle is appropriate for discussion only within that Circle, or by Elders of the Craft in a Council of Elders Convened by the High Priest and High Priestess of the coven involved as only Elders can or should have any direct knowledge of actions that take place within the Circle of another Coven. With the fragmentation of the WICCA since the burning times, the identification of Elders of the Craft is at best ambiguous. The only working definition that I can feel comfortable with is: Those members of the WICCA community that the High Priest and High Priestess of the Coven recognize as their peers regardless of what rank they hold in other circles. 754 THE WORD OF A WITCH NEED NO BOND OR CONTRACT. IT IS NECESSARILY TRUE AND FREE OF EQUIVOCATION. We make it clear to all around us that we do not tolerate lying. If it is on the part of a friend or an acquaintance, we will cease contact with them, if necessary. If it is a member of the craft, we do not willingly stand in the same circle with them. If they are a student, this is one of the few areas that we will invoke banishment as a punishment (or, if there are extenuating circumstancesand thepersonis ofextremevalue tothe covenand the Craft, we will consider corporal punishment or an equivalent alternative proposed by the student to balance the wrong done to the Coven, in lieu of banishment). If they are an Initiate, it is necessarily more harmful to the family, and therefore, more serious. PERFECT LOVEANDPERFECT TRUST(my fingerswantedto typelove is the law) Perfect love and perfect trust are not words spoken in blind faith. They do not mean a blanket trust. Perfect love and perfect trust are what was in the hearts of the few, and most dear, that when they heard rumors, first came to us and said "what are these rumors about...". These people knew that as fallible as we are, these rumors were not a reflection of our will. These people sought to know what happened, not to satisfy any of their own devices or to judge us, but to share our pain and the load. These people are of different traditions and levels of worldly Craft learning, but these people will always hold a place in my heart second only to my brothers and sisters that are literally of the My Family. THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF SECRETS IN THE WICCA CIRCLE AND ALL ARE INVIOLATE EXCEPT IN AN ELDER CIRCLE, AND THEN ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY ARE RELATIVE TO CRAFT BUSINESS AND HELD IN THAT ELDER CIRCLE. 1. Secrets that are within the Circles that are private to the members of that coven. (ie: when Charlie has a few drinks he..... 2. The secret held by the High Priestess and High Priest of the inside and outside Circle affairs of the coven members, due to their office. 3. The social and magick practices of the Craft that cannot be talked of outside of the Wicca without being taken out of context and sensationalized. 755 THERE ARE AS MANY WAYS TO LOVE THE GODDESS AS SHE HAS NAMES. All ways of loving the Goddess are correct. None are Wrong as long as they are based in love. Say not "they are wrong" say "they are a different path from mine". Until you know in your heart that you have found your path, do not deny any wicca path that you have not walked. When you find your path, still walk other paths with your brothers and sisters in joy and love. "THE WICCA SHALL BE NAKED IN THERE RITE" All mankind is naked before God and Goddess. NO STRANGER NOT BORN IN THE FAMILY SHALL LEAD THE FAMILY OR A TOTEM OF THE FAMILY. NO ONE WHO RALLIES AGAINST HIS FAMILY OR TRIBE SHALL BE KEPT IN BANISHMENT PAST 14 YEARS AFTER THE EVENT, IF THAT UNDO THE HARM CAUSED. NO ONE WHO EXTENDED THEMSELVES IN THE SUPPORT OF THEIR FAMILY OR TRIBE SHALL BE BANISHED FOR OLD AGE OR THE ACTIONS OF INFIRMITY. IT IS NECESSARY THAT SCRYING, VISIONS, ASPECTING AND ALL OTHER APPARENT VISIONS OF OUR LORD AND LADY BE QUESTIONED. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO OUR REBIRTH THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT OUR OWN WISHFUL THINKING OR PRIDE, IF THERE BE THE LEAST DOUBT, THE VISION MUST BE DENIED. If a true vision is denied by the initiated, the Lady will underline the truth in the vision in an unquestionable form. If this underlining comes as a punishment, it is still a small price to pay when compared to the consequences of a false vision. IFEVER ANYOF THETRIBE NEEDA HOUSEOR LANDAND NONEWILL SELL, THEN CRAFTMAY BEUSED TO INCLINETHE OWNERS TOSELL, PROVIDEDIT HARMETH HIM NOT, AND THE FULL PRICE IS PAID WITHOUT HAGGLING. NEVER BARGAIN OR CHEAPEN ANYTHING YOU BUY BY THE ART. NOMAN,WOMAN, HIGHPRIESTESS,OR HIGHPRIEST CANSAYWHAT "HARMS NONE". The answer to this is for the Gods, not man. A just action may well harm someone in some way in the mundane world (every action has an equal and opposite reaction). It is always best to give the action and the power to the Goddess, and abide by her will. If it cannot be given to her after due consideration, then one must actin themostjust formthat ispossible, freelytakingon to our selves all adverse reaction of an error in judgment. 756 NO ONE MAY DO ANYTHING WHICH WILL ENDANGER ANY OF THE TRIBE OR BRING THEM INTO CONTACT WITH THE LAW OF THE LAND. THE ART MAY ONLY BE USED IN ERNEST AND NEVER FOR SHOW OR VAIN GLORY. NO PERSON MAY BE WARNED OF HIS FATE MORE THAN THREE TIMES. MAIDEN: (Youngsters still new to the Craft, or older ones who do ritual work and do not mind publicity.) Young people oriented to cope with, and the ability to handle publicity. Some knowledge of occult and the Craft both in its practical and religious aspects is necessary. Childless women, virgins; Warm friendly people with good powers of projection. NYMPHS - (Do the bulk of ritual work, young adults.) Creative people, artists, dancers, singers, etc. Very mature, rational and responsible. Intuitive and uninhibited. Knowledge of Craft and occultism, etc. necessary. Dislikes publicity. CRONES: (executive branch - teachers of neophytes, makes judg- ments, etc.) Must be sober and serious, but with a sense of humor, very mature in most all ways, intuitive of the true nature and inner working of things. Older folks, intellectual, Masters of there Craft, and dislike publicity. No woman shall be a Maiden who has not been in her courses. No woman shall be ordained unless she has passed her 17th year, nor shall she have her ordination recognized until that time. No woman shall have her ordination recognized unless she is in her courses, has ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, two ears, a nose. Her generative organs and breasts must be complete. The honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following ordination shall not invalidate the ordination. No woman shall be a Nymph who has not coupled. No woman shall be a Crone who has not given birth. No man shall be a Magician who has not healed. No man shall be ordained unless he has passed his 33rd year, nor shall he have his ordination recognized until that time. No man shall have his ordination recognized unless he is the father of a living child, has ten fingers and ten toes, two eyes, two ears and a nose and generative organs complete. The honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following ordination shall not invalidate the ordination. In their youth, let those who cannot swing the axe till the field. Those who cannot till the field carry water. Those who cannot carry water, nor till the field, nor chase, nor battle, nor be of service to their family or tribe, let them leave it. 757 None shall be kept as a child forever. Better that they be banished if they cannot grow in mind. INITIATION NO PERSON MAY BE CALLED TO INITIATION MORE THAN THREE TIMES. NO PERSON MAY BE INITIATED WHO HAS LESS THAN 20 YEARS OF LIFE LEFT TO THEM AT THE TIME OF INITIATION. No High Priestess or High Priest of the WICCA can cause an initiationto takeplace. Initiation isinthe handsof theLord and Lady. The teachercan only providethe environmentthat will aide in the initiation if the God and Goddess so will it. If one questions the validity of their own initiation, there can be but one answer, the initiation did not take place. An initiation by the Gods will be remembered. Letyour judgmenton matterswhich youmake befit tothesize of the case, not to your feelings. Let your heart not rule your mind, nor mind your heart, but bear a balance as has been taught you. Not all are chosen for the tribe, nor are all in the tribe of one family, nor are all in the family to be initiated, nor are all the initiated to be ordained. Your yoke is to be as strong as you can bear, but no stronger. James Crowley P. O. Box 16025 North Hollywood, CA 91615-6025 758 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Computer Blessing Blessings on this fine machine, May its data all be clean. Let the files stay where they're put, Away from disk drives keep all soot. From its screen shall come no whines, Let in no spikes on power lines. As oaks were sacred to the Druids, Let not the keyboard suffer fluids. Disk Full shall be nor more than rarity, The memory shall not miss its parity. From the modem shall come wonders, Without line noise making blunders. May it never catch a virus, And all its software stay desirous. Oh let the printer never jam, And turn my output into spam. I ask of Eris, noble queen, Keep Murphy far from this machine. 1988 Zhahai Stewart 759 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com Charge of The Phone Goddess Listen to the words of the Phone Goddess, who in days of old was called Mama Cass, Ma Barker, Moms Mabley, the last of the Red Hot Mamas, and by many other names not mentionable in mixed company. Whenever you have need to make a call, preferably long distance, and better it be when the rates are high, then shall ye assemble your funds in some convenient place to pay me, who am Queen of all Highway Robbery. These ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to bankruptcy yet have not sent me all your earnings. To these shall I send bills as are yet unheard of. Ye shall be free from bank accounts, as a sign that ye be truly free ye shall be naked from my rates. And ye shall sing, talk, shout, trade gossip and love, all at your own expense. Let your fingers do the walking through my yellow pages. Let none stop you or turn you aside, just call information. For mine is the dial tone that opens upon the busy signal of life, which is the princess phone of immorality. Mine is the poverty of the masses, and call now, pay later. For my law is profit before people. Today I give knowledge of facts you do not wish to have, and tomorrow calls that will sell you things you do not wish to own. For behold, I demand everything in sacrifice. I am the next best thing to being there, and my bills are sent out upon the earth. (- Magenta G. and Steve P-C, 1982) 760 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal. Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co., 80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original author.! THE MEN'S CIRCLE (c)1986, by Robin The Rocky Mountain Men's Group has put in a good deal of time the past two or three months working on a Manhood Ritual for initiating young males into adulthood. We still don't have a complete ritual that we are all satisfied with, but a good start has been made. Some of the approaches taken in creating this kind of ritual have drawn upon traditional tribal rites of passage. Some of these tribal manhood rituals include taking the young candidate abruptly away from his family to an isolated spot, where he must remain for a long period of time, usually blindfolded and bound in the dark. Part of the ritual may involve physical pain such as tattooing, circumcision or ceremonial infliction of cuts that leave characteristic scars. Even leaving out the physical cutting, these rites deliberately put the young candidate through frightening, isolating and painful experiences. No one has seriously proposed any ritual that leaves permanent scars on the candidate's body, but even so some feel that putting an innocent youngster through a traumatic experience is insensitive. It seems to me that this attitude misses the point. It is not a lack of compassion that is being expressed. There is no single word for it in English, it is a willingness to inflict (or at least allow) pain in order to teach a necessary lesson that cannot be conveyed in any other way. As sensitivity is usually considered a light feminine quality, so this complement is a dark masculine quality. Is this dark masculine quality desirable - or even ethical? I think it is. There are elements of it in the Wiccan Initiation Rituals and the symbolism of the Scourge. It partially explains some of the Legend of the Descent of the Goddess into the Underworld - where the Goddess only learns to love the God after being scourged by Him. "Remember this - that you must suffer in order to learn". Although many people are put off by the dark quality of this particular attribute of the Masculine, it is important to remember that although not pretty, it is necessary. Perhaps the following story will illustrate this point. 761 A boy around eight or nine years old once found a very large caterpillar. It was dark green, as long and thick as a man's finger, and decorated with curious stalky and warty protuberances in blue, red, and bright yellow. Since it was nearly the end of summer, he took it home and put it in a large open jar, and kept it supplied with leaves of the type he had seen it eating. After a couple of months it began to spin a cocoon about itself. He watched this with fascination, and when the cocoon was complete, he put the jar on a shelf of his screened back porch, where it remained through the winter. When the days began to lengthen and the weather grew warmer he checked the jar every morning and afternoon, waiting for a little miracle of rebirth. One Saturday morning his patience was rewarded. There was movement within the cocoon and a small hole had appeared. The boy watched in fascination as the hole became larger and the reborn creature inside struggled to emerge. The struggle went on for what seemed to the boy a long time and he began to feel sorry for the trapped insect. Out of compassion, he ran off and returned with a pair of his mother's smallest, finest, scissors. Carefully he enlarged the hole, and then stood back to watch a beautifully patterned moth emerge into the light of day. The moth spread its folded wings, moving them gently to dry in the air. Their tan- and-gray markings seemed to the boy to be one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. When the moth's wings seemed dry, he carefully held the jar to the outside of the porch screen so that it could crawl out. He planned to watch it until it flew away to find a mate. The moth crawled onto the screen and perched there. It flapped its wings from time to time but did not fly. When evening came, several male moths came and fluttered about the female clinging to the screen, but although she seemed to be trying to fly off and join them, she never moved from where she was. She stayed where she was for three or four days, and finally died and fell to the ground. The boy later learned that the struggle to emerge from the cocoon is so prolonged for moths and butterflies because the long effort serves to pump necessary fluids into their wings and strengthen them for flight. By shortening this process, to spare the moth pain, he had prevented her wings from fully developing and so she could never fly and mate and lay the eggs of the next generation. ......Robin ......from RMPJ Oct. '86 762 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com COVEN OFFICES Leadership in a mixed coven: 1. High Priestess - Coordinates ritual leadership, counseling, teaching, and administration duties, in company with the High Priest. Chief representative of the Goddess energies at rituals. Badge of office: crescent Moon crown or coronet of candles. 2. High Priest - See above. Chief representative of the God energies at rituals. Badge of office: horned headdress or animal mask. 3. Maiden - Understudy to the High Priestess, and substitutes for her when necessary. Badge of office may be a simple silver circlet or tiara. 4. Summoner - Understudy to the High Priest, who substitutes for him when necessary. Main administrative deputy, passing out information, collecting dues, letting people know when to meet and what to bring, etc. Also called the "Man in Black," "Black Rod," or "Verdelet." Badge of office may be a blackthorn staff. Leadership in an all-woman's coven: One pattern: No hierarchy or titles at all: ritual leadership rotates, other jobs are carried out by anyone capable and willing. Another pattern: 1. Maiden - Understudy to the Mother, and chief administrative deputy (see Summoner's duties above) 2. Mother - Coordinates ritual leadership and administration, guides coven projects and activities. She does not necessarily do these jobs herself always, but has the responsibility to see that they are apportioned fairly and done effectively. 3. Crone - Chief counselor to the Mother, and does a large share of teaching and individual counseling. May perform divination on questions of concern to the coven. Possibly a former "Mother" or High Priestess, experienced and skilled in magick, herbalism, etc. For both mixed and single-sex coven: Council of Elders - A gathering of all the higher-rank initiates in the coven. They may function as advisors to the coven leaders, or may actually set policy, establish the budget etc. In the latter case, coven leaders are essentially executives responsible to the Elders. 763 Other possible officers in mixed or single-sex covens: 1. Scribe (secretary) - Keeps minutes of business meetings, handles correspondence under the direction of coven leaders. 2. Pursewarden (treasurer) - collects dues, keeps accounts, makes purchases, coordinates fund-raising projects. 3. Archivist (historian) - Keeps the coven Book of Shadows or "Witch Book" up to date, keeps files of coven projects and activities, rituals. These functions may be combined with the Scribe's job. 4. Bard (music director) - Collects songs and chants, leads the coven in them, provides musical accompaniment; collects ballads and legends, preserves the old lore and coven history in original songs. 5. Watchman (sergeant-at-arms) - Assists in initiation rituals; in charge of safety & security at meetings and rituals. Indoors, checks locks and closes curtains; outdoors, finds safe places for rituals and posts sentries to warn off strangers approaching. Sets wards and arranges other magickal protection. Knows laws regarding freedom of religion and assembly, trespass ordinances etc. 6. Mistress-of, Master-of- (resource persons and teachers) - Any individual who has achieved great competency in a magickal skill may earn this title. They serve as a resource for the coven, and teach others. An initiate may choose to apprentice with any Mistress or Master. Fields: * Divinatory Arts (or sub-category, such as Tarot, Astrology, I Ching, Lithomony, Dreamcraft, Scrying, Radiesthesia etc.) * Herbalism (for healing, amulets/talismans, oils, incense) * Healing Arts (including herbal healing, psychic healing, aromatherapy, Bach remedies, polarity balancing, healing with stones, color therapy, chakras etc.) * Familiar Arts (magickal work with animals, totems, elementals, shapeshifting) * Talismanic Arts (designing & creating talismans & amulets) * Ritual Toolcraft (designing & creating ritual tools) * Runecraft (use of magickal alphabets) * Necromancy (communication with, or evocation of, the dead) * Psychic Skills (astral travel, telepathy, telempathy, clairvoyance, clairaudience, telekinesis, teleportation) * Incantation (Words of Power, charms, chants, mantras) * Fascination (trancework, hypnosis) 764 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com This material was apparently excerpted from a book titledWhat is Odinism?.We encourage you tovisit for more information. --sacred-texts Editor ODINISM, WHAT IS IT? 1. What do you mean by Odinism? Odinism isthe indigenous religiousfaith of theScandinavian, British and other peoples of Northern Europe; it is an amalgam of attitudes, ideas and behavior, both a personal faith and a communal way of life. In its beginnings Odinism is probably as old as our race. Historically it may be divided into three periods: A. Before the coming of Christianity B. Its gradual merging with Christianity and the ensuing Period of Dual Faith, and C. Its efforts in the present century to free itself of Christian influences and to reassert its ancient independence. 2. How have the tenets of Odinism been preserved? Is there an Odinist holy book? The ancient oral traditions of Odinism were during the Middle Ages embodied in writings, the Odinist books of wisdom, the principle of which are the Eddas. The poetic Elder Edda presents the Odinist cosmogony, the mythological lays and the heroic lays, including the story of Sigurd and Brynhild which were in later times moulded into the Lay of the Nibelungs. The Younger Edda is a prose synopsis of the Odinist faith. 3. When did Britain and the rest of Europe cease to be Odinist? The first of our Northern countries to succumb to the false promises of the new religion were the Goths, in the fourth century of the Christian era; the Icelanders became Christians by official decree in the year 1000 CE, to be followed by the Scandinavian countries over the next two hundred years. England was "converted" between 597 and 686 CE and Scotland somewhat earlier (although some of the people of Ross-shire were still worshipping the old Gods as late as the seventeenth century). Ireland, when Patrick the Proselytizer landed there in the year 432, was described as "a heathen land"; Dublin and the other principal Irish towns were actually founded by Odinist Vikings, who dedicated the country to the god Thor. 4. Well, the people were converted to Christianity. Would you have denied them their freedom of choice? They had no choice. Most of those who were "converted" had little knowledge of Christian doctrine; the new religion was imposed on them by sword and sermon. The Revd S. C. Olland's Dictionary of English Church History is explicit: "The adoption of Christianity generally depended upon State action: the king and his nobles were baptized and the people largely followed their example. . . . .The wholesale conversions. . . . . could not have implied individual conviction." On one day alone in the year 598 more than ten thousand English "converts" were baptized in a mass ceremony; it is unlikely that they had received a great deal of instruction in the Christian faith. Even in the twentieth century the vast majority of Christians are still quite ignorant of Christian doctrine. It was always so. 765 5. Why do you say that Odinism was practiced in the Church during what you have called "the Period of Dual Faith"? We can see the evidence everywhere, even today. When the foreign missionaries subverted Britain what they could they repressed and what they could not they ignored or adopted. The ancient spring renewal festival of Summer Finding was transformed into the Christian feast of the resurrection; the Mid-winter festival of Yule became Christmas. Not only the folk festivals connected with the great changes of season - May Day and Midsummer and Harvest - but numerous customs associated with life's milestones, birth and marriage and death, all showed that the old Gods lived on in the life and in the language of the people. Many of the external signs of the ancient faith were retained: water was consecrated and wood was blessed. A Christian writer, Professor P. D. Chantepie de la Saussaye DD, has said, "We recognize in this folklore a form of historical continuity, the bond of union between the life of the people in pagan and In Christian times." Even today when we say, "Touch wood!" we are recalling the sacred nature of an important symbol of our ancient religion; and how many people are aware that they are paying unconscious tribute to the Gods of Odinism when they light their Christmas or Paschal candles or their bonfire on the fifth of November? Or that the very "Christmas tree" is itself the World Ash of Odinism? Even the sign of the cross is really the sign of Thor's hammer! 6. How long did the Period of Dual Faith last? The period during which Odinism was actually practiced within the Church extended in Britain from about the seventh century CE right down to the 1930's, when the purity of ancient worship was revived by a number of groups working outside the Church for the first time for more than a thousand years. 7. But the adoption of Christianity, a creed that preaches peace on earth and the equality of all men was, surely you must agree, a step forward in the civilizing of our people? Odinists were happy enough to put up with the new doctrines so long as they were allowed to go on practicing their own faith in peace. But the inherent contradiction at the heart of Christianity is that it denies in action the faith that it professes verbally. There is no history of religious warfare in Europe before the coming of Christianity. It is ironic indeed that the message of peace on earth has been propagated with so much bloodshed. As for the equality of all men, we just do not believe in it; and even the Christian god has his "chosen people". 8. Why is it now necessary to reassert what you describe as Odinism's ancient independence? Why can you not , in the present unsettled state of society, leave well alone. Surely we should be getting together, not creating more divisions amongst ourselves? First of all it is necessary to state that because of its organic origins and development Odinism is a religion of visual truth. Nevertheless,for just so long as Christian and Odinist ethics coincided - even superficially - it was possible for Odinists to worship the Gods under their Christian designations; but only for so long as they remained adequate interpretations of the true divinities of Odinism (the nature of a god being of greater importance than his name). 766 The Churches are today opposed to many of the things that Odinists hold sacred: they sin against nation and people by espousing causes whose ultimate aim is our destruction; they condone legislation that has given statutory approval to unnatural sexual deviance and perversion; they encourage criminal activities by calling for the exemption from punishment, or even prosecution, of whole categories of lawbreakers; they provide financial aid for revolutionary propaganda and even terrorist activities against our own people; they remain totally indifferent to the rape of our countryside in the short-term interests of economic gain and technology; and they have successfully divided the people of our own islands against themselves (eg, in Ireland). Life in Northern Europe is today, after fifteen hundred years of Christianity, almost entirely concerned with material wealth and self-indulgence and the Christian clergy have largely forsaken their spiritual vocations in order to preach the causes of subversion and revolution. The people yearn for spiritual bread but have been offered by the Churches only a political stone. It is no longer possible for anyone who is aware of his debt to our past or who has concern for the future of our nation and race to remain within the Christian Church. This must not, however be taken to imply that Odinists bear hatred towards Christians; we recognize that there are many good and sincere people within the Christian community from whose example Odinists themselves could not fail to profit. But the Church is itself largely responsible for the "present unsettled state of society". Odinists see it as their duty to oppose those who menace the things that they regard as holy. If we cannot in justice always blame the sheep we should and do attack the shepherds. 9. But surely it would be preferable to have one god for all mankind? Why? One god or many Gods, it really does not matter. Our true Gods are actually worshipped by peoples all over the world, using their own mythologies and adapting their worship to local cultures and conditions. We prefer to worship the Gods in our own way with people of our own kind. And we respect the right of others to their own beliefs. It was an Odinist gothi (priest), Sigrith, who told the foreign missionaries, "I must not part from the faith which I have held, and my forefathers before me; on the other hand I shall make no objection to your believing in the god that pleases you best." 10. You have mentioned the "Gods of Nature". Does this mean that Odinists are nature-worshippers? Odinists recognize man's spiritual kinship with Nature, that within himself are in essence all that is in the greater world, which perform within him the same functions as in the world. Thus there are in man the four elements, the vegetative life of plants, an ethereal body - the god- soul - corresponding to the heavens, the sense of animals, of spiritual things and reason and understanding. Because in this way man comprises all the parts of the world within himself he is thus a true image of the Gods. 767 Also containing the essence of the universe within themselves, the Gods are everywhere and in everything: they show themselves to us as fire, as a flower, as a tree. Odinists believe that all life should be lived in communion and in accord with the mind of the Gods. Christianity turned away from Nature and concentrated its adherents' attention on the human soul and became obsessed with the fall of man, by which it was implied that man had brought all Nature down into sin with him. Christian teaching encouraged man to see Nature only in her physical form whereas Odinists regard Nature as a true manifestation of the divine. "We and the cosmos are one," wrote D. H. Lawrence, "The cosmos is a vast living body, of which we are still part. The sun is the great heart whose tremors run through our smallest veins. The moon is a great gleaming nerve-centre from which we quiver forever. . . . Now all this is literally true, as men knew in the great past and as they will know again." Whoever shall properly know himself and all things in himself shall know the Gods. The Odinist, because of his awareness of his relationship with Nature, is able to feel a consanguineous kinship with plants and animals and the land - a complete oneness. 11. You speak of "the Odinist mythology". Do you really expect anyone to believe in a myth? Every religion is mythical in its development. Mythology is the knowledge that the ancients had of the divine; it is religious truth expressing in poetical terms mankind's desire for personal and visible gods. The mythology of Odinism consists of a group of legends, fables and tales relating to The Gods, heroes, demons and other beings whose names have been preserved in popular belief. Our object must be to discover, with the help of our mythology, the Gods who manifest themselves throughout Nature: in the streets and in the trees and in the rocks, in the running streams and in the heavy ear of grain, in the splendor of the sun by day and in the star-strewn sky at night. But it is not the myth that Odinists believe in but the Gods whom that myth helps us to understand. 12. What, then, is the Odinist mythology? Briefly, our mythology unfolds in five acts (which may be compared to the evolution of the seasons of the year): A. the Creation (spring) B. the time preceding the death of Balder (summer) C. the death of Balder (summer's end) D. the time immediately after the death of Balder (autumn) E. Ragnarok, the decline and fall followed by the regeneration of the world (winter and spring) The first effort of speculative man has always been to solve the mystery of existence, to ask what was in the beginning. The condition of things before the world's creation is expressed in the Eddas negatively; there was nothing of that which sprang into existence: Nothing was Neither land nor sea, Nor cool waves. Earth was not , Sky was not, But a gaping void And no grass. 768 Ymir was a frost-giant, eg chaotic matter: From Ymir's flesh The world was made, And from his blood the sea. Mountains from his bones, Trees from his hair, And the welkin from his skull. There were as yet no human beings upon the earth when one dayas the Gods Odin, Hoener and Loder were walking along the seashore they saw two trees from which they created the first human pair. Odin gave them life and spirit, Hoener endowed them with reason and the power of motion and Loder gave them blood, hearing, and a fair complexion. The man they called Ask ash)--and the woman Embla (elm). As their abode the newly-created pair received from the Gods Midgarth and from them is descended the whole human race. Balder is the godof the summer, the favorite god ofall Nature and a son of Odin; he is one of the wisest and most eloquent of the Gods and his dwelling is in a place where nothing impure can enter. The story of Balder, well-known in the Northern countries, finds explanation in the seasons of the year, in the change from light to darkness; he represents the bright and clear summer and his death is the impermanent victory of darkness over light, of winter over summer, of death over life. When Balder is dead, all Nature mourns. His death presages the disaster of Ragnarok, the consummation of the world, followed by its cleansing and return to the primal state. Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods, represents a great conflict between good and evil powers. The idea is already suggested in the story of the Creation in which the Gods are represented as proceeding from giants, that is from an evil and chaotic force. And whatever can be born must surely die. In the seasons and activities of Nature we see a constantly recurring picture of the necessity for death and the equal certainty of its being overcome. At Ragnarok all the worlds of Nature will be destroyed and even the giants must die. But from that catastrophe will emerge a renewed world and the Gods themselves will be born again. We see this drama enacted every year in miniature when autumn heralds the period of decline and decay until with the spring we witness the magic of resurrection and new life. This, briefly told, is the myth that explained to our ancestors their origin and the origin of the world, the creation of life from chaos and the mergence of evolution and harmony. 13. Who is Odin? Odinis the first and eldest ofthe Gods, the all-pervading spirit of the sun, the moon, the stars, the hills, the plains and of man. With his help were made heaven and earth and the first man and woman. All knowledge came from him; he is the inventor of poetry and discovered the runes; he governs all things, protects the social organization influences the human mind, avenges murder and upholds the sanctity of the oath. He is well named Allfather. And because he chooses to surround himself with a bodyguard of those who have fallen in battle he is also known as Valfather, Father of the Slain. 769 In the mythology Odin's single eye (the other he sacrificed in exchange for wisdom) is the sun, his broad-brimmed hat the arched vault of heaven, his blue cloak the sky. A conspicuous passage in the Edda is Odin's sacrifice of himself to himself: I know I hung on the windy tree nine nights through: I know I hung I know I hung myself to myself, on the tree that springs from roots unknown. Order is the basis of Odin's government. Nature the garment by which he manifests himself. Odinism says: study the natural laws, conform to them and you will prosper; ignore them or violate them and you must suffer. Just so far as you study and obey Nature exactly so far will Nature reward or punish you. For under Odin the government of Nature is harmonious and unchangeable. 14. Who are the other Gods of Odinism? What kind of Gods are they? We have already spoken of Odin and Balder. Of the other Gods the best- known is Thor, the most famous story concerning whom tells of this Warrior-God crushing the powers of chaos. He rules over clouds and rain and makes his presence known in the lightning's flash. He is the protector of the farm worker, the chief god of agriculture, a helpful deity who makes the crops grow and who also blesses the bride with fertility. In the words of Professor P. V. Glob, " He wishes all men well and stands by them in face of their enemies and against the new God, Christ." Tyr is the God of martial honor, the most daring and intrepid of the Gods. He dispenses justice in time of peace and valor in war. He it was who sacrificed a hand when overpowering the evil Fenris Wolf, showing us that we ourselves must be prepared to make sacrifices in order to protect ourselves and our kin from those who seek to cast our society into anarchy and chaos. Frey is God of the harvest and is therefore also a God of fecundity and growth; some authorities believe that he and Christ may have become blended, in England at least, in so a God of fecundity and growth; some authorities believe that he and Christ may have become blended, in England at least, in the new religion of Christianity. Freya is a Goddess of love and the sister of Frey: barren women may invoke her and she is also the Goddess of death for all women. Another God, Vali, is called he Avenger because when he was yet only one night old he avenged Balder's death, thus demonstrating the moral obligation we have of punishing society's enemies. Other Gods include Brage, Heimdal, Vidar, Frigg and Forsete. 770 The Gods of Odinism are the ordaining powers of Nature clothed in personality. They direct the world which they themselves created. They are referred to collectively as the Aesir, of whom every living thing forms a part (thus not all the Gods are necessarily good ones). Objects and phenomena that are regarded as greater or lesser Aesir are qualities such as thought and memory, and natural things such as the sun, rivers, mountains and trees as well as animals and ancestral spirits. There are also the guardian Gods of the land, of skills and occupations and the spirits of national heroes, the Einheriar and other men and women whose outstanding deeds and virtues have contributed to our civilization, culture and well-being. 15. Is there a table of commandments that sets out the rules to be followed by Odinists? The main rules of Odinist conduct are listed in the Nine Charges which are: 1. To maintain candor and fidelity in love and devotions to the tried friend: though he strike me I will do him no scathe. 2. Neverto make a wrongsome oath: for great andgrim is the reward for the breaking of plighted troth. 3. To deal not hardly with the humble and lowly. 4. To remember the respect that is due great age. 5. To suffer noevil to go unremedied andto fight against the enemies of family, nation, race and faith: my foes will I fight in the field nor be burnt in my house. 6. To succor thefriendless but to putno faith in the pledgedword of a stranger people. 7. If I hear the fool's word of a drunken man I will strive not: for many a grief and the very death groweth out of such things. 8. To give kind heedto dead men: straw-dead, sea-dead or sword-dead. 9. To abide by the enactments of lawful authority and to bear with courage and fortitude the decrees of the Norns. The Chargesare based on the rules oflife indicated by the High Song of Odin and in the Lay of Sigurd in which the Valkyrie gives counsel to Sigurd. They may be summarized as demanding in the struggle for life a self-reliance which should be earned by a love of learning and industry, a prudent foresight in word and deed, moderation in the gratification of the senses and in the exercise of power, modesty and politeness in intercourse and a desire to earn the goodwill of our fellow men. 16. The first four Charges seem fairly innocuous, but I must say the Fifth Charge sounds rather sinister! Isn't it all very violent and retributive? 771 "To suffer no evil to gounremedied," does appear to run contrary to the trends of modern progressive thinking. And the idea of fighting "against the enemies of family, nation, race and faith" would be anathema to many people. Unlike the Christian, whose duty it is to "turn the other cheek" (advice that is more often observed ub tge breach than otherwise) and to be patient and long-suffering under the most grievous attacks, it is the duty of the Odinist to punish wrongs and above all those wrongs offered to his own family and kin. Society's enemies already know the basic law of life: that the race is to the strong and that the meek will inherit th earth only when the earth inherits them dust to dust. Others should also learn to recognize this truth. 17. What do you mean by "kinship loyalty"? We mustof course give loyal service to anyoneor any concept to whom or to which loyalty is due. But we owe our loyalty in the fullest degree to our immediate family and to those who are related to us by blood-ties or blood-brotherhood. A husband owes loyalty to his wife, for instance, and vice versa, just as a son owes loyalty to his parents to a greater extent than to anyone outside the immediate family circle. Beyond that we owe allegiance to our own country and racial kindred before we can even consider giving it to strangers who must therefore have the last call upon us. But there may be occasions when loyalty to nation and kin must transcend even our loyalty to our own family. This concern for kin is an essential part of Odinist teaching. More than twelve centuries ago the Christian proselytizer, Boniface, wrote of the Odinists, "Have pity on them, because even they themselves are accustomed to say, "We are of one blood and one bone". Filial love, patriotism and kinship loyalty are religious principles still adhered to by Odinists. In the words of the Edda: We shall help our kinsmen as foot helps foot. . . If one foot stumbles then shall the other restore balance. 18. You seem to have an exaggerated respect for things like law and order! What about unjust laws? No, not an "exaggerated respect for law and order"; just regard for the rules by which civilized man must live. But laws, to be just, must apply equally to all citizens and groups without discrimination. Odinists certainly have a duty to oppose what they regard as unjust laws but in doing so they accept the consequences of their opposition and do not expect to be given exemption or favorable treatment. 19. What view do Odinists take of modern, enlightened substitutes for traditional, repressive forms of punishment? Do you agree that the wrong-doer in our society is more often than not the victim of his environment and that we are thus all guilty? 772 Odinists refuse to accept responsibility for the actions of others. Just as it would be wrong to accept credit for another person's merits so it is wrong to relieve the wrong-doer of responsibility for his actions. "Crime should be blazoned abroad by its retribution," wrote Tacitus. Punishment should be an unpleasant and memorable experience. Those in authority who neglect to punish the criminal adequately place themselves in the position of being accessories after the fact. Odinists believe that anyone who seriously or continually flouts the law should forfeit for a period of time his rights to protection under that law; enemies of the community should not be permitted to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds! 20. The Sixth Charge speaks about putting no faith in the pledged word of a stranger people. What is meant by "a stranger people"? By "a strangerpeople" we mean those from differentcultures than our own. It is a warning that words often mean different things to different peoples, that their standards are not always the same as our own. It is simply one of those things in life that ought to be widely known and appreciated but does not seem to be! 21. Please explain the Ninth Charge, which speaks of "the decrees of the Norns". Who or where are the Norns? The Norns are the three Fates of Northern mythology, the Goddesses of time. They are named Urd (the past), Verdande (the present) and Skuld (the future). They watch over man; they spin his thread of fate at his birth and mark out with it the limits of his sphere of action through life; their decrees are inviolable destiny, their dispensations inevitable necessity. Urd and Verdande, the past and present, may be seen as stretching a web from the radiant dawn of life to the glowing sunset, while Skuld, the future tears it to pieces! Man's fate must be met but the way in which it is met rests with the individual; and by the way in which he meets his fate man is able to demonstrate his free will. This important principle shows a man that it is worth while fighting life's battles courageously while at the same time fate's inexorable nature allows no room for careful weighing of arguments for and against or for anxiety about the nature of things that are in any case destined to happen. 22. What other aspects of human behavior are admired by Odinists? The Noble Virtues are held in high esteem. They are: Courage Truth Honor Fidelity Discipline Hospitality Industriousness Self-reliance Perseverance 773 The Odinist must do what lies before him without fear of either foes, friends or the Norns. He must hold his own council, speak his mind and seek fame without respect of persons; be free, independent and daring in his actions; act with gentleness and generosity towards friends and kinsmen but be stern and grim to his enemies (but even towards the latter to feel bound to fulfill necessary duties); be as forgiving to some as he is unyielding and unforgiving to others. He should be neither trucebreaker nor oathbreaker and utter nothing against any person that he would not say to his face. These are the broad principles of Odinist behavior, features of the spirit that made our Northern peoples great. 23. You call industriousness a Noble Virtue? What is so spiritual about that? Industriousness is a virtue which, partly inherited, is nevertheless acquired largely through training and self-discipline; it is at once something we owe to ourselves, to our family and to the community. There is a time for relaxation as there is a time for most things but it is not, for instance, during our working hours; neither should it be at the expense of other members of the community by way of the so-called welfare state. 24. What about material possessions? A principle of Odinism is the realization of the worthlessnessand fleeting nature of worldly possessions. Enough should be enough. Adam of Bremen, a Christian, remarked how Odinists with whom he had come into contact "lack nothing of what we revere except our arrogance. They have no acquisitive love of gold, silver, splendid chargers, the furs of beaver and marten or any of the other possessions we pine for". One thing alone is worth while in this life: the stability of a well-earned reputation. "Goods perish, friends perish, a man himself perishes," says the Edda "but fame never dies to him that hath won it worthily." 25. You describe self-reliance as one of the Noble Virtues. Surely even you must admit that none of us is, or can be, self-reliant in these days? Self reliance does not, as you appear to suggest, imply selfishness or mean that a man must live in isolation from his fellows. We recognize that men are dependent upon Nature and on the community of which he forms part; he has obligations to that community as well as to his employer (or employees). He receives from society and he owes a debt to society. Odinism teaches that people must be encouraged to stand on their own feet and not to ask continually, "When is somebody going to do something for me?" 774 26. Do Odinists believe in prayer? Odinism is not a philosophy invented to ease mankind's comfort or to assuage his fears; that kind of religion acts against rather than in man's interests because it takes from him his independence and self-respect and makes of him a humble supplicant by encouraging him to shed his responsibilities. The person who prays to a saint or God asking for help or guidance is seeking to shift the responsibility from his own shoulders, surrendering his own faculties of thought and physical action, unless he also does something to help himself. To pray is to beg and plead; it is self-abasement ("we worms of the earth"). That is not the object of true religion which, as Carlyle has told us, is "transcendent wonder": wonder without limit or measure, reverent admiration alike for the immensity of creation, the inspiration of the human heart and the capability of the human brain. Odinists in theirinveitan (praise); singular, inveita) callupon the Aesir to approach them in their thoughts as they themselves strive towards the Aesir. Through increased understanding is achieved wholeness, a unity with the Gods that helps us to think out our problems and how they may be overcome. We project the Gods within ourselves and that, externally realized, speaks to the divine in others. Through their invetian Odinists express gratitude for life and the world they live in and resolve to try to make it better - not just to leave it to "someone up there" or hope for something better in the next world. 27 How do Odinists regard good and evil? Evil of itself cannot originatein man but must always beregarded as an intruder, like an illness or an affliction; as such it must be opposed and expelled. Good and evil are relative: there can be no absolute norm and actions must depend upon circumstances and motives as well as time and place. The ethical standards relating to custom and tradition are flexible and responsive to the specific demands of different ages, so that moral judgments of what is right and wrong cannot be placed in a fixed system of standards but must vary according to time and situation. Just as the world is constantly changing so are values constantly changing, so that nothing can be regarded as unconditionally good or evil in all ages. In general, that which disturbs the social order and peaceful evolution and causes unhappiness - including such natural disasters as floods and earthquakes, disease and pollution - obstructs the natural development of the world and must be regarded as evil. As for sin, Odinism knows but two major sins - perjury and murder: that is sin against the Gods and sin against one's fellow man. 28. Do you believe in Original sin? Man is inherently good andthe world in which he livesis good. There is no sin in man which has been inherited from his first, or any other, ancestor; it is enough that he should be held responsible for his own actions. But a lthough his spirit is good, his flesh and his senses may succumb to evil, especially when by neglecting his own spiritual well- being he has left his defenses weakened. So it is necessary for him to be able to distinguish between what is good and what is evil. 775 29 What do Odinists believe about marriage - and divorce? Odinists support theinstitution of marriageand marital fidelity.But a broken marriage is and unhappy marriage and traditional Odinic law allows great latitude to separation of husband wife, at the will of both parties, if a good reason exists for the desired change. It is recognized that the worst possible service is rendered to those who are forced to live together against their will; but it must be borne in mind that marriage is basically a solemn exchange of vows between two people and as such can only be ended by agreement between the same two people. 30. Does Odinism offer salvation to those who believe? Odinism offers no salvation in the sense in which that term is used by Christians. Instead, the Odinist seeks liberation by bringing the Aesir into the world of man and into his daily life - whether at home or at work. Liberation refers to the human condition as we know it, which is subject to birth and death and decay. It is not, " the kingdom of God which is with in you," but the Gods themselves which exist within man. 31. Does man possess an immortal soul? Is there a life after death and will people go to Odin in heaven? Odinists believe that man consists of body (i.e. matter) and spirit or soul. Physical man is born, produces young and eventually dies. But the whole of Nature shows us that death is not final: the material body decomposes and recombines, it is regenerated and lives again. As it was in the beginning so it is now; every atom continues to exist and must exist as in the beginning. There is nothing new under the sun and what we call death is really nothing more than transformation. Spiritual man is divided into two distinct souls, one passive, the other active, the divine and the human, which we call God-soul and human-soul. The first is in the fullest sense a divine being, contemplating a past eternity and a future immortality, occupying itself in contemplation rather than in action and to be regarded as a kind of guardian spirit. Although the God-soul and the material body are associated in this life, the former is not bound to man in the way that, say, a limb is (it may indeed absent itself from his body during sleep or periods of unconsciousness). Without the spirit there can be no motivation: when the physical change (i.e. death) takes place the God-soul passes to another living organism -a human being, a tree, an animal, perhaps a bird. This is the element that gives man his mystical attachment to a particular district or country (which is what we call patriotism): because it is where the God-souls of countless generations of ancestors dwell. It is because of this that man is compelled to nurture, love and defend his country, which is, in the purest sense, a holy land. The philosopher Fichte said, "Death is the ladder by which my spiritual vision rises to anew life and a new nature." This is also the reason why Odinists regard all life as sacred and unnecessary violence as criminal. 776 The human-soul (or self-soul), is essentially individual to a particular person. It may be likened to his personality, his fame or his infamy. Because the whole of man's life is a continuing struggle of the good and light Gods on the one hand and the offspring of chaotic matter (the giants, Nature's disturbing forces) on the other, the human-soul is extremely active. It is involved in a struggle that extends to man's innermost being: both the human-soul and the God-soul proceed from the Gods; but the body be longs to the world of giants and they struggle for supremacy. If the human-soul conquers by virtue and courage then it goes after death to Valhalla, to fight in concert with the Gods against the evil powers. If on the other hand the body conquers and links the spirit to itself by weakness then after man's death the human-soul sinks to the world of the giants and joins itself with the evil powers in their warfare against the Gods. Long after his individual identity has been forgotten a man's human-soul, absorbed into the corporate spirit of the regiment, college, village, nation or other group, continues to demonstrate its immortality by inspiring future generations to noble deeds - or to acts of degradation. 32. If the God-soul migrates to other living things after death, how can you square this with, for example, the need to slaughter livestock in order to sustain human life? Isn't it rather like killing a God? The God-soul must not be confused with the being that it inhabits. Animals, birds and trees have always been regarded by Odinists with respect; it is indeed probable that the domestication of some creatures arose from their former sacred character. Every living thing is a manifestation of the divine and its spirit is immortal: every time a tree is felled or an animal slaughtered it is indeed a kind of sacrifice. But the tree or the animal is only a temporary dwelling-place for the immortal God. Everything in Nature has a purpose and it is necessary in order that life may be sustained in others for such "sacrifices" to be made. Such an attitude encourages consideration and reverence for Nature and discourages its wanton despoliation. It is the unnecessary, cruel or unnatural killing of animals (or of human beings), the unjustifiable destruction of trees or landscape and the defiling of natural resources, that is wrong. 33. You have mentioned "ancestral spirits". Does this mean that Odinists believe in ancestor-worship? The human-souls of one's own family ancestors provide us with moral strength and inspiration. Just as we received our spirit from Odin, so we received our physical being through our parents and our ancestors from time memorial. Our respect for ancestors maintains the continuity of the family, the kin and the race. We have a duty to try to attain the ideals of our ancestors and an equal duty of cherishing our descendants so that they in their turn will come to understand and realize our own hopes and ideals. Life is continuing process: we must try to visualize ourselves as ancestors; for ancestors and descendants are genealogically one. Edmund Burke once remarked that society was a partnership between those who were living, those who are dead and those yet to be born; past and present and future are seen as a continuing evolvement and must be looked upon as complete being. 777 34. What kind of status do women have within the Odinist community? Odinists do not need reminding of women's rights! Our religion anciently held women in high honor: not only are Goddesses included in the Odinist pantheon, but, when the Odinist priesthood is restored, all offices will be open to women just as they were before the Christian usurpation relegated them to permanent backbenches of religious life. 35. What are the chief festivals of the Odinic Rite? In ancient times there were three great festivals: Yule (the Mid-Winter Festival), Summer Finding (or spring equinox) and Winter Finding (autumn equinox). To these we nowadays add the Midsummer Festival. Yule, the popularFestival ofMid-Winter (sometimescalled theFestival of Light), heralds the beginning of the Odinist year. It is the birthday of the unconquered sun, which at this time begins to new vigor after its autumnal decline when, having descended into darkness, it pauses, kindles the fire of germination and ascends renewed with the fruit of hope. The Mid-Winter Festival includes the Twelve Nights of Yule, encapsulating the twelve months of the year in miniature, and culminates in the celebration of Twelfth Night. Summer Finding, in March, is the Festival of Odin. It celebrates the renewal, or resurrection, of Nature after the darkness of winter. It was transformed by the Christians into their Easter (named after the Odinist Goddess of the Saxons, Ostara), Rogation and Whitsun and was also recalled in folk custom by the festivities of May Day. The Midsummer Festival, theFeast of Balder, is thegreat celebration of the triumph of light and the sun. Winter Finding mourns the death of summer and heralds the coming of autumn. It is dedicated to the god Frey, patron of the harvest, and is also sometimes called the Charming of the Fruits of Earth, when we render thanks for the years supply of life-giving foods. 36. What other Odinist festivals are there? Besides the great festivalsthere are a number ofsecondary festivals and also some commemorations of local Gods or various aspects of life. The secondary festivals of the Odinic Rite are: The Charming of the Plough, January 3 The festival ofVali, Febuary 14, whichcommemorates the family andis an occasion for betrothals, the renewal of marriage vows and vows of kinshiployalty. The festival of the Einheriar on November 11, known asHeroes' day, which honors the dead. 778 37. What is the Odinist Committee? The committee for the Restoration of the Odinic Rite (to give its full title) was set up on April 23, 1973 with the limited objects of restoring Odinist ritual and ceremonies, to define Odinist faith and doctrine and to constitute a teaching order of gothar (singular: gothi, meaning priest of teacher). When these immediate objects have been achieved the Committee will disband. In the past not a great deal of attention was paid to systemizing the doctrinal aspects of Odinism and consequently the body of writing on the subject has remained limited and uneven. The Odinist Committee will place the worship of the Aesir on a more formal and permanent basis. 38. How do I go about becoming an Odinist? First of all by understanding, thenby believing. You do not have to "be born again" but you are expected to live your whole life according to the Odinist precepts. There is a ceremony of reception (or initiation) into the Odinist community for those who wish it. The secretary of the Odinist Committee, 10 Trinity Green, London, E1, will be able to tell you whether there is an Odinist group in your neighborhood or, if there is not one, how you may form one. 39. Can the Odinist Committee supply me with a list of Odinist temples and shall I be permitted to attend some of the inveitan? There are at presentno Odinist hofs (temples) in Great Britain open for public worship. Odinism starts with the individual and extends, through the family, to the community and the world. So with worship, which is at present practiced mostly at family level, the festivals of the Odinist year being celebrated in the home, with friends and other Odinist sometimes being invited to participate. But it is expected that various regional meeting places will be authorized when eventually the ritual of Odinist worship has been fully restored and gothar licensed by the successor body to the Odinist committee. These things are thought the best: Fire, the sight of the sun, Good health with the gift to keep it, And a life that avoids vice. The High Song of Odin * * The verse from The High Song of Odin is from Paul B. Taylor and W H Auden's translation of The Elder Edda and is reproduced by permission of Messrs Faber and Faber. Other quotations from the Eddas in the foregoing pages are from the translation by Rasmus B. Anderson. FOR MORE INFORMATION WRITE: Midgard Pagan Computer Bulletin Board P.O. Box 256 North Highlands, CA. 95660 (916) 338-4214 8:00 pm to 6:00 am (PST) daily 300/1200 baud ***** Call at these times with your computer. ***** 779 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com STRINGS ON THE WINDS by Taliesyn map Avaon ...And it came to pass that into this time of great turmoil, there came a man clad simply and carrying unto himself little else than a harp, the likes of which I have yet to see.His name was Ahrian and he made known that he was Bard.He went unto the house of a village elder, asked lodging, and was granted it.There he stayed and he sang from the green and played the songs which drifted into the air as if they were the air itself. One afternoon I made to inquire of him his whereabouts and what was Bard. He said unto me: 'You speak little else to me but nonsense. Speak clearly and I shall answer as I can.' He took the harp into his lap. 'What then is your trade?' 'I am Bard. Mine is the way of music, song, and tale. In this lies my being.' 'Then you are a minstrel or story-teller?' 'I am both and neither. I am minstrel and story-teller in what I do, but I am Bard in what I am.' 'I do not understand.' 'Then listen and I shall make it known to you. Music lies at the base of the world. It is magick in itself, and it contains other things that are it's nature. I am Bard and bound to the music, as it is my existence. I work the music as a fine silversmith works the silver into a cup. So I work the music into a fine remembrance of the past. Or time hence. Or man and woman present. So the music works for me and does my bidding, as I in turn do its bidding in the working.' 'You speak of magick as the music and music as the magick. Which is it then? Is music the cause of the magick, or is magick the cause of the music?' 'Both are true. In playing the song I am working in the magick, and in working in the magick I am drawn to work a song. Such is my call.' 'What of tales then?' 'They are great and beauteous. In splendor they cannot be equalled, for the Gods run thru them as the maids run through fields of grass in the Spring.' 'What Gods are these of which you speak?' 'All Gods to some, and none to others. It is as you see. And then it is as it is.' 780 'What of these do you worship?' 'I worship none and I worship all. I worship not, and devoutly pray unto the Muses. Mine is not the way of the zealot, but of the song.' 'How then do you work your magick if the Gods are not yours?' 'Ahh, but they are mine. I do not see the Gods as they appear to others, but as they are in the song of a bird in summer, or a stream in the Spring. My magick is not of them, but is them of their essence. It aids them to survive and pierces their nature as the light pierces the darkness.' ...And so I bid him let me rest, that I might ponder and inquire further on the morrow. As I left him, I heard a sweet melody drift into the hollows... ******************************** In this age of rebirth for many of the ways of the Craft, it has often come to my attention that there is not a similar revival of the Bardic arts in force. However, as we move into a New Age, it is distressing to see so few wielding the candle to light the path. Thus armed with this dearth of those practicing the Bardic Way, I have decided to set forth some illumination into the subject of Bardism. In the classical concept, the Bard was many things: a musician, a songster, a story-teller, a historian, a collector of lore both magickal and mundane. He also served the community in announcing through his arts the coming Circles. However, should he attend this Circle, he would be little else than a minion of the Watchtower's guardians. Of all these things, I must point out that he was a magickal individual, whose concerns tended not towards ritual, but application. His song was his work of magick, and could either be loving and compassionate or cold and harsh as the case warranted. He was restricted in many ways in the expression of his duties inherent in the office and title he carried. The title 'Bard' was (and is) worn with pride for it was a religious indication and a general term for a way of life. This introduction leaves us with one nagging question: What is the Bard of today? It is this question that I shall address in full in coming articles. Each will contain a conversation with Ahrian (an actual 15th century Scots Bard) and a discussion of the concepts involved. Later, I will include samples of the Bard's art by my hand and that of Seamus Myrick, an Irish Bard I know personally. Blessed Be! Mike Nichols 781 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com A Circle Purification that doesn't use Incense: for asthmatics, those with allergies, and those with other pulmonary disorders by Matrika, co-sysop of PAN- the Psychic Awareness Network, 300/1200/2400 baud at 1-703-362-1139 This ritual was inspired when someone in our circle back in Central Massachusetts started dating a young woman who was a great herbalist, knowledgeable about crystal healing, a competent tarot-reader and a beginning astrologer. She had read "Spiral Dance" by Starhawk on the Craft of the Wise (Wicca) and wore a pentagram around her neck, but couldn't try circle work because she was allergic to smoke and had a serious asthma problem. So, heres the rite. You prepare your altar as usual, with the exception of the incense and incense burner. 5 non-electric pot-pouri burners filled with water and an appropriately scented pot-pouri should be on or near the altar with 5 candles. Be sure that you use the correct type of candles for your pot-pouri burners, as other types can destroy the burners. Put these on the altar, which should be at the center of the circle and facing North or East according to your custom. If they do not fit without obstructing the work, place them in a semi-circle at the foot of the altar. Have matches there to light the candles under them at the proper time. The rite (Leader 1 should be a male, if possible. Leader 2 should be a female, if possible.) Leader 1 - blessing the water and herbal mixture in each pot-pouri burner with the wand. a long-stem rose with the thorns removed can be used for a wand if you do not yet have one. Of course, this must be replaced each time you do a ritual - "By Fire and By Air By Water and by Earth by the Lady and the Lord I conjure thee to purify our circle this night" all- " So mote it be" He takes one of the burners and the matches to the North where he lights it. Leader 2 accompanies him with her wand, after he lights it she raises her wand and says Leader 2 - "By fire and air By water and by earth Let us purify the Northern Quarter of our circle" 782 There is a pause during which everyone visualizes (vividly imagining in every detail from a relaxed, meditative state) an arc of rainbow light forming that quarter of the circle then, when she lowers the wand, everyone responds. all - "So Mote It Be" Leader 1 returns to the central altar and gets the next burner, placing it in the East and lighting it. Leader 2 continues in the same way as above. This procedure is then repeated in the South and then in the West. Each time the invocation is changed to reflect the direction they are in. Each time the group visualizes the rainbow arc of light. And after each direction, Leader 1 returns to the center to get the burner for the next direction ready. By constantly returning to the center each time, the emphasis is placed there. After the Western quarter is lit, Leader 1 places the final burner on the altar, between the candles, where the incense burner would be if there was one and lights it. Leader 2 stands before the altar, raises her wand and says Leader 2 - "By Fire and by air By water and by earth Let us purify the sacred center of our circle where Heaven and Earth Unite and Where the Lord and Lady are joined in love." While her wand is raised, everyone visualizes the rainbow light from the outer circles flooding in to the center and filling the circle with harmonious vibrations and energies. After a few moments, she lowers her wand and everyone responds. all- "SO mote it be" The circle casting is continued as usual with the invocations of the elements at the 4 corners, according to your tradition. Then the actual circle-casting is done as usual. After this do whatever rite and/or magick you would usually do and close in the usual manner. Be sure to snuff the candles and not to blow them out. Use a silver teaspoon to do this, if you don't have a snuffer. This ceremony ONLY replaces the part of the rite where you sprinkle with salt-water and then cense the circle to purify it in PREPARATION for the actual circle casting. It is NOT the full casting of the circle. (Some traditions purify with all 4 elements separately, sprinkling salt on the floor for earth, water on the floor for itself, censing the circle for air, and carrying a candle around for fire. Either way this rite replaces the elemental purification, as the burners embody all 4 elements - the water for itself, the candle for fire, the herbs for earth, and the scent the steam gives off for air.) OF course the pot-pouri burners used for this should only be used in your psychic work and should have been consecrated or smudged (by someone who can deal with the smoke) in preparation for this ritual. 783 To prepare appropriate pot-pouri scents for the purpose of your rites, use the directions for making the various home-made herbal incenses traditional in Witchcraft and in Magick; however, don't grind them with a mortar and pestle as you would in making incense. If you do not know the recipes for these, any of the Scott Cuningham books on making incenses would provide them for you. They are available from Llewelyn Publishing, box 64383 St. Paul Minnesota. (They will send you a free catalogue on request) Despite the initial cost involved in obtaining the 5 burners, it is highly suggested you do it that way for two reasons" 1. In anything but a very small and enclosed space, you will not get enough scent to represent the air element sufficiently for magickal and ritual working. and 2. To represent all 4 elements in EACH of the quarters and in the center of the circle is very important in establishing the traditional boundaries between the worlds (the ordinary and non-ordinary or shamanic realities) that is the purpose of casting the circle and creating sacred space. ALSO IF YOU TRY TO CARRY A POT-POURI BURNER THAT IS LIT AND HOT ENOUGH TO BE GIVING OFF THE SCENTED STEAM AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE CIRCLE, YOU WILL CERTAINLY BURN YOUR FINGERS BADLY. (It is not appropriate to bring a pot holder into circle to carry it either! PLEASE!) I hope this is helpful to those who have breathing problems and wish to perform magick. (submitted to Harvest newsletter, under JUKNO) 784 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com MONROE TECHNIQUES FOR ASTRAL PROJECTION Note: After having studied many methods of Astral Projection, I have found that this is the easiest to do. Monroe teaches these techniques in a week, but they can be easily done in a day, with proper devotion. I feel that this technique is superior to others because it doe not require intense visualization, which many people cannot do. enjoy! (Taken from Leaving The Body: A Complete Guide to Astral Projection, D. Scott Rogo, prentice Hall Press) One of the chief barriers people learning to project face is fear. Many are afraid that they may die, or be harmed in some way as a result of their projection. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The Canterbury Institute, renowned for its occult studies, executed an experiment in projection involving over 2,000 people. None of them were hurt in any way by this, and now, three years later, none have complained of any newly arising problems. Once you are aware that you cannot be harmed by projecting, you should begin monroe's techniques, step by step. Step one: Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself" to having an OBE. (out of body experience) This includes both physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a method of attaining this relaxation, although Progressive Muscle relaxation, coupled with deep breathing exercises (inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3.... until 50 or 100) are known to work well. Step two: Enter the state bordering sleep. This is known as the hypnagogic state. Once again, Monroe doesn't recommend any method of doing this. One way is to hold your forearm up, while keeping your upper arm on the bed, or ground. As you start to fall asleep, your arm will fall, and you will awaken again. With practice, you can learn to control the Hypnagogic state without using your arm. Another method is to concentrate on an object. When other images start to enter your thoughts, you have entered the Hypnagogic state. Passively watch these images. This will also help you maintain this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition A. Step three: Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind. observe your field of vision through your closed eyes. Do nothing more for a while. Simply look through your closed eyelids at the blackness in front of you. After a while, you may notice light patterns. These are simply neural discharges. They have no specific effect. Ignore them. When they cease, one 785 has entered what Monroe calls Condition B. From here, one must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe calls Condition C-- a state of such relaxation that you lose all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation. You are almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation will be your own thoughts. The ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D. This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced from a rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of normal fatigue. To achieve Condition D, Monroe suggests that you practice entering it in the morning or after a short nap. Step Four: Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important part of the technique, and also the most vague. Many projectors have noted these vibrations at the onset of projection. They can be experienced as a mild tingling, or as is electricity is being shot through the body. /their cause is a mystery. It may actually be the astral body trying to leave the physical one. For entering into the vibrational state, he offers the following directions: 1. Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching your skin. 2. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your eyelids, but do not shut out all light. 3. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your head pointed toward magnetic north. 4. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are slightly warmer than might normally be comfortable. 5. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when, there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you. 6. Enter a state of relaxation 7. Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be beneficial to your well-being. Repeat this five times. 8. Proceed to breath through your half-open mouth. 9. As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you. 10. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change your point of mental reference to six feet. 11. Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary line parallel to your body axis up and above your head. Focus there and reach out for the vibrations at that point and bring them back into your body. Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you will know when you have achieved contact with them. Step five: Learn to control the vibrational state. Practice controlling them by mentally pushing them into your head, down to your toes, making them surge throughout your entire body, and producing vibrational waves from head to foot. To produce this wave effect, concentrate of the vibrations and mentally push a wave out of your head and guide it down your body. Practice this until you can induce these waves on command. Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are 786 ready to leave the body. Step six: Begin with a partial separation. The key here is thought control. Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving the body. Do not let it wander. Stray thought might cause you to lose control of the state. Now, having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second body". Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed. Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it back into coincidence with the physical one, decrease the vibrational rate, and then terminate the experiment. Lie quietly until you have fully returned to normal. This exercise will prepare you for full separation. Step seven: Dissociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two methods for this. One method is to lift out of the body. To do this, think about getting lighter and lighter after entering this vibrational state. Think about how nice it would be to float upward. Keep this thought in mind at all costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An OBE will occur naturally at this point. Another method is the "Rotation method" or "roll-out" technique. When you have achieved the vibrational state, try to roll over as if you were turning over in bed. /do not attempt to roll over physically. Try to twist your body from the top and virtually roll over into your second body right out of your physical self. At this point, you will be out of the body but next to it. Think of floating upward, and you should find yourself floating above the body. Monroe suggests you begin with the lift-out method, but argues that both are equally efficacious. If, after all this, you still can't project, I recommend purchasing Leaving The Body, by R. Scott Rogo. It only costs $7.95 and contains another eight or so techniques. Not all techniques work for everyone, but chances are you'll find one that works for you in this book. Good luck! 787 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com History (c) 1988, by Weyland Smith and The Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal "Mommy, how old are we?" Does our faith come down to us in Apostolic succession from "that time whereof the memory of man runneth not to the contrary", or was our religion dreamed up in the nineteenfortiesbyaretiredBritishcivilservantwiththe collaboration ofa dyingheroin addictandpoet? Does itreally matter? To whatextent themodern practitionersof paganismmay lay ajust claimto themantleof theirpredecessorsfrom thetwelfth centuryhas beena matterof greatdebate bothwithin andwithout the Craft community almost from the moment Gerald Gardner published _Witchcraft Today in 1954.*1* Though the debate is continued with somewhat less fervor today than it was in the 1960s,ithasnever whollyceasedanditcontinuesto beaCrisis of Faith which besets many practitioners of paganism every year. Itcan beatroubling questionto face,especiallyif one's early teachers tried to justify their credentials by claiming that what they taught had great antiquity. The question isn't any easier to answer with truth or objectivity when there is a bunch ofradicalfundamentalistsrunningaroundseekingtoclaim that we aren't really a religion and so of course we aren't entitled to protection under the First Amendment. It is a sign of progress, I think, that there seems to be less of that sort of teaching today than there was when I began my studies. Today most of the teachers that I know are secure enough in their religion that they can face the staggering thought that the ethical and philosophical system that guides their lives may indeed be younger than some of them are. The plain fact is that we simply don't know. Gerald Gardnerand CharlesLeland*2* mayhave triedto palm fiction off on the world as fact. It's certainly been tried before--and since. On the other hand, they may each have been reporting the truth as they found it. It certainly is a fact thatnoone Iknowhasever comeacrossany BookofShadowsthat dates before the beginning of this century. Presumably, if one exists,sayintheBritishMuseum, itwouldhavebecomeknownto scholars looking into the subject over the last half century. GrantedthattherewaslessburninginEnglandthan elsewherein Europe, but there was enough that surely some physical evidence would have survived in the hands of the government if nowhere else. The VaticanLibrary,of coursemayyet turnup sucharelic. Theirfailure todosoat thistimecanbeexplained aseasilyby the lack of such a document as by a possible desire to suppress it. We may never know that one, but when push comes to shove, does it really matter? Thomas Jefferson, speakingon the questionof whether black colonial slaves were Americans or not is said to have remarked 788 "They're people and they're here. If there's any other requirement,Ihaven'theardofit."Perhapswemightparaphrase Jefferson a bit and remark that the modern practitioners of Witchcraft are undeniably here and a large number of them are sincere intheirbeliefs. Thatinitselfshouldqualify usasa religion. Perhaps as important as the legal question is our own self image. Would a "real witch" from the middle ages recognize or disownone ofhersisters oftoday? Wouldshewant togowith a "New Age" circle, a Dianic grove, a Gardnerian coven, or would she laugh hysterically at the bunch of us and walk off into the sunset? While the antiquity of our current practice of witchcraft shouldn't be a matter of serious concern, to us _or to our detractors,itsauthenticityshouldbe.Thesearchforourroots must continue to be pursued by serious scholars and magicians alike in order that we may come as close as possible to the ideals andpurposesofourancientpredecessors.Thereisavery practical reason why this is so. That reason is tied up in somethingcalledan_egregore. Onthesubjectofan egregore,I would like to quote extensively from a recent article in _Gnosis by Gaetan Delaforge: ..."An egregore is a kind of group mind which is created when peopleconsciouslycometogetherforacommonpurpose.Whenever people gather together to do something and egregore is formed, butunlessanattemptismadetomaintain itdeliberatelyitwill dissipaterather quickly.Howeverifthe peoplewishtomaintain it and know the techniques of how to do so, the egregore will continue to grow in strength and can last for centuries. An egregore has the characteristic of having an effectiveness greater than the mere sum of its individual members. It continuously interacts with its members, influencing them and being influenced by them. The interaction works positively by stimulating and assisting its members but only as long as they behaveand actinlinewith itsoriginalaim.It willstimulate both individually and collectively all those faculties in the groupwhichwillpermittherealizationoftheobjectivesof its original program. If this process is continued a long time the egregore will take on a kind of life of its own, and can become so strong that even if all its members should die, it would continue to exist on the inner dimensions and can be contacted even centuries later by a group of people prepared to live the livesoftheoriginalfounders,particularlyiftheyarewilling to provide the initial input of energy to get it going again. 789 If the egregore is concerned with spiritual or esoteric activities its influence will be even greater. People who discoverthekeyscantapinonapowerfulegregorerepresenting, for example, a spiritual or esoteric tradition, will, if they follow the line described above by activating and maintaining suchanegregore,obtainaccesstotheabilities,knowledge,and driveofall thathasbeen accumulatedin thategregoresince its beginnings. Agroup ororder whichmanages to dothis can,with a clear conscience, claim to be an authentic order of the tradition represented by that egregore. In my view this is the only yardstick by which a genuine Templar order should be measured."*3* Mr. Delaforgewas writingabout theKnights Templarand the various groupsclaimingto representitin moderntimes, butthe parallel with ancient witchcraft and the many diverse groups claimingto representittodayisobvious. Ihopethebenefitto be gained by reconstructing as faithfully as possible the attitudes and goals of our ancient brethren is equally obvious. In her books "The Sea Priestess" and "Moon Magic", Dion Fortune was demonstrating this technique. Vivien LeFay Morgan wasattemptingnothinglessthanthe reactivationoftheegregore of the Atlantean priesthood. When Gerald Gardner published "Witchcraft Today", he embarked upon the outward steps of his part of the reactivation of the egregore of the old witch cult in western Europe. The inward steps were probably begun by one or more of the magical lodgesof theearlytwentiethcentury,mostlikelyDionFortune's Society of the Inner Light during its "pagan phase" in the late twentiesandthirties.*4*Gardner'spublic worksservedtobring the reactivated egregore into contact with an increasingly receptive populace where it could gather unto itself the additionalpsychicenergyitneededtobecomeonceagainaviable force in the world. How well it has achieved this end is to be observed by anyone with the eyes to see. I personally think that our job in this generation is to deepen and strengthen our ties with this newly reawakened force in the world; to learn from it and to draw inspiration from it, and to bring the Craft back from the status of a "cult" to that of a genuine religion. To do this we must learn more of the goals,ideals,andambitionsofourbrothersandsisterswhohave gone before--as they really were, not as we would like them to have been. 790 Please notethat theidea isnot necessarilyto recreatethe _practices of our predecessors, particularly if we are talking about things like blood sacrifice. One should note that this practicewasfollowedby thejewsinbiblicaltimes,but thatin moderntimes theydon't doit. This doesnot keepthemodern jew frominteracting withthe egregoreof hisancient faith. Judaism has surely progressed since the time of the Ceasars, so has the Craft. The idea, when activating and interacting with an egregore is to re-create the _goals and _attitudes of the founders. That doesn't freeze the practitioner into practices which have long since been outgrown. WhatI thinkweneednow ismorerealscholarship. Whatdid Samhainreallymean toourpredecessors;or Beltane;orImbolc? Not only howdid theycelebrate it,but how didthey _feelabout it? Platitudes about"fruitfulness and fertility"are simplytoo superficial. This is not madeany easier by the factthat these observances were pastoral and agricultural while most of us are city dwellers who do well to keep a potted plant alive through one summer. An attempt in this direction was made by the Holy Order of SaintBrigitnearFortMorgan,Coloradoabout tenyearsago.The farm is gone now and its residents are scattered, yet it cannot be said to have entirely failed of its purpose. Many of the former participants in the experiments can be found today, quietly practicing the Craft. This is not to say that we all should sell our goods, quit our jobs, and move out into communes somewhere, but we must at the leastestablishcloseenoughcontactwiththeharshrealitiesof this world that we can appreciate how frightening the onset of winter must have been to those who had no central heating, food storesorwelfare tofallback upon.Whenwe havedonethis, we will,perhaps,be ableto recapturethemindset ofthePriestess at Samhain. These truths are not to be found in the Fantasy fiction sectionofB.Dalton's,butinthehistoryandanthropologylibr- aries of our local universities. The reading is much dryer and lessfun,but ittalksaboutthe peopleasthey reallywere.It isn't afantasy worldto hidefromreality in,but neitheris it a dead end. It can take us back in time and forward in our understandingsothatwemayreallycontacttheancientreligion of witchcraft as it was, learn from it, and pass it on, rejuvenated and strengthened to our children. 791 Notes 1. Gerald B. Gardner, _Witchcraft _Today, (London: Rider and Company, 1954) reprinted (New York: Citadel Press, 1971) 2. Charles Godfrey Leland, _Aradia, _or _Gospel _of _the _Witches, (London: David Nutt, 1899; reprinted (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1974) 3.GaetanDelaforge,_Gnosis,"TheTemplarTradition: yesterday and today", No. 6, (Winter 1988), pp 8-13. 4. Alan Richardson, _Dancers _to _the _Gods, (London: The Aquarian Press, 1985) 792 sacred-texts | Web | Powered by Sponsored Links: Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com History of Witchcraft As I am trying to put this all together, I hope to bring about an understanding that Witchcraft, like any religion, has undergone it's changes throughout the centuries. It is my personal feeling, however, that the religion of Witchcraft has undergone far fewer changes than any other in history. As the song sung by Neil Diamond starts: " Where it began, I can't begin to knowin..." Witchcraft, sorcery, magic, whatever can only begin to find its roots when we go back as far as Mesopotamia. With their deities for all types of disasters, such as Utug - the Dweller of the Desert waiting to take you away if you wandered to far, and Telal - the Bull Demon, Alal - the destroyer, Namtar - Pestilence, Idpa - fever, and Maskim - the snaresetter; the days of superstitution were well underway. It was believed that the pharaohs, kings, etc. all imbued some power of the gods, and even the slightest movement they made would cause an action to occur. It was believed that a picture, or statue also carried the spirit of the person. This is one of the reasons that they were carried from place to place, and also explains why you see so many pictures and statues of these persons with their hands straight to their sides. In the Bible, we find reference to "The Tower of Babel" or The Ziggurat in Genesis 11. "Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar (Babylonia) and settled there. They said to each other, `Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' They used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar. Then they said, `Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.' But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The Lord said,`If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.'" It goes on to say that the tower was never finished. In other references, we find that the "Tower" was in fact finished, and that it was a tower that represented the "stages" between earth and heaven (not a tower stretching to the heaven in the literal sense.) From this reference, it was a tower built in steps. A hierarchy on which heaven and hell were based. It was actually a miniature world representing the Mountain of Earth. 793 Each stage was dedicated to a planet, with its angles symbolizing the four corners of the world. They pointed to Akkad, Saburtu, Elam, and the western lands. The seven steps of the tower were painted in different colors which corresponded to the planets. The "Great Misfortune:, Saturn, was black. The second was white, the color of Jupiter. The third, brick-red, the color of Mercury, followed by blue, Venus; yellow, Mars, gray or silver for the moon. These colors boded good or evil, like their planets. For the first time, numbers expressed the world order. A legend depicts Pythagoras traveling to Babylon where he is taught the mystery of numbers, their magical significance and power. The seven steps often appear in magical philosophy. The seven steps are: stones, fire, plants, animals, man, the starry heavens, and the angels. Starting with the study of stones, the man of wisdom will attain higher and higher degrees of knowledge, until he will be able to apprehend the sublime, and the eternal. Through ascending these steps, a man would attain the knowledge of God, whose name is at the eighth degree, the threshold of God's heavenly dwelling. The square was also a "mystical" symbol in these times, and though divided into seven, was still respected. This correlated the old tradition of a fourfold world being reconciled with the seven heavens of later times. It is thought that here was the start to numerology, but for this to have developed to the point where they had taken into consideration the square as the fourfold world, it would have had to have developed prior to this. From Mesopotamia lets move over to Persia. Unlike the Mesopotamians, and Egyptians, who believed that all was done with either the favor or lack thereof of the Gods, the Chaldean star religion taught that luck and disaster were no chance events, but were controlled from the heavenly bodies (planets/stars) which send good and bad according to mathematical laws. It was their belief that man was incapable of fighting the will of the planet divinities. Though, the more this system evolved, the more the wise men read ethical values into man's fate. The will of the stars was not completely separate from man's behaviors. The stars were important, but not omnipotent in deciding man's fate. It was believed that the star Sirius would carry messages to the higher gods and he returned to announce their will. Around the 7th Century B.C. Zoroaster, the Median prophet was preaching the doctrines that evil could be avoided and defeated. He brought about the principles of the good and evil spirits. Below, we will look at the beliefs and influences of this man's life which created the religion named after him. 794 The first of the belief structure had to do with Ormazd (Ahura- Mazda) king of light, and his twin brother Ahriman (Anro-Mainyu) prince of darkness. Zoroaster brought about the belief in the "holy war" (that between good and evil.) In this faith, the archangels (the spirits of Divine Wisdom, Righteousness, Dominion, Devotion, Totality, and Salvation) and the demons (the spirits of Anarchy, Apostasy, Presumption, Destruction, Decay, and Fury) were constantly at battle with one another. The archangels were controlled by Ormazd and the demons by Ahriman. This religion had it's belief that in the end, Ormazd and his demons would prevail, but until then, Ormazd would keep the world safe. It is interesting that the last of the demons (the demon of Fury) holds such a hard and fast thought that it was incorporated into the Hebrew and Christian belief structure. The last archdemon's name is Aeshma Daeva also know to the Hebrews as Ashmadai and to Christians as Asmodeus. Asmodeus was the "chief of the fourth hierarchy of evil demons", called "the avengers of wickedness, crimes and misdeeds." He appears with three heads, a bull's, human, and a ram. He has goose feet, and a snake's tail. To appear more frightening, he also exhales fire and rides upon a dragon of hell. It is said that Asmodeus is not to be feared. When you say to him: "In truth thou art Asmodeus," he will give you a wonderful ring. He will teach you geometry, arithmetic, astronomy and mechanics. When questioned, he answers truthfully. The other demons tempt people away from the true worship of Mazda. They are Paromaiti - Arrogance, Mitox - The Falsely Spoken Word, Zaurvan - Decrepitude, Akatasa - Meddlesomeness, Vereno - Lust. Much of the current day Christian beliefs were taken from this man's religion. (That of good and evil forces, the redemption, the "savior" factor, etc.) From here, let us move on to Egypt where we will look at other mystical symbols and more history of magic and the craft. The Sphinx was a mythological creature with lion's body and human head, an important image in Egyptian and Greek art and legend. The word sphinx was derived by Greek grammarians from the verb sphingein (to bind or squeeze), but the etymology is not related to the legend and is dubious. The winged sphinx of Boeotian Thebes, the most famous in legend, was said to have terrorized the people by demanding the answer to a riddle. If the person answered incorrectly, he or she was eaten by the sphinx. It is said that Oedipus answered properly where upon the sphinx killed herself. 795 The earliest and most famous example in art is the colossal Sphinx at Giza, Egypt. It dates from the reign of King Khafre (4th king of 4th dynasty; c. 2550 b.c.) The Sphinx did not occur in Mesopotamia until around 1500 b.c. when it was imported from the Levant. In appearance, the Asian sphinx differed from its Egyptian model mostly in the addition of wings to the leonine body. This feature continued through its history in Asia and the Greek world. Another version of the sphinx was that of the female. This appeared in the 15th century b.c. on seals, ivories and metalworkings. They were portrayed in the sitting position usually with one paw raised. Frequently, they were seen with a lion, griffin or another sphinx. The appearance of the sphinx on temples and the like eventually lead to a possible interpretation of the sphinx as a protective symbol as well as a philosophical one. The Sphinx rests at the foot of the 3 pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkure. It talons stretch over the city of the dead as it guards its secrets. The myth goes that a prince who later became Thutmose IV, took a nap in the shadow of the half-submerged Sphinx. As he slept, the Sun-god (whom the Sphinx represents, appeared to him in a dream. Speaking to him as a son, he told the prince that he would succeed to the throne and enjoy a long and happy reign. He urged the prince to have the Sphinx cleared of the sand. In his book on Isis and Osiris, Plutarch (A.D. 45-126) says that the Sphinx symbolizes the secret of occult wisdom, though Plutarch never unveiled the mysteries of the Sphinx. It is said that the magic of the Sphinx lies within the thousands of hands that chiseled at the rock. The thoughts of countless generations dwell in it; numberless conjurations and rites have built up in it a mighty protective spirit, a soul that still inhabits this time-scarred giant. Another well know superstition of the peoples of Ancient Egypt was that regarding their dead. They believed that in the West lies the World of the Dead, where the Sun-god disappears every evening. The departed were referred to as "Westerners." It was believed that, disguised as birds, the dead soar into the sky where in his heavenly barge Ra, the Sun- god, awaits them and transforms them into stars to travel with him through the vault of the heavens. 796 The cult of the dead reached it's height when it incorporated the Osiris myth. Osiris was born to save mankind. At his nativity, a voice was heard proclaiming that the Lord had come into the world (sound familiar?). But his brother/father Seth shut him up in a chest which he carried to the sea by the Tanaitic mouth of the Nile. Isis brought him back to life. Seth then scattered his body all over the place. It is said that Isis fastened the limbs together with the help of the gods Nephtis, Thoth, and Horus, her son. Fanning the body with her wings, and through her magic, Osiris rose again to reign as king over the dead. The Egyptian believed that a person had two souls. The soul known as Ba is the one that progressed into the afterlife while the Ka remains with the mummy. The Ka is believed to live a magical life within the grave. Thus the Egyptians placed miniature belongings of the deceased into the tomb. Such items as images, statuettes, imitation utensils, and miniature houses take the place of the real thing. They believed that the Ka would use these as the real item because the mortuary priests possessed magic that would make them real for the dead. The priests believed that the gods could be deceived, menaced and forced into obedience. They had such trust in the power of magic, the virtue of the spoken word, the irresistibility of magic gestures and other ritual, that they hoped to bend even the good gods to their will. They would bring retribution to the deities who failed to deal leniently with the dead. They threatened to shoot lightning into the are of Shu, god of the air, who would then no longer be able to support the sky-goddess, and her star-sown body would collapse, disrupting the order of all things. When Ikhnaton overthrew the Egyptian gods and demons, making the cult of the One God Aton, a state religion, he also suppressed mortuary magic. Ikhnaton did not believe in life after death. As Christianity became a part of this nation, there is much evidence to show where the Christians of the time, and the pagans lived peacefully together. In theology, the differences between early Christians, Gnostics (members - often Christian - of dualistic sects of the 2nd century a.d.), and pagan Hermeticists were slight. In the large Gnostic library discovered at Naj'Hammadi, in upper Egypt, in 1945, Hermetic writings were found side by side with Christian Gnostic texts. The doctrine of the soul taught in Gnostic communities was almost identical to that taught in the mysteries: the soul emanated from the Father, fell into the body, and had to return to its former home. It was not until later in Rome that things took a change for the worse. Which moves us on to Greece. 797 The doctrinal similarity is exemplified in the case of the pagan writer and philosopher Synesius. When the people of Cyrene wanted the most able man of the city to be their bishop, they chose Synesius, a pagan. He was able to accept the election without sacrificing his intellectual honesty. In his pagan period, he wrote hymns that follow the fire theology of the Chaldean Oracles. Later he wrote hymns to Christ. The doctrine is almost identical. To attempt to demonstrate this...let's go to some BASIC tenets and beliefs of the two religions: Christian Beliefs The 10 Commandments 1.) You shall have no other gods before me. To the Christian, this means there will be no other God. Yet, in the bible, the phrase is plural. I does not state that you will not have another god, it says that you will have no other gods before the Christian God. In the case of the later, it could be interpreted to mean that whereas other gods can be recognized, as a Christian, this person should place YHVH ahead of all gods recognizing him/her as the supreme being of all. 2.) You shall not worship idols Actually, what it says in the New International Version is "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to thousands who love me and keep my commandments. 3.) You shall not take the name of the lord in vain. This one is pretty self explanatory. When a person is calling on the lord he/she is asking the lord for guidance or action. Thus, the phrase "God damn it!" can be translated into a person asking the lord to condemn whatever "it" is to hell. The phrase "To damn" means to condemn to hell. In modern society, several phrases such as the following are common usage: "Oh God!", "God forbid!", "God damn it!", "God have mercy!" Each of these is asking God to perform some act upon or for the speaker with the exception of "Oh God!" which is asking for Gods attention. 798 4.) Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Depending on which religion you are looking at (i.e. Jewish, from which the 10 commandments come; or Christianity, which adapted them for their use as well.) the Sabbath is either Saturday or Sunday. You may also take a look at the various mythological pantheons to correlate which is the first and last days of the week...(i.e. Sun - Sunday.. Genesis 1:3 "And God said, "Let there be light,' and there was light., Moon - Monday.. Genesis 1:14 "And God said,"Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars." Thus the Sun was created first. With the day of the Sun being the first in the week, then Saturday would be the 7th or Sabbath. 5.) Honor thy mother and thy father. This is another that is fairly self explanatory. It is any parent's right after spending the time to raise you to expect that you respect them. 6.) You shall not murder. This does not say "You shall not murder...except in my name." It says YOU SHALL NOT MURDER. PERIOD. Out of the 10 commandments, I have found that over the course of history, this one has been the most ignored. As we look as the spread of Christianity from around 300 A.D. forward, we find that as politics moved into the church and those in charge of man's "souls" were given more control that this one commandment sort of went out the window. We see such things as the Crusades, the inquisition, and the dominating fear that was placed into the Christian "psyche" that one should destroy that which is not like you. Even though we here stories about the "witch trials", and the "witch burnings" etc....There were actually very few "Witches" tried or burned. Most of these poor souls were that of Protestant beliefs (Against the Catholic Church) yet still maintained that they were Christians. But...more on this later. 7.) You shall not commit adultery. You can look up the meaning in the dictionary, and this one becomes pretty self-evident. What it comes down to is that no person who has ever been divorced can marry again, and you don't have sex with someone that you are not married to. 799 8.) You shall not steal. Again, enough said. However...don't go looking at Constantine to be obeying this one! The Pagan temples were looted to make his coinage. 9.) You shall not give false witness against thy neighbor Again, during the times of the inquisition, this also went out the window. Such tools as torture were used to pull confessions from these poor people who then signed statements that the inquisitors had written up saying that they freely signed this document. Of course...the inquisitors stated that this person was not tortured, but it was his clever wit that had extracted this confession. It was also during this time that persons, refusing to take responsibility for their own actions or accept that nature does in fact create strange circumstances...(i.e. drought, flood, etc.) and the resulting illness and bug infestations. Very often, as the Witch-craze developed stronger, the one neighbor would accuse another of Witchcraft and destroying the fields or making their child sick, or whatever. 10.)You shall not covet your neighbor. On the surface, this one is pretty self explanatory. Don't crave your neighbor's possessions. Yes...I can relate this back to the inquisitional times as well since most of the accused's property reverted back to the Catholic church at this time...there were several accused and convicted of Witchcraft simply because they would not sell their property to the church. However...How does this effect persons today? How far do we carry the "Thou shalt not covet..."? This can be even so much as a want, however is it a sin to want a toy like your neighbor has? If so...we're all in trouble. How many of us "want" that Porsche that we see driving down the road? Or how about that beautiful house that we just drove past? Do we carry this commandment to this extreme? If so...I pity the person that can live by it for what that would say is "Thou shalt not DREAM." 800 Wiccan Beliefs Since the religion of Wicca (or Witchcraft) is so diverse in it's beliefs, I have included several documents here that encompass the majority of the traditions involved. Again, this is simply a basis...NOT the be all and end all. Wiccan Rede Bide ye wiccan laws you must, in perfect love and perfect trust Live ye must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give For the circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out To bind ye spell well every time, let the spell be spake in rhyme Soft of eye and light of touch, speak ye little, listen much Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out ye baleful tune When ye Lady's moon is new, kiss ye hand to her times two When ye moon rides at her peak, then ye heart's desire seek Heed the north winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail When the wind comes from the south, love will kiss thee on the mouth When the wind blows from the east, expect the new and set the feast. Nine woods in the cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow Elder be ye Lady's tree, burn it not or cursed ye'll be WHen the wheel begins to turn, soon ye Beltane fires will burn When the wheel hath turned a Yule light the log the Horned One rules Heed ye flower, bush and tree, by the Lady blessed be Where the rippling waters go, cast a stone, the truth ye'll know When ye have and hold a need, harken not to others greed With a fool no season spend, or be counted as his friend Merry meet and merry part, bright the cheeks and warm the heart. Mind ye threefold law ye should three times bad and three times good When misfortune is enow, wear the star upon thy brow True in love my ye ever be, lest thy love be false to thee These eight words the wiccan rede fulfill; An harm ye none, do what ye will. 800 Wiccan Beliefs Since the religion of Wicca (or Witchcraft) is so diverse in it's beliefs, I have included several documents here that encompass the majority of the traditions involved. Again, this is simply a basis...NOT the be all and end all. Wiccan Rede Bide ye wiccan laws you must, in perfect love and perfect trust Live ye must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give For the circle thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out To bind ye spell well every time, let the spell be spake in rhyme Soft of eye and light of touch, speak ye little, listen much Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out ye baleful tune When ye Lady's moon is new, kiss ye hand to her times two When ye moon rides at her peak, then ye heart's desire seek Heed the north winds mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail When the wind comes from the south, love will kiss thee on the mouth When the wind blows from the east, expect the new and set the feast. Nine woods in the cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow Elder be ye Lady's tree, burn it not or cursed ye'll be WHen the wheel begins to turn, soon ye Beltane fires will burn When the wheel hath turned a Yule light the log the Horned One rules Heed ye flower, bush and tree, by the Lady blessed be Where the rippling waters go, cast a stone, the truth ye'll know When ye have and hold a need, harken not to others greed With a fool no season spend, or be counted as his friend Merry meet and merry part, bright the cheeks and warm the heart. Mind ye threefold law ye should three times bad and three times good When misfortune is enow, wear the star upon thy brow True in love my ye ever be, lest thy love be false to thee These eight words the wiccan rede fulfill; An harm ye none, do what ye will. 801 One of the Pagan Oaths recognized nationally here in the U.S. A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality I am a Pagan and I dedicate Myself to channeling the Spiritual Energy of my Inner Self to help and to heal myself and others. * I know that I am a part of the Whole of Nature. May I grow in understanding of the Unity of all Nature. May I always walk in Balance. * May I always be mindful of the diversity of Nature as well as its Unity and may I always be tolerant of those whose race, appearance, sex, sexual preference, culture, and other ways differ from my own. * May I use the Force (psychic power) wisely and never use it for aggression nor for malevolent purposes. May I never direct it to curtail the free will of another. * May I always be mindful that I create my own reality and that I have the power within me to create positivity in my life. * May I always act in honorable ways: being honest with myself and others, keeping my word whenever I have given it, fulfilling all responsibilities and commitments I have taken on to the best of my ability. * May I always remember that whatever is sent out always returns magnified to the sender. May the Forces of Karma move swiftly to remind me of these spiritual commitments when I have begin to falter from them, and may I use this Karmic feedback to help myself grow and be more attuned to my Inner Pagan Spirit. * May I always remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals in the face of adversity and negativity. May the Force of my Inner Spirit ground out all malevolence directed my way and transform it into positivity. May my Inner Light shine so strongly that malevolent forces can not even approach my sphere of existence. * May I always grow in Inner Wisdom & Understanding. May I see every problem that I face as an opportunity to develop myself spiritually in solving it. * May I always act out of Love to all other beings on this Planet -- to other humans, to plants, to animals, to minerals, to elementals, to spirits, and to other entities. * May I always be mindful that the Goddess and God in all their forms dwell within me and that this divinity is reflected through my own Inner Self, my Pagan Spirit. .pa * May I always channel Love and Light from my being. May my Inner Spirit, rather than my ego self, guide all my thoughts, feelings, and actions. SO MOTE IT BE 802 In the Wiccan Rede above, and scattered in the oath, we find words such as Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. What are these strange words and what do they mean? Before one can analyze the meaning behind the phrase "Perfect Love and Perfect Trust", one must first define the words. For this purpose, I will use the Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language 1982 edition. Perfect: adj. [L. per-, through + facere, do] 1. complete in all respects; flawless 2. excellent, as in skill or quality 3. completely accurate 4. sheer; utter [a perfect fool] 5. Gram. expressing a state or action completed at the time of speaking - vt. 1. to complete 2. to make perfect or nearly perfect - n. 1. the perfect tense 2. a verb form in this tense - perfectly adv - perfectness n. Love: n. [